Fish Farmer August 2017

Fish Farmer VOLUME 40

NUMBER 08

AUGUST 2017

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Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

OTTER FERRY AT 50

INTO AFRICA

EYEING ICELAND

MORE WILD TALK

A royal celebration for leading Scottish pioneers

World wakes up to the continent’s potential

Norwegian investors see scope for growth

Our columnists’ take on the angling debate

August Cover.indd 2

08/08/2017 13:04:05

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Contents 4-15 News

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

Ferry many returns!

T

his month we bring you reports from opposite ends of the aquaculture spectrum. In Scotland, a half century of expertise and experience has made Otter Ferry Seafish a success story in the fish farming sector. A pioneer of halibut rearing, and more recently of wrasse and lumpfish, the company marked its magnificent 50th milestone in style when Princess Anne visited the site at Loch Fyne.

The fledgling fish farmers in Africa, while mostly focused on freshwater species, will be interested to hear how Alastair Barge and his team at Otter Ferry arrived where they are today, trial and error being an inevitable part of any achievement in this business. At the World Aquaculture Society conference in Cape Town in June, the first ever to be held in Africa, industry leaders and entrepreneurs, researchers and investors, spoke frankly about the steep learning curve they faced in developing aquaculture on the continent.

They need funding but also knowledge. Helping to provide the latter is the online network Sarnissa, set up by Stirling University and now reaching nearly 5,000 people in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and beyond. From this month, Fish Farmer will be available to African readers thanks to Sarnissa and we can hopefully begin an information exchange that benefits everyone.

Fish Farmer is now on Facebook and Twitter

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com www.fishupdate.com

16 Comment Phil Thomas

22-29 Otter Ferry

60-62 Africa

Nicki Holmyard

Fifty not out

30-32 Otter Ferry Timeline

Welcome - August.indd 3

68-73 Iceland

Not so glacial

40-42 Africa

Introduction

44-45 Africa

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In at the Deep end

Innovation in Inverness

Head Office: Special Publications, Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL

Feeding the world

Market access

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Skretting

64-65 Akva

42-43 Africa

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58-59 Africa

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Cover: Princess Anne with David Patterson and Alastair Barge of Otter Ferry Seafish.

Picture: Ronnie Cairns

56-57 Africa

20-21 Shellfish

Meet the team

Media, FREEPOST RTEY YUBG TYUB, Trinity House, Sculpins Lane, Wethersfield, Braintree, Essex CM7 4AY

Making a splash

Martin Jaffa

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

Subscriptions Address: Wyvex

50-54 Africa

18-19 Comment

Contact us

Subscriptions

Contents – Editor’s Welcome

46-49 Africa

Finding finance

76-77 Retail/Markets News New Saucy deal

78-79 Archive

The Community then

80-81 Aqua Source Directory

Find all you need for the industry

82 Opinion

By Nick Joy

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08/08/2017 12:56:07

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Marine Harvest recruitment drive

Above: Construction work at the Skye plant, pictured earlier this month

MARINE Harvest has begun a recruitment drive to fill 55 posts at the fish feed factory it is building on Skye.

The vacancies are

across a range of disciplines, including production, logistics, maintenance and health and safety, needed at the £93 million facility,

sited at Altanavaig quarry, Kyleakin. The construction of the factory, now underway, is expected to be completed in the autumn of next year.

Meanwhile, the company has hired two new apprentices, both former Lochaber High School pupils. Emily Connolly, 18, and Tommy Chisholm, 16, went through a rigorous selection process to win the coveted roles.

Emily is to become an electrical apprentice and Tommy will be a mechanical apprentice.

Vicky Ferguson, human resources manager at Marine Harvest Scotland, welcomed them to the company: ‘We’re

thrilled to be able to offer Emily and Tommy the opportunity to develop their careers at Marine Harvest.

‘Fish farming jobs used to be seen as unskilled work, primarily for men, but it’s very different today. This is a thriving industry which supports a variety of different roles for both men and women.

‘The level of interest we had in the apprenticeships shows it appeals to a wide range of young people.’

Modern apprenticeships usually last four years. In their first year, Emily and Tommy will study at Inverness College UHI for 30 weeks and will do work experience in blocks.

In years two to four, they will gain further work experience and will have onsite visits from assessors to complete their qualifications. They will then have the opportunity to progress to do an HNC. Marine Harvest Scotland introduced its apprenticeship scheme in 2013.

Festival to celebrate Scottish salmon A SPECIAL Scottish Salmon Festival is being staged at the end of summer, following the success of the inaugural event two years ago.

The festival, billed as a celebration of Scottish salmon, will feature an international speycasting tournament on the River Ness, a family fair at Bught Park in Inverness, and a science conference.

Running from August 29 to September 2, there will also be a film night at Eden Court Theatre with a series of salmon related films.

In 2015, the festival attracted the world’s top speycasters and this year the interest is expected to be even greater as the Inverness Angling Club, which is hosting the event, marks its centenary.

The open competition will

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involve all competitors in two heats on the Friday (September 1) and one on the Saturday morning.

There will be three finals on the Saturday afternoon – junior (17 and under), ladies and the top six in the open competition.

Prizes will include silver plated centenary quaichs for winners and runners up in open and ladies competitions, plus cash awards of £1,000, £500 and £300 for open first, second and third, and £500 and £300 for the winning lady and runner-up.

During the family fair, Marine Harvest will run a Theatre Kitchen on both the Friday and Saturday, with local chefs demonstrating salmon dishes, followed by a salmon barbecue.

Speakers at the conference will include representatives from the Atlantic Salmon Trust

as well as from Marine Harvest, Scotland’s biggest salmon farmer.

The festival seeks to champion all aspects of Scottish salmon and is being sponsored by Marine Harvest, Inverness Angling

Club, the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board and the University of the Highlands and Islands, among others.

For more information visit www.scotlandsalmonfestiv

Above: Cooking salmon in Marine Harvest’s Theatre Kitchen

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08/08/2017 10:57:26

All the latest industry news from the UK

New generation takes the helm ONE of the driving forces behind the development of Gael Force Group retired this month, after 17 years in the company.

John Offord, managing director of Gael Force Engineering, played a pivotal role in the advancement of the SeaMate Feed Barge range, and latterly contributed to the company’s progress in pontoon and breakwater manufacturing.

‘When I joined Gael Force, I was originally drafted in for three months to help start up our engineering division,’ said Offord.

‘Seventeen years later and we are building feed barge number 80, we have just completed the Oban transit berthing facility and have a very healthy enquiry book.

‘I’ve been very lucky with my career choices and have enjoyed the challenges which have come with my time with Gael Force.

‘At the end of the day, how much you enjoy your work or otherwise comes down to people, and there are a lot of very good people at Gael Force.’

Gael Force Group MD Stewart Graham said: ‘I have never met anyone more knowledgeable, resourceful and fearless at taking on a challenge.

‘On more times than I care to remember John has dropped plans at short notice over evenings and weekends to simply do whatever

Above: from L to R: Stephen Offord (production director, Gael Force Engineering), Jim Brown (operations director, Gael Force Marine Equipment), John Offord, Stewart Graham (MD Gael Force Group), Jamie Young (sales director, Gael Force Group)

needed done, always showing great stamina and resilience.

‘Not only will we miss him as a colleague, he will be sorely missed at Gael Force and by the wider Scottish aquaculture industry too.’

Offord will be succeeded by his son, Stephen, Gael Force production director for the past two

years and a Royal Navy engineering officer for 11 years.

John, meanwhile, has set himself new challenges in retirement: ‘I’ve still got 84 of the 282 Munros to complete and next year I’m looking forward to sailing my boat back to Scotland from Palma!’

The world moves forward

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UK news.indd 5

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08/08/2017 10:57:50

United Kingdom News

Cheaper fuel plan for remote regions

Scottish Salmon Company up for three Highlands food awards THE Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) has been named as a finalist in three categories at this year’s Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards.

The firm is shortlisted for its achievements in export and innovation and also in the New Product Award category for its Native Hebridean Salmon.

The winners will be announced on October 20 at a ceremony in Inverness hosted by food critic and broadcaster Jay Rayner.

The SSC is one of only 34 businesses to have made the awards shortlist, which spans 13 categories.

Now in their 13th year, the awards are sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and showcase the region’s food and drink industry.

The SSC’s Native Hebridean Salmon was developed through a broodstock programme that ensures full traceability.

The native strain is descended from wild salmon from the fresh river waters of North Uist and are born, bred and raised exclusively in the Hebrides.

Craig Anderson, chief execu-

tive of the SSC, said: ‘The Highlands and Islands are a global destination for food and drink and we are proud to have been recognised not just once but three times in this year’s award categories.

‘To be shortlisted for our Native Hebridean Salmon is especially important as it affirms our commitment to provenance and innovation.

‘Our broodstock programme has been in development for several years and the unique strain of Native Hebridean Salmon is born, bred and reared exclusively in the Hebrides.’

The company is also celebrating achieving ‘Friend of the Sea’ certification this month.

The endorsement from the independent sustainability certification body is recognised across international markets with stringent controls over environmental, economic and social responsibility.

Paolo Bray, FOS founder and director, said: ‘Friend of the Sea welcomes the Scottish Salmon Company to its select group of certified aquaculture producers.’

Above: Reducing energy costs in remote regions

A PROJECT to bring cheaper fuel to fish farms and other businesses in remote regions is seeking the go-ahead from the Scottish government.

Areas of Scotland and the north of England not served by the existing natural-gas grid stand to benefit from the initiative, which will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly from Rosyth.

The LNG will be shipped by Stolt-Nielsen via small-scale LNG carriers and stored in bulk at the port, in Dunfermline, before being distributed by Flogas road tankers to fish farms and fish processing plants.

At present, remote regions’ off-grid natural gas is delivered by road tanker from Kent in south east England. The costs associated with the long distances are high, forcing many off-grid fisheries and processing plants to use oil or pay a premium for gas.

With a target completion date set for 2019, the scheme will deliver LNG more cost effectively, and help cut carbon emissions as users switch to the more environmentally friendly fuel.

Flogas’ head of sales Rob McCord said: ‘Often located in off grid locations, fisheries and fish processing plants will be among the biggest beneficiaries of this unique project. Not only will it help reduce energy costs, but it will also help cut carbon emissions.

‘We’re working on obtaining permits at the moment and once we have them construction will begin. Flogas already supplies gas to many off-grid businesses in Scotland, and the interest we have from potential new customers is huge.

‘The demand is certainly there. We now need to work with the Scottish government and our other stakeholders to bring the project to life.’

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Above: Craig Anderson, commitment to innovation

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08/08/2017 10:58:36

All the latest industry news from the UK

Loch Duart makes prize shortlist LOCH Duart has been shortlisted as Exporter of the Year in the Food and Drink Federation Awards 2017.

The UK wide food award, promoted as the industry benchmark of excellence for innovation, competitiveness and talent, sees Loch Duart competing with some of the country’s biggest and most valued food and drink brands.

Alban Denton, managing director of Loch Duart, said: ‘To be shortlisted as Exporter of the Year in the Food and Drink Federation Awards means a lot to Loch Duart.

‘We care deeply about how we farm our salmon and have an ambition to see Loch Duart on the menu at the world’s top restaurants and hotels.

‘This nomination means that our strategy to grow exports has been recognised and that we are reaching markets and consumers across the globe.

‘I’d like to thank all the team at Loch Duart whose focus on quality, innovation and fish

welfare mean that we continue to produce extraordinary tasting salmon. We look forward to the awards and celebrating an industry which is one of the UK’s great success stories.’

Winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Brewery in London on September 21.

Left: Reaching markets across the globe

Breakthrough in disease resistant seaweed

Above: Disease resistant

RESEARCH conducted into the genetic make-up of a resilient red alga has taken scientists a step closer to breeding disease resistant seaweed.

Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban have established the genetic code for the Porphyra umbilicalis, a small, but tough intertidal species that can tolerate a range of conditions and is among the world’s most valuable commercial seaweeds.

The researchers mapped the 13,125 genes in the seaweed – a human has around 20,000 – to help discover what makes the species so resilient, as they aim to breed marketable seaweed that can withstand threats from common diseases.

They examined the red alga’s pathogen receptors – the equivalent of antibodies that recognise diseases and alert the alga to an attack – and found that the alga’s defences are

unlike other plants.

SAMS algal pathologist Dr Yacine Badis said: ‘Like any living organism, algae are plagued by diseases.

Understanding how they detect and defend against disease is key to unlocking the future development of resistant strains.

‘Although red algae and land based plants are related, the typical defence mechanism found in plants was not detected in Porphyra. This means that Porphyra has original pathogen detection strategies,

a finding that opens exciting avenues of research into red algal immunity and its use in modern breeding programmes.’

SAMS molecular phycologist Dr Claire Gachon said: ‘This work is part of our long term efforts to support the development of seaweed aquaculture worldwide through a better understanding of the diseases that plague the industry.’

The work at SAMS is part of the Global Seaweed project, funded by NERC.

Brexit tops agenda for Norway’s new man in Britain THE Norwegian Seafood Council’s new man in Britain, Hans Frode Asmyhr, will not only promote Norwegian seafood, both farmed and wild caught, but he will also report back on Brexit developments, which are almost certain to impact on the Norwegian industry.

The Seafood Council has had a permanent representative in the UK for four years

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UK news.indd 7

because of the importance of the market.

Asmyhr takes up his new post in September. A former MP, he represented the Progressive Party in the Norwegian parliament from 2005-2013.

Commentators in the Norwegian press said that a new and independent British fisheries policy may also conceivably mean that ‘our

neighbour on the other side of the North Sea will think the same way about fisheries which could eventually sow the seeds of a new partnership’.

Norway is also looking to secure a free trade deal with Japan, another important seafood market, similar to that signed between the EU and Tokyo recently.

Right: Hans Frode Asmyhr

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08/08/2017 10:58:53

European News

NEWS...

Trading updates from farm leaders TWO leading salmon farming companies, Norway’s Marine Harvest and Bakkafrost in the Faroe Islands, have published their 2017 second quarter trading updates in advance of the full Q2 results later this month.

Marine Harvest says its harvest volumes for salmon only (gutted weight equivalent) for the period will be Above: Bakkafrost harvest 39,500 tonnes for Norway, 18,500 tonnes and 3,500 tonnes for for Scotland, 9,500 Ireland, making a total tonnes for Canada, of 78,500 tonnes.

7,500 tonnes for Chile The company says

it did not harvest any fish in the Faroe Islands during the second quarter. The oper-

ational EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) is expected to be 196 million euros,

compared with 149 million euros for Q2 in 2016.

The full second quarter results and report will be issued on August 24.

Over in the Faroe Islands, Bakkafrost says the total Q2 harvest volume (head on gutted) will be 18,400 tonnes, made up of 13,600 tonnes in the north of the islands and 4,800 tonnes in the west.

Feed sales for the period are 17,000 tonnes. The full results

will be published on August 22.

Meanwhile, Bakkafrost says it is in the process of Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifying its farming sites. This goal came a step closer recently when the farming site at Funningsfjørður was approved.

A spokesman said it aims aims at being the market leading aquaculture company, ‘raising a sustainable premium quality salmon’.

Salmon revenue up despite price drop NORWEGIAN salmon exports rose significantly last month - and during a period when prices were starting to fall.

July exports totalled 74,200 tonnes and sold for around NOK five billion - a volume increase of 5,200 tonnes, or eight per cent, and an increase in value NOK 324 million, or seven per cent.

So far this year, Norway has exported 524,200 tonnes of salmon for NOK 36.5 billion. The Norwegian Seafood Council said that volumes are at the same level as last year, while the value increased by 12 per cent or NOK four billion during the first seven months in 2017.

However, there are signs that the salmon bonanza may be over, at least for the time being. Prices in Norway have fallen further during the past week to NOK 62.11 per kg. They reached a peak of NOK 80 per kg at the beginning of the year.

With much of Europe away on holiday during August, demand has fallen accordingly and prices should pick up again next month when things get back to normal.

Meanwhile, exports of Norwegian farmed trout continue to decline. The country exported 2,100 tonnes of trout worth NOK 169 million in July. This represents a volume decline of 61 per cent or 3,300 tonnes and a 50 per cent decline in value or NOK 172 million.

So far this year Norwegian trout exports have reached 18,700 tonnes worth NOK 1.5 billion.

Volume over the past seven months is down by 56 per cent (23,400 tonnes) and a fall in value of 34 per cent or NOK 769 million.

Belarus and the United States are the largest

markers for Norwegian trout.

The total seafood export figure for July, including wild caught fish, was 138,000 tonnes of seafood worth NOK 6.7 billion, an increase in value of two per cent or NOK 115 million on July last year.

Right: Bonanza may be over

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www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:00:02

All the latest industry news from Europe

Thousands of fish die at land based facility

Above: Unexplained losses

A LAND based salmon farm in Denmark lost a quarter of its annual production after 250,000 kg of its fish died on June 30.

Langsand Laks, owned by Atlantic Sapphire and located in the west Jutland town of Hvide Sande, cannot explain what caused the ‘sudden and unexpected’ deaths, reported iLaks.no.

The most likely cause was contamination, not illness or technical failure.

The company was forced to halt production between 2014 and 2015 due to technical problems, and in 2016 it reported a net loss of $1.3 million, down from a $2.4 million loss the previous year.

Johan Andreassen, the founder of Langsand Laks and Atlantic Sapphire, said in May that the company had won approval to build a new land based plant in Florida.

‘Unique’ device repels lice A DEVICE that repels sea lice before they reach salmon cages has been trialled in Norway by a new company called Blue Lice.

Details of the prototype are still under wraps but the device is positioned outside the cage, reported kyst.no last month.

Blue Lice chief executive Karoline Sjødal Olsen said: ‘This test gave us such a good indication that this can work that the next step is to run a larger pilot test in cooperation with a farming

company and, more preferably, a research institution.

‘There have been tests carried out on similar concepts with some of the factors previously, but it is the combination of these that makes our solution work and makes it unique.

Some attraction factors are known and some unknown to the industry.’

Right: Sea lice

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08/08/2017 11:00:25

European News

‘Use more Norwegian Royal presence at Aqua Nor opening salmon in sushi’

Above: Choice fish

NORWAY’S fisheries minister Per Sandberg says he wants to see more Norwegian salmon used in the production of Japanese sushi.

Speaking after a recent visit to Japan, he said it was an important market for his country’s seafood, but there was still room

for expansion, both in terms of Norwegian fish and seafood technology.

It was only relatively recently - 1985 - that the first exports of salmon from Norway reached Japan.

Sandberg said there was scope for a closer dialogue between the two countries.

NORWAY’S Crown Prince Haakon will be present at the official opening of Aqua Nor 2017 in Trondheim on August 15, at 10:30am.

Fisheries minister Per Sandberg will open the event, and the Mayor of Trondheim, Rita Ottervik, and the chairman of the Board of the Nor-Fishing Foundation, Liv Holmefjord, will also address the opening day audience.

