Eurofish Magazine 6 2011

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Diversity of fleets and gears complicates fisheries management Spotlight on technology and certification at fish international 2012 Project: Stakeholders debate the future of marine coldwater aquaculture Processing: Will newer materials replace traditional cans? is a member of the FISH INFO network

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ISSN 1868-5943

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Eurofish Magazine

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March 11 - 13, Boston, MA

2012

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In this issue

Fisheries and aquaculture in Italy face challenges on several fronts Italy – The fishing and aquaculture industries in Italy face several challenges. The fishing sector is ­suffering from over capacity, diminishing catches, low profitability, high fuel costs and a lack of young people entering the trade. Stagnant production, competition from Greece and Turkey, inadequate ­planning at the national level, and poor collaboration between industry and the research establishment are some of the issues affecting the marine fish farming industry. While production of seabass and ­seabream showed no change from 2008 to 2009, both volumes and values of freshwater trout increased in 2009 compared to the previous year, one of the few positive developments in the industry. Solutions to these issues are not easy to find or implement. Transferable quotas that have contributed to the ­fisheries sector’s ­profitability in other countries are regarded with suspicion by parts of the industry in Italy. But better planning and coordination between industry, administration, and the research establishment could improve the conditions under which the aquaculture sector operates. Read more on page 25 Azerbaijan is the largest of the Southern Caucasian nations, yet the one with the lowest reserves of freshwater, a significant constraint for the development of the aquaculture industry. The sector comprises private industry that produces farmed fish, mainly cyprinids but also trout, and the ­state-run hatcheries that breed fingerlings of many different species for restocking purposes. The lack of ­freshwater has created an interest among fish farmers in modern technology that saves and reuses ­water. ­Azerbaijan has a long Caspian Sea coast that supports a marine fishery based on kilka and sprats, two small pelagic species. Sturgeon stocks in the Caspian Sea have been decimated and efforts to revive them are under way. Read more on page 45 Aquainnova – Representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Spain as well as the host country Norway got together to discuss the future of marine coldwater aquaculture on 21 and 22 September in Oslo. The meeting was one in a series organised under an EU FP7-financed project, Aquainnova that seeks to facilitate dialogue between the aquaculture industry, policy makers, the research ­establishment, administrators and others. The meeting discussed how the marine coldwater aquaculture sector could contribute to achieving the Vision for European Aquaculture in 2030. Among the conclusions of the discussion were that production of European coldwater marine species would increase significantly over the next couple of decades and that European aquaculture would increase its contribution to global production of farmed fish. As a fraction of global output aquaculture, production in the EU-27 has been declining steadily, from 18.4% in 1970 to 2.4% in 2008, according to the FAO. Read more on page 23 Aquaculture – The concept of insuring stock in the fish farming industry is far from widespread as ­farmers consider it expensive and complicated. However, in his report on aquaculture insurance ­Manfred Klinkhardt argues that insurance should be considered a part of a famer’s risk management strategies. The global value of stock in 2009 was estimated at USD110bn while the level of insurance premiums was only US142m. It is mainly farms in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Turkey, Australia and New ­Zealand that ­invest in insurance. The proliferation of standards and codes that many farmers produce to could be part of the reason that they feel insurance is unnecessary, but this is the wrong ­approach… Read more on page 56 Processing – The humble tin can has proved its worth many time over during the course of the last 200 years. Metal cans offer several advantages over other packaging materials, such as glass or plastic, but today new materials or combinations of materials offer all the advantages of metal plus a few more, such as requiring less energy to produce, sterilise, or distribute. However, use of the metal can is far too widespread for it to be replaced any time soon, far more likely is that new packaging products will slowly chip away at the market for metal cans and other traditional materials. Read more on page 49 www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Table of News 6 International News

Events 19 fish international 2012, 12-14 February, Bremen, Germany Emphasis on aquaculture technology, certification, and processing 21 Alimentaria 2012, 26-29 March, Barcelona, Spain Is food a way out of the crisis for Spain?

22 Iceland Fisheries Exhibition, 22-24 September, Kópavogur, Iceland You had to be there

Project 23 Aquainnova workshop in Oslo The future of marine coldwater aquaculture

Italy 25 Causes behind falling fisheries production in Italy and the industry’s response Diversity of fleets, gears, and species hampers effective management 27 Energy audits on board fishing vessels Energy profiling can lead to reduced fuel consumption 30 Italian aquaculture and fisheries face challenges on several fronts No easy answers 34 Bivalves from the Venetian lagoon Venetian vongole veraci, fasolari, and mussels should be better known in Europe 36 Acqua Azzurra is the leading producer of seabass and seabream in Italy A culture of constant innovation and experimenting 39 Iasa continues a 42-year old tradition Twelve-month matured anchovies for gourmets 42 Salvatore Pappalardo targets tuna and small pelagics Bluefin tuna fishermen weary of restrictions on their activities 44 Interview with Valentina Tepedino, Director and Managing Editor of Eurofishmarket Investigating fraud in Italy’s seafood sector

Salvatore Pappalardo’s catches of anchovies are immediately packed on ice for sale to the local market.

Front cover picture courtesy Alessandro Lucchetti and Antonello Sala, National Research Council – Institute of Marine Research (CNR-ISMAR), Ancona, Italy.

Caption: Fish caught by Italian trawlers in the Mediterannean often includes a mixture of European hake (Merluccius merluccius), hornet octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

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Contents Azerbaijan 45 Lack of freshwater means aquaculture in Azerbaijan depends on new technology to expand Revival of interest in fisheries and aquaculture

Processing 49 Tinplate or glass, aluminium or plastic Which material is best for preserves?

52 Polish project investigates use of fish scraps to produce high value products Generating value from waste

Fraud 54 Fraud in the seafood trade Guarding against dishonest business practices

Aquaculture 56 Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture Chapter Five: Running a recirculation system

Worldwide Fish News Belgium

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6, 11, 14, 16

China

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Croatia

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Denmark

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6, 9, 10, 12, 16

Estonia

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Italy

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Moldova

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Norway

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Poland

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Romania

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Spain

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UK

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USA

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58 Aquaculture insurances as part of risk management Insurance companies offer customised solutions

Fish Info Network News 61 Projects 61 Events 61 Publications

Guest Pages 64 Dr Lahsen Ababouch: FAO is committed to the global network of Fish Infocentres of which Eurofish is part Building on a long relationship

Service 63 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: Bjørn Myrseth receives FEAP annual award for excellence in European aquaculture The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers’ (FEAP) has announced that the Federation’s annual prize for excellence in European aquaculture has been awarded to Bjørn Myrseth in recognition of his contribution to European aquaculture.

Mr Myrseth has had a long and illustrious career in the aquaculture industry since he graduated from the University of Bergen in 1971. He founded Stolt Sea Farm which specialized in the production of salmon smolts first in Norway, then in Scotland, USA and Canada. Under his leadership the company produced marketsized fish in Canada and USA and started the production of sturgeon in California. Another company he started, Lax AS, had

investments in Greece, UK and Chile and later became Marine Farms AS, which he headed from 1987 to 2010. Mr Myrseth has been a long-time supporter of cooperation and openness in developing aquaculture and, already in 1976, was a co-founder of the European Mariculture Society – the precursor of the European Aquaculture Society (EAS). He was active in founding regional and national aquaculture associations in Norway, and was elected President of EAS in 1992. Today his expertise and experience as one of the pioneers of the modern fish farming industry are much sought after by his colleagues. Acknowledging the award Mr Myrseth expressed mild surprise at being selected for doing what he considered

to be his job – and added that he was not yet finished! FEAP’s annual award is supported by

MSD Animal Health known as Merck Animal Health in the USA and Canada.

From left, Arnault Chaperon, FEAP President; Bjørn Myrseth; and Robin Wardle, Director of Technical Services and Customer Support for MSD Aquatic Animal Health.

Denmark: Biomar hosts delegation of Armenian aquaculturists

His Excellency Mr Hrachya Aghajanyan, the Armenian Ambassador to Denmark.

Mr Aram Gharibyan (right), Senior Advisor to the President of Armenia.

A delegation of Armenian aquaculturists recently visited Denmark to meet their strategic partner Biomar, one of the leading suppliers of high performance fish feed to the

Kingdom, and Chile, and feed for trout, eel, sea-bass, and seabream in continental Europe. Mr Rahbæk also introduced some of the recent developments in the company including a new

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aquaculture industry. At the meeting Lars Rahbæk, Biomar’s Managing Director, presented the main business areas of Biomar, which are feed for salmon and trout in Norway, the United

feed for tilapia which will be produced in a newly built factory in Costa Rica.

This visit by the Armenian aquaculturists was strongly supported www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

by His Excellency Mr Hrachya Aghajanyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia in Denmark and Mr Aram Gharibyan, Senior Adviser to the President of Armenia.

During the meeting Mr Gharibyan pointed out that the Armenian aquaculture sector has strong potential for growth by using

underexploited water resources (amounting to 2,700 ha water area) more effectively. In Armenia there are 5,424 deep wells of which 3,500 are used for fish farming. All in all, this could facilitate a several fold increase in fish production. Proper use of Lake Sevan alone could considerably increase the present production levels of farmed fish, which in 2010 were about 5.6

thousand tonnes. At present there are about 250 fish farms.

During the discussions with Biomar special attention was drawn to the necessity to develop an overall plan or vision for the sector and design an action plan to achieve it. The main species under consideration are sturgeon, Lake Sevan trout

(Salmo ischachan) and rainbow trout. Entry to the EU market is one of the top priorities for the fish farmers. They have already developed markets in neighboring CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries and Georgia, with whom they have concluded free trade agreements, and negotiations with Iran are ongoing.

China: Asian Seafood Exposition features first Japanese seafood promotion campaign since tsunami Diversified Business Communications, expressed their satisfaction with the outcome. This year eight new countries exhibited and there were 14 country pavilions, according to SeafoodSource. com, which quotes Mary Larkins, VP Seafood Expositions, as saying

that there had been a 45 increase in space sold compared to last year. The quality of attendees was good with a strong showing by senior executives authorised to make purchasing decisions. Diversified is also behind the world’s biggest seafood show, the European

Seafood Exposition, in Brussels, as well as the Boston Seafood show and will inaugurate a show in Barcelona next year. The Hong Kong event featured a range of new products that highlighted some of the recent products and trends to be seen in the region.

Gestaltung: blaukontor.de, Foto: Thomas Ruhl, www.port-culinaire.de

There were 156 exhibiting companies from 23 countries and over 5,000 visitors from 50 countries at the Asian Seafood Exposition which ran 6-8 September in Hong Kong, China. This is the second edition of Asian Seafood to be held and the organisers,

The German Seafood Show Tel: +49 421 3505-260 Eurofish184x124.indd 1 www.eurofi shmagazine.com

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info@fishinternational.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] These included frozen vannamei, smoked salmon, and Taiwan flying fish caviar. At the Japanese pavilion that hosted nine companies, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had organised a media event to demonstrate the health and safety of Japanese seafood – the first since the tsunami and nuclear plant accident in March. Hong Kong is the biggest importer of Japanese seafood in terms of value and therefore an important market in which

to promote the message that Japanese seafood is safe to eat.

At the event well-known chefs cooked a variety of dishes using Japanese seafood.

The next edition of the event is scheduled on 11-13 September 2012 and will be held in conjunction with Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong, a trade show for the region’s hospitality sector; and Frozen Food Asia, a newly-launched event featuring frozen foods across all categories.

The Japanese pavilion at the Asian Seafood Exposition hosted the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ media event to demonstrate the health and safety of Japanese seafood.

Moldova: NACEE holds its second general assembly meeting in Chisinau The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Central and Eastern Europe (NACEE), which recently finalized its transformation into a registered NGO, held its Second General Assembly in Chisinau, Moldova, on 17-18 October 2011. The General Assembly was hosted by the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the Chisinau Branch of the State Research and Production Enterprise “Acvacultura-Moldova”, and was attended by 62 participants representing 24 institutions and organizations from 10 countries.

The participants discussed a number of organizational and strategic issues. In particular, they made important decisions on membership issues; adopted the annual progress report of the Executive Board; established a Technical Advisory Committee

and elected its members, who have already started the development of a NACEE research agenda. In addition they spoke about project opportunities and NACEE’s possible involvement and considered ways of cooperation with FAO, with special regard to the improvement of the quality of statistical data from NACEE member countries. Participants also adopted the action plan and budget for the next year. NACEE members were also acquainted with the activities of the Aquaexcel project, which aims at mapping the research infrastructure in Europe, including NACEE member countries.

The members also had an opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art recirculation system of Aquatir Ltd., a new member of NACEE, in Tiraspol.

In conjunction with the General Assembly, an FAO-supported workshop on the role of aquaculture in rural development was held on 19 October. After the presentations, which included overviews

of specific development programmes and case studies from different countries, a forum was held on the possible involvement of NACEE in development programmes in developing countries.

Participants at the second general assembly of NACEE, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Central and Eastern Europe, in Chisinau, Moldova.

Spain: New seafood event to launch in Barcelona in autumn 2012 Two of the biggest names in seafood event organisation, Diversified Business Communications and Alimentaria Exhibitions, have joined forces to launch Seafood Barcelona, an event that will bring together buyers and sellers 8

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interested in the Spanish market in particular, but more generally in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. The event will take place 15-17 October, 2012 at Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. The inaugural event, which

is expected to attract 300 exhibiting companies from all aspects of the seafood and seafood processing industry, will draw high-volume level seafood buyers from supermarkets, hypermarkets, restaurants, brokers, importers, distributors and

wholesalers. It will cover all seafood categories including fresh, frozen, processed, value- added seafood products; seafood processing & packaging equipment; companies with services for the seafood industry and more. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Alimentaria Exhibitions already organises the annual Alimentaria Barcelona event in spring which focuses on food in general and includes a seafood component. Another major Spanish seafood event is the Conxemar

show in Vigo in autumn, where the focus is on frozen fish. Spain is a major seafood producing and consuming nation with a per capita consumption among the highest in Europe. Data from the Ministry of the Environment

and Rural Marine Affairs shows that seafood is consumed in 70 of Spanish households and consumption is recorded at 1.2 kg per capita per month. The nation is also a major trader of seafood importing USD5.9bn

worth in 2009 and exporting for USD3.1bn, according to a recent report from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada. However, whether the market is quite big enough to accommodate three international events remains to be seen.

UK: New export director at Lossie Seafoods and Moray Seafoods The Buckie (Scotland) companies Lossie Seafoods Ltd. and Moray Seafoods Ltd. have appointed Henry Angus as export director to drive exports into new markets around the world. Lossie Seafoods specialises in smoked salmon which is exported to a number of destinations. It has a workforce of about Henry Angus, newly appointed export director of Lossie Seafoods Ltd. 50 employees. Moray Seafoand Moray Seafoods Ltd. is responsible for implementing a development ods processes fresh and frozen plan for the two Buckie, Scotland-based companies.

langoustine for the domestic UK as well as export markets and also employs about 50 people. The two companies were recently acquired by Associated Seafoods Ltd and are going through a phase of restructuring and development. Victor West, managing director of Associated Seafoods says Henry Angus will play a key role in implementing the plans.

Denmark: Oyster Trophy Week promotes Danish oysters across the country Organised by Food Organisation of Denmark and the Association of Danish Fishmongers the first edition of the Oyster Trophy Week took place from 14 to 22 October to focus both national and international attention on one of the most delicate and exquisite foods from Denmark and a prominent feature of the rejuvenated

Nordic cuisine – oysters from Limfjorden. The week started with the launching of the first oyster bed in Copenhagen followed by a celebration of Danish oysters in numerous restaurants across the country and by a Wild Oyster Safari: a two-day tour to the homes of oysters in Denmark, Vadehavet and Limfjorden, with Michelin chef Mads

Refslund. The oysters are not farmed, but live in a protected Natura 2000 habitat, a European special natural reserve. The stock varies greatly: every year fishers have to apply for a special license to harvest the oysters, and as yet no licenses have been issued for the 2011/12 season, except for a small quantity just for the Oysterweek.

Oyster Trophy Week highlighted Danish oysters and their role in new Nordic cuisine. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] UK: Vigorous opposition in Scotland to further reduction in days at sea in 2012 The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has expressed its opposition to the continuation of the automatic reduction in the number of days that fishing vessels can put to sea that is set to come into force in 2012 under European regulations. Under the automatic mechanism introduced by the EC as part of the Cod Recovery Plan, Scottish

whitefish and prawn boats stand to lose further days that they can put to sea in 2012. Vessels will face having to work with a 45 reduction since the introduction of the scheme at the start of 2009. The industry feels that the Commission is not taking into account the measures that have been introduced by the Scottish fleet to conserve stocks. These

include real-time area closures to avoid cod, more selective nets in the whitefish fleet, a really serious set of self-help trials and innovation by the prawn fleets and the use of CCTV to avoid discarding. Alan Coghill, President of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, doubts that the normal channels of discussion with the Commission are going to be

able to bring about a change in the regulation. He will therefore take the matter up with the Scottish and UK governments and urge them to convince their counterparts in the Council of Ministers to find a mechanism to freeze the automatic reductions in the days at sea due in 2012 until a review of the plan has been completed.

Denmark: Stricter requirements for mussel fishers in Limfjord’s Natura 2000 areas In 2010 approximately one third of the mussel fishery in the Limfjord was in protected Natura 2000 areas, a practice which the European Commission has frowned upon, if sufficient measures are not taken to protect the environment in these areas. Mette Gjerskov, Minister

of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, has now introduced stricter requirements for mussel fishermen, that will make the fishery more sustainable in 2011, yet at the same time maintain employment in the area. The new demands include a GPS receiver on the fishing vessels which will

allow the vessel’s position to be monitored to see that it does not enter vulnerable areas. The devices have to be installed by 1 March 2012 at the latest. Fishers will also have to use a different kind of fishing gear that does less damage to the environment when collecting the mussels.

If the Commission does not approve the new measures we will have to look at them again, says Ms Gjerskov, emphasising that in the long term more environmentally friendly mussel fishing gear will have to be deployed in the interests of a sustainable mussel fishery.

Italy: Mediterranean Seafood Expo highlights Italy’s huge import requirements The Italian seafood market is dominated by imports, which have been approximately 73 of apparent consumption for the last few years. In 2010 Italy imported 941 thousand tonnes of seafood with a value of almost EUR4bn, according to Ismea, (Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare) using data from the Italian National Institute for Statistics.

The Mediterranean Seafood Exposition (MSE) in Rimini provides a platform for seafood exporters to enter or expand into the Italian market and profit from the Italian seafood trade. Fresh seafood is a major import, amounting to 21 of the total import volume in 2010, but there is also a significant and increasing interest in processed fish and seafood including frozen products, dry products, salted or pickled products, preparations and preserves, as well as 10

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The Mediterranean Seafood Exposition in Rimini is the place to be for exporters interested in a piece of the Italian seafood market.

fresh fish fillets. In volume terms imports of processed products increased by 2.5 in 2010 compared to the previous year and by nearly 11 in value. The MSE will

be held from 25 to 28 February 2012 in conjunction with Sapore, an event dedicated to eating out, and will cover the entire seafood value addition chain and

associated technologies. In addition, the event will feature several workshops and seminars where both technical as well as policy issues will be discussed. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: Baltic Sea fishing quotas for 2012 agreed The Council of Fisheries Ministers agreed on catches and quota for certain fish stocks in the Baltic Sea for 2012 at a Council meeting in October in Luxembourg. The fishing effort limits for Baltic Sea cod, which is governed by a multiannual plan, were also agreed at the meeting. The agreements took into account scientific advice from ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). The herring TAC in the Eastern Baltic except the Gulf of Bothnia was reduced by 27 compared to 2011 to 78,417 tonnes. In the Gulf of Bothnia and the Western Baltic the TAC was increased by 2 to 106,000 tonnes and by 32 to 20,900 tonnes respectively. While in the Gulf of Riga the

herring TAC was reduced by 16 to 30,576 tonnes. For cod the TAC was increased by 15 in the Eastern Baltic to 67,850 tonnes and by 13 in the Western Baltic to 21,300 tonnes. TACs for Baltic Sea salmon were slashed by 51 to 122,553 individuals in the subdivisions 22-31 and were maintained at the 2011 level of 15,419 individuals in subdivision 32. While for sprat the TAC fell by 22 to 225,237 tonnes.

The reductions in herring and sprat stocks were less than those originally suggested by the Commission as several nations were opposed to those proposals.

According to Keit Pentus, Estonian Minister of the Environment, Estonian fish resources have remained stable for the last 20 years and some even exceed the long term

average. The Commission also abandoned its suggestion for quotas to be automatically reduced by 25 when data on the stock was lacking as member states felt it was not based on science. The UK fisheries minister said the proposal also risked increasing discards as fishers might not have the quota to cover the fish they caught and may have to throw it back.

“This is a very emotional point, as always,” said Marek Sawicki, Minister for Rural Development of Poland, who presided over the meeting, referring to the negotiations. “This has to be very balanced, because on the one hand side we have to protect the stocks of the Baltic Sea, and on the other – we have to make sure that the interests of the member states

are provided for. This was a very difficult compromise,” Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, called the agreement “an historical achievement” and said that all the quotas were based on scientific advice. Oceana, the marine environment protection organisation, however, said in a statement that the agreement was not ambitious enough to end the overfishing in the Baltic Sea. The organisation would like to see TAC’s introduced for more of the 50 species that are commercially fished in the Baltic Sea. In 2012 only five species, herring, cod, sprat, salmon, and plaice are managed with quotas. Oceana has therefore urged fishery ministers to introduce management plans for national fleets.

RIMINI-ITALY

25/28 FEBRUARI 2012 www.saporerimini.it

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: Small-scale fishers benefit from Council of Ministers agreement At the Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting, where fishing quotas for certain Baltic Sea species were agreed, it was also decided to allow individual countries to manage the days at sea given to small fishing vessels.

This will benefit the small scale

sector in Denmark in particular as some thirty vessels fishing in the western Baltic Sea, the Sound, and the Belts have not used up their quotas. Days at sea will now be transferred to their vessels allowing them to fully fish their quotas.

10-12. While robot systems are traditionally used for pick and place operations Cabinplant introduced further steps into the processing sequence. As a result the machine streamlines fish processing operations, replaces manual labour with an automated process, and improves operational efficiency. Depending on the product type, size and

weight, the robot can process and pack between 40-50 pieces per minute. By combining multiple robot modules, the average system will be capable of handling 300 fish per minute. The company believes that the system can also be used in meat processing facilities and even for cut vegetables, as well as for other kinds of fish.

Norway: Oceana proposes additions to Estonia: Environmental authorities urge fishers to spare young salmonids list of Marine Protected Areas released probably not more than 6 will survive. The young fish are caught by fishermen in the spring, which is a popular time for anglers.

Although the rules state that trout must be 37 cm and salmon 60 cm, the authorities fear that many 20-30 cm fish will be poached and therefore urge fishers to respect the rules to preserve the stock.

Denmark: Cabinplant wins Danish award for robot trimming and packing line The Danish engineering product prize 2011 has been awarded to Cabinplant A/S for its robot trimming and packing line. The prize is offered by Mediehuset Ingeniøren, publishers of the trade journal Ingeniøren (The Engineer), a magazine focusing

Cabinplant’s robot handling system for fish and shellfish introduces heading, tailing, and gutting in between picking and placing the fish.

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on developments in the fields of science and technology. The award, which is offered only to products developed in Denmark or to products developed overseas with Danish resources, seeks to encourage engineers and others in Danish companies to develop world-beating products, where technology, design, and commercial viability are all taken into account. This year the award was offered in collaboration with the Danish Design Centre to highlight the significance of design in product development.

Cabinplant, a supplier of tailormade manufacturing solutions to the food processing industry, won the award for its robot handling system for fish and shellfish that combines various processing steps and reduces waste by

OSPAR, the convention for the protection of the marine environment in the North-East Atlantic, has fifteen contracting parties.

These are the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom, together with the European Community. Among the convention’s achievements are significant reduction in phosphorus and heavy metal inputs; a radical reduction of discharges from nuclear plants; regulation for offshore oil and gas activity; and a growing network of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas. The marine environment protection organisation Oceana, has recently proposed a further 28 areas for protection under OSPAR. These habitats in the Atlantic waters of Spain and Portugal, as well as the

Kattegat were filmed by Oceana using underwater robots and show the rich biodiversity of these sites, which are at risk from pollution and commercial fisheries. The findings were presented at an OSPAR workshop to better define habitats such as “gorgonian gardens,” and “deep sponge aggregations.”

