Fish Farmer Magazine April 2017

Fish Farmer VOLUME 40

Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

NUMBER 04

APRIL 2017

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AULD ALLIANCE

FJORD FARMING

ROSYTH REVEALED

VETS GET TOGETHER

Scottish salmon marks 25 years of French Label Rouge

Norwegians test new nets at traditional sites

Changing fortunes of Marine Harvest’s factory

From pest control to crustacean compassion

Apr Cover.indd 5

03/04/2017 16:23:48

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Contents 4-17 News

What’s happening in aquaculture in the UK and around the world JENNY HJUL – EDITOR

Time for ambition

A

s this month’s cover shows, the Scottish salmon industry has been out celebrating - and with good cause. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Scotland’s association with the French Label Rouge award, a prestigious quality mark that has helped launch Scottish salmon around the world. The Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation hosted a seminar and evening reception in Edinburgh to commemorate the event, and to consider how best to promote the sector to the next generation.

The way to do that is to think big. Now is the time for ambition, said James Withers of Scotland Food and Drink, who addressed the SSPO gathering, and it’s probably fair to say he was preaching to the converted. Growth is on everyone’s agenda, in all salmon producing countries.

I was fortunate enough to visit the chief of these recently, in a trip to see how Norwegian farmers are tackling the twin curses of the day, sea lice and gill disease. Farmers there, as in Scotland, are willing to put new technology and practices to the test - and to share their results for the benefit of the whole industry. This was the pioneering spirit behind early aquaculture breakthroughs - many of which happened at the research centre in Austevoll (also on my itinerary) - and the same approach that will drive future developments.

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20 Comment

45-47 Norway - Environets

Phil Thomas

Natural remedy

21 BTA

48-51 Norway - Research

22-23 Comment

52-54 Containment

Doug McLeod

Martin Jaffa

24-25 SSPO

66-70 Vet Conference

26-31 Inside Rosyth

72-73 Processing News

Meet the team

Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 email: jhjul@fishupdate.com

32-33 Norway

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34-37 Norway - Tube Nets Battling sea lice

Japanese takeover

76-77 Retail News Eat more fish

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Sea lice sensors

Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Migaud, Patrick Smith and Jim Treasurer Editor: Jenny Hjul Designer: Andrew Balahura Advertising Manager: William Dowds wdowds@fishupdate.com Advertising Executives: Dave Edler dedler@fishupdate.com Scott Binnie sbinnie@fishupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett Cover: The SSPO’s Scott Landsburgh with industry guests at the Label Rouge reception, Edinburgh Castle

Cultivating success

64-65 Research

State of the art processing

Subscriptions

Keeping up standards

Dr Nick Lake

Contact us

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40-43 Norway - Net service

18-19 ASSG

Bon anniversaire!

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Contents – Editor’s Welcome

79-81 Aqua Source Directory

Find all you need for the industry

38-39 Norway - OK Marine Cleaner fish habitats

82 Opinion

By Nick Joy

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03/04/2017 16:25:33

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Go ahead for ‘transformational’ hatchery SCOTTISH Sea Farms received planning permission last month to build its £35 million RAS smolt hatchery at Barcaldine, Argyll.

The new facility is part of a total £70 million investment by the company over the next few years.

The new hatchery will create up to 25 permanent jobs.

The land-based RAS freshwater facility will Above: Smolts be used for rearing conditions. Planning young salmon in consent follows a bio-secure and enviperiod of consultation ronmentally friendly

that this decision has been taken so quickly and because of this investment, Argyll will benefit from high quality jobs and training opportunities which will include disciplines such as fish husbandry, bio-chemistry and engineering.’

In designing and developing the RAS facility, Scottish Sea Farms will deploy best practice in fish health and husbandry, prowith the local commu- ensure that the site duction and environnity and the company supports sustainable mental impact. growth in the area. has adapted plans to The hatchery will Jim Gallagher, Scotuse 90 per cent less tish Sea Farms manwater than traditional aging director, said: ‘I freshwater sites, and am delighted by the will deliver significanthelp aquaculture to expositive decision from ly improved energy pand, within sustainable the local authority and efficiency. It will be limits’. the support from the used to rear smolts ‘The sector, suplocal community. until they are ready to ported by the Scottish ‘We are pleased transfer to sea farms. government, must strive

Salmon ‘great Scottish success story’ AQUACULTURE in Scotland provides world class products that have the potential to contribute £3.6 billion annually to the Scottish economy, supporting 18,000 jobs across the supply chain by 2030, said Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing in response to a question in the Scottish parliament last month.

He also welcomed news that sea lice levels during quarter 4 were the lowest since

2013, in figures published by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation.

The minister was asked by Labour list MSP for South Scotland Claudia Beamish about the ‘welfare assessments of delousing treatments and the success or otherwise of cleaner fish’ as the industry develops.

Ewing said the forthcoming consultation on the new licensing framework ‘will seek to

Above: Jobs for rural communities

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to be a world leader in innovation and demonstrate a global model for sustainable growth,’ he said.

‘At the same time, we need to ensure that there are appropriate measures in place to protect Scotland’s water environment from any adverse impacts.’

Tavish Scott, the Lib Dem MSP for Shetland, said: ‘I hope that the Cabinet Secretary accepts that fish farming is one of the most regulated industries in Scotland and that it needs to be supported through that regulation.’

The minister said he agreed with the Shetland MSP.

‘This will be transformational for Scottish Sea Farms, raising our production of smolts from 5 million to 11 million annually, and helping us to meet the rising global demand for our premium Scottish salmon and to grow our harvest volumes and revenues sustainably,’ said Gallagher.

‘It will also further increase our contribution to Scotland’s economic prosperity and the development of our coastal communities.’

Demolition has been underway and construction is expected to start in the next few weeks, with the first fish reared in the new facility entering the water in 2019.

£1m boost for aquaculture supply chain innovation A £1 MILLION pilot programme to boost innovation in aquaculture in the Highlands and Islands is set to go ahead.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has approved the funding package and will run the programme in conjunction with the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC).

The 30-month pilot is expected to attract a similar level of funding from the private sector. It is targeted at helping small to medium enterprises (SMEs) achieve greater commercialisation of innovative products and services.

Projects supported will have clear commercial outcomes. Together they are expected to boost industry turnover in the region by around £8 million and create up to

50 jobs, many in fragile areas.

Aquaculture is a priority sector for HIE and of growing importance to Scotland’s economy. It is estimated to contribute as much as £1.8 billion turnover a year to the Scottish economy and support around 8,000 jobs.

The Aquaculture Growth Strategy 2030 claims the industry has potential for this to increase to £3.6 billion and 18,000 jobs by 2030. In the Highlands and Islands the sector is deemed crucial.

Heather Jones, SAIC CEO, said: ‘Through our extensive engagement with companies large and small across the supply chain, it became clear that SMEs in the HIE region would benefit from, and openly welcome, support to innovate and grow.’

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03/04/2017 16:31:09

All the latest industry news from the UK

Shellfish conference aims for full house INTEREST in the annual Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) conference and fundraising dinner is running high this year, reports director David Jarrad, who is aiming for a full house.

Held in Fishmongers’ Hall in London on May 23 and 24, the conference will be opened by SAGB chairman Colin Bannister.

Nicki Holmyard from Offshore Shellfish will give the annual Drummond Lecture and keynote speech, focusing on her 25 years’ worth of ‘Adventures in Shellfish’ as a freelance seafood industry journalist.

She will highlight similarities and differences in shellfish production, promotion and consumption around the world and ask what lessons we can learn from others.

Seafish market analyst Julia Brooks will give an insight into the UK market for shellfish, while Graham Whittle, chairman of Whitby Seafoods, will enlighten delegates about his career in the scampi industry.

Hot topic of the day, Brexit, will be covered

by Barrie Dees, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, looking at the UK’s progress on negotiations for fish and shellfish; lawyer Andrew Oliver giving a solicitor’s perspective; and Dr John Speers, director of Marine and Fisheries for

Above: Shellfish insights

the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, presenting the view from Northern Ireland.

Water quality will be tackled by Dr Peter Miller from Plymouth University, speaking about the ShellEye project. This is examining the effec-

tiveness of satellite monitoring in giving early warning of issues that might affect shellfish.

The first day’s sessions will be complemented

by Dr Andy Woolmer and Andrew Schofield on progress with the Swansea tidal lagoon and the opportunity for shellfish culture.

Day two will open with keynote speaker, fisheries minister George Eustice.

Dr Carly Daniels from the National Lobster Hatchery will present on techniques to develop the mariculture of European lobsters, and PhD student Danielle Bridger on the added benefits to fisheries from offshore shellfish cultivation.

Innovation in data capture methods for static gear fisheries will be the subject of a presentation by Jack Emmerson from Bangor University Fisheries and Conservation Science Group.

Completing the wider picture of shellfish production, Richie Flynn, chair of the EU Aquaculture Advisory Council, will look at the potential for the new European organisation, and Professor Andrew Rowley of Swansea will examine the role of SAGB in developing an aquaculture network for the UK. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be offering one-to-one surgeries, with advice and information about specific funding opportunities for the seafood industry through the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund.

New award for salmon scientists HEALTH company MSD is championing young aquaculture leaders with the introduction of a science award supporting research into health and welfare.

Starting this year, MSD Animal Health will award one recent graduate in veterinary or animal science the opportunity to present their research to industry specialists at one of the group’s meetings in Scotland.

‘With growing demand for safe, affordable protein, the salmon industry is working hard to ensure the health and welfare of the stocks they are rearing,’ said Dr Chris Beattie, MSD’s head of aquaculture.

‘We hope to establish lasting relationships with

mythco nceptions’ Above: Health challenges

recent graduates who are leading the way in important research and innovation that will benefit salmon health, production and welfare.’

The winner will present their research project to a group of aquaculture industry specialists at an MSD Animal Health sponsored High Quality Salmon Congress. Topics of interest include parasite challenges and solutions; infectious diseases such as pancreatAquaculture UK 2016 ic disease, moritella, cardiopyopathy syndrome, and heart and skeletal muscle inflammation; antibiotic reduction; and precision medicine, among others.

Applications must be submitted by April 7, 2017, and the winner will be notified no later than May 1.

Vision for growth

Gael Force boss to open conference

THE opening speaker at the Aquaculture UK conference in Stirling in June will be Stewart Graham, managing director of Gael Force Group.

Graham is also cochair of the recently formed Industry Leadership Group, set up as a result of the industry-led growth strategy,Vision 2030, which he championed.

can shellfish farming, The conference, and diversification of from June 13-15, will farmed species also hear from Herve level where one person can in the UK are among other Migaud, director of understand it…Currently, topics on the agenda. the Institute we’re of Aquaat chaos.’

There will be culture at Stirling, whosaid the He also industry will discuss product should be lesssessions afraid ofon breeding and genetics, health innovation. getting its message out to the ‘be more about andopen welfare and The future public, for our mistakes and talk more diseases, commercial-scale RAS emerging about what our ons andintenti innovations systems in salmon, developmentsare’. in IMTA in prevention and ‘We have totreatment take our gloves methods (integrated muloff a bit.’ for sea lice. ti-trophic aquaculture), questioned why agriculOther speakers will innovations in He mollus-

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UK news.indd 5

ture was more acceptable than aquaculture – ‘digging up fields for potatoes is okay but putting fish in water isn’t’.

‘We have to stop thinking of things as pristine – the

address nutrition and feed technology, and the final session on day one will feature a review of aquaculture finance from Rabobank’s Gorjan Nikolik.

The second day of the conference will focus on skills development, with a panel of training providers considering ‘what the industry is looking for’.

Stewart Graham, managing director of Gael Force, was out and about on the exhibition floor, explaining plans for the new Vision 2030 group he is heading.

5

and Drink’s overall industry strategy for 2017-2030.

The aquaculture strategy will cover the entire supply chain, including 03/04/2017 farming, 16:31:30

United Kingdom News

Wester Ross commended in export awards WESTER Ross Fisheries has been recognised at the HSBC Scottish Export Awards 2017, held in Glasgow in March.

Scotland’s oldest independent owner operated salmon farm, based in Dingwall and Ullapool, was highly commended in the small exporter of the year category at the awards ceremony.

Wester Ross Fisheries employs 60 staff and is the largest private sector employer in Ullapool.

Managing director Gilpin Bradley said: ‘Over the last 40 years we have grown significantly and we are delighted to be highly commended at the

Benchmark in deal with SalMar

Above: Commitment to natural approach

Scottish Export Awards in what has been a very busy year for us.

‘We are thrilled to be recognised for our on-going commitment to our natural approach to salmon farming which has generated loyal customers from all over the world.’

Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s head of international trade

and investment, Martin Johnson, said: ‘Congratulations to Gilpin and his team on their achievement on a night which celebrated the diversity of exporting achievements.

‘We are pleased to have worked with all of the finalists from the Highlands and Islands and are supporting them to enter new markets.’

BENCHMARK has signed a longterm agreement with Norwegian salmon farmer SalMar to provide genetics, health and knowledge services to the company.

Benchmark through its subsidiary SalmoBreed will form a 50/50 joint venture for the production of SalMar’s salmon strain, Rauma.

This joint venture, to be called SalMar Genetic, will be formed by a demerger of SalMar’s salmon production facility in Reistad, Norway.

Benchmark will take full responsibility for managing the breeding programme through another of its subsidiaries, Akvaforsk Genetics Center.

The agreement also includes sales of eggs from Benchmark’s

The world moves forward

land based sites in Iceland and, once commissioned, from its Salten site in Norway.

The Benchmark group will also provide fish health services, diagnostics, and health products to SalMar. Malcolm Pye, CEO of Benchmark, said: ‘We are delighted to sign an agreement with such a blue-chip partner in the salmon market.

‘It is testament to our customers’ recognition of the benefits of our growing, integrated package of products and services, as well as our ability to enhance value for producers and contribute towards the overall sustainability of the aquaculture industry.’

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03/04/2017 16:31:52

All the latest industry news from the UK

Farmer targets locals at careers fair SCOTLAND’S largest producer of farmed trout has taken part in a careers and jobs fair in Oban to tell local people about the opportunities available in the industry in Argyll.

The event, in the Corran Halls in March, was jointly organised by Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership and MSP Michael Russell.

Dawnfresh is particularly focused on encouraging young people to stay in Argyll, with careers in the local area including working in production, technical, fish health and veterinary services, quality and compliance, safety, environmental regulation or administration.

Alison Hutchins, farming operations development manager for Dawnfresh, said: ‘It was fantastic to take part in this careers fair to tell people more about the wide range of jobs Dawnfresh offer at our sites in Argyll at Loch Etive and Loch Awe. ‘Dawnfresh provide high value, long term, year round jobs in rural areas of Scotland which often lack large employers.

‘We place particular emphasis on hiring people from Argyll and are proud that most of our current team are from the local area.

‘We take their development seriously and invest heavily in training and skills as we believe this allows them not only to be more effective employees but to play key roles in their community, using the knowledge and experience they gain with us to give something back to the wider community.’

Above: Dawnfresh’s Matthew Anderson and Alison Hutchins at the fair

Review of sea lice treatment not a ban A REVIEW by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) of the use of a sea lice treatment on salmon farms does not amount to a ban.

SEPA began issuing revised licences for the treatment Slice last month and the process will be completed by the end of April. This follows a study last year that found a ‘subtle’ association between Slice, which contains emamectin benzoate,

and crustaceans in the seabed.

SEPA said it will also now look at the environmental quality standards for Slice ‘to ensure they are up to date and provide adequate environmental protection’.

‘In this way, the impacts of sea louse medicines are monitored by SEPA on an ongoing basis, and corrective regulatory actions taken where necessary.’

The Scottish Salmon Producers’

Organisation (SSPO) said the study, conducted by the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF), refers to trace elements and it would like to see another investigation conducted by SARF into environmental impacts.

The industry wants to continue using Slice, which is an important tool in the fight against sea lice.

SEPA told Fish Farmer the revised licences ‘will remain

Scots out in force at Aqua Nor SCOTTISH aquaculture organisations and companies are planning a bigger than usual presence at

this year’s Aqua Nor exhibition and conference in Trondheim in August.

A Scottish pavilion is likely to include several companies and it is believed will be coordinated by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

According to the show’s organisers,

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Scottish companies that have already booked stands include Gael Force Group of Inverness, Xelect of St Andrews, and Grading Systems UK, of Shetland.

A large temporary hall will accommodate the upsurge in exhibitors, after it was decided that plans

Seafood industry Brussels bound

in place until such time as SEPA and the industry carry out further research to either confirm or confound the apparent link between Slice use and possible environmental effects’. The government body said it is also altering the approval processes contained within licences so ‘approval will be required from SEPA for each treatAbove: Scottish companies in Brussels ment in advance of that treatment being THE world’s biggest seafood fair will be held administered’. in the Belgian capital later this month, with an estimated 26,000 visitors due to attend from around the world.

There will be some 50 national pavilions, including separate UK and Scottish stands, the to build new space latter housing most of the country’s salmon would not be ready farmers, along with other regular attendees until the 2019 show. such as Dawnfresh, Associated Seafoods and Already, the 2017 St James Smokehouse. event is fully booked The Seafood Excellence Global awards and registrations for will be presented at a reception on the first the waiting list have evening of the show, and the finalists, anbeen stopped, well nounced on March 28, represent 15 countries ahead of previous including entries from France, Finland, Malayyears. Aqua Nor 2017 sia, Ireland and Norway. runs from August 15Seafood Expo Global is at the Brussels Expo 18, at the Trondheim from April 25-27.

Spektrum.

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03/04/2017 16:32:40

European News

NEWS...

Bakkafrost confirms ISA outbreak BAKKAFROST disclosed last month that its suspicions of pathogenic ISA virus at one of its farms had been confirmed.

The big Faroe Islands fish farmer said the problem was centred at the farming site A-73 Hvannasund Norður which has been under increased surveillance since July last year, when routine tests resulted in suspicion of fish being infected by ISA virus.

After the original alert, extensive tests

Above: Hvannasund Norður

were carried out with the purpose of confirming these suspicions, but none of the results from these tests proved the presence of a path-

Research shows decline in wrasse stocks NORWEGIAN researchers have found a decline in wild wrasse populations, according to a report in the New Scientist.

Along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway, a region where wrasse have been caught and shipped to salmon farmers for decades, scientists found that goldsinny wrasse was up to 65 per cent more abundant in samples from the non-fishing zones.

The corkwing wrasse was 92 per cent more abundant in some samples from the non-fishing zones. They compared catch rates at four marine protected areas – where fishing is banned – and at four regions where fishing is allowed.

Kim Halvorsen of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research in Storebø, Norway, who led the team told the New Scientist: ‘It’s never been shown before, but these numbers could indicate that fishing has had an impact.’

Above: Wrasse

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ogenic ISA virus.

However, more tests were carried out in January this year, which again raised suspicions. These were

at two cages, one of which was suspected last summer.

Bakkafrost then decided to take immediate action and

harvested all the fish in these two cages while at the same time keeping a close watch on the site.

The company said: ‘The accelerated harvest is expected to be finished by the middle of April and Bakkafrost maintains expected harvest volumes for 2017 to be 53,500 tonnes gutted weight, unchanged from the market announcement on March 16.

‘The confirmation of pathogenic ISA virus at farming site A-73

Hvannasund Norður results in a prolonged fallowing period of six months minimum.’

The discovery is a setback for the company, but one it has managed effectively. Three weeks ago it reported substantially increased profits for the fourth quarter of 2016.

The total operating EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) of 349.6 million Danish kroners (DKK) compared to DKK 257 million for the fourth quarter in 2015.

Fewer contaminants in farmed salmon A MAJOR study in Norway has found that wild salmon contains more contaminants than farmed salmon, reversing a popular held view that it was the other way around.

But neither are harmful to health, it is being stressed.

NIFES, the Norwegian Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, carried out the extensive study, led by senior researcher at NIFES, Professor Anne-Katrine Lundebye. The team studied differences in contaminants and nutrients between the two types of salmon.

These include dioxins, PCBs, brominated flame retardants and most pesticides, as well as differences in what the fish were eating.

Lundebye told forskning.no that 100 wild salmon caught off northern Norway and a similar number of farmed salmon were used in the experiment. The results were clear and show that farmed salmon had lower levels of organic pollutants than their wild counterparts.

It was also pointed out that fish farms control what their

salmon can eat, but nature decides what wild fish consume.

Lundebye believes the development of fish feed is one of the reasons for the relatively low level of organic contaminants in farmed salmon. She stressed that both types of salmon provided healthy omega-3 oils and were quite safe to eat.

Salmon from the Nor-

wegian Sea were used in the trial because it is the main nursery area for this species.

The last major study carried out in this field was in the US more than 12 years ago and it came to the opposite conclusion to the NIFES research, sparking a major debate.

Lundebye pointed out that the 2004 US study involved comparing wild Pacific salmon with farmed Atlantic salmon, two different species with two different types of fat cell content.

(Lundebye, AK: ‘Lower levels of persistent organic pollutants, metals and the marine omega-3 fatty acid DHA in farmed compared to wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)» Environmental Research (2017).)

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03/04/2017 16:34:26

All the latest industry news from Europe

Cermaq to promote healthy message NORWEGIAN salmon producer Cermaq is investing in its communication strategy to focus more on consumer demand for healthy food.

The company said it expects the seafood sector to grow significantly in North America as customers adopt healthier diets.

It is therefore committed to forging stronger partnerships with processors and retailers to change the emphasis ‘from price and supply to growing consumption and sustainable farming practices’.

‘Our strategy is to work closer with our customers from now on to contribute and share in their success,’ said Cermaq CEO Geir Molvik. ‘We are investing in our communication strategy as a way to meet their needs.

‘The industry has underestimated this greatly, including Cermaq. We are proud to present our product honestly and without filter.

‘Cermaq has until now acted like we had very little to say or promote. This will change.’

Above: There is an increasing focus from consumers on health says Cermaq

Cermaq was recently named the ‘most transparent seafood company in the world’ by Seafood intelligence.

However, the company said a transparent supply chain is not just about technical facts, but also about ‘being able to tell how we do what we do in a clear and simple professional way so

that those who do not know the industry will have a much greater understanding of it’.

‘There is an increasing demand from consumers who focus on health, who want to know where food comes from and how it has been produced,’ said Molvik.

‘If the seafood industry is to take part in the expected growth,

this issue needs to be addressed, and we will work through proactive partnerships as a way to help customers develop their business.’

Cermaq has operations in Norway, Chile and Canada, and is a fully owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation with its head office in Oslo.

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03/04/2017 16:34:41

European News

Norway orders fish farm drug reduction THE Norwegian authorities have taken steps to reduce the environmental effects of drugs used to treat sea lice in fish farming. Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg has ordered the stricter rules because some of the delousing agents can affect shrimp (prawns) and other

forms of shellfish.

The Minister said that while there will always be a need to use certain drugs in fish farming, his measures to reduce both their use and impact will help other forms of marine life.

For example, there will now be intervals of at least six months

between treatments of certain inhibitors such as flubenzuroner and its use cannot take place closer than 1,000 metres from the stress field. Furthermore, fish farms will now be forbidden from discharging water containing sea lice treatments anywhere near shrimp and

Omega-3 from algae ‘breakthrough’ AN alternative source of omega-3 produced from marine algae has been described as a breakthrough for the aquaculture and pet food sectors.

A joint venture between Royal DSM and Evonik was announced last month and the companies plan to build a commercial scale production facility in the United States.

DSM Nutritional Products and Evonik Nutrition and Care will each hold a 50 per cent share in the joint venture and co-own the production facility, which will be built at an existing site of Evonik and is expected to come on stream in 2019.

The joint venture plans to invest around US$ 200 million in the facility over two years.

The initial annual production capacity will meet roughly 15 per other fish spawning grounds. He has also ordered that draining should take place at least 500 metres from the fields.

However, many shrimp (prawn) fishermen who have seen stocks decline in recent years feel the measures still do not go far enough

cent of the total current annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry.

Evonik’s and DSM’s highly concentrated algal oil will enable the animal nutrition industry to keep up with the increasing demand for these two essential omega-3 fatty acids without endangering fish stocks, said the companies.

The joint venture, named Veramaris and headquartered in the Netherlands, will be finalised subject to regulatory approvals.

To date, DSM and Evonik have successfully produced pilot scale quantities of the algal oil at DSM’s production facility in Kingstree, South Carolina.

Customers will be able to receive sizeable quantities of the product for market development while the construction of the new manufacturing plant is underway.

and say the draining ban should be much further away than 500 metres. They say it is a problem that has been building up for a number of years and put it down to the use of drugs by aquaculture companies.

Sandberg said it was only right that fish farmers should take

action to reduce the negative impact of anti-lice treatments because of their negative impact on other forms of fish life. “These measure will not only help the environment but will also benefit the entire (aquaculture) industry,” he maintained.

markets. We have in 2016 planted various seeds to ensure our future growth.