This is far from the first time that the Norwegian royal family has shown its support for the exhibitions Nor-Fishing and Aqua Nor. Since King Olav opened the first fisheries show in

1960, royal representatives have frequently attended.

In fact, 19 out of a

wegian Royal family.

This is the fourth time that Crown Prince Haakon will attend the opening of the exhibition in Trondheim.

Aqua Nor, held every two years, is the largest exhibition of aquaculture technology in the world, and attracts more than 20,000 visitors from over 70 countries.

Stand space at this summer’s show sold out in record time, with a waiting list created for would-be exhibitors in October last year.

Aqua Nor 2017 runs from August 15-18 total of 45 exhibitions at the Trondheim Spektrum. have been opened in the presence of a Left: Prince Haakon member of the Nor-

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08/08/2017 11:08:40

All the latest industry news from Europe

Hopes for seafood ‘Silicon Valley’ FIVE Nordic countries which have launched a new initiative to achieve sustainable development in fishing, aquaculture and agriculture were told the region could become the new Silicon Valley for food.

Plankton, seaweed and edible insects were on the menu when the prime ministers of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway met near Bergen recently.

They launched a project called Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges, which aims to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals for 2030.

The Nordic leaders said they want to focus on sustainable food production in

order to fight climate change.

The prime ministers ate their climate friendly lunch in a tent outside the Austevoll Research Station, one of Europe’s largest and most advanced research facilities for studies of fish welfare and the ecological effects of aquaculture.

Gunhild Stordalen, founder of the EAT foundation, an initiative to reform the global food system, told the premiers: ‘I believe the Nordics can become the Silicon Valley of future food.

‘What we need is a coherent food and agricultural policy, linking what we produce to what we should eat,’ she said, adding that ‘unhealthy diets are now posing

a greater threat to public health than tobacco’.

‘The majority of us are still eating too much meat, sugar and salt, and too little fish, vegetables and whole grains.’

The PMs were served various shellfish, farmed halibut and fried mealworms – all arranged with flowers and edible pine tree needles.

They were also presented with Sophia, a 20-year-old halibut, swimming in one of the giant water tanks in the research centre. In the wild, halibut rarely live long enough to grow to their full potential

Above: Halibut

weight of 200-300 kilos (for female fish).

‘We can manipulate the fish to reproduce

as females only, with the advantage that the female halibut fish grow much bigger than

the males,’ explained one of the researchers at Austevoll Research Station.

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 Photo: Iain Macleod

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08/08/2017 11:09:16

World News

NEWS...

African aquaculture in focus

Above: ‘Feeding time again offshore on the lake’, taken by Pierre Olivier Marquand on Lake Volta, Ghana, won the Sarnissa photo competition (see page 43)

THE World Aquaculture Society’s successful conference in Cape Town in June drew almost 2,000 delegates, including 1,297 African participants from 33 countries on the continent.

The conference

theme, Sustainable Aquaculture – New Frontiers for Economic Growth – Spotlight on Africa, highlighted the potential of aquaculture production to support economic development and investment opportunities

in Africa - the world’s second fastest growing regional economy.

The presentations and trade show activity confirmed that aquaculture in Africa is in a high growth phase, supported by investors, government and

international development and finance institutions.

World Aquaculture 2017 attracted sponsorship and support from African governments, development institutions and the commercial sector.

These included the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the African Union’s Inter-African Union for Animal Resources and NEPAD, and the WorldFish Centre.

The industry Gold Sponsor was the Aller Aqua group from Denmark, which has indicated its confidence in the growing aquafeed market in Africa by making investments in feed manufacture and

distribution in Egypt, Nigeria and Zambia.

Keynote presentations by Dr Rohanna Subasinghe, former chief of aquaculture for FAO, and Dr Sloans Chimatiro, acting country director with WorldFish Zambia, outlined the growing fish deficit in Africa and unfolding continental policies to support aquaculture development.

Regional status reports highlighted the rapidly growing African aquaculture

production, particularly catfish in Nigeria and tilapia in Egypt, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia.

The Spotlight on Africa theme concluded with a joint policy statement by the Southern and East African Development Community encouraging the establishment of frameworks for effective governance and the creation of consolidated R&D centres of excellence.

Reports: Page 40.

Vietnamese warned on food safety VIETNAMESE seafood companies selling to Japan need to study its food safety and hygiene regulations if they are to increase sales, a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City has heard.

Nguyễn Hoài Nam, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, told the large gathering that Japan was one of Vietnam’s three largest seafood export markets, worth some $590 million in the first half of the year.

‘A significant improvement in quality and appreciation of the Japanese yen have been key reasons for a big rise in Vietnamese seafood exports to the market,’ he said.

‘Japan has always had stringent quality and food safety and hygiene regulations, especially with antibiotics norms, and these pose a challenge for seafood exporters, including those from Vietnam.’

Lê Anh Ngọc, deputy head of the seafood quality management office at the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department, said Japan, unlike the US, EU, China and South Korea, did not require exporting countries to furnish a list of eligible exporting companies. Instead, it directly inspects export consignments at the port of entry.

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The seminar heard that imports likely to cause harm to health or products from the same country or manufacturer or processor found to have committed violations in the monitoring inspection were immediately subject to an inspection order, with all imported food consignments likely to come under scrutiny.

Management of the water environment and improvement in the social responsibility of businesses and communities in aquaculture breeding areas are very important for addressing this problem, he said.

Above: Pangasius

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:13:26

World News

Chile exports soar in value CHILE’S salmon exports increased 30 per cent in value in the first half of 2017, by $547 million to $2,380 million.

Chile exported $2,086 million in salmon products (Atlantic and coho) between January and June this year.

This is an increase of almost $466 million, or 29 per cent compared with the same period in 2016, when exports earned $1,620 million.

By the end of June 2017, Chilean trout exports totalled $294 million, an increase of $81 million or 38 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

According to Felipe Sandoval, president of the Chilean Salmon Industry Association (Salmonchile), the increase in the value of salmon sales is mainly due to improved prices.

Meanwhile, Chile looks set to follow Norway by wooing China in its quest to sell farmed salmon.

Eduardo Goycoolea, CEO of New World Currents (NWC), Chile’s salmon industry body, said they had been talking to a number of companies with a view to increasing exports to the Far East.

‘In 2016 the turnover reached 51 million dollars and by 2017 that figure should increase by at least 20 per cent.’

Above: Chile is increasing its salmon exports

The aquaculture visualisation experts

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World news.indd 13

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08/08/2017 11:13:50

World News

Canada pledges to improve fish sectors THE Canadian Council of fishery and aquaculture ministers has pledged to better manage the country’s three coasts and its inland waterways ‘for the benefit of every citizen’.

The provincial and territorial fishery leaders have just published a statement saying they are committed to working together to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture sectors thrive and remain sustainable and healthy, providing meaningful employment and economic opportunities for indigenous people and all Canadians.

Above: Dominic The ministers met recently in the Yukon town of LeBlanc Whitehorse to discuss a broad range of common priorities under the chairmanship of fisheries minister Dominic LeBlanc.

Canada exported a record $6.6 billion in fish and seafood products in 2016, with 65 per cent ($4.3 billion) going to the US. The council members discussed the review of the Federal Fisheries Act and agreed to work together ‎to develop a comprehensive aquaculture policy this year.

They also said they would work cooperatively to combat the threat of aquatic invasive species that have had significant impacts on certain fish stocks native to Canada.

LeBlanc said: ‘My provincial and territorial colleagues and I are committed to working together to maintain and expand markets for Canada’s excellent fish and seafood products to create more jobs and economic opportunities across the country.

‘Making sure our fisheries continue to be sustainable and our oceans, coasts and waterways remain healthy in the present and the future is a top priority.’

TARPS FOR AQUACULTURE

Green light for Sydney fish market

Above: Fish market is an iconic part of the city

PLANS to build a new $250 million fish market in Sydney have finally received the go-ahead.

The New South Wales government has released details of how it intends to redevelop the Blackwattle Bay area, where the present fish market is located.

Sydney Fish Market is one of the busiest of its type in the world and in the week running up to Christmas it attracts thousands of people anxious to stock up on seafood.

The project, which has been in the pipeline for some time, was announced by NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, who said the new market will be housed in a Danish designed building next to its current spot, backing on to Wentworth Park on the south side of the bay.

Berejiklian said she hoped new use of the current site would pay

for its redevelopment, costing taxpayers nothing.

‘The Sydney Fish Market is an iconic part of our city but there’s no doubt it needs a huge makeover. I know, with a makeover, there will be even more tourists and even more locals enjoying this.’

Work on the site is set to begin in late 2018, with construction expected to be completed in two to three years.

The new building will be designed by the Danish firm 3XN Architects, which are behind Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower.

They have yet to unveil the final design.

Sydney Fish Market general manager Bryan Skepper said the development would create ‘the world’s best fish market’ and absorb expanding visitor numbers to Australia.

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jan@botngaard.no +47 915 15 014 14

World news.indd 14

A NEW study shows that people in Bangladesh are now eating 30 per cent more fish than they did 20 years ago, but they are getting a lower amount of important nutrients from it.

The reason is down to the type of fish being eaten. Changes are taking place in Bangladesh where the volume of naturally harvested fish is falling. Now a combination of overfishing, pollution and environmental damage has led to significant losses in both quantities of fish and in the number of fish species.

But the good news is that the

growth in aquaculture will eventually compensate for this loss.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:14:23

All the latest industry news from around the world

Salmon group signs up new members and that others want to be a part of it.’

Per Grieg, the other co-chair and chairman of Grieg Seafoods, added: ‘The GSI is a leadership group for companies who share its vision and level of ambition, and we are willing to work collaboratively when it comes to making environmental improvements.

‘It is extremely pleasing to see more companies, both Norwegian and Chilean, wanting to join the circle and commit to working towards the GSI goals.’

In joining the GSI, each of the new members have committed to following its three key principles of sustainability, transparency and cooperation.

In addition, they are committed to working towards the members’ shared aims, including contributing to the annual GSI Sustainability Report and working towards Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification.

One of the new members, Tore Holand, CEO of Midt-Norsk Havbruk, said: ‘We have been following the work of the GSI for a long time now, but as a smaller Norwegian only company we were unsure if it was the right model for us.’

Ecuador welcomes shrimp monitoring ECUADOR has welcomed the inclusion of shrimp into the US Seafood Import Monitoring Programme, after the passing of legislation.

José Antonio Camposano, executive president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture of Ecuador, said: ‘We are very pleased to see the announcement that shrimp will be added to the US monitoring programme, as we firmly believe it’s time for responsible producers to stand up in favour of strong standards and improved traceability in the seafood industry.

‘All consumers deserve access to the highest quality products and through this programme, US consumers will have improved knowledge and access to shrimp produced to the highest environmental and social standards.’

Camposano said that the shrimp sector in Ecuador is leading a new antibiotic-free initiative which will further improve the region’s position as a provider of premium shrimp. Some 91 per cent of seafood consumption in the US comes from imported products, 25 per cent of which is shrimp.

Ecuador is the third largest shrimp supplier to the US and the main supplier to the European Union. It also exports large quantities to Asian markets.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

World news.indd 15

Dutch interest in micro algae producer THE American algae food ingredients and chemical manufacturer behind a new alternative feed ingredient filed for bankruptcy on August 2.

The assets of TerraVia have reportedly been bought by the Dutch biotech company Corbion for $20 million.

TerraVia had made a name for itself in the aquaculture industry after it entered into a joint venture with Bunge of Brazil to pioneer a microalgae feed ingredient, AlgaPrime DHA, for farmed salmon.

The company partnered with BioMar

to produce the novel fish oil replacement for leading salmon farmers, such as Leroy in Norway and Ventisqueros in Chile.

Since September last year, more than 40,000 tonnes of feed incorporating the ingredient has been brought to market.

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THE Global Salmon Initiative has strengthened its presence with the acceptance of four new members - the Chilean company Australis Seafoods and the three Norwegian breeding companies -Bjørøya, Midt-Norsk Havbruk and Nova Sea. These bring the GSI membership to 16 farming companies and eight associate members.

The GSI was established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers to focus on industry sustainability.

Gerardo Balbontin, GSI co-chair and CEO of Blumar Seafoods, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome these four new members.

‘It is a sign that what we are doing is the right thing, having an impact,

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08/08/2017 11:15:48

Comment

BY

BY PROFESSOR PROFESSOR PHIL PHIL THOMAS THOMAS

End the spin Underpinning provenance Time for new thinking in salmon conservation

J I

ON Gibb’s excellent article in last month’s Fish

made an important contribution to Do Farmer we think enough about what gives the the long-standing, and sometimes polarised, dialogue between the wild and industry its edge in fisheries key markets?

aquaculture sectors.

The piece contained a huge amount of wisdom may not sense. be politi cally on, correct to allow say sothe at andt common If acted it might present but farmed Atlanti c salmon would fisheries and aquaculture managers in north-west not have become Scotland’s Scotland to unite in common cause,leading and in afood way export without the Crown Estate’s positive which would bring substantial social and economic engagement benefits to theirwith localaquaculture communities.development back the 1980s.

Gibbinmade three points which I particularly notaquaculture is a not signifi cant part ofthe the ed.Now, The first was a caution to assume that agency’s marine leasing portfolio and is reflectreguviews of local north-west fisheries managers larly by themedia Crown Estate’sbeing Scottish ed thecelebrated anti-aquaculture campaigns Marine Aquaculture Awards event.

This year’s conducted by ‘distant groups with no responsibility event in Edinburgh on the 11 June was the for fisheries management’. usual highly was successful showcase for Scotti sh The second the frustration of seeing poorly researched ‘evidence’ being spun by campaigners aquaculture and a rare opportunity for industo public confusion and stakeholder trycreate to join together to mark its success.resentment.

The Crown Estate is presently at the centre third was to point that therebetween are effective ofThe further devoluti on out discussions the fisheries management which can help UK government and approaches Scottish government.

The restore wild future salmonof stocks north-west rivers, long-term key in Scotti sh functi ons but rethat these need to beprofessional deployed more widelysethan mains unclear and experti could at bepresent. squandered in the process of organisational On all three points, I agree wholeheartedly with change. hisBoth assessment.

OverEstate’s the years, I have beense driven the Crown core experti and to

by Aquaculture campaigners’ misuse thedespair Marine Awardsand aremisrepimporresentation of the evidence andncti by ve thecoherence resultant tant in maintaining the disti negative impact on collaboration between of Scotland’s aquaculture and it wouldthe be wild a fisheries aquaculture tragedy and if they becamesectors. casualties of political I have also been deeply disappointed by the change. quality of muchAwards of the ‘research’ undertaken This year’s event was hosted byand by the paucity of research directly aimed at improving actress, writer and comedian Jo Caulfi eld, an in-river salmon stocks. inspired choice by whoever made the booking.

Much the recent campaigning and to which She wasofvery funnymedia and entertaining kept Gibb referred has been conducted by angling the proceedings going with a swing. Only once organisations, notably Salmon & Trout did she stray,most when she wondered whatCon‘prove- Above: Common interest servation Scotland (S&TCS), a division of S&TC UK, nance actually meant’. formed whenfull theof London based Salmon & Trout In a room folk whose livelihoods Association rebranded and restructured in 2015.

12Although its name might be taken to imply it has an active conservation role (indeed that is the basis of its charitable status), the S&TCS website makes it clear that the organisation’s main purpose

To the “ S&TCS my

advice would be to adopt a more We should constructive be organandour ising collaborative training and approach education

“

”

provisions much better

”

SSPO.indd 12

16

Phil Thomas.indd 16

is to influence the Scottish government and its agencies and to ‘hold them to account’ (whatever that might mean).

Its main activities are campaigns against Scottish aquaculture and against coastal net fisheries. Salmon or trout conservation is notable by its absence from the organisation’s programme of work.

So, in effect, S&TCS is a political lobbying and political campaigning organisation and it would be best just to regard it as such.

Its aquaculture campaign, led by lawyer Guy Linley-Adams, has the stated objective of ensuring all salmon farming is undertaken in closed containment units.

However, along the way, the campaign appears very happy to pursue any topics which it envisages might be used to damage salmon farming’s public reputation or consumer markets.

In summary, S&TCS’ main purpose is to impose its views on Scottish salmon dependirrespective on the provenance of their products she quickly sensedand an aufarming, of the farmers’ own views and legitimate interests, dience response and moved to safer comedic material: there are some to seek to damage the businesses and individuals who provide Scotland’s most things you just don’t joke about! successful food industry.

However, heritremark left me asking myself whether we thinkforget enough However, when comes to improving salmon or trout conservation, the underpinning the provenance of Scottish farmed fish – and itabout – at S&TCS, there is no oneof at home! for me that’sGibb farmed In his article, drewsalmon. attention to the beneficial effects on river salmon There no doubtprogramme that Scottiofshriver provenance is important our indusstocks of aiscombined habitat improvement andtorestocking try cultivated – it gives natal us the edge in all our key markets. with stock.

Provenance cansuccessful be defined in various but most will agree This has been very in restoring hisways own River Lochy,people and likewise the River Carron, wherethe Bobappearance Kindness has and achieved similar results. that it goes beyond sensory qualiti es of the final Both theseflrivers adjacent to major salmonon farming areas butconsistency that has product: avour,are texture, visual presentati and product not areaffected alwaysthe keysuccess factorsachieved. in consumer appeal but provenance is about Applying a similar approach on other selected north-west rivers would, much more. almost certainly, produce similar results.

It couldquality transform the qualityincluding: of many It refl ects a wider concept of consumer assurance, fisheries, with real dividends increased tourismthe andprofessional economic the place where the fish in is terms grownofand processed; development. integrity of the production and processing methods; and the quality, True that such aand programme, if conducted on scale,–would require financial commitment care of the people involved the professional skills, investment, the cost not be expertise,and passion andwould dedicati on small. of the producers themselves.

But to be done the first and raisingadvanthe In understanding Scotland our what ‘placeneeds of producti on’ isgives us astep, huge natural public and private funding follows on from that. tage because we grow fish in the pristine coastal waters of some of As Gibb hinted, wefulare currently facing areas a changing rural funding the most beauti and wild scenic of the world, andregime our brand is because of the arrangements for the Crown Estate and because of protected byreorganised its PGI status. prospective and Scotti other sh EUFinfi ruralsh funding Likewise,changes adoptiin onCAP of the Code regimes. of Good Practice If ever there was a time for an ambitious plan of restoration, it must allied with the industry’s deep commitmentfisheries to a range of independent befarm now.quality assurance programmes, including the RSPCA fish welfare The availability specialist salmon cultivation and the need for scheme, buildsofon the underlying strengthexpertise, of our statutory regulatory physical resources, could present systems to assure ouralso producti onproblems systems.for fisheries managers trying to establish appropriate Finally, the skills,re-stocking expertise,programmes. passion and dedication of our farmers However, over the years, salmon farming industry hasout been activethey were can be demonstrated inthe abundance day in and day – and inshowcased helping to support river restorations, and I have little doubt they would by the recent awards event. respond again.being wholly objective and forward looking, it is this third However, To theofS&TCS my advice wouldthe be to reconsider your objectives and scope adopt afor area provenance where Scotti sh industry has greatest more constructive and collaborative approach focused on your (supposedly) systematic development. That is not to say that our industry’s skills conservation objectives. You will not be successful by adopting your present and professional expertise are not of the highest calibre, but it is to stance, no matter what your true objectives are. If you are concerned with wild recognise that our vocational educational and training structures, and fish restoration in north-west rivers you are presently just getting in the way.