Clearer definitions will facilitate the identification of these habitats and enable measures to protect them to be implemented. According to Oceana, northern European countries such as the UK, Germany, and Norway have extensively studied their marine biodiversity and identified important habitats in the North-East Atlantic, while in Spain and Portugal more remains to be done. The organisation hopes that its findings will enable these countries also to create marine protected areas to safeguard the unique biodiversity found there. ©OCEANA/Sergio Gosálvez

Salmon and trout smolts released into water courses have very poor chances of survival, reports Estonian Public Broadcasting.

Several thousand smolts were released into the Valgejogi river on 1 October, but Ene Saadre, Deputy Director of Pohula Fish Farm says that of the 18,000 sea trout and 10,000 salmon smolts

Gorgonians (Leptogorgia lusitanica) at the edge of an underwater passageway. Punta Sonabia, Cantabria, Spain. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] UK: New managing director at CarnaudMetalbox Engineering CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer of can-making machinery that is exported to can manufacturers on six continents. The company has recently appointed Jim Cozier as managing director. Mr Cozier has a long track record in the can-making machinery industry and in his new role intends to focus the company on technological innovation, employee development and comprehensive customer support and service.

Product innovations will continue to contribute to increased flexibility, line efficiency and reduced down time for customers allowing

them to improve productivity and product quality. Customer service will be strengthened with services ranging from the design of new technologies to the customisation of solutions with installation and on-site support. The company intends to expand its apprenticeship programme and increase the investment in training in order to ensure that it has the highly trained employees it needs also in the future. Our employees are our greatest asset, says Mr Cozier, and investing in them will allow us to address the needs of our customers both now and in the years to come.

Belgium: EU seafood imports amount to 62% of total supply The European Fish Processors and Traders Association (AIPCECEP) publishes an annual study on finfish documenting the trends in the supplies of whitefish in Europe. The Association uses the report to bolster its case for the import of finfish, and particularly whitefish, for the European processing industry to produce value-added seafood within Europe. The 2011 report that was released in September shows that European processors sources of seafood have changed significantly reflecting changes taking place around the world as well as within Europe. Among the species that have become highly important for the processing industry are wild Alaska pollock and farmed Atlantic salmon and pangasius. Among the key findings of the report are that Europe now imports 62 or 9.4m tonnes of its fish and seafood requirement and the supply to the market

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has grown 1 to 15.1m tonnes.

Catches in EU countries have declined by 2.3 to 5.2m tonnes, while aquaculture production has increased 5 to 1.5m tonnes. Cod is the most popular white fish followed by Alaska pollock. Imports of wild whitefish species were 2.8m tonnes in 2010 amounting to 89 of total supply. If imports of other important whitefish species Nile perch, pangasius, and tilapia are included the proportion of imported whitefish in the total supply increases to 91. Over the years however, the range of species consumed in Europe has increased from traditional favourites like cod to include other whitefish such as Alaska pollock, pangasius, and tilapia. Salmon plays a major role in the fresh/ sector in some European markets and a growing awareness of the health benefits of eating oily fish has promoted pelagic species like mackerel and herring.

Romania: Doripesco launches brand exclusively for traditionally-made products Farming and processing company Doripesco launched its “Delta in the Carpathians” brand at a fishery festival held in September in the town of Brasov, Romania. The event was organised not only to launch the company’s trademark, but also to promote fish and fish products as healthy components of a daily diet.

At the launch the company offered participants locally produced fish prepared both traditionally and following modern recipes: fish goulash, fish borsch, grilled trout, trout coated in corn flakes, fish chips, fish sausages, and many others.

“The new range is a step forward in our strategy to become competitive not only nationally, but also at European level,” said

Dorin Crizba˘s¸an, the CEO. In addition to changing the packaging, the recipes of products have been improved. “Our strategy is to keep the traditional product line. We have already certified six products: carp roe salad, smoked trout, Transylvanian trout, smoked fillets of bighead carp, trout roulade and smoked bighead carp of Barsa; for the latter we are on course to obtain the protected designation of origin (PDO) certification,” says Ruxandra Coc, the Business Development Director. All products that are marketed under the Delta in the Carpathians brand use traditional regional recipes.

For example, they are smoked with sawdust beech and celery leaves, and for spreads a minimum of preservatives are used.

The Doripesco brand “Delta in the Carpathians” will be used to market products prepared following traditional recipes.

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Spain: Study recommends increasing meagre production to 10,000 t by 2020 Marine finfish aquaculture in Spain is dominated by the production of gilthead seabream and European seabass. According to data from the FAO over 23,000 tonnes of seabream and about 12,500 tonnes of seabass were farmed in 2009. The other main species are turbot (7,200 tonnes) and meagre (Argyrosomus regius) (1,350 tonnes). With firm white flaky flesh and a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acid meagre is a versatile fish which can be processed and prepared in a variety of ways. However, according to the Andalusian Aquaculture Technology Centre, Ctaqua, public awareness of this species needs to be improved.

Although meagre is well known by wholesalers, large supermarkets and retailers, only final consumers in certain areas are aware of the advantages of this

species, including Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Galicia and the coasts of Catalonia and the Levant region. These are among the findings in a study by Ctaqua that was commissioned by Spanish Association of Marine Aquaculture Producers (APROMAR) and financed by the Regulation and Organisation Fund for the Fish and Marine Cultures Market (FROM) and the association itself. To remedy this the study recommends promotion campaigns for the fish under the brand “Crianza del mar.� The study also found that meagre represents an opportunity for seabass and seabream farmers to diversify their production. Meagre production and handling is similar to seabass and seabream and the study suggests increasing production to 5,000 tonnes by 2015 and doubling that by 2020.

The Andalusian Aquaculture Technology Centre, Ctaqua, and the Spanish Association of Marine Aquaculture Producers (APROMAR) have published a study detailing how to promote the consumption of meagre, a new farmed species, in Spain. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: Black Sea littoral states meet in Brussels to discuss collaboration Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, addressed a high-level meeting of political leaders, economic players, and civil society representatives from the countries around the Black Sea in October. The meeting was to develop a shared vision for the future of the Black Sea. In her speech Ms Damanaki acknowledged that the Black Sea had a lot of assets, as a tourist destination and as a node for the movement of people and goods including fish, and oil and gas, but the basin also has several problems that could only be solved jointly. In the case of fisheries, for example, EU countries catch a small proportion of the stocks in the Black Sea, but to improve the stock situation

it is necessary for all the different countries around the Black Sea to exchange data on stocks.

In this way a more complete picture of the resource can be developed and measures to improve the situation can better be discussed. A possible solution could be the Fisheries Advisory Council for the Black Sea which Ms Damanaki has undertaken to set up. This could lead to scientific cooperation with other Black Sea countries for the collection of data and the preparation of accurate scientific advice.

Ms Damanaki also emphasised her interest in creating a regional dialogue that will promote cross border maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management to allow businesses in the region to thrive.

a special programme for international buyers. At a seminar at DanAqua, Karl-Iver Dahl Madsen, chairman of the Organisation of Danish Aquaculture (ODA), said he was hopeful that the Danish aquaculture industry would start growing in the future, according to a report in Fiskeri Tidende. The rules and regulation governing the sector have made it difficult to for the industry to grow at a time when aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the rest of the world.

Mr Madsen said that the current rules placed strict requirements on the inputs into the industry, but now it would be the environmental impact of the outputs that would determine how the rules would be formulated. Participants at the Dutch pavilion at DanFish were also very satisfied with the event which had brought plenty of visitors to their stand.

The Dutch representative said he intended to invest in more space the next time the show is held in 2013.

Denmark: Increased visitor numbers at DanFish International and DanAqua DanFish International, the Danish trade fair for the fisheries sector this year included for the first time a section dedicated to the aquaculture industry, DanAqua. The combination of the two events drew 350 exhibitors and almost 13,700 visitors, an

increase of 1,100 compared to 2009. Both the events were sold out and exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the volume of sales achieved. Visitors came from 45 countries emphasising the international character of the event, and a select few were invited to

DanFish and DanAqua attracted 350 exhibitors and almost 13,700 visitors to Aalborg in Jutland, Denmark.

Belgium: Europe’s fisheries areas showcase outcomes of Axis 4 projects More than 350 stakeholders in the European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 initiative came together in Brussels on the 3-4 November to showcase some of the initiative’s first results and to consider its future potential. Axis 4 represents a new, experimental component in the EFF toolkit, which seeks to mobilise stakeholders within fisheries communities to 16

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work together to develop tailored, local responses to the challenges facing their areas.

These responses have taken a number of different forms. In Denmark communities on several small islands under one Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG), as well as on Bornholm under a second FLAG, have got

together to explore the potential of commercially exploiting seaweed. A FLAG in Estonia seeks to develop the infrastructure to make the Lake Võrtsjärv area more attractive for tourists. In Spain cockle pickers in Anllons, Galicia have used Axis 4 to add value to the bivalves and popularise them among local consumers, while barnacle pickers

in Baiona, Galicia, developed new products from low value barnacles. To date, more than 200 fisheries areas in 16 different Member States have been granted support under Axis 4 to develop and implement local strategies and a selection of 30 projects from these areas was presented during the conference. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Opening the conference, Lowri Evans, Director-General of the European Commission’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Directorate, underlined the importance of this local development approach and stressed the Commission’s commitment to promoting jobs and growth in fisheries areas. She also emphasised that the fisheries sector and fishing communities remained at the heart of Axis 4, while embracing cooperation and partnership with other sectors. More information about the event and the projects featured in the exhibition (including 5 video clips on local projects) can be found on the FARNET website, www.farnet.eu.

Lowri Evans, Director-General of the European Commission’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Directorate, tastes seaweed from Denmark produced with support from Axis 4.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Poland: Carp conference highlights the importance of carp farming The international carp conference in Kazimierz Dolny, Poland in mid-September attracted close to 200 participants from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Estonia and Romania. It was apparent from the conference that carp farmers across Europe face common problems such as cormorants and disease. Participants were also informed about existing EU funding opportunities as well as estimations of what the European Fisheries Fund (2014-2020) will bring in terms of financial support. Marketing of carp was also an important discussion point with several speakers presenting case studies on how to promote carp. The Polish campaign Mr Carp which has now been running for 5 years was one of the highlights of this session.

The conference ended with a declaration that sought to outline the most important issues facing carp farmers. Among them is the status of traditional pond farming, which participants felt was not adequately considered in the reform of the common fisheries policy and the European Fisheries Fund, despite being one of the

oldest and most environmentally friendly ways of farming fish.

Pond fish farming is usually on soils whose quality is too low to support agriculture. In addition, this type of farming contributes to biodiversity, watershed management, and fish restocking, apart from providing consumers with a fresh, healthy and locally produced source of protein.

The declaration also reflected the widespread concern among pond farmers that environmental protection of predators including cormorants, beavers, otters and herons, was jeopardising their livelihood and should be scaled back. Public support for the sector through EU support mechanisms also needs to improve, given that pond farms also play a role in water management in a community as well as provide employment in areas that are often isolated and underdeveloped. Finally, the declaration calls for the creation of a Pond Aquaculture Advisory Committee that could represent the sector in different fora, presenting the problems faced and looking for solutions. The full text of the declaration is available at www.carpinternational.eu.

Croatia: Food safety for producers and processors of carp The Croatian aquaculture sector, in particular cyprinid farming, needs to be revitalised to improve its capacity to meet international requirements for aquaculture products and food safety. This will increase opportunities to export the fish to the EU. Carp consumption also needs to be boosted, both domestically and internationally.

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and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Eurofish International Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of Croatia organized a regional workshop with the title “Food safety management in carp farms and processing� on 26-28 October. The workshop was held in the Croatian city Daruvar located in the region with the largest

production of farmed freshwater fish in the country.

The main topics of the workshop were the EU hygiene package and its application in carp farms and in carp processing; health management of carps, principles of Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), HACCP and their application in fish processing. The latest requirements for the export of fish (including live fish) and fishery products into the EU were presented. Marketing carp in Europe, developments in carp prices on various markets and several examples of carp campaigns

aimed at increasing carp consumption were discussed in the section on market issues. The workshop attracted 32 participants representing the competent authorities at the regional and national level, and the carp farming and processing industry. The last two days of the workshop were dedicated to practical visits to companies – a processing plant and a carp farm. The workshop concluded with the message that the industry needed to consolidate to be better placed to meet increasingly stringent health and hygiene requirements, and to compete internationally.

Speakers at the regional workshop on food safety management in carp farms and processing plants in Daruvar, Croatia, organised by FAO, Eurofish, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development.

USA: Temperature monitoring label with in-built USB connector PakSense, a company manufacturing sensors for packaging has announced the launch of a new product, the Xpress PDF temperature monitoring label. Approximately the size of a packet of sugar the label monitors time and temperature of food and other perishables during distribution and storage. The label is equipped with a USB connection point and when inserted into a computer automatically generates a pdf file with the times and temperatures recorded together with a

graph and summary statistics.

The advantage of the label is that it eliminates the need for special readers or even special software that has to be installed on the computer. Small and waterproof the label does not require any modification to the packaging into which it is inserted and can be used to monitor pallets, cartons, or individual items. In case of a temperature deviation a light will flash on the label prompting the user to connect it to a computer and generate a record of all the cold-chain data. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ EvEnts ] fish international 2012, 12-14 February, Bremen, Germany

Emphasis on aquaculture technology, certification, and processing Every two years in February almost all of the fish industry turns its attention to Bremen. That is when fish international, Germany’s only trade fair for fish and seafood, takes place – offering an information platform and meeting place for producers and processors, trade, gastronomy and catering. In just a few months, from 12 to 14 February 2012, the Bremen Exhibition Centre will open its doors for the 13th fish international which will present tried and tested but also new topics such as aquaculture.

Meeting point for the fish industry – new trends and innovation for trade and retail can be found at fish international 2012 in Bremen, Germany.

O

ne important issue, which increasingly concerns the seafood sector, is the certification of aquaculture production, since consumers are paying ever greater attention to organic and quality seals. Exhibition organizer Sabine Wedell has therefore placed particular emphasis on all the different aspects of this issue. “We saw there was a need for comprehensive information on this topic as many of our visitors had mentioned it,” she says.

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suggestions, senior staff from the two main certifying organizations Global G.A.P. and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) are expected to be present at the fair. While Global G.A.P. operates as a business-to-business platform, the relatively new certification programme of the ASC is a business-to-consumer orientated platform, says ASC’s CEO Chris Ninnes. The ASC certification programme will allow farmers who are farming in an environmentally and socially responsible manner to be certified. According to Mr Ninnes, the ASC logo will make it easy for consumers to identify responsibly farmed fish in the store. “Retailers increasingly ask for certified products,” he says, “and this strong market signal

into the supply chain is encouraging farmers’ interest in seeking certification to the ASC standards.” The ASC is actively preparing its certification program so that the first farm audits can be undertaken later this year. “It’s

very likely that the first ASC-certified products will be available on the market by the time of the Bremen show.”

In addition to the emphasis on certification, the fair will for the

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[ Events ] first time be specifically concerned with technology and equipment for fish farming.

One of the l­eading s­uppliers, ­Aquaculture Fischtechnik GmbH from Nienburg, will ­display the latest equipment and even a complete recirculation system in operation at its 320 sq. m stand.

The company will also present the world’s most comprehensive catalogue of fish farming equipment with more than 400 pages at the fair. “A lot of passion has gone into this project and it is almost complete,” said Aquaculture CEO Dr. Ulrich Kronert in October.

decisions to exhibit until closer and closer to the fair. But the team of organizers has had a lot of positive feedback, and Ms Wedell has also been able to gain many new exhibitors. At the time of going to press in November Ms Wedell was confident that after a difficult 2010 the trade fair would finds its way back to its former size. That year, 300 exhibitors from 28 nations gathered in the Weser metropolis, and about 9,300 trade visitors from 45 countries attended the event.

Numerous first-time exhibitors

But back to the Bremen newcomers. Among them are a number of German companies like Nottorf smokehouse or delicatessen supplier Friesenkrone.

Companies from outside Germany are also showing considerable interest. From Denmark, for instance: the company Uhrenholt will present their organic shrimps in Bremen, Chrisfish their cold water shrimps, and Seafood-Line their squid and mussels. Aquaculture companies Kilic and Agromey from Turkey will display sea bass and sea bream, and, with Nilkamal, the list of exhibitors even includes a transport specialist from India.

“Today there are a lot of products from aquaculture on the market and we are putting a special spotlight on German products this time, too,” says Sabine Wedell, pointing to another new focus at fish international.

Regional products are very popular with consumers, caterers and retailers. Environmental arguments such as shorter transport distances, for example, are one reason for this.

Two of about 300 companies that will exhibit in Bremen in February 2012… The exact number is not yet clear for, according to Sabine Wedell, experience has shown that companies postpone their

“We want to show the high standard of production and marketing in Germany”, says Jens Schrader, Manager of the traditional fish trading house Möller & Reichenbach in Hamburg. He has joined

Also among the exhibitors is Baader - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG, the world leader in fish processing. The Lübeck company, whose customers for aquaculture processing lines up to now mainly came from abroad, recently for the first time installed processing equipment at a farming facility in Mecklenburg, North Germany.

“To our knowledge this is the first time that African catfish is being farmed in Germany, and the farm uses waste heat from biogas,” says Baader Managing Director Robert Focke. An exciting project – and for that reason the company will be showing a film of the facility at its stand and is also organizing a professional forum. Visitors will be able to learn more about the use of biogas in fish farming and experience the Lübeck company’s competence in the field of processing ­technology for farmed fish.

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At fish international, new products as well as technical solutions for production and processing will be on display.

forces with other exhibitors for the fair. His own company will be exhibiting trout and char from East German farming facilities, and Peitzer Edelfisch will be presenting their carp in Bremen.

The fishes will be displayed in tanks supplied by Karl von Keitz Nachf. GmbH from Lower Franconia. ­Visitors will also be able to gain information on German production of delicatessen and smoked fish.

Modern processing of smoked salmon Among the well-known and popular features of fish international which will be taken up again in 2012 is the walk-in production line that is organized by the Hamburg company Salmco. Here visitors get the opportunity to see a complete salmon processing line in action. This is the result of a co-operation between numerous technology companies. There will

also be a new edition of the ­special show of the fish retail trade. The Bremerhaven shop fittings specialist Erich Schich will display the latest counter concepts. And Edeka Minden-Hannover which belongs to the largest food trade association in Germany will provide the fish and seafood for the displays. For the catering sector Sabine Wedell has developed a completely new format: the Seafood Masterclass, which is ­ aimed at chefs and other interested people from gastronomy and catering. “We are proud that with Thomas Ruhl we were able to gain an expert who is sure to present a superb show together with top chefs”, says Sabine Wedell confidently.

Ruhl is the head of the highly acknowledged German gourmet magazine Port Culinaire. He will bring with him to the Port Culinaire Stage in Bremen four top chefs who will demonstrate what www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ Events ] cooking techniques and spices they use to draw fine aromas from fish and seafood. “We want to put across our own enthusiasm for the products and offer cooks concrete support, provide ideas on

how they can give their customers something new”, said Ruhl.

And another “first” has been pla­n-­ ned for after the fair. Sabine ­ Wedell and her team have

christened it the “Trawl Party”.

It will be held directly after the fair closes on Sunday. Exhibitors can sponsor barrels of beer, guests will be able to get something to eat at catering stands

and participants can chat, make plans, negotiate and conclude agreements in a casual afterwork atmosphere. More information about the fair is available at www.fishinternational.com.

Alimentaria 2012, 26-29 March, Barcelona, Spain

Is food a way out of the crisis for Spain?

On 30 September Eurofish attended the international presentation of the upcoming Alimentaria 2012 International Food and Drinks Exhibition in Barcelona along with other journalists from leading food and beverage magazines. The presentation introduced the background of the event along with new features and included discussions by industry leaders and journalist on the economic situation and possible solutions.

I

t is well known that Spain is hit hard by the economic crisis, but just how hard was described by Mr. Antoni Argabdoña from the IESE Business School. Unemployment rates have rounded 21% with no major decrease foreseen before the end of 2012. Real-estate prices have fallen back to 2005 prices making it nearly impossible to sell without incurring major losses.

All in all Mr. Argabdoña estimated that the chance of Spain going into a recession was as high as 60%. And unlike other countries, Spain would not get any help from abroad.

Strong growth in food and drinks industry These are all bleak facts, but there is hope. And the food and drinks industry has a leading role in that hope. The industry recorded growth rates of 18% compared to last year and as the country’s second largest industry, only exceeded by tourism, this has a substantial positive impact on Spain’s situation. Companies have adapted to the new circumstances and are focusing on new and growing markets like Russia, India and China.

In conjunction with this, Alimentaria has made substantial efforts to increase the 2012 event’s international focus. The food and drinks event expects to attract over 4,000 exhibitors from 75 different countries.

An estimated 140,000 buyers (a 25% increase from 2010) are anticipated to visit the event during its four days from 26-29 March. Alimentaria 2012 will as in previous years be divided up into 14 different areas, of which three relate to fish. Interpesca, the fish, seafood, aquaculture, and farmed fish products show; Expoconser, the preserves and semi-preserves show; and Congelexpo, the frozen foods show.

Spanish food export revenues soar in first quarter

Alimentaria 2012 will as in previous years be divided up into 14 different areas, of which three relate to fish, Interpesca, Expoconser, and Congelexpo.

Interpesca will host a mix of Spanish companies with regional stands from autonomous communities like ­ Andalusia, the Basque country, and Galicia in the 1,700 sq. m show. The Spanish companies ride on a wave of success with increased exports totalling 239,000 tonnes for the

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first quarter of 2011 and revenues 17% higher than the previous year, according to ANFACO, the Spanish National Preserve and Seafood Manufacturers Association. The international participation will feature an increasing number of first time exhibitors from leading producers such as China.

FROM (The Spanish acronym for the Regulation and Organisation Fund for the Fish and Seafarm Product Market) will organise an Interpesca Conference as in previous years. The main goal of this conference is to present the beneficial impact that fish and seafood have on health and show how to get the most out of the raw material in the kitchen. Another conference will focus on the Mediterranean diet and healthy habits for people.

Alimentaria 2012 will take place on 26-29 March 2012 at Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. More information is available at www.alimentaria-bcn.com.

Thomas Jensen, thomas.jensen@eurofish.dk Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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24/11/11 11:17 AM

[ Events ] Iceland Fisheries Exhibition, 22-24 September, Kópavogur, Iceland

You had to be there The 10th edition of Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition took place on the 22-24 September 2011 in Smárinn, Kópavogur. Organised by Mercator Media Limited and with support of the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture the fair attracted around 500 exhibitors and over 13,500 visitors from 52 countries.

A

Dina Sandholdt

ny show is a show whether it is a theatrical performance, opera or… fisheries exhibition. The stage is there, the producers, patrons, backstage crew, performers and spectators are assembled, and before the spot-lights are on and the curtain is rung up everybody is wondering “What awaits me behind that curtain?”

Entire fisheries sector present At IceFish this year everybody was wondering what the show would bring this time as memories of the 2008 edition held in the middle of the financial colla­pse in Iceland were still alive. Apparently, there must have been a lot of optimism as the scope of the fair was very comprehensive – fishing and processing equipment manufacturers, shipping companies, banks and national institutions all showed up.

“It is natural for us to be here and it is an important show for us.

We participate every time, and we have expectations. You have to show up, you have to be here,” says Reynir Gudjonsson, Sales and Marketing Manager from Optimar Iceland. For Trausti Eirik­ sson, President of Traust Know-How, being at the exhibition is “to meet customers mainly. Nowadays you can see all our machines almost live on the Internet, but you never see people on the Internet. It is more a social happening than selling during the show”.

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Michael Hansen, leader of the Danish Export Association Pavilion, which won the award for Best Group Stand.

Both exhibition halls were quite busy during the fair. “I’m very impressed with the number of people we see here, the audience, the number of visitors is very high.

Our booth is flooded with people and it is really nice to see, but our point of view is still the restrictions to transfer money. So when they have to invest into foreign machinery it is hard for our customers to transfer the money abroad. They have to apply for almost everything and this makes the whole thing a bit difficult”, says Uwe Wallis, Area Sales Manager for Baader.

Equipment sales buoyant However, whether one had expectations or rather came to establish an eye-level contact with the customers, whether there are problems with investments or

not, ­success stories did happen.

Danish company Iras sold two machines at the fair, Pon Pétur O. Nikulásson sold three forklifts, and Icelandic Ásafl ehf and Samhentir Packaging sold all the equipment from their displays and were still taking orders for more.

Moreover several large sales contracts were signed at the show.

“The exhibition is an excellent end-point to negotiate some contracts and say “Yep, we’ll finish it at the exhibition! This is amazing, this is what we love to do!” exclaims Hilmar Gudmundsson, Sales and Marketing Director for Promens Dalvik ehv. Fridrik A. Jonsson (Simrad) made two sales for fishfinding equipment, as had Varma og Vélaverk ehf., and the Faroese company Rock Trawl Doors sold a pair of their newly

launched ­Sea-Lion trawl doors to Qajaq Trawl in Greenland.