‘One example is building a global R&D centre with a strong

link to the business and with our own high-end trial facilities in Europe as well as America, where we started the ATC Patagonia Centre.’

BioMar to build feed plant in Australia DANISH feed group BioMar is to build a 110,000 tonne capacity feed plant in Australia, the company announced in March.

The company, which has in recent years delivered an increasing volume of feed to Australia from factories in Chile and Scotland, believes the Antipodean market has high potential for growth within a broad range of species.

BioMar is liaising with authorities in Australia to seek approval for its plans.

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‘In 2016, we opened a factory in Turkey and this year we will be ready with our second factory in China, as well as with expanded capacity in Norway,’ said BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz.

‘In 2019 we aim to open a feed factory in Australia supported by our established factories, technical experts and global R&D department.

‘I am confident that our approach of balancing local agility and global excellence will give us a solid position in Australasia.

‘We have already

established very successful cooperation with key customers and we are looking forward to working with a broader base of customers, developing the aquaculture industry in Australia and New Zealand.’

Meanwhile, the company recorded its best ever year in 2016, delivering an EBIT of DKK 581million, up from DKK 447 million in 2015.

Working capital was reduced from DKK 752 million to DKK 414 million, leading to a strong cash flow from operations.

Revenue ended up slightly lower than last year, however, with a modest increase in volumes.

‘We are very happy to deliver the best results ever in BioMar Group and strong numbers for some years in a row, despite the fact that we have faced difficulties and lack volumes in some of our important markets, especially Chile, due to the algae bloom and strikes,’ said Diaz.

‘We are optimistic about the future even though we will be facing highly competitive

Above: Carlos Diaz

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03/04/2017 16:35:02

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Untitled-2 11

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03/04/2017 13:31:23

European News

EU set to welcome organic salmon A SOLUTION looks in sight for Norwegian organic salmon after Iceland recently dropped its requests for adaptations to the EU rules.

Norway’s fisheries minister Per Sandberg said: ‘This is very good news for our country’s fish farmers. We had already informed the European Union that we were ready to incorporate the legislation in the EEA agreement, but we were unable to go ahead without Iceland.’

The development means that Norway can resume exports of organic salmon in EU countries.

Frank Bakke-Jensen, minister for EU and EAA affairs, said: ‘The new Icelandic government has dealt with this matter swiftly, which shows the importance they attach to market access and implementation.

‘Standardised rules for the EU and the EEA (European Economic Area) improve the competitiveness of the aquaculture industries in both Iceland and Norway.’

Organic salmon has not had market access in certain EU

countries since the autumn of last year because the EU legislation on organic production and labelling of organic products is not yet formally incorporated into the EEA agreement.

Norwegian organic salmon has met the EU standards for organic salmon all along, but all three EEA and EFTA states must agree in order for the legislation to be incorporated.

Sandberg said: ‘Now we hope that Norwegian organic salmon will soon be in the shops in the parts of Europe where it has previously been boycotted.’

Above: Per Sandberg

Nutriad boosts team in Poland MULTI-NATIONAL feed additives producer Nutriad has announced the appointment of Przemyslaw Przeor as business manager of its Polish branch, Nutriad Polska.

Nutriad has had a presence in Poland for many years and continues to see it as a key market within Europe.

Simon Martyn, regional director, said: ‘With roughly 10,000 tonnes of feed produced, Poland is a strategic market for us in Europe.

‘We want to further strengthen our position in Poland and grow with our solutions for animal health and nutrition.’

Przeor brings with him considerable experience in the

Above: Przemyslaw Przeor

Polish feed additive market, as he has serviced customers in the country for more than 10 years.

He said: ‘Nutriad achieved strong brand recognition in Poland over the years, building on products with a proven track record, supported by renowned technical experts.

‘I am excited to have become part

of the Nutriad team and look forward to growing our presence in Poland.’

Nutriad delivers products and services to more than 80 countries through a network of sales offices and distributors.

These are supported by four application laboratories and five manufacturing facilities on three continents.

DNB plays a significant role in business areas with which our country and bank have had close historical ties. Despite its small size, Norway is one of the world´s major players in a whole range of industries. DNB´s first-hand knowledge means that we can offer exceptional expertise and unique insight into these markets.

Banking the Norwegian way

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www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:35:25

World News

NEWS...

Tilapia Lake Virus identified in Egypt

Above: Research is focused on preventing cases of summer mortality

A NEW virus that has decimated tilapia populations in Ecuador and Israel has now been found in Egypt according to a report from WorldFish in partnership with the

University of Stirling.

Scientists are now trying to establish a firm link between the virus and a recent surge in mortalities in Egyptian farmed tilapia.

Tilapia Lake Virus

(TiLV) is a global threat to the tilapia farming industry, worth US$7.5 billion per year.

Fish farms in Egypt have seen increased mortality of farmed tilapia in summer,

so-called ‘summer mortality’.

Epidemiological surveys indicated that 37 per cent of farms were affected in 2015 with an average mortality rate of 9.2 per

cent and an estimated economic impact of US$100 million a year.

Identifying the cause of and preventing these fish deaths is of significant importance in Egypt, which relies on domestic aquaculture for 60 per cent of fish consumed, with tilapia making up 75 per cent of that production.

The Egyptian aquaculture sector is the largest producer of farmed fish in Africa (1.17 million tonnes in 2015) and the third largest global producer of farmed tilapia after China and Indonesia.

Tissue samples from seven farms affected

by summer mortality were tested at Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture with three of the seven samples testing positive.

Dr Michael Phillips, director of Science and Aquaculture, WorldFish, said: ‘Tilapia were previously considered to have good disease resistance.

‘While the report and the emergence of TiLV will likely not dent the species’ significance in global aquaculture, it is a sign that greater efforts must be made to manage disease risks in tilapia.

‘Research now needs to focus on finding solutions for this emerging challenge.’

Feed pioneer takes fly farms to North America SOUTH African insect feed pioneer AgriProtein is to build 20 fly farms in the US and Canada as part of its target of 100 facilities by 2024 and 200 by 2027.

The company’s global network of insect protein factories aims to mass produce sustainable animal feeds to replace fishmeal used in aquaculture, agriculture and pet food.

It has established a dedicated North American team to develop its business locally and build an R&D capability. Headed by Jon Duschinsky, it will identify suitable locations and licensing partners for fly farm operations in the US and Canada. The company announced the North America initiative at the World AgriTech Innovation Summit 2017 in San Francisco.

AgriProtein said its technology also helps tackle the world’s growing waste crisis by rearing fly larvae on a massive scale on organic waste which would otherwise go to landfill.

Co-founder and CEO Jason Drew said: ‘With supplies of fishmeal dwindling, we’re moving as quickly as we can to bring insect protein into the mainstream of animal feed.

‘As well as ensuring continued supply of protein in the years ahead, replacing fishmeal with insect meal allows our oceans to heal, reduces greenhouse gases at every stage of the supply chain from point-of-catch to point-of-sale and leaves more fish in the sea for humans.’

AgriProtein has allocated several international licences to use its technology in Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. Earlier last month, the company signed an agreement to build three fly farms in Saudi Arabia.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

World news.indd 13

The agreement between Saudi technology hub Sajt and AgriProtein signals the start of commercial scale production of insect based animal feed in the region.

The vice-president of Sajt said: ‘The Kingdom is currently entirely reliant on imported feed for the burgeoning aquaculture and poultry industries.

With AgriProtein, we can now produce sustainable, natural protein locally, and in time completely do away with reliance on imported feed.’

The partners believe this is the ideal time to launch the initiative. Farmed fish volumes are expected to reach one million tonnes per year and with water conservation a key priority in the region, insect protein production is much more water efficient than other protein production processes.

In February, AgriProtein announced a partnership with Austrian engineers Christof Industries, enabling it to roll out its fly factory blueprint on a turnkey basis anywhere in the world at the rate of 25 per year – more than two per month.

In January AgriProtein entered the Cleantech Global Top 100 and earlier in March won a CleanEquity award for its environmental technology research.

13

03/04/2017 16:36:38

World News

BC salmon farmers had record sales in 2016 SALMON farmers in British Columbia had record sales and a 40 per cent increase in exports to Asia in 2016, reported the Vancouver Sun. Exports of farmed BC salmon were valued at $754 million in 2016, according to the BC Salmon Farmers Association. That’s a $210 million increase over 2015 sales of $544 million.

The US remains the biggest market for farmed salmon, but exports to Asia have increased 40 per cent year on year.

The biggest Asian markets are in China and Japan. But thanks to the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, South Korea is now a new market for BC farmed salmon.

Salmon farmers sold 82,000 kg of salmon to South Korea in 2016. There were no exports to South Korea in 2015.

‘The value of BC farm raised salmon has never been higher,’ said BC Salmon Farmers Association executive director Jeremy Dunn.

The increased profits are being invested back in the industry, Dunn said, with investments going into new hatcheries, processing plants and new technology.

According to the BC Salmon Farmers Association, the industry in BC is worth $1.1 billion and employs 5,000 people, many of them First Nations.

Leonardo invests in farmed seafood company

Above: BC salmon is in demand worldwide

Canadian seafood receives $325 million boost

Above: Aquaculture champion Leonardo DiCaprio

HOLLYWOOD star Leonardo DiCaprio wants people to eat more farmed fish and has decided to invest in the industry.

The award winning actor, who is also an environmental activist, is supporting a company called LoveTheWild, which sells farm-raised, freshly frozen seafood kits.

The star of Titanic

14

World news.indd 14

said he hopes to raise the profile of LoveTheWild and boost sales by encouraging people to buy sustainably farmed species of fish, such as trout, catfish, and striped bass, instead of contributing to the depletion of stocks in the sea.

LoveTheWild has also received support from investment fund

Aqua-Spark.

‘Our vision for LoveTheWild was inspired by our dedication to aquaculture, and we’re very humbled that the quality of our products and integrity of our vision has attracted such a powerful group of supporters and investors,’ said Jacqueline Claudia, LoveTheWild CEO and co-founder.

THE Canadian fishing and seafood industry, including aquaculture, is to receive a $325 million shot in the arm from the federal government.

The money is being channelled through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund and will be used to develop existing collaborations between the Canadian government and Atlantic coast provinces to grow the region’s economy.

Officials said the fund will help spur innovation while helping meet global demand for sustainable, high quality fish and seafood.

An official statement said the government of Canada and the Atlantic Provinces will together develop an industry for the future.

‘It will promote engagement with indigenous communities and stakeholders will contribute to shaping the programme, developing partnerships and priority areas for investments in Canada.’

Further details on the Atlantic Fisheries Fund will be provided in the coming months.

Fisheries and Oceans minister Dominic LeBlanc said: ‘Our government is committed to working with all partners to make Canada’s fish and seafood sector more innovative, productive and

sustainable - which means good middle-class jobs for Atlantic Canadians.

‘The world is demanding sustainably sourced, high quality fish and seafood products. The Atlantic Fisheries Fund will drive innovation in this sector, helping Canada meet these demands.

‘This will boost the economy and increase employment opportunities for middle-class Canadians in coastal communities.’

The statement adds: ‘The money will also be used to encourage new ways of harvesting, processing and delivering both wild caught and farm raised fish, while improving branding.

‘Better technology and infrastructure enabled by the fund will improve fish and seafood quality and sustainability,’ officials said.

‘And attention will be paid to issues such as sea warming and its effect on fish stocks.’

Right: Dominic LeBlanc

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:37:01

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03/04/2017 13:32:07

World News

Dutch behind new Kenyan feed plant

Above: Kenya’s fisheries and agriculture minister Willy K. Bett and the Dutch ambassador Frans Makken officially open the Unga Holdings factory

A NEW fish feed factory has been set up in Nairobi as a result of a collaboration between a Kenyan milling company and Dutch partners operating in east Africa.

Kenya’s fisheries and agriculture minister Willy K. Bett and Dutch ambassador Frans Makken officially opened the Unga Holdings factory on March 16.

The feed plant is designed to produce 5,000 tonnes per year of high quality floating fish feed for the east African market.

It is the first establishment of this size in the region, and responds to the demand for quality fish feed, the single biggest impediment to the growth of the aquaculture sector in the area.

It also gives local producers an opportunity to increase their output and lower their productions costs per kg.

Unga Holdings chair Isabella Ochola Wilson said: ‘In line with our vision of ‘Nutrition for Life’, Unga has taken a bold step – investing, with the support of funding from the Dutch government, 225,000,000 Kenya shillings (about £1.76 million) in a stateof-the-art fish feed production facility to serve an aquaculture industry still in its infancy.’

For the design of the plant, Unga Holdings cooperated intensively with Dutch companies working together in the Dutch public-private partnership programme, Food Tech Africa (FTA).

‘Women in seafood’ group launched A NEW organisation called the International Association for Women in the Seafood Industry (WSI) has been created to promote and highlight the growing female contribution to the sector.

Launched in France, it is also designed to raise awareness and ‘promote professional equity between men and women’.

The seafood industry and the fish catching part of it in particular has largely been a male preserve - until the last few years.

But it is now attracting a growing number of women executives, especially in Nordic countries such as Iceland and Norway where gender equality in business is more advanced than in other parts of the world.

One recent example is Berta Daníelsdóttir (pictured), a senior operations manager with Marel. She left the company to become managing director of the Iceland Ocean Cluster organisation, the seafood and marine industries organisation. Daníelsdóttir has held various responsibilities for Marel over the past 18 years and most recently as operations manager for Marel in Seattle in the US. WSI describes itself as an international not-for-profit association incorporated under French association law. It will make its first public appearance at the Iceland Fisheries Fair, Reykjavik, in September.

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World news.indd 16

This partnership was initiated and is coordinated by Larive International and has been working on the development of the entire aquaculture value chain in east Africa since 2013.

Some 14 firms are involved, each offering complementary skills and expertise. Dutch partners Ottevanger Milling Engineers and Almex Extrusion designed and manufactured the facility’s state-of-the-art equipment.

Nutreco entered into a commercial agreement with Unga and provides in-depth knowledge and expertise on feed formulation, production and marketing.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided co-financing to the consortium’s activities.

GSI pledges support for pharma companies

THE Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) signalled its commitment to supporting research and development in aquaculture by signing a statement of intent with pharmaceutical companies.

The aquaculture industry has made considerable progress in reducing its use of antibiotics over the past two decades, said the GSI, and farmed salmon uses the least antibiotics of all animal proteins.

Through its focus to further

reduce antibiotic use, the GSI is backing research into new industry health products.

The statement of intent, signed last month, comes as a result of all GSI member companies recognising the need for continued R&D if they are to find new, and effective, tools for improved biosecurity and fish health management.

In particular, the industry is clear that finding a vaccine which offers an effective solution to the continuing challenge posed by SRS in Chile is a pressing priority, and the main driver behind the GSI’s announcement.

Acknowledging that R&D comes with high levels of investment, the GSI wished to formalise its commitment to supporting the pharmaceutical industries’ input to R&D.

Algae feed more widely available AN alternative dietary ingredient high in omega-3 is to be made available in feed formulators throughout the salmon industry following demand for the product among salmon farmers.

AlgaPrime DHA, a whole algae ingredient, is produced by a joint venture between US firm TerraVia and Bunge of Brazil and distributed

through BioMar. The three partners announced in March that the distribution agreement would be expanded to make the product commercially available at scale to salmon farmers and others in the aquacul-

ture industry.

This follows successful feed trials over the past six months during which BioMar significantly increased deliveries of commercial feed containing AlgaPrime DHA to leading salmon farmers.Developed to reduce dependency on marine fisheries, AlgaPrime DHA is expected to become a key feed ingredient.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:37:31

All the latest industry news from around the world

Alltech links two feed experts DUTCH aquatic feed company Coppens International, which joined Alltech in 2016, has announced it will be collaborating with Guabi, a leading fish feed producer in Brazil.

Guabi entered into a strategic partnership with Alltech earlier this year, and now Alltech is linking the two leading aquaculture feed producers from opposite sides of the ocean.

It is expected that algae technology will be a significant focus of the partnership.

‘It’s a great opportunity to further apply new technologies to maximise performance for aquaculture species, but more importantly to bring profitability to producers and the highest quality products to consumers,’ said Paulo Rigolin, strategic director for Alltech.

Guabi has particular expertise in extruded feeds and solutions for a wide variety of aquaculture species, from shrimp to native South America freshwater fish.

Coppens, meanwhile, specialises in nutrition for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and recently announced a $1 million expansion of its research centre in the Netherlands.

Coppens and Guabi will share information on formulations, manufacturing techniques, and raw material and ingredient utilisation.

‘These are two leading companies in aquaculture feeds, each with unique local expertise,’ said Patrick Charlton, CEO of Coppens.

‘We are very optimistic about what we might deliver to our customers through a collaborative approach to the pressing issues aquaculture faces.’

According to the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, the aquaculture industry experienced a 12 per cent increase in feed production in 2016, reaching 39.9 million tonnes.

Dr Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, said: ‘We have

Land based Kuterra told to wind down THE Canadian land based salmon farm Kuterra has been ordered to wind down operations by its owner, the Namgis First Nation, according to a report in the Vancouver Sun. The order from the Namgis council to the Kuterra board reportedly came after talks broke down with a potential buyer for the farm late last year.

The British Columbia farm has been heavily subsidised since its creation. It was built with $9.5 million in government and charitable funding. Now that funding is running out, the company is looking for new investment from the private sector.

If the farm shuts down, the First Nation will be left to pay $3.2 million in loans it guaranteed and stands to lose the original $1.2 million it contributed to design and construction. Operations at the facility continue to run at capacity, according to spokeswoman Josephine Mrozewski, who also said they hoped to make their first profit by the end of this year. But the company’s long-term future remains very much in doubt.

Above: Alltech is looking for more aquaculture partners

seen aquaculture as key to our global growth for many years now, and the work with Coppens and Guabi allows us to be able to provide our customers with feeds incorporating the Alltech technologies that we believe are most critical to improving health and performance.’

He said Alltech is looking to add one or two more complementary partners to its aquaculture programme.

New boss for Cermaq Canada CERMAQ Canada has appointed David Kiemele as managing director, with effect from April 29.

Kiemele joined the company in May last year and has more than 17 years of experience in the industry, having worked in British Columbia and Tasmania.

He started with Marine Harvest Canada, spending five years in marine production, before joining Tassal in Tasmania in 2005.

There, he held the positions of regional manager, general manager and, for the last six

Above: David Kiemele

years, head of farming, reporting to the CEO. Since May 2016, he has been Cermaq’s regional production manager, overseeing the marine production and processing operations in Tofino.

Cermaq CEO Geir Mol-

vik said: ‘We are proud that we found the best candidate for managing director internally.

David has already made a significant contribution in Cermaq, and I am confident he is the right person to build our operations in BC.’

9 billion people to feed in:

WILDCATCH WWW.COPPENS.COM www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

World news.indd 17

17

03/04/2017 16:37:59

Trade Associations – ASSG

BY NICK LAKE

Funding our future Seizing the opportunity with potential investors

I

T HAS been a relatively mild winter and there are all the signs of things being on the cusp of full blown spring.

The two key markets for oyster producers (Christmas/New Year and St Valentine’s Day) have been successful, and mussel producers have been able to organise constant supplies to the retailers without prolonged periods of storms.

These are very much signs of an industry which has become well organised and market focused.

We also all appreciate a small element of good luck in our lives, especially when working in the marine environment and being impacted by the weather!

the initiatives where planning is very much to the fore is Vision 2030. Arising from this is the Industry Leadership Group, which aims to deliver Scottish aquaculture growth.

Luck versus planning Confidence in the industry’s direction of travel is good from both the public and private sectors despite the background noise of a range of issues, including Brexit, climate change, the strength of sterling, Scottish independence, public sector finances and so on.

We are working on a range of initiatives focused on the development of shellfish cultivation in Scotland. I will pick up on some of these below and note that many are supported by public sector organisations.

The Shellfish Forum hosted by Rural Affairs Minister Fergus Ewing has set the scene for a more joined up approach from public bodies. One of

Left: Fergus Ewing.

Opposite: Market focused

mussels

18

Shellfish.indd 18

Structural funding The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) came into being in the UK during 2016 and was shortly followed by the Brexit vote. However, the Treasury confirmed that this EU scheme would remain open while the UK was a member state.

The importance to the Scottish shellfish cultivation sector can clearly be seen in terms of the projects already committed, which to date amount to almost £5 million.

Importantly, almost £2.4 million of this investment has been secured from the private sector, both through individuals and funding from commercial banks. This indicates the degree of confidence from investors that Scottish shellfish cultivation is a commercial business opportunity.

It is also worth noting that public sector funds have supported a further £1.3 million of investment in industry services and research, which includes biotoxin testing capabilities and developments being undertaken in Shetland for the mussel hatchery stepping stone project.

Obviously, we are strongly supportive of these forms of investment continuing to be available to our sector and EMFF will run up to 2019. There is, however, the question of what comes after this?

The ASSG along with other sectors, including wild fisheries, finfish aquaculture, seafood processing, ports and trade organisations, have begun to consider what form of structural funding would be required and could be available from the public sector following our exit from the EU? The intention is that through pulling together our known requirements now we will be able to articulate these to government to try to ensure that in 2019 we are not faced with an unknown in terms of investment opportunities.

It is not just the public sector that has an interest in investing in Scottish shellfish businesses. Commercial funds will continue to be required from the private banking sector. One of the other commitments that arose from the Shellfish Forum was the need to ensure the commercial banks are aware of our industry, its structure and demands.

Marine Scotland has been able to set up meetings between a group of shellfish representatives and three of the key high street banks in Scotland.

Conducted through face to face meetings this gave us a real opportunity to explain where we are as a food producing sector, and to better understand what assurances the banks require to consider engagement with the shellfish businesses in Scotland.

Given our output in recent years, it is not surprising that at a national level we had not really appeared on the radar of such institutions. However, there were words of encouragement from some of the banking groups that they would like to gain further understanding of how our sector operates and

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:40:18

Funding our future

We are fortunate in having a strong working relationship with the Crown Estate who as landlords also wish to see the Scottish shellfish cultivation sector prosper. Investigating how critical mass could be utilised to boost shellfish production and businesses towards the Vision 2030 goals is fully supported by the Crown Estate.

The Critical Mass Project, jointly promoted through the Crown Estate and ASSG, aims to identify opportunities which may arise by considering investment in shellfish cultivation businesses on a ‘loch wide’ basis rather than simply regarding them as individual entities.

The Scottish government is consulting on the longer term management arrangements for the Crown Estate Scotland portfolio and the ASSG will respond to this. It is sincerely hoped that the Critical Mass will not be the last of such interventions, or that the stewardship role which the Crown Estate has played will not be lost in the new interim body arrangements, or through longer term management provisions.

relates to the wider support available from the public sector.

It has begun to be appreciated that we now have both upstream and downstream businesses, such as equipment manufacturers, vessel builders, support services for water testing, shellfish processing facilities and distribution links.

In addition, the ability within the peripheral areas of the Highlands and Islands to draw upon support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise would be a clear positive in a commercial bank’s consideration of an investment.

In order to build on these initial meetings, we intend to arrange for directors of interested banking groups to view industry operations first hand and encourage discussion of their possible future role.

Critical mass Our industry is relatively small scale in comparison to other food producers, and businesses range from new entrants to operations up to many hundreds of tonnes aimed at larger markets. Economy of scale has often been relayed as a way to drive up efficiencies and supply volume markets. While this may be the case in certain circumstances, there also needs to be recognition that shellfish cultivation fits well within the social and rural environment at small to medium scales.

But the whole industry is dependent on a range of common services such as water and product quality testing, landing facilities and distribution links to make it viable within the typically remote locations where we operate.

What often is of paramount importance for businesses is access to local infrastructure to assist the process of cultivating shellfish, and in conjunction with other operators effectively share costs to allow their collective businesses to grow.

Such issues are demonstrated when you consider the capital costs for items such as harvesting vessels or grading and handling equipment where a smaller scale business will under-utilise the asset but will be saddled with the ongoing cost until such time that they can expand.

The idea of a critical mass of shellfish businesses within a location being able to derive cost benefits from the presence of other operators and support services is hardly new and seems likely in part to explain the success of Shetland mussel production. However, in other areas of Scotland such an approach has not yet materialised.

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Shellfish.indd 19

The “ Shellfish

Forum… has set the scene for a more joined up approach from public bodies

”

Brexit It seems likely that by the time you read this the UK will have committed to start the process of leaving the EU. While in the immediate future this may not directly impact shellfish producers in Scotland, we have to recognise that the majority of the environmental and food safety legislation which we work under has an EU origin.

If we wish to export shellfish to other EU member states, compliance with the existing and any new directives will be required in order to place shellfish on the market.

It seems likely that the status quo will continue when placing shellfish on the UK market. However, if we are looking to develop other markets outside the UK and EU there may well be other systems of monitoring and compliance.