As to Gibb’s fisheries colleagues, I would urge them to grasp what looks like www.fishfarmer-magazine.com an opportunity to rethink the salmon conservation challenge. And I would simply regard the anti-aquaculture media campaigning by S&TCS and others as incidental. FF 03/07/2015 14:31:33

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:17:44

Untitled-1 17

08/08/2017 10:10:06

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

‘Danger’ zones

Much sea lice research has little relevance to what actually happens in the sea

A

LEADING angling magazine publishes the fishing reports for rivers around the British Isles. A recent report for Wester Ross, on Scotland’s west coast, suggested that major issues with sea lice persist in the area.

The first sweep netting session of the year was carried out by the local fishery trust at Gairloch. Some 32 finnock and young sea trout were caught and were observed to be generally thin.

The average estimated lice count on these fish was 98 lice per fish – range 16 to 340 – but the majority of these were the tiny chalimus stage, which is not unusual in such numbers. The larger female stages averaged just 0.38 per fish.

The fishing report highlighted that the nearest active salmon farms were in Loch Torridon, no more than 15 miles by sea from the sweep netting site. The report says that this is well within the 32km range in which Marine Scotland Science modelling confirms that salmon farms can affect wild fish with sea lice infestations.

Local fishery trusts along the west coast conduct sampling by sweep netting every year. From 2003 to 2009, their data was subjected to a number of mathematical calculations by Marine Scotland Science.

The conclusion stemming from this research was that salmon farms exert an influence on the infestation of wild fish up to 31km from any salmon farm.

The final study was published in 2012 and it has become accepted that salmon farms are a risk to wild fish within this danger zone, as highlighted in the recent issue of the angling magazine.

Even though the description of the 31km zone appears in a published scientific paper, there have always been some concerns as to its validity.

Firstly, there are different interpretations as to what the 31km zone means.

Some scientists see it as a high-risk zone where the risk is the same whether fish are 1km or 31km from the nearest farm.

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Martin Jaffa.indd 18

relationship between lice counts “onThe wild fish and the proximity of salmon farms has had to be revisited ”

Others see it as an area beyond which there is no risk, while a third interpretation is that there is a graduated effect which diminishes further away from the farm.

Secondly, larval sea lice are not motile but drift with the currents and winds. Clearly, if the current flows towards a farm, then that farm is unlikely to have an influence in the direction from which the current flows.

Farms could be located close to rivers with migratory fish but have no impact on the wild fish at all. This 31km zone may, therefore, be too generalised and not relevant to large parts of the west coast. However, this has been just an assumption, at least until now.

The bumper harvest of sea trout last year from the River Polla has meant that the relationship between lice counts on wild fish and the proximity of salmon farms has had to be revisited.

Lice counts from sea trout caught from the Polla and the nearby Kyle of Durness on Scotland’s north coast raised questions because of the number of fish found to be carrying high lice counts.

This might have been expected from the Polla, which is close to salmon farming activity, but the Kyle of Durness is situated outside the 31km zone from the nearest farm. Lice counts should therefore be low, yet they are not. Something is clearly not right.

From 2011 to 2015, the various fishery trusts, under the auspices of the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS, which is no longer in existence), collaborated to produce an annual report of lice sampling on sea trout covering 28 different sites of varying distances from the nearest salmon farm.

These ranged from 2km to 50 km from the farm.

In total, four sites were located outside the 31km

Left: Inspecting fish for lice. Opposite: Graph showing prevalence of sea lice.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:20:38

‘Danger’ zones

zone and if the Marine Scotland Science paper was correct then, over the five years of the study, the distant locations should have recorded fewer lice than sites situated nearer a farm.

The RAFTS study recorded different stages of lice development from chalimus, to pre-adults and ovigerous females as well as total lice.

For each of the four groups, the prevalence, abundance and intensity of lice was documented.

In total, there were 12 different sets of data. Each one was plotted on a graph- the sites arranged in increasing distance from the nearest farm, although not actually representative of the exact distances involved.

What is clear from all 12 graphs (the one shown is prevalence for total lice) is that no pattern is apparent. The sea lice count looks relatively similar regardless of the distance of the sample site from the nearest farm.

Lice appear to be found in relatively high numbers on wild fish irrespective of how far the sampling site is from the nearest farm.

What seems to have been forgotten is that sea lice infested wild salmon and sea trout long before salmon farming came to Scotland. There has always been a background level of lice in the sea.

Unfortunately, in the rush to link sea lice to salmon farming it has been assumed that any lice on wild fish must have come from a farm, and not from the general environment.

The fact that sampling is only conducted in the salmon farming areas simply reinforces this preconception. A study from 2010 in which lice were counted from both east and west coast rivers found higher counts in the east.

Does the sweep netting reported this year from

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Martin Jaffa.indd 19

Gairloch indicate that issues with sea lice continue to persist or are they simply a reflection of the natural processes that happen in the wild?

In all likelihood, the sweep netting has caught weakened fish that may not usually survive. Weak fish become easy targets for lice, which is why counts can be so high.

By comparison, healthy fish are extremely adept at escaping sweep netting so the sample is inevitably biased towards those fish which, in the past, have supported the view that salmon farms are responsible for the decline of wild sea trout

and salmon.

One river proprietor in the north used to make regular demands that the local salmon farm be moved so that it was at least 31km away from the river. The farm is still located in the same position yet the nearby river has been given the highest conservation status of Grade 1.

The concept of a danger sea lice zone of 31km around salmon farms resulted from a mathematical calculation in a scientific paper but, like much of the sea lice research, seems to have little relevance to what actually happens in the sea. FF

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08/08/2017 11:20:55

Shellfish

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Creating a new culture ‘Oyster lady’ opens up new markets with academy – and appellations

O

YSTER aficionado Katy Davidson is a busy lady. When she is not giving oyster shucking or tasting demonstrations at food festivals, running oyster pop-ups, delivering her ‘Shuckerette’ oyster shucking services at parties, developing a range of products for her Amity Seafood company, or cooking seafood dinners for her Airbnb customers, she is working on an oyster cookery book, immersed in plans for London Oyster Week 2018, or growing her oyster academy.

The oyster academy is a passion of Davidson’s, the idea for which came two years ago, after working with chefs to encourage greater uptake in restaurants.

She realised that the culture of oysters is so similar to that of wine that a training programme and qualification along the same lines as a sommelier could benefit the industry and help bring oysters to a wider market.

From small beginnings, the academy now offers masterclasses and training to fishmongers, restaurants, hotels and individuals.

Such an unusual venture has attracted a lot of attention, particularly from the popular media, and boosted demand for Davidson’s services.

‘Chefs can be deterred from serving oysters, believing they are difficult to store, prepare and sell in volume,’ she said.

‘My training programme will help increase uptake and profit margins through special recipes, better product understanding and customer engagement, and by matching oysters with wines and spirits.’

Davidson provides sourcing and tasting notes, advises on storage, handling, preparation and display, and adds in information on sustainability, which more and more customers are interested in. Oysters are highly rated in this regard.

‘Most people are cautious about oysters in restaurants, and won’t order

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Shellfish.indd 20

Below: Training

programme. Opposite page: Katy Davidson with her beloved oysters; and on the oyster farm in Morocco.

half a dozen because they don’t know how to tackle them and are dubious of their rawness.

‘I encourage chefs to offer a ‘starter oyster’ or a dish with oysters in the recipe, which is a great way to start,’ she said.

Davidson’s work has taken her all over the world, and she particularly enjoys visiting oyster farms, adding to her knowledge base and tasting repertoire.

In January, she visited Huitres Kandy oyster farm in the Western Sahara in Morocco, to film a mini-documentary on Moroccan oyster culture for her YouTube channel, which is currently being edited.

She has also worked with the World Oyster Society and the Shellfish Association of Great Britain on education and awareness raising projects and events.

She had only just started putting the ostrelier qualification together, when she was awarded a place on the Lloyds Bank School for Social Entrepreneurs programme.

‘This was really helpful in helping me to finalise the curriculum and map out the qualification,’ she said.

Based in Cornwall, Davidson, who is better known as the Oyster Lady, has just delivered a workshop to festival goers at Port Eliot Festival, and is preparing a special one for members of the Guild of Food Writers in October.

‘Most food journalists know little about oysters and I wanted to refute some of the common misconceptions which can put people off. Hopefully, my talk will generate a few more positive articles on oysters,’ she said.

‘Things such as seasonality, the difference between native and Pacific oysters, how to store and serve, and especially how to enjoy them at their best.

‘Too many people believe you must knock oysters back in one gulp, but this is a waste of a wonderful experience.

‘They should be savoured, just like a fine wine, to enjoy the complex flavour profile. Once someone has experienced oysters this way, their love affair with these delicate creatures truly begins. They are also excellent to cook with.’

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 13:05:55

Creating a new culture

They should be “savoured, just like

a fine wine, to enjoy the complex flavour profile

”

Davidson generally works with the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) due to its availability, but also encourages people to try native oysters (Ostrea edulis) when they are in season.

Her website, www.theoysterlady.co.uk, is a growing resource of information about the world of oysters, based on more than a decade of research, experimentation and experience.

She recently started to include profiles of oysters, listing them with tasting and character notes. Oyster farmers from Isle of Mull, Carlingford, Porthilly, Fal Bay, Menai and Harty Oysters have already sent samples for inclusion.

‘Farmers who have sent their oysters for photography and profiling have been very pleased,’ she said. ‘I write a little about the history of each company and where they are, include pictures of the opened oyster for identification, pictures of the farm, notes about the merroir, salinity, flavours, textures, characteristics and meat to shell ratio. I also provide contact details for people to find out more or buy direct.’

According to Davidson, many people don’t realise that oysters from different estuaries have different tastes – merroir - just like wine from one area is different from that produced in another. Her tasting notes are designed to tempt the palate.

For example, Isle of Mull Oysters were found to have a ‘heady combination of deep, rich brine and ozone’ aromas and ‘rich, umami, light fresh seaweed, meaty, creamy’ flavours.

She is actively engaging with oyster farmers to increase the number of appellations on her website and asks producers to get in touch if they are interested.

She will also be adding details of venues serving oysters, writing recipes, and providing oyster news and insight to help promote this delicious and sustainable delicacy.

‘London Oyster Week will offer a variety of events, tastings and experiences and be a real help in widening awareness about the whole industry,’ she said.

‘I am thrilled that Seafish has come on board as an official partner and I am in talks with other organisations about partnerships

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Shellfish.indd 21

and sponsorships.’

She has plenty of encouragement for those unsure about eating oysters and for organisations which might like to join her oyster revolution, because she believes that oysters tick nearly every box.

‘They are one of the most ethical foods you can eat, they make you happy because they contain a natural source of dopamine, they are highly nutritious and full of zinc, they are eco-engineers, creating habitat for hundreds of other species, and natural oyster reefs protect coasts from erosion and storm surge, and extract nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making them eco-heroes,’ she said.

‘But most of all they are delicious, so what’s not to like!’ FF

21

08/08/2017 13:06:15

Otter Ferry at 50

Royal milestone Moving with the times keeps pioneer farmers at the forefront

T

O farm fish successfully you have to manage change as well as the stocks, says Alastair Barge, the man behind Otter Ferry Seafish, Scotland’s only halibut aquaculture business.

‘Every 10 years something new comes along so you always have to look ahead.’

If anyone is in a position to offer advice on farming fish it is Barge, who with his partner David Patterson and the team at Otter Ferry is marking the company’s 50th anniversary this year.

Barge has aquaculture in his blood, having spent most of his life on the remote west coast site, on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, where his father Ronald, along with Iain McCrone, pioneered land based trout farming half a century ago.

Ronald died in 1997 but McCrone, now 84, has just received his long

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Otter Ferry - Main.indd 22

service medal, awarded by Princess Anne, who visited Otter Ferry earlier in the summer.

The presence of royalty was to honour the present generation, too, who have ‘thrown everything’ at making a go of Otter Ferry and halibut, a ‘very tricky’ species to rear, and also the development of a thriving cleaner fish operation at the same site.

Since 2006, one-year-old halibut have been moved to the small island of Gigha for on-growing, thus spawning the legendary Gigha halibut, winner of numerous accolades, enjoyed at the finest establishments and appreciated by the

Above Princess Anne inside the wrasse hachery with production manager Pierre Buray.

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08/08/2017 11:26:14

Royal milestone

top chefs (Gordon Ramsay and Raymond le Blanc to name just two).

With this now solid foundation, Barge has a plan, though he won’t give details yet, to expand his halibut business in new locations.

‘The amount of juveniles is enough to double production and while there is space to expand and refurbish on Gigha, there would also be a requirement of a new site, purpose built for halibut, elsewhere.

‘Additional photperiods for broodstock would increase juvenile production and bring further new sites on stream.’

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Otter Ferry - Main.indd 23

It will, he says, be ‘a new kind of halibut farm for the future, pioneered by Otter Ferry’. The tanks will be shallower, and the power will all be renewable, with the site located next to good quality water.

‘There are places on the west coast that can’t export all the renewable power they are producing at the moment.’

Gigha, off the west coast of Kintyre, and managed by local man Rob Wilkieson, was originally constructed as a salmon farm. It consists of a set of large circular tanks of increasing size, into which water is pumped from the Sound of Gigha.

‘Halibut doesn’t lend itself to sea cages,’ said Barge, who has spent 20-plus years perfecting the production process, along with Patterson, Otter Ferry’s technical director for more than 30 years and to whom Barge gives much of the credit for the business’s success.

‘The ambient temperature in Scotland is perfect for halibut, they like it to be around 10-12 degrees, though they can keep going if it’s a bit lower.’

The halibut, which take four years to mature, are hand fed a sustainable diet of fish trimmings and the farm has no adverse effect on its environment - in fact, said Barge, ‘Sepa should pay us for cleaning the sea!’

Halibut are very robust once they are past the notoriously difficult, lengthy larval stage.

Otter Ferry began investigating farming the species in the early 90s, with wild broodstock from Iceland.

But as history shows, the marine hatchery could have gone in a completely different direction. Barge’s father, who owned the land at Otter Ferry, built a trout raceway system in the early 70s with McCrone, who had caught the aquaculture bug during a Nuffield scholarship trip to the US. After a dry spell made water scarce they switched to a recirculation system, pumping brackish water. ‘They were breaking new ground all the time,’ said Barge.

The natural progression in around 1972-73 was to move into salmon and Booker McConnell invested in Otter Ferry. They used the trout hatchery for salmon and put salmon cages in Loch Fyne but they quickly got washed away.

They then set up the first fish farming sites in South Uist, where a sceptical ghillie said he would give them a bottle of whisky for every salmon that made it to harvest!

In 1977, the family bought back their shares and went it alone as Otter Ferry Seafish.

They had 12 tanks on shore with a flow through system, producing 60 tonnes of salmon, which at the time was 10 per cent of Scottish production.

‘The pump ashore system was free of sea lice and experienced very good growth rates and survival,’ said Barge. ‘But technology improved and sea cages took off.’

Otter Ferry went from 25m tanks, to 32m and

“10Every years

something new comes along so you always have to look ahead

”

23

08/08/2017 11:26:44

Otter Ferry at 50

Clockwise from above: Inspecting halibut juveniles with Alastair Barge and David Patterson (far left); Antonios Chalaris gives HRH an insight into cleaner fish rearing; halibut juveniles; carpets where wrasse eggs are laid.

24

Otter Ferry - Main.indd 24

then 45m – ‘we were trying to keep up with the plastic and steel sea cages. But we didn’t compete in the end, it was the wrong strategy.’

In the 1980s the industry was hit by furunculosis and at the same time the price of salmon dropped. Otter Ferry had built another site, at Lephinmore, producing 300-400 tonnes, but they realised they would have to draw back.

So they began to specialise, in broodstock and smolts. They used their freshwater cage sites to develop the hatchery and produced 500,000 smolts. And they produced good eggs which they sold to both Scotland and Chile.

‘That kept us going in the 90s but consolidation of the industry meant the room for small smolt producers narrowed,’ said Barge.

‘Companies like Landcatch were investing in big breeding programmes and so we decided then that we would have to diversify into other species.’

They looked at several options: lobster (too cannibalistic); turbot (too slow growth); cod (low price and low yields); and halibut.

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08/08/2017 11:27:14

Royal milestone

‘The backdrop for halibut was a premium fish with a declining wild catch. Research at Seafish Ardtoe led the way and we and a few others took it from there. There was more collaboration back then, especially when we weren’t getting there!

‘We got broodstock from Iceland and embarked on the four-year growing cycle, a big risk. This was in the days of early marine finfish farming. There were five hatcheries doing halibut at the time and 10 on-growers wanting to participate. Four of those hatcheries switched to cod so Otter Ferry was the only place left doing halibut. We had more at stake with our land based facilities so we persevered.’

He said they had problems with the F1 domestic broodstock which pointed to nutrition, but gradually worked out the optimum conditions.

The broodstock today are only two generations from the wild and the hatchery has started performing better with this F2 class.

Otter Ferry, one of only four halibut farms in the world (there is one in Nova Scotia and two in

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Otter Ferry - Main.indd 25

Norway), produces all the eggs and juveniles they need.

Following a sucessful research project by the Institute of Aquaculture, they started to produce all females, which mature at 10kg. Now the average harvest weight has gone from three to five kilos, the price per unit has gone up and fewer juveniles are needed.

Furthermore, a new market for halibut roe is emerging. Chef Pam Brunton at the nearby lochside Inver Restaurant has been using the roe and trying to get chefs interested, even making a recent appearance on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live. She described it as being ‘like mellow scrambled eggs, or sweetbreads with a gentle spring flavour’.

Barge said all his halibut – which is £30 per kg on the slab compared to salmon at around £14 - goes to the restaurant trade.

He exports to America too, via lorries from Gigha to Glasgow, then from there by road to Heathrow, and on to Los Angeles. Gigha halibut also sells well in northern Europe but in southern Europe it has to compete with cheaper turbot.