Apart from the “trade component,” the show also included an “intellectual component” – a conference - “Cod Farming in N ­ ordic Countries,” and a seminar on “Icelandic Responsible Fisheries Programme,” as well as a “festive component” – “The 2011 Icelandic Fisheries Awards,” recognising and rewarding excellence within the Icelandic and international commercial fisheries, which drew 17 nominations.

And now, after the final curtain, we all have to wait for the dates of Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition 2014 to be announced…, to come there again.

Aleksandra Petersen, aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:17 AM

[ PROJECT ] Aquainnova workshop in Oslo

The future of marine coldwater aquaculture Following up on the successful workshop dedicated to freshwater aquaculture, the second multi-stakeholder consultation of the ‘Aquainnova’ project - “Supporting governance and multi-stakeholder participation in aquaculture research and innovation” – took place in Oslo, on 21 and 22 September 2011. The event brought together many key representatives involved in the marine cold water European aquaculture. Notwithstanding Norwegian dominance among the participants, representatives of Belgium, Denmark as well as France, Ireland, Scotland and Spain had equally the chance to express their opinion.

F

inanced by the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy component of the EU FP7 programme, the objectives of ‘Aquainnova’ are: to facilitate the dialogue between the aquaculture industry, the research community, policy makers and other stakeholders; to examine and exploit the potential for innovation and technological development in European aquaculture through actively promoting the exploitation, dissemination and communication of the results of

aquaculture Research and Technological Development (RTD); to improve how RTD and innovation knowledge is managed, disseminated and transferred.

Organised by the European Technology and Innovation Platform - EATiP (www.eatip.eu) an international non-profit association dedicated to developing, supporting and promoting aquaculture while focusing on technology and innovation in aquaculture in Europe - the c­ onsultation was a lively and open dialogue on

the current position of European aquaculture, how European policies affect its development and the potential for innovative responses to challenges.

Where do we want to be in 2030?

discussed. Additional ideas and needs for improvement of different proposals were assessed. In his opening address, Courtney Hough, the General Secretary of EATiP reiterated the complete

The Vision for European aquaculture in 2030 and its associate goals were presented to the ­participants and debate was made on how to fit these desires within coldwater marine aquaculture was

The Aquainnova workshop in Oslo on the future of marine coldwater aquaculture brought together many key representatives involved in the marine cold water European aquaculture sector. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ PROJECT ]

transparency of the multi-stakeholder consultation and how everyone’s input will assist EATiP in its transformation from a thinktank towards an action-oriented organisation with a positive and constructive role in shaping the European aquaculture valuechain of tomorrow. Aquaculture’s role is increasing within European policies and strategies and, therefore, EATiP is preparing to assist the European Commission in designing specific guidelines for aquaculture’s sustainable development within the proposed reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Aquaculture is now recognised as a core pillar within this European Policy that covers both fisheries and aquaculture production and seafood supplies.

Having as a motto ‘where do we want to be in 2030 and what are the tools to reach our goals’ participants were invited to reflect on the Vision documents, to prioritise the key goals i­dentified, to highlight the strengths - as well as potential missing points on all aspects encompassing coldwater aquaculture, from consumption and production, including social-economic and environmental aspects as well as knowledge management and communication.

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After 1.5 days of intense work, discussions and active participation, the general consensus was that European production of coldwater marine species will grow considerably, possible even more than doubling in the next 10 – 20 years, while Europe’s share of global aquaculture production will also grow. Aquaculture will not only be socially ­acceptable, but also socially demanded – both for its demonstrated health benefits and also to meet the growing seafood demand with improved ethical and environmental standards. Future ­generations will see the absolute need for sustainable, industrial food production.

Farmed fish needs to be robust and customised to suit the markets and the environments. In the cold water marine sector, it is not thought possible to have completely disease-free fish, nor are genetically-modified or only herbivorous species considered to be ‘the future’ for this sector. Technology systems will trend towards more integrated multifunctional farms, where some of these could use water recirculation solutions but mostly staying in the sea.

Husbandry and management will become more remote, automated (particularly if moves occur to higher (wave) energy sites) and multi-functional, but there are

several challenges here that have not been addressed to date. Logistical support measures still need evaluation and development.

focused on satisfying industry’s needs” thinks Iain Berrill, researcher at the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation.

A stimulating process

More SMEs and sectoral providers?

“This workshop has been a stimulating working process and opened further opportunities for work in the Thematic Areas established in ‘Aquainnova’ and EATIP; last but not least it is always interesting to meet new positive people” is the opinion of Noralf Rønningen, Aqualine, Project and Development Manager. “Aqualine AS is committed to participate in the development of the aquaculture industry, both locally and internationally, and especially in Europe”.

Supporting research that generates information New knowledge and technology innovation leads to sustainable growth and aims at tackling the big challenges facing Europe in general – as examples, health, food security, climate change and energy. Aquaculture can make significant contributions to several of these. Europe has a key role in the global food security – and therefore maximising health benefits, and especially communicating them to the consumer, need to be highlighted in the Vision. Efficient technologies to support growth must be implemented, without compromising on animal welfare.

“Scottish salmon farmers have a long and successful history of supporting research that generates information and results that can be applied to further improve their efficiency and sustainability.

By bringing industry, researchers and policy makers together to discuss and agree future research priorities, the AquaInnova project helps ensure that research undertaken within Europe remains

“The workshop in Oslo was a quite unique opportunity to gather together professionals, researchers and decision makers, sharing views, fears and expectations around a common vision for ­ Aquaculture in Europe for the next 20 years. My only regret is that, for this 1.5 days intensive and dynamic workshop, we have not seen around the table more representatives from SMEs, farmers, equipment, technology and service providers. Every one has a role to play and should feel committed to bring their own view and comments on the table.” Frédéric Gaumet, Project Manager, AquaOptima AS. In summing up, Courtney Hough thanked the participants for their contributions and the enthusiasm and quality of their inputs, which will be incorporated into the ‘Aquainnova’ documents. He also reminded that the Vision documents as well as the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and Action Plans are still available for consultation on the EATiP website (www.eatip.eu).

The opportunity to contribute will remain open until early in 2012.

The workshop on Mediterranean aquaculture was held in Madrid on 16-17 November 2011 and another on shellfish aquaculture will take place in Bordeaux in February 2012.

For further information on Aquainnova and the consultation process on the Vision and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for European Aquaculture, please contact:­ secretariat@eatip.eu www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:17 AM

ITALY

Causes behind falling fisheries production in Italy and the industry’s response

Diversity of fleets, gears, and species hampers effective management Italian artisanal fisheries are complex considering the diversity of fish caught, fish sizes, gear used, and the fact that some stocks are shared between countries. Managing Italian fisheries is complicated by the presence of a great number of different fishing fleets in the same shared fishing areas using a diverse array of fishing gears.

T

he Italian fishery sector presents the following characteristics: predominance of small and relatively old vessels, wide distribution of the fleet along the coastline, fragmentation of landing sites and sales, high degree of polyvalent techniques. The scientific community is highly concerned by the intensity and persistence of fishing pressure in many regions, not only because there is a progressive reduction of the commercial resources available, but also because of all the collateral damage more or less irreversibly.

Too many boats chasing too few fish Fishermen recognize that the main reason for falling production is the massive fishing pressure. In order to face this situation, in some regions fishermen cooperative-associations have adopted a kind of selfcontrol by reducing fishing effort (days per week). However this is not the common approach adopted overall and commonly fishermen work five days per week (it is forbidden to fish on Saturdays and Sundays). There are no technical solutions or modifications to fishing gears that fishermen have adopted voluntarily to reduce bycatch and bottom impact. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Most of fish are European hakes (Merluccius merluccius), horse mackerels (Trachurus spp), Red bandfish (Cepola macrophthalma), hornet octopus (Eledone cirrhosa), and tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna).

Closed seasons and the temporary suspension of fishing operations are measures designed to ease pressure on fish stocks by stopping fishing operations for a specified period of time. Closed seasons are intended to allow species to reproduce and thus coincide with the breeding periods of major commercial species. Presently in the Adriatic a ministry decree prohibits sea bottom and pelagic trawling in the last two months. The decree includes some rules after the closed season: three fishing days per week for two months; a ban

on the use of towed gears within 4 nautical miles of the coast (instead of 3 miles) or within the 60 m isobaths (instead of 50 m); from January 2011, however, by derogation the use of trawl nets between 0.7 and 1.5 nautical miles off the coast (at a depth greater than 50 m) is authorised in the Regions Liguria, Sicilia, and Calabria.

In response to the depletion of the common sole (Solea solea) stock usually targeted in the Adriatic sea, some fishing vessels using rapido trawl (multi-rig trawl)

have decreased the width of the beam from 4 to 3-3.5 m in order to decrease bottom contact and fuel consumption. Furthermore, they often switch their target from common sole to the gastropod Bolinus brandaris which is less important from a commercial point of view, but much more abundant. Rapido trawler towing speed is about 6-8 knots and a single vessel may tow four rapido gears simultaneously. In this case, even though this fishing gear has a high impact, no national legislation was applied.

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Concerning the bycatch of protected species, some fishermen of the central Adriatic Sea operating with demersal and pelagic trawls, on a voluntary basis have started to use the pingers to deter marine mammals, because they believe that the efficiency of their nets can improve.

The codend (the catch is composed of anchovies) of pair pelagic trawlers.

Catch of undersized fish remains common as regulations are ignored In order to reduce mortality rates for juveniles and discards of dying marine organisms by fishing vessels, Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006, concerning management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean, establishes that “…from 1 July 2008, the net referred to in point 1 (that is “towed nets”) shall be replaced by a square-meshed net of 40 mm at the cod-end or, at the duly justified request of the ship-owner, by a diamond meshed net of 50 mm.” Italian fishermen were not prepared for this change and most of them did not accept the modification to the traditional mesh, mainly in the south of Italy. The Council Regulation (EC) No. 1967/2006 establishes the minimum landing size (MLS) of marine organisms.

However, the increase in L50 (50 retention length) with squaremesh would not avoid some of the existing contradictions in allowing the use of codend mesh which leads to a lower L50 than the MLS. In Italy, the square mesh codend is clearly demonstrated to be more selective than the traditional diamond mesh codend). However, the influence of 50 mm diamond mesh codend on selectivity, which 26

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is the type of net chosen by most Italian fishermen, is poorly investigated. Fishermen have expressed concern at losses of marketable fish species such as squid and red mullet. Therefore they usually try to avoid EC regulations concerning the codend mesh size. The result is that the catch of undersized fish remains very common.

The fishing fleets of central-northern Italian seas were more collaborative, but they did not accept the square mesh. For this reason they are changing the codend meshes from 40 mm to 50 mm mesh opening, even if the EC Regulation states “at the duly justified request of the ship-owner,” which is somewhat ambiguous.

Furthermore, the misinterpretation of certain technical measures leads to the inefficacy of some new rules. Given that the length of the codend is not well defined, the fishermen have adopted shorter netting panel (about 50-100 cm) at the final part of the codends with legal mesh size, leaving the rest of the net unchanged.

In the meantime the circumference of the codend in relation to the circumference of the extension piece is hardly controlled by fishery inspectors. Therefore the technical changes introduced with the EC Reg. 1967/06 remain practically ineffective.

Currently among the main problems affecting the sector are: – The future control of engine power (EC Reg. 1224/2009 and UE n. 404/2011).

– Price for fuel.

– The difficult allocation of fishing production to the markets (mainly for anchovies).

– The number of vessels, which is too high.

– Fishery controls which are not uniform in different regions.

– The EC Reg. 1967/2006 brought several problems to traditional fisheries including: banning since June 2010 the use of towed gears within 3 nautical miles off the coast in the northern Adriatic; prohibiting since June 2010 the use of beach seine and boat seine targeting Aphia minuta (Gobidae) and juveniles of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) without a specific management plan; and the same problems for boat seine fisheries in the Ligurian sea.

– Management issues such as fishing areas for dredges.

Fishermen asked for a complete derogation of the article of Reg. 1967/2006 prohibiting the use of boat dredges and hydraulic dredges within a distance of 0.3 nautical miles from the coastline. This limit strongly affects the catch efficiency for razor clams and clams.

– Conflicts among different fleet sectors and fishing activities (dredges vs. fixed gear, bottom trawl vs. fixed gear etc.)

The potential impact of the proposed reform to the CFP introducing zero discards is simply not considered by fishermen to be a feasible solution for the Mediterranean. However, the proposal is generating concern among fishers because it is unclear what they are supposed to do with the discard.

Changes that are taking place in the fleet Although there are no major changes, there have been alterations in the kind of gear used. For example in 2011 some fishing vessels changed their activity from rapido trawl to mid-water pelagic trawl due to the depletion of common sole stock. Others changed their activity from mid-water pelagic trawl to bottom trawl for commercial reasons. Over the last 3-4 years some Italian bottom trawlers of the central-northern Adriatic, switched their activity from single- to twin-rig trawling (called “Americana trawl”

by Italian fishermen). The main characteristic of the twin-rig are that it is a four-faced trawl with small or large lateral faces, and large meshes in the wing section.

It is made with Raschel knotlessPA and knotted-PE netting. The wings are built from two/three panels, which have bar cutting along the fishing and floatline and in the selvedge opposed to the one-panel wings in the traditional style Italian trawl. This change has been introduced to increase the bosom height as well as the horizontal opening of the trawl and was made following more advanced drawing designs.

Alessandro Lucchetti and Antonello Sala National Research Council – Institute of Marine Research (CNR-ISMAR) 60125 Ancona, Italy www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:29 AM

ITALY

Energy audits on board fishing vessels

Energy profiling can lead to reduced fuel consumption The current situation in the fishing industry is very problematic due to several factors. Overfishing and the economic crisis affect revenues, while the obsolescence of fishing vessels and their high fuel consumption combined with the continuous rise in fuel prices increase management costs. For many fishermen the trade is not profitable at the moment. Due to the impossibility of influencing the market, fishermen can only try to reduce the costs of their activities, mainly by cutting fuel consumption.

R

eplacing fishing vessels with new and more efficient constructions is not possible due to European Commission regulations. Fishermen can reduce fuel consumption only by reducing fishing vessels energy usage.

The total amount of energy used by a fishing vessel will vary depending on the size (and engineering) of the vessel, weather conditions, type and size of fishing gears, location, skill, and knowledge. Furthermore, similar fishing vessels could have different energy usage, due to different engineering solutions such as different hull design and propulsion systems, different propeller types and sizes, different techniques and tactics. To achieve energy saving on existing fishing vessels a methodical approach is necessary.

Start by defining the energy profile First of all, it is necessary to define the energy profile of the vessel.

Once the energy profile is defined it is possible to state how energy (and the fuel) is used and heavy energy users can be identified. For these energy users technological improvements can be discussed and solutions proposed. These solutions must also be evaluated from an economic point of view with a business plan, taking into www.eurofishmagazine.com

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account economic savings and investment costs. The energy profile is defined through an energy audit, an engineering test for the monitoring of energy usage during normal fishing activities.

The fishing technology unit of the National Research Institute (CNR – ISMAR) of Ancona, Italy, is deeply involved in energy saving in fisheries. An energy audit template was conceived and applied to some fishing vessels. The main goal is to define the energy profiles of the central Adriatic fishing fleet as a baseline for further analysis, aimed mainly at finding and evaluating improvements.

The energy audit is organized in few steps. A preliminary interview of fishermen is necessary to collect information about vessel size, power, propulsion system, target species, activities, crew, machinery on board etc. A measurement kit is prepared according to the vessel characteristics. During normal fishing activities energy users are monitored with data collection software that controls and synchronises the data acquired. It is also necessary to write a registry event to relate specific energy usage to a particular event (sailing, trawling, hauling, searching phases). The data acquired is processed to define the energy

Figure 1. Torque meter and RPM counter for shaft power measure: the straing gauge applied on the propeller shaft (top left) is connected to the transmitter (top right); the receiver (bottom right) is connected to the laptop with an RS 232 cable.

consumption and the energy profile of the vessel. The energy profile is defined using two energy performance indicators. With these indicators it is possible to evaluate future improvements on the energy usage.

vessels are involved in bottom trawling and other two in pelagic pair-boat trawling, with the latter belonging to two different pair trawlers. Table 1 shows the main characteristics of the fishing vessels monitored.

Four Adriatic vessels participate in investigation

During the energy audits four parameters were measured: the fuel consumption, the power required for the propulsion, the hydraulic power used by rope winch and net winch, electric power used by electric uses such as water pumps for main deck, light, hotel etc. During the fishing

From January to June 2011 four vessels were audited for energy use representing the main fleet sectors in the Adriatic coast fishery of the Marche Region. Two

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Table 1. Main characteristics of the monitored fishing vessels LOA

LPP

B

GT

PB

D

(m)

(m)

(m)

(-)

(kW)

(m)

OTB1

21.5

17.02

5.72

82

478

1.78

PTM1

28.6

21.2

6.85

99

940

2.18

OTB2

22.8

19.58

6.21

91

574

1.8

PTM2

28.95

24.32

6.86

138

940

2.2

LOA: length overall; LPP: length between perpendiculars; B: maximum beam; GT: gross register tonnage; PB: engine brake power; D: diameter of the propeller OTB: bottom otter trawler; PTM: midwater pelagic pair trawler.

cruise a GPS data logger measured speed, course, and position of the vessels. The fuel consumption was measured using two portable ultrasonic flow meters for measuring of the fuel flow rate to and from the main diesel engine. Each flow meter uses two sensors working as sound transmitters and receivers.

Sensors receive the sonic impulse at different time due to the fact that one sonic impulse is counter flow.

This difference is directly related to the flow rate.

The power delivered from the main engine to the propeller for the propulsion thrust is measured with a shaft power meter which has a battery powered shaftmounted strain gauge. It utilizes a short range radio transmission for data (torque and rotational speed) transfer from the rotating shaft to a data recorder. Shaft rotational speed is measured by the recorder, which has an optical proximity sensor (Figure 1). The hydraulic and electric power analyzer (Figure 2) consists of a sensor array that provides flow and pressure from the hydraulic pipe line, and two clamp-on ammeters for measuring the real electric power supply from the alternator connected with the main diesel engine.

Electronic load cells were used to measure the warp loads during fishing operations. After shooting, load cells were mounted on the warps in order to measure the total gear drag resistance. A personal 28

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computer automatically controls data acquisition and provide the correct functioning of the system in real time through appropriately developed software. The engine room is the heart of the ship providing mechanical, hydraulic and electrical power for the entire vessel. Generally is located aft of the ship and contains the main diesel engine coupled to a fixed pitch propeller through a reduction gearbox with inverter. Electrical generators, hydraulic pumps, and other machinery are connected to the engine.

Software developed in-house The data acquisition software conceived at CNR – ISMAR, Ancona, is useful for the synchronisation of data from different instruments, to control the correct functioning of the acquisition and the instruments. The software output is a series of strings of data every five seconds. So every five seconds it is possible to know the overall energy consumption of the vessel.

In order to assess the energy performance of each fishing vessel investigated, two customized energy indicators were defined and calculated. The first is an energy consumption indicator, named ECI (kJ/(GT*kn)), which is the overall energy used standardized for the gross tonnage and the speed. The second is a fuel consumption indicator, named FCI (l/(h*GT*kn)), which is the fuel consumption standardized for the gross tonnage and the speed.

Energy performance indicators, ECI and FCI, are defined both for steaming and trawling phases.

Bottom trawlers more efficient than pelagic trawlers when trawling The performance of the monitored vessels was evaluated during typical daily fishing trips. Table 2 shows the average values of the parameters obtained, in one hour of trawling. Pelagic trawlers are more energy intense than bottom trawlers during trawling phases, due to different gear size (higher

gear drag) and to different techniques (higher trawling speed).

As a result pelagic trawlers have the highest power delivered and the most fuel consumption. The parameters recorded during the sailing phase are shown in Table 3 (average values of one hour of sailing phase). The parameters of sailing phases are obtained through a regression analysis and evaluated at 10 kn.

Higher fuel consumption for the pelagic vessels (85-95 l/h) compared to bottom trawlers (around 55 l/h) is due to higher vessel and engine-size. Pelagic trawlers are confirmed as more energy intense than bottom trawlers. The two pelagic trawlers had much the same power delivered and fuel consumption while in the trawling phase the pelagic trawler 2 has more power request than pelagic trawler 1, due to a different propeller design and gear size.

A ranking for the four vessels monitored is obtained summing the indicators of both the trawling

Table 2. Average values in one hour of trawling VS

PD

FC

TTF

ECI

FCI

(kn)

(kW)

(l/h)

(kg)

(kJ/(GT*kn))

(l/(h*GT*kn))

OTB1

3.8

248

60

3994

4.08

192

PTM1

4.3

391

105

5693

4.82

246

OTB2

3.8

333

64

3802

5.16

183

PTM2

4.4

620

126

7225

5.14

207

VS: vessel speed; PD: power delivered; TTF: total trawling force; ECI: energy consumption index; FCI: fuel consumption index OTB: bottom otter trawler; PTM: midwater pelagic pair trawler

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ITALY

Table 3. Estimated values at 10 knots of vessel speed PD

FC

ECI

FCI

(kW)

(l/h)

(kJ/(GT*kn))

(l/(h*GT*kn))

OTB1

217

54.1

1.33

64.5

PTM1

366

94.0

1.93

95.9

OTB2

268

55.4

1.51

59.7

PTM2

378

84.5

1.41

61.3

PD: power delivered; FC: fuel consumption; ECI: energy consumption index; FCI: fuel consumption index OTB: bottom otter trawler; PTM: midwater pelagic pair trawler.

Table 4. Ranking of vessels monitored ECI

Rank

(kJ/(GT*kn))

FCI

Rank

(l/(h*GT*kn))

OTB1

5.42

1

256.37

2

PTM1

6.75

4

341.40

4

OTB2

6.66

3

242.56

1

PTM2

6.55

2

268.07

3

ECI: energy consumption index; FCI: fuel consumption index OTB: bottom otter trawler; PTM: midwater pelagic pair trawler.

and sailing phases. The energy performance indicators have shown large differences in fuel consumption within each fishery.

Bottom trawlers have the best performances in energy usage and fuel consumption.

Fishers keen to test improvements As a reaction to the energy audits and results obtained the fishermen decided to implement some improvements. In pelagic trawler 2 the fisher decided to change the propeller with another of the same diameter and lower pitch to increase the propulsion system efficiency during the trawling phase. In the bottom trawler 2 the fisher decided to control and modify his fishing gear due to the fact that the drag resistance measured was too low for his experience. He also found that the ropes were not the same length.

Both pelagic trawler 2 and bottom trawler 2 want to repeat the audit once the fisheries re-open, to evaluate the effect of their actions. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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All the fishermen decided to reduce steaming speed once they saw how much the effective fuel consumption responds to small reductions in the speed, mainly during sailing phases. A fisherman asked for an energy audit to decide if it was better for his activity to use an auxiliary engine, or a hydraulic power generator, coupled to the main engine, to run an alternator for electric power.

It is important for fishermen to know their fishing vessels’ energy profiles. Usually fishing vessels are not efficient because of outdated technology. By defining a baseline it is possible to evaluate and verify improvements in the energy usage. Today fishermen only can reduce energy usage because there is no possibility to invest in modern vessels, due to European Commission restrictions and to the costs. At the same time, new IMO regulations demand a smaller carbon footprint, so fishermen must modernise their vessels.

It is clear that saving is the key to maintain acceptable profitability

in fisheries. An energy saving strategy is necessary and an energy audit is the tool to find areas where improvements can be made.

Results suggest greater fuel efficiency is realistic These results suggest several ways for achieving fuel-use reductions, such as technical improvements in the efficiency of the propulsion system, in particular in the engines and the propeller, substitution of fishing gear types, and innovation and research into better fishing practices. Fishers must also pay attention to the surroundings, reducing speed in rough sea conditions. Other systems that use energy (hydraulics and electrical systems) do not seem to have much influence on energy consumption compared with propulsion systems.

E. Notti, A. Sala, G. Buglioni National Research Council – Institute of Marine Research (CNR-ISMAR) 60125 Ancona, Italy

Figure 2. Hydraulic power analyser (above) and clamp-on ammeter for electric power (below).

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Italian aquaculture and fisheries face challenges on several fronts

No easy answers The aquaculture sector in Italy comprises both marine and freshwater farming. The latter consists primarily of trout farmed in raceways, while the former includes both shellfish such as mussels and clams, as well as finfish. By far the most widely farmed marine fish species are the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata).