There are elements of existing EU legislation where the measures could be improved to give greater protection to Scottish shellfish producers, one example being the former UK Control of Deposit Order for shellfish. This made provision not only for shellfish diseases to be subject to control when moving stock between areas, but also pests which may be transferred with the shellfish.

Unfortunately, the EU Directive only references certain shellfish disease risks as notifiable, with no provisions for possible pests.

We will endeavour to try and identify where the opportunities lie for Scottish shellfish production and ASSG members in the years ahead. Suffice to say there appears to be a whole industry being generated on the ‘what ifs’ of Brexit.

I hope this spring brings us the good weather, seed supplies and safe working conditions that will allow all our producers to have another successful year.

Dr Lake is CEO of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers. FF

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03/04/2017 16:41:45

Trade Associations – SSPO Comment

BY

BY PROFESSOR PROFESSOR PHIL PHIL THOMAS THOMAS

Things not always Underpinning as they seem provenance

Puffins, sand eels and other wild claims

Do weHEN think enough about what gives the an arresti ng newspaper headline or article catches my eye, I am prone to industry itsoutedge in keyinformati markets? search the underlying on

W I

sources. This sometimes reveals that things are not be quite what theycorrect seem. to say so at t may not politi cally Let me take two examples from month, both, present but farmed Atlanticlast salmon would as itnot happens, from the Sunday Times and writt en have become Scotland’s leading food

by Mark Macaskill. rst relates to aquaculture export withoutThe thefiCrown Estate’s positive and the second to freshwater fisheries. engagement with aquaculture development On March 5, there was a story headed ‘Factory back in the 1980s. farms are ‘a threat’ to puffin numbers’, based on a Now, aquaculture is a significant part of the soon-to-be released book by conservationist Phillip agency’s marine leasing portfolio and is reguLymbery. larly celebrated by the Crown Estate’s Scottish The headline referred to a sentence which said: Marine Aquaculture Awards event. This year’s ‘Lymbery argues that the commercial exploitation event in Edinburgh on the 11 June was the of sand eels – a cylindrical fish which is a crucial usual highly successful showcase for Scottish part of the puffin chicks’ diet – has been driven aquaculture and a rare opportunity for indusby the rapid expansion of aquaculture for which try to join together to mark its success. millions of tonnes of smaller fish are hoovered up The Crown Estate is presently at the centre and pulped as a feed for farm salmon.’ ofIntrigued further by devoluti on discussions between this, I downloaded the book to mythe UK government and Scotti sh government.

Kindle as soon as it was released. ‘Dead Zone: The long-term future of key Scotti sh functi16 ons reWhere the Wild Things Were’ comprised mains unclear and professional se could chapters, each on a selected speciesexperti for which the be squandered in the process of organisati onal author presented his case that human activity had change. led to species reduction or demise.

Both the Estate’s core se and There was Crown no chapter on puffi ns experti but Chapter 12, thepenguins, Marine Aquaculture Awards are imporon offered a five-paragraph secti on on tant inthe maintaining thearti disti coherence which Sunday Times clencti wasve based. ofThis Scotland’s aquaculture and it would be a stated that sand eel catches in the North tragedy if they became casualti es of politi Sea had reduced between 1994 and 2003 duecal to change. overfi shing. It then quoted a report suggesting that This year’s Awards event hosted by increased intensity of sand eelwas fishing was associatactress, Jo Caulfi eld, an ed with a writer reductiand on incomedian ‘sea bird populati ons’. inspired choice by whoever made And, finally, it commented that sand the eelsbooking. were funny and entertaining kept Above: Sand eel fiShe shedwas ‘to very produce fishmeal and oil, with aand lot of proceedings going with a swing.

Onlynot once fithe shmeal being used to feed farmed animals, did she stray,So, when whatthat ‘proveleast salmon’. it wasshe thiswondered last statement apnance actually peared to be themeant’. source of the Sunday Times claim.

In a room of folk whose livelihoods Hold on, youfull might exclaim.

Hasn’t the tonnage of fishmeal produced been static or slightly 12 declining for many years, and not influenced by

Let’s not “allow the We should to get “facts be organin the way

ising our of a good training story! and education provisions much better

20 SSPO.indd 12 Phil Thomas.indd 20

”

”

the growth of fish farming? And doesn’t salmon farming use only slightly over a fifth of the total fishmeal produced – about the same combined as pig and poultry farming?

Well, ‘yes’ to both those facts- but let’s not allow the facts to get in the way of a good story!

On March 26, the headline ‘Wild fisheries probe ‘wasted public funds’’ was the focus of my attention. This article was based on comments by Sir Edward depend on the provenance of their products she quickly sensed an auMountain, the ‘Scottish Conservative spokesman on land reform’, combined dience response and moved to safer comedic material: there are some with extracts from the editor’s letter in this month’s Trout & Salmon magazine, things you just don’t joke writt en by Andrew Flitcroft . about!

However, her remark whetherhandling we think enough The gist of the arti cle wasleft thatme theasking Scottishmyself government’s of its wild about the underpinning of the provenance of Scotti sh farmed fi sh – and fisheries reform process had been shamefully incompetent and represented me that’soffarmed salmon. of public funds and an estimated £2 million a for squandering about £500,000 There is no doubt that Scottitoshdefend provenance important to our of fisheries industry money, used industryisinterests during the industry – on it gives the edge inproposals. all our key markets. evoluti of theus government’s Provenance can befacts defito ned instory various ways butinmost people willshagree Now, the background this are not really questi on. Scotti that it goes beyond the appearance and sensory qualiti es of the nal wild fisheries reform was promised in the SNP election manifesto of 2011fiand product: fl avour, texture, visual presentati on and product consistency that led to the Thin Committee report (with its 53 recommendations) which arepublished always key factors 2014. in consumer appeal but provenance is about was in October much more.

Thereaft er, the Scottish government held an initial consultation in May 2015 It analysis reflectsofa responses wider concept of consumer with published in January quality 2016. assurance, including: the place where the fi sh is grown and processed; the professional Next, in February 2016, a major consultation was launched on the ‘Draft integrityfor of athe producti on(Scotland) and processing the quality, provisions Wild Fisheries Bill and amethods; Draft Wildand Fisheries Stratecommitment andofcare of thewas people involved – the skills, gy’ and the analysis responses published at the startprofessional of February 2017. experti se,with passion andpublicati dedicati the sh producers themselves.

In parallel this last onon theofScotti environment secretary, RoIn Scotland our ‘place of producti a huge natural advanseanna Cunningham, announced that allon’ thegives radicalusparts of the proposed bill, tage because we grow in the pristirequired ne coastal of someforof including rod licences, wildfifish sheries levies, writtwaters en permission the mostfibeauti scenic areas of the world, and our brand is freshwater shing, ful andand the wild overhaul of the District Salmon Fisheries Boards, protected byout. its PGI status. would be ruled Likewise, adopti onbeofeviscerated. the Scottish sh this Code of Good Practi ce The bill would in fact So,Finfi surely must represent some alliedofwith the or industry’s deepcalcommitment to a range of independent failure process a lack of politi will. farm quality assurance programmes, thehelped RSPCA fish welfare But are there any mitigating facts? Well, itincluding might have if Mountain, Flitcroft or Macaskill the findings of the consultati on scheme, builds onhad thecommented underlyingon strength of our statutory regulatory analysis onto theassure draft bill. systems our production systems.

The responses – 81 per centse, of which were from individual anglers, angling Finally, the skills, experti passion and dedicati on of our farmers clubs, fishery owners and in fishery managers - were depressingly any were can be demonstrated abundance day in and day out –against and they change or reform of the present system. showcased by the recent awards event.

That almost certainly wouldobjecti have heavily uenced looking, Cunningham’s decision However, being wholly ve andinfl forward it is this third – area although I am sure it will be tothe theScotti continued detriment Scotland’s fresh-for of provenance where sh industry hasofgreatest scope water fisheries resources. systemati c development.

That is not to say that our industry’s skills Finally, as a footnote, Macaskill might menti onedcalibre, that Mountain, and professional experti se are not have of the highest but it isasto well as beingthat Scottiour sh Conservati spokesman land reformstructures, is also a pro-and recognise vocationalveeducati onalon and training prietor of Delfur Fishings on the Spey, since many people might regard that as germane information! . FF www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com 03/07/2015 14:31:33 03/04/2017 16:43:14

Trade Associations – British Trout Association

Echoes from the States Long-term absence of growth in EU and US sectors

BY DOUG MCLEOD

L

AST month I noted that there was significant room for expansion in domestic aquaculture in the EU when total production of 1.2 million tonnes was only around 10 per cent of ‘aquatic products’ consumption, with 65 per cent supplied from imports.

This was in the context of the scale of the EU in terms of population (500 million), economic weight (2016 GDP of Euro 16.5 trillion, equivalent to 22.8 per cent of global GDP), and reported seafood consumption (13.2 million tonnes/26.4 kg per capita).

So, this month I thought we might compare and contrast with another economic heavyweight, and see how they stack up against ourselves.

In 2016, the US had a population of some 323 million, GDP of around $18.6 trillion (Euro 17.4 trillion) and an estimated seafood consumption of around 2.25 million tonnes/7 kg per capita. These estimates are calculated on a different (edible meat) basis from the EU figures, so it is difficult to compare.

Nevertheless, under the US calculation, some 90 per cent of this consumption is imported.

But this figure requires a further caveat, that a large but unknown proportion of these imports are originally US exports, destined for overseas processing, so the ‘import reliance’ is significantly lower than the headline estimate.

So, these macro statistics are complex to calculate and difficult to compare internationally.

What is clear though is that US aquaculture output is a comparatively lowly percentage of domestic supply, with 2014 data indicating a total output of around 280,000 tonnes compared to fisheries landings at 4.3 million tonnes - that is little more than six per cent of the total (compared to 26 per cent in the EU).

However, it is valued at $1.3 billion compared to $6.7 billion of total supply, around 20 per cent, indicating a portfolio of significantly more highly valued species.

Within the aquaculture total, marine supplies form a minority at 41,000 tonnes (valued at $386 million). But this is mostly shellfish, with salmon coming in at a relatively minor scale of 19,000

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BTA.indd 21

tonnes ($76 million), perhaps a reflection of the abundance of capture fishery salmon from the Pacific waters of the US (484,000 tonnes).

This is a very different picture from the EU, where finfish aquaculture reached some 644,000 tonnes in 2014, with 65 per cent sourced from marine sites and salmon alone totalling some 174,000 tonnes.

American freshwater aquaculture output, which has been in decline since 2009, an echo of the poor recent performance in EU production, recorded a 2014 total of almost 240,000 tonnes ($655 million), with catfish supplying the largest volume at 140,000 tonnes.

Turning our attention specifically to trout, total rainbow trout production in the US was limited to 27,000 tonnes (with a value of some $76 million) compared to an EU total of 197,000 tonnes, the largest single species farmed in Europe.

And US imports of trout have grown substantially in recent years, reaching some 14,000 tonnes in 2016, around 50 per cent of domestic production.

The EU equivalent data is imports of 24,600 tonnes, around 12.5 per cent of continent-wide production. Again, very different patterns from the two economic giants.

However, there is one unfortunate similarity between the two trout producing sectors, namely the long-term absence of significant growth.

Production in the US over the period 2002 to 2015 has oscillated between 45 and 70 million pounds/year (20,000 –32,000 tonnes/year) but ended the period little changed from the start.

In the EU, production has basically flatlined since 2005, with minor variations around 200,000 tonnes per year.

Maintaining the focus on trout, but looking further afield, the largest national producer globally is a country not usually considered for cold water fish farming, namely Iran, where output in 2015 reached a reported 140,000 tonnes, with development plans for an additional 60,000 tonnes by 2020.

Currently, all the trout production is consumed locally, but who knows, at some time in the future there may be Iranian trout fillets alongside Iranian caviar in your neighbourhood fishmonger. FF

In Europe, “producti on

has basically flatlined since 2005

”

Left: US imports of trout have grown

21

03/04/2017 16:44:05

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Fish and

crops

Aquaponics business model suitable for salad but not necessarily seafood

I

was slightly amused to read in the Times that ‘warehouses using fish to grow crops could supply sustainable food to urban British families’.

I fleetingly had an image of fish tending the crops with their hoes and spades. Of course, what the journalist was alluding to was the rise of urban aquaponics, growing fish and crops together.

The Times had visited GrowUp, which is said to be Britain’s first vertical farm mixing aquaculture with hydroponics. GrowUp has moved on from its original shipping container concept to production in a 768 sq m commercial unit in Beckton, East London.

The company grows a variety of salads, including watercress, baby kale and pea shoots on trays stacked in shelving that rises to the roof. The principle is simple. Water rich in nutrients is pumped around the shelving and then returned to tanks holding fish, which are the main source of the nutrients.

The crops are harvested by being snipped from their stalks and roots.

It is boxed up and sent to trendy restaurants around London. Currently, about 100kg of baby kale a day is sent out but this is not enough as their distributors say they want more.

Although the Times devoted nearly a page to the company and concept, the one thing that was missing was reference to the fish. I wonder how much the fish are simply a gimmick rather than a viable part of the business.

GrowUp is rearing tilapia in several blue tanks but the tanks are relatively small and it seems unlikely that they will be able to produce a regular harvest of fish.

Tilapia seem to be the fish of choice for aquaponics, presumably because of the warm environment in which the crops are produced, but can they produce enough to sell and is there really a market for tilapia in London?

London is not leading the way with urban farming. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that there are at least three fish farms bubbling away in the landlocked district of Bushwick in Brooklyn New York. The neighbourhood has become the unlikely urban centre for aquaponic farming. The Wall Street Journal calls it ‘Bushwick Fishdrict’.

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the pioneering operation called Verticulture, which is housed at the top of the old Pfizer building in New York, now a hub for all sorts of food related ventures.

At the time, I did think that the fish appeared to be an afterthought as

22

Martin Jaffa.indd 22

Above: Crops such as lettuce have a shorter production cycle than fish. Opposite: Tilapia

all the effort was channelled towards production of some very tasty Genovese and Thai basil.

Miles Crettien, who I met, recently told the Wall Street Journal that his company is too small to start selling tilapia. He does get asked for the fish but if he started selling them, he would run out in weeks. He hopes to expand operations in the future, eventually harvesting 60 fish a week as fish get too big for the system.

The Wall Street Journal points to another venture, Oko Farms, which is more of a demonstration project than a major operation. Its solution to harvesting the small number of fish produced is to host a fish taco party.

The latest venture to hit Brooklyn is Edenworks. This is still a relatively new emerging company which originally had the idea to farm in a roof top greenhouse but as the cost of LED lights has fallen, it has now opted for a large warehouse. The plan is to produce 130,000 lbs of salad greens and 50,000lbs of tilapia.

The company says that it has selected tilapia

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03/04/2017 16:44:54

Fish and crops

The fish appeared to be an “ afterthought as all the effort was

channelled towards production of some very tasty Genovese and Thai basil

”

because of the low conversion rate, taking about 1.3 lbs of feed to produce a pound of tilapia compared to 12 lbs for tuna.

They estimate that it will cost 50 cents to buy a tilapia fingerling and it will consume more than $1 of feed to produce a pound of tilapia fillet. Tilapia typically sell wholesale for just $1 to $2 per pound.

However, the company expects to sell its fish whole and because it is locally produced in Brooklyn, it hopes that they obtain a premium price. Of course, what the company hopes and what it achieves remains to be seen.

The problem with all these aquaponic ventures is that there is an imbalance between the crops and the fish. The crops have a short production cycle while that for the fish is much longer. The amount of nutrient needed to feed the crops does not require large scale fish production and while the specialist herbs produced can be perceived as a premium product, tilapia isn’t.

Edenworks also spoke to Fast Company maga-

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Martin Jaffa.indd 23

zine, saying that there are other vertical farms popping up in the US, which don’t grow their crops with aquaponics but rather by using simpler hydroponics.

Edenworks claims to have an advantage over this competition because it says its crops taste better. The company claims that hydroponic produce either tastes watery or tastes off, and that growing crops with fish makes it taste better.

It may make the herbs taste better but I wonder whether aquaponics is really a viable business model or whether, like Oko Farms, the best idea is to grow the fish for their nutrients but then when some are too big for the system and ready to harvest, serve the fish as the central dish at a big party for friends and colleagues. I’ll certainly come. FF

23

03/04/2017 16:45:17

SSPO – Label Rouge

Star player

Scottish salmon sector looks to the future as it celebrates landmark anniversary Below: Gilpin Bradley (Wester Ross), Gideon Pringle (Marine Harvest), Scott Landsburgh, Alban Denton (Loch Duart), Fergus Ewing, Jim Gallagher (Scottish Sea Farms), Colin Blair (Cooke Aquaculture).

Opposite page from left: Nele Hartwig (SQA) at the reception; guests at the seminar; James Withers; Lord Dunlop and Scott Landsburgh

24

SSPO - April.indd 24

S

COTTISH salmon farmers celebrated 25 years of the prestigious French Label Rouge accolade with an industry gathering in Edinburgh last month.

Label Rouge has helped launch Scottish salmon around the world and it is now exported to more than 65 countries.

The salmon sector was described as a ‘star player’ in Scotland’s food and drink industry by James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, who said new export figures would show salmon was worth around £470 million in overseas sales last year.

A seminar with industry leaders, government agencies and representatives of Label Rouge also heard from Gilpin Bradley, managing director of Wester Ross Fisheries and interim chairman of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), which hosted the event.

Bradley, a second generation salmon farmer whose company is 40 years old this year, pointed out that in 2016 the first hand sales value of Scottish salmon was greater than the entire UK fishing catch.

‘We should all be incredibly proud of that,’ he said. Label Rouge had helped to carve a profitable niche for those farmers within the accreditation.

But while demand for Scottish salmon was ‘phenomenal’, the industry collectively needed to look to the future.

As businesses, we can’t “ignore the need to keep

promoting our industry to the next generation

”

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03/04/2017 16:46:42

Star player

‘As businesses, we can’t ignore the need to keep promoting our industry to the next generation,’ he said.

The changes that have occurred in the market place over the past decade were explained by James Withers, who said trends towards more single person households and an older population were ‘gifts’ for the sector.

He said salmon had a better spread of the market than other food products, with the growth of exports to Asia, but he stressed the importance of strong home sales- ‘any successful export market has a strong domestic market’.

Outlining a strategy for the future, Withers said building the brand, investing in skills, innovating, and working collaboratively were all critical.

Scotland, he said, is a small country ‘with real jewels in the food and drink industry’, and the key was to build on that quality in ‘a world that increasingly wants it’.

‘We have to think hard about how we’re going to farm the sea…it would be negligent not to take that opportunity.’

Now was the time for ambition in the salmon sector, he said, which must go back up from seven per cent of the world market to where it was a few years ago.

Nathan Ward, meat, fish and poultry expert from Kantar Worldpanel, agreed there was further potential in the salmon market, which has seen 29 per cent growth in value in the last five years.

But he said the industry must broaden its base to get more people into the market, by capitalising on consumers having more money and less time, and also engaging millennials now so salmon is a staple for them in the future.

‘Making food easy is really important – people have Masterchef aspirations but Loyd Grossman cooking skills and you need to embrace this lack of ability.’

In the evening, the SSPO held a celebratory dinner in Edinburgh Castle, attended by Scottish Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing, Lord Dunlop, Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Earl of Lindsay, a former chairman of the SSPO. Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the SSPO, said: ‘Being awarded the Label Rouge in 1992 was significant in developing the export market in France and has subsequently opened many other markets for Scottish salmon around the world.

‘Originally produced as a niche product for the premium French market, it is now sought after in other European countries, including Switzerland and Germany, and further afield in the Middle East and Japan.

‘It is certainly an achievement worth celebrating and a moment to note that we produce salmon in some of Scotland’s most remote, rural communities which ends up on dining tables around the world because of its Scottish provenance and reputation for high quality standards.’

There were record sales of around 8,000 tonnes of Scottish Label Rouge salmon last year. FF

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SSPO - April.indd 25

SCOTTISH VISION TO DOUBLE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY AN ambitious strategy to double growth in Scotland’s farming, fishing, aquaculture, food and drink industry to £30 billion by 2030 was unveiled in March.

The sector is worth £14.4 billion annually and 119,000 people are working directly in the industry.

‘Ambition 2030’, launched on March 23, establishes a vision to cement food and drink as Scotland’s most valuable industry. The strategy has been developed by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership.

The fish farming industry launched its own vision for growth to 2030, last autumn, as part of the Scottish food and drink strategy, and has formed an Industry Leadership Group to drive forward its targets to double production in this period.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership in Glasgow to launch the food and drink strategy.

The industry’s focus will be on building Scotland’s national brand as a land of food and drink, and driving sales.

James Withers, Scotland Food and Drink chief executive, said: ‘Food and drink is now a national success story for Scotland, yet there are areas requiring more work. It will take a huge amount of dedication from industry, government and its agencies, but working collaboratively, there is every reason we can make Scotland the best place in the world to run a food and drink business.’

25

03/04/2017 16:47:06

Processing – Marine Harvest

Quarter master How Belgian boss quickly transformed the fortunes of salmon giant’s Rosyth factory

B

ERTIL Buysse has worked at Marine Harvest’s Rosyth processing plant for one year and two months but confesses he has only been to Edinburgh, a few miles away over the Forth Road Bridge, twice.

Living in a hotel near to the factory, the Belgian credited with turning a loss into a profit in two quarters does not have much spare time.

With a track record in Marine Harvest’s Consumer Products division, running plants throughout Europe, he was brought in early last year and had replaced Andy Stapley as managing director by April.

The Rosyth facility, opened in 2014, marked the Norwegian owned company’s move into downstream processing in Scotland and initially was hailed as a boon to Fife’s economy. But it had been garnering some unfavourable headlines in its difficult start-up phase and Buysse was tasked with breaking even by the third quarter in 2016 and going into the black in quarter four.

He achieved both milestones and, in fact, the Scottish plant contributed €11.4 million of the total €13.1 million improvement in Marine Harvest’s Consumer Products results for the final quarter of 2016.

Buysse now oversees a staff of 600 at the UK’s biggest (‘by far’) salmon plant, producing around 400 tonnes a week of fresh and smoked salmon for Sainsbury’s and other leading retailers.

Rosyth, which Marine Harvest bought from Morpol in 2012, is a secondary processing factory – the fish are slaughtered and gutted in Fort William

Below: Bertil Buysse (left) and head of operations Gary Paterson. Right: Automatically portioned fillets.

– and processes ‘100 per cent Scottish salmon from Marine Harvest’. As Buysse said, ‘for the fresh UK market, it doesn’t make sense to send a Scottish fish to Poland [the site of their biggest factory] and back again!’

‘That doesn’t mean we don’t want to do Norwegian salmon if the contract demanded it. But today it’s all Scottish.’

A butcher’s son, Buysse studied food technology and environmental sciences at university but said ‘for some reason I was interested in seafood’.

He saw an advertisement for a fish farm in Scotland and ended up in the Hebrides with the Western Isles Seafood Processing Company – ‘my first encounter with the Scottish salmon farming industry’.

‘I’ve always had a connection with the sea,’ he says, ‘and if I go on holiday I need to see the sea, see the harbour and the local boats and see what fish they’re bringing in.’

26

Rosyth Factory.indd 26

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03/04/2017 16:48:30

Quarter master

been “aIt’ssteep

learning curve… acceleration was a problem but that’s already history

”

Latterly, he had been responsible for Marine Harvest’s downstream factories, based at home in Belgium but travelling between the company’s operations, which extend from Norway, Iceland and Scotland to Poland, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

In 2013, when Marine Harvest acquired the Morpol factory in Poland, Buysse, then in charge of projects and business development, oversaw the integration of the new company into the group.

He was going to continue his career in the 95,000 sq m facility – Europe’s biggest, located at Ustka on the Baltic Sea, with almost 100,000 tonnes of salmon processed a year – and was just getting used to the idea of moving to Poland when Marine Harvest’s CEO, Alf-Helge Aarskog, asked him to go to Scotland instead.

That was at the end of 2015, when rumours were circulating about the Fife plant’s ability to meet the valuable Sainsbury’s contract it had

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Rosyth Factory.indd 27

won from Young’s Seafood earlier in the year.

Buysse arrived at Rosyth, which is also the main office for Marine Harvest Scotland, on February 1, 2016, and when Stapely left in April, he became the boss.

He inherited many challenges, not least of which were the high costs involved in the start-up and an unbalanced portfolio of products due to the phased launch.

But one year later, the business is thriving and Buysse is happy to talk about the lessons that have been learned.

‘It’s been a steep learning curve from when 20 tonnes a day was considered a triumph to producing 60 to 70 tonnes. Acceleration was a problem but that’s already history – we solved it.’

He explains how he did that, particularly with the difficulties of recruitment.