In 2009 Otter Ferry diversified again, into wrasse farming, another difficult species to farm, although ‘after halibut anything seemed easy’, said Barge. They started a wrasse project with the Scottish Salmon Company and Meridian Salmon (later bought by Marine Harvest) with 500 wild broodstock, and by the third year of the project they produced 10,000 fish. Meanwhile, another wrasse project was underway at Machrihanish, funded by TSB. Lumpfish came along in 2014 and Otter Ferry has produced more than 500,000 juvenile lumpfish, which ‘fill the gap when there are no wrasse but it’s swinging back to wrasse, they are the gold standard lice eaters when temperatures are higher’.

They produced around 140,000 wrasse in 2016 and this year/next year it looks like it will be considerably more, with Marine Harvest the main sponsor. The only limit, it appears, is the amount of space at Otter Ferry to on grow the fish.

Barge notes that big companies use small companies to innovate and pioneer new methods of farming and certainly Otter Ferry has filled that role, over five decades.

He pays tribute to his father’s vision of aquaculture, which he was brought up with and which, he says, was very instrumental as he and David Patterson developed the business.

But what of the industry’s future? Pressed for a prediction for the next 15 years, he says ‘we’ll look back and say ‘remember sea lice!’ but then isn’t so sure. The industry may be unpredictable but Otter Ferry is here to stay. FF

need “a We new site

purpose built for halibut elsewhere

” 25

08/08/2017 11:27:45

Otter Ferry at 50

Meet the

brood Hatchery diversifies to stay on top of ever changing industry

A

TOUR of Otter Ferry reveals the company’s evolution over the decades. Lumpfish, very much a species of today, are on-grown in six tanks arranged within a disused salmon tank, a throwback to the days before halibut, and before cleaner fish, at the farm.

In a cluster of large sheds along the banks of Loch Fyne, three species are reared, wrasse and lumpfish from egg to deployment, and halibut until they are transferred, aged one, to Gigha for on-growing.

The current capacity at the marine hatchery is 100,000 juvenile halibut, 200,000 wrasse, and 650,000 lumpfish.

Research manager Antonios Chalaris, a wrasse specialist, guided Fish Farmer around the cleaner fish tanks, each one containing different life stages of either wrasse or lumpfish, some so tiny they were barely visible.

Outside on a table, the last of a batch of wrasse were being vaccinated with autogenous vaccines for atypical furunculosis prior to deployment.

Following vaccination, the fish are acclimatised for 400 degree days.

This involves giving them agar blocks to feed on, dropping the temperature in the tanks to match ambient, putting hides in the tanks, and changing the light regime – all to match the conditions in the salmon pens.

‘This helps them perform soon after they are transferred to sea,’ said Chalaris. ‘The acclimatisation is for one month and then they can either go straight into the salmon pens or the farmers might keep them in a smaller cage within the salmon pen for just one week.’

The procedure is critical to reducing stress at transfer and maximising

Salmon “farmers

want a well trained wrasse

”

Left: Princess Anne is welcomed by Alastair Barge, Iain McCrone (second left) and David Patterson (far left).

Opposite - clockwise from top: Farming at Otter Ferry, from halibut to lumpfish.

26

Otter Ferry - Tour - Brood.indd 26

the efficacy of the cleaner fish.

‘Salmon farmers want a well-trained wrasse,’ said Chalaris, who is not sure the water current affects the young fish but says light and temperature are key.

Wrasse broodstock are recruited from wild stocks and are about five years old when stocked at Otter Ferry. They ‘get anything they want to eat’ prior and during spawning, including mussels, prawns.

There are three photoperiods in the broodstock building, with around 100 fish in five tanks in each photoperiod.

In the tanks there is a ratio of three males to 27 females, along with hides and carpets, where the eggs are laid. If there are too many males they get aggressive and if there are too few you don’t get enough eggs, Chalaris explained. ‘They are a very territorial species in the wild.’

It’s a whole new egg management system,

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08/08/2017 11:29:13

Meet the brood

different from halibut and cod. The carpets are hung up with pegs in the incubator for five days. They are then transferred to a hatching tank which overflows into a larval collecting container. Up to 200,000 larvae can be collected this way each day.

The survival rate at this stage is about five per cent, which compares well to halibut’s of around one per cent. But, said Chalaris, they are now fairly confident in what they’re doing and are hoping they can improve the wrasse survival rate to 10 per cent.

The reason for the three photoperiods is to time/delay production of cleaner fish so it doesn’t overlap with the halibut and lumpfish. The aim is to have the wrasse ready for deployment between April and September, as they prefer the warmer months.

In the New Nursery, the last batch of twoyear-olds – around 30-40g - are ready for deployment. Some 90 per cent of this cycle

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Otter Ferry - Tour - Brood.indd 27

27

08/08/2017 11:29:50

Otter Ferry at 50

The wrasse give you time to think “about where to put them, unlike the lumpies which grow so fast ”

had already been dispatched when Fish Farmer visited in June, most of them in April and May. Stocking densities for wrasse are about eight per cent in each salmon cage but they could get that down to two per cent if the transfer was seamless and all fish worked to their maximum efficiency, said Chalaris.

Lumpfish tend to be stocked at higher densities of around 10 per cent.

In one of the bigger sheds, recently hatched wrasse in various stages of development are kept in separate tanks - at 20 days and two months old and four months old. They start giving them live feed after five days.

Alastair Barge said they have the capacity to produce one million wrasse but only 200,000 for on-growing. It looks from the tanks containing the new young fish that this is going to be a bumper cycle.

‘They give you time to think about where you’re going to put them, unlike lumpies, where everything happens so fast,’ he said. ‘But we need serious expansion to produce more wrasse.’

28

Otter Ferry - Tour - Brood.indd 28

One possible solution would be to ship them out at much smaller stages.

Otter Ferry production manager Pierre Buray shone a torch into the tanks containing 50-dayold larvae. There are 700,000 in the tank, about 75 larvae per litre.

There are 25 million artemia per meal and the wrasse are fed three times a day.

This lot is the first batch of the three spawning photoperiods. With the artemia, they grow quite fast but they must start feeding in the first 10 days. If they don’t they will no make it, said Buray.

The flow through system needs very good filtration to begin with but then it is easier to

Above: Princess Anne with (from left to right) Alastair Barge, David Patterson and Pierre Buray. Left: HRH with Antonios Chalaris.

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08/08/2017 11:33:45

Meet the brood

handle than recirculating systems.

The lumpfish are in six pens inside much larger pens originally used for salmon, then halibut. These fish are easy to rear to start with and grow incredibly quickly, but later in the cycle are sensitive to stress and handling.

Chalaris said fish feeds up until now have all been focused on growth but for lumpfish growth needs to be slowed down.

Lumpfish can be deployed in five months in some cases (compared to around 18 months for ballan wrasse) and many more lumpfish than wrasse are stocked at sea. Nutritional requirements for wrasse and lumpfish are very different and very complex; diets have been

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Otter Ferry - Tour - Brood.indd 29

developed but there is still much work to be done to help enhance growth in wrasse and retard growth in lumpfish.

After observing the shoals of minuscule cleaner fish, the huge halibut broodstock are more like pets – and Barge admits he has got to know them and some even have names.

Reared in the old land based salmon system, the broodstock are 12 to 15 years old. They are selected, by Rob Wilkieson, from the Gigha stocks, during harvesting.

There are 20 males to the 60 females in each tank, which are stripped every year around February and March.

They are challenging to farm – after 25 years they still have a lower survival rate than cleaner fish, said Barge.

Inside a dark, chilled room the young halibut larvae are kept in deep conical silos three weeks after hatching while they absorb their yolk sacs. In the first feeding unit at 250 degree days the juveniles are fed artemia. And then at 650 degree days they are ready to wean, by which time they have metamorphosed, with one eye shifting to the other side of the head and the body getting flatter. Over about 10 days they become proper flatfish.

At four months they are hand graded. If they survive to this stage, said Barge, they should be okay - ‘that’s when you can ‘start to count them’.

They are feeding on a dry diet now.

The last stop on our tour is the live feed room, where Brian Wilson looks after the artemia and rotifer. Otter Ferry hatches the latter themselves but buys sacks of artemia as cysts or shells, which look rather like a fine brown powder.

These bags have a long shelf life but as soon as water is added they turn into a rust coloured liquid. The brine shrimp are invisible to the naked eye but under the microscope they look quite substantial swimming around a petri dish.

They are hatched every day and fed to the wrasse, along with rotifer.

Halibut and lumpfish only get artemia. Otter Ferry gets through about two kilos of live feed a day.

Wilson, a microbiologist from Switzerland, acquired his knowledge about live feed working in the shrimp industry in Hawaii for five years.

Like the rest of the team at Otter Ferry, he takes his work seriously: ‘If the fish don’t eat, I don’t eat!’ he said.. FF

29

08/08/2017 11:34:21

Otter Ferry at 50

ears of fish farming at Otter Ferry Otter

Ferry

50 years of ďŹ sh farming at Otter Ferry

ators in Sustainable Aquaculture

Innovators in sustainable aquaculture

y

ies t

1972

Otter Ferry Left: On the map for 50 years. Above: The Loch Fyne site.

Year

Species

1967

Trout

1977 Ronald Barge and Iain McCrone meet and agree to set up Highland Trout Company at Otter Ferry.

Pump ashore salmon

1977

velop pump ashore system in 12 x 12m tanks brackish raceway system with and produce 60 tonnes of salmon. water.

Year 1967

Species Trout

Rainbow and brown trout raceway system with brackish water.

1981

1981

1983 19831985

Species Trout

1972

1972

raceway system w ith brackish Barge family wretain aterOtt . er Ferry site and de-

Salmon

1985

1985

Ronald Barge and Iain MacCrone meet and agree to set Booker McConnel invests in Salmon up Highland Trout Company and Trout Company. Trout Highlat Otter Ferry. hatchery changes to salmon Booker McConnel invests in Highland Trout Company. Trout hatchery changes to salmon and brown trouthatchery cages in Loch Fyne and Rainbow hatchery cages in Loch Fyne and South Uist.

1972

Loch Glashan smolts

Ronald Barge and Iain MacCrone meet and agree to set up Highland Trout Company at Otter Ferry.

1977 Rainbow and brown trout

South Uist.

1986

Salmon Lephinmore

17,000m3 unit 32m x 45m tanks. 400 tonnes Booke r McConnel invest of salmon. s in Ferry Otter retain H ighland Trout Com Barge family Pump pa ny. Trout ashore site and develop pump ashore 1986 hatc he system in 12 x 12m tanks andry changes to salmon Salmon of salmo tchen.ry produce 60 tonnes ha

19861

30

1981 1983

Otter Ferry - Timeline.indd 30

Le re

cages in Loch Fyn e and South Uist.

1

1977

Ronald Barge MacCrone m up Highland T 2 x 25m tanks added to 100 tonnes.

Otter Ferry.

Creation of BP trial unit.

Lo Ra inb ow an and 250,000 smolt unit in fresh water cages.

2 x 25m tanks added to 100 tonnes.

Pum Creati p on of BP trial unit.

1991

ashore 1991 Sa

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Barge family retain Otter Ferry site and develop pu 08/08/2017 11:39:42 mp ashore

Br ks Ha

1986 Broodstock salmon

1991

1991 Halibut

Eggs exported to UK and Chile.

Halibut arrive at Otter Ferry from Iceland.

50 years of fish farming at Otter Ferry Broodstoc Eggs exported to UK and Chile.

3 on salm k 17,000m unit 32m x 45m tanks.

Lephinmo 2014 Lumpfi sh201 Lumpfi sh larvae arrive from Weymouth and 32013 400 tonnes of salmon. re arrive at Otter Ferry but Hali but Hali Swansea.

Iceland.

20142014 from

Broodstoc k salmon Halibut

1991

Eggs exported to UK and Chile.

Halibut arrive at Otter Ferry from Iceland.

BBC Food Awards Gigha.

1994

Salmon 1994 centre 1994

Visitor centre for salmon industry at Kilninver, Oban.

Salmon centre Salmon centre

2016

Visitor centre for salmon industry at Kilninver, Oban.

2016

Visitor centre for salmon industry at Kilninver, Oban.

2016

Close the lumpfish cycle.

2017 2017 1997

1997 2001 2004

2006

1997

2001 2004

2001 2004

F1 broodstock production drops.

2010

12010

3

Gigha halibut

d Barge and Iain 2006 rone me2007 et and agree to First setharvest Gigha.

2007 ghland Trout Company at Ferry. ow and brown trout2007 Wrasse

relocates halibut business to Norway.

Fresh fish shipped to Gigha.

2006

2010

3I invest in Otter Ferry to expand halibut.

3I invest in Otter Ferry to F1 broodstock production nd expadrops.halibut.

Marine Harvest (main customer) drops.

F1 broo relocates halibut business to dstock production Norway. mer) custo n Marine Harvest (mai

3I invest in Otter Ferry to expand halibut.

Marine Harvest (main customer) relocates halibut business to Norway.

Gigha halibut

Scottish Salmon Company (formerly Meridian) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in three-year project to receive broodstock and develop hatchery protocols.

Gigha halibut

2013 2014

Wrasse

Lumpfish

European Fisheries Fund project to scale up production.

3 Fresh fish shipped to Gigha.

First harvest Gigha.

2013

2013

Fresh fish shipped to Gigha.

First harvest Gigha.

Wrasse

2014

HRH visits to commemorate 50 years.

Lumpfish

Scottish Salmon Company (formerly Meridian) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in three-year project to receive broodstock and develop hatchery protocols.

Scottish Salmon Company (formerly Meridian) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in three-year project to receive broodstock and develop hatchery European Fisheries Fund project protocols. to scale up production.

Lumpfish larvae arrive from Weymouth and Swansea.

European Fisheries Fund project to scale up production.

Lumpfish larvae arrive from Weymouth and Swansea.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

2017 team photo

Left: Brian Wilson in the live feed room. Above: Alastair Barge and production manager Pierre Buray inspect a wrasse tank.

31

BBC Food Awards Gigha.

Otter Ferry - Timeline.indd 31

08/08/2017 11:40:57

Lumpfis

Lum

Otter Ferry at 50

Top team

Left: 2017 team photo - top row (from left to right): David Patterson, Robert Halley, Pierre Buray, Tom Stevens, Sam Poutney .

Guillaume Laurent, Luisa Albacete; bottom row: Alastair Barge, Gina Wignell, Mary Paton, Brian Wilson, Jamie Stewart, Iona Hamilton Stubber, Antonios Chalaris , Amanda Anderson.

All Otter Ferry pictures

by Ronnie Cairns

Congratulations to Alastair, David and all the team at Otter Ferry on your 50th Anniversary PROUDLY SUPPLYING TANKS 32

Otter Ferry - Timeline.indd 32

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 11:42:40

Congratulations on 50 years of Fish Farming at Otterferry from BioMar.

www.BioMar.com Biomar - FP Congrats to Otterferry.indd 33

08/08/2017 10:11:48

Otter Ferry at 50 – BioMar advertorial

Let’s innovate aquaculture The BioMar Group is one of the leading suppliers of high performing fish feed to the industry worldwide

B

IOMAR was founded in 1962 by a group of fish farmers who joined forces to establish a feed factory because they wanted better performing feed. The BioMar purpose is rooted in our heritage and our commitment to aquaculture. We are proud that family members of these people are still among our customers.

We are proud that they still think that we deliver the best performance. Through cutting-edge knowledge and long-lasting partnerships with our stakeholders, we strive to develop and deliver truly efficient, sustainable, and healthy feed solutions.

Our main business areas are feed for salmon and trout in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Chile, feed for trout, sea bass, sea bream, sturgeon and eel in continental Europe, and feed for shrimp, cobia and tilapia in South and Central America.

Roughly one out of five farmed fish produced in Europe and Chile are produced with BioMar fish feed. Worldwide, the BioMar Group supplies feed to around 80 countries and to more than 45 different fish species.

International expansion is part of our strategy going forward. A new factory was opened in Turkey in the summer of 2016 in a joint venture with the Turkish seafood company Sagun. In 2017 we are forming a solid footprint in China with

34

Biomar PED.indd 34

Below and opposite: Developing efficient and sustainable feed solutions

two factories in a joint venture with the major Chinese feed manufacturer Tongwei. During the last few years BioMar has delivered increasing volume of feed to the Australian market from factories in Scotland and Chile, and the company is ready to establish a green field factory in Australia which is expected to be operational in 2019.

In June 2017, BioMar took a significant step into the shrimp feed market by acquiring 70 per cent of the Ecuadorian shrimp feed producer Alimensta.

The acquisition will position BioMar among the leading shrimp feed producers in Latin America, creating synergies toward existing business.

BioMar is dedicated to innovating aquaculture. That is our core business and objective. We focus 100 per cent on driving the development of this industry. Our goal is to provide healthy and sustainable growth for aquaculture farmers by creating innovative feed solutions to develop aquaculture worldwide.

New feed concepts are constantly being developed in order to cater for new consumer trends and help aquaculture farmers grow their business.

As the population continues to grow, consumption of salmon and other oily fish is projected to grow exponentially. Innovation in fish feed is essential for the aquaculture industry’s sustainable growth.

In harnessing algae to improve the long chain omega-3 content of fish feed, we can overcome traditional challenges relating to limited feed resources and sustainability. Up until now, access to marine raw materials and omega-3 fatty acids has been a limiting factor. Now BioMar has launched fish feed with marine fatty acids from microalgae, securing access to this essential ingredient, and displacing pressure on fish populations to produce fish oil and meal.

‘Global demand for seafood is continually increasing and the only way we

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08/08/2017 11:45:10

Let’s innovate aquaculture

can meet this demand without putting further pressure on wild fish stocks is through responsible aquaculture,’ said Piers Hart, global lead for aquaculture at WWF. ‘There’s only a limited amount of fish in our seas to feed us, let alone to make into animal feed. Now there is a sustainable alternative to fish oil available on an industrial scale, something we could only dream about ten years ago.’

Algae, the original source of long chain omega-3 DHA, is a scalable, sustainable source that does not involve marine fishing. Aquaculture supplies nearly half of all fish for human consumption globally, and this growth has led to increased demand for omega-3. With algae, we can reduce the pressure on marine resources and ensure that access to omega-3 no longer limits development.

‘AlgaPrime DHA delivers approximately three times the level of DHA compared to fish oil,’.said Dr.Walter Rakitsky, senior vice president of emerging business at TerraVia. ‘On a DHA basis, one tonne of AlgaPrime DHA is the equivalent of saving up to 40 tonnes of wild caught fish from our oceans. In addition, it goes a long way in addressing consumer and retailer demand for responsibly sourced fish.’

BioMar has been working towards increased sustainability ever since 1960.

Firstly with the introduction of dry pelleted, and then extruded feeds that minimised waste and reduced environmental impact. Other notable firsts included Ecoline, the world’s first environmentally certified fish feed, and Ecolife Pearl, the world’s first certified feed for ecological production.