P

roduction volumes of farmed finfish in 2009 according to the Association of Italian Fish farmers (Associazione Piscicoltori Italiani – API) were 41,000 tonnes of trout, 9,800 tonnes of seabass and 9,600 tonnes of seabream. Comparing the data from 2009 with 2008, trout production increased by 4.1 in volume terms while production of marine fish was stable.

farmers there is no one-stop shop where they can submit their application and have the whole thing processed. They will need to go to several different offices seeking permits and clearances making the whole process immensely time consuming, says Francesco Cardia, an aquaculture consultant and the co-author of a 2007 paper on cage aquaculture in the Mediterranean published by the FAO).

Administration of farmed sector varies from region to region

Better collaboration needed between industry and research establishment

Commercial cage farming in Italy dates back to the late 80s and early 90s. Most of the marine cage farms are located in the south of the country and produce seabass and seabream as well as fatten bluefin tuna. The national administration provides the guidelines and the strategic plan for the development of the sector, while the regional administrations at the local level are responsible for the implementation of subsidies and investments. Of course, regions have their own environmental and planning policies which may or may not concretely support the sector. This can lead to an uneven administrative regime, with some regions actively supporting the development of the sector and others being more obstructive.

In the worst case even getting a license to farm fish can take two to three years to be granted. For aquaculture farmers or potential 30

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Another issue the industry faces is the lack of a close relationship with the public research sector.

As in any other countries it is the research provided by the industrial sector producing aquaculture products which plays the most important role in terms of innovation. This is corroborated

by Dr Plinio Conte, Head of Unit in the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the national agriculture ministry in Rome. His colleague, Isabella Verardi, Head of Unit for International Affairs, says that the administration has more to do with biological, veterinary and market research which will be later transferred to the industry. Apart from important technological improvements, much of the development and testing of ideas or equipment is carried out and financed by

the industry itself with little or no help from the local or federal government. There are no government-sponsored efforts to find better, cleaner, and more efficient ways of production.

Italy has an open coast without fjords or many islands. Technology used for farming semioffshore or offshore in a high energy environment, for example, is therefore tested by the industry producing cages for commercial production.

Intense competition from Greek seabass and seabream The administrative burden faced

by Italian fish farmers is only one of the issues they have to deal

Francesco Cardia, an aquaculture consultant and the co-author of an FAO paper on cage aquaculture in the Mediterranean.

Quantities and revenues for the main farmed species reared in Italy Species

Tonnes

Change % Euro (million)

Change %

2009

09/08

2009

09/08

Finfish total

74.170

2,3

351,44

1,9

Trout

41.000

4,1

139,00

5,9

Seabass

9.800

0,0

70,00

2,9

Seabream

9.600

0,0

62,40

0,2

Mullet

3.800

8,6

13,30

10,8

Eel

1.400

-12,5

12,50

-6,0

Sturgeon

1.350

0,0

10,20

-27,1

Molluscs

158.000

-4,2

249,20

-4,9

Mussels

116.000

0,9

81,20

5,5

Clams

42.000

-16,0

168,00

-9,2

Total

232.170

-2,3

600,64

-1,0

Source: Ismea, based on data from API

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with disease that need to be overcome in the case of sharpsnout seabream. Pilot-scale production is possible, but when you produce it commercially in large volumes, this problem crops up, says Francesco Cardia. Meagre on the other hand grows well, uses the same feeds as seabass and seabream, has good quality meat, but the market is reluctant to accept a new species. This can partly be attributed to the distributors who hesitate to push a fish they are uncertain they can sell, and would rather stick to the species they are familiar with and for which they know the demand.

Dr Plinio Conte, Head of Unit in the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Isabelle Verardi, Head of Unit for International Affairs.

with. Seabass and seabream producers also face intense competition from producers in Greece and to some extent in Turkey as well. The Italian market for seabass and seabream in 2008 was roughly 50,000 tonnes, whereas domestic production that year according to the FAO was 12,300 tonnes. However, production figures vary considerably. The Association of Italian Fish farmers records a production of 19,400 tonnes in the same year. According to Mr Cardia the average cost of production of seabass and seabream in Italy is EUR4.5-5.5 a kilo, although there are significant variations within the average as some farms produce 100 tonnes while others produce up to 2,000 tonnes annually. Imported fish arrives on the markets at EUR4.04.5. This could be because production costs in Greece are lower, but it could also be a tactic to acquire market share. Having to compete with lower-priced fish has had an impact on the Italian industry with some producers www.eurofishmagazine.com

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going under. The consolidation in the market has pushed prices upwards slightly, but production in Italy has stayed more or less stable the last few years.

Italian consumers are willing to pay a premium for Italian fish.

At retail outlets seabass and seabream produced in Italy are often priced higher than fish that is imported, reflecting their greater freshness Some producers such as Orbetello in Tuscany are labelling their product, highlighting its origin and thereby differentiating it from other fish on the market.

Generally bigger producers that can supply around the year have more negotiating power with the big distributors and can ask for a higher price, while smaller producers that cannot produce around the year must accept more stringent terms.

There are three main hatcheries in Italy which supply the industry with fingerlings to be on-grown.

The biggest hatcheries produce

35-50m fry a year which is used in their own production as well as sold to local fish farmers and also exported to, for example, Greece, Tunisia, Malta, and Croatia. Smaller hatcheries have a production of up to 10m fry. In addition to seabass and seabream the industry is also experimenting with other species including sharp-snout seabream (Puntazzo puntazzo) as well as meagre (Argyrosomus regius) and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili).

Currently there are still problems

Bluefin tuna farming under fire from conservationists Italy also has a bluefin tuna farming industry which started in 2001.

The FAO Technical Paper Capture-based aquaculture defines tuna farming as the practice of capturing tuna from the wild, confining the fish in cages and feeding them until they reach the desired weight. The fish are then harvested, frozen and sent usually to the Japanese market.

Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Industry Officer at the FAO, says that in the past the tuna season would bring a lot of tuna on to the market causing the price to fall. The tuna fattening industry

Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Officer, FAO. Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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Prof. Massimo Spagnolo, Director of the Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture in Salerno.

was established partly as fishers discovered that if they could keep the fish and grow them bigger they could then be sold during the Christmas season when prices were highest. A distinction is drawn between tuna farming, where the fish captured are smaller and are kept for longer, often more than 20 months, and tuna fattening, where the fish are bigger at capture, but are only kept for nine to ten months before being harvested.

Due to restrictions by ICCAT (the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) the fishing season in 2011 by purse seines was for one month, from 15 May to 15 June. The tuna are usually caught in purse seines, which allow them to be captured live, and are then transferred to towing cages in which over a period of weeks they will be transported from the fishing area to the farming site. Depending on the distance to be covered the journey can take several weeks to complete as the towing speed does not usually exceed 1-1.5 knots to prevent excessive mortality in the fish. At the farming site they are transferred to aquaculture cages which vary in size from 30-90 m in diameter and with net depths of up to 30 m depending on the depth of the water at the site. The fish are fed on a diet of small frozen pelagics including sardine, herring, mackerel, pilchard, or sardinella.

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Over the last five years ICCAT quotas have decreased steadily and the price of tuna has been climbing. Farms in Italy have not been able to get hold of the fish either because it was too expensive or because it was not available, and some farmers have had to cease operations. Mind the Gap, a 2011 study by the Pew Environment Group, reported that in 2009 and 2010 the amount of bluefin tuna traded at 70,646 t was twice the ICCAT quota allocation in the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Atlantic for those two years (35,306 t) . This figure did not include the tuna that is sold on the black market which for obvious reasons is extremely difficult to calculate. According to the report, despite a decline in the legal and illegal fishing of tuna due to measures taken by ICCAT including a shorter fishing season, the presence of monitors on board, a ban on spotter planes, and lower fleet capacity, the gap between the quotas allocated

by ICCAT, the amount of bluefin officially reported by fishing nations and the reported amount of bluefin tuna traded on the international market continues to widen. In 2008, the amount of eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna traded on the global market was

31 percent greater than the legal quota. By 2010, that difference had increased to 141 percent (Mind the Gap, An analysis of the gap between Mediterranean bluefin quotas and international trade figures; The Pew Environment Group, October 2011).

The current tuna management regime has its detractors not only among conservation groups who feel that it does not do enough to protect the fish, but also researchers who feel that some of the restrictions are useless and onerous, penalising the industry without any benefit for the resource.

Massimo Spagnolo, director of the Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture in Salerno, says that the situation varies greatly all over the Mediterranen. In the case of small or larger longline fishermen fishing for tuna, it can prove to be difficult to apply the same rigid control rules and procedures that exist for larger seiners. In the latter case it makes little sense for fishers to have quota as well as effort restrictions. If they are only allowed to catch a certain quantity of tuna, let them have a larger window in which to do it, rather than just the one month from mid-May to midJune, he says. This would be more

Michele Taccone, Mayor of Porto Palo, Sicily, and leader of the fisheries cooperative Marisud.

Stefania Massimino, Head of the Sicilian branch of the fisheries cooperative UN.I.COOP (Unione Italiana Cooperative).

equitable as it does not penalise the fisher if bad weather, for example, prevents him from going out.

This has been the case for the 2011 tuna season when vessels fishing in the Maltese area have not caught their quota due to bad weather with huge financial drawbacks. Furthermore, says Professor Spagnolo, the prohibition on the use of spotter aircraft needs to be explained, as it makes little sense under the current management regime. While vessels would still have to respect individual quotas, using aircraft to find schools of tuna would allow fishers to pollute less and reduce the cost of finding the fish.

Big vessel owners and coastal boats have different interests The big vessels that target tuna and other species are viewed with a degree of suspicion by the small coastal fleet. In Catania on the east coast of Sicily Stefania Massimino heads the regional office of UN.I.COOP (Unione Italiana Cooperative) an association of coastal fishers. This counts some 1,500 fishers as members, most of whom fish up to 20 miles targeting blue fish, small pelagic species such as anchovies, sardines, and mackerel.

Big vessels using bottom trawls do more damage to the environment and cause the fish to relocate making it more difficult for the smaller coastal fleets. Ms Massimino says www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Giovanni Basciano, Vice President of the Sicilian chapter of the General Association of Italian Cooperatives (AGCI-Sicily).

Ivo Gentile Pellegrino, Head of Campania Pesca S.c.a.r.l., a fishing cooperative in Salerno.

that the big boats’ activities should be closely monitored and infringements must be punished severely.

At the moment the punishment takes the form of a small fine, which is in no proportion to the value of fish that gets taken. Far more effective would be confiscation of the vessels, she adds.

reasons that fishers are leaving the trade. Giovanni Basciano manages the fishing and aquaculture member cooperatives of the General Association of Italian Cooperatives on Sicily. He says that fishers left the cooperative because they decided that it was more beneficial to take the compensation offered for decommissioning than to continue fishing.

She herself has seen illegal fishing and illegal fish in the market and the restaurants, but despite complaining, she says nothing gets done. And it is the small fishermen who suffer the most.

While some of the big vessels may indeed indulge in illegal activities, members of UN.I.COOP are hardly blameless themselves.

Illegal fishing is not uncommon as members, most of whom are poorly educated, struggle to fulfil all the regulatory requirements imposed on them by not only the local, regional, and national administrations, but also from Brussels. Sometimes they just give up, says Stefania Massimino, they deregister from the system, but continue to fish illegally.

Membership of UN.I.COOP has fallen by 30 over the last five years. Some of the fishers retire, but others leave the association to continue their activity illegally.

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to introduce transferable quotas. These ideas are viewed with concern by the small-scale sector as these fishers fear that the big fishing companies will buy up the quotas. This is dangerous says Ms Massimino as the control of the fishery will then belong to a small group of big vessel owners.

She would like to see a simplification of the rules and regulations governing the coastal fishery fleet, so that fishers in this sector are less burdened with paperwork. For them even maintaining a paper logbook is difficult, she says, yet now they are expected to maintain an electronic logbook.

Interest in fishing appears to be declining Falling membership in fishing cooperatives seems to be common. In general, the number of boats in the Italian fleet has dropped from 14,873 in 2004 to 13,301 in 2009, according to Irepa, the Institute for Economic Research in Fishery and Aquaculture. In Porto Palo, a town on the south eastern tip of Sicily, the mayor, Michele Taccone, also heads the fishing cooperative Marisud. The number of vessels has fallen from 55 in 2005 to 45 today and a further five vessels are expected to be decommissioned shortly. The high costs of fuel and the low price for fish are among the

The issues are slightly different for another cooperative based in Salerno. Campania Pesca has boats with all kinds of gear with the exception of purse seines.

The cooperative’s president Ivo Gentile Pellegrino says that the main species the vessels target are crustaceans and demersal fish. The members also use fixed gear like gill nets that are fixed close to the coast. For fishers the advantage of being members of the cooperative is that it takes over many administrative tasks such as payments for the fish and insurance contributions, preparation of documents and lobbying on behalf of its members. Over the last 10 years the composition of the cooperative has changed, catches have been declining by 2-3 per year and membership as well as the number of boats has reduced by 20-25. However, the fishing effort has in fact increased as the average engine power has gone up and the fish-finding instruments

are much more efficient now compared with a decade ago, says Mr Pellegrino.

Campania Pesca is facing a problem that affects fisheries in a number of countries in Europe, the lack of young blood joining the profession. As the older fishers retire, they are not replaced.

The reasons are the same as everywhere else. There are other options available to young people that are better paying, much safer, and involve less physical hardship. Less attractive returns from fishing due to the combination of low prices for fish and high prices for fuel is another reason. Mr Pellegrino says a vessel spends EUR500 on fuel per day and if it catches only EUR550 worth of fish, then it is clearly not viable.

The Italian fishing sector is facing a number of challenges.

Fish prices are stagnating yet at the same time production costs, especially the cost of fuel, have been increasing. Domestic production is falling creating a dependency on imports and technical restrictions on fisheries are forcing fishers to adapt their fishing methods, fishing areas, and target species. Conflicting interests between coastal fishermen and bigger operators adds further complications to the picture. bt Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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Bivalves from the Venetian lagoon

Venetian vongole veraci, fasolari, and mussels should be better known in Europe With a solid and oval shell, extremely variable in pattern, shape and colour both inside and outside, the vongole veraci, generally known as Manila clams are regarded as a premium product in the eastern regions of Italy surrounding the Venetian lagoon.

Fresh farmed clams are nutritious and healthy food and they are easy to cook; they are highly appreciated, mostly in Italy, for their tasty, firm and tasty flesh. Unfortunately they are little known to most of the consumers outside Italy, except perhaps in restaurants that serve the classic spaghetti alle vongole.

T

he Manila clam, also known as Japanese carpet shell originates from southeastern Asia (it is native to Japan).

According to the FAO wild populations are found in the Philippines, South and East China Seas, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, and around Southern Kuril Islands. Manila clams – commonly called clams - belong to the Veneridae family of bivalves containing over 400 species, of which most are edible molluscs.

Twenty-six species are known in the Mediterranean basin; two of them belong to the order Tapes.

T. decussatus, which is a native European (Mediterranean-Atlantic) species and T. philippinarum which has been imported into the European waters in the 70s for aquaculture purposes since it has a high commercial value.

The Japanese carpet shell proved to grow faster than the endemic species and it expanded rapidly, particularly in Italy, France and Ireland, and is currently the

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biggest contributor to European clam landings, both from fishery and aquaculture.

Biological features The Manila clam, like all bivalve molluscs, is characterised by the presence of a shell composed of two distinct valves and hinged together by ligaments and joints.

The valves open and close due to the action of the strong dorsal muscles called adductor muscles. The particular characteristics of the shell are often necessary to identify the various species of bivalve molluscs. In the case of T. philippinarum the concentric thin lines are visible, making the growth stages very clear. Shells can be white, yellow or light brown, sometimes with rays, steaks, blotches or zigzags of a darker brown, slightly polished; inside the shell is polished white with an orange or purple tint. Clams feed on particles suspended in water or deposited

After the pre-growing stage, the clams are transferred in a different area of the lagoon where they are laid on the sea bottom and are covered by nets against predators. This represents the growing stage which can lasts between 20-15 months and results in commercialsized molluscs of 30 – 50 mm.

on the seabed, mostly unicellular algae and microorganisms.

Temperature and feeding are the main parameters that influence their reproduction. Clams spread the eggs directly into water and fertilization and embryonic development take place in the external environment. Sexual maturity is reached around the age of one year when clams are between 15 and 20 mm.

Water in the lagoon is carefully monitored Clam farming is a typical example of how aquaculture can be

done in a sustainable manner.

Clams live in sand, muddy gravel and littoral lagoons and they feed on plankton and natural microorganisms which are naturally present in the waters and are carried along the bottom by currents. The waters of the Venetian lagoon offer excellent conditions for growing clams and represent a guarantee for good products. The coastal waters in which farming takes place are regularly monitored and tested to ensure that they are free of any toxins and molluscs grow in a clean environment.

Concomitantly, great care is taken to preserve www.eurofishmagazine.com

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of producing safe and healthy products, the consortium provides advice to its customers regarding storage, transportation and preparation to ensure that clams are consumed at their freshest.

Afterwards the seeds are put in sea beds - metallic structures also called “poches” - where the pre-growing stage takes place till clams reach a size of about 8-10 mm. The process can lasts between 2 and 3 months, depending on the water temperature, the month of the year and the availability of nutrients.

the environment surrounding the mollusc farms so that the sea bottom is not disturbed.

Farmed with respect for the environment Extensive experience, but also know-how and dedication are the main features of the ten people who staff Venetoacquacoltura, a consortium of two cooperatives (Clodiamare 1 and Mareblu) involved in mollusc farming and one company responsible for the safety and quality control aspects (Geotekno). Great care goes into the operating practices and use of equipment to protect the animals and the environment. In addition, members of Venetoaquacoltura benefit from concessions issued by the “Magistrato delle Acque” (a public body governing the entire lagoon system) which acknowledges the right of the consortium and its members to manage fisheries in the Venetian lagoon. This means that individual members have exclusive rights of access to the fishing zone for baby clams.

As for other less known internationally, but equally appreciated bivalves, such as fasolari which www.eurofishmagazine.com

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are collected in open Adriatic Sea, there is a similar management system, based on Territorial User’s Rights for Fisheries (TURF). In this case, fishermen have exclusive access rights which are especially appropriate for relatively sedentary species, such as molluscs and crustaceans; this gives members the opportunity to customise their fishing gears according to the characteristics of the area and thus ensuring the sustainability of the fishery by reducing overfishing and introducing management rules which are fully respected by the consortium members.

The consortium distributes their products to wholesalers and other structures who are experienced in the distribution of fresh seafood and who have adequate facilities for cleaning and depuration. Although when harvested clams do not retain a lot of sand, additional cleaning is needed before they reach the final consumer. This operation is usually made close to the point of sale, to ensure the customer gets a product of premium quality.

The calms produced by Venetoacquacoltura are mainly sold on the Italian market, both to the

HORECA sector, but also to retail (supermarkets, open markets, etc). “We have a premium product which is highly appreciated by our customers” says Paolo Tiozzo, president of the consortium. “We produce around 300-400 tonnes of clams per year and last year our turnover was EUR1,100,000. We are confident that our products are of excellent quality at a good price.

Recently we started exporting clams to the UK, where our products are distributed to over 120 Italian restaurants in London. We are planning to promote vongole veraci in other foreign markets and to let customers discover other “secrets” of the Venetian lagoon, including fasolari and mussels.

For more information please contact:clodiamare1@gmail.com.

Anca Sfetcovici anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk

Consumer safety is paramount Venetoacquacoltura works closely with the Veneto Region Food Inspection Agency to ensure the production of the finest, fresh, cultured clams. This means safety comes first. Strict seafood safety policies, including traceability, regulations and inspection standards ensure that the molluscs are kept free of foreign organisms, harmful bacteria and toxins. Since the product is bought fresh, in addition to their commitment

After they are removed from the water clams are graded by a conveyor belt and further on they are selected manually according to their size, to ensure the product has a consistent and premium quality. On the boat clams are placed in holding tanks until they’re ready to be shipped.

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Acqua Azzurra is the leading producer of seabass and seabream in Italy

A culture of constant innovation and experimenting Acqua Azzurra is the biggest producer of seabass and seabream in Italy with an annual production of 2,000 tonnes divided approximately equally between the two species. The company is fully integrated with its own hatchery and by the end of the year will also have a fully equipped processing facility.

L

ocated just outside Pachino, a small town in the south eastern corner of Sicily, that is famous for its cherry tomatoes, Acqua Azzurra has existed since 1988, when it produced 300 tonnes of fish.

Over the years the company has grown, investing in new technology, increasing the capacity of the hatchery, and expanding output, so that today it accounts for 12-13 of the total Italian production of seabass and seabream, according to Gianluca Fortino, who is in charge of quality control for the company. Today the hatchery produces 28m fry per year of which 7m to 8m is used for the company’s own production.

The remaining 20m goes to supply farmers in Tunisia, Malta, and Croatia as well as other producers in Italy.

Fully integrated production The hatchery is the start of the production cycle. It is divided into four areas, explains Dr Fortino, the brood stock tanks which hold the brood stock and where the eggs are collected; the larval rearing centre where the eggs are moved and the fry are grown for about 55 days; the weaning area is where the larva are weaned off live prey and introduced to commercial feed; and finally the

Seabream brood stock in the hatchery. At Acqua Azzurra the seaabream brood stock start their season at 2-3 years and are kept for 8-9 years, after which the batch is changed.

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production area for algae, rotifers and artemia. Outside the hatchery are the pre-ongrowing tanks where the fish are moved once they have reached 2 g. How long they stay in these tanks depends on whether they are going to be sold or are intended for the company’s own use. Production capacity at the hatchery is actually 35-40m fry, but we prefer to produce less to concentrate on producing better, says Dr Fortino.

At Acqua Azzurra the preferred size at which to put the fish in the on-growing cages is 2/4 g. At this size they grow faster and mortality is lower. However, the on-growing is also dependent on the season at which the fish are put into the

Dr Gianluca Fortino, a veterinarian, is responsible for quality at Acqua Azzurra.

sea. The favoured time is in spring as the best growth is in summer when the water is warmer.

Seabass broodstock. Most of Acqua Azzurra’s brood stock is caught from the wild and the fish can reach 4 kg for bream and 10 kg for bass. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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customers. These are often the big retail chains such as Coop, Conad, SMA, Auchan and Carrefour, which take 70 of the production, while local and regional chains, as well as other companies pick up the remainder. Our contracts with the big chains typically also define the maximum permissible limits for impurities not only in the fish, but also in the water and the feed, says Dr Fortino. Our own internal limits are even stricter.

The company’s limits are in fact so stringent that it is supplying a baby food producer with fish without needing to adjust these limits.

New processing plant to go on-stream end 2011 Twenty million of the 28m fry produced in the Acqua Azzura hatchery goes to supply farmers in Tunisia, Malta, and Croatia as well as other producers in Italy.

Altogether the cycle takes 16-22 months for a market-sized fish.

The facility has both on-shore and off-shore production to cater to customers who also need fish in winter. In the cold season it is not always possible to feed or harvest the fish, and the tanks on land provide a back-up.

Full traceability of all the hatchery batches Within the hatchery each batch takes about 150 days and there are several batches running simultaneously. This year, says Gianluca Fortino, we had 12 batches of bream and six of bass. Our brood stock season is from October to May and our larval and weaning stages run from December or January to July. The batches are all kept separately from each other and are tracked constantly so that the market-sized fish can all be traced back to a specific batch.

The hatchery follows the philosophy “all full all empty.” Before starting the new production, the www.eurofishmagazine.com

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hatchery is drained, cleaned, repaired and disinfected, starting with the algae production, the larval centre, the weaning area, and finally the brood stock. The brood stock is the heart of the operation so they are disturbed as little as possible. Within a couple of days the tanks are cleaned and the brood stock moved back into them. These are huge fish, much bigger than the 300-500 fish typically on display at a fishmongers shop or a retail chain’s fresh fish counter. Brood stock can reach 4 kg for bream and 10 kg for bass, says Dr Fortino. At Acqua Azzurra the brood stock from seabream start their season at 2-3 years and are kept for 8-9 years, after which the batch is changed.

wild batches for characteristics such as growth, morphology, and the ability to adapt well to being farmed. The next target is to select fish with a shape that enables more efficient processing and work has already started with some batches where the fish are shorter and larger. There are quality checks throughout the process to ensure that the fish meets the standards set by the company’s

Currently the company is supplying whole round fish packed on ice, but by the end of the year a new processing facility will become operational where the fish will be gutted and filleted as well. We are responding to changes in the market and in consumer requirements, says Dr Fortino. Italy has changed in the last five years and the fish market has changed too.

You now find fresh fillets of other species such as salmon or trout, which you would not have seen five years ago. The processed fish

Fish selected for their suitability for farming The brood stock are mostly obtained from the wild and for some years now Acqua Azzurra has been selecting some brood stock batches from the different

The Acqua Azzurra hatchery produces 28m fry per year of which 7m to 8m is used for the company’s own production.