‘In the beginning, it was hard because Rosyth is not Grimsby or Boulognesur-Mer. It is distant from traditional seafood processing companies and when we asked the employment agencies for seafood people who could handle a knife they didn’t have anyone.’

But people are mobile and he recruited from Grimsby and Fraserburgh, as well as bringing in a handful of seasoned pros from the Polish factory.

From January to April 2016, he introduced the expertise of people from

27

03/04/2017 16:48:48

Processing – Marine Harvest Morpol and they continuously trained the Rosyth staff, showing them how to do the job on the line.

Twenty came from Poland, for a minimum of three months, all offered good packages with their expenses paid. All but two have now returned home.

They, together with people with processing backgrounds from Grimsby and Fraserburgh, including some from Young’s, were able to instruct the new employees.

Buysse says they are still recruiting but the days of high turnover are now under control.

There is an induction programme for new recruits, who are mostly from ‘this side of the bridge’, and there are some jobs that require more training than others.

Rosyth also worked hard with customers.

Buysse says that the UK has an open relationship with retailers compared to the mainland in Europe.

‘It’s a totally different way of working. In the UK it is all very transparent – it’s very demanding from both sides, but we can discuss issues openly.’

This kind of partnership was essential in the beginning, he said. It was not just about the processing efficiency at the new factory, but also about finding solutions to increase the meat yield.

Yield, said Buysse, is most important and it is cost effective to use more people to get extra yield - by cutting better and throwing less away.

When “ protein is as expensive as salmon is we try not to waste one single kilo of raw material

”

35

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Wellboats play an increasingly important role in the running of marine salmon farms, from the beginning through to the end of the production cycle

Under control

Norway – Research Council

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Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

DOUBLING GROWTH

ROYAL VISIT

Prince Charles drops in on Marine Harvest

NO ESCAPE

Industry launches long awaited Vision for 2030

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s the salmon industry becomes more consolidated, and vertically integrated, wellboats are now being used routinely for a variety of essential tasks that help with the efficient running of salmon farms. Custom designed, wellboats are used to transfer smolts to sea water sites, to grade fish, transfer fish between seawater sites and to carry fish to harvest. Wellboats are also sometimes used to carry out bath treatments for sea lice.

16

Time to comply with the Scottish Technical Standard

There are a number of risks associated with the use of wellboats, in particular the transfer of pathogens to live fish within the wellboat, and into the sea as a result of discharging potentially infected water. In Scotland, these issues have been acknowledged with the establishment of the Wellboat Technical Standards Working Group in 2013. Amongst its recommendations include: that all marine vessels should log and record their position and the status of their valves; that all water from

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TRAINING MATTERS

A new way to recruit the next generation

example, Sølvtrans, the world leading company dead-haul of fish to processing plants should within transport of live salmon uses a closed be treated on-shore; that all water should be filtered prior to discharge into the sea; and that valves system, ensuring that when they transport live fish, no water is loaded or discharged of wellboat transport water be proposed as a priority for the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation to the sea during transportation or unloading.

Its new vessels are also equipped with lice filCentre. ters with 150 μ for circulated water, which colFor their part, the wellboat manufacturers lect lice and other organic materials from the are already working hard to address these issues, and the modern wellboat is a technically water, minimising the risk of any transported fish being contaminated by diseases, infection, sophisticated piece of kit, with a number of sea lice etc from the nearby fish farms. FF features that address issues of biosecurity. For

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17

“

The environment is more stable and the fish use less energy adapting to it

Under control

Above: Project participants at the centre’s opening. Right: CtrlAQUA scientists.

Photos by Terje Aamodt/Nofima.

Joint approach between scientists and industry to address challenges of closed-containment systems

F

our Norwegian research institutions, two outside Norway and several industry partners from technology and the aquaculture industry have started operations at a centre for innovation in closed-containment systems.

The centre, CtrlAQUA, has been given NOK 200 million and eight years to reach its goal of making closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram.

Innovations in closed-containment, where the salmon is separated from the outside environment by a tight barrier, can be important for the further development of the industry,

32

helping to address challenges such as sea lice, diseases and escapes, as well as reduce production times.

Closed systems can be land-based, where water is recycled, or sea-based, in which large floating tanks receive clean water from depth.

In CtrlAQUA, the research will deal with both approaches.

The main focus of the centre is innovation in closed-containment systems for the most vulnerable periods of the salmon production cycle, such as the first sea water, post-smolt, phase.

The centre will also contribute to better production control, fish welfare and sustainability

in closed-containment farms. This will happen through the development of new and reliable sensors, minimising environmental impact through recycling of nutrients and reducing the risk of escape, and diseases transmission to wild stocks.

Senior scientist Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, from Nofima, who is the director of the centre, said that closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram have further advantages than simply preventing lice and escapes.

‘We can control the environment in which the fish lives in a closed-containment system.

The environment is more stable and the fish

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

use less energy adapting to it. This means that the salmon has more energy available for growth and good health.’

Closed systems for strategic phases in salmon farming can help to make the Norwegian vision of an eight-fold growth in value creation from aquaculture possible, and lead to an increased number of jobs and the production of healthy seafood.

In the centre there will be three departments: technology and environment, led by Dr Fyhn Terjesen; preventative fish health, led by Harald Takle, also from Nofima; and fish production and welfare, led by Lars Ebbesson of Uni Research.

CtrlAQUA is one of 17 Centres for Research-Based Innovation (SFI), a major programme created by the Research Council of Norway.

The primary goal of the SFI programme is to strengthen companies’ capacity for innovation, and to develop leading industry relevant research.

Nofima is accompanied by five solid institutions in CtrlAQUA: Uni Research, the University of Bergen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Freshwater Institute in the US and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The University of Bergen will have principal responsibility for research education at the centre. The total budget for CtrlAQUA will be

”

NOK 196 million, spread over eight years.

Industrial partners from the supplier industry are Krüger Kaldnes AS, Pharmaq Analytiq, Pharmaq AS, Oslofjord Ressurspark AS, Storvik Aqua AS and Aquafarm Equipment AS. Participants from the aquaculture industry are Marine Harvest ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA, Lerøy Vest AS, Cermaq Norway AS, Bremnes Seashore AS, Smøla klekkeri og settefiskanlegg AS, Marine producers Norway AS and Firda sjøfarmer AS. The formal opening by the Research Council took place at the end of May at Nofima, Sunndalsøra. Norwegian fisheries minister Elisabeth Aspaker, present at the ceremony, said the goal of the CtrlAQUA SFI is perfectly compatible with the government’s ambitions for the aquaculture industry.

‘I have great expectations for the achievements of CtrlAQUA. Even though eight years is a long time, it is urgent that we find solutions to reach the goals. CtrlAQUA is an important part of this.’

The director of innovation in the Research Council, Eirik Normann, presented the SFI plaque to Fyhn Terjesen, saying: ‘You have put together a very strong consortium. I want to point out that the committee that evaluated the application was fascinated by the innovation that the concept brings with it, and it believes that the centre will probably produce important innovations within aquaculture.’ FF

NOFIMA FACTS With 360 employees and customers from 49 different countries, Nofima’s turnover in 2014 was £527 million The company is currently engaged in 620 projects worldwide.

Nofima has several laboratories and pilot plants, which it uses for research, including: BioLab – an accredited contract and research laboratory; NAMAB – a flexible minifactory; and Patogen Pilot Plant – Europe’s first highsecurity production hall.

Nofima carries out research for the fisheries, aquaculture and food industries, including: breeding and genetics; capture-based aquaculture; fish health; and consumer and sensory sciences.

Each year Nofima organises several symposia, courses and seminars in which its scientists share their expertise.

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Fish Farmer is the UK’s leading aquaculture magazine, this highlyregarded magazine has been serving the aquaculture industry for 30 years and enjoys a worldwide distribution.

For more information visit:

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Rosyth Factory.indd 28

‘When protein is as expensive as salmon is we try not to waste one single kilo of raw material.’

This involves high levels of expertise – ‘everyone can buy a filleting machine and start filleting but it’s what you do with every bit of the fish that makes the company profitable’.

Roysth also had major problems with the water supply, when a crucial pipe proved unsuitable and they had to rely on three tank loads of water a day, costing £100,000 a month.

Based on his experience, not just in Scotland, Buysse now has a template of what to do and what not to do when setting up a successful enterprise.

‘Get a sufficient number of experienced people at all levels and don’t underestimate the embedded knowledge of a mature business.

‘And be aware that all events take five times longer than in a mature business and prepare to make all the mistakes in one year that a mature business would make in 10 years.’

Much of Rosyth’s quick turnaround, though, must be down to his own leadership skills.

He said he came in to manage expectations, to tell staff the good and the bad news – yes, we’ll still have difficult times but it’s getting better.

He has a lot of charts on the walls of his office, and written up clearly for his managers to see , his three ‘pillars’: yield, efficiency and cost, and commercial actions.

He said he started to give confidence back to people with ‘small victories’ – what footballers might call ‘lucky goals’.

He reminded the team that Marine Harvest was there to develop the market, that it was a specialist with a plan and was working towards it.

He established priorities and held daily meetings with his key people, trying to build up their confidence and that of his Norwegian bosses, ‘removing pressure from the staff ’ and absorbing pressure from above.

He said he has been able to call colleagues in France or Poland – he has worked in all the factories – and suggests this gave him an advantage his predecessor lacked.

The turning point, he thinks, came around May to June last year. Sainsbury’s decided to hold its board meeting in Rosyth and this sent out the

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Quarter master

carries on, meeting with colleagues or customers in the hotel. Only at the weekend does he take a break, going back to Belgium.

He doesn’t see himself easing off because, as he says, ‘you’re only as good as your last quarter results!’

He said he may eventually settle in Scotland with his family but for now the situation suits him because he can concentrate 100 per cent on the job during the week. He finds the culture in Scotland different but in a positive way – ‘they go for it and are open to the challenges’.

Marine Harvest is an employer that likes to stimulate its staff and take them out of their comfort zone and, fortunately, Buysse likes this.

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NET SERVICES SHETLAND LTD A MØRENOT AQUACULTURE COMPANY

HAVNEVIK 3D: PIKSELSMIA

message to his team that their biggest customer believed in the Rosyth business model.

‘We were starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.’

Following this, the plant broke even in the third quarter and was profitable by the fourth. Buysse said 2017 is budgeted to be profitable and the first months of the year show it is heading in the right direction (he can’t give the figures as Marine Harvest is listed).

‘Now the ship is in quieter waters – we’re here!’

He didn’t want to expand until he had got the basic operation right but now he says they are looking ahead.

‘The factory has the potential to do more products and volume with existing customers and more with new customers. Now it is in a phase where it can grow.’

There is no such thing as full capacity because, said Buysse, ‘we can always add a line – if we used the full machine capacity we could do more and we also have space to expand’.

The factory is 200,000 sq ft, and comprises two connecting halls – A and B, with 80,000 sq ft vacant capacity. There is a further hall C on the other side of the road for packaging, and plenty of room to expand on the existing premises. Marine Harvest also has an option on adjacent land to build a distribution centre, cold store or whatever else it needs.

The plant handles four processing operations: fresh filleting, portioning and packing; fresh value added – with infusions or sauces, for example; cold smoked; and hot smoked.

When Buysse arrived he focused on the first three and decided to get that part of the business right before introducing hot smoked processing, which he did this January.

The fresh filleting accounts for 50 per cent of output, cold smoked about 25 per cent, and the rest is half and half value added and hot smoked.

He is especially proud of achieving 100 per cent delivery performance last December, a difficult feat at Christmas when orders hit their peak and can be unpredictable.

He admits to only a few sleepless nights, but doesn’t sound like he gets much time to sleep anyway. He works from 7am until 7 or 8pm but then

Above: Salted fish are wheeled to a maturation room. Left: Fish are skinned on one production line.

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Processing – Marine Harvest

Fro

p ho

m

h c to s o l

Five-point plan underpins journey to supermarket shelves

The whole factory is kept pristine by a dedicated hygiene team, who wear orange trousers to single them out and are the only people allowed to pick up fish from the floor. There are tubs for fish that have been retrieved from the floor and the goal is to have these empty.

‘We want to be just 15 minutes he factory is colour coded from an audit at all times,’ said managinto four zones: packed proding director Bertil Buysse. ucts, low and high risk and high The salmon arrive head on and gutted care, with strict hygiene controls. and the first machine removes the heads Staff work in two shifts, from 6am to before the fish are de-slimed.

2pm and from 2pm to 10pm. At present, The salmon have to be positioned straight in the there are two lines in the morning and one in the machine so have to be out of rigor, which is usually three afternoon but this depends on the season. to four days after slaughter, said Paterson.

Improvements in efficiency mean that 25 per cent fewer shifts The fish are filleted and the frames are scraped. Every bit of fish is used, can now be used to do the same job. including the heads, which are exported to Vietnam, where they are considGary Paterson, who came from Young’s in Fraserburgh, is head of operaered a delicacy. Even the floor waste is not wasted and ends up in pet food. tions. He explains the five-point plan (‘5S’) stuck on a notice board for all to The machines are mostly made by Marel but Marine Harvest, through see at the entrance to the factory floor.

Morpol Technologies in Poland, also makes processing equipment for its own ‘Sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain’ are the basic principles factories – transport belts, smoking kilns, cutting machines and so on. underpinning the efficient functioning of the plant.

‘The Poles are good mechanics and although we buy the filleting machines, Paterson said it was easy to embed these principles in employees who we might make some of the equipment around these,’ said Buysse. mostly arrived with no preconceived ideas about processing.

There are some manual stages along the processing line, including pinbone On a guided tour of the factory floor, he describes the daily routine, starting removal. Three teams of six to eight people perform this task, which is espenaturally with the reception area. cially critical for the UK market, where consumers don’t accept any bones.

Here, fish arrives from Marine Harvest overnight, between 10pm and 3am, Buysse said they aim to get as close to 100 per cent bone free and the cost most of it in bins containing 250kg of fish and 250kg of slurry ice. of the extra labour is justified by the quality of the end product.

From here, the fish are skinned and salted en route to the kilns. The second processing line is reserved for skin-on fish fillets.

The salted fish are laid out on racks and wheeled to a maturation room, where they are kept for six to 10 hours. The salt is then washed off and the salmon are transferred to the kilns, either in whisky chips for the traditional kiln, or in oak or beech dust for the industrial smoking kilns.

The kilns operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with salmon smoked over 18-24 hours in the traditional kiln, and seven to ten hours in the modern ones.

The smoking kilns form a ‘border’ between low risk and high care zones, the latter being more high risk because the fish is ‘cured’.

The head kilnsman, Sean McLinden, Paterson explains, was actually a security guard at Marine Harvest who mentioned one night that he would like a career change. Paterson suggested he train on the kilns and after being mentored by a Belgian expert, from the Marine Harvest Ostend smokehouse in Belgium, he landed the job.

Fresh fillets are ready for portioning after the morning shift. First, they are scanned and portioned automatically, and then weighed so every pack contains the same weight.

The final stage involves skin packing and labelling and then the salmon

T

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From loch to shop

Market focus

“toWebewant just

15 minutes from an audit at all times will be packed into boxes for collection by lorries and, a day later, placed on shelves in Sainsbury’s or one of Marine Harvest’s other retail customers.

Paterson said the filleting lines are flexible and if there is demand for more fresh salmon, fish can be diverted from the smoking line, and vice versa.

In the smoked salmon slicing area, skilled manual workers – mostly women, employed for their dexterity – are deployed to slice and pack on boards. To remove eventual defects, they have stainless steel pickers. The boards with smoked salmon are packed in roll stock machines and pass a metal detector and checkweigher before they are sleeved.

Paterson said today 45 workers can do what took 100 staff in the early days, thanks to improved efficiency.

Finally, the products destined for the coveted Sainsbury’s contract come off the production line, bearing the legend of where the salmon were harvested – Loch Torridon, Loch Linnhe, Scottish fish from farm to fork. FF

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Rosyth Factory.indd 31

”

Opposite (top): Salmon arrives from Fort William head on gutted; (below): Labelled for Sainsbury’s.

Above: Skinned fish are salted.

MARINE Harvest has 14 factories in Europe with a turnover in 2015 of NOK 1.4 billion.

In Morpol alone there are 3,200 staff, and altogether the company employs 6,500 in downstream processing.

Marine Harvest Scotland exports to various countries in Europe and also to the States and Asia and Buysse talks about differences in the global markets. Europe remains the ‘most elaborate’, consuming everything from fillets, to special cuts, to pre-packs, hot smoked, and cold smoked.

Both Asia and the US are developing, but in different ways. Asia is getting more into value added products and fillets but the market is still predominantly whole fish, ‘which the Asians know what to do with’.

In the US, on the other hand, it’s more about pre-packed, smoked salmon and fillets – ‘no consumer in the States would buy a whole fish’, said Buysse.

The plant in Rosyth is mostly focused on the UK market. Boxed fish exports do not pass through here but are packed in Fort William and exported from there.

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03/04/2017 16:50:19

Norway – Introduction

Farming in the fjords Changing practices help to beat the biggest challenges

BY JENNY HJUL

N

ORWAY’S salmon farmers are world renowned for their innovation, enterprise and, of course, success. A country that rears about half of the total global output of farmed salmon must be at the forefront of any advances – in technology, science, performance, and fighting and controlling disease.

In Norway, there are more farms, more hatcheries, more net service stations and equipment manufacturers than in other salmon producing countries.

Sea pens and nets are bigger, with 160-200m circumferences and depths of 70m now commonplace. Norwegian farmers say the imposing tower of the Scandic Forum hotel in Stavanger could fit inside a large Norwegian salmon pen, and they are probably right.

Futuristic developments that may help the industry expand while limiting its impact on the environment have maintained Norwegians’ reputation for inventiveness and kept other salmon farming regions

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Above: Salmon farms dot the coastline

on the edge of their seats.

Trends that emerge from this country are watched closely, levels of investment, both public and private, are to be envied, and government involvement in aquaculture is unmatched elsewhere.

But on a recent visit to see Norwegian farmers at work, what was most striking, apart from the coastal scenery, was not the high tech finery of the industry but its flexibility.

Travelling through the counties of Rogaland and Hordaland, in the south west, you can see salmon cages dotting the fjords. There are about 300 fish farms between Boknefjorden and Austevoll, operated both by big corporations such as Marine Harvest and Leroy and by small family owned businesses, with just one or two sites.

In the company of Egersund Net’s Tom Asbjorn Hatleskog and OK Marine’s Oyvind Kristoffersen, I was invited to observe how two farmers have adapted their farming strategies to meet the chief challenges of the day, sea lice and AGD. One farm is trialling Egersund’s Tube Nets, with encouraging results in keeping lice numbers down, and combating gill disease and possibly pancreas disease too.

The second farm has also achieved good gill

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Farming in the fjords

health and lice control by installing ‘environets’ on square steel cages, rotating the nets manually on drums.

Less than 10 per cent of Norwegian farmers use steel cages but there are signs there might be a new trend in this direction, said my hosts, and perhaps towards smaller pens too. At the moment, there is certainly much interest within the industry in the independent companies that are using this type of equipment, and getting positive results.

There is an impressive degree of cooperation between the farm managers who are putting new equipment to Egersund Net is a part of Egersund Group, founded in 1952. Egersund Net started the test and their neighnet production in the early 1970s and was turned into a separate company in bours. At Bremnes Seashore, 1996. Since then, Egersund Net has established itself as one of Europe’s leading where the Tube Nets are fitted, a competitor in an suppliers of seine nets and services for the fish farming industry. adjacent farm was happy www.egersundnet.no to share sea lice levels and other data for the sake of the experiment.

Hatleskog and Kristoffersen, both regular travellers along this route and beyond, have harnessed farmers’ spirit of collaboration and are organising a seminar in Austevoll, near Bergen, from June 5-7, a follow-up to one they held on cleaner fish in Inverness last autumn.

After discussing various themes with their clients in Scotland and Norway, they plan to focus on changing and cleaning nets this time, and will also organise field trips to farms in the area.

Over the next few pages, you can read about some of these farms in advance, but nothing beats seeing them in action. FF

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There is an impressive degree of cooperation between farm managers

OUR COMPETENCE - YOUR SAFETY

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17/03/2017 14:13:49

03/04/2017 16:51:57

Norway – Bremnes Seashore

Tube on trial Farmer finds net system keeps lice and AGD levels lower than neighbouring sites

J

ARLE Lagvik has been a fish farmer for more than 30 years but says more than once during our meeting ‘we are learning as we go’.

This is a reflection of the fledgling nature of salmon farming generally, but also his eagerness to try new production methods at the two sites he manages for Bremnes Seashore.

His commercial output is 10,000 tonnes for both sites over the cycle, with a team of nine, and his main focus at present is controlling sea lice and AGD at the farms, off the island of Finnoy on the south side of the Boknafjorden in Rogaland county.

At the Laava site, Lagvik has been running trials of Tube Nets since 2014, following initial tests with the innovative concept at the Institute of Marine Research in 2012.

Originally devised by the Institute’s Dr Frode Oppedal and made by Egersund Nets, the principle of the Tube Net is to keep the fish below 10m, away from the lice, but enable them to rise to the surface to fill their swim bladders.

Lagvik has rigged three of six Aqualine pens with Tube Nets, with the other three as ‘controls’. In each pen of 160m circumference and 15m depth there are 900,000 fish. When the fish reach 1kg he changes the net to 30m depth.

It is a 25-minute choppy ride out to the cages in a Polarcirkel boat, with the March skies changing from winter grey to spring sunshine en route.

To get a better view of the novel net structure, we climb into one cage and walk along a ramp to the centre.

The Tube Net Lagvik is using has a circumference of 90m and is 10m deep, so little volume is lost in the cage. He said if he went to a 30m deep tube, only 20 per cent of volume would be lost so that is ‘not really an issue’.

The Institute of Marine Research found over a four-month trial, that the deeper the ‘snorkel’ (another name for the Tube Net) the fewer the lice.

‘We are doing a similar experiment this autumn,’ said

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Norway - Bremnes.indd 34

Lagvik, ‘with depths of 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16m, though we know we’ll get more lice at 0, 4 and 8m because we’ve already tested with 10m depths. But the next trial is to get more scientific data.’

There are regular visits from government research scientists who come to the site to look at what he’s doing, and a PhD student is currently carrying out an investigation into the Tube Nets.

Inside the feed barge, Lagvik has set up a projecAbove: Tube Nets are installed on three pens, tor screen to display some results. After his first trial with three ‘controls’. in 2014-2015 he found that he only had to treat his Inset: The ramp to the fish once for lice, while a neighbouring farm treated Tube. Left: OK Marine’s four and a half times in the same period.

Oyvind Kristoffersen, Fish It can cost NOK 425,000 per cage per treatment Farmer editor Jenny Hjul with Alphamax, said Lagvik, so this amounted to a and farm manager Jarle big cost saving.

Lagvik in the pen.

‘There were hidden costs savings too, with better growth rates and a lower risk of mortalities.’

He uses cleaner fish in all his cages, both wrasse

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Tube on trial

“

There were hidden costs savings too, with better growth rates and a lower risk of mortalities

”

and lumpfish, but admits they are hard work – with the nets having to be kept clean at all times.

Also, there was a supply problem with wrasse in the summer and the lice numbers went up.

Wrasse have been overfished and so the quotas are exhausted and there are not enough to go round all the farms.

Lagvik has had problems with lumpfish too as they are susceptible to winter wound bacteria – he’s lost a few this year – and there are also feeding problems.

One of his neighbours uses cleaner fish and lice skirts but they have had problems with 5m skirts lifting up in strong currents.

‘They are only 30 per cent effective in getting rid of lice,’ said Lagvik. ‘With the Tubes you have total control of the fish the whole time.’

Last summer had been very wet and the brackish water was deep; therefore there were a lot of sea

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Norway - Bremnes.indd 35

lice around and, he said, skirts would not have worked in that environment.

He shows a chart from April to December 2015, illustrating the difference between Bremnes and a neighbouring farm. The latter had 75 per cent more sea lice, and they had been using treatments too.

‘There’s no question the deep swimming is working on the sea lice,’ said Lagvik. The most recent trials suggested that on average there were 80-85 per cent fewer sea lice attached on fish in the Tube Net cages than in the controls – and with no detrimental effect on performance.

The results of the Laava site trials are due to be published soon by the PhD student.

Lagvik has also adapted the Tube to treat AGD, after reading an article from Australia about treatments for gill disease.

He first had a problem with AGD in 2014-2015 and asked Egersund Nets to supply a waterproof skirt. Every farm was treating fish for gill disease then and there weren’t enough well boats or peroxide to go round.

‘It was crazy,’ said Lagvik. ‘It’s not been quite so aggressive since but no one knows where it’s coming from.

‘We put the tarpaulin outside the existing skirt to keep the freshwater inside.