More recent developments have seen the launch of Orbit, a special feed for recirculating aquaculture systems which set new standards for reducing the environmental footprint; species specific supplementary diets for cleaner fish which are now widely used as a biological solution for sea lice control on salmon farms; and the launch of the first (and still only) probiotic approved for use in aquaculture feeds in the EU. Advances in innovative technology by BioMar and a high priced fish oil and fishmeal market enabled the BioMar Group to average a below one

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Biomar PED.indd 35

“

Our goal is to provide healthy and sustainable growth for farmers

FIFO (fish-in:fish-out) ratio for its raw material usage in 2016 for the first time in its history. This was one of the many findings revealed in the annual sustainability report, which achieved a ‘top five per cent’ status by Seafood Intelligences independent benchmarking report, World’s Top 100 Seafood Firms in Sustainability Reporting and Transparency.

BioMar has developed a concept and framework for adapting and promoting sustainability called BioSustain. The early development of a tool to measure and evaluate sustainability of raw materials and processes in our production of fish feed has now been further developed to measure and evaluate sustainability throughout the entire value chain.

For more information on BioMar, our products, and BioSustain please visit www.BioMar.com or contact your local sales office. FF

”

35

08/08/2017 11:45:31

Otter Ferry at 50 – Varicon Aqua advertorial

Benchmark, Ardtoe Scotla

nd

Our latest 1000L fully au tomated HDRS was install ed at Ardto system is being used to pro duce rotifers (B.Plicatilis) an d is capab day, equating to a harvest of 500-700 million rotifers per day.

Go with the

Flow

The serpentine Phyco-Flow is first in class

V

ARICON Aqua Solutions would like to congratulate Otter Ferry Seafish on its 50th anniversary, an incredible achievement given the technical and economic challenges faced by independent marine aquaculture operations. Varicon Aqua has enjoyed a very close working relationship various high value microalgae applications in Baku. with Alastair Barge and his team over the preceding 30 years, either as a tech- Please visit our websiThe is currently being used to evaluate the te system www.v ariconaq ua.com to see our full pro nical partner in the early days of halibut and cod culture, and more recently al benefits of transitioning from pond based variconaqua@variconapotenti du qua.com for further informatio as a supplier of INVE hatchery products for their ongoing innovative work on n. cultivation into closed photobioreactor systems. wrasse and lumpsucker cultivation. Naturally, we wish Otter Ferry continuing Finally, our latest 1,000l fully automated HDRS success for many years to come. was installed at Ardtoe Marine Station, where the Varicon Aqua is a specialist in the design, construction and installation of live system is being used to produce rotifers (B.Plicatilis) feed systems, encompassing laboratory through to industrial scale cultivation and is capable of up to 50 per cent harvest per day, of microalgae, rotifers and copepods. This includes equipment for process equating to a harvest of 500-700 million rotifers monitoring and control, as well as apparatus for downstream processing and per day. lighting. We also supply a range of complementary consumable products such Please visit our website www.variconaqua.com to as Cell-Hi All in One algae nutrient premixes, concentrated algae pastes from see our full product list, or contact us via variconaqReed Mariculture and hatchery feed solutions from INVE. ua@variconaqua.com for further information. FF To date, Varicon has deployed more than 200 photobioreactor systems across the globe, ranging from five litre to 400,000 litre scale. All of these systems are built to high specifications using precision manufacturing processes.

Over the years, our international reputation has been driven by sales of the BioFence, a manifold photobioreactor system.

Building from this success, our current first in class system is the serpentine Phyco-Flow, which overcomes many of limitations associated with the BioFence.

Newer developments include the low shear vertical column photobioreactors, the Phyco-Lift and Phyco-Bubble, and the internally illuminated reactor, National Research Centre, Cairo. the Phyco-Pyxis.

We constructed a 4 m pilot Phyco-Flow system, with complete process and temperature control for the National Research Centre in Cairo. The system is being used to investigate the feasibility In addition to photobioreactor systems, Varicon also specialises in providing of producing biofuels & food/feed from algae under Egyptian conditions. Key to this research is the profiling suitable algae strains for a range of bulk and high value products. the equipment necessary for the cultivation of rotifers and copepods. Our Above: 1,000l fully newest live feed system, the High Density Rotifer System (HDRS), is designed automated HDRS, National Research Centre, Cairo. for the continuous production of rotifers. installed at Ardtoe We constructed a 4 m3 pilot Phyco-Flow system, with complete process and temperatur Each of our projects is unique and many present a distinct set of challengMarine Station. Right for the National Research Centre in Cairo. The system is being used to investigate the f (top): National Research es and opportunities. A prime example is the construction of a 4m3 pilot of producing biofuels & food/feed from algae under Egyptian conditions. Key to this res the profiling suitable algae strains for a range of bulk and high value products.

Centre, Cairo, (below): Phyco-Flow system, with complete process and temperature control for the Baku algae aquaculture National Research Centre in Cairo. The system is being used to investigate project. the feasibility of producing biofuels and food/feed from algae under Egyptian conditions. Key to this research is profiling suitable algae strains for a range of bulk and high value products.

We also completed a 1,500l Phyco-Flow system, which is being used for

wish “OttWeer Ferry

continuing success for many years to come

”

3

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Baku. Algae Aquaculture Project.

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We completed a 1,500 L Phyco-Flow system, which is being used for various high value microalgae applications in Baku. The system is currently being used to evaluate the potential benefits of transitioning from pond based cultivation into closed photobioreactor systems.

08/08/2017 11:47:35

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World Aquaculture 2017 – Introduction

The heat is on

Africa must focus on fish farming to feed exploding population

T

HERE is a pioneering spirit among those driving aquaculture enterprises in Africa that is reminiscent of the early days of fish farming in Scotland or Norway. Mistakes are made and lessons learnt, and the growing community of farmers, suppliers, officials and academics understands that much can be gained from getting together and sharing experiences.

The first World Aquaculture Society conference on the continent – held in Cape Town at the end of June – reflected this fledgling stage of the sector and the conference organisers tailored sessions accordingly.

There was a little less of the specialist scientific focus, and more of the general issues pertinent to a burgeoning industry, especially access to funding, infrastructure building, market awareness, training requirements, country to country cooperation, legislation and government support, and overall strategies.

Delegates – 1,981 in total with 1,297 from Africa - were left in no doubt that the continent needs to develop its aquaculture sector, and that potentially its Total fisheries capacity to farm fish is enormous. production But the pioneers are quite open about their shortcomings, and there is a in Africa is 10,515,842 refreshing honesty both from locals and outside investors about their failtonnes (2015), of which ures to date, and optimism about how they can do better in the future. approximately 18 There was also an absence of commercial paranoia, with companies per cent comes from willing to reveal details of their plans and production targets, investments aquaculture (1,861,271 – and losses. tonnes in 2015).

Although there were clear signs of competition between different nations – particularly over attracting overseas investment – speaker after speaker stood up and spelled out the difficulties in making progress in this big risk industry.

A consensus soon emerged over the need to grow, and grow fast. Hans VInk, manager of Skretting Africa, one of the biggest overseas investors in the sector, summed up the scope for development.

FACT

Left: Visitors to the trade show came from all over the world. Opposite from the top: Cape Town hosted the conference; promoting aquaculture on the South African fisheries department stand; African penguin colony at Boulders.

40

Africa - Intro & Forecasts.indd 40

‘Just taking Nigeria; its present population of 200 million people is forecast to reach 450-500 million by 2050, which is 1.5 times the current US population. It is abundantly clear that something needs to happen on the food production side.’

In five years Africa will have 150 million more people and high income growth, said Felix Marttin of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). By 2050, the population is expected to double from its current 1.2 billion people to 2.4 billion.

Some 22 per cent annual growth in aquaculture is needed to cover the gap between forecast supply and demand – the potential is vast but at present remains largely untapped. Only Egypt has been able to reach the scale of production (in tilapia mainly) achieved in other parts of the world.

Here, aquaculture production grew from 20,000 to 60,000 tonnes over two decades, a growth rate of 20 per cent a year (entirely for domestic consumption) so there is a precedent for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which is nearly 10 times as populous as Egypt, said Marttin.

Countries already farming significant tonnages include Nigeria, the second largest producer in Africa and the largest in SSA. The Nigerians started rearing catfish back in the 1950s and in 2014 produced 350,000 tonnes.

But, as Ayodeji A Adeoye from the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokua said, output could be better. One of the major constraints in Nigeria, as elsewhere, is access to finance- a study showed that 85-88 per cent of Nigerian farmers drew on their personal savings and only 0.89-1.27 per cent got a commercial bank loan.

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08/08/2017 11:51:50

The heat is on

It is “ abundantly clear that something needs to happen on the food production side

”

A ready supply of affordable, high quality feed is another barrier, but it is feed companies, mainly from Europe, which are spearheading growth in Africa, tying up with other big overseas investors in targeted regions.

Skretting has already built feed mills in Egypt, Nigeria and now in Zambia, and Aller Aqua has operations in Egypt and Zambia too, and is being encouraged by catfish famers to construct a plant in Nigeria.

Aligned with some of these ventures are entrepreneurs who have backed their confidence in Africa with their own money, or managed to raise sizeable funds.

The Dutch investors Aqua-Spark launched a fund worth $15 million for Africa at World Aq-

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Africa - Intro & Forecasts.indd 41

uaculture 2017 in Cape Town. And Oakfield Holdings, the company behind Zambian tilapia farmer Yalelo, has bankrolled the fast growing aquaculture industry on Lake Kariba in Zambia.

Africa Century Foods, headquartered in London, has been involved on the continent for longer, with a presence on Lake Kariba too, with its Lake Harvest tilapia operation in Zimbabwe, and also has interests in Zambia and Uganda.

Further funding from local entrepreneurs or venture capital, or other foreign investors (based on models such as Cermaq in Chile, and Regal Springs in Indonesia) would of course be very welcome.

While young entrepreneurs embrace the large scale business model, several veteran advisers see scope for growth among small scale enterprises.

Felix Marttin suggested that financial obstacles could be overcome by the formation of cooperatives or clusters- for example, in Indonesia, the law insists that large farmers must take on small farmers in a ‘nucleus estate’ scheme if they want to expand their own farms.

‘These clusters will be beneficial for groups of farmers seeking joint access to

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World Aquaculture 2017 – Introduction feed, seed, technical support services, markets and post-harvest services,’ said Marttin.

FACT Investment opportunities exist in the The biggest producers are: entire supply chain, including in biologiEgypt (1,137,091 tonnes mainly cal and chemical products, medicines, tilapia, cyprinids and mullets); infrastructure, machinery, cage Nigeria (313,000 tonnes, mainly leasing, and seed supply.

African catfish and tilapia); But African aquaculture will make Zanzibar (133,000 tonnes, headway faster if governments and mainly Eucheuma denticulatum, their agencies are fully on board. a red algae); and Uganda To this end, the Policy Framework (111,023 tonnes, mainly and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and African catfish Aquaculture in Africa was adopted by the and tilapia).

African Union (backed with funding from the EU).

Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development), told delegates at the opening ceremony of World Aquaculture 2017 that there was now a strong political will by many African states to work with agencies and the African Union to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture management.

‘There is great potential in the inland fishery and aquaculture sector to increase fish production and utilisation, thereby creating employment and economic opportunities for youth through aquaculture activities,’ he said.

South Africa’s fisheries minister, Senzeni Zokwana, who also addressed the conference, agreed. In his country, the government recognised the importance of aquaculture and the part it must play in food provision, he said.

‘We without doubt want to highlight the role of this sector in economic development, eliminating poverty and reducing inequality.’

He said access to services, such as finance and veterinary help, was the main constraint to growth in the industry.

‘We hope that by hosting the conference, solutions will be brought forward in how we address these challenges,’ said Zokwana, insisting that in the right environment, aquaculture in Africa can achieve its potential.

Later, South African fisheries department officials provided an update on Operation Phakisa, which means ‘hurry up’ in Soto, and is a development programme, including aquaculture, launched by President Jacob Zuma.

Lisa Geswindt and Brian Soldaat said the goal was to increase aquaculture production to 20,000 tonnes in South Africa in five to 10 years. A draft bill has been tabled to introduce legislative reform, and a development fund will be set up, alongside industry-wide marketing efforts.

‘We want businesses to focus on business and we will remove the bottlenecks,’ said Soldaat.

However, they were challenged over the government’s record in helping fish farmers, with one disgruntled delegate saying during a special finance forum that it had taken 28 months to get a single permit to expand his farm.

‘Phakisa is like a unicorn, it’s a creature that doesn’t exist,’ said a farmer from Limpopo province who had been trying to get help from the government for two years.

‘Why aren’t you supporting freshwater projects? Tilapia and catfish are the most successful species. Guys just need 100,000 rand [about £5-6,000] to make ends meet but on the ground your help is not reaching us.’

It seems that in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a discrepancy between aquaculture development vision and reality. But after the Cape Town conference, with more than 60 parallel sessions, and a trade show with almost 90 exhibitors, there was no doubting pan African ambition to achieve that vision. FF

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Feeding the nine

billion Africa needs strong political will to bridge supply and demand gap

W

ORLD aquaculture output must grow by 9.9 per cent a year to meet the demand for fish, said Dr Rohana Subasinghe in an opening plenary address titled ‘Feeding the nine billion: the role of aquaculture’. More than 70 per cent of aquaculture production worldwide still derives from the small scale farming sector.

Aquaculture’s share of global aquatic animal production rose from 25.7 per cent in 2000 to 45.3 per cent by 2015, almost double.

Consumption of fish, meanwhile, rose from 9.9kg per capita on average in 1960 to 20.3kg in 2015, more than double.

Areas with the highest poverty – southern Asia and Africa – also have the highest consumption of fish, said Subasinghe, so there is a link between fish and poverty and hunger.

The demand for fish by 2020 will be greater by 47 million tonnes but at current growth rates it is only likely to reach 19 million tonnes, a gap of 28 million tonnes.

Growth therefore needs to accelerate to 9.9 per cent a year to meet future demand.

Africa’s aquaculture production grew at 3.6 per cent in 2015, second only to Asia’s at 4.4 per cent, and ahead of the US and Europe, which recorded negative growth in the same period.

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08/08/2017 11:53:51

World Aquaculture 2017 – Forecasts

“

Most problems are global but solutions are local

”

Above: Dr Rohana Subasinghe and Sunil Siriwardena on the WorldFish stand. Left: Harvesting on Lake Victoria, Uganda.

Subasinghe, who worked for the FAO for 21 years and has been part of WorldFish since January this year, said his predictions were always wrong because the sector always surpasses expectations.

But there are issues. He highlighted emerging diseases as a major challenge to African aquaculture growth, with the potential ‘explosion’ in tilapia lake virus posing a serious threat to people who live by fish, where tilapia is the main species. There is some evidence that the virus is already in Africa.

He stressed the role aquaculture can play in benefiting the extreme poor with an example from a study in Bangladesh. Here, household incomes rose significantly where aquaculture and related enterprises were introduced, doubling between 2007 and 2009.

In Africa, he said, ‘tailored interventions’ were needed. His main conclusions were: • Yes, we can bridge the supply and demand gap; • Finding solutions is not difficult; • Most problems are global but solutions are local; • Don’t forget the small scale sector – small scale can improve production in a small way, and this sector is as important as large scale farming; • A concerted effort is needed by all concerned to bridge the gap. Africa needs strong political will, conducive politicians and investment.

Dr Sloans Chimatiro, a key player in formulating the African Union’s fisheries and aquaculture programme and now at WorldFish, addressed the impact of policy on developing aquaculture in Africa. He said there was a pan-African objective to ‘jump start’ the sector through a variety of strategies.

A key element was markets; the African Union had noted that markets were very important and this had defined most of the public policy narratives.

Policy leaders have focused on supporting fish farmers’ access to markets to improve their incomes and also to help achieve poverty reduction.

Policy, he said, should lay a foundation on which aquaculture development can take place. To this end, the African Union and New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) had created the Pan-African Fisheries and Policy Framework and Reform Strategy.

Chimatiro was confident about these policies, saying policies have worked in the past. For example, following the Fish for All Summit, held under the auspices of NEPAD in Abuja in 2005, progress was made on several fronts: • More than 30 countries had integrated fisheries and aquaculture into their national agricultural plans; • There had been a major increase in aquaculture production; • Investment in the sector (by organisations such as the World Bank) had more than doubled; • Many countries had established stand-alone

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Africa - Intro & Forecasts.indd 43

ministries for fisheries and aquaculture.

However, challenges remained, said Chimatiro, not least regulatory frameworks, which were still weak, as was market infrastructure, especially for small scale producers.

Also, governments do much of the necessary research and input from the private sector would be welcomed.

Moving forward, he said Africa needs to achieve productivity gains quickly to enable the sector to grow.

It also needs a transformation from traditional to modern aquaculture, involving technical changes. Genetic improvement has not taken hold in Africa compared to other developing regions such as Asia. FF

Pictures of progress SARNISSA is a thriving, bilingual, online network for all of those involved in aquaculture development across the African continent.

Set up more than nine years ago by Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture, through an EC funded project, the organisation - Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks for Sub-Saharan Africa - now has over 4,200 registered members and also more than 3,700 followers benefiting from its daily updated Facebook page.

‘Its main aim - to share information, contacts and also make the appropriate technology available to a wide range of individuals across the commercial value chain, research and government sectors - is illustrated now in 2017 by a critical mass of key individuals bringing the continent’s aquaculture community together,’ said Will Leschen from Stirling University, addressing the conference’s opening session.

To celebrate the beginnings and development of commercial cage culture throughout Africa, Sarnissa ran a photo competition across its membership, with the winners announced in Cape Town on June 27.

The two best pictures were awarded $100 prizes plus a year’s free subscription to the World Aquaculture Society, thanks to sponsorship from WAS and ASAKUA (a Turkish supplier of cages and a range of other fish farm equipment).

Entries were received from across the continent and further afield, including from Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Lesotho, South Africa – and Ireland.

Pierre-Olivier Maquart, a French student, won the overall best photo award for his image, ‘Feeding time again offshore on the lake’, taken on Lake Volta, Ghana.

Winner of the over 25 category was Emmanuel Mensah for ‘Handling and routine test weighing tilapia fingerlings’, also from Lake Volta, Ghana.

Leschen and Sarnissa dedicated the photo competition ‘for, and in recognition of, all of those now working on the cages of all scales, large and small, across the continent, who are now building a new industry for Africa’.

For further information about Sarnissa contact Will Leschen on wl2@stir.ac.uk. To register and join go to www.sarnissa.org

Above: Emmanuel Mensah’s winning photograph taken on Lake Volta, Ghana

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World Aquaculture 2017 – Markets

Growth mode But selling fish can be difficult and a strategy is needed

W

E’RE beginning to hear the voice of fish, said Blessing Mapfumo, a fisheries and aquaculture adviser, assessing the trade of farmed products in sub-Saharan Africa. Based in Zimbabwe and formerly with the FAO, Mapfumo has moved around the continent and seen what the trends and challenges are in the market.