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and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). The company is also trying to capitalise on the market for organic fish and has one cage each of seabass and seabream that are produced to ICEA (Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute) standards, which follow EU legislation in this area.

This experiment started at the end of July and the fish will be certified in 2012.

A computer-controlled system regulates the feeding. A certain quantity of feed depending on fish size, the species, temperature, oxygen, etc. is delivered automatically at regular intervals.

will however only supplement and not replace the main production which will continue to be whole round fish. Here too there are changes as the market today is demanding bigger fish. While some years ago the standard size was 300-400 g, today this has changed and the company offers fish in 400-600, 600-800, 8001,000 and even above 1,000 g sizes.

The company is also considering vacuum or modified atmosphere (MA) packaging as a step that would follow the production of the fillets. We see these changes in the market and are responding to them, says Dr Fortino, as we think there will be a gradual increase in demand for fillets and products that are ready to cook or ready to eat. On the production side

the company is following closely developments in the feed industry and is trying with its suppliers to find the best solution in terms of feed conversion ratio, and price.

Acqua Azzurra is also conducting trials with a couple of other species, meagre (Argyrosomus regius),

Acqua Azzurra S.P.A. Company Fact File C. da Vulpiglia s.n.

Strada Prov. 97 I 96018 Pachino-SR Italy Tel.: +39 0931 804 111 Fax: +39 0931 804150 info@acquaazzurra.it www.acquaazzurra.it

Developments in the feed industry are followed closely at Acqua Azzurra as small improvements in food conversion ratios can make a significant difference to costs.

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The company is committed to supplying the freshest possible fish. In less than 24 hours the fish is harvested, packed on ice, and transported to the fish market in Rome to be there early morning the next day. To ensure the production is smooth and without hiccups Acqua Azzurra is constantly innovating and experimenting to make processes more efficient. It invests in new ideas and technologies that show promise, building equipment and carrying out trials which could lead to greater efficiencies and lower costs. In the long run this is what will help it maintain its position as one of Italy’s leading producers of seabass and seabream.

Managing Director: Gianni Russo Head of Quality: Dr Gianluca Fortino Sales and Marketing: Flavia Cannarella Activities: Production of seabass and seabream, hatchery for fry

Production volumes: Seabass and seabream, 2,000 tonnes per year; 28m fry, small volume of organic fish Products: Whole round, headed gutted*, fillets* Packaging: On ice in boxes, vacuum packaged*, modified atmosphere packaged* Main markets for fish: Italy Main markets for fry: Italy, Croatia, Tunisia, Malta Main customers: Big retail chains (70%), local and regional retailers and others (30%) *Will come on-stream at the end of 2011 www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:34 AM

ITALY

Iasa continues a 42-year old tradition

Twelve-month matured anchovies for gourmets The company Iasa was founded in 1969 in Salerno, Italy, by the father of the current owners, Francesco Di Mauro. At the time it processed anchovies, salting the freshly caught fish for the local market. In the early 80s Iasa expanded into the production of tuna, cooking and immersing chunks of tuna into jars of olive oil. Today, Iasa is owned and managed by the daughter and the two sons of the founder and in addition to the traditional items the product range includes anchovy extract (colatura), and hot peppers.

The only mechanical operation in the production of anchovies is the sealing of the jars.

T

he factory at the Iasa premises in Salerno, Italy is a hive of activity as lines of employees process anchovies, peeling them into fillets and removing the central bone. The

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07_IT.indd 39

work is done literally by hand as the workers do not even use knives to separate the fish into fillets, but rely on their fingers.

The fillets are arranged neatly in lines on strips of cloth which are

collected and delivered to the packing station where they are packed by hand in small slender jars. Working at incredible speed a worker first lines the walls of the jar with the fillets and then

fills up the space in the middle.

The filled jars are collected in a tray, topped up with extra virgin olive oil, and passed through a machine which seals them with a lid.

Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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24/11/11 11:34 AM

ITALY

Slabs of tuna thaw preparatory to being processed in steam cookers.

Processing is still exclusively by hand

Among Iasa’s products are pungent red peppers chopped in oil.

The anchovy fillets are arranged by hand in jars that are topped up with extra virgin olive oil.

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This is the only mechanical step in the whole process, says Salvatore Di Mauro, the general manager of Iasa, otherwise everything, as you can see, is done by hand. We are one of the only companies left that is still producing overwhelmingly by hand, most of the others have mechanised their operations, he continues. This traditional way of manufacturing characterises the company and the artisanal products it makes, which are of very high quality and taste. At the same time Iasa is ready to introduce innovations and new practices if they contribute to making a better product. Back in his father’s time, recounts Mr Di Mauro, the fishers were asked to use ice in order to preserve the fish better. This was unusual for that time, but his father could see the advantages and insisted that the fishers follow his instructions.

Anchovies are what Iasa started their production with and it still forms an important product group. The fish are sourced locally and are processed immediately to prevent the onset of decay. The initial process consists of heading and gutting the fish and placing it under a layer of dry salt. Fish and

Anchovies in brine are headed and gutted, but not filleted.

salt are placed in alternating layers in large bins and subject to a certain amount of pressure from a weight placed on top. The weight is important as it slows down the a maturation process. The fish stays in the salt for 12 months, again something that few manufacturers do. Other producers may store their fish for 15, 30, 60, or 90 days, but we are the only ones who keep the fish for a year under salt, says Vincenzo Di Mauro, the production manager. The advantage of keeping the fish under salt for a longer period is that the taste of the salt is milder and the final product is smoother and more palatable. The company produces about 40 tonnes of anchovies a year in different formats – in jars under oil, or in brine, and in cans under salt. The latter is not filleted, but is headed and gutted.

Tuna products from albacore and yellowfin In 1984 the company moved into tuna processing, cooking and placing chunks and nuggets of tuna into glass jars and cans. The tuna used for these products are yellow fin (Thunnus albacares), albacore (white tuna, Thunnus alalunga), and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) though for some years now only very little

of the latter has been used. The yellowfin is sourced in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and imported either directly or through brokers.

They company uses about 600 tonnes of yellowfin and about 30 tonnes of albacore, which is obtained locally from the sea around Calabria at the toe of the Italian boot. The local fish is however only available in summer while the yellowfin can be imported frozen round the year.

It is frozen whole on board and has to be thawed when it comes to the factory. Once thawed it is cut up into smaller pieces and steam cooked, a process that takes seven hours. During the cooking process the fish is subject to a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade so that the interior of the pieces register a temperature of 70 degrees. Cooking starts late in the evening and by the morning the fish has cooled enough for it to be processed further. The skin is removed and the fish is cut into chunks or cubes and placed in jars or tins. After that the fish is allowed to mature for 6-12 months in the case of albacore and for 3-6 months in the case of yellowfin.

During the maturation the salt penetrates the flesh, the texture softens, and the smell of sulphur disappears. The company also used bluefin tuna in the past, but www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:34 AM

ITALY

The anchovies are separated manually into fillets that are laid in neat lines on a piece of cotton.

Salvatore, Vincenzo, and Lucia Di Mauro the owners of Iasa, a producer of high quality anchovy and tuna products.

now it is impossible to get as the quotas have fallen and many fishermen are now catching the fish to fatten and sell to the Japanese.

of a liquid, with very small quantities of which it is possible to cook.

This essence, called colatura, is a speciality of Cetara, a town not far from Salerno. The juice from the anchovies is collected in wooden barrels and allowed to absorb some of the tannins from the wood. A good colatura has the flavour of the tannins and the properties of the anchovies, says Lucia Di Mauro, sales and marketing manager. It is not salty like the anchovies but should taste like clams (vongole). Although colatura can be made from salting different kinds of fish, it is best made from anchovies because of the low fat content.

Producing quality can be expensive Raw material prices have been fluctuating from year to year and it is difficult to see a trend. Five years ago, the cost of the raw material was EUR2.2 per kilo, three years ago it was EUR1.3 or 1.4, this year it is EUR2.5 and the price of bluefin was between EUR3 and EUR5 a few years ago. The cost of the raw material is only one of the uncertainties the company faces. We keep our anchovies under salt for a year, this ties up a lot of capital as it is twelve months before we can realise the proceeds, says Salvatore Di Mauro. In addition, the longer the fish stays in salt, the less it weighs when it is packaged as the salt pulls the liquid out of the fish, thus reducing its weight. Also the recession has made our customers reluctant to make contracts for longer periods where they buy a fixed amount each month. They would rather purchase only when they know they can sell. And so instead of supplying 1,000 cartons a month, for example, Iasa sells 1,000 cartons one month, none the next, and 2,000 the third, which makes it difficult to plan the www.eurofishmagazine.com

07_IT.indd 41

production. In addition the settlement of bills is taking longer and longer. It used to be after 30 days, but now, more often than not, it is after 60 days. Iasa’s customers are mainly small shops, restaurants, catering, gastronomy, as well as retailers. In addition, small volumes, about 10 of the production, are exported to Australia, Canada, France UK, Germany, Japan, and USA.

Colatura, a speciality product from the anchovy juice Layering the anchovies in salt releases results in the production

IASA Srl Company Fact File Via Nofilo 43 I 84080 Cologna di Pellezzano (SA) Italy Tel.: +39 089 566347 Fax: +39 089 567058 iasasrl@tin.it www.iasa.it Managing Director: Salvatore Di Mauro Production Manager: Vincenzo Di Mauro Sales and Marketing Manager: Lucia Di Mauro

Products: Anchovies, tuna, peppers, colatura Product forms: In oil or brine Packaging: Jars, cans Raw materials: Anchovies, bluefin tuna, peppers, albacore tuna from Italy; yellowfintuna from Asia and Latin America Volumes: 40 tonnes of anchovies, 600 tonnes of yellowfin, 30 tonnes of albacore Markets: Mainly Italy, but also Australia, Canada, France UK, Germany, Japan, and USA. Employees: 45

Iasa’s production is under constant surveillance by the inhouse laboratory, which is responsible for product taste product and the visual analysis. More detailed chemical and biological tests are carried out at external laboratories, which among other parameters also keeps an eye on the presence of histamine. If we find histamine in any of the fish we remove it from production altogether, says Vincenzo Di Mauro. Our products are high quality and we cannot risk jeopardising our reputation. The quality of the products is such that Salvatore Di Mauro says frankly that if customers want to prepare a pasta, for example, then they should not mix it with an Iasa product, but use something cheaper. The taste and quality of our products make them more suited to be eaten alone, he explains.

Iasa has no immediate plans to use more automated production methods or to widely diversify its product portfolio. Instead, says Mr Di Mauro, we will try and improve our process management to become more efficient.

Our products will remain timeconsuming to produce, overwhelmingly of Italian origin – and of very high quality.

Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

41

24/11/11 11:35 AM

ITALY

Salvatore Pappalardo targets tuna and small pelagics

Bluefin tuna fishermen weary of restrictions on their activities Salvatore Pappalardo is the owner of three fishing vessels, one built in 1972 and two more recent boats build in 2003.

Based in the harbour of Cetara along the Amalfi coast Mr Pappalardo targets bluefin tuna which he catches for his tuna fattening farm located to the south of Salerno. Tuna quotas are allocated by ICCAT, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, that is responsible for the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic and neighbouring seas. Since 2004 the quotas allocated by ICCAT have been steadily decreasing and restrictions on the fishery have been increasing.

M

r Pappalardo has this year a quota of 130 tonnes of tuna, a volume he says he could catch in one day in one of his boats. Since fishing for tuna is restricted to one month in the year, the rest of the year Mr Pappalardo targets small pelagic fish such as anchovies and sardines. The catches are small and the fish are caught mainly to support the crew on board the vessel.

Drastic reduction in tuna fishing fleet The tuna catching fleet has been reduced drastically, says Mr Pappalardo from 80 to just 9 vessels.

He himself has consolidated his tuna quota of 130 tonnes onto one vessel. Of the other two he is planning to scrap the older one and is trying to sell the other, as there is no need to maintain three vessels when the quota can

Salvatore Pappalardo and his two sons Gilles and Alex aboard their tuna fishing vessel.

be caught with one. Mr Pappalardo maintains the restrictions on fishing tuna are too onerous as there is plenty of tuna in the ocean. “If you were to fall in the sea right now, you would be able to walk on the tuna, they are so numerous,� he says. When he fishes for anchovy using lights to attract the anchovy he can see the tuna preying on the anchovy, and because of the restrictions on catching tuna he has to give up catching the anchovy as well for fear of accidently netting some tuna.

The bluefin tuna fishery is highly controversial. On the one hand environmental organisations claim that rampant overfishing has decimated the stock, while fishermen say there is plenty of bluefin in the sea, so much so that it is eating small pelagic fish such as sardines and anchovies and reducing the abundance of these. The restrictions on tuna fishing have included a reduction in the effort, a ban on spotter planes, reductions in the quota, a very small window, from 15 May to 15 June, in which to catch the fish, and on-board inspectors

Salvatore Pappalardo Company Fact File

Catches of anchovies are immediately packed on ice for sale to the local market.

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Activities: Family-owned bluefin tuna fishing and fattening company Quota 2011: 130 tonnes Volumes of fattened tuna 2011: 500 tonnes

Markets: Japan Vessels: One active tuna fishing vessel, another is for sale, and a third has been decommissioned

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ITALY

The company owned three vessels, but with tuna quotas as low as they are, one has been decommissioned and another is up for sale.

monitoring the catch. The tuna Mr Pappalardo catches goes to stock his farm which he owns jointly with three other vessel owners who also catch tuna to supply the farm. The farming activity started five years ago, when it became apparent that buyers of the fish he caught then were paying EUR3 per kg for the fish, which they then fattened and sold to the Japanese for EUR30 per kg. Sensing an opportunity the four partners got together and decided to start fattening the fish themselves. The fish are fattened on a diet of small pelagics from June to October, when they are harvested. The buyers are Japanese who have their own factory vessels, where the fish are processed and frozen at minus 60 degrees. The factory vessel picks up fish from different farms in the Mediterranean with which it has arrangements and finally transfers the products to boats that will take it back to Japan.

Fattening tuna for the Japanese market Mr Pappalardo stocks his cages with about 100 tonnes of tuna, which he says consume about 10 tonnes of feed a day. The feed is usually sardines fished off West Africa and mackerel. The quality of the feed is important as it determines the quality of the tuna and also the speed at which the tuna www.eurofishmagazine.com

07_IT.indd 43

gain weight. Up until the harvest in October the farm was holding between 500 and 550 tonnes of tuna in cages. Mr Pappalardo has his own theory as to why there are so many restrictions on tuna fishing despite the apparent abundance of fish. He lays the blame on a lobby for yellowfin tuna which is interested in higher prices for that product. Restrictions on bluefin tuna mean consumers will switch to yellowfin, he argues, and result in higher prices. FAO statistics show that the average price of yellowfin tuna increased from USD2050 per tonne in 2000 to USD2643 in 2008.

Over the same period the dollar lost 26 of its value against the euro.

While accepting the need to protect the resource Mr Pappalardo finds some of the restrictions placed on tuna fishing unnecessary. The quota he feels is too low, but having both a quota and a limited time to catch it in works against the fisherman. If we have a quota and an inspector on board to see we do not exceed the permitted catch, I should be allowed a longer period in which to catch the fish, he says. Five years ago he had a quota of 450 tonnes, but this has decreased over the years. His current vessel requires a crew of 16 people, but working with a smaller vessel is not really an option as bigger vessels offer more in terms of safety and comfort.

The family owned company has a quota of 130 tonnes of tuna.

When the tuna quota has been used up Salvatore Pappalardo targets small pelagics.

Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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24/11/11 11:35 AM

ITALY

Interview with Valentina Tepedino, Director and Managing Editor of Eurofishmarket

Investigating fraud in Italy’s seafood sector Valentina Tepedino has a degree in veterinary medicine and has specialised in the inspection of fishery products and in veterinary legislation. After working for five years as an official veterinary in food quality she left to establish and manage Eurofishmarket, a company focused on consultancy, research, training and information related to the fishery sector. In Italy Eurofishmarket collaborates with almost all the TV channels, with journalists in this field, as well as with major retail, production, and processing companies.

She is the managing editor of Eurofishmarket Magazine, a journal that collaborates with numerous universities and public bodies for research, and especially with harbour offices of ports, which in Italy deal with problems of fraud in the fish trade.

Eurofish: Since when have you been the managing editor of Eurofishmarket Magazine? What is the story of this magazine?

Where is its head office?

Valentina Tepedino: I founded the magazine Eurofishmarket together with the Medesima Company in 2004. I realized from my previous experience in the field of official monitoring that the fishery industry in Italy lacked a source of useful information, a scientific, technical, up-to-date, regulatory magazine. Especially after the implementation of legislation regarding labelling requirements the need for reliable informational increased significantly.

The magazine has since been joined by a website that is updated daily by our experts.Our headquarters are in Bologna although Eurofishmarket works throughout Italy covering relevant issues.

EF: How is it possible to access the contents of the magazine?

VT: The magazine can be received exclusively through subscription.

Some articles from previous editions can be viewed on our web site for free.

EF: What is the role of Eurofishmarket Magazine? To whom is the magazine addressed primarily?

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Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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VT: The magazine is addressed to all operators in the fishery sector, from controlling bodies to buyers, from quality and product managers to wholesalers, to consumer associations and to journalists.

This is because Eurofishmarket deals with every aspect of the sector: from the latest restrictions introduced in the fisheries sector and new species in aquaculture through new types of processed products, to market surveys that highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the system. We are always investigating and verifying product quality.

EF: What is Eurofishmarket’s position internationally?

VT: Eurofishmarket documents the news, research, innovations, updates on new regulations that are international and have primarily value for the Italian market. Both on the website and in the magazine information is provided in two languages, Italian and English. Eurofishmarket also organises workshops to assist importers and buyers in doing business on the Italian market.

EF: What are the most important issues that are discussed in the magazine? What subjects will you be investigating in the future?

VT: The magazine conducts different kinds of surveys and also undertakes investigations to identify and expose fraud in the fishery industry. There are also interviews with major players in the industry both public and private, reports on innovative products and production systems as well as on processed products. We discuss sustainability and quality certifications and many other interesting topics. Certainly I would say fish quality and sustainability are the topics of the future in this sector.

EF: Eurofishmarket also publishes interesting guides for the fish sector and other types of publications.

VT: Eurofishmarket has recently published two books covering all the commercial species that are present on the European market.

Each has more than 400 pages and over 2,000 colour images.

Each species is comprehensively described to allow easy recognition. In addition, their nutritional characteristics, and sensory aspects are detailed.

The text of the books is mainly aimed at companies working in the fish trade, but they have also generated interest among official monitoring bodies as well as consumers. Both products can be requested by sending an email to libri@eurofishmarket.it

Valentina Tepedino, Director and Managing Editor of Eurofishmarket, a company researching and publishing information about the entire Italian seafood sector.

EF: What do you think of the proposal to collaborate with Eurofish?

For us collaboration with Eurofish is an opportunity for the research and investigations conducted by Eurofishmarket to be recognised internationally. These studies are certainly of interest to other European and non-EU markets.

We can also promote information from Eurofish that is of interest to our readers, opening opportunities for companies in the sector to participate in the projects and workshops conducted by Eurofish. Certainly, at the international level, Eurofish is a valuable source of practical and specialised information for those who work in the fishery industry. www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:36 AM

AZERBAIJAN

Lack of freshwater means aquaculture in Azerbaijan depends on new technology to expand

Revival of interest in fisheries and aquaculture With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 fisheries production in Azerbaijan was reduced to a tenth of its original size, and the decline in the aquaculture sector was similar. Fish consumption fell to 3.4 kg per capita. More recently there has been an increasing interest in both fisheries and aquaculture as measures are taken to develop the sector. These include a draft law on aquaculture, collaboration with international programmes, greater use of technology, and the role of the state in fish breeding. Improved purchasing power due to the growth in the economy has also contributed to greater demand for fish and seafood.

A

zerbaijan is the largest of the Southern Caucasian states in terms of its size and population, but has the lowest reserves of fresh water. It has a coastline of 840 km along the Caspian sea, which is an important fishing area

for sturgeon and kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris). Other sources of fish are the country’s rivers, the most important of which in terms of fisheries are the Kura and Araz, the two biggest rivers. Lake Sarysu and the two reservoirs, Mingachevir and

Shamkir, are the other water bodies that are used for commercial fisheries. The smaller freshwater bodies are used for recreational fishing. An FAO review of fisheries and aquaculture in Azerbaijan found that the use of better management

as well as stocking programmes will increase the output of fish from inland waters. In particular the report mentions the 66,000 km of irrigation canals that are used for cotton production as an excellent possibility to expand aquaculture.

Advertise Globally Eurofish Magazine has teamed up with three other magazines to expose you to the booming economies of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Customers can now combine advertisements at a highly favourable price.

Eurofish Magazine is the leading journal for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Europe, where we have 90% of our distribution. Combine your advertisements to get the global exposure you need.

The organisation Eurofish supports its member countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Turkey) in marketing their fishery and aquaculture products promoting trade contacts between them and the rest of Europe.

For more information contact: Aleksandra Petersen HC Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK 1553 Copenhagen V • Denmark Tel.: +45 33377763 • Fax: +45 33377756 aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk

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08_AZ.indd 45

Eckhard Preuss Marderstieg 7 D 21717 Fredenbeck • Germany Tel.: +49 41498020 • Fax: +49 41497292 avw.preuss@t-online.de

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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24/11/11 3:19 PM

AZERBAIJAN Efforts to improve Caspian Sea sturgeon stocks underway

Table 2. Catch percentage composition 2006-2010 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Clupeidae (%)

92.5

84.95

79.9

66.2

66.8

Cyprinidae (%)

5.27

9.54

12.1

22.3

24.7

Acipenseridae (%)

0.22

2.24

2.2

0.4

0.6

Mugilidae (%)

0.59

2.07

4.12

7.4

6.2

Persidae (%)

1.14

0.97

0.75

1.2

0.5

Siluridae (%)

0.07

0.13

0.56

1.7

0.6

Esocidae (%)

0.2

0.1

0.37

0.8

0.6

Total (%)

100

100

100

100

100

Source: FAO

Table 3. Total freshwater and marine fish production between 2007 and 2010 2007

2008

2009

2010

Freshwater fish production (tonnes)

385

444

334

222

Mmarine fish production(tonnes)

877

1.267

1.043

972

Source: State Committee of Statistics

Table 4. Aquaculture production between 2006 and 2010 (processed fish volume included), thousand tonnes Year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

1.2

1.7

1.3

1.3

0.9

Source: State Committee of Statistics

Table 5. Imports of fish and fish products from 2006 to 2009 2006

2007

2008

2009

Fish, ton

4124,4

4167,1

6075,4

6912,2

Import volume in USD

1430,0

1965,3

3831,6

4322,1

Canned fish and meat, ton

4796,4

5904,9

7400,8

6937,8

Import in USD

2829,7

6101,2

10189,5 10208,6

Source: State Committee of Statistics

Currently, Azerbaijan has 21 fish species which are of commercial value. Most belong to the Clupeidae, Acipenseridae and Cyprinidae families, although in terms of volume the vast majority of the catch is composed of Clupeidae (Table 2).

The country’s sturgeon stocks are close to extinction despite several measures to prevent their decline.

Farming sturgeon is the only way to reduce the pressure on wild stocks and to produce caviar sustainably.

Sturgeon catches have been declining since the 1950s and, as a result of habitat destruction and limited access to breeding grounds, natural reproduction has been reduced to almost nothing. After receiving recommendations from CITES, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan is implementing a two-pronged approach to improve the condition of sturgeon stocks in the Caspian Sea. Firstly, natural spawning sites are being cleaned, inventoried, and protected. In addition to natural spawning ground protection, the delta of the Kura river is also being deepened to make the river accessible for fish migration. However, since there are many dams on the Kura river, the complete restoration of natural spawning grounds will be hard to accomplish. The second step the ministry is taking is to upgrade and repair older sturgeon hatcheries to produce young sturgeon for restocking.

Currently however, insufficient freshwater makes it difficult to expand aquaculture production. In addition the lack of a legal framework to exploit marine areas, underground reservoirs, or lakes prevents an increase in the availability of freshwater for farming fish. Finally, there is no knowhow or experience with cage culture, nor with recirculation technology, which would be another way of using limited freshwater resources to grow fish. Some inland waters are also suffering from excess salinity making them unsuitable for fish cultivation.

Production from fisheries and aquaculture declines Roughly 100 fishing vessels operate on the Caspian Sea of which 60 target kilka using seines, while the rest catch carp, perch, and shad, using trawler nets. As can be seen in Tables 3, 4 and 5 catches from captive fisheries and aquaculture production are declining in volume while imports are increasing.