We put it [the 5m deep AGD waterproof skirt] on the cage where we were

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Norway – Bremnes Seashore

“

Sea lice are like cockroaches, we’ll have them forever

”

having a big problem with AGD and it had a dramatic effect.

‘Why treat for several hours in a well boat when you can use the Tube Net?’ However, he said freshwater periods affect fish growth so he does freshwater for one week and off the next, limiting the impact on growth- ‘it’s all trial and error’.

He also believes AGD is more aggressive in Tube Nets but is easier to control.

They have experimented with the tarpaulin used in the waterproof skirts and ‘it has got much better’.

Tom Hatleskog said his customers in Scotland are interested in using the Tube Net for AGD and any benefits on lice control would be ‘a bonus’. But freshwa-

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Norway - Bremnes.indd 36

ter availability is an issue there and they may do trials using less freshwater.

The challenge in Scotland is also the shallower water. The total depth of the whole net is around 27m but many sites in Scotland have 10-15m deep nets. The depth of the fjord at the Laava farm is 200-300m but the fjords can be as deep as 700m in places.

‘We have to modify and adjust each Tube, lots of follow up is needed. But we really want to trial it in Scotland,’ said Hatleskog.

On the subject of net cleaning, Lagvik said Bremnes is going to stop using anti-fouling, now that ‘the government is starting to measure the copper effects on the seabed’.

With the ASC standards and Norway’s green concessions, some farmers are moving away from anti-fouling, said Hatleskog.

Lagvik uses Aurora Marine’s ROV to clean the nets. When it’s time to change them, they go to Egersund for cleaning and repair.

It takes two to three hours to remove the Tube but stitching it on is a bigger job. Lagvik de-lices the fish just to be sure when changing the nets – that is, once per generation.

If he wasn’t trialling the Tubes he said he might use them more strategically. By 2019 he hopes to get bigger smolts – of 500g – and he will be able to shorten the period of production to 10 months ‘and then changing the nets will be history’.

Lagvik also plans to run a new test in 2019, both with Tube Nets of 15m depth and with laser treatments too, and not use cleaner fish.

Above: AKVA feed barge.

Inset: Lift-Up system for morts. Bottom left: The Tube Net. Below: Rogaland.

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Tube on trial

Left An echosounder, supplied by the government researchers.

‘It’s a lot of extra work to farm cleaner fish,’ he said. ‘If two lasers work in an ordinary net, maybe we’ll need just one in a Tube Net.’ The Tube has also helped with containment – a hurricane caused a 7-8m hole in a net but no fish escaped because the hole was above the Tube.

And it has provided protection against pancreas disease – because the fish are not in contact with the surface. This was an observation and has not been scientifically proven, said Lagvik, but when there was a PD outbreak in 2014 his was the only farm without any incidents.

Staying a step ahead

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Norway - Bremnes.indd 37

In future he hopes to have a range of tools to combat lice - bigger smolts, lasers, cleaner fish and no treatments for lice.

‘You should treat sea lice like you treat insects – using different methods in different areas to drive down resistance. Sea lice are like cockroaches, we’ll have them forever.

‘But if everyone used Tubes we could get an area effect – and a reduction in sea lice.’ FF

BREMNES Seashore has nine farms in the Rogaland area, out of a total of 23 in Norway, producing around 30,000 tonnes a year.

The firm is still family owned, originally set up 80 years ago as a landing site for fish. It was one of the first to start fish farming in Norway, and has been rearing salmon since 1959-60.

Bremnes has had its own hatchery since 1965, produced VAP fillets in 1989, and built a new factory in 2008. With Grieg Seafood, it set up the Ocean Quality sales company in 2010.

Bremnes has three smolt sites, one of which has now been rebuilt to produce ‘super’ smolts.

Work on the Trovag RAS plant, which cost NOK 500 million and has a capacity for six million 500g smolts, started in 2015 and will be completed in 2019.

And there are the 23 farm sites, a packing station, VAP factory and sales outlets where their salmon is marketed under the Salma brand.

They were the first, said Lagvik, to develop their own brand, and are now working on new products such as sushi.

The company operates mainly in Rogaland, from Sandnes near Stavanger in the south to Jondal in the north.

It also has Bremnes Shipping, making work boats, and may go into well boats in the future.

There are 300 staff in total, a turnover of NOK 2.2 billion, and much investment in R&D. Bremnes has a land based harvesting system, where fish are cooled down before slaughter, so they are not stressed – ‘we’re a step ahead of the other companies’ said Lagvik.

They were the first to test the Thermolicer – ‘we have no choice but to use it but it’s not kind to the fish, although it is very good at removing sea lice’.

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Norway – OK Marine

Habitat furniture Tailor made hides help cleaner fish adapt to life in sea pens

O

“

YVIND Kristoffersen was a commercial fisherman for most of his life, but after breaking his back on board his boat, he decided to take on a less physically challenging job.

From a family of fishermen, he had observed when out with with his father that wrasse ate sea lice off the salmon they caught, and with this early interest in the species, his venture into the aquaculture industry seemed like a natural progression.

In 2007-2008 he conducted a test with Marine Harvest (near his home in Kristiansand). Their wrasse were dying over the winter but after he installed hides in the pens, some 85 per cent of them survived.

Kristoffersen set up OK Marine in 2008, building hides and replicating the habitat of cleaner fish as closely as possible.

‘Farmers tell me what they want and I draw a design for the engineers to make,’ he said, adding that he sends the designs to China and Lithuania to be manufactured.

He built up the business quickly and sold it to Egersund Group in 2015. It now has 70 per cent of the Norwegian market and many customers in Scotland, too.

Kristoffersen was the first person to tailor make hides to customers’ specifications and OK Marine is the first company to create hides, and other equipment, such as float frames for hides and cleaner fish acclimatisation stations, on a big scale – before that, farmers would use barrels and so on, which could cause damage to the nets.

The Norwegian Technical Standard stipulates that farmers can’t put anything in the cage that harms the net.

Kristoffersen handed over management of the company to one of his sons after the Egersund buy-out and is now happy to be on the road, visiting customers and devising solutions to their cleaner fish problems.

He can advise not just on hides but on how many wrasse and lumpfish should be stocked in each cage in relation to the salmon biomass, and he is a strong advocate of sharing All your daily news from around the industry best practice with other customers.

He said he is a practical fisherman who bases his knowledge on observation, spending AQUACULTURE PROCESSING CATCHING time with salmon farmers, customising artifinews • recruitment • market reports • retail cial hides to their demands.

Farmers tell me what they want and I draw a design for the engineers

”

FISHupdate.com

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Habitat furniture

Above: OK Marine hide frames inside the Tube Net at Bremnes Seashore. Left: Oyvind Kristoffersen.

He has studied the behaviour of the fish and shows a video of salmon congregating between wrasse hides, in a sort of stacked queue, waiting to have their lice removed.

OK Marine works with Aquality as a distributor of its cleaner fish autofeeders, and also supplies the company’s hide washers.

Kristoffersen sells pots to catch wrasse and snow crab pots too. He said catching wrasse is a lucrative line in itself and tells the story of a

retired fisherman he knows who earned NOK 2 million last season (about nine weeks’ work) from catching wrasse in pots.

Apart from travelling across Norway, Kristoffersen has also advised other countries on their aquaculture industries, most recently in Sri Lanka. FF

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Norway – Net Service Station

Clean and

green Recycling a priority as centre expands to meet demand

T

HE net service station in Austevoll is one of nine Egersund Net operates in Norway. The company also runs a service station in Turkey and has plans, currently under wraps, to establish another base outside Norway.

The service station looks large by Scottish standards but Egersund’s Tom Hatleskog said it could be three times bigger to handle demand. It is now in the process of expanding, and work on a new hall for repairs is already underway.

Bente Hvidevoll manages the whole net cleaning and repairing operation and the station’s 30 staff. In 2016, she oversaw the cleaning of 730 nets from the local industry and the repair of 550. Their biggest customer is salmon giant Leroy, which accounts for 70 per cent of business in the Austevoll facility.

The first stage in the process involves an enormous washing machine on the quay, where nets are delivered, usually by boat.

Just about every stage of the net cleaning is governed to some extent by the 2009 Norwegian Technical Standard for marine fish farms.

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Above: Part of the purification process.

Below: Expansion in progress. Opposite: Net inspection.

All nets that come through the station have to be tested for breaking strength before they are put out to sea again. Those that are not up to the standard are discarded and sent for recycling. If there is any doubt, further tests are run.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:12:21

Clean and green

We are “cleaning

‘The system depends on deep trust between us and the client,’ said Hvidevoll.

First, though, the nets are washed for between one and a half and three hours to strip them of shells and others debris. The shells, sludge and so on is sent to Sweden where it is recycled (producing electricity).

In fact, recycling is a major part of the Egersund set-up, with material from old nets sent to Lithuania and Slovakia. Recycled goods are traded under the Healthy Ocean brand label and even the carpet in Egersund’s showroom is made from recycled nylon from discarded nets.

At Austevoll, the manager of the ‘dirty’ stage is Bard Veivag and he explained how the washed nets are then soaked, disinfected and the copper from the anti-fouling paint is removed in a German made EnviroChemie machine.

Almost no copper is released back into the sea. Once a week, the waste water is tested for copper levels, and samples are sent to government officials once a month for checking.

‘We are cleaning the ocean because we take in more copper from the nets than we put back,’ said Hatleskog

the ocean because we take in more copper from the nets than we put back

”

Netwax E4 Greenline from NetKem Netwax E4 Greenline offers excellent protection against fouling on pen nets Netwax E4 Greenline is developed for antifouling treatment of pen nets under “green” licences.

The special active ingredient is approved by IMO and listed by OMRI for use in ecological agriculture.

“Green” licences

The Norwegian government has issued special licences for aquaculture with emphasis on reducing strain on the environment.

IMO

Institute for Marketechology, Switzerland.

Approves products used in ecological agriculture.

OMRI

Organic Materials Review Institute, USA. Lists products for use in organic food production.

Slalåmveien 1, NO-1410 Kolbotn, Norway - Ph.: +47 66 80 82 15 - post@netkem.no

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03/04/2017 16:12:40

Norway – Net Service Station

The extracted copper sludge is compressed and dried into coppery coloured bricks, which are then recycled – 20 tonnes in 2015 – and mostly sent to Germany.

The water is also treated with ozone, in a machine made by Normex, to destroy all pathogens. This is the final stage of the purification process and the adding of ozone enabled Egersund to meet the strict ISO 14001 environmental standard.

From here, nets are moved into the ‘clean’ zone, a vast hangar where they are hung up and repaired before they can be recertified.

The Norwegian Technical Standard requires each net to have a renewed production certificate. Each is logged and has a number and an inspection history.

There are between 12 and 24 tests that can be carried out on any one net,

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to gauge shrinkage at the top, in the middle and at the bottom, and around the circumference.

Hvidevoll said there are 16 staff tasked with repairs, who work on the nets from 7am until 1am, in two shifts. It is their job to decide if a net is okay to go to sea again, for 12 months or 24. If it fails the rigorous regime, they can carry out small repairs but must inform the owner if the net has to be discarded.

All Egersund clients can log into a portal to check on their nets as they go through the whole process.

Hatleskog said a failure is small in terms of production costs but crucial because of containment issues.

If a net arrives with a hole in it there is inevitably a suspicion of escapes, amounting to a possible ‘environmental crime’, and Hvidevoll has to inform the police. Before it is washed, the net is inspected by the authorities, pictures record the damage and questions are asked of the net owners.

Following repairs, the nets are brought into another huge hall for the anti-fouling process.

Egersund has perfected a system, said Hatleskog, to ensure as few operations as possible on the net to avoid damage, with dipping, drying and packing carried out by the same machine. And as it is a

Clockwise from above: Bard Veivag and Bente Hvidevoll explain the process; the washing machine; dipping the net; recycled material is exported; cranes lift the nets ashore; a treated net is lowered into a laundry bag; extracted copper before it is compressed and dried.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:13:04

Clean and green

system depends “onThe deep trust between us and the client ”

closed, indoor system, no waste gets into the sea.

Each net is suspended and then dipped, 6m at a time, ensuring optimal uptake of coating or anti-fouling paint.

The machine is switched on at 3pm and carries on throughout the night, operating automatically. There are cameras so the procedure can be checked from the site manager’s computer at home.

Some farmers just have their nets coated but very few in Norway don’t use anti-foulants at all.

Egersund currently offers coatings from SteenHansen, NetKem and Brynslokken.

The nets are weighed before and after the process to calculate how much anti-fouling paint has been used.

The coated net is dried at 60 degrees and eased slowly from a great height into an enormous laundry bag, with two members of staff guiding it into place.

Hvidevoll said she expects the service station’s expansion to be completed early in 2018. The new building will increase capacity to between 1,200 and 1,500 nets a year, double current output.

And in a further environmentally friendly development, it is hoped that energy used in the net cleaning processes will be recaptured for re-use, possibly within the building. FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Norway - Service.indd 43

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03/04/2017 16:13:29

AKVA Flying Net Cleaner a new powerful, remote net cleaner that is easy to operate

AKVA FNC8 is an intelligent remote net cleaning rig which can be operated via a handheld mobile console or from a control room.

• Rugged components and solid construction • Easy to operate with auto functions • Thrusters for flexible operations (no sharp wheels or belts)

The unique feature of the new cleaning rig is that it “swims” along the net line in the pen and cleans using high-pressure seawater.

• Minimal spread of algae (ready for collection) • Open construction, easy to maintain and disinfect • Two HD cameras delivered as standard (alt. four cameras) • Two LED-lights delivered as standard (alt. four LED-lights) • Transponder connection for navigation system • Advanced control system (optimized for autonomous operation) • Graphical presentation with overlay and data info • Sensors for monitoring of pressure and cleaning process • Extra equipment such as stone drill, camera and grapple can be built into the top of the unit • FNC8 is patent pending

www.akvagroup.com AKVA group Scotland Ltd. - 36F Shore Street, Inverness Scotland, UK, IV1 1NF Telephone: +44 (0)1463 221 444 - Fax: +44 (0)1463 223 535

Your Aquaculture Technology and Service Partner

Untitled-2 44

03/04/2017 13:33:06

Norway – Troland

On a roll

‘Environets’ on square cages help small farm beat pest

T

ROLAND Lakseoppdrett is a small independent company, based in the Austevoll municipality of Hordaland, punching above its weight in its lice control methods.

It is owned by the Troland family, Martha Aud and her two fishermen sons Mons Eivind and Ole Morten, and its two separate farms are run along completely different principles.

The more exposed site comprises circular pens, but tucked inside the fjord Hundvaakoyosen, the second farm harks to the past with its six square steel cages.

However, the farm manager, Kent Olav Mikkelsen, has his sights very much on the future.

Here, he is using double ‘environets’, made of nylon, that can be rolled on and off the cages via drums on either end, without the need to clean in situ.

The nets are changed – about every three weeks in summer, and every two months in winter, or more often when the conditions indicate the need for change - while still clean, and once out of the water are left to dry at the side of the cage.

The results are very encouraging: fish put out in September 2015 (some 650,000) have had just one freshwater and two Slice treatments, the last one in June 2016.

The steel cages have been used for 20 years at this site, and many improvements have been made in that time.

Mikkelsen, not a local but from near Lillehammer in the east of Norway, has been at Troland for five years. He has a background at the research station and working with cleaner fish, and now uses wrasse and lumpfish at both the Troland farms.

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Norway - Troland.indd 45

Above: Daniel Aga monitors the farm from Troland’s shore base.

Below: Kent Olav Mikkelsen en route to the farm.

He says the cleaner fish are more efficient in the steel cages, possibly because these are kept cleaner than the pens.

Also, the problem with ghost shrimp (an invasive species from Japan), common to the region, is resolved with the environets. The cleaner fish like to eat the crustaceans, and anti-fouling doesn’t remove them as they attach themselves to the net by their tails. But taking the net out of the sea and drying it, effectively removes this cleaner fish ‘delicacy’, said Mikkelsen.

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Norway – Troland

His colleague, Daniel Aga, has a theory that sea lice larvae stick to the net and when the net is removed any larvae attached are removed too.

The nets are ‘hard work’, said Mikkelsen, with three to four people needed to change them. The whole process tends to take a working day, although he said they could manage to do two in a day if necessary.

But the effort pays off. Comparing results with their other farm, they say the squares have gone a whole production cycle without any chemical or mechanical lice or AGD treatments.

The circular pens are much more exposed and there is more mortality in the lumpfish. They use nylon cone nets there and may switch to straight sided ones to avoid the problem of lumpfish rolling on the netting.

Mikkelsen said fewer than 10 per cent of Norwegian farmers currently use steel squares, and fewer still use environets, but there has been a lot of interest in his site and there is talk of a ‘renaissance’ in this method of farming.

The feed barge at this site holds 50 tonnes in each of its four silos and is filled up every seven to 14 days.

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An Aquality automated system is installed to feed the cleaner fish via a hose that goes straight into the hides. The feeders have sold well in Norway, where Aquality is based, since their launch in 2015.

The exposed farm has four 160m pens, each containing 140,000 fish, while the six 35x35m steel cages each hold 100,000 salmon. The nets inside the steel cages are 23m deep at the leadline, 30m at the centre of the net.

Growth performance is the same at both sites, with a feed conversion rate of 1.20.

Pancreas disease has been a problem but while they used to lose 20 per cent to this, in the current cycle it has been just five per cent. This could be attributed to the Aquavac vaccine or better husbandry. ‘Maybe it’s us!’ said Mikkelsen.

Each steel cage contains around 500 to 600 tonnes of fish, producing 2,700 tonnes a year. This year, Mikkelsen thinks it will be closer to 3,500 tonnes.

We visit a cage that is about to be harvested and the fish are an average size of 6.5 kg although some look much bigger – and one is bright blue.

‘The fish are doing very, very well. We’ve not used any mechanic treatments (either pumped fish through a hot water Thermolicer treatment to kill the lice, or pumped them into a wellboat for freshwater treatment against AGD), therefore they have not been disturbed and have had a lot of potential to grow.’

A Lift-Up system is used on every cage, piping morts away from the cages. Feeding the fish in short intensive meals helps lice control because the fish stay away from the surface.

fish “areThedoing

very, very well. We’ve not used any mechanic treatments… so they have had a lot of potential to grow

”

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:08:23

On a roll

Clockwise from left: Oyvind Kristoffersen of OK Marine and farm manager Kent Olav Mikkelsen; a loop connects the net to the pen; drum on the side of a steel cage fitted with environets; the Pro Cat workboat.

‘We try to farm as well as we can,’ said Mikkelsen.

‘We network every 14 days with all the farms in the area and talk about problems, mainly sea lice, but also to cooperate regarding fallowing and with treatments against disease and parasites.

‘We must fallow the farm for a period of two to three months after the cycle, in coordination with other farms in the same zone.

‘Our two farms are in two different zones. One zone is imposed fallowing every odd-numbered year while the other is imposed fallowing every even-numbered year.’

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Norway - Troland.indd 47

Troland has a core team of just five men to run both the farms. Their office on the quayside is modest but has commanding views of the fjord. They observe the farms, feed the fish and monitor the fish from here, via a bank of screens.

Austevoll has a high concentration of fish farms – about 20 in the area, says Mikkelsen, and the industry provides several hundred jobs in farming, processing, production of equipment and research.

Troland markets its fish in a collective with other small companies, under the name Salmon Group. This cluster encompasses several independent farms, with a total of 115 licences for salmon and trout.

Based in Bergen, it negotiates on the companies’ behalf on everything from feed to vaccines to insurance. FF

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03/04/2017 16:08:47

Norway – Research centre

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Norway - Research.indd 48

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:05:17

Pioneering culture

Pioneering

culture

Groundbreaking science, from first halibut to cod, haddock - and ballan wrasse

G

USTAVO Nunez has a widescreen in his lab with lots of moving black dots.

These are sea lice, says the Chilean researcher, who is at the Institute of Marine Research centre in Austevoll for three months to investigate the parasite’s behaviour.

On a shelf above there are about 20 lice traps, odd-shaped plastic jars, but he says it is hard to trap the lice near salmon cages ‘because they are much more attracted to the salmon than the traps’.

Nunez is from the University of Concepcion in Puerto Montt, where he focused on genomics in aquaculture.

He explains how he is treating the lice with chemicals to change their behaviour, and reports promising results so far in identifying peptides as possible antigen candidates.

From here, scientist Reidun Bjelland leads us through a blacked out revolving door into the ‘dark room’, where experiments with light are conducted on ballan wrasse.

Bjelland said recent tests concluded that this species cannot see the colour red- when exposed to red light, the fish fell asleep in the tank.

Lumpfish, on the other hand, responded negatively to red but were attracted to blue light.

‘They crashed into each other when shown the red light, but the blue made them calm and they swam around happily,’ said Bjelland.

‘Colour and light are very important. In farming conditions, we want to give them the best light so they will feed better.’

She said a trial, recently concluded, tried using light to stimulate the cleaner fish to eat more lice, but it made no difference – ‘it was not the result we wanted!’

In another room, the role of hides in wrasse rearing is demonstrated: in a small tank containing 50 of the fish, only two are visible, the rest completely concealed within the folds of the black plastic hide.

Bjelland said ballan wrasse are her favourite fish. They are sturdy and grow slowly so they don’t grow ‘out of their field of use’, and they can live up to 25 years.

Last year, for the first time in Norway, Bjelland said some wrasse were allowed to be re-used with the next generation of salmon – a very positive development. They were put in quarantine after ‘cleaning’ one cycle of fish, and then checked by vets before being used again in the next lot of salmon pens.

‘This is the way to go now, as they are trained to eat lice.’

Away from the cleaner fish, a smaller, unexceptional looking tank turns out to be a lice hatchery. Eight little pots with a filter in their base are kept in the seven to eight degree-water, where eggs take a week to hatch. Black strings of egg strands, clearly visible, indicate they are ready to hatch but they won’t need feeding until they reach the copepod stage.

At the Austevoll research station, which employs about 40 staff, many other species are reared, including haddock, cod, saithe, eels, lobsters and halibut.

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03/04/2017 16:05:35

Norway – Research centre

It was here in the 1980s that cod culture was pioneered and where the first halibut were farmed.

In 1986, a delegation from Ardtoe and the Highlands and Islands Development Board visited Austevoll, along with other Norwegian research centres.

Austevoll, they wrote in a subsequent report, was ‘in the vanguard of industrial scale development and has so far been responsible for all the metamorphosed halibut produced in artificial conditions’.

The lifecycle for halibut was first closed in culture in Norway in 1992/93 when offspring from the 1985 year class were first used for breeding at the Austevoll research station.

Groundbreaking trials continue today, earning the centre an inter-

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Norway - Research.indd 50

Clockwise from top left: One-year-old halibut; sea lice hatchery; tanks containing halibut broodstock; sea pens for trials; Reidun Bjelland; lice traps.

In farming conditions, “ we want to give them the best light so they will feed better

”

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:06:12

Pioneering culture

national reputation in marine research.

In one tank we saw, there were 234 one-year-old halibut, successfully reared beyond the difficult early feeding stage, which has been a major bottleneck in commercial halibut production.

In a bigger, shallow pen, kept artificially dark, near the outside facility, the broodstock can be observed.

Bjelland said they don’t use the biggest fish for broodstock because they are simply too hard to handle. There is a stripping board just above the water surface and the staff have to climb into the pen and try to lift the huge fish into place when it is time to strip the eggs.

A halibut takes four to five years to reach harvesting weight but the brood fish can be up to 15 years old.

The Austevoll station, which serves as a marine testing site for the Institute’s Bergen headquarters, has sixteen 12x12m cages, which can each be sub-divided into four, providing plenty of capacity for trials.

Bjelland, who has been at the station since completing her masters degree there 20 years ago, said they hold regular meetings with the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF) and farmers to decide on future trials.

Austevoll, which has more than 4,500 sq m of indoor and outdoor research facilities, is publicly funded but private companies, such as feed firms, sometimes may initiate projects.

Bjelland said the preference is always to conduct research that is open, with the results in the public domain.

The centre was established in 1978 and has been at the forefront of aquaculture research and development, for the industry and government, ever since.

Fish Farmer hopes to report in a future issue on the progress made by Gustavo Nunez in his sea lice trials. FF

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03/04/2017 16:06:32

Containment – Ace Aquatec

Innovation Cage Guard offers fish farms invaluable access to deterrent performance data that informs the way systems are used and the way farms manage seal attacks.

A raft of new sites across Skye, Shetland and Orkney go online this month with Ace Aquatec’s Portal Control and Service, which offers managers the means to monitor in real time how their systems are performing.

After installation, site and area managers are given a unique portal access code allowing them to see all deterrents on their sites.

From the portal screen, managers can rotate a range of sound patterns, select duty cycles for the whole site, and assess power and performance data.