Although ‘we’re in real growth mode’ - aquaculture in this region has grown 10 per cent in the past decade - ‘selling fish can be difficult and therefore we need a strategy that works’.

• There are 48 countries in SSA and a population of one billion, forecast to rise to two billion by 2050.

• Capture fisheries amounts to 6.9 million tonnes a year, while farmed

“

It’s a nightmare seeing how fish move across borders

”

Above: Blessing Mapfumo and Belemane Semoli, director of aquaculture research and development at DAFF. Left: Mapfumo addresses trade issues

44

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fish production is 0.8 million tonnes (worth $1.46 billion).

• In 2014, imports of fish were valued at $4.2 billion and exports at $3.7 billion.

• People eat on average 8.9kg per capita per year compared to a world average of 19.7kg.

• The bulk of fish produced is consumed domestically.

• Nigeria is the largest producer, with a 41 per cent share (317,000 tonnes), followed

by Tanzania and Zanzibar, which produce 183,000 tonnes of seaweed.

• Uganda, Ghana, Zambia, Madagascar (shrimp), Kenya and Zimbabwe are, in order, the next biggest producers.

• Catfish tops the list of species in terms of production, with 284,000 tonnes, followed by tilapia at 206,300 tonnes, trout at 2,900 tonnes, and other (freshwater) species at 46,200 tonnes.

• With marine species, abalone is the most valuable species, worth $35 million for just 1,200 tonnes, while shrimp is valued at $20 million for 3,700 tonnes of production, and seaweed production is 197,000 tonnes but worth only $5 million.

Mapfumo outlined several recent positive developments promoting aquaculture in the region, including an increase in government support to aquaculture; a greater use of mobiles and ICT in marketing; more value added products – catfish sausages for instance; the formation of farmers’ associations that link farms to markets; the creation of standards, both national and sub-regional; improved technology (hatcheries, genetics) for seed supplies; eco labelling and certification; import tariff rationalisation; the establishment of formal distribution chains; the growing role of women in the distribution and marketing of freshwater products; and country to country bilateral agreements.

There are, though, challenges, such as the effects of climate change, biosecurity and potential disease outbreaks, the volatility of prices and currencies, the impact on the sector from the surge of imports of cheaper farmed products, limited access to credit, inadequate government funding, inadequate storage and processing facilities, and inefficient customs classification.

‘It’s a nightmare seeing how fish move across borders,’ said Mapfumo. ‘I hate it when policemen try to open trucks with perishable products…it ends up being contaminated by the time it gets to its final destination.’

On the plus side, there are initiatives to drive aquaculture development – from organisations such as the African Union, WorldFish, and the FAO. Mapfumo himself is to spearhead the African chapter of the World Aquaculture Society, officially launched during the conference. FF

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08/08/2017 11:56:53

World Aquaculture 2017 – Value chain

Entry requirements Seek a national advantage and don’t be blinded by enthusiasm BETWEEN 2010 and 2014 land aquaculture in Africa grew 12 per cent, and marine grew five per cent. So inland freshwater aquaculture – which accounts for 98 per cent of production in Africa - is leading the way, said Tom Hecht, a leading figure in the development of the sector in southern Africa.

Nigeria is way out in front with its catfish industry, and there has been an expansion in the last five years with medium to large scale tilapia operations in Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya.

However, sub-Saharan Africa is ‘littered with wrecks and abandoned aquaculture ventures - businesses that have failed to enter or failed to remain in the value chain’.

Not small fortunes have been lost on, for example, prawn farms from South Africa to Mozambique, Madagascar to Kenya and the Seychelles.

Also among the failures have been marron farms in South Africa, trout in South Africa and Malawi, oyster and mussel ventures, marine farms in Mozambique and on and on, said Hecht.

Poor management and under-capitalised projects have resulted in failures such as a catfish farm in Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

The market price and feed price were the two killers, said Hecht, with not enough of a market in South Africa, unlike Nigeria, where catfish has a ready and growing market.

An RAS shrimp farm in the east coast of South Africa had capex problems, no pilot phase for technological transfer, and high costs.

And Houghton Park Abalone was an example of a successful operation bought by corporate money with no interest and therefore no passion to drive the business.

‘The effects of failure have dire consequences for the development of the sector,’ said Hecht. ‘One failure is remembered longer than 10 success stories. It creates a negative image of high risk, inhibits investment and stifles promotion by the state.’

The reasons for failure include: • Poor planning – an inadequate planning budget and misunderstanding of the market (enthusiasm sometimes has a blinding effect); • Independent market research is pivotal; • Under capitalised; • Poor financial management; • Over estimating production capacity

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Afric - Advice.indd 45

(optimism) – without enthusiasm you’ll never make a success but it has to be tempered; • Incorrect scale – if it’s too small it will be uncompetitive and perhaps clusters could help; • Poor start-up management – Hecht said he brought in a Norwegian expert to set up his farm; • Wrong location – mismatch between species and environment (don’t try to grow bananas in the Antarctic!). Seek a national strategic advantage. Tilapia farms, for instance, have been built where temperatures are just not suitable.

There are significant success in sub-Saharan Africa, though, with fully established operations in several countries.

‘Zimbabwe is very difficult with Uncle Bob but Zambia has taken up the slack; Ghana’s growth is a classic example of good planning; Kenya has had recent success with cage farming, but its tilapia operations are completely different to Ghana’s, with rows and rows of 2m by 2m cages, but this model works in this country.

‘Zanzibar produces 90 per cent of the seaweed coming out of Tanzania; and Lesotho looks like Norway and produces trout.’

He set out the key differentiations for entry into the aquaculture value chain: 1. National strategic advantage – species matched to the environment; 2. Correctly capitalised (and then add some, 10 per cent). Without access to capital, companies will struggle; 3. Good local infrastructure – roads, transport etc are very important; 4. Access to the best seed and feed; 5. Markets secured; 6. Certification is increasingly important; 7. Top class human resources; 8. Access to information and networking.

One failure is remembered “ longer than 10 success stories ”

Left: Tom Hecht

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08/08/2017 11:57:32

World Aquaculture 2017 – Finance

Money

to be made

Thousands of small to medium farms are falling through ‘big missing gap’

T

HERE is money to be made in the SME aquaculture sector in Africa and real opportunity for bankers, Randall Brummett of the World Bank told a special session on financing the industry on the continent.

‘For every one of those big farms out there there’s probably a thousand small farms; it’s an unserved market,’ he said.

However, investors prefer the more bankable $10 million plus companies.

And if the companies were much smaller – in the $10,000 range - they’d be in line for the micro credit popular in the donor community.

‘There is nothing available for the target group we’re trying to reach and it’s not just aquaculture, it’s a big missing gap in the finance mechanism.’

Brummett, a senior aquaculture specialist at the World Bank, reeled off the countries where his organisation supports fish farming, from Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi and Botswana, to Nigeria, Algeria, Benin and Togo.

They are all over the place, he said, with different production systems and different species, though predominantly they farm tilapia.

They are nearly all targeting local markets - mostly protected by logistics from international competition - and are looking for relatively high margins.

One of the big complaints is that the imported Chinese tilapia is very cheap and very hard to compete with.

These African companies operate within the $5-10 million range and are therefore not interesting to investors. But there is, Brummett said, a real investable sub sector out there in the small to medium scale.

The World Bank is interested in job creation and getting people out of poverty, and there are a number of models it uses in designing its interventions.

These models show that there is more poverty alleviation and greater equitable economic growth when several SME businesses supply a market, than when it is served by a few larger firms.

Most aquaculture enterprises in Africa are under capitalised, though, with more than 90 per cent of their capital deriving from personal loans.

‘It’s very difficult to get any corporate finance and when you do it’s 30 per cent interest and they want their money back in 18 months.

‘If you’re lucky, your brother in law works for the bank,’ said Brummett.

‘Usually it’s very short terms, very harsh rates, you might be able to use that kind of credit to buy a container of feed or something but it’s not the kind of capital needed to grow a business.’

The World Bank lends money to countries – ‘We don’t have the kind of capital that’s needed so we’ve reached out to private equity groups to try to find a way to build what the private companies want, which is revenues, and some kind of incubator mechanism.

‘So right now we’re in the midst of trying to imagine how this private/public investment structure would work.’

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There is “nothing

available for the target group we’re trying to reach’ – World Bank

”

Above: Lisa Geswindt and Brian Soldaat of the South African government address the finance session.

One investor already backing the emerging aquaculture sector in Africa is the Dutch group Aqua-Spark, which announced the launch of a $15 million Africa fund during the seminar.

The fund will focus on tilapia and catfish producers, and will invest in all aspects of farming. It has been established in a partnership with Msingi, an East African investor aligned with the UK’s Gatsby Foundation.

Aqua-Spark’s Amy Novogratz, launching the fund, said she and her partner Mike Velings were looking for additional investors to come on board.

The aim is to build infrastructure ‘for a thriving sub-Saharan aquaculture sector’, and help provide farmers with access to global markets and also to Aqua-Spark’s portfolio of companies, which includes feed manufacturers.

‘We come in when you’ve proven your model and want to expand,’ she said, acknowledging that most fish farming companies in Africa were ‘at too early a stage for us…we don’t yet invest in early, early stage farms’.

However, when Aqua-Spark brings in more partners to the Africa fund there may be different thinking on what to invest in.The African fund would be up and running in 12 to 18 months, said Novogratz. FF

AFRICA needs aquaculture. According to figures supplied by the World Bank, fish provides 22 per cent of the protein intake in sub-Saharan Africa, but exceeds 50 per cent in the poorest countries (especially where other sources of animal protein are scarce or expensive).

In West Africa, the proportion of dietary protein that comes from fish is extremely high: 47 per cent in Senegal, 62 per cent, in Gambia, and 63 per cent in Sierra Leone and Ghana.

However, fish supply in Africa is in crisis. Per capita consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest in all regions and it is the only part of the world where consumption is declining, falling by over 2 kg/pers/year since 1985, driven by stagnant capture fish production and the still-growing population.

Just in order to maintain the current supply (6.6 kg/pers/year), African aquaculture has to grow by 267 per cent by 2020.

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08/08/2017 11:59:26

World Aquaculture 2017 – Finance

Case of investor ignorance The rise and fall (and rise?) of the South African marine fish farming industry

I

N the early 1990s Andre Bok left university as an aquaculture graduate and ran a touring company in Malawi, which was good experience in seeing how investment potential can be undermined by ‘deception lurking around the corner’.

In 2008 he led a pilot scale land based dusky kob farm in East London. At the time there was great excitement in the emerging industry and investors initially were willing to lend enterprises like his money.

The fact that every single farm set up in this period failed cannot be blamed on a lack of money, as they were properly financed.

There had been a flurry of boardroom activity but there was a lack of information and the ventures produced on average just 25 per cent of what had been predicted.

His own operation, Pure Ocean East London (part of Pure Ocean Aquaculture), was no exception. It has endured many challenges, some tragic, such as when the CEO was shot and killed by his former business partner who then committed suicide. The company that bought them out was subsequently implicated in a Ponzi scheme.

Bok, a marine bioloigst, said investors generally had been easily fooled and were badly burnt, with the consequence that marine fish farmers who have learnt from past mistakes and proven their business credentials, now find it very hard to get funding.

He advised farming entrepreneurs that due diligence must be ‘very strong on the technical front – they must understand the farm’s true production potential’.

‘Don’t paint a picture of confidence when you know it’s untrue.’

He admitted that when he started out he ‘knew enough to know I didn’t know enough!’

Ideally, one or two technical consultancy teams should be hired by investors and only when the technical risks are understood should productivity milestones be agreed.

Farm production milestones such as feed conversion ratios and stocking densities are, said Bok, ‘the beating heart of a farm’.

Prior to investment a farm’s technical plan should be audited, including the farm production indicators.

And having invested, the farm should report on its production indicators and continue to be independently audited.

‘Over the last 10 years we’ve learnt a huge amount and now this is the strongest position ever to invest in the industry,’ said Bok.

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Africa - Finance.indd 47

we have made financially “doesWhat not reflect what the farm has achieved technically ”

As for his business today, he lost all his funding four years ago but managed to continue with growth trials and is now ready to commercialise his operation.

He said he has spent a ‘significant amount on planning’ and has made ‘internationally ground-breaking’ advances, but what he has made financially does not yet reflect what the farm has achieved technically.

Asked by Aqua-Spark investor Mike Velings how long he thought he could carry on financing himself, Bok admitted that ‘it varied from month to month’ and that it was a ‘blur and traumatic’. He had freed up his retirement investments to finance his business because he believed in what he was doing.

‘It’s a pioneering industry and we’re still learning a lot of things.’

Below: In the hatchery at Pure Ocean Aquaculture

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08/08/2017 13:10:28

World Aquaculture 2017 – Finance

Learning from

failure

How one farmer’s 20-20 vision could help the emerging tilapia industry in East Africa

G

AVIN Johnston had a background in abalone farming in South Africa when he decided to start an offshore marine farm in Mozambique producing dusky kob.

He set up his venture in 2012 with a Scottish salmon company as a partner (later revealed to Fish Farmer as Loch Duart) and aimed to set up ‘experimental offshore fish pens’ producing 200 tonnes to be sold into South Africa.

Johnston, now running Aquaculture Consulting and Management Services, told the large crowd of mainly African delegates that his project closed in 2014, after six years in operation, with $5 million losses.

Why? Although kob is a good species, and juvenile production was reliable, broodstock were secured, and growth and mortality were within targets, the South African market price had been over estimated.

Lesson one, therefore, was to find out how realistically the market wants your fish.

What’s more, processing and export requirements for his chosen market were too ‘onerous’, and a ‘home market’ (in this case, South Africa) that is 3,000km away presents problems!

Exports to the EU – the other target market – were disallowed at the eleventh hour, and there were other factors beyond Johnston’s control. The political situation in Mozambique, for instance, was unstable and, as it turned out, would get more volatile.

Despite help from ‘the salmon guys’, the business couldn’t get investors in time and ‘we were doomed from the start.’

‘The potential in East Africa is unparalleled in the world but you need to be bigger than a small abalone farmer and a small Scottish salmon company.’

With 20-20 vision, Johnston explained what he, and his business partner Willem Schoonbee, should have done to make their venture a success.

Trying to establish a vertically integrated operation added ‘immense complexity’, and the extra management requirements increased the minimum viable scale. Furthermore, a poor understanding of a foreign country’s regulations increased delays – ‘delays are the killer’ said Johnston.

For example, just when the market was deemed ready, the Mozambique government decided ice had to be EC approved, and that set things back by three months.

Businesses should negotiate a deal prior to investment to include long term rights and commercial terms; and they should be aware of high level political

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Africa - Finance.indd 48

support but poor local official capacity.

Now Johnston and Schoonbee have embarked on a new venture, assisting in the farming of tilapia on Lake Victoria. They are optimistic because tilapia is simpler to farm than a marine species and requires simpler feed ingredients.

The market is for the whole product, which in the absence of good processing facilities makes it more viable, and the market has existing knowledge and demand for the species.

They hope to be producing 200,000 tonnes by 2030, although Johnston recognises that fish farming in remote areas in Africa remains a difficult business, and that new species in new areas necessitate deep pockets.

‘We believe that it is of prime importance that future failures of large projects are avoided so that the industry can develop and build confidence from external investment and funding organisations,’ said Johnston. FF

Above: Gavin Johnston describes the challenges of aquaculture in Africa.

A ‘home market’ that is “3,000km away presents problems! ” www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 12:01:03

World Aquaculture 2017 – Finance

EU behind Uganda park project

A

PROJECT to kick start small to medium aquaculture businesses in Uganda will get under way this September.

The country has a lot of water, unlike many other areas in Africa, and therefore a lot of potential to develop aquaculture - ‘we have the biggest lake in the world, a lot of rivers and streams,’ Patrick Seruyange, of the Delegation of the EU to Uganda, told the finance seminar.

There is a growing gap between supply and demand, with the population growing at a rate of three per cent and now at 35 million.

The country needs to farm fish but there are production challenges related to feed, fingerlings and equipment and most farming is at a subsistence level.

Based on an aquaculture park model, the five-year scheme, with funding from the EU of 10 million euros, aims to minimise the environmental impact of fish farms and encourage investment, as well as increase income, improve livelihoods and nutrition.

Seruyange explained that within the ‘parks’, production and marketing will be coordinated, and the focus will be on smallholders.

The farms will concentrate on indigenous species – African catfish and tilapia – which can be sold in regional markets such as Kenya, the Congo and South Sudan (when it settles down).

The two sites chosen for the project are Mwena on Lake Victoria, which will be a cage park for tilapia, and Lake Kyoga, on the banks of the River Nile, where catfish will be reared in ponds.

Asked about the risk of disease in intensive farming systems, Seruyange said the situation in the lakes was less hazardous than in other bodies of water because of the flow rate.

Warned by one delegate in the audience of the finance session that the parks would be a ‘disaster’ – going by experience with Ghana cage culture where 50 per cent of fish were stolen – Seruyange said ‘we have to move forward’ and that the ‘devil would be in the detail’.

Fish is $2 per kilo in Uganda, he said, and ‘we have to bring that down’.

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Africa - Finance.indd 49

Clockwise from above: Scenes from the Source of the Nile (SON) tilapia farm on Lake Victoria.

The farm currently operates a production system consisting of ponds for fingerling production and cages for on-growing of the tilapia. A new project to boost small to medium aquaculture businesses in Uganda will be launched in September.

(Pictures courtesy of Sarnissa)

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08/08/2017 12:01:55

World Aquaculture 2017 – Zambia

Building a

The whole thing is “underwater which

business

freaks investors out and kind of freaks me out too!

”

Banks ‘give you the umbrella when the sun is shining’ says team behind Yalelo

A

DAM Taylor and fellow Oakfield director Bryan McCoy identified a ‘very large opportunity for aquaculture in Zambia’ – and a gap that is currently being filled with Asian imports, which they are attempting to replace with local production at their Lake Kariba tilapia farm, Yalelo.

Outlining their business plan during the seminar on Financing African Aquaculture, they explained why high volumes must target the bottom of the pyramid, which is very price sensitive.

‘You can take a small premium for a local product but you need to be able to compete with Asian imports,’ said McCoy. A lot of the larger farms in Africa are producing at a slightly higher price than Asian imports and can compete with a small premium, based on quality.

‘We think with efficiencies it will be possible to wholesale fish within the continent lower than the Chinese prices,’ he said.

But the fundamentals must be in place. About 50 per cent of the day to day issues they face are not industry specific but common to all businesses – security, transport, logistics, procurement, and so on.

McCoy told the audience what had happened to a consignment of Yalelo tilapia the day he arrived in Cape Town for the conference.

‘We had four tonnes of fish that we bred - no problem, we fed them for six months- no problem, harvested them- no problem, and sent them to Lusaka.