Sprats are also an important species for fishers in the Caspian Sea, though catch volumes have been declining steadily. The fishing fleet is composed primarily of boats that are less than 6 m in length, that are active 2-3 miles off the coast.

Vessels between 24 and 30 m form the second most numerous category and they are used to catch sprats. However as the resource has declined the number of vessels has also fallen as can be seen in Table 6. Since 1992 Azerbaijan has been a member of the Caspian Sea

Table 6. Fishery fleet composition Length Year Number Total tonnage Power, kW

45-60m 2007 2008 2009

24-30m 2007 2008 2009

2007

>60m 2008

4

4

2

34

28

22

2890

2890

1545

3112

2596

3408

3408

1704

4945

4109

>6m 2008

2009

2007

1

-

-

563

624

633

2082

1115

-

-

-

-

-

3515

852

-

-

-

-

-

2009

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Reproduction and Protection of Aquatic Bioresources

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24/11/11 3:19 PM

AZERBAIJAN

Table 7a. Production (tonnes) from inland capture fisheries 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Rivers

168.7

227.2

257

167

112

Reservoirs

153

141

186

163

110

Lakes

10.4

12.1

0.8

4.3

Total

321.7

368.2

443.8

334.3

Table 8. Composition of catches (tonnes) on the Kura river 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Sturgeon

68

67

70

2.48

2

Carp

23.8

17.5

9.5

4.52

3.75

-

Roach

19.6

22

29

21.26

12.33

222

Bream

62.7

75.1

76

65.22

45.9

Asp

2

3.5

3.3

1.1

3

Pikeperch

39.5

24.6

26.5

26.6

19.84

Shemaya

6.5

6.1

11.5

14.55

9.2

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Reproduction and Protection of Aquatic Bioresources

Table 7b. Exports of fish and fish products from 2006 to 2009

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Reproduction and Protection of Aquatic Bioresources

2006

2007

2008

2009

Fish, ton

538,0

851,1

514,4

489,8

Export volume in USD

292,0

816,3

361,6

294,8

Sturgeon caviar, ton

0,3

3,9

2,0

2,9

Aquaculture products

2006

2007

2008

Export volume in USD

365,8

5027,1

5238,6

5658,8

Common carp

400

700

700

Silver carp

160

130

250

Grass carp

40

70

50

Total

600

900

1000

Source: State Committee of Statistics

Water Bioresources Commission.

This Commission aims to identify fish stocks and create consistency between the littoral states of the Caspian Sea with regard to total catch limits. The Commission has devised an action plan to achieve the targets for joint management, conservation and the sustainable use of marine biological resources.

The inland fisheries fleet consists of some 140 vessels most of which are small with limited engine power.

However, about 45 vessels have an engine capacity of 80 HP or more.

In addition to motorised vessels there are 20 row-boats that fish on inland waters. The total catch by inland vessels was about 220 tonnes in 2010 (Table 7a) and the main gear used was keep nets and fykes. The Kura River is also used for commercial fishing purposes. The main catch here is migrating sturgeon.

Other species include roach (Rutiles rutiles), bream (Abramis brama) and pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) (Table 8). Catches here have declined from 222 tonnes in 2006 to 96 tonnes in 2010. The smaller inland rivers are too small to sustain www.eurofishmagazine.com

08_AZ.indd 47

commercial fishing and are used mainly for recreational purposes.

Apart from rivers, two reservoirs, Mingachevir and Shamkir, are used for commercial fishing. Catches include bream, pike perch (Sander lucioperca), roach (Rutiles rutiles) and common carp (Cyrpinus carpio). One lake, Lake Sarysu, also has a commercial fishery for pike (Esox lucius), roach (Rutiles rutiles) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Annual catches from the lake are between 10 and 15 tonnes.

Recreational fisheries are popular Recreational fishers in Azerbaijan use the Caspian Sea and inland waters. Popular target species include: pike-perch (Sander lucioperca), common carp (Cyrpinus carpio), bream (Abramis brama), roach (Rutiles rutiles), vimba (Vimba vimba), asp (Aspius aspius), kutum (Rutilus frisii), mullet (Liza auratus), shemaya (Chalcalburnus chalcoides), pike (Esox lucius), catfish (Silurus glanis), shrimp and crayfish. According to the Regulation for Amateur and

Table 9. Aquaculture production (tonnes) from 2006 to 2008

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Reproduction and Protection of Aquatic Bioresources

Sports Fishing, recreational fishers are allowed to use several rods, but with the rule that no more than seven hooks are used at the same time. Furthermore, for nonpredatory species the daily catch is limited to five kilograms. When fishing for predatory fish (pike, sander, perch and Wels catfish) there is no daily catch limit.

Recreational fishing is supported by restocking and other conservation measures. While there are no records of catches by anglers, the Society of Hunters and Fishermen estimates that at least 100 tonnes of fish are caught annually by pleasure fishers. Much of the fish caught by rural anglers is probably used for personal consumption, especially along the Caspian Sea coast, and close to lakes, areas that have a long fish-eating tradition.

Aquaculture activities in Azerbaijan are divided into (a) hatcheries for restocking waters to sustain

commercial fisheries, which are under state control, and (b) commercial fish farms, which are now part of the private sector. The transition to the private sector has meant that many farms are in poor shape and are under-performing due to a lack of investment. However, along the Kura river several smaller farms have started to come up that produce European carp, silver carp and grass carp. Farming grass carp serves two purposes, (1) as food source, and (2) as a natural control on aquatic vegetation. Despite these developments, the commercial aquaculture sector in Azerbaijan still has low productivity. Since 2002, production has increased, but total production in 2008 was still only a modest 1,000 tonnes (Table 9). The range of farmed species includes trout, which is grown in raceways fed by mountain rivers.

There is also an interest in sturgeon farming, which should develop as legislation is passed and new technologies are introduced.

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AZERBAIJAN Efficacy of restocking programmes questioned The restocking programme run by the 13 state-owned hatcheries strengthens natural stocks and sustains capture fisheries. The hatcheries produce juvenile sturgeon, Kura salmon and cyprinids and fingerlings from eight other species belonging to the three families Acipenseridae, Cyprinidae and Salmonidae for release in the Kura river, reservoirs and the Caspian Sea (Table 10). Most of the hatcheries were constructed under the Soviet era and have large production capacities. However, they do not produce to capacity for a variety of reasons, including outdated management practices, financial restrictions, and technical problems.

Recently, the effectiveness of restocking has become an important issue. Despite the release of millions of juvenile fish, overall fisheries production keeps declining. This has raised questions as to whether restocking is a good tool for sustaining capture fisheries. Very limited research has been done in the past on the survival rate

of juvenile fish and on the ideal release age/weight. In the past few years some research has been devoted to these topics, but results are difficult to obtain and analyse.

Imports exceed exports by a wide margin The processing industry in Azerbaijan focuses mainly on marine species. Processed products include packaged, filleted, canned, and smoked fish using sturgeon, kutum, bream, shemaya, roach, asp, sander and sprat. Imported fish such as mackerel, herring, and salmon are also used by the bigger processors.

The large processing companies are not interested in farmed fish, but several smaller companies based inland are processing and storing aquaculture products. The trade in fish is heavily skewed in favour of imports which increased from 4,000 tonnes in 2006 to nearly 7,000 tonnes in 2009. Over the same period exports fell slightly from 538 tonnes to 490 tonnes. The main exported products are sturgeon caviar, fish meal, and various forms of processed sprat (Clupeonella cultriventris) - canned, frozen and

smoked. The main export markets for sturgeon products are in the USA, Canada, and Germany, while the sprat products go to Russia and Georgia. The export-import trade in fish products is dominated by the four major processing companies in Azerbaijan. Live fish, mainly common carp, silver carp, big head carp, and grass carp, are bought and sold on domestic markets in both rural and urban areas, but the volumes are only around 100 tonnes.

The main channels for the distribution of fish are the wholesale markets which supply the local retailers, restaurants, and markets. Fish is also sold directly by the fishermen themselves on local markets or to processing companies. The processors in turn sell their products to the wholesalers, who distribute it further. The supply of fish tends to be seasonal and largely from local sources. About 15 of the supply of processed fish and fish products is imported from Russia and the Baltic States. Fish distribution tends to be concentrated in the capital Baku, with only few companies maintaining stores in other parts of the country. Fish products are transported

Table 10. Numbers per species (in million fingerlings) restocked between 2000 and 2010.

Species

Unit

Year 2006

Acipenseridae in total

Mln. Specimens

Huso Huso

2007

2008

2009

2010

16,032

9,68

12,458

7,68

1,523

-

-

-

-

-

A. nudiventris

-

0,270

-

0,57

-

A. persicus

12,676

7,670

8,976

5,44

0,887

A. stellatus

3,356

1,74

3,482

1,66

0,636

Salmo trutta

Thousands

94,85

118,47

174,475

182,1

173,61

Cyprinidae

Mln. Specimens

432,13

435,91

409,68

402,8

429,186

Carp

51,02

56,97

41,56

62.26

58,904

Bream

15,56

6,43

6,32

10.7

10,232

Kutum

50,6

85,54

58,15

54.11

43,48

Roach

253,25

203,12

221,7

233.02

249,5

Asp

11,5

38,2

17,5

-

2,3

50,2

45,64

56,6

5,65

5,7

Phytophagous

Mln. Specimens

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Reproduction and Protection of Aquatic Bioresources

48

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08_AZ.indd 48

between the locations in refrigerated trucks, while live fish is moved around in regular trucks.

Demand and consumption The annual consumption of fish in Azerbaijan is about 3.4 kg per capita. In areas along the coast and in regions close to inland water bodies consumption is higher, but it is very low in the rest of the country, though unofficial observations suggest that this is slowly changing. Tastes are determined by the availability of fish, which is generally eaten during the cooler parts of the year and on special occasions. Imports of Russian Far East salmon pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), cod (Gadus morhua) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) have resulted in people developing a taste for these marine species. The output from aquaculture, mainly grass and silver carp, is limited and prices are high. Most farmed fish is sold at restaurants rather than directly to consumers.

The fish industry is particularly important in rural areas where fishing provides a source of employment and food security. For anglers fishing is probably also a source of support for their households. Estimates of employment in the processing industry also run to some thousands of people. Taken as a whole the industry is then an important provider of jobs and livelihoods and has an important role to play in maintaining some rural communities. A healthy fisheries and aquaculture sector benefits rural economies and deserves to be encouraged by the country’s political leadership.

Summarised from the FAO review of fisheries and aquaculture in Azerbaijan www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ PROcessing ] Tinplate or glass, aluminium or plastic

Which material is best for preserves?

For two centuries, tin cans and jars proved to be an excellent way of preserving foods safely over a long period of time. In the meantime, ­how­­­ever, more and more food products are appearing on the market packed in other materials, especially plastics in bag or can format. What advantages do these materials offer? Are they just as safe as the traditional cans, or is the good old tin can era possibly coming to an end?

T

he process of sterilizing and preserving foods in an autoclave has undeniable advantages. Foods treated in this way keep well for years, they are protected from oxygen, and they do not need to be kept constantly cool during storage. This is a significant advantage over frozen products that only keep for 12 or 18 months and whose storage consumes a great amount of energy. Preserves are among the safest foods that we know. Whilst oily fish can even become rancid when frozen, this problem does not occur in tinned herrings, sardines or mackerel.

Canned foods are also highly convenient in that they can normally be consumed immediately after opening. This is a definite advantage over frozen products which have to be thawed first.

There are not many product ideas that were developed over 200 years

ago and have survived almost unchanged to the present day.

Although “modern” canned foods do not have very much in common with the “original” invention of Nicolas Appert, which was more the shape of a bottling jar, despite all technological progress the principle behind preservation techniques works the same way today as it did then. Fish, fruit, vegetables or other foods are filled into a hermetically sealable container, if possible so that when closing the lid as little air as possible remains inside, and then heated to 100° C or more to kill bacteria and other germs. Once this has been done the contents are reliably preserved and protected from spoilage for a long time. In 1938 several cans of food were found in the Arctic, the leftovers from an expedition undertaken in 1820. Their contents had not spoiled and are said to have still been edible. D ­ urability

Tinplate and aluminium cans are robust, tried and tested. They can be recycled, but are sometimes difficult to open.

of more than 118 years is quite amazing for products that were produced in the days when the first cans were just coming onto the market and the technology for their production was still in its infancy.

Today in Germany alone, about 3.9 billion tinplate cans and 1.3 billion glass jars of preserves are placed onto the market every year. In the United States the beverage industry fills about 100 billion aluminium cans with beer and soft drinks each year. Not only are the huge quantities remarkable, but also the variety of materials from which these food containers can be produced.

In the beginning was the preserving jar One advantage of the relatively light, thin pouch is its light weight, but the contents inside have little protection against mechanical damage.

The process of preserving foods in sealable jars, for which the French chef and confectioner Nicolas Appert was awarded the sum of

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09_Processing_PRO.indd 49

12,000 gold francs by Napoleon in 1810 for “the art of p­ reserving all animal and vegetable substances ... with all their freshness, flavour and individual attributes for several years” has lost none of its significance today. In Germany, the proportion of glass jars compared to tins or other types of preserves has even risen slightly in recent years.

Fish, sausages and meat preserves only rose by 4.5%, but the market share of fruit, vegetables, pickles and sweet bread spreads grew last year by between 8.7 and 13.1%.

The advantages of preserving foods in glass jars are obvious.

The material glass is tasteless and resistant to all the salts and acids (vinegar) that are used in the food industry. Because of these properties glass jars are particularly well suited to semipreserves such as salted fish and pickled products (rollmops, Bismarck herring). In addition, glass

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[ PROcessing ] tin can was invented. The British merchant Peter Durand had taken up the idea, only he did not put the food into jars, but sealed them airtight into metal containers. He sold the patent which he received for his invention in August 1810 to Bryan Donkin and John Hall who, three years later in Bermondsey opened the world’s first canning factory that used containers made of tinplated sheet iron to make food durable for a long time.

In France, where the preserve was “invented” over 200 years ago, wellknown producers market their products in their own specialized shops.

is ­usually transparent and allows the consumer a visual assessment of the product in the jar. This may well be beneficial, but sometimes also a problem, depending on the state in which the product is presented and how it was processed.

Whereas chunks and flakes of tuna, for example, are usually packed in cans, large attractive fillet pieces are often packed in glass jars that allow the consumer to see the outstanding quality of the contents. Another advantage of glass is that it can easily be recycled.

The market share of glass jars would probably be even ­bigger if glass did not also have some signific­ant disadvantages. For example: transparent material is not always suited to photosensitive pro­ducts that fade or decompose under the influence of light. Glass is also relatively heavy, which puts a burden on the CO2 balance during transport, and also fragile, meaning that glass containers have to be handled with great care. The fragility of the material must also, of course, be taken into account already during the production of bottled preserves, although the process more or less corresponds to that of other types of food ­preserves. Canned foods can be strongly cooled immediately after autoclaving to prevent 50 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

09_Processing_PRO.indd 50

overcooking which would have a negative effect on the consistency of the contents. This is often not possible in the case of glass containers because temp­erature changes of over 50 degrees put a strain on the glass and can cause it to break.

Cost is another significant aspect: closing glass jars is a relatively expensive process. Twist-off metal lids are usually used today. The lid is held in position by the vacuum within the jar and by a slight turn which holds it firmly on the jar like a screw top. The safety of the seal depends on several factors. The upper edge of the jar must be clean and the rubber ring in the lid intact.

The lid must be placed onto the jar perfectly horizontally and should snap into position correctly when twisted. Only then will the vacuum remain intact and this is the prerequisite for the perfect condition of the preserve. That is why there should an audible click when the twist-off lid of a jar of preserves is opened for the first time.

Tinplate, cold rolled thin steel sheet, whose surface is coated with tin by means of electrolysis to prevent corrosion, is still the preferred material for cans used in the food industry. The technology for producing tinplate is in the meantime so sophisticated that one gram of tin is enough to coat one square metre of steel plate with a 0.15 mm thin layer. For additional protection tin cans are often varnished on their interior or coated with a thin plastic film (full seal) because some foods that contain fruit acids can dissolve tin from the can metal. Although tin is vital for human beings and has to be absorbed with the diet the necessary intake is extremely low and can be covered easily.

The World Health Organisation therefore recommends limiting the daily intake of tin from food to

2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Cans with an interior plastic coating release practically no tin into the food they contain.

However, more recently, some of the substances that are used to coat food cans have come under criticism. The BADGE (bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether) that they contain can be passed on to the preserves in small amounts and this substance is suspected of being a possible carcinogen and mutagen. In the opinion of many experts this will not lead to any acute health hazard but the contamination is generally “undesirable.” The problem of slow poisoning by substances which pass from the cans into the food they contain is not new. In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his companions set out on an Arctic expedition to search for the Northwest Passage. Within three years, during which time they lived almost exclusively from canned food, they all died of lead poisoning. The contents of the cans were edible and not in any way spoilt, but at that time cans were soldered with lead.

Opening the cans remains a problem Today efforts are made to find better solutions to this problem and

Cans have to be laminated In the same year in which Napoleon bestowed on App­­ ert the impressive prize for the successful testing over a number of years of his preservation process the

In Thailand and other supply countries tuna is generally packed in flat round cans. www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 3:23 PM

[ PROcessing ] thus limit and control the resulting risks. One approach is to produce aluminium cans, which first emerged in the late 1950s and are now – hardly noticed by many consumers – taking over more and more of the market. Aluminium is lighter and cheaper than tin, and offers the same protection against corrosion. In addition, it is much more malleable than tinplate.

This makes it possible, for example, to form cans from a single aluminium plate, in contrast to tinplate cans which always have to be shaped and folded in several labour-intensive steps. Aluminium cans often have a conical shape so that the blanks can be stacked together to save space.

effort into developing an effective can opener. Ring-pull openers, a slotted key around which a prescored metal strip can be wound for opening sardine tins, and other devices have solved the problem to some extent, but countless fingernails are still broken every year while opening cans.

Regardless of that the variety of shapes and sizes of cans is today immense. Not only are there preferences for certain formats in individual countries, but also preferences for certain shapes for individual products. Tuna, for example, is most often to be found in shallow cans, wild salmon usually in tall round cans, and herring products in flat oval cans. The most important advantage of all metal cans is probably their mechanical stability which makes them virtually indestructible. This is, however, also their biggest disadvantage and generations of inventors have put a lot of

Pouches have good barrier properties

Both tinplate and aluminium cans have the advantage that they can be completely recycled and can be used repeatedly without loss of quality. In the U.S., about every second aluminium beverage can and almost two thirds of all tin cans are recycled. In Germany the recycling ratio for cans is even well above 90%.

About ten years ago pouches, which have been known in Asia for some time, became popular in North America as a packaging material for food preserves. Pouches are lighter than cans, their production requires less energy and their contents do not need to be heated for so long to preserve them. While canned tuna is usually cooked twice, the c­ ontents of the pouch are ­usually heated only once, which is reflected in a better product quality. After a suitable piece of fillet has been placed into the bag it just

has to be closed under vacuum and then sterilized by heating.

If the plastic film of which the bag is made is not punctured, torn or otherwise mechanically damaged, the manufacturer guarantees a shelf-life as long as that given for conventional cans. That is usually a minimum of four years. The multilayered material from which the pouches are made already makes sure of this. In general, it consists of polyester film that is laminated with aluminium and sealed with polypropylene. This makes the ma­­terial resis­­tant to tempe­­rature and very resilient. Pouches have good barrier properties against light, gases, micro-organisms and odours. And the bags can be easily opened by tearing along a notch on the side or using scissors. However, the flexible material does not serve as sufficient protection of the pouch’s contents against pressure or similar external influences. If a customer presses or squeezes the bag to convince himself of the shape and consistency of its contents the product may be damaged. This is probably the reason why at present, it is mainly tuna and salmon, i.e. fish species with relatively firm flesh, that are preserved in pouches.

Meanwhile pouches are available in a further developed form as stand-up pouches with a big base that allows for upright presentation and storage of the bags. Stand-up pouches are hardly used so far in the seafood sector and are mainly used for packing beverages, liquid soaps, detergents and the like, but it will probably not take long before the fish industry also discovers the potential of this packaging.

Plastic boxes of all shapes and colours Before the cans are sealed they are filled up with brine so that there is no more air left in the interior.

For several years tin cans and glass jars have had to face new competition. At FachPack 2007

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09_Processing_PRO.indd 51

the packaging specialist Weidenhammer presented a can made of ‘Perma Safe’ plastic which offers huge advantages. Perma Safe is lightweight, dimensionally stable and can be sterilized (it is even said to be able to withstand microwave), it can be formed to produce various shapes and can be printed on. With the Perma Safe packaging ­Weidenhammer is making use of the advantages of plastic materials for preserves for the first time.

The plastic packaging is just as stable and robust as conventional sterilizable cans made of solid materials, but much easier to handle, more lightweight and more cost efficient. Perma Safe packaging which is made using injection moulding is virtually impermeable to oxygen and water vapour.

Using the removable sealing film the packs can be opened very easily. Previous tests have shown that sterilized and pasteurized foods preserved in plastic containers have a shelf-life of at least one and a half years. This is not as long as traditional tinplate cans or glass jars but the plastic pac­kaging offers considerable advantages in terms of weight and stackability, energy balance during processing, transportation and storage.

Like all packaging materials, plastic cans also have certain advantages and disadvantages. The ideal material for preserves that meets all requirements and is absolutely superior to all others does not exist. Depending on the product and intended use, one thus has to decide from case to case which packaging material is most suitable. Only one thing is certain: with each new material, with each additional packaging that comes onto the market, tinplate and glass, the “classic” materials for food containers, lose a bit more of their market share. That they might eventually disappear altogether, is currently not very likely however... mk

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[ PROcessing ] Polish project investigates use of fish scraps to produce high value products

Generating value from waste Fish processing for human consumption generates huge quantities of waste raw materials, which are used both in Poland and worldwide as raw materials for the production of fish meal or as ingredients in the feeds of animals, bred for their fur, or fish.

There is evidence to suggest that these waste raw material can be used more rationally as products intended for people, rather than as fodder.

Many uses for salmon processing left-overs In total, 32 thousand of tonnes of raw materials containing ­considerable amounts of valuable substances were produced. These include 5,120 tonnes of protein, 7,040 tonnes of fish oil, and 960 tonnes of mineral substances. Salmon skins, constituting about 19% of the waste, can be used as the raw material for the production of oil, fish collagen, and fish gelatine that can be used in a variety of applications. However, salmon waste raw materials can be used in the production of higher value semi-finished products such as fish oil (a dietary supplement); natural mineral preparations; gelatine for human consumption or non-food purposes; and fragmented salmon meat for human consumption.

The University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz and the Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia started a pilot project with

120

600

100

500

80

400

60

300

40

200

20

100 0

0 2006

2007

2008

thousand tonnes

52 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

09_Processing_PRO.indd 52

2009 mln euro

2010

mln euro

thousand tonnes

The raw materials from headed and gutted salmon, which in ­rec­ent years have become the basis for the fish processing industry in Poland, are particularly suited for more profitable exploitation. In recent years there has been a steady increase in imports of salmon into Poland for use by the processing industry. Each tonne of fish regardless of how it is processed generates 120 kg of heads, 100 kg of spines, 40 kg of raw scraps resulting from trimming the fillets with skin, and 60 kg of raw or smoked skins. In 2010 imports of fresh gutted salmon into Poland amounted to approximately 106 thousand tonnes, of which 100 thousand tonnes were used for processing. The amount of waste raw material thus amounted to 12,000 tonnes of heads, 10,000 tonnes of spines, 4,000 tonnes of raw scraps resulting from trimming the ­ ­fillets with skin, and 6,000 tonnes of skins with the s­ubcutaneous meat and fat tissue.

A pilot project run by the Polish University of Technology and Life ­ Sci­e­nces in Bydgoszcz and the Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia established that waste generated by the salmon processing industry could be used for the production of high value products rather then just fish meal.

the objective of extracting quality products from waste generated by the salmon processing industry.

The project was financed by the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture.

Under the project a new system for obtaining semi-finished and finished products from salmon waste will be developed for testing on a commercial scale. The new system will conform to all the currently valid hygiene and food safety requirements.

Maximise returns by proper handling of raw material The main project goals were to improve the economic effectiveness of the use of fish waste raw material. The project subjected the raw material to chemical and microbiological analysis and determined procedures for

handling the waste that conform to sanitary and hygienic regulations. In addition the project determined how to use each fraction of the waste most rationally.