The portal offers a unique opportunity to compare mort data with selected deterrent options, to assess the impact of new deterrent modules, and connect Ace Aquatec’s rental team with the managers on the farms.

Cage Guard brings a range of equipment, on a fixed rental package, to bear on predation from seals. This includes 10-20 khz deterrents, 1-2 khz low frequency deterrents, electric netting, portal control and a range of add-on prototypes are available to reduce seal morts. Full servicing, repair, cover and output checks are included as standard.

‘The high degree of controllability with this system and being able to monitor its function away from site, in real time, clearly has many advantages,’ said Justin Watson, production manager at Grieg Seafood Shetland.

On guard

Innovation, implementation and investigation key to seal mitigation, writes Nathan Pyne-Carter

A

CE Aquatec has put innovative products at the heart of its new Cage Guard deterrent programme. But innovation goes hand in hand with collaboration- with technology providers and with the farms tackling the issues of predation on the ground.

To give all systems the best chance of success, we investigate how they are operating remotely in real time and ensure that optimal solutions are not just tailored to the needs of a site, but are actively monitored and improved to ensure a successful outcome.

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Ace Aquatec - PED.indd 52

Above: Ace Aquatec’s Cage Guard. Opposite: Richard Darbyshire of Scottish Sea Farms.

Implementation Ace Aquatec collaborates with many fish farmers, one of which, Scottish Sea Farms, has been a valuable partner for many years.

The first deployment of the electric net system at Shapinsay in Orkney suggested that just one net on a group of cages could create conditioned avoidance behaviour in seals.

This was corroborated by moving the system to Cooke on Orkney where predator nets were failing to exclude seals.

After a few days, in each case the seals not only avoided the cage with the electric net, but avoided the site entirely.

Ace Aquatec is now in the process of rolling out its mk2 electric net design, which is positioned at the base of a net.

This, along with the company’s sonar triggering devices (which will be added to the base of our standard US3 deterrents), and the portal control, will bring a new array of tools

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:02:32

On guard

“

It’s so important to have a real deterrent and so far we have had zero mortalities attributed to seals

”

to the Cage Guard armoury that should help reduce noise in the natural environment and reduce the number of seals being shot around Scotland.

Ace Aquatec has also worked with Loch Duart, and Hazel Wade, the farmer’s mainland area manager, said: ‘The Cage Guard deterrent systems are of real benefit to us, with site managers being able to log on and make adjustments or fault find in real time, which is imperative for ensuring best possible protection of our stocks against seal attack.

‘The monitoring capability is also beneficial to our technical team, providing historical records of system function, which is helpful information to be able to present during audits such as RSPCA Assured.

‘We really appreciate the innovative work that Ace Aquatec have done and continue to do in helping the industry minimise negative interactions between seals and salmon farms.’

Investigation St Andrews’ University, in collaboration with Scottish Sea Farms, is assessing the new RT1 low frequency deterrent on Wyre to assess the impact on cetaceans at protected sites in the wild.

The low frequency deterrent was designed and built to put out deterring noise in the 1-2khz range, which is outside the sensitive hearing range of porpoises but not seals.

Prolonged R&D has enabled the development, at Neptune Sonar, of high quality amplifiers which avoid harmonics in higher frequency ranges, allowing durable transducers to produce an extremely effective and precise modulation.

Alex Coram, of St Andrews’ University, is carrying out in-water tests using sound traps; this research will be written up and made available to farms and

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03/04/2017 16:02:48

Containment – Ace Aquatec

Scottish Natural Heritage to corroborate the effective use of this system on protected sites with high numbers of porpoises.

Fish farms across Scotland are using Ace Aquatec’s unique deterrent approach to reduce the number of seals shot at their sites, and welfare bodies and supermarkets are being offered access to our portal data to help them understand how our deterrents fit into their ambitious targets to reduce seals shot under licence.

Richard Darbyshire, regional production manager at Scottish Sea Farms, has been at the forefront of testing Ace systems.

• Fish Cage Nets – Nylon & HDPE • Predator Solutions • Net Service Plant • Treatment Tarpaulins • Lice Skirts • Supplier of LIFT-UP

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Ace Aquatec - PED.indd 54

He said: ‘We have worked with Nathan and the team at Ace Aquatec for a number of years in order to reduce the impact seals have on our Orkney farms.

‘Orkney has the highest population of grey seals in the UK and their numbers are increasing year on year.

‘We also have the added complication that conventional ADDs [acoustic deterrent devices] are not permitted on some of our sites due to their perceived effect on cetaceans.

‘This has led to us undergoing R&D trials with various low frequency ADDs that are outside the hearing range of porpoises.

‘We are currently trialling the RT1 system from Ace Aquatec under an EPS [European protected species] licence at Wyre, and so far the results are very encouraging.

‘This system has survived some severe winter storms, and the fact that we can remotely check the system is working okay is an added bonus.

‘Hopefully, this work will be successful in proving that the RT1 has no effect on cetaceans and hence we will get approval to roll out RT1 systems to all our Orkney farms.’

The Scottish Salmon Company is also involved in trialling Ace equipment, and site manager at Gravir, Dougie Shaw, said: ‘I really appreciate the new set up from Ace Aquatec. The equipment is excellent and capable of coping with all weather conditions.

‘It’s so important to have a real deterrent and so far we have had zero mortalities attributed to seals.

‘The site portal is accessible from the shore base and the barge and gives us total control over each individual unit.

‘This is a huge improvement on any other systems I have used in the past and I would happily recommend them.’

Nathan Pyne-Carter is managing director of Ace Aquatec, which thanks the following for their continued support: Scottish Sea Farms, Marine Harvest, Loch Duart, Cooke Aqua, Scottish Salmon Company, SAIC [Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre] and Scottish Enterprise. FF

Above: The portal gives farmers total control

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 16:03:08

Containment – AKVA

Swimming Mercedes Flying net cleaner is fast and efficient – and reduces risk of escapes

K

EEPING nets clean without damaging them in the process is one of the keys to good containment and with this in mind, AKVA Group is offering what sales driector Dougie Johnson calls ‘a very positive new piece of kit’.

The FNC-8 ROV, or ‘Flying Net Cleaner’, is the latest development to come from the partnership with ROV specialist Sperre and AKVA. Launched at Nor-Fishing in August 2016, it is now being assembled in Inverness and will shortly be available to local customers. In the meantime, Johnson said AKVA will try to get some keener clients out to Norway to look at the machine in action.

‘We are very excited about it...and the only problem we’ve got is producing it fast enough.’

The Aquaculture Service Company Vikahav, based near Trondheim, a net cleaning specialist with experience of all sorts of machines, received its first FNC-8 in January and is also impressed with the results.

Frode Viken of Vikahav said the FNC-8 was an incredibly practical, reliable and safe tool, and he has already ordered another machine.

‘To start off, the machine lacks sharp wheels or belts that could damage the net during cleaning. This reduces the risk of escapes, and the need for net repairs after cleaning. Our customers are, of course, very pleased with this.

‘Additionally, the whole cleaning disc and 100 per cent of the water is used to clean the net, instead of using up to 60 per cent to attach the cleaning rig to the net wall. This makes for more efficient and better cleaning,’ said Viken, who provides services to farmers such as Salmar and Marine Harvest.

‘Operating it is a dream – it’s like having an underwater Mercedes. The ROV is controlled from an integrated pilot chair in the boat, which makes the process very comfortable for the operator.

‘AKVA Group has an excellent piece of equipment here, and there’s no doubt Above: The FNC-8 ROV, that this is a profitable investment for us. Our capacity increases, customers are Right: Dougie Johnson happier, and last but not least – the fish are happier,’ said Viken.

The FNC-8 achieves a cleaning efficiency that exceeds everything else available in the current marketplace. The unique feature of the new cleaning rig is that it ‘swims’ along the net line in the pen and cleans using high pressure

Our “ capacity

increases, customers are happier, and last but not least – the fish are happier

seawater. The rig also cleans the top of the net.

‘Now we can clean and inspect a 157 net in an hour, which is an operation that previously would have taken 15 to 20 minutes more,’ said Viken.

‘But just as important is the confidence we and the customers gain with FNC-8. We have a much better idea of what we are doing with the help of advanced camera systems and sensors.

‘To succeed in a market characterised by tough competition, it’s important to us to invest in stateof-the-art technology that ensures good, simple and safe work operations, and that’s what AKVA Group provides. We are extremely satisfied, and are looking forward to welcoming further FNC-8s.’

Roy Magne Ohren, AKVA regional manger with 18 years’ experience with cleaning systems, said: ‘We’ve already sold ten machines, and have more

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Containment – AKVA

than 60 parties who would like a demonstration, so its reception has been excellent. We’re currently working on increasing our production capacity, and aim to deliver up to 30 FNC-8 units this year.

‘It’s a fairly autonomous machine with several smart features that ensure a great result. All feedback is singularly positive.

‘This is the best cleaning rig the aquaculture industry has ever seen, and I’m certain that it will become the standard for the sector.

‘Everyone working in aquaculture is concerned with delivering quality, and to deliver quality one needs proper equipment. FNC-8 is a tool that eases everyday work for the user, while also ensuring a better result for fish farmers.

It’s a win-win situation.’

The ROV comes over from Norway but a new range of high-flow pumps are developed, designed and built in Inverness. . The increased flow rate means greater cleaning efficiency, suitable for the most de-

Above: AKVA’s seven disc head net cleaner

manding cleaning operations.

Johnson said AKVA is still renting its standard seven disc head net cleaning system, a good option if not as fast as the ROV. It is lower cost, a ‘good work horse’ and widely used in Scotland.

The original AKVA dual head system has also been upgraded to use a belt driven pump, further improving the efficiency and the reliability of the system.

These systems are available for short term rentals.

This means the farmer can off hire them during the winter when there is less growth, or they can use them to boost the cleaning capacity during periods of growth.

Ultimately, the Flying Net Cleaner will also be available for rental but it is early days and for now it can be purchased. FF

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PLANY Disinfection Tarpaulin For all floating installations

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03/04/2017 13:33:58

Containment – Fusion Marine

All in order

New equipment ideally suited to demanding conditions in Northern Isles

F

USION Marine secured a £2 million order from Cooke Aquaculture Scotland last month for the supply of salmon pens and associated equipment for farm sites on Shetland.

The contract for 38 Triton pens – the largest ever single order won by Fusion Marine – will ensure that Cooke Aquaculture Scotland is equipped with the latest containment technology for three of its farm sites on Shetland.

Fusion Marine is currently investing in new staff and production equipment and this latest order will provide an additional boost to the Argyll based company as it continues to grow.

The bulk of the contract (34 pens) is for sites at Balta Isle and North Sandwick on Unst, with a further four pens earmarked for Aith on mainland Shetland.

The order also includes a wide range of associated equipment, including bird net support wheels and sinker tubes.

Fusion Marine engineers will assemble the tough polyethylene constructed pens at Cullivoe on Shetland, from where they will be towed to their final locations in a phased delivery over the coming months.

Iain Forbes of Fusion Marine said: ‘This order is great news for everyone here at Fusion Marine and will also deliver direct economic benefits to Shetland through the development of sustainable and responsibly managed aquaculture.

‘We are pleased that the pens will be assembled on Shetland, which will provide an additional boost to the islands through the development of local supplier networks.

‘This latest order is testimony to the quality of our equipment and the strong partnership we have established with Cooke.’

Colin Blair, managing director of Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, said: ‘We are particularly pleased that we have been able to place these orders with a Scottish manufacturing company.

Above: Fusion Marine ‘It underlines the importance of salmon farming to Scotland’s economy Triton pen in supporting jobs in rural communities and sourcing services locally, when possible.

‘The containment equipment offered by Fusion Marine is ideally suited for the demanding environmental conditions found in the Northern Isles.’

In February, Fusion won a major order from Loch Duart to equip its exposed offshore site at Lochmaddy, North Uist, with 12 Triton 400mm 80m circumference pens.

Good containment is not just about purchasing the best possible equipment, says Fusion Marine, but also ensuring that it is well maintained and regularly upgraded whenever required.

The company has been busy over the last few months completing pen upgrades for a number of its customers. These include adding sinkers to pens for Scottish Sea Farms at its site on Lismore, and for Cooke Aquaculture Scotland in Orkney.

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The Lismore project was aimed at improving net volume in a strong-current environment to ensure optimum quality of the salmon, while the Orkney project was focused on tensioning across the base of the net to discourage seal attacks.

Fish pen upgrades have also recently been carried out for the Scottish Salmon Company at Stronachullin and for Dawnfresh at Braevallich.

According to Stephen Divers, managing director of Fusion Marine, steady progress is being made by both fish famers and suppliers towards complying with the new Scottish Technical Standard by improving the containment of existing infrastructure.

‘From our own perspective, we are continually involved in new development initiatives to enhance containment, especially given the future trend to move to more exposed offshore sites.

‘This has included work to improve the performance of the fish farm pen flotation collar on high energy and exposed sea sites.

‘We have also been developing new sub-surface components for sinker tube systems to minimise abrasion and other net integrity issues whilst meeting the operational needs of the customer.’ FF

are continually “We involved in new

development initiatives… especially given the trend to move to more exposed offshore sites

”

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03/04/2017 15:57:07

All our products are designed to withstand the harsh weather and currents of the North Atlantic, and can be tailor made for your specific needs.

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03/04/2017 13:34:43

Acta Marine – Advertorial

Trusted partner Work boats to support the future of the aquaculture sector

A

CTA Marine is an independent maritime service provider, which is well established in the United Kingsom.The company is a trusted partner to clients worldwide, working on offshore and coastal water projects in the oil and gas, dredging and construction, offshore wind market and, increasingly, the aquaculture market.

Acta Marine works in the aquaculture market with the true belief that fish farming will provide solutions for the food deficit caused by the growing global population.

Established in 1970, Acta Marine is backed up by more than 45 years of experience. At the core of the company is a team of more than 150 dedicated personnel.

Having extensive history and experience in a variety of markets, the team has acquired an extensive skill set that can be put to use in the fish farming market.

As a family owned business, the focus is long-term, building strong relationships with clients.

Within the aquaculture market, Acta Marine saw a growing need for fish farm applications, such as maintenance of nets and materials, deployment of anti-licing installations, and mooring support.

These activities can be performed easily with Acta Marine’s workboats.

They have a minimum deck load of five tonnes/m2 and large deck spaces of up to180m2.

The firm’s larger DP Multicats are even equipped with positioning systems, which make Acta Marine’s vessels cut out for fish farming projects and diverse supporting operations.

From top: Coastal Hunter working at a Scottish fish farm; Acta Marine’s highly skilled personnel performing crane operations; DP Multicat Coastal Chariot with two deck cranes and 180 m2 free deck space.

Since 2014, Acta Marine’s Coastal Hunter and Sara Maatje VIII (respectively, a 2209 Multicat and a 35m long multi-purpose vessel) have been providing fish farming support in Scotland to one of the world’s largest seafood companies .

Coastal Hunter has been extensively used as a mooring support vessel and Sara Maatje VIII has been utilised as a lice treatment vessel.

Acta Marine’s DP Multicats are capable of staying at safe distances (thereby reducing the risk of damage to the fish farms) and several Multicats are installed with two cranes, and therefore are highly effective for net handling duties.

Furthermore, Acta Marine vessels and crews have extensive experience in diving support and offshore construction projects, making them a perfect solution for fish farm related projects.

The company’s extensive fleet of workboats also includes shoalbusters and crew transfer vessels. For further information, please visit our website www.actamarine.com FF

As a family owned “business, the focus is long-term, building strong relationships with clients

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03/04/2017 15:56:05

Nutriad – Advertorial

Improved cocktails Focus on disease prevention through natural feed additives

F

ARMING operations for all major aquaculture species are under threat by disease, be it caused by viral, bacterial and/or parasitic pathogens.

Health promoting feed additives have become a must-have ingredient in many premium brands of functional aquafeeds. However, the success of this approach will depend on the type and efficacy of the health promotor.

Feed additives combining different action mechanisms such as direct bactericide/bacteriostatic properties as well as quorum sensing inhibition properties, Right: Reducing the are most promising to reduce the impact from bacterial diseases. impact of parasites Cocktails of selected phytobiotics, combining anti-parasitic and immune-modulating actions, are able to reduce the impact of parasites on productivity in fish and shrimp.

Nutriad has further geared up its efforts in research and product development for its specialty programme, Aquaculture Health, which includes the product lines for prevention of diseases and parasitic infections, SANACORE®, AQUASTIM®, APEX®, BACTINIL®.

Nutriad’s aqua experts work hand-in-hand with specialised research institutes and producers around the globe, to better understand diseases in aquaculture and develop prevention strategies based on natural feed additives.

Nutriad delivers products and services to more than 80 countries through a network of its own sales offices and distributors. Find out more at www. nutriad.com. FF

experts work hand-in-hand “withAquaspecialised research institutes and producers around the globe ”

Some follow the stream.

Others don’t. www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Nutriad PED.indd 61

At Nutriad, swimming upstream is a way of life. First example: we want to stay small enough to keep a personal relationship with our customers, suppliers and colleagues. Second example: we’re so passionate about our business, we’ll even share our knowledge with you. Because we’re convinced that’s the best way to create solutions for the problems of tomorrow.

Would you like to swim upstream with us? Visit nutriad.com for your local contact.

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03/04/2017 15:52:58

Sea Lice – Norwegian Weather Protection

Norwegian Þrm set for farm trials with new freshwaterbag transport solution

Above: Viking boat from a Norwegian fjord - near Flåm on the west coast

NORWAY, Scotland and the Faroe Islands have set high standards in the fight against sea lice.

‘We all have long traditions as seamen in extremely harsh waters, and this requires courage, good quality equipment and, not least, knowledge of survival at sea’. So says Arne Dalland, General Manager of Norwegian Weather Protection (NWP) Aquaculture.

This legacy has now been deployed in the aquaculture industry, with products tailored to meet NWP’s customers demands.

‘The weather on the coast of Norway, Scotland and the Faroe Islands sets the standard for the high quality of our products’, said Dalland. ‘The knowledge and experience of our sailors, fishermen and craftsmen enable us to create solutions that last’ Norwegian Weather Protection AS is located on the west coast of Norway, 40 minutes by car from Bergen.

With 30 years experience delivering to fish farms, the firm produces high quality products that combine both a flexible and innovative approach to meet clients requirements.

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Above: Arne Dalland, general manager

Above: From the production of a lice skirt

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03/04/2017 15:48:13

ith on

Advertorial

Norwegian local craftmanship - and user knowledge sets the standard for

Lice skirts to the next quality level

NWP Aquaculture have delivered over 900 of our quality liceskirts in 2016, and have now increased our capasity once again.

Our new lice skirt - version «Extra Strong», incorporates significant upgrades, with stronger and smarter solutions based on NWP`s experience and good feedback from the users.

This results in an even stronger skirt that is more efficient to handle, and involves less downtime and lower lice penetration.

NEW - Mounting film, tutorial and service tools Why: To secure quality and better economy for the Seafarms, through efficient procedures.

Our new mounting film is made in cooperation with Marine Harvest and gives an example of a good practice. We also have new user manuals.

If your skirt is damaged we can now offer our new Aqua Tool Bag where you can do quick repairs on site.

Right: Arild - one of the owners and our project manager, with the new Aqua Tool Bag.

Better product - and still the best price Our products are local handcraftship from Norway. The fabric is of the best german quality.

Combined with new technology and efficient productionslines we also manage to have the best price on this high end product.

10 points checklist When purchasing our new lice skirt it can be difficult to choose the most suitable op7on. NWP Aquaculture have now devised a 10-point checklist to make the selec7on easier. FF

NEW - Fresh water pool - «North Edition» Extreme weather conditions and the force of water in movement creates extreme pressure.

NWP`s focus on quality has reached a new level - with our new freshwater pool «North Edition», only the best is good enough when we chose materials and technology.

Please contact us for further information and quotes: Henriette Fennelly - Key account Manager, UK Mob: +47 915 61759 - E-mail: henriette@nwp.as Tor Steinar Olsen - Sales Manager, Faroe Islands Mob: +47 950 27752 - E-mail: tor@nwp.as

AQUACULTURE Phone: +47 56 35 64 00, E-mail: post@nwp.as, www.nwphavbruk.no

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03/04/2017 15:48:43

Research – Sea lice

Shining light on pest

Danish project targets early warning sensor for parasite larvae

BY COLIN LEY

A

N early warning optical sensor which will alert producers to rising sea lice numbers in and around their fish farms is the focus of a major research and development project in Denmark, utilising a laser based detection process which is sensitive enough to distinguish sea lice larvae from other zooplankton.

The development objective is to provide fish farmers with an optical remote sensing system that will be able to measure the abundance, distribution and movement of larval sea lice, long before they start to attach to the fish or become a production problem.

Based on a prototype built at the Lund University Laser Centre, Sweden, the new system is currently being studied as part of a PhD research programme hosted by FaunaPhotonics, a start-up innovation company based in Copenhagen.

The first task is to explore how efficient the system is at distinguishing sea lice from other items in the water column, under laboratory conditions, after which research attention will switch to testing the system in a sea environment.

‘The prototype works by shining a laser beam into the water column,’ said FaunaPhotonics researcher, Josefine Holm Nielsen.

‘When something swims or floats through the beam, light is scattered backwards where it is detected by a camera.

‘Based on the signatures in the scattered light signal, information can be obtained about the item concerned, such as its size, composition and speed of movement.’

The system is already capable of distinguishing single zooplankton down to the size of just a few millimetres. The ultimate challenge will be to apply the same technology to the tracking of sea lice larvae within a commercial farm setting.

It could “also be

useful in assessing evidence of the potential resistance of lice towards the products which are currently being used

”

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‘When plankton breaks the laser beam, the scatter light signal which results is used by the camera to identify what size of plankton is involved, while also assessing its movement and behaviour,’ said Nielsen.

‘Other optical properties, such as fluorescence, which is induced in the plankton by the laser light, are also detected, along with a recognition of such factors as how far away from the camera the plankton was when the beam was broken.

‘By constructing a detailed species-specific signature for sea lice larvae, therefore, we will be able to alert producers whenever a build-up of larval activity starts to appear, without the risk that the camera may be confusing what it’s seeing in relation to other aquatic organisms.’

In preparing for the eventual commercialisation of the development, FaunaPhotonics is also exploring the potential for the laser based system to be equipped so that farmers will be able to monitor other changes which may be happening in and around their production cages.

‘In addition to detecting rising sea lice numbers, the system also has the potential to contribute to other research based applications, hopefully adding significantly to our core understanding of sea lice behaviour,’ said Nielsen.

‘We might, for example, be able to investigate the different patterns of lice distribution which exist around fish farms, allowing the industry to validate current mathematical models concerning the spread of lice to wild populations or their vertical movement in the water column.

‘The more knowledge we’re able to gain through improved monitoring, the more opportunities will be created to allow sea lice to be kept physically separate from farm fish populations.

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Shining light on pest

Above: Researcher Josefine Holm Nielsen.

Opposite page: How the sensor works

‘In that context, being able to track larval sea lice in real time will be a big advantage in investigating the efficiency of new control treatments.

‘It could also be useful in assessing evidence of the potential resistance of lice towards the products which are currently being used in preventive treatments.’

Asked, in addition, to assess the competitive uniqueness of the current project, Nielson said: ‘One of the reasons for pursuing this project is that we see a lack of methods which are capable of measuring larval sea lice activity within the water column, especially in real time.

‘Existing methods tend to be limited to

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measuring larval sea lice via water samples, an approach which requires the subsequent investigation of any plankton which are found through manual examination under microscope.’

The sensor research and development programme is part of a threeyear industrial PhD project which is due to run until 2019.

Headed by Nielsen and hosted by FaunaPhotonics, the work also has the backing of two departments of the Technical University of Denmark, namely the Department of Photonics Engineering and the National Institute of Aquatic Resources, as well as input from Oslo based Norsk Elektro Optikk, a specialist developer and manufacturer of electro optical products.

The laser prototype on which the sea lice project is based was originally developed at the Lund University Laser Centre by Mikkel Brydegaard Sørensen, co-founder of FaunaPhotonics.

Financial support for the current development is being provided by Innovation Fund Denmark. FF

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03/04/2017 15:46:38

Fish Vet Society Conference – Sea lice

Putting fish first From lasers to mechanical de-licers, innovators explain latest pest controls

A

SPECIAL session at the Fish Vet Society Spring Conference, held in Edinburgh from March 28-29, addressed non-therapeutic sea lice controls, with talks from some of the leading innovators in the industry.

The conference was organised by Matthijs Metselaar, product development officer at Benchmark Animal Health, who described it as a ‘friendly get-together between researchers and industry practitioners, where pressing issues can be discussed in a manner that allows for effective application of the latest science in the field’.

Keeping to this brief, John Breivik of Stingray Marine Solutions gave an update on the lice-busting laser – or ‘technological cleaner fish’ as he calls it – first launched in 2014 and now deployed in sea pens along the coast of Norway and at several Scottish sites.