‘And then I received emails when I woke up this morning in my hotel here about how the team was unable to get the fish out of the truck because the hydraulic lift that helps offload fish was jammed and it was completely impossible to open the door.

‘Fortunately, by now that has been resolved, but those are actually the types of problems that confront us on a day to day basis at Yalelo.’

He said production is not the hard bit and that even in a country like Zambia, ‘that’s starved of fish’, distribution channels need to be built.

Last year, as Yalelo was going from selling 200 tonnes per month to 600 tonnes per month, they suddenly realised they couldn’t sell their fish.

‘We needed to completely review our strategy and rather than have one point of sale, we now have 15 points of sale and a reliable cold chain,’ said McCoy. ‘The demand is there but finding a route to market to access that demand is a critical part, even in a fish starved country like Zambia.’

The country is in the middle of a transition towards modern retail and moving into supermarkets is going to be an important step for the company.

McCoy said potential sources of financing for fledgling fish farms included seed capital, private equity and bank financing.

‘We took on seed capital but bringing seed capital to aquaculture either requires a very strong knowledge of what you’re doing or very high confidence, perhaps excessive confidence in your abilities.

‘Fortunately, Adam had the nerve to go into fish farming and bring some personal capital and friends and family capital and that was the initial seed that enabled Yalelo to take off.

‘We were able to prove out the concept enough to be able to bring in financing from the development bank of Zambia and from a social investor, OIKO Credit, from from the Netherlands.

‘Only after we’d brought in financing from these organisations were we finally able to access bank financing in Zambia.

‘So if you’re looking for bank financing in the aquaculture business, or almost

50

Africa - Yalelo.indd 50

any kind of business in Africa, to get a commercial bank to have sufficient confidence in your business to actually put money behind it, requires a combination of the right balance sheet, the

Clockwise from top right: Hand feeding on Lake Kariba; and in the ponds; Yalelo is a fully integrated business now employing 550 people.

(All pictures: Alex Beckett)

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08/08/2017 12:07:21

Building a business

right cash flows, the right collateral – it’s not going to happen until you’re actually winning. It’s just a cherry on the top once you’re established.

‘Most private equity funds don’t’ know much about aquaculture,’ he added. ‘The whole thing is underwater which freaks investors out and kind of freaks me out too!’

Taylor, who started Yalelo with $2.5 million, said there were challenges when farms grew from around 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes.

‘There’s a challenging gap between smaller farms that can be owner operated and that can grow up quite comfortably to about 500 tonnes, and then you have an issue getting to 3,000 tonnes.

‘Your earnings often aren’t enough to pay for a good professional team, but the complexity of the business becomes steadily more than an owner operator can sustain.’

McCoy and Taylor agreed that the lack of access to capital was a vicious circle and that commercial banks are ‘just not going to be a solution for the development of aquaculture in Africa’ unless they have specifically driven programmes.

‘If it happens, fine and good, but it’s not the kind of thing you count on,’ said McCoy. ‘What that means is you are relying on seed capital or friends and family capital or special aquaculture investors. Banks give you the umbrella when the sun is shining.’ FF

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World Aquaculture 2017 – Zambia

Vision accomplished Investor considers next move after making splash in Lake Kariba

Y

ALELO means ‘this morning’ in Nyanja, the language spoken in eastern and central Zambia, and is the name given to a burgeoning aquaculture business on the banks of Lake Kariba.

Adam Taylor, an entrepreneur from Northern Ireland, thought it was an appropriate word for a venture that signals a new dawn in the landlocked country.

His tilapia farm has quickly become one of the biggest in the world, with a hatchery and a grow-out operation harvesting around 600 tonnes a month, and with plans to expand to 20,000-30,000 tonnes a year over the next few years.

Yalelo has partnered with Aller Aqua, with the Danish aquafeed group constructing a 50,000-tonne capacity feed mill in Zambia, and it has also set up Horizon Aquaculture, a one-stop shop providing cages, feed and fingerlings for small to medium farms.

After only five years in the industry, Taylor has helped put Zambia on the aquaculture map and he is already considering moving into other countries in Africa.

‘We are where we are now because we’ve made almost every mistake we can make. We still make new mistakes but they’re smaller and the frequency is lower,’ Taylor told Fish Farmer in Cape Town. ‘But once you’ve had a certain amount of experience it does make sense to replicate that in other geographies.’

Taylor had no connection to the continent, or or background in aquaculture, before deciding to invest around $2.5 million in the project. But what he

52

Africa - Adam.indd 52

Above: Adam Taylor (top) and partner Bryan McCoy. Below: In the Yalelo offices.Opposite: Tilapia are harvested at around 400g and sold ‘plate size’.

(All pictures: Alex Beckett)

lacked in industry knowledge he more than made up for in business acumen, boldness and belief.

After studying economics at the LSE, he was employed in the City for five years in the hedge fund sector. But he was looking for something that had a more meaningful impact on society and had always wanted to work in Africa.

So when he had ‘enough financial flexibility’ he was able to pursue his dream, aged 25.

‘I was very fortunate,’ he said modestly. But the next five years would prove to be testing, and his company, he says, was built on ‘blood, sweat and tears’. Now it has a ‘great trajectory’ but for many years it was much harder than he expected it to be.

‘It’s great coming to conferences such as these and everyone says you’ve done well, but it’s really only in the last year that things have settled down,’ he said.

‘When the entire value chain is absent you’re really building several companies at once, and each of them in a challenging operating environment- a logistics firm, a retail chain, a fish production firm and a training institute.

‘The challenge was compounded by a very turbulent period in the Zambian economy, competition from sub-standard dumped Chinese product, and having production facilities located in an undeveloped rural area within Zambia.

‘We’ve graded roads, built power lines and installed fibre-optic cable over dozens of kilometres.

‘It couldn’t have been done without passionate partners such as Bryan (McCoy) and Tembwe (chief financial officer) and a great

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08/08/2017 12:09:21

Vision accomplished

team,’ said Taylor.

The first smart move he made was deciding to base his new company in Zambia. Those who understand Africa say Zambia offers an environment conducive to business. Its government and its culture is supportive of commerce, the people welcome entrepreneurs, and harbour no resentment towards incomers. The same is not necessarily true for the whole of Africa.

Taylor is proof that commercial success stimulates spin-off growth. Yalelo brings in local businesses, from those supplying raw materials to the new feed plant to the women selling snacks to the fish farm staff.

The notion of an aquaculture hub in Zambia, with the development of clusters emerging naturally through free market forces, appeals to Taylor, whose education in economics has given him a broad perspective.He was interested in Africa as an emerging market with a high rate of growth.

‘Over the generations, countries are getting faster at becoming wealthier.

Technological advances enable regions to catch up more quickly now, and at times even leapfrog others.’

He created his investment fund, Oakfield, with three other partners. To make a sound investment, they looked at what drove consumer growth –

“onlyIt’sinreally the

last year that things have settled down

”

what people spent their money on once they had a surplus for discretionary purchases. Number one was talk time on mobile phones; two was expanding their homes (but Taylor didn’t want to get into the cement market); third was better education and health care; and fourth was eating better.

‘Most African countries now have enough of the staple food, but that doesn’t mean they have a good diet. The focus now is on improving diets.’

In Zambia the staple carbohydrate is nshima and people eat chicken or fish with this, more regularly each week as their standard of living

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Africa - Adam.indd 53

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World Aquaculture 2017 – Zambia

increases. Taylor looked at the poultry sector, but it is very developed so he felt there was not much he could add to create a ‘competitive advantage’.

Aquaculture, however, is a much newer industry, with higher financial and technical barriers to entry. But he reckoned that realistically, over five to 10 years, they could hope to set a new global standard for tilapia farming.

‘Our vision is to be the most affordable producer of animal protein in the world, and to do so while located in Africa.’

In fact, Taylor goes so far as to say that by next year ‘all being well, we could be the lowest cost producer of animal protein sooner than expected, given current Zambian soy prices and the new feed factory being commissioned’. Vision accomplished.

Fish is a very efficient converter of soybeans into protein, and Zambian soy production is increasing quickly. Tilapia are cold blooded, don’t have a dense bone structure and don’t require fishmeal or other animal proteins.

From DSM (part of Cargill), Yalelo imports vitamin and mineral premix but otherwise more than 90 per cent of its raw materials for feed are from Zambia. The country has a commercially competitive agri sector, so with Taylor’s vision they could see a rational path.

When they began they focused on the grow-out stage but were let down by multiple suppliers of fingerlings – ‘we were looking for volumes that exceeded what the market could provide in Zambia’.

The operation is now fully integrated and fish are grown to around 400g and sold fresh (plate size).

Taylor said he is not worried about competition, the market is ‘huge’ and growing – ‘we’re not even making a scratch on the surface’. Besides, with Yalelo producing protein so cheaply ‘we’d be the among the last to drop out of the market, after beef, poultry and any less efficient aquaculture producers’.

The company now has 550 employees. Taylor divides his time 50/50 between Europe and Africa and has become a Zambian resident because he is there more than anywhere else. His partners all live in Zambia and bring equally impressive credentials to the business.

As for challenges ahead, Taylor said disease is something they are always aware of and they have dedicated time and effort to prevention, ‘but it has not been a material issue for us’.

They are investigating selective breeding, vaccines and, through Aller Aqua, going from a moderate quality feed to a great quality feed.

But the number one priority this year is on training. They have em-

54

Africa - Adam.indd 54

ployed two full time teachers, both local, and are creating new training modules. There are now 50 of these, covering both soft skills (professional conduct, teamwork, hygiene and so on) and technical skills, such as husbandry.

Many staff haven’t had jobs before and need to be taught basics – ‘it’s important as we employ more and more people to make training more standardized and scalable,’ said Taylor.

Next year the big focus will be on Horizon Aquaculture, which will sell feed, fingerlings, cage equipment, even training for other companies.

The first shop, in Zambia, is due to open this year and the plan is to roll them out to Malawi, Uganda and elsewhere in the region.

Yalelo also officially becomes the Southern African distributor for Akva this month.

Taylor didn’t go into aquaculture only for profit – ‘there are much easier ways’. That said, Yalelo should ‘provide competitive returns over time’ and is able to fund its own expansion.

This, he has intimated, will be in the region. All he will confirm for now is that they ‘intend to expand across the value chain in other countries in the medium term’. But plans are likely to be already well advanced. Watch this space FF

Above: Making ‘a scratch on the surface’ of African aquaculture.

Below: Mending nets.

“beWe’ll the

lowest cost producers of animal protein in the world

”

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 12:10:22

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08/08/2017 10:15:23

World Aquaculture 2017 – Feed

Let’s grow

together Aller Aqua’s latest plant heralds Danes’ onward advance into Africa

D

ANISH feed company Aller Aqua has long had an interest in African aquaculture, with a major presence in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

But its latest investment of $10 million in a feed factory in Zambia demonstrates a step-up in its commitment to the sector’s future.

African fish farming is constantly growing and the company is addressing the main challenges in the individual markets, which it identifies as reliable availability, economic feed conversion rate, high and consistent quality, training and local presence.

Niels Lundgaard, the group’s commercial director in Africa, told delegates during a seminar on building value chains that the Aller Aqua approach is ‘let’s grow together’.

This means hiring local teams wherever the company has bases, ensuring the constant availability of quality feed, and facilitating education and training by bringing in experts.

In Nigeria, for example, to make feed available to all the small farmers,Aller Aqua has an office with 22 employees, as well as 35 to 40 agents and distributors throughout the country, giving nearly nationwide coverage.

The education and training has enabled many farmers to change from being non-profitable to profitable in Nigeria, said Lundgaard.This was confirmed

by Oloye Rotimi Olibale, the president of CAFFAN (Catfish and Allied Fish Farmers’ Association of Nigeria).

In Zambia, they have gone further and built a $10 million fully automated

feed mill,‘the most modern in Africa’, which was due to start production in early August. Capacity is 50,000 tonnes but this can be increased by adding another extrusion line.

Aller Aqua, which was the main sponsor for World Aquaculture 2017, has made an offtake agreement with Yalelo, one of the world’s leading tilapia aquaculture companies, based near Siavonga on the shores of Lake Kariba.

The new factory gives the feed supplier a basis for expansion in Zambia, a country that aims to be self-sufficient with farmed fish – but also the ability to export to neighbouring countries such as Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi,Tanzania, South Africa and Congo.

Lundgaard later told Fish Farmer that the agreement with Yalelo means ‘we know that a significant part of the capacity will be fulfilled.’

‘But the plant also opens up possibilities. I’m sure the factory will see great growth in a short period.’

One of the differences between Zambia and Nigeria when looking at local production of fish feed, he said, is availability of the needed raw materials.

To a large extend these can be procured locally in Zambia, according to Aller Aqua’s manager there, Leon Gunter. Zambia produces large quantities of maize and soya beans, and only fishmeal and oil is imported.

Lundgaard pointed out that the recipes for fish Left: Niels Lundgaard and feed have changed over the years, and the number Oloye Rotimi Olibale, president of the Catfish of ingredients that can be used has increased and Allied Fish Farmers markedly.

The use of Zambian raw materials - around Association of Nigeria.

80 per cent is available locally – does have a Opposite: Aller Aqua was the main sponsor of the positive impact on the price of feed and also Cape Town show. helps Aller Aqua build closer relationships with Zambian suppliers.

Cost is of course a major issue. Feed accounts for between 70 and 80 per cent of a farm’s spending and feed companies need to bring farmers

We would rather have “a small market share of a

very big industry than a big share of a small industry 56

Africa - Aller Aqua.indd 56

”

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08/08/2017 12:12:39

Let’s grow together

value so they can be profitable.

One delegate said to Lundgaard during the seminar that the company’s ‘success story’ won’t last long unless they can bring down the cost of feed, and advised them to work with the research departments of universities to do this; ‘farmers are going out of business’.

Lundgaard said: ‘People are cash flow oriented unless they see positive long term results. Many go with commercial feeds, then at 300g they switch to cheaper local ones.’

This, he suggested, was like starting a race in a Formula1 car and being number one for the first 10 laps, then reverting to a bicycle.

The solution lies in education, which is making a difference in Nigeria. Aller Aqua held a series of seminars in Nigeria recently and more than1,400 farmers attended over a few weeks.

‘We want to make sure customers can grow in order to be profitable but there will always be farmers who don’t see it our way.’

As for competition from other feed companies, he said: ‘As long as we have the same aims of growing the industry there is no problem in having many players in the market. Also, it puts pressure on us to keep improving.

‘We would rather have a small market share of a very big industry than a big share of a small industry.’

While he believes there are huge opportunities in East Africa and ‘it could be very big’, the group may make its next move in West Africa – if the national president of CAFFAN has his way.

Oloye Rotimi Olibale asked Lundgaard, after his talk, when Aller Aqua would be building a feed mill in Nigeria.

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Africa - Aller Aqua.indd 57

‘Have a rethink and come home to Nigeria before the end of the year!

Skretting is setting up there and the market is expanding.’

Lundgaard said Aller Aqua knows what the potential is in Nigeria and assured Olibale they were looking into the possibility of building a plant there too. But, he said, ‘we need to make sure we can produce the same quality feed we produce in Europe’.

Lundgaard is based in Denmark but travels across Africa, training local teams and looking at opportunities in the surrounding areas.

After visiting Nigeria in 2014 as part of a consulate delegation, and spending a few days in Lagos and Abuja, he met Lasisi Nurudeen, then the sales manager for a local feed company.

Nurudeen, having studied Animal Production and Fisheries at the Lagos State Polytechnic, is very knowledgeable about fish farming, said Lundgaard, and is now Aller Aqua’s managing director in the country.

The visit set the ball rolling and Lundgaard went on to create a new blueprint for Africa. In January 2016, in light of the increased activity on the continent, he was appointed commercial director of Africa.

He is focusing on expanding the business in the sub-Saharan countries, and has helped Aller Aqua launch sales companies in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

Elsewhere, the group has a distributor in Rwanda, and agents in Benin, Cameroon, Senegal and Tanzania.

Besides this, there is direct export from Aller Aqua’s German factory, Emsland-Aller Aqua, to Uganda and Madagascar.

In the north of Africa, the company’s Egyptian factory, Aller Aqua Egypt, has just expanded to include its third production line.

And Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria are supplied via both the group’s Danish and German factories, while the research and development department, based in Germany, has formulated the feeds sold in Africa specifically for the region.

Lundgaard said Aller Aqua aims to be more than a feed company in Africa – ‘even though we are a commercial company, that needs to be profitable, we deliver our education and training programmes to create the possibility for farmers to have knowledge, ensuring they know how to build farms, buy fingerlings, market their fish and so on.

‘We’re more of a facilitator, who wants to grow together with the farmers, than just a feed company.’ FF

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08/08/2017 12:15:41

World Aquaculture 2017 – Feed

Feeding the future Skretting’s new mill in Zambia increases its foothold on the continent

S

KRETTING’S Hans Vink describes his initial forays into African aquaculture as a ‘hobby’, exploring the market on the continent without any particular strategy. But the hobby soon turned into something of a mission for Vink and for Skretting, culminating with the official opening in June of its latest feed mill, located in Zambia.

Vink, manager of Skretting Africa and part of the Netherlands based group for 28 years, said the company had been exporting catfish feed to Nigeria since 2006, its first customer outside of North Africa.

‘That motivated us to enter into other countries,’ he said. Then in 2012 Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, urged delegates at the Aqua Vision conference in Norway to accelerate progress in Africa.

Immediately after this, Vink and his colleagues were asked by Skretting to develop an entrance strategy for the continent.

Along with Rob Kiers, Nutreco Africa managing director, they adopted a strategy, and the company now has a foothold in Egypt, where it constructed its first feed facility, Nigeria and Zambia.

Capacity at the new Zam-

58

Africa - Skretting.indd 58

Above: The Skretting Zambia team.

Left: Rob Kiers, managing director of Nutreco Africa, at the opening of the Zambia plant; Opposite:Skretting Zambia general manager Abraham (Awie) Swanenpoel; Skretting’s Marit Husa, Hans Vink and Arjen Roem in Cape Town; catfish ponds in Nigeria; harvesting the fish.

bian site is 35,000 tonnes of high quality extruded tilapia feed and it will be fully operational within three months.

Built in Siavonga on Lake Kariba, close to the main fish farming areas in both Zambia and Zimbabwe, the plant houses a dedicated line for extruded tilapia feed and a mash feed line for other animal species.

It was constructed as part of Skretting’s 75/25 joint venture with African Century Foods (ACF) and will be used to supply ACF’s Lake Harvest tilapia farms, with the remaining supply going to other farms in the region.

It can be a challenge to sell European quality, ‘expensive ’ feed to small scale African farmers and Skretting puts in a lot of effort educating them about the benefits of investing in high grade diets.

‘We give a lot of training – in Nigeria we have many sales representatives and a very widespread distribution network. We approach farmers and have a farmers’ day, which is well attended,’ said Vink.