Preliminary results suggest that the waste material from fresh salmon processing gives significant amounts of fish oil, of fatsoluble vitamins, and may be used for the production of natural mineral preparations rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and other mineral. This suggests that salmon waste can indeed be used for the production of products that represent a higher value than fish meal. In Poland the presence of large salmon processing plants will secure the raw material supply and the waste is expected to be fresh and of high quality. With its large population and thriving economy Poland could also be a market for dietary supplements. www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 3:23 PM

[ PROcessing ]

Wide range of products allows Irida to meet all needs

E

stablished in 1979 in the Daruvar region of Central Croatia, Irida was the first and the largest fish processing plant on the Croatian mainland.

Initially occupied with primary processing, branding, and freezing of freshwater fish, Irida in the past decade has expanded into processing marine fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, molluscs and other fish and seafood products. In 2002 Irida became part of Ledo, one of the biggest frozen food manufacturers in Southern Europe. Ledo is now the main brand of the company along with Irida, KPlus and others. The owner of the company is the Agrokor Group, one of the largest privately held companies in Croatia with 40,000 employees.

Irida was the first company to imp­ lement HACCP as well as ISO901

and 14001 standards in the Croatian fishery industry. Annual production of the company varies between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes, and marine fish and seafood comprise the bulk of the production. Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus) from Argentina accounts for 70% of the company’s production. For

example, two headed fish are f­ rozen in a ­package of 500 g. Patagonian grenadier fillets and breaded products are new product variants available to Croatian consumers.

Freshwater fish production is esti­mated at 5% of the company’s to­­tal output and is based on local

Irida Ul. Petra Zrinskog 34 43500 Daruvar Croatia Tel: +385 43 331 766 Fax: +385 43 331 911 irida@bj.t-com.hr www.irida.hr Director: Mr. Zdenko Cˇoban Activities: imports, processing, distribution of fish and seafood products, exports.

Mr Zdenko Cˇoban, Director of Irida, Ms Jelena Lukicˇ, and Mr Slavek Holecˇek both technologists.

rainbow trout and common carp.

Production of carp is currently 4-5 tonnes per year, and the main product is frozen carp steak.

Packages of carp steaks of 150 g are distributed to the Ho-Re-Ca sector, while the retail sector is supplied with packages of 500g.

“Although the level of freshwater fish consumption in Croatia is low, we feel that carp has huge potential both on the local market and abroad,” says Mr Zdenko Cˇ oban, the director of Irida.

Products: frozen and smoked fish and seafood using Patagonian gre­ nadier, Golden redfish, mackerel, sar­­dines, Patagonian fish, squid, octopus, shrimps, surimi; local fre­ shwater trout and common carp Volumes: 3 600 tonnes Markets: Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina Brands: Ledo, Irida, Kplus and others Employees: 170

Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica plans to produce organic carp

S

ituated along the river Ilova, Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica is one of the oldest fish farms in Croatia. The first ponds were hand-made by Hungarian and Czech specialists in 1900.

Today, the farm covers a total of 1,400 hectares and each pond has an area of 150 hectares. The area is famous for its many different species of animals, plants, and especially birds of which there are more than 170 species. The main activity of Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica is the production of carp, which is bred in a 3-year cycle. Carps account for 80-90% of the company’s total production; grass carp, silver carp and crucian carp are the main species. Other species include bighead carp, catfish, pike-perch and pike. www.eurofishmagazine.com

09_Processing_PRO.indd 53

Estimated production for 2011 is 500 tonnes including the ­production of juvenile fish. Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica plans to increase production in the future and to this end has already built a nursery for juveniles, and renovated the ponds, wintering ponds, and channels on the farm. Production capacity is 8 million juveniles per term, and the newly built nursery will help the company plan its own ­production. Moreover, the juveniles

will be offered to other producers.

The company is also constructing a fish processing plant to diversify its range of fish products to include frozen fish.

The company’s fish are sold on the local Croatian market through the its own chain of retail stores.

“Croatia has a limited market for freshwater fish. We have started modernising our production in order to comply with the standards

Ribnjacˇ arstvo Koncˇ anica Koncˇ anica 488 43505 Koncˇ anica Tel: +385 43 325 181 Fax: +385 43 325 184 ribnjacarstvo.koncanica@bj. t-com.hr Director: Mr. Davor Rohlik

Volumes: 500 tonnes Activities: carp farming (bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp, catfish, pike and pike-perch.

Products: live carp, fresh and chilled carp Markets: Croatia Employees: 40

Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica has invested in renovating ponds, wintering ponds, and channels to increase production and export the fish.

as our goal is to export directly,” says Mr. Davor Rohlik, the director of Ribnjacˇarstvo Koncˇanica. “We have several innovative ideas that we want to implement. For example, the production of organic carp is one of our priorities as it will offer consumers a high quality, tasty, and environmentally friendly product.”

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24/11/11 3:23 PM

[ FRAUD ]

The risk of entering into a business deal with a dishonest partner can be reduced by using some common sense.

Fraud in the seafood trade

Guarding against dishonest business practices Dishonest business practises exist in many industries and the international seafood trade is no exception. Deceitful companies do their best to steal money or products and, unfortunately, for some of them such behaviour becomes a pattern. There are many techniques used for cheating an unaware business partner and this article will explain some of them.

B

y purchasing the product from a small, unknown and financially weak trading company seafood importers can expose themselves to serious financial risks. This scam pattern is often used by dishonest traders to avoid responsibility for the goods or any other claims.

the trader may agree to pay the compensation, but only if the producer accepts the claim. When the importer tries to talk to the producer, he receives the answer that the contract was made with the trader and the producer has nothing to do with the contract between the importer and the exporter.

“I am not to blame, ask the producer!”

If the buyer and the seller cannot reach the agreement and the importer decides to initiate a court case, the seller may go bankrupt and the buyer will have to write the losses off. In many cases when the amount of the claim is not very high, the buyer will prefer to forget about it (and the exporter) rather than starting court procedures against the overseas company.

The main idea of this “business” is very simple: if there is a problem with the quality or quantity of the product sold, the trader tries to keep himself aloof from the problem and tells the buyer to claim compensation directly from the producer. Alternatively 54

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

10_FRD.indd 54

Another variation of this “trick” is when the trader accepts the claim, but due to a lack of liquidity refuses to pay the compensation immediately. Instead he offers to compensate the loss by giving a discount on future purchases. By doing this he tries to guarantee future business with the buyer and avoids paying the compensation. In such situation the buyer has either to accept this solution or, most likely, he will never see his money.

Importers and producers can both be victims This trick can be used against the producer as well if he sells the

goods to the middleman on credit or for a partial payment. If the trader was not paid by his buyer he may refuse to pay the producer in full until he is paid by the importer. It often happens that the trader was fully paid but he wants to use the money to finance other deals and makes the producer wait for the payment to the bitter end.

However, this type of trouble can be avoided. When working with a middleman make sure that the company is reputable and financially sound and if there are any problems with the product the counterparty will usually be able to stand for his obligations. www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:42 AM

[ FRAUD ] “I am not a decision maker, ask my boss!”

promptly especially if there is a penalty for delays.

This method is often used to win time in claim handling, to prolong credit terms, to pay compensation, to return prepayment etc.

When there is a problem with the consignment or the payment the manager in charge tells the counterparty that he cannot make the final decision. He has sent the claim to his superior who will revert with the comments soonest.

Time passes and there is no reply.

The boss is difficult to get in touch with as he is always travelling, sick, on vacation etc. Very often the only way to receive reply is to send a registered mail to the company.

“Me speak no English!

(French, German etc)”

Unfortunately, such behaviour is sometimes difficult to avoid. The only hedge is to be careful when choosing your business partners and to use secure payment methods. A clause in the contract that sets time limits for claim handling and for other sensitive issues may also make the counterparty act

This trick is often used by overseas suppliers when for some reason they cannot fulfil the contract terms, have no intention of handling the claim or returning the prepayment. This is especially the case with smaller trading companies. Here is one example.

Importer A made a contract with an overseas supplied B for delivery of two containers of frozen fillets.

The seller was found on the internet and the buyer communicated only with one manager, Ms. Z from the exporting company. The rest of the personnel, including the boss, spoke almost no English. According to the contract, the buyer had to send a 30 prepayment to the seller, which is what he did. The exporter received the money and told the buyer that the fish was under production. However, when the shipment day came, the

BL International Ltd. Company Fact File 518, Eurotowers, Europort Avenue Gibraltar Tel: +350-54015717 +44-20-32395902 Fax: +350-21628708 +44-20-30148627 Email: info@black-lists.com www.black-lists.com

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This problem could be avoided by using a Letter of Credit as a payment for the fish. If the producer demands pre-payment, the Advance Payment Guarantee could be a good solution to secure the money.

“We were cheated ourselves” This type of behaviour can be used by small traders that use the buyer’s money to finance deals. By collecting and holding on to pre-payments from several

An overseas trader offering competitive prices for seafood products managed to make several importers transfer partial and sometimes full pre-payments into his account.

Then the trader informed the buyers that his supplier had gone bankrupt with all the money he transferred to him. The trader was an “honest company” and promised to return the money to the buyers. The problem was that he was short of cash and could not repay the total sum immediately.

If any of the buyers threatened him with legal action, the trader replied that were that to happen he would go bankrupt and nobody would receive a penny. Then he started to repay the money in small portions so that it took him several months to repay the entire sum. In fact no supplier really existed and the trader used the money to finance his operations and earn solid profits. We can see that he managed to receive interest-free credit and used it to his favour.

Unfortunately, the entire range of murky practices cannot be covered in a short article. However, many scams can be avoided by using secure payment methods, using common sense when choosing business partners, and remembering that if the offer seems too good to be true – it probably is.

“Our cover story in the Eurofish Magazine brought an instant and very favourable response. We look forward to working with Eurofish Magazine again in the future.” Mr M. Zafer Erel, CEO, Antalya Balik, Turkey

Page 1 June

184 x 275_27-0

Then the manager of the exporting company stopped communicating with the buyer. Any attempts to talk to other personnel of the company failed as they could not speak the language. The only message the buyer received in poor English was that Ms. Z was in the hospital and nobody knew when she would be back. The buyer called the company every day, and sent letters asking for the return of the prepayment, but all in vain. Finally the buyer decided to use the commercial services of his embassy in the supplier’s country, and within a few days he received his money.

buyers the company can easily obtain working capital for further transactions.

C 44346

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Business activities: Anti-fraud consulting services, international claim exchange, debt recovery and conflict settlement assistance.

Manager: Alex Sergeev Area of activity: worldwide Clients: importers, exporters, traders, and manufacturers

consignment was not ready. The seller explained that the fishing was poor, the demand was high, that his competitors were paying better prices for the raw material etc. The result was that the exporter asked for a few extra days to finish the lot.

26/05/11

12:42 PM

Contact Eurofish: Ms A. Petersen on +45 33377763, aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk Mr E. Preuss on +49 (0) 4149 8020, e.preuss@freenet.de

Organiser

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Publication

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Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture Chapter Five: Running a recirculation system

M

oving from traditional fish farming to recirculation significantly changes the daily routines and skills necessary for managing the farm. The fish farmer has now become a manager of both fish and water, and the task of managing the water and maintaining its quality has become just as important, if not more so, than the job of looking after the fish.

The traditional pattern of doing a good day’s job on the fish farm and then going home has changed into tuning a machine that runs constantly 24 hours a day. Surveillance of the whole system ensures that the farmer has access to information concerning the state of the system at all times, and an automatic alarm system will call him if there is an emergency.

day, and also lists for checking at longer intervals.

Daily or weekly: • Visually examine the behaviour of the fish • Visually examine the water quality (transparency/turbidity) • Check hydrodynamics (flow) in tanks • Check distribution of feed from feeding machines • Remove and register dead fish • Flush outlet from tanks if fitted with stand-pipes • Wipe off membrane of oxygen probes • Registration of actual oxygen concentration in tanks • Check water levels in pump sumps • Check nozzles spraying on mechanical filters • Registration of temperature

• Make tests of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH • Registration of volume of new water used • Check pressure in oxygen cones • Check NaOH or lime for PH regulation • Control that UV-lights are working • Register electricity (kWh) used • Read information from colleagues on the message board • Switch on the alarm system before leaving the farm Weekly or monthly: • Clean the biofilters according to the manual • Drain condense water from compressor • Check water level in buffer tank • Check amount of remaining O2 in oxygen-tank • Calibration of pH-meter

Figure 5.2 Oxygen generator.

Control and service of special installations must be taken care of.

• Calibration of feeders • Calibrate O2 probes in fish tanks and system • Check alarms – make alarm tests • Check that emergency oxygen works in all tanks.

• Check all pumps and motors for failure or dissonance • Check generators and make a test-start • Check that ventilators for trickling filters are running

Table 5.1 Indication of preferable levels for different physical and chemical water quality parameters in a recirculation system.

Parameter

Formula

Unit

Normal

°C

Depending on species

O2

%

70-100

Temperature

Figure 5.1 Water quality and flow in filters and fish tanks should be examined visually and frequently.

Top plate of traditional trickling filter before water is trickling down through the filter media.

Make checklists of routine tasks The most important routines and working procedures are listed below. Many more details will occur in practice, but the overall pattern should be clear. It is essential to make a list with all the routines to be checked off each 56

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

11_Aquaculture.indd 56

Oxygen

Unfavourable Level < 40 and > 250

Nitrogen

N2

% saturation

80-100

> 101

Carbon Dioxide

CO2

mg/L

10-15

> 15

Ammonium

NH4 +

mg/L

0-2.5 (pH influence)

> 2.5

Ammonia

NH3

mg/L

< 0.01 (pH influence)

> 0.025

Nitrite

NO2 -

mg/L

0-0.5

> 0.5

Nitrate

NO3 -

mg/L

pH Alkalinity Phosphorus

PO4 3

100-200

> 300

6.5-7.5

< 6.2 and > 8.0 <1

mmol/L

1-5

mg/L

1-20

Suspended Solids

SS

mg/L

25

COD

COD

mg/L

25-100

BOD

BOD

mg/L

5-20

Humus Calcium

> 100 > 20

98-100 Ca++

mg/L

5-50

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

6-12 months: • Clean UV sterilizer (see manual), change lamps yearly • Change oil and oil-filters and air-filter on compressor.

• Check if clean inside (sump) the cooling towers • Clean biofilter thoroughly if necessary • Renew electrolyte, zinc, and membrane in oxygen probes • Rinse nozzles on drum filters Managing the recirculation system requires continued registration and adjusting to reach a perfect environment for the fish cultured. For each parameter concerned there are certain margins for what is biologically acceptable. Throughout the production cycle, each section of the farm will be shut down and started up again for new batches of fish. These changes affect the system as a whole, but especially the biofilter is sensitive to alterations. In figure 5.3 the effect on the concentration of nitrogen compounds leaving a newly started biofilter can be observed.

The impact of fluctuations in different parameters depends on many factors Fluctuations will occur for many other parameters of which the most important can be seen in Table 5.1 on the previous page.

In some situations parameters may raise to levels which are unfavorable or even toxic to fish. However, it is impossible to give exact data on these levels as the toxicity depends on many things, such as fish species, www.eurofishmagazine.com

11_Aquaculture.indd 57

Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture The Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture is the result of a collaboration between ­EUROFISH, Thomas Moth-Poulsen, FAO Fisheries Officer for Central and Eastern Europe, and Jacob Bregnballe, Akva Group, who authored the book.

The stringent environmental restrictions to minimize pollution from hatcheries and aquaculture plants in northern European countries have sparked the rapid technological development of recirculation ­systems. However, recirculation also secures a higher and more stable aquaculture production with less diseases and better ways to control the parameters that influence growth. State-of-the-art of the recirculation methods use far less water than conventional flow-through farms and sophisticated filtering ­technologies are used to treat the water. Recirculation systems thereby offer two immediate advantages: cost effectiveness and reduced environmental impact. However, running these systems calls for ­additional skills and training and the hope is that the Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture will provide readers with some useful insights into the workings of recirculation systems.

The Guide is being serialised in the Eurofish Magazine. It is also available as a hard copy from the shop on the EUROFISH website, www.eurofish.dk, for EUR35.

Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to recirculation aquaculture (EM5 2010) Chapter 2: The recirculation system step by step

Components in a recirculation system

-Fish tanks (EM6 2010)

-Mechanical filtration (EM1 2011)

-Biological treatment ( ˝ ˝)

-Degassing, aeration, and stripping (EM3 2011)

-Oxygenation ( ˝ ˝)

-Utraviolet light ( ˝ ˝)

-Ozone ( ˝ ˝)

-PH regulation ( ˝ ˝)

-Heat exchange ( ˝ ˝)

-Pumps ( ˝ ˝)

-Monitoring, control and alarms ( ˝ ˝)

-Emergency system ( ˝ ˝)

-Intake water ( ˝ ˝) Chapter 3: Fish species in recirculation (EM4 2011) Chapter 4: Project planning and

implementation (EM5 2011) Chapter 5: Running a recirculation system t­emperature and pH. Adaptation of fish to the environmental conditions in the system will also influence the toxicity. The toxicity of the nitrite peak can be eliminated by adding salt to the system (see also Chapter Two in Eurofish Magazine EM1 2011). An indication of preferable levels for different physical and chemical water quality parameters in a recirculation system is shown in Table 5.1.

Chapter 6: Waste water treatment Chapter 7: Disease Chapter 8: Case story examples

Salmon smolt production in Chile

Turbot farming in China.

Model trout farms in Denmark

Recirculation and re-stocking

Mega farms References Appendix - Checklist when implementing a recirculation system.

Ammonia

Concentration

• Grease the filter elements and bearings on mechanical filters • Search for “dead water” in system and take precautions • Check filter sumps - no sludge must be observed

Nitrite

Nitrate

Risk of nitrite toxicity

Time

Figure 5.3 Fluctuations in the concentration of different nitrogen compounds from start-up of a biofilter.

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Aquaculture insurances as part of risk management

Insurance companies offer customised solutions The possibility to protect oneself against financial losses through an insurance policy is not new and is practised in almost every area of ​​life. Many aquaculture companies choose to do without this risk insurance however because they feel the requirements are too high, the procedure too complicated or the premiums too expensive. But taking out insurance in the aquaculture sector can definitely be worthwhile and should be a part of risk management.

I

n September 2011 the white spot virus caused damages totalling several hundred thousand dollars in numerous shrimp cultures east of Zamboanga City in the Philippines. A month before that, there had been mass mortality of farmed fish in operations along the Minjiang River in the Chinese province of Fujian.

The reasons for this were unclear but the damage was immense, especially since the river serves as a drinking water reservoir for the densely populated area. In the year 2009 a violent thunderstorm caused the Fisibach near Zurich to burst its banks, carrying away with it 125,000 char, rainbow and brook trout from an organic farm.

The operator had to bear the costs of the damages alone (which amounted to 200,000-300,000

Swiss Francs) because the fish stock was not insured.

It is not known whether the Philippine and Chinese businesses were insured. It is to be doubted, however, because insiders estimate that more than three-quarters of all fish farms worldwide are not insured against disease and other risks. Robert Gare, who works as a broker for Catlin, a leading insurance company in the field of aquaculture, claims that the vast number of Chinese farms, which account for about 70 per cent of global aquaculture production is not insured or is not insurable. Although aquaculture was carried out in a risk-laden environment the industry appeared to put risk management at the bottom of its

list of priorities, said Neil Hopkins from reinsurance brokers AHJ in an interview with Fish Farming International. Among the countries where a relatively large number of farms is covered by insurance are Norway, Chile, Canada, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Spain, Malta, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The best protected species are salmon, sea bream and sea bass, tuna, trout and turbot. However, a look at aquaculture as a whole reveals the dimension of the problem: most companies have no, or only inadequate, insurance coverage. This is already to be seen in the low level of insurance premiums that the industry pays each year. They are said to amount to about EUR 142 million EUR

worldwide – which is just a fraction of the value of the fish stocks in the farms. That was approximately 110 billion USD in 2009.

FAO study points to the need to catch up The FAO study entitled “Review of the current state of world aquaculture insurance” (FAO Technical Paper 493) estimated that in 2006 there were 8000 aquaculture insurance policies throughout the world.

Even if this figure has increased in the meantime it is still not nearly enough to protect this fast-growing, technology and knowledge based industry against the threat of losses.

Global aquaculture has made tremendous progress in all areas, be it in responsible farming practices and feeding, in farm management,

One of the perils covered by liability insurance is the risk posed by offshore farms to shipping.

A farm’s net cages and technical equipment represent a considerable value which is exposed to numerous risks in the sea.

58 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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24/11/11 11:42 AM

[ AQUACULTURE ] or preventive medicine. In many farming facilities the continuous monitoring of water quality has become as standard as the regular disinfection of the equipment or the preventive vaccination of the fishes. The number of companies that have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs), Codes of Conduct and Codes of Good Practice, Standard Operational Procedures or Traceability Routines and achieved ­certification in accordance with various guidelines is growing continuously. In the face of these developments many people in the industry seem to believe that they can do without insurance protection.

But wrongly so, for the risks that aquaculture has to face are growing at least as fast as the progress that is being made. The spectrum of farmed species is constantly expanding, new farming technologies require even higher investments, production intensity is increasing, and farming locations are shifting more and more into the offshore regions. This almost inevitably increases the risk of economic losses resulting from power failure or other technical defects, disease, water pollution and flooding, storms or other natural disasters, long periods of frost, summer heat or vandalism.

In order to at least partially guard

against such losses, farm operators should thus see aquaculture insurance as part of their corporate risk management.

“All Risks” or “Named Perils”?

But what may sound simple often in practice proves to be harder than imagined. Although in ­principle almost anything can be insured it is not very advisable because this soon makes the policies unaffordable. Even the insurance type “All Risks” (insurance companies distinguish between “All Risks” and “Named Perils”) does not by any means protect against all eventualities: each policy has exceptions. The two categories differ only in the approach they take for defining the claims.

In the case of “All Risks” the initial position is that the insurance covers all risks and then excludes those claims that the policyholder does not consider to be so important. In the case of “Named Perils” it’s the other way round: at first nothing is protected, and then the claims are picked out one by one that are to be covered by the insurance policy. For example, liability insurance and live fish transportation, technical equipment from the feed and work boats to net cages, tanks and raceways, aeration, cooling and filtering devices.

It does not make sense to cover all types of claims in every case.

Some insurance companies offer policies covering damage claims in case of earthquakes, fires and explosions, or jellyfish invasions, ship collisions and tidal waves.

To save money, farm operators should do without such claims if the named risks are negligible or can even be ruled out.

The requirements for taking out insurance are high. The insurance provider will not only be interested in the basic risk level of production (e.g. tried and tested farming techniques such as salmon or shrimp farming or new, not yet technologically perfected methods), but also the location (close to the coast and protected, net cage or pond, offshore or onshore) and the general management standards on the farm.

It is thus easier for companies with well trained employees in developed and strictly regulated countries to take out insurance than family businesses in developing countries, although these are often in much greater need of risk protection. One of the most important issues for insurance providers is the safety of the fish stock. Regular controls are absolutely essential but only suffice if everything is always meticulously documented.

Detailed records and logs are indispensable A farm might be exemplary, the fish healthy, and the production risk negligible but if a farm operator is not quite sure at a defined point in time how many fish he has in the water or how big the fishes are he will stand very little chance of being insured. Exact information on the fish stock is just as important for the insurance provider as for the policy holder because in the event of a claim that is the only way to demonstrate clearly what losses actually occurred during the farming process. And these data are an important basis for any compensation claims. In addition, the insurance provider will require further information that confirms that the inventory data are correct (e.g. on the basis of the purchased fry and feed) and that the farming conditions were optimal and correct for the species in question (e.g. by providing long-term measurements of temperature and oxygen).

To protect themselves against unreasonable demands insurance companies will require not only insight into the protocols, but will also set their customers specific requirements, such as the installation of a monitoring system that alerts the operator

Where some fish species are concerned the value of the fish stock in a farm can amount to several million dollars.

Floods, sudden temperature changes or failure of a ventilation system can lead to total loss of livestock.

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11_Aquaculture.indd 59

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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24/11/11 11:42 AM

[ AQUACULTURE ] immediately if i­mportant parameters get out of control. Anyone who does not follow the agreed clauses in the insurance contract has little chance of receiving compensation for losses in the event of damages. It is thus essential to read all the small print in the contract, too, and to implement the requirements as quickly and completely as possible.

Together with the insurance agent the aquaculture producer should try to determine the value of the fish stock and the farm and this value should be stated in the contract. After an accident there may otherwise be a risk of being ­classified according to industrystandard averages.

Even the best insurance can hardly be expected to pay for each and every dead fish in the farm. As with household, ­vehicle and other insurances, the policy holder has to pay a certain amount himself in aquaculture.

How high the deductible, i.e. the portion of any claim that is not covered by the insurance provider, is depends on the ­specific design of the policy. Viewed internationally it often amounts to 10 to 20% of the stock value.