The laser’s advantages – the ‘node’ can be moved to where the fish are (like cleaner fish), it has a four-year life span and works in all weather – are well documented, but the system is constantly being improved, said Breivik.

It uses cameras and image recognition software that enables it to detect sea lice as the salmon swim by a ‘node’ placed in the pen. Once zapped by the laser’s beam, the lice coagulate, ‘like putting a raw egg in a frying pan’, said Breivik.

A picture is taken every time a lice is destroyed, building up a databank that ‘trains’ the system to be more accurate. Some 400 million laser pulses have been fired to date, with zero damage to the fish, said Breivik.

The next development by Stingray is area treatment, which will aim to blast clusters rather than single lice, and at smaller stages, perhaps less than 1mm.

Up to 15 lice have reportedly been killed by one single laser shot.

Breivik said the laser has three effects: sea lice treatments are avoided altogether; or they are delayed; and the overall lice pressure in a region is reduced.

Eliminating or cutting down on other treatments improves the performance of the fish – and, in fact, the main idea behind the laser was to be able to leave the fish untouched until harvest.

Asked if fish like the laser and are attracted to it, Breivik said, rather like cleaner fish, ‘we’ll start to see more and more fish coming towards the laser’.

There are currently 100 units deployed in Norway and 12 in Shetland, and by the end of 2017 he predicted there would be 250 in operation, in Norway and Scotland.

Tore Laastad of Steinsvik discussed the latest results with the Thermolicer,

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Above: Delegates at the Fish Vet Society Annual Conference in Edinburgh

which has been developed over the past decade after it was discovered that heated water makes sea lice fall off fish.

Lice are very sensitive to temperature changes and only 30 seconds in a Thermolicer is effective. Clearance rates of 100 per cent have been achieved, but it depends of ‘getting the system right’; if Steinsvik people are on site there are no accidents, said Laastad, referring to recent incidents with the machine which have resulted in high mortalities.

Over the last year, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fish had been treated, with lower temperatures used in winter and a maximum temperature of 34 degrees.

Although there were issues that needed to be resolved – ‘we want to reduce the crowding and pumping time as this is stressful for the fish’, said Laastad – the Thermolicer has produced beneficial side effects, other than lice removal.

For instance, Thermoliced fish are slimier, with a higher mucus cell density up to two weeks after treatment. Lasstad said they did trials with Quantidoc, a company that has devised a method of mucosal mapping, and were ‘pleased with the results’.

Steinsvik is now developing a Thermolicer vessel that Laastad said should go into production before the summer. This will have two lines with a capacity of 300 tonnes an hour compared to around 80 tonnes with the current machine; the diameter of the pipes will be increased to 20in and the vacuum tanks will be gentler on the fish.

Simple things, such as the pipe that returns the fish to the pens, could be improved so that the salmon are less crowded and don’t bump

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Putting fish first

into each other.

Asked whether lice could develop heat resistance to the Thermolicer, Laastad said he thought this was unlikely, though ‘lice are tricky little creatures’, and they are planning to test the machine with higher temperatures.

He was also asked whether there had been tests combining the Thermolicer with freshwater treatments and he agreed this might have an effect but had yet to be investigated thoroughly – ‘it’s like believing in Santa Claus, too good to be true, but come back in a year!’

However, research so far suggested there might be slightly higher efficiency when freshwater is added than when just saltwater is used.

There are two Thermolicers operating in Scotland and 32 in Norway at present, and one in Chile too.

The Hydrolicer is another commercially available mechanical treatment for sea lice and Hans Martin Flasnes told the conference about its advantages.

The system, developed and funded by Marine Harvest, was launched last year and operated under a dispensation. In December it was officially approved for commercial use after tests on fish welfare.

The water flushing system, currently available with up to six lines, is fitted to a barge and has the capacity to delouse up to 200 tonnes of fish an hour.

As of December 2016, there were 52 lines in operation in Norway and Scotland, said Flasnes, and 18 more on order, from the Faroes, Scotland and Norway. One is also going to British Columbia on a well boat.

The Hydrolicer pumps fish aboard with an Aqualife pump and removes lice in a closed water column, ‘lifting off’ the parasites from fish up to 5kg, although tests are underway with bigger pipes and pumps to treat fish of 7-8kg.

Mortality rates are notably low, under 0.4 per cent, and the company claims efficiency between 80 and 100 per cent. The feed response after treatment is 50 per cent on the first day, said Flasnes, then it’s back to normal.

The system is sold with a training package and there is a big emphasis on support training – ‘we want operators to be well trained before they use our product so we have control of the whole system’.

The Hydrolicer can be used to treat fish every 14 days and Flasnes said there is not much scale loss as a result of treatment.

The SkaMik system was explained by Ian Armstrong of Nevis Marine in the absence of its UK distributor Johnson Marine.

A two-stage flushing machine, the 1.0 model was first developed in 2014 and there are now 15 in operation. Fish are pumped aboard with either Strada or Seaflo pumps, and soft brushes, made of nylon, treat each salmon individually.

The lice are collected and destroyed and a Steiner drum filter processes the wa-

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want operators to be well trained “Webefore they use our product ”

ter. An average of around 70 per cent adult female lice were removed in tests on a farm in Norway but the company claims 90 per cent removal is possible.

An improved model, the 1.5, is now being deployed in Norway by Leroy, with better water distribution and flushing chamber design.

Leroy has reported improved fish health and better appearance with the upgraded SkaMik system, which is still undergoing ‘tweaking’, Armstrong reported.

The final speaker in this session, Felix Scholz of the Fish Vet Group in Ireland, shared the results of his work with lumpsuckers, a biological method of sea lice control.

Lumpsuckers are stocked in sea pens at densities of between 10 and 25 per cent and current demand is for more than 50 million fish a year. Their popularity can be attributed to their cost effectiveness and their efficiency as lice eaters.

In fact, said Scholz, lice are not enough to sustain lumpsuckers’ appetites and are regarded as a ‘snack’ on top of other feed. As many as 200 sea lice have been found in the stomach of one lumpfish.

Well adapted to cold water, they still feed at 4 degrees C and are therefore well suited to northern climes.

They are easier to farm than wrasse but have high mortality levels, being vulnerable to diseases such as typical and atypical furunculosis (the latter a ‘huge problem’ for wrasse and lumpfish), and AGD - the only disease transmittable between salmon and lumpfish and responsible for much mortality in Ireland last year, said Scholz. Unlike wrasse, lumpfish can be given freshwater treatments for AGD. Mortality is most likely either a few weeks after sea transfer or a few months down the line, but there is still much to be discovered about the species.

‘There is no real guidance’ at the moment but husbandry has a high impact on lumpfish survival. Disease monitoring needs to be improved, vaccines are needed, as is reference material. We need to develop effective treatments at sea,’ said Scholz, but he added that in-feed treatments were impossible because the salmon would eat these.

The conference was sponsored by Benchmark Animal Health, Aqua Pharma, Elanco, SAIC, Pharmaq, Merk, Pulcea and Europharma. FF

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03/04/2017 15:42:50

Fish Vet Society Conference – Welfare

Handle with care Emerging technologies present new potential hazards

F

FARMERS used to try not to touch stocks after transfer to sea until they were ready to harvest because handling fish can cause stress and trigger disease, said Dr Marian McLoughlin of the Fish Vet Group.

But some emerging problems and new technologies have resulted in increased handling, she said in a talk about potential injuries associated with pumping, grading, netting, crowding, de-licing, bath treatments, well boats, transport, and vaccination, and with pen furniture.

The industry should try to minimise these impacts because ‘we have to control the things we can control because there are so many things we can’t’. Farmers must ensure equipment is fit for purpose and has been inspected, so that it does not damage fish.

Physical damage can mean anything from loss of mucus and scales, blood loss and secondary bacterial infections, to deformities and death.

Netting and crowding can also cause damage if there is over-crowding and should be set up to allow the operation to be conducted as quickly as possible.

Cleaner fish, too, can be easily damaged, with wild caught fish vulnerable during capture and transport.

McLoughlin also discussed damage associated with pen furniture such as ropes, feeding pipes and nozzles, cleaner fish hides and bird net supports. Regarding the latter, she said vets’ observations showed there were twice as many concussions with ‘hamster wheel’ supports as with ‘top hats’.

Concussion mortalities increased when fish were 200-250g, peaking at around 400-500g, then decreasing as fish became more able to withstand impacts.

McLoughlin said there were still many unknowns in injuries associated with handling and pen furniture and problems tended to be under diagnosed.

She addressed the increase in mechanical lice control measures – outlined earlier at the conference – and pointed out that hydrolicers were around in the early 90s but abandoned because they were harming the fish.

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‘I’m very impressed by the efforts to improve the designs but the more complicated the equipment, the more likely that things can go wrong,’ she said.

The removal of mucus and extensive descaling after mechanical lice removal needed to be ameliorated, and McLoughlin welcomed the system of mucosal mapping pioneered

by Karin Pittman and also highlighted by Tore Laastad of Steinsvik, maker of the Thermolicer.

‘New technology needs time to be evaluated regarding its impact on the fish.’

Looking at damage associated with melanisation, she said miss vaccination was very rare nowadays, as farmers presented vaccinators with well graded fish.

However, there have been problems in Scotland and in Norway with the melanisation of the peritoneum of fish at harvest, causing quality stock to be downgraded.

Looking at linear lesions, the right side of the fish studied was more affected and there were more lesions in the anterior and mid part of the body. Her theory, still to be tested, is that this damage could be caused during vaccination, either by the effect of needle protectors or by thumb marks.

In conclusion, McLoughlin emphasised the necessity of carrying out full risk assessments on all farm operations and trying to reduce the number of handling incidents. The most important aspect, though, was trained staff. FF

The more “complicated the equipment, the more likely that things can go wrong

”

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03/04/2017 15:43:24

Fish Vet Society Conference – Students

Poster plaudit ‘Novel’ project on eye condition inspires judges

O

NE of the key objectives of the Fish Vet Society Conference was to ‘to encourage the brightest and best veterinarian students to enter our young industry’, said Matthijs Metselaar.

Aided by the event’s sponsors, ten students were sponsored to come and present posters to the conference- one from Aberdeen, one from Bristol and eight from Stirling – with a prize awarded to the best poster.

This year’s winner was Bryony Chetwynd-Glover from Bristol, who was given a second edition of Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment by Edward J. Noga.

Her poster on Teleost Ocular Anatomy and Exophthalmos was described by the judges as novel and inspiring. The poster described the anatomy and background to the pathology of this eye condition, and the link with gas bobble disease made her work very applicable for the fish vets in the audience.

The students had also been asked to present a preview during the conference dinner, to introduce their posters, and this, many guests agreed, turned out to be the highlight of the evening’s entertainment.

Bryony’s abstract: Teleost Ocular Anatomy and Exophthalmos The ocular anatomy of teleosts is very similar to that found in other vertebrate animals. There are several key differences that exist between teleosts, terrestrial species and elasmobranchs that are important for the fish farmer or veterinarian to acknowledge when assessing the ocular and general health of the teleost.

Colloquially known as ‘Popeye’, exophthalmos is a symptom seen in both wild caught and captive populations of teleosts. Being multifactorial, Popeye is known to be associated with infectious agents, species, environmental and nutritional derailments (Andrews et al, 2002) or pathology such as cataracts or sepsis (Mayer, 2004).

Stephens et al found evidence to suggest that increases in both exercise and water temperature (>25.0⁰ C) could be important risk factors for the development of exophthalmos in West Australian dhurfish, Glaucosoma hebracium, a common commercial and game fish in that region.

Whitaker (2001) describes that unique to all teleost fish possessing a pseudobranch, is the presence of a choroid gland. The choroid gland sits within the posterior choroid and is centred around the optic nerve.

It is an area of dense vasculature speculated to supply the retina with nutrients, oxygen and other gasses and has been linked to the ocular condition ‘Gas Bubble Disease’. In GBD the presence of gas bubbles in periocular and intraocular tissues is often visible alongside marked exophthalmia.

Although not fully understood, it is thought to be caused by the supersaturation of water with gasses, most commonly oxygen, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, and is tenuously linked to the presence of the pseudobranch.

Diagnosis is based upon clinical signs and the presence of bubbles on fin and gill clips under microscopic preparation. The condition is most commonly seen in recently caught marine teleost species, particularly those with large eyes like squirrelfish, Holocentridae.

Treatment options include agitation of tank water to remove excess gas, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors to reduce intraocular pressure and surgical removal of the pseudobranch.

The accumulation of gas in ocular structures has also been linked to the presence of gas producing bacteria.

Careful taps of affected structures can be taken and sent for culture, this action can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. Infectious aetiologies of exoph-

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Vet Conference.indd 69

A key objective is to encourage the “ brightest and best veterinarian students to enter our young industry ”

thalmia include Vibrio, Staphylococcus, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas (Whitaker, 2001) and acid-fast bacteria such as Mycobacterium or Nocardia (Andrews et al., 2002.)

Proliferative Kidney Disease is caused by Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, a myxoxoan parasite, and is one of the biggest parasitic diseases facing salmonid populations throughout Europe and Above: Matthijs Metselaar North America. Clifton-Hadley et al (1987) describe presents poster winner the condition to be characterised by exophthalmia Bryony Chetwyndand abdominal distention accompanied with pale Glover with her prize. gills, splenomegaly and renomegaly.

Exophthalmos can be unilateral or bilateral and identifying which can aid diagnosis and highlight possible aetiologies.

The presence of bilateral exophthalmos often indicates systemic disease or problems with the aquatic environment, whereas unilateral exophthalmos tends to result from localised pathology, like a space occupying lesion or localised infection.

A lot of information can be gathered from assessing ocular health by both fish farmer or veterinarian and should always be included in any clinical work up. FF

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03/04/2017 15:44:00

Fish Vet Society Conference – Welfare

Crustacean

cruelty

Campaign to categorise decapods with other ‘sentient’ animals

D

O crustaceans feel pain? This was the basis for a talk by Maisie Tomlinson of an organisation called Crustacean Compassion, set up to deliver better ‘human’ rights to decapods.

Tomlinson said crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and crayfish were not covered under the current animal welfare act and therefore the RSPCA had no grounds to prosecute in incidents of crustacean cruelty.

She gave examples of crabs that had been shrink wrapped live, and lobsters stabbed in the head and then boiled alive by top chefs.

‘It can take up to three minutes to die in boiling water,’ said Tomlinson.

‘But even top chefs don’t know what they’re doing because there are no official guidelines.’

Below: Maisie Tomlinson of Crustacean Compassion makes her case.

top chefs don’t know what they’re doing “Even because there are no official guidelines ”

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Vet Conference.indd 70

Although decapods are protected under law in Norway, Switzerland. Australia, New Zealand, and in parts of Germany and Italy, the Animal Welfare Act (2005) in the UK decided they were ‘on the cusp’ and the evidence that they could feel pain was too thin, said Tomlinson.

However, she said there was research that showed – as far as is possible – that these creatures can experience pain and distress.

A study conducted by Queen’s University in Belfast between 2008 and 2016 – the shore crab shock experiment – illustrated how crabs remembered their experiences. Tomlinson also cited the work by Lynne Sneddon, who has been instrumental in identifying the criteria for animal, including fish, pain.

The treatment of crabs and other crustaceans would be considered outrageous if metered out to vertebrates, said Tomlinson, yet the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) hasn’t even conducted an assessment of the sentiency of decapod crustaceans.

The UK fisheries minister, George Eustice, said in 2016 that the evidence on whether crustaceans feel pain isn’t conclusive but, as Tomlinson said, the Animal Welfare Act doesn’t require evidence to be conclusive as this is impossible to establish with any animals.

Crustacean Compassion, launched just a few weeks ago, asked the vets present at the conference to speak out on the issue. Changing the law to incorporate crustaceans would not need huge infrastructure changes or cause great inconvenience in the food chain, and relatively straightforward guidelines could govern the humane slaughter of these animals, said Tomlinson.

She argued her case persuasively to an audience mostly made up of vets and industry professionals whose overriding priority at the moment is to destroy a crustacean – the sea louse! FF

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03/04/2017 15:44:24

FishMagazine Farmer SUBSCRIBE NOW! Fish FarmerFish Farmer VOLUME 39

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s the salmon industry becomes more consolidated, and vertically integrated, wellboats are now being used routinely for a variety of essential tasks that help with the efficient running of salmon farms. Custom designed, wellboats are used to transfer smolts to sea water sites, to grade fish, transfer fish between seawater sites and to carry fish to harvest. Wellboats are also sometimes used to carry out bath treatments for sea lice.

16

dead-haul of fish to processing plants should be treated on-shore; that all water should be filtered prior to discharge into the sea; and that of wellboat transport water be proposed as a priority for the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

For their part, the wellboat manufacturers are already working hard to address these issues, and the modern wellboat is a technically sophisticated piece of kit, with a number of features that address issues of biosecurity. For

There are a number of risks associated with the use of wellboats, in particular the transfer of pathogens to live fish within the wellboat, and into the sea as a result of discharging potentially infected water. In Scotland, these issues have been acknowledged with the establishment of the Wellboat Technical Standards Working Group in 2013. Amongst its recommendations include: that all marine vessels should log and record their position and the status of their valves; that all water from

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example, Sølvtrans, the world leading company within transport of live salmon uses a closed valves system, ensuring that when they transport live fish, no water is loaded or discharged to the sea during transportation or unloading.

Its new vessels are also equipped with lice filters with 150 μ for circulated water, which collect lice and other organic materials from the water, minimising the risk of any transported fish being contaminated by diseases, infection, sea lice etc from the nearby fish farms. FF

17

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Under control

Norway – Research Council

“

The environment is more stable and the fish use less energy adapting to it

Under control

Above: Project participants at the centre’s opening. Right: CtrlAQUA scientists.

Photos by Terje Aamodt/Nofima.

Joint approach between scientists and industry to address challenges of closed-containment systems

F

our Norwegian research institutions, two outside Norway and several industry partners from technology and the aquaculture industry have started operations at a centre for innovation in closed-containment systems.

The centre, CtrlAQUA, has been given NOK 200 million and eight years to reach its goal of making closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram.

Innovations in closed-containment, where the salmon is separated from the outside environment by a tight barrier, can be important for the further development of the industry,

001_ff03.indd 4

helping to address challenges such as sea lice, diseases and escapes, as well as reduce production times.

Closed systems can be land-based, where water is recycled, or sea-based, in which large floating tanks receive clean water from depth.

In CtrlAQUA, the research will deal with both approaches.

The main focus of the centre is innovation in closed-containment systems for the most vulnerable periods of the salmon production cycle, such as the first sea water, post-smolt, phase.

The centre will also contribute to better production control, fish welfare and sustainability

32

in closed-containment farms. This will happen through the development of new and reliable sensors, minimising environmental impact through recycling of nutrients and reducing the risk of escape, and diseases transmission to wild stocks.

Senior scientist Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, from Nofima, who is the director of the centre, said that closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram have further advantages than simply preventing lice and escapes.

‘We can control the environment in which the fish lives in a closed-containment system.

The environment is more stable and the fish

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use less energy adapting to it. This means that the salmon has more energy available for growth and good health.’

Closed systems for strategic phases in salmon farming can help to make the Norwegian vision of an eight-fold growth in value creation from aquaculture possible, and lead to an increased number of jobs and the production of healthy seafood.

In the centre there will be three departments: technology and environment, led by Dr Fyhn Terjesen; preventative fish health, led by Harald Takle, also from Nofima; and fish production and welfare, led by Lars Ebbesson of Uni Research.

CtrlAQUA is one of 17 Centres for Research-Based Innovation (SFI), a major programme created by the Research Council of Norway.

The primary goal of the SFI programme is to strengthen companies’ capacity for innovation, and to develop leading industry relevant research.

Nofima is accompanied by five solid institutions in CtrlAQUA: Uni Research, the University of Bergen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Freshwater Institute in the US and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The University of Bergen will have principal responsibility for research education at the centre. The total budget for CtrlAQUA will be

”

NOK 196 million, spread over eight years.

Industrial partners from the supplier industry are Krüger Kaldnes AS, Pharmaq Analytiq, Pharmaq AS, Oslofjord Ressurspark AS, Storvik Aqua AS and Aquafarm Equipment AS. Participants from the aquaculture industry are Marine Harvest ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA, Lerøy Vest AS, Cermaq Norway AS, Bremnes Seashore AS, Smøla klekkeri og settefiskanlegg AS, Marine producers Norway AS and Firda sjøfarmer AS. The formal opening by the Research Council took place at the end of May at Nofima, Sunndalsøra. Norwegian fisheries minister Elisabeth Aspaker, present at the ceremony, said the goal of the CtrlAQUA SFI is perfectly compatible with the government’s ambitions for the aquaculture industry.

‘I have great expectations for the achievements of CtrlAQUA. Even though eight years is a long time, it is urgent that we find solutions to reach the goals. CtrlAQUA is an important part of this.’

The director of innovation in the Research Council, Eirik Normann, presented the SFI plaque to Fyhn Terjesen, saying: ‘You have put together a very strong consortium. I want to point out that the committee that evaluated the application was fascinated by the innovation that the concept brings with it, and it believes that the centre will probably produce important innovations within aquaculture.’ FF

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NOFIMA FACTS With 360 employees and customers from 49 different countries, Nofima’s turnover in 2014 was £527 million The company is currently engaged in 620 projects worldwide.

Nofima has several laboratories and pilot plants, which it uses for research, including: BioLab – an accredited contract and research laboratory; NAMAB – a flexible minifactory; and Patogen Pilot Plant – Europe’s first highsecurity production hall.

Nofima carries out research for the fisheries, aquaculture and food industries, including: breeding and genetics; capture-based aquaculture; fish health; and consumer and sensory sciences.

Each year Nofima organises several symposia, courses and seminars in which its scientists share their expertise.

33

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03/04/2017 15:37:28

Processing News

Japanese giant buys key UK processor The global Japanese fishing company Nippon Suisan Kasha (Nissui) has announced that its European arm is to buy Sealord Caistor, one of the most important fish processing centres in the UK. established in the Suisan (Europe), a UK at its Lincolnshire 100 per cent subsite in Caistor since sidiary of Nissui, 1996 and has recently has entered into an Highly agreement to acquire opened a new fish processing facility at all shares of Sealord prized its existing Caistor Caistor from Sealord site.

(Europe), which is a Sealord Caistor Sealord Caistor 100 per cent subsidisupplies fresh and ary of Sealord Group.’ began processing at processed seafood to its new £3.2 million Sealord Caistor will Waitrose plant in Lincolnshire be renamed Caistor in January 2007, emSeafoods after the ploying an additional acquisition.

‘Sealord Caistor sup- 40 personnel to bring fifth member of the the total workforce plies fresh and proGrimsby Traditional to 200. cessed seafood to the Fish Smokers Group, The plant was British supermarket allowing it to proudly chain Waitrose, which officially opened by display the logo of Jonathan Hunt, the prides itself on the the Protected Geothen New Zealand quality, sustainability companies, including and traceability of the High Commissioner to graphical Indication.

The Lincolnshire Sealord utilises the Britain, at the end of Young’s, have looked products it sells.’ site is just 12 miles traditional smokeApril 2007.

Sealord Caistor at acquiring the busifrom Grimsby and is Sealord Caistor sup- houses of Keith Grais currently the UK ness in the past. the main white fish plies all of Waitrose’s ham Ltd to produce arm of Sealord New The deal also gives seafood producer for white fish stocks and its authentic product. the high end Waitrose the Japanese group a Zealand, which is helped the supermar- Much of the fish a fish processing strategically imporsupermarket group, processed is flown in concern jointly owned ket win the Seafood tant foothold in the where it employs at directly from ReykjaRetailer of the Year by the Maori people UK seafood processleast 200 people. vik in Iceland almost Award in 2007.

(Aotearoa FisherAs such it is a highly ing business. every day within two In October 2010, ies) and Nissui. The Nissui said in a prized site and it is days of being caught.

Sealord became the company has been statement: ‘Nippon believed that other

Birds Eye owner plans further growth

“

”

Iceland firm in processing cutback HB Grandi, Iceland’s second largest fishing company, has announced that it plans to end groundfish (cod, haddock) processing at its Akranes plant on the south west coast of the country. Some job losses could be on the cards, although the company has not yet confirmed this.

With a population of little more than 6,500 people, any impact on jobs at this small port 30 miles from Reykjavik is bound to be felt by the community.

HB Grandi said in a statement that it had entered into talks with union representatives regarding this and the effect it may have for employees.

With a staff of 270 people,

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Processing News.indd 72

this modern factory is a major employer in Akranes. It is thought that just over 90 people are involved in groundfish processing.