They will now do the same in Zambia. Although there are a limited number of farms there now, Vink said he feels very positive the industry will grow,

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Feeding the future

and Skretting will be there to support it.

‘We believe in Africa and have made a big commitment – Egypt is already a big success, with more than 100 employees. Aquaculture in Africa will grow – it needs to grow as the population is set to increase to two billion in the next 30 years.’

The plant in Nigeria, opened in 2014 as a joint venture with one of Skretting’s former local distributors, has a capacity of around 15,000 tonnes. This may be small compared to the Egyptian operation, which is capable of 100,000 tonnes.

‘We are always looking for opportunities, and especially West Africa is very interesting, which is home to thousands of farmers. They all contribute to food security,’ said Vink, who believes the sector in Africa can accommodate small and large scale farms.

‘The big ones will initiate progress but to bring growth, the industry also needs the smallholders, they are important too and will serve food security on a village level.’

Skretting has partnered with local NGOs to support small scale catfish farmers in Nigeria with the aim of increasing the productivity, profitability and sustainability of their operations.

‘We might do the same in Zambia,’ said Vink. ‘We look at all our successes and see what we can copy.

‘Being in Africa and supporting its growth is absolutely crucial for Skretting and our parent company Nutreco, because our clearly stated mission is ‘Feeding the Future’.’

Africa managing director Rob Kiers said: ‘Within the African continent, there are a handful of regions where aquaculture is developing very quickly: Egypt is leading the way, followed by Nigeria, and also making its mark is Zambia – despite being constrained by irregular access to high quality feeds.

‘What Zambia does have is a tradition of eating

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also needs the smallholders, they “Thewillindustry serve food security on a village level ”

fish and a shared ambition by government and industry to locally produce fresh fish for the domestic market, thereby reducing the market’s reliance on imports of frozen products.

‘There is a clear vision from the country to become self-sufficient or at least largely self-sufficient for fish through aquaculture.

‘Combined with Zambia’s culture of eating fish, which is not the case in all African countries, the country has all the right natural attributes to be a strategically important aquaculture market, including the availability of large bodies of excellent quality water and the ideal temperatures for rearing

tilapia. It is also growing a lot of important raw materials like soya and maize.

‘The fish are there, many of the raw materials are there, so it is a great opportunity to make use of raw materials grown and processed locally.’

And he welcomed the arrival of other feed companies in the region.

‘These markets have the potential to grow, but it takes more than one good player to unlock that potential in a sustainable way.

‘I am very happy that other international companies are now also investing in African markets to really take them forward.’ FF

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World Aquaculture 2017

Star Trekker SAM MacDonald, president of Canadian firm Deep Trekker, has developed a product that has widespread applications for the global aquaculture industry but this market was not her original target.

In fact, she didn’t know anything about fish farming when she created her prototype in 2009, but wanted a robot to find treasure in ship wrecks.

However, once her first machine was ready and her website set up, the initial enquiry came from a Norwegian salmon farmer, who wanted two (she only had one at the time). The first 10 Deep Trekker units were subsequently sold to salmon farms.

‘Salmon still keeps money in my pocket and the company going,’ said MacDonald, who has since found new markets, in aquaculture and beyond.

‘We learned a lot of lessons from the Norwegians – they taught us how to make a better ROV system.’

Deep Trekker now has customers around the world, including in Chile, Canada and Australia.

MacDonald explained one of the core roles of the mini DTG2 ROVs in monitoring and compliance – the battery operated underwater drone means farmers can have ‘eyes in the water in less than 30 seconds’.

It can carry out inspections of fish and help maintain aquaculture sites. Mini ROVs can be used for size grading, retrieving lost equipment, monitoring smolt introductions, maintaining net integrity, observing fish behaviour, assisting Lift Up systems and mort retrieval, compliance inspections, and benthic impact monitoring.

MacDonald has customers in Canada such as Marine Harvest – a site manager said the Deep Trekker ROV saves his farm money by preventing divers having to enter the water.

The ROV can be instrumental in inspecting predator nets and moorings – it can do a net inspection in 20 minutes, said MacDonald.

Another Canadian customer is Agrimarine, which uses innovative technology to farm salmon, and Aqua Cage, which likes the ease of the battery operated unit.

Among the company’s recent innovations is the mort cage and net repair system, both applications attached to the ROV. The mort cage scoops dead fish into the Lift Up and took 17 designs to perfect, with trials conducted on a salmon farm in Canada.

The net repair clips a portion of net into place when damage has occurred.

Above: Sam MacDonald

Deep Trekker’s pipe crawler, the DT340, has been used in RAS farms and can do inspections at the bottom of a cage. While in Cape Town, MacDonald, keen to promote her products in emerging markets, demonstrated the pipe crawler on an abalone farm.

She also reported interest at her stand from Kenya and Ghana, from potential clients interested in deploying ROVs for inspections.

The latest innovation is the DT640, a three wheel vacuum utility crawler that has possible applications in well boats. More products are on the drawing board, including a possible biomass estimation device.

Limpopo: Dam good idea LIMPOPO, South Africa’s northernmost province, has a population of 5,779,000 with the majority in rural households living in severe poverty.

Above: Tilapia

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Maximising water use can alleviate poverty, said Jacky Phosa, discussing small scale rural aquaculture in the province, which is endowed with the resources to develop small scale fish farms.

Some 82 per cent of the 50 plus fish farmers in the area are small scale, with 10 per cent large scale and eight per cent state owned.

A study was launched to develop production systems for small scale aquaculture operators so they can be brought into the mainstream.

A dam of 56,063 cubic metres was split into two portions, with one portion (23,000 cubic metres) retained for water storage and the other divided into six fish ponds, each containing 10,000 fish (tilapia).

The results showed that the ponds were more manageable than one big dam, as farmers had total control and knew how many fish they had. The system was well coordinated

and farmers were able to monitor what was happening inside their ponds.

The fish were stocked at 5g and harvested at around 500-600g after six to seven months.

Phosa said, though, that support was still needed from the Limpopo provincial government and from South Africa’s fisheries department.

Recommendations following the study include replicating the project in other districts with aquaculture potential and irrigation systems.

‘We’re trying to upgrade their systems so they can become commercial farmers and join the ten per cent who have all the resources,’ said Phosa.

He added that training was being provided for farmers in the two agricultural colleges in the province. There they are taught the basics, and ‘extension officers’ are also trained so they can assist the farmers.

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World Aquaculture 2017

Ghana: missing the target ‘mightily’ THERE has been a steep rise in aquaculture production in Ghana since 2015, according to an FAO report.

In 2012 an FAO and government plan set a target of 100,000 tonnes (primarily tilapia) a year by 2016, up from 26,000 tonnes.

It was a very ambitious target and over the decade there has been steady growth but not as big as hoped. It now stands at 49,000 tonnes, said Emmanuel A Frimpong in a talk headed ‘Setting a national aquaculture target and missing it mightily!’

The macro economic realities are that there is an unstable currency in Ghana – worth less than half what it was worth in 2012, which is tough if you import a lot.

The cost of production – particularly the high cost of commercial feeds and energy - can make it cheaper to import tilapia (from China) so the government frequently tries to ban tilapia imports. But the countries surrounding Ghana continue to import cheap Chinese tilapia and it’s easy for people to cross the borders.

Also, there are very few hatcheries and a lack of access to fingerlings.

And Frimpong, of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, said there was a problem with infrastructure, illustrating his point with pictures of potholed, muddy puddled roads: ‘A lot of rural roads have ponds and some highways do too!’

Delegates said it was not just in Ghana but across Africa that the infrastructure is poor.

‘We must put pressure on governments to improve infrastructure or we won’t achieve our expectations,’ said one.

Ghana started farming fish in the 1950s, stocking reservoirs and dugouts, and then in the early 1980s aquaculture was promoted nationwide.

It is seen as a success story, people love fish and eat 25kg per capita per

year, and the policy now is to increase production to 130,000 tonnes by 2018 and create 220,000 jobs.

But, said Frimpong, the country needs to be realistic and set targets that are achievable: ‘Aspirations should be backed by the political will to try out solutions.’

Below: Farming tilapia on Lake Volta. (Picture courtesy of Sarnissa)

Conflicts in the North THE constraints to the development of aquaculture in the Maghreb include the fact that freshwater fish is not appreciated by the people of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, said Mohamed Hichem Kara, discussing the sector in North Africa.

Also, bureaucracy, licensing, lack of government support, cost of imported feed and water shortages are problems for inland farming.

Furthermore, there is a dearth of investors in this sector in the region.

In Egypt, the issues include the difficult coordination of various farm scales, hatchery problems with tilapia, disease, environmental problems (algal blooms, high temperatures), unstable markets, and social conflicts over access to land and good quality water.

The conflict between Egypt and the Maghreb is exacerbated because one does most of the production but little research, while the other does lots of research but not much production.

Morocco is responsible for 50 per cent of research in North Africa but has the lowest production. Egypt, by far the biggest producer, undertakes 17 per cent of research, Tunisia also does 17 per cent and

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Algeria 16 per cent.

The population in the region is expected to grow by 20-25 million by 2030 and therefore there will be an increasing demand for aquaculture.

But the availability of suitable sites, and inefficient bureaucracy hinder development, and there is a need for an open dialogue with society and government.

Algeria produces catfish and tilapia in the north but in the south people refuse to eat it and import fish from Europe.

In Egypt they produce fish to eat – for food security – but in the Maghreb they produce fish to export; they eat more meat than fish.

Ten years ago the margin of profit was 50 per cent, now it is 10 per cent because the market is over saturated.

And processing facilities are needed, along with cooperation between African countries. For example, in Egypt they import corn, soya bean and fishmeal to make feed, but they should have better cooperation with the African countries that produce these raw materials.

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World Aquaculture 2017

Research a GIFT for tilapia farmers

NEW research to create a more resilient strain of tilapia was launched

by WorldFish in Scotland, just before the World Aquaculture Society conference in Cape Town.

World experts gathered at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh for a two-day workshop organised by WorldFish to help shape the future of tilapia selective breeding and genetic improvement.

The non-profit research organisation will now embark on a programme using advanced techniques such as genomic selection to introduce favourable characteristics - including disease resistance and more effective feed utilisation - into its improved tilapia strains.

Since 1988, WorldFish has used selective breeding to develop and manage the fast growing Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain.

The strain has been disseminated to at least 16 countries, mostly in the developing world, and is grown by millions of small-scale fish farmers for food, income and nutrition across the world.

Tools that enable the selection of animals based on genetic markers

Above: Fish of the future

will allow selection for characteristics that are otherwise difficult to measure - for example, resilience and feed efficiency.

Genomic selection has enabled a step change in the rate of genetic improvement of terrestrial livestock and has the potential to do the same in farmed fish.

John Benzie, programme leader, Sustainable Aquaculture, WorldFish said: ‘Incorporating new genetic traits in GIFT will help fish farmers prepare for future challenges such as climate change and increasing evidence of disease risks.

‘This will particularly benefit farmers in Africa and Asia, where tilapia is critical for food security yet farmers often have limited access to improved fish breeds suited to local conditions.’

Ross Houston, group leader at the Roslin Institute, said: ‘Aquaculture production needs to increase by 40 per cent by 2030 to meet global demands for fish.

‘Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is arguably the world’s most important food fish, and plays a key role in tackling rural poverty in developing countries.

‘The innovations in genetic improvement mapped out in this workshop are an important step toward achieving these ambitious goals.’

Training the trainers A LACK of fish health experts will hamper the development of aquaculture in Africa, said Stephen Mutoloki of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).

In Eastern and Southern Africa there is a documented knowledge gap at higher educational institutions related to fish health and environmental stressors.

This includes lack of understanding of aetiologies, diagnostics and prophylaxis of fish diseases. Aquaculture intensification inevitably leads to the emergence of disease. And disease has to be managed if aquaculture is to be sustainable.

Africa can learn from the examples of others, such as Norway, which has seen a dramatic drop in antibiotic use since the introduction of vaccines; Chile, where the salmon industry almost collapsed in 2007 due to the outbreak of ISAV; and Thailand, where tilapia lake virus wiped out stocks.

To address the problem, a project was launched in 2014 between Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro, Tanzania, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences

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in Oslo, Norway.

Other participating institutions are the University of Nairobi, Kenya, Makerere University, Uganda, Institute of Marine Science, Zanzibar, and the University of Zambia.

The project’s overall objective is to build capacity in African universities by training trainers in the field of health of aquatic animal resources through PhD and MSc training.

A secondary objective was to establish an African centre for research in the health of aquatic animals to meet research challenges that face the aquaculture industry in the region.

The approach, said Mutoloki, was to recruit 10 PhD students, two each from the five participating institutions in Africa. They are now all approaching the end of their studies.

Next, a two-year regional MSc programme in the health of aquatic animal resources was established at SUA, initially with 10 students.

Teaching staff in the beginning included professors from the Norwegian Veterinary School but also with local and regional experts. Students spend nine months in their

home country and three months in the lab in Norway.

A second intake of another 13 students was admitted last year with participants from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania.

An African centre for the training and research of aquatic animal resources has now been established at SUA, said Mutoloki.

Above: Kenyan tilapia farmers

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08/08/2017 10:18:02

Company focus – Akva Group Scotland

New wave

Expansion in Inverness drives growth at home and abroad

D

ougie Johnson, an industry veteran of 40 years, has noticed a buzz in the business of late, with recent young recruits not just lowering the average age in the office but bringing ideas and initiative.

The sales director of Akva Group Scotland said he might have been worried, about three years or so ago, who would replace his generation when they retired but now he can see the succession in the new wave who, with their engineering, marketing and technical flair, are beginning to make their mark.

Aquaculture has gained from the downfall in the oil sector, in Norway as well as Scotland, but possibly bright youngsters are increasingly attracted by the opportunities in a field that promises huge growth.

And growth is Akva’s s hallmark at the moment, particularly in Scotland, where the aquaculture equipment supplier is undergoing an expansion, as Fish Farmer discovered during a recent visit.

Akva Group Scotland has two bases in Inverness, including new premises dedicated to technological development, and since the beginning of June, Scotland has been given full responsibility for the Norwegian owned company’s export division, which will be led by Dave Thorburn.

The head office remains in Norway, and Akva has another major centre in Puerto Montt in Chile but increasingly the Scottish division has taken control of its own market, generating an innovative energy that has benefited its customers and its own team.

The process began about three years ago when the then CEO of Akva Group, Trond Williksen, suggested the Inverness staff did more themselves.

Technical development used to very firmly be based in Norwegian hands and very focused on the Nordic market, but in the last few years the Norwegians have seen the difference it makes having a more localised development strategy, particularly the ability to take a standard piece of equipment and optimise it for new markets.

There are more than 60 employees in Akva Scotland, most of them engineers, technicians, electricians and dedicated back up and support for the Scottish market, and the team continues to expand.

They have always serviced Scottish clients predominantly, but gaining full control of development, in a department built up by technical manager Brian Knowles over the past two years, has strengthened their capacity to respond to local challenges.

‘The group has seen the benefits it brings to businesses locally because we’re working so

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Left: Akva Group Scotland’s Brian Knowles, Dougie Johnson and Dave Thorburn in Inverness.

Opposite from the top: At the controls of the FNC8; the compact ROV machine that ‘flies’ across nets.

much more closely with the customers,’ said Johnson.

‘They can now speak directly to Brian and say we’re looking to make these changes. The development benefit for both the farmers and ourselves has been so obvious and so good.’

As well as the office and workshop in Inverness, there are also workshops in the Western Isles and in Kishorn, where the pen assembly operations are - and they are looking to put one in Argyll too, ‘to provide the best local support’, said Johnson.

Knowles said: ‘We try to standardise as many products as possible but we need to optimise these products and have had a huge success with that in Scotland and Ireland.

‘The set ups in Norway are maybe six 160m cages so a product that is designed to be effective in six cages doesn’t work if you have 10 to 20 cages.’

Dave Thorburn gives another example of how decisions and innovations made locally are good for the industry.

‘Three years ago Marine Harvest came to us and said we want to see the top camera looking at the pellets hitting the water and the bottom camera at the same time. The system that we had from Norway gave you one or the other.

‘Brian sat down with them and said we’ll come up with something in three months. And within three or maybe four months we had a completely different system, better quality pictures.

‘Now we have 1,000 cameras out there with that system developed for Scottish conditions.

So a bespoke product has become one of our standard products.’

Knowles added: ‘If we hadn’t done that we would not now have the rental business with the cameras. The development of the rental market was parallel to that success. It meant we had the right product at the right time.

That’s one of our best examples.’

Akva Group Scotland has been offering rental agreements for several years, and this procurement model now forms a significant part of its turnover.

The model suits customers as well as the company as it allows the producers to move costs away from investment budgets and over

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New wave

to operational budgets. More importantly, it ensures the support infrastructure is in place to minimise downtime.

The system designed by Knowles and his team for Marine Harvest, called a Wi-Fi camera, is digital and replaces the previous analogue based systems.

Now they want to make the same thing happen, with specifically tailored products, in the Mediterranean and beyond, which will involve building up the team in Scotland to explore other markets. The approach is to open a local office where justified by the business volume.

‘In Scotland we’re Scottish, in Spain we’re Spanish and in Turkey we’re Turkish, with local companies supplying local support,’ said Johnson. ‘We can’t always manage that - it depends on the business in the area.’

In the new offices in Spain and Greece they are also hiring people, and in Turkey there are now 22 employees.

‘In the markets we’re responsible for we’re looking mainly at cage farming solutions,’ said Johnson. ‘We offer single components to complete installations for sea based farms.

‘Akva Group Denmark deals with the RAS and the land based systems and we help out there, but most of our focus is on what’s happening at sea.’

Thorburn said since Knowles had built up his department they have developed a number of really

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good products, including specific ones for the Mediterranean, such as solar panels.

Within the whole Akva group there are three centres which have an input into technology – Knowles’ department based in Scotland covering export markets, one in the Americas region, and one covering the Nordic region.

Scotland, said Thorburn, is now ‘getting a much clearer voice’ in technical development.

Akva has been around since the 1970s and has offices all over the world, with approximately 840 employees in total.

The Nordic area, including Scandinavia and Iceland, is by far the biggest in terms of revenue generation and business.

More volatile is the Americas, with a head office in Puerto Montt in Chile and including Canada, and also Australia and New Zealand (because the managing director of that group is a New Zealander and so knows the market very well).

The market in Chile, in particular, fluctuates, said Thorburn, and can swing very quickly.

‘There’s been a big upturn there in the last six months - they’ve had quite an expansion in farms and our production facility for steel cages is in Chile, meaning booming demand.’

But it is Scotland which is creating the real stir - increasing its popular rental services to include feeding systems, cameras, net sensors and net cleaners – and driving innovation for the Scottish industry. FF

We’re “working

so much more closely with the customers

”

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Company focus – Akva Group Scotland

Masters of

invention

Technical team at the cutting edge of equipment development

B

rian Knowles is like aquaculture