In the case of new, barely tested farming techniques with high risk of loss, the parties sometimes agree to even higher levels.

This practice has certain advantages for both sides. The policy holder’s premium will be considerably lower and the insurance provider only has to pay for any damages in excess of the deductible. The price of aquaculture insurance is thus dependent on many factors and can only be determined on a case by case basis. The reliability of the farming method, potential risks, the farm location, the value of the fish stock and the technical facilities and equipment, the level of

management, the deductible and various other things affect the size of the premium the policy holder has to pay.

Insurance companies specialize in aquaculture needs In the event that a disease occurs in a fish stock or other problems arise, it is advisable, even with the best insurance policy, to intervene as quickly and persistently as if one were not insured at all.

Anyone who informs their insurance provider i­mmediately and keeps them constantly informed of further developments saves themselves a lot of bother and explanations later on. For these reasons it is wise to make contracts only with insurance companies that already have experience in aquaculture. Anyone who knows anything about this risky and complicated business does not need to be told about the basic set-up and this saves a lot of tedious explanations. On top of that, it also prevents possible ­misunderstandings.

An insurance company that has extensive knowledge in the field of aquaculture is Catlin Europe, which operates as part of the Catlin Group in the international insurance and reinsurance business in over 30 specialized divisions. As one of the world’s largest aquaculture insurance providers Catlin offers specialized insurance solutions for fish farming both in inland and in coastal waters. It is possible to insure almost any part of an aquaculture operation, from the biomass (fish stock), feed barges, work boats and floating devices to live fish transport. Catlin’s ­service also includes liability insurance for fish farms.

The international Willis Group, a leading industrial i­nsurance

60 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

11_Aquaculture.indd 60

b­roker, has in its portfolio customized insurance solu­ tions that are tailored to the risks involved in aquaculture. Among other things, Willis provides insurance for the risk of mortality in onshore and offshore fish farms. Lloyd’s broker Swinglehurst Ltd. has a department called Aquarius Insurance Services that has specialised in insurances for aquaculture operations since the year 2000. Their portfolio targets both small family farms and large, multinational companies and can be divided into three categories: • onshore farming (hatcheries and farms on land), production in tanks, ponds and raceways, as well as recirculation plants • Offshore farming (farming facilities in waters from lakes to the open sea), production in floating net cages • Hatcheries and nurseries (similar to onshore farming) The spectrum of insurance claims ranges from risks of pollution, disease (with the exception of ectoparasites such as salmon louse), storms, losses due to sudden changes in water parameters (oxygen, temperature, pH and salt content), or mechanical damages (ice drift, ships, power failure).

With offices in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the USA Sunderland Marine is one of the major international aquaculture insurance providers. The company’s experts assess several hundred farming enterprises in the industry every year and have a wealth of experience with regard to species such as abalone, salmon, tuna or kingfish, which are either produced in recirculation systems on land or in floating farms in the sea. Logan Livestock Insurance Agency, an Australian insurance broker, also provides insurances which are tailored to

the needs of onshore and offshore operations.

For almost all sectors of aquaculture – small and large operations, onshore and offshore farms, as well as various different species – Global Aquaculture Insurance Consortium (GAIC) offers suitable insurance deals that cover the mortality risk of the fishes, the technical facilities and possible recalls of products, as required.

The group mainly insures producers of edible and orna­ mental fish as well as shellfish (mussels, scallops, oysters) and abalone farmers. The insurance spectrum offered by the company A.I.E., which belongs to Meslee Insurance Services, is similarly widespread.

A particularly finely tailored ins­ urance product that was designed solely for tilapia farming in Central America, was developed by the insurance provider First Reinsurance ­ Service (FRS). Tilapia farms in this region can protect themselves against, among other things, the partial or complete loss of the fish stock.

Whether, and how much, an insurance provider will actually pay in case of damages depends on many factors and is usually only decided after a thorough examination of the situation. The basic prerequisite is, of course, that the farmer has complied with all contractual obligations and has followed all of the insurance provider’s requirements. In the event of accidents or ­disease in the fish stock he should be able to prove that he has done everything possible to avert or min­­imize the loss. Anyone who –relying on their insurance ­ coverage – hesitates too long and fails to act quickly and ­professionally runs the risk of being left empty handed in case of damages despite their ­insurance policy. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:42 AM

[

FISH INFOnetwork news

Projects

]

Events

Market evaluation including tasting sessions of Chilean corvina in Madrid

World Seafood Congress, Washington DC, USA

John Ryder, FAO, making his presentation at the World Seafood Congress.

Fish wholesalers discussing the quality of the Chilean corvina at a tasting session organised by Infopesca.

The Chilean Corvina Project fund­ ed by Fundación Chile, brought Santiago Caro from Infopesca to Madrid, Spain, to organize and coordinate the market evaluation of this product. Samples of freshly gutted croaker were dispatched from the production site in Ton­ goy, Chile and arrived at Barajas airport in Madrid very fresh and in perfect condition. The fish was received by different wholesalers

who had expressed their interest in participating in these com­ mercial trials. A certain amount was reserved for a tasting session, for which a professional chef had been hired. This activity was coor­ dinated with ANMPE (the asso­ ciation of seafood wholesalers of Mercamadrid). Some 15 people participated at the tasting session including fishmongers, importers and wholesalers.

Eurofish co-organises workshop on the future of cold water aquaculture The Aquainnova project aims to provide the support and the methodologies required to faci­ litate the development of vision documents and strategic research priorities for European aquacul­ ture. One of the ways of achieving this is to improve the dialogue bet­ ween national and European pol­ icymakers, researchers and other stakeholders in the aquacul­ ture sector. To facilitate this dia­ logue Eurofish has co-organised two workshops, one on fresh­ water aquaculture in June and one on the future of coldwater www.eurofishmagazine.com

12_News FIN.indd 61

a­ quaculture in Oslo in September.

The latter lasted 1.5 days and was attended by 36 people, the major­ ity from Norway, though with par­ ticipants from Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and UK as well. Most of them were representatives of research institutes. The workshop was con­ ducted with the help of a profes­ sional facilitator who ensured the active participation of all the participants in the discussions.

There will be four workshops in total, with the third to be held in ­Madrid, Spain, in November.

The International Association of Seafood Professionals (IAFI) in cooperation with the US National Fisheries Institute (NFI) present­ ed the World Seafood Congress (WSC) 2011. The event took place 1-6 October 2011 in Washington, DC and was attended by over 200 participants from 30 countries ­including five from Latin America.

prior to the Congress. Latin Amer­ ica has the highest per capita pro­ duction of fish, but the lowest per capita consumption of all regions in the world. At the Latin America network meeting it was agreed to increase focus on regional and domestic markets for fish prod­ ucts as a good alternative to export markets. There is an interest to promote fish consumption l­ocally, As in previous sessions, workshops, and ­divert some of the focus on training sessions and meetings­ meeting expensive certification of Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and demands from fish importing Africa networks were organized countries.

Publications

World Aquaculture 2010 Global production of fish from aquaculture has grown substan­ tially in the past decade, reach­ ing 52.5 million tonnes in 2008, compared with 32.4 million ­ tonnes in 2000. Aquaculture con­ tinues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and ­currently ­accounts for nearly half (45.6 percent) of the world’s food fish consumption, com­ pared with 33.8 percent in 2000.

With ­ stagnating global capture fishery production and an in­ creasing population, aquaculture is perceived as having the great­ est potential to produce more fish

in the future to meet the grow­ ing demand for safe and quality aquatic food.

According to FAO, it is estimated that by 2012 more than 50 percent of global food fish consumption will originate from aquaculture.

Although precise data are lack­ ing, it is acknowledged that, with growth in volume and value of aquaculture production in the ­ past decade, aquaculture has made a positive contribution to national, regional and global economies, poverty reduction and food security. Nonetheless, Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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[

7 8 9 2 5 1

The FIN consists of 7 independent partner organizations. They cover all aspects of post-harvest fisheries and aquaculture. With more than 50 governments supporting the network, which also has strong links to the private sector, the activities are truly international. The FIN pages, which are a regular feature in the four network magazines – Infofish International, Infopesca Internacional, Eurofish Magazine, and Infosamak Magazine – present the FIN-wide spectrum of activities, showing actions and results. The FIN has more than 80 full-time staff and works with more than one hundred inter national experts in all fields of fisheries. Through its link from FAO Globefish to the FAO Fisheries Department, it also has access to the latest information and knowledge on fisheries policy and management issues worldwide.

World aquaculture 2010

ISSN 2070-7010

0 6 9 9 7 4 BA0132E/1/09.11

Aquaculture’s growth in volume and value has clearly helped reduce poverty and improve food security in many parts of the world.

The report can be downloaded from http://www.fao.org/ docrep/014/ba0132e/ba0132e.pdf

Italy: FAO guidelines on the use of wild fisheries resources for capture-based aquaculture These technical guidelines have been produced to supplement the FAO Code of Conduct for Re­ sponsible Fisheries (the Code).

The Code and many international agreements and conferences high­ light the benefits of and need for adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries and to aquaculture.

The objective of the guidelines is to assist countries to develop aqua­ culture, in particular that involving significant use of natural resources, in a sustainable way that produces the greatest social and economic benefits without compromising the underlying resource base for future generations. The heavy depend­ ence of capture­based aquaculture (CBA) on wild resources and its implications for wild populations have been increasingly recognized in the last decade. These guidelines address the actual and potential im­ pacts of wild­seed harvest on target and non­target (bycatch) species (including threatened species), on biodiversity, and on the environ­ ment and marine ecosystem. The guidelines also consider harvest

These technical guidelines have been produced to supplement the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (the Code). The Code and many international agreements and conferences highlight the benefits of and need for adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries and an ecosystem approach to aquaculture through the principles and concepts elaborated therein. The objective of the guidelines is to assist countries to develop aquaculture, in particular that involving significant use of natural resources, in a sustainable way that produces the greatest social and economic benefits without compromising the underlying resource base for future generations. The heavy dependence of capture-based aquaculture (CBA) on wild resources and its implications for wild populations have been increasingly recognized in the last decade. These guidelines address the actual and potential impacts of wild-seed harvest on target and non-target (bycatch) species (including threatened species), on biodiversity, and on the environment and marine ecosystem. The guidelines also consider harvest and post-collection practices, grow-out, feed and broodstock, social and economic factors, and governance considerations. They also identify CBA principles and guidelines for good practices, and provide numerous illustrative case studies from a diverse range of species and fisheries.

ISBN 978-92-5-106974-5

9

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and post­collection practices, grow­ out, feed and broodstock, social and economic factors, and governance considerations. They identify CBA principles and guidelines for good practices, and provide numerous illustrative case studies from a di­ verse range of species and fisheries.

A PDF version of the guidelines can be freely downloaded from http:// www.fao.org/docrep/014/ba005e/ ba005e.pdf ISSN 1020-5292

FAO TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

5

Suppl. 6

AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT 6. Use of wild fishery resources for capture-based aquaculture

ISSN 1020-5292

0 6 9 7 4 5 BA0059E/1/09.11

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

The Fish Infonetwork ( FIN )

FAO

9

ISSN 2070-7010

ISBN 978-92-5-106997-4

The release of the global synthe­ sis of aquaculture development is accompanied by the release of six regional aquaculture re­ views, which can be viewed at http://www.fao.org/fishery/ regional­aquaculture­reviews/ aquaculture­reviews­home/en/

]

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World Aquaculture 2010

This document provides an overview of the global aquaculture status and development trends resulting from a series of regional reviews; Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa, conducted by FAO in 2010. The global production of fish from aquaculture has grown substantially during the past decade and aquaculture continues to be the fastest growing animal food producing sector, currently accounting for nearly half of the world’s food fish consumption. Over the past decade, a number of developments have contributed to the significant growth of the global aquaculture sector, namely: the formulation and implementation of better policies, strategies, plans and legislation; dissemination and use of applied research; and emergence of new domestic and international markets. Achieving the global aquaculture sector’s long-term goal of economic, social and environmental sustainability depends primarily on continued commitments by governments to provide and support a good governance framework for the sector. It is encouraging that the experience of the past decade indicates that many governments remain committed to good governance. As the sector further expands, intensifies and diversifies, it should recognize the relevant environmental and social concerns and make conscious efforts to address them in a transparent manner, backed with scientific evidence.

This document discuses the general characteristics and trends of the sector including, among others, the resources, services and technological needs, environmental aspects, markets and trade patterns, food security and economic development issues, information and training opportunities and governance and management challenges of the sector.

FAO FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE TECHNICAL PAPER

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it is recognized that proper posi­ tioning of the aquaculture sector’s contributions, based on precise data, is important to formulate well­informed policies, strate­ gies and plans that governments and development partners will consider favourably for increased support and funding.

FISH INFONetwOrk NewS

Aquaculture that depends on natural resources for seed or broodstock can pose a threat to the environment in different ways. These guidelines explore the actual and potential impact of wild-seed harvest on marine ecosystems.

FIN executes donor projects, prepares market research for private companies, and organizes training courses on marketing and quality assurance. All seven services offer different possibilities for co-operation with the private sector, institutes, government offices and donors.

Globefish Fishery Industries Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla I 00100 Rome, Italy Tel.: (+39) 06 5705 6313/5059 Fax: (+39) 06 5705 5188 globefish@fao.org www.globefish.org Partners: Seafood Services Australia, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark; European Commission (DG FISH); OFIMER, France; Norwegian Seafood Export Council; Ministero de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Spain; National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, USA; VASEP, Viet Nam Infopesca Casilla de Correo 7086 Julio Herrea y Obes 1296 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay Tel.: (+598) 2 9028701/2 Fax: (+598) 2 9030501 infopesc@adinet.com.uy www.infopesca.org Member Countries: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela Infofish Menara Olympia, Level 2 8 Jalan Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia Tel.: (+603) 20783466 Fax: (+603) 2078 6804 infish@po.jaring.my www.infofish.org Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand Infopeche Tour C -19éme étage, Cité Administrative, Abidjan 01, Cote d‘Ivoire Tel.: (+225) 228980 / 215775 Fax: (+225) 218054 infopech@africaonline.co.ci www.globefish.org/index.php?id=1113

Member Countries: Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo Infosa Southern African suboffice of Infopeche P.O. Box 23523, Kenya House Robert Mugabe Avenue, 4th Floor Windhoek, Namibia Tel: (+264) 61 279430 Fax: (+264) 61 279434 infosadc@mweb.com.na www.infosa.org.na Member Countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe Eurofish H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44 - 46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V, Denmark Tel: (+45) 333 777 55 Fax: (+45) 333 777 56 info@eurofish.dk, www.eurofish.dk Member Countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Infoyu Room 203, Bldg 18, Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District Beijing 100026, P.R. China Tel.: (+86) 10 64195140 Fax: (+86) 10 64195141 infoyu@agri.gov.cn www.globefish.org/index.php?id=2074 Member Countries: China Infosamak 71 Boulevard Rahal Meskini B.P. 16243 Casablanca, Morocco Tel.: (+212) 22540856 Fax: (+212) 22540855 infosamak@onp.co.ma www.infosamak.org Member Countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Yemen

www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:43 AM

Diary D ates 8-10 December, 2011 Shanghai International Fisheries & Seafood Expo 2011 Shanghai, China Tel.: +86-21-34140855 Fax: +86-21-64516467 kim.yang@gehuaexpo.com www.sifse.com 13 December, 2011 Ocean Silver London, UK Tel: +44 1738 472032 info@atlanticsalmontrust.org www.atlanticsalmontrust.org 1 February, 2012 Marel Salmon Showhow Nørresundby, Denmark Tel.: +45 98921511 Fax: +45 98921101 salmonshowhow@marel.com www.marel.com/salmonshow

12-14 February, 2012 Fish International Bremen, Germany Tel.:+49 421 3505 264 wedell@messe-bremen.de www.fishinternational.com

23-24 May 2012 Aquaculture UK 2012 Aviemore, Scotland, UK Tel.: +44 1862 892188 info@aquacultureuk.com www.aquacultureuk.com 11-13 March 2012 Boston Seafood Show Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 food@divcom.com www.bostonseafood.com

26-29 March, 2012 Alimentaria Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Tel. +34 93 452 18 00 alimentaria-bcn@alimentaria.com www.alimentaria.com 27-30 March, 2012 Anuga Food Tec Cologne, Germany Tel. +49 221 821 2914 m.schlueter@koelnmesse.de www.anugafoodtec.com 19-21 April, 2012 Seoul Seafood Show 2012 Seoul, Korea Tel.: +82 2 6000 2800 Fax: +82 2 6000 2805 Expo1@b2expo.org www.seoulseafood.com

7-9 June 2012 Future Fish Eurasia Izmir, Turkey Tel.: +90 212 347 10 54 Fax: +90 212 347 10 53 info@eurasiafairs.com www.eurasiafairs.com 11-13 June, 2012 AquaVision 2012 Stavanger, Norway Tel.: +47 9137 7825 post@blueplanet.no www.aquavision.org 1-5 September 2012 AQUA 2012 Prag, Czech Republic worldaqua@aol.com www.was.org 15-17 October, 2012 Seafood Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +34 93 452 18 00 Fax: +34 93 452 18 01 www.alimentaria.com

25-28 February, 2012 Mediterranean Seafood Exhibition Rimini, Italy Tel.: +39 0541 744 225 o.foschi@riminifiera.it www.riminifiera.it 6-8 March, 2012 North Atlantic Seafood Forum Oslo, Norway jjl@oslo.teknopol.no www.nor-seafood.com

24-24 April 2012 European Seafood Exposition Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 food@divcom.com www.euroseafood.com

A d d y o u r e v e n t t o w w w. E u r o f i s h M a g a z i n e . c o m

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Guest Pages

FAO is committed to the global network of Fish Infocentres, which include Eurofish

Building on a long relationship Since 2000, when he joined the FAO, Dr Lahsen Ababouch has been involved first with FAO EASTFISH, and then its successor, Eurofish. The FAO was and continues to be a very important partner for Eurofish. Together the two organisations have worked on projects in diverse fields including food safety, aquaculture, and certification. As Eurofish enters its tenth year, we turned to Dr Ababouch to find out how the collaboration between FAO and Eurofish can evolve and improve for the benefit of the Eurofish member countries.

In 2012 Eurofish will mark the tenth year since it was established. The FAO was instrumental in setting up this organisation for the Central and Eastern European region. Looking back, can you summarise the ideas that led to the creation of Eurofish and of the network of Fish Infocentres in general?

Although I was not at FAO at the time, I assume with confidence that the main reasons and ideas that led to the creation of the previous Infocentres drove the decision regarding Eurofish, for­ merly Eastfish. As most central and Eastern European Countries were embracing a free market economy, opportunities to reap economic and social benefits from fisheries and aquaculture materialized, but many countries lacked the expertise, know how, access to information, technology and market intelligence needed.

Building on the older Infocen­ tres’ experience, FAO was able to support the creation of East­ fish. Soon, the benefits became evident to the Eastfish member countries and their industries and Eurofish was created in 2002.

64 Eurofish Magazine 6/ 2011

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How would you like to see the Fish Infocentres develop over the next decade? What challenges do you foresee the Centres will have to face and how should they prepare to ­overcome these challenges?

I would like to see the Fish Info­ centres develop into centres of expertise and technical advisory services in support of fisheries and aquaculture industry. We need to overcome several chal­ lenges, not least being the sup­ port of the member countries of each Infocentre. Nowadays, with the financial and economic cri­ ses, funding is also becoming an important issue.

To overcome these challenges, we need to build the best capacity in the Infocentres and be competi­ tive in providing valuable infor­ mation, services and technical support. In this regard, FAO and the fisheries and aquaculture department are committed to work with the Infocentres.

Who would you say were the main driving forces behind the establishment of Eurofish and what was their contribution?

Dr Lahsen Ababouch, Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Economics Division, FAO.

To my understanding the main brain behind the concept of regio­ nal Infocentres was Dr Wolfgang Krone, former FAO fisheries staff and senior manager. He launc­­ hed the concept, carried forward the ideas and developed the vari­ ous processes to turn the concept into reality. Obviously, this would not have been possible without the support of donors such as Denmark and Norway, and the dedication and commitment of various colleagues, who contrib­ uted hugely to the performance of all the Infocentres.

From an FAO perspective would you say that Eurofish has fulfilled the expectations that prevailed at its launch in 2002?

From my wide experience with the Infocentres since I joined FAO in June 2000, Eurofish has performed beyond expectations.

The membership base has been stable. It has managed to diversify products, services and technical advisory outputs to adapt to the ever changing needs of the mem­ ber countries and their fisheries and aquaculture industries. www.eurofishmagazine.com

24/11/11 11:44 AM

Guest Pages

Fish and seafood in general are healthy and nutritious. The evi­ dence that benefits from fish con­ sumption outweigh by far the risks is overwhelming. It is amazing that in many parts of the world, consumers disdain the consump­ tion of small pelagics, some of the most nutritious and delicious fish.

Having said that, intensifica­ tion of fishing and aquaculture is exacerbating some of the risks, including for resource sustain­ ability. These aspects should be carefully assessed to minimise the risks. There are several web­ sites that provide excellent advice on what to consume and what not to consume to avoid various types of risks and maximise the benefits of eating fish.

FAO and Eurofish have a long track record of cooperating on projects. Here, participants at a WTO workshop organised by FAO, Eurofish, and the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in Istanbul at the beginning of November.

Europe is a much-changed place since Eurofish was lau­nc­­hed, in particular with the e­ xp­­ansion of the EU, and the inc­­reased globalisation of the fisheries trade. How do you see Eurofish’s role in this changing environment?

that use the euro, which has been very closely linked to the crisis?

It is difficult to foresee the impact of the current crisis in Europe on fish trade in countries such as Italy, Estonia, and Spain and Eurofish should be a very good You are right that the world in source of expertise to study and general and the EU in particular forecast these impacts. But, are changing fast. So are the chal­ given that dem­and for fish is ever lenges facing the industry. Shift­ increasing and FAO predicts it ing purchase power, increased will be sustained, especially in demand for fisheries products, countries with a tradition of high diversification of products, tec­ ­ fish consumption such as Spain hnological developments, incre­­ and Italy, then it is likely that a­sed supply from aquaculture, all consumption patterns will shift these are changing the landscape towards a cheaper fish species of the supply chain in Europe such as small pelagics, tilapia, and and worldwide. These changes pangasius. Further technological required adapted and timely developments will lead to bet­ approaches for the provision of ter fields, better utilization of fish advisory services and technical waste and an increasing supply of support to the industry and the fish from the aquaculture sector. donor community.

Eurofish has been cooperating What kind of impact do you with FAO on a variety of projects anticipate the current crisis including food safety, quality in Europe will have on the fish assurance, traceability, aquatrade in the Eurofish member culture, certification, and trade. countries (Italy, Estonia, Spain) Can you envisage new ways of www.eurofishmagazine.com

14_Last_Page_Intrw.indd 65

collaboration between FAO and Eurofish?

The issue of market access is still high on the agenda of FAO, Eurofish and their member countries. This is likely to con­ tinue to be an important area for collaboration. As aquaculture expands, including in Eurofish member countries, consumers’ demands and concerns about environmental protection will continue to grow. Other topics such as dissemination, capacity building in clean technologies, organic aquaculture, sustainable sourcing, and corporate social responsibility are likely to gain importance for both FAO and Eurofish.

Taking into account global developments in capture fisheries and aquaculture, the status, in particular, of European stocks of fish for human consumption, and the imports of fish from all over the world into Europe, do you have a few words of advice to consumers on what fish to eat and what to avoid?

The FAO has been going thro­ ugh a major restructuring process and you have just been appointed director of the Fishe­ ries and Aquaculture Policy and Economics Division. What would you say has been the most rewarding aspect of the time you have spent at the FAO? Fisheries and aquaculture is a very fascinating and challenging area.

Developing and collaborating with networks of experts, such as the Fish Infocentres, to address prob­ lematic issues and help vulnerable coastal populations to create liveli­ hoods and improve nutrition and diets has been very rewarding, In addition, having the possibility to draw expertise and advice from a wide range of sources and make it available to support development in fisheries and aquaculture has been both challenging and reward­ ing. Working through the Infocen­ tres such as Eurofish to reach out to Eurofish member countries, their institutions and industries, is certainly an achievement of which both FAO and Eurofish should be proud.

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2011

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EUROFISH International Organisation H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark

Alimentaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Tel.: +45 333 777 55 Fax: +45 333 777 56 info@eurofish.dk, eurofish.dk, eurofishmagazine.com Managing editor Editorial offices

Aina Afanasjeva Behnan Thomas (bt) H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark

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Tel.: +45 333 777 55 behnan.thomas@eurofish.dk Dr. Manfred Klinkhardt (mk) Redaktionsbüro Delbrück Franz-Stock-Straße 23 D-33129 Delbrück Germany

Fish International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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