HB Grandi’s operations in Akranes include, in addition to the groundfish processing plant, a vessel repair workshop, a fishmeal plant and a capelin processing plant, as well as the subsidiaries Norðanfiskur and Vignir G Jónsson.

On the plus side, the company said it intends to further develop these aspects and to strengthen its operation in Akranes.

The statement added: ‘At present, there are neither port facilities nor facilities in Akranes to process all groundfish catches from the fresh fish trawlers of HB Grandi.

‘The representatives of the company have however been engaged in negotiations with Akranes local authorities regarding possible changes in this respect.’

During the recent fishermen’s strike the company was praised for keeping its processing workers in work and on basic pay during the 10-weeklong stoppage when fish supplies dried up. It put them on training courses instead.

NOMAD Foods, the US company which owns the Birds Eye brand in the UK and the Findus brand in large parts of Europe, has indicated that it hopes to make further acquisitions this year.

Commenting on the company’s 2016 performance, CEO Stéfan Descheemaeker said that the year had marked an important milestone for the business.

‘We made meaningful progress against our objectives, stabilising sales by progressively slowing down the rate of decline in the top line through the execution of our ‘Must Win Battles’ strategy, delivering on our synergy from the Findus acquisition, and thirdly by generating a strong cash flow to drive our consolidation within the global food industry.’

He added that this had put Nomad in a position to consider ‘strategic acquisitions in 2017 and beyond’.

Noam Gottesman, Nomad Foods’ co-chairman and founder, said: ‘We delivered growth in our core portfolio during 4Q 2016 and will stabilise our topline during 1Q 2017.’

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03/04/2017 15:34:25

Processing News

Ishida demonstrates seafood solutions ISHIDA Europe will demonstrate its comprehensive range of weighing, packing and quality control equipment for the fish industry in Brussels this month.

Highlights will include the company’s recently introduced X-ray inspection system, revolutionary Airscan leak detector, advanced grading system and unique screwfeeder weigher.

Ishida says its new IX series X-ray range offers customers easy maintenance and stress-free operation, and a robust fail safe system that prevents a contaminated product reaching the consumer, thereby minimising the potential for costly recalls.

The Ishida IXEN-4093 is aimed at manufacturers requiring an affordable but accurate entry level inspection solution, ‘with a reliable machine that balances sensitivity with minimal operating costs to deliver an excellent return on investment’.

The IX-EN-4093 incorporates Ishida’s unique Genetic Algorithm (GA) image processing function that delivers superior inspection sensitivity.

Additional benefits include the identification of damaged and missing products or components.

Also on the stand at Seafood Expo Global, will be the new Ishida AirScan, which minimises spoilage

Above: The company’s recently introduced X-ray inspection system

in a wide variety of pre-packed retail fish products where CO2 is used as part of the MAP process.

It uses advanced laser technology to identify leaks of CO2 from holes as small as 0.25mm in sealed MAP packs at speeds of up to 180 packs per

minute, ensuring that maximum quality can be achieved without compromising on high throughput speeds and minimum packing time.

The eight-station Flexgrader uses Ishida’s weighing system to provide a high speed operation with

‘excellent accuracy’ that is able to grade product to a variety of different specifications.

Grading can be carried out to specified weights, minimum weight or number per pack, perfect for seafood applications. It can also deliver target

batching with tolerances and priorities.

Developed specifically for sticky products such as fish which are traditionally difficult to move efficiently through an automated weighing system, the 14-head Ishida screw feeder weigher incorporates unique rotating corkscrews to provide a powerful, controlled and fully automatic product feed to the pool and weigh hoppers.

The company says its entry level semi-automatic QX-300-Flex tray sealer is ideal for low volume production runs or for new product development.

Seafood Expo Global in Brussels runs from April 25-27.

Saucy Fish message reaches millions a month BARELY a month after launching a new frozen range in more than 550 Sainsbury’s stores across Britain, the Grimsby based Saucy Fish Company says its ‘Frozen Just got Cooler’ digital campaign has already reached 13 million consumers.

It maintains that video plays a

big part in the digital activity, especially across social media, with the brand’s frozen video content racking up in excess of 600,000 views just half way through the campaign.

In a move to make frozen fish cooler, the UK’s first and only fish CoolBrand has teamed up with Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube to create a series of five recipe videos, using Saucy’s five new frozen products.

The latest instalment, which is now live on Food Tube, features the Saucy Sea Bass with

Salsa Verde. The video received 150,000 views across social channels in just three days, said the firm.

Paid media activity around frozen has also reached in excess of 12 million people, with an interest in food, from across the UK. Last year, the Saucy Fish Co was named the number one Global Seafood Brand, judged against 19 other leading international seafood brands.

Anne Laudage, the company’s brand manager, said: ‘We’re thrilled with how well the new

Saucy frozen range has been received and initial results are extremely positive.

‘Our ‘Frozen Just Got Cooler’ digital campaign set out to inspire a new generation of shoppers, catching them online through captivating content.

‘This year has already been a great year for the Saucy Fish Co, not only with the UK frozen launch but also internationally as we continue to grow the brand overseas.’

The company is based in Grimsby and employs 1,400 people.

More North American success THE Saucy Fish Company has just secured two further North American listings for its new frozen range, with US based Meijer and Fortinos in Canada.

The announcement was made just before the opening of last month’s Seafood Expo North America in

Boston.

In a string of new listings, the brand announced recently that its popular Ready to Eat range is now available at both Hannaford and Mariano’s in the US. Now come two more.

Loblaws-owned Fortinos stock four frozen Saucy Fish products in

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all 23 of its stores in Ontario, Canada.

The frozen range includes: Atlantic Salmon with Chilli, Lime and Ginger Dressing, Herb Crusted Atlantic Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce, Smoked Haddock with Aged Cheddar & Chive Sauce and Tilapia with Salsa Verde.

The family owned retailer Meijer will list three of Saucy’s frozen fish and sauce products, including brand new Tilapia with Korean BBQ Sauce, which has been exclusively developed for the US market, following research into upcoming flavour trends.

Selected products

from the frozen range has been available in 230 supermarket and hypermarket stores across the midwestern

region, since March.

Foodservice award for its Frozen Open Blue Cobia Fillet.

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03/04/2017 15:34:45

Markets & Retail News

Hot smoked salmon top of the class SCHOOL children taking part in a sensory test of Scottish salmon favourites voted overwhelmingly for hot smoked salmon as their number one choice.

Three-quarters of the S2 class from Perth High School gave hot smoked salmon full marks, crediting its unique flaky texture and delicious taste for giving it the edge.

Only three picked poached salmon as their preferred way to eat the UK’s favourite fish and the remaining two chose the traditional taste and texture of cold smoked salmon.

Speaking on behalf of the class, teacher Kathryn Barnet said: ‘This has been a fantastic opportunity for pupils to engage with industry experts and to make links between science and home economics.

‘Their favoured recipes for serving

Above: Children liked the flaky texture of hot smoked salmon

salmon were in stirfries and pasta. The boys in particular really enjoyed the tasting session, with five of them gobbling up extra portions.

‘I overheard some pupils saying that they don’t like salmon but they were soon converted when they tried hot smoked salmon.

‘One pupil is planning to use hot

Fantastic opportunity boys in particular “The really enjoyed the tasting session ”

smoked salmon as a substitute ingredient the next time they make spaghetti carbonara.’

The tasting session followed an industry presentation to explain the increasing role aquaculture has in producing a healthy, sustainable food for a growing population.

Dr Iain Berrill, research and data

manager at the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO), gave a talk on the history of salmon farming and explained how science and innovation have evolved as the industry has developed.

Dr Berrill highlighted the importance of working sustainably to secure the future supply of salmon, which is Scotland’s number one food export, for generations to come.

The learning event was designed to educate pupils about the salmon industry, sustainable sources of food and the importance of omega-3 in the body, and combines the STEM and Seafood in Schools school projects.

The next step for the pupils is to develop their knowledge of omega-3 and potentially visit a salmon farm in the north west of Scotland.

Thai company buys UK seafood supplier THAI based CPF Investment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF), has agreed a £60 million deal to purchase the UK seafood and meat supplier Westbridge Foods Group.

Based in Malvern, Westbridge supplies a range of poultry and fish products, including shrimp, tilapia and pollack to the food service sector. CPF, or CP Foods as it is better known, said the acquisition would allow it to expand its distribution network in Britain.

Westbridge’s product range was also in line with that of CPF.

Scottish seafood restaurant changes hands

ONE of Scotland’s best known fish restaurants has changed hands. The Seafood Restaurant, which looks out to sea at St Andrews, has been acquired by 22-year-old Stefano Pieraccini, who was recently a marketing and commercial management graduate.

Above: Seafood in St True to his Italian heritage, he has now renamed the distinctive glass Andrews building, the Seafood Ristorante. He plans to continue selling freshly sourced local seafood but with an Italian flair.

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Pieraccini, whose family is well established in the restaurant and hotel business, now plans to spend up to £100,000 refurbishing the site.

He says on the restaurant website: ‘There’s a change happening in St Andrews - the Seafood Restaurant is being reborn.’ The number of covers will be almost doubled to 80.

It is being sold by Tim Butler, who has owned the restaurant since 2003. Close to the Royal and Ancient St Andrews Golf Club, the Seafood Restaurant has served many golfing celebrities and received rave reviews in past years.

Pieraccini promises top quality cooking with an Italian twist. Former Michelin star chef Davy Aspin, who has been involved with the Pieraccini family’s restaurant businesses in the past, will take charge of the kitchen.

The young entrepreneur said he had been born and brought up in a family whose entire focus has been on the restaurant trade; as a teenage he worked as a kitchen porter ‘I have dreamed of running my own restaurant,’ he said.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 15:31:45

Markets & Retail News

Britons urged to eat more fish An award winning dietitian and TV presenter, Lucy Jones, has joined forces with Seafish, the UK’s authority on seafood, to urge people to eat more fish.

ADULTS in the UK are not eating enough fish to prevent serious health conditions, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, according to a recent YouGov survey commissioned

by Seafish.

Lucy Jones is championing the Seafish Fish 2 a Week campaign, which promotes the health benefits of eating two portions of fish a week.

Despite three-quarters of the UK population being worried about their health, the YouGov survey found that 66 per cent of UK adults aren’t eating enough fish.

NHS and health professionals recommend that people eat two

portions of fish each week - one of which should be an oily fish.

Jones said: ‘Shockingly, the average intake of oily fish is less than a third of a portion a week, with lots of people not managing to eat any at all. Oily fish are our only natural dietary source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are essential for heart and brain health.’

The research high-

Essential for health

“

Shockingly, the average intake of oily fish is less than a third of a portion a week

”

lighted just how many people weren’t aware of the recommended fish consumption (72 per cent), but after being told the health benefits, 66

per cent said that this encouraged them to eat more. The survey revealed the barriers, with people who eat less than the recommended amount

noting that preparation time (12 per cent), knowing what and how to cook it (17 per cent) and cost (32 per cent) stopped them eating more.

Saucy pranks

Bigfish brand ventures into Costco Grimsby based JCS Fish has secured a new deal to supply its BigFish brand to Costco for the first time.

A SPECIAL edition big bag of eight fillets of award winning BigFish brand salmon with garden mint has been produced for Costco and is available now at the member only warehouse’s 28 UK branches.

BigFish brand garden mint is the signature flavour in the brand’s range of marinated frozen salmon fillets. It has won a number of awards including a FreeFrom Food Award in 2016 and a Great Taste Award in 2015.

Louise Coulbeck, director of JCS Fish, said: ‘We are delighted to have secured distribution in Costco, which is well known for the fine quality of its food products.

‘It’s good news for the business which is already looking forward to an exciting year with some great new ideas in the pipeline for our BigFish Brand.’

JCS Fish is a family seafood company which was founded in Grimsby in 2000 by Andrew and Louise Coulbeck and which

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Retail News.indd 75

Above: Salmon with garden mint

specialises in prepared salmon products.

It produces added value salmon products for retailers under its BigFish brand and is also a major supplier of salmon to the catering trade.

JCS Fish has a turnover of around £6 million a year and employs 40 people at its Murray Street site in Grimsby Fish Docks.

GRIMSBY seafood processors Young’s and the Saucy Fish Co got into the spirit of April Fool’s day with two related prank press releases.

Young’s Seafood said it was using its expertise in frozen fish to dip into the beauty market, with the launch of facial cream, Fish Face.

‘The game-changing moisturiser has been developed in collaboration with leading British scientists, and dives deep into Young’s 200-year seafood heritage,’ it declared.

Saucy Fish announced it was launching the first ever ‘100 per cent organic, sustainably sourced facemask range, under sub-brand Saucy Face Co.’

75

03/04/2017 15:32:05

From the archive – July 1978

Norway’s long search for a ‘domesticated’ salmon Dr Tigve Gjedren and Dr David Edwards describe attempts to develop more productive strains of salmon at the University of Norway

T

HE aim of the fish breeding programme at the Agricultural University of Norway is to utilise established methods of farm animal breeding to develop strains of salmon and trout which are more productive under the artificial conditions of fish farms.

Growth rate throughout the production cycle is one of the most important traits for any farmed fish, and much of our research effort is devoted to improving it.

Our selection experiments started in 1971. In Norway there are many different wild strains of salmon. i.e discrete breeding populations returning to specific rivers to spawn. The first stage of our work, therefore, was to compare the growth performance of fish from as many strains as possible under culture conditions which, although standardised, were nonetheless the same as those encountered in commercial fish farms.

From 1971 to 1975 brood stock were sampled from a total of 40 strains. Eggs and sperm from these brood stock were used to produce many families of fish from each strain. During their freshwater growth, each family was held in a separate glass fibre tank at the Fish Breeding Experimental Station, Sunndalsora, and samples of fish were weighed at intervals to measure their growth. All fish were kept in water of the same temperature and received the same food supply, but from the start some families and strains showed better growth than others, and these differences in performance were fairly consistent between year classes, i.e the same strains usually did best each year.

Because age at smoltification is largely dependent on fish size, those strains which showed the fastest freshwater growth also produced a higher percentage of one-year-old smolts.

After 190 days growth in freshwater, 120 of the largest fish were selected from each family for subsequent testing in the sea. The total number of fish present in each family was not constant, so the proportion of fish taken for further rearing – the so-called selection intensity – varied.

Average selection intensity was about 12 per cent. Selected fish were freeze-branded to allow subsequent recognition of individuals in mixed family populations.

All selected fish smelted at on-year-old, and were transferred to floating net cages in the sea at the Fish Breeding Experimental Station, Averoy. There they were grown-on for a further period of two years, during which weight samples of live fish were taken at four-monthly intervals. Fish resulting from the 1971 spawnings, for example, were transferred to the sea as smolts in spring 1973, and grown until spring 1975. As in the freshwater phase of growth, all fish in the sea received the same regime of husbandry and feeding.

After two years in the sea, all fish were weighed and measured individually, and the growth rates of different strains and families compared.

Again, highly significant differences in growth were found, fish of the best strain tested reaching overo twice the weight of the poorest. These

76

Archive.indd 76

Above: The July 1978 cover. Opposite - top: Tanks used for selecting wild strains of salmon at the Fish Breeding Experimental Station, Sunndalsora. Opposite below: Average size of Atlantic salmon, Arctic char and their hybrid ‘salmar’ after 10 months’ growth in fresh water.

results, taken together with those from the freshwater phase of growth, emphasise the practical importance for both smolt and food fish production of choosing the best available strains of wild salmon for commercial culture.

After final weighing, the largest individuals from each strain were selected for use as brood stock when they became mature the following autumn. Selection intensity at this stage was much greater than that for growth in the freshwater period, and only 1 per cent of females and 0.3 per cent of males were chosen as brood stock.

Wild strains Selected brood stock were, or will be, stripped (in autumn 1975 in the case of fish resulting from 1971 spawnings), and their offspring reared in freshwater in the same way as described above. At the same time, new samples of a few wild strains must be brought into the hatchery and grown alongside selected groups.

This is very important as it provides controls against which progress through selection can

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03/04/2017 15:30:03

Norway’s long search for a ‘domesticated’ salmon

be measured. In selected lines, those fish which grow best in freshwater will again be chosen at 190 days of age, and the best growers in the sea selected from these as brood stock two years later exactly as outlined above. This procedure, repeated over many generations of fish, should produce strains showing much faster growth than the wild ancestors from which they were derived.

How much improvement in growth rate have we produced through selection so far? As can be seen from the above description, selection experiments take a very long time, and so far results are only available from the 1972 and 1973 year classes (fish hatched from eggs spanwed in 1971 and 1972).

The offspring of individuals from these year classes selected as brood stock in 1975 and 1976 reached 190 days of age during 1976 and 1977. Results of their seawater growth will not be available until next year.

Nevertheless, as Table 1 shows, dramatic improvements in growth rate during the freshwater period have already been obtained. Fish resulting from only one generation of selection grew on average about 30 per cent bigger than control fish of the same strains by 190 days of age.

This is a greater improvement than we expected, and in fact it is really too good to be explained wholly as a direct response to selection with the levels of selection intensity used.

We therefore strongly suspect that we might, in addition to growth rate, unknowingly be

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Archive.indd 77

“

We cannot expect to make gains of 30 per cent in growth at every generation! growth

”

selecting for other heritable traits genetically correlated with growth rate.

It could be that ‘domestication’ traits such as resistance to disturbance, crowding, handling and stress diseases, and efficient use of artificial food, are involved. If this is so, we would expect this correlated portion of the response to be particularly strong in the first few generations of selection, and to gradually fade out later.

In other words, the results obtained so far are highly encouraging, but we cannot reasonably expect to make gains of 30 per cent in growth at every generation in perpetuity!

Apart from rearing fish on in the sea at our own station at Averoy, fish from each of the families tested have been grown at private salmon farms elsewhere in Norway. For this work, farms at widely differing latitudes were chosen to show the effect of climate on fish growth. Actually, climatic difference had little systematic effect, but it was clear that the husbandry skill of the farmers varied considerably, and some farms consistently achieved growth rates of 50-100 per cent higher than others using the same strains of fish!

This difference is largely attributable to food type and feeding technique used. Despite these environmental differences, however, the ranking of strains for growth performance was much the same at all farms, i.e. the same strains always grew best no matter where they were reared.

Continued overleaf

77

03/04/2017 15:30:23

From the archive – July 1978

This is of great importance to our breeding programme, because it means we need only develop one improved strain for use all over the country. It is not necessary to breed special strains for use at different temperature or with different types of food.

[Genetic variance] Our experiments have shown the presence of large additive genetic variance between fish strains, between families, and between individuals, for most of the economically important traits in farmed salmonids.

Apart from growth rate, these are age at smoltification and sexual maturation, carcass quality (meat colour and dressing percentage), resistance to vibrio disease, and food digestion efficiency. This indicates the possibility of bringing about improvements in these traits through selective breeding but, because selection experiments take so long, we do not have well documented figures to show progress yet.

However, since age at smoltification is so closely tied to growth rate during the freshwater phase of life, the percentage of fish smelting at one-year-old has already been improved, and we expect further im-

78

Archive.indd 78

provements in this through the next few generations of selection.

There are good chances of producing later maturing (and therefore bigger) fish, and fish which digest their food more efficiently, as measured by inclusion of an inert marker in the food. But progress in breeding for improved disease resistance is currently being held up by the absence of sufficiently accurate methods for measuring this trait.

Especially for salmon there is a need to develop ‘domesticated’ strains more suited to the closely confined, stressful conditions of fish farms. Unfortunately, we cannot select for this directly as no quantitative measure of degree of domestication has yet been developed. But we expect fish to become more ‘domesticated’ in future as a result of selection for genetically correlated traits such as percentage survival and growth rate.

Improvements through selection take a long time, and we have looked for faster results by making crosses between the most common salmonid species found in Norway. The hybrids produced have been reared in fresh and in seawater under conditions identical to those described above for salmon, and their growth and survival compared with their parent species (Tables 2, 3 and 4).

[Hybrids] The majority of hybrids appear to be of no interest for commercial culture, either because of low viability (especially in the case of crosses where on parent was rainbow trout), or poorer growth than the parental species (especially crosses of salmon with sea and brown trout). But hybrids where one parent was Arctic char frequently grew better than either parental species during the freshwater period.

The cross salmon x char grew especially well, and almost all such individuals smelted at one-year-old.

However, once in the sea pure-bred Atlantic salmon began to catch up the salmon x char hybrids in growth, and by harvest time two years later there was little difference between the two groups.

Carcass quality was just as good in salmon x char hybrids as in pure-bred salmon, and it looks as though these hybrids are sterile, which should enable them to be grown for an extra year or two in the sea to take advantage of the price premium paid for larger fish. In addition, the much higher percentage of 1+ smoltification would enable smolts to be produced more cheaply than for pure-bred salmon.

Biologically, therefore, it appears that the cross male Atlantic salmon x female Arctic char could have a bright future in commercial culture. The limitation on its use will probably be consumer acceptability and demand, as it is perhaps optimistic to expect the markets to pay as much for ‘salmar’ as for the high-status salmon.

If inbreeding experiments currently underway at Sunndalsora and Averoy indicate the presence of much non-additive genetic variation for the important traits, future breeding work will include the development of inbred lines and subsequent crossing between them.

‘Breakthroughs’ in the field of genetic engineering could occur, possibly by producing tetraploid fish (having twice the usual number of chromosomes) which, when crossed with normal individuals, could give triploid offspring. Triploids are usually sterile, and could therefore be grown much larger than normal fish. We have succeeded in producing some tetraploid fish by treating newly-fertilised eggs with the drug cytochalasin B. However, the viability of these treated eggs has so far been poor.

Most probably, the bulk of progress in the future will be made by undramatic but steady improvements through selective breeding. FF

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81

03/04/2017 13:37:59

Opinion – Inside track

A car with no reverse gear

BY NICK JOY

I

was very kindly invited to the seminar announcing the launch of the new Pharmaq PD vaccine. PD is one of those diseases that defeat my limited science, with six different SAVs and much discussion about virus nomenclature, leaving me reeling, drunk on excessive jargon and complex theory.

However, apart from the machinations which kept this product from the industry for some considerable time, there was plenty to be interested in.

As an old hand, who hasn’t seen much of PD but feared it, I was not a little surprised to hear that a link is being established between PD vaccines and some levels of deformity in salmon.

The numbers turned out to be quite staggering, in one case reaching 50 per cent, though a lesser number were severe enough to cause downgrading. The theory is at an early stage because there is intense variation between sites and the research is new.

However, they have also discovered a new form of deformity of the spine.Yup, you’re right, I am not going to try to describe it here but it was extremely interesting.

At the end, I had to ask my question: ‘Did they know the breed of the salmon that had these issues or was it different breeds?’

They did not know but surmised that they would be surprised if there were not variations between breeds. So would I! Disease resistance varies between breeds in cattle, sheep, chickens and many other animals. It’s not news. But the way we are breeding and the strategy behind breeding does mean that we are setting ourselves up for a fall.

Currently, salmon breeds, apart from one that I know, are bred in secure units and pretty intensively, usually using a family selection procedure. I have discussed this before and will not labour the point, which is that family selection narrows the parental selection at an early stage because it is such a complex system. We don’t know what we have thrown away but thereafter risks of inbreeding are low to negligible.

My point today is that this is not the only problem. The old way of breeding meant that the animal passed through the farm and the ones which survived the process, exposed to disease, handling stress and so on, became the broodstock.

Obviously, this means that these animals are being selected by the farms to deal with the on-farm issues. So nature and the farmer select the fish.

Such a system tends to breed a hardy fish, which is a very rounded individual, carrying a lot of what a farmer needs rather than very specific traits.

Systems that breed fish isolated from farm conditions risk being much less adapted, but also the gains between generations, which are not visible or assessable, can often be lost.

I am sure the geneticists will tell me that they know exactly what they are doing but too often I have seen the mistakes that somehow have never been the geneticists’ fault.

The combination of family selection and off-farm breeding may result in some very difficult issues for the industry.

Look at the beef industry bringing back Herefords and Aberdeen Angus

82

Nick Joy.indd 82

for “usIt’stotime think much more strategically about the breeds we are using

”

from Canada because we had bred ourselves into a cul de sac.

There are very few breeds of salmon left in farming. Most of them are Norwegian and one, maybe at most two, are Scottish.

It’s time for us to think much more strategically about the breeds we are using. We also need to start thinking about how we preserve what we have so that when the calamity occurs (and it will), we will have stocks to go back to.

In general, most sensible people will not buy a car without a reverse gear, however cheap it is, nor however wonderfully it performs for the first ten miles.

More importantly, if you are not sure that you may be driving into a cul de sac, you had better check that you have a reverse gear.

In other countries, governments have got involved to protect key industries, ensuring that breeds are retained for future generations.

I doubt that we will see that sort of help so maybe it is time for the industry to take up the challenge and protect its own future at the same time. FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2017 15:13:56

Ace Aquatec.indd 67 Untitled-2 83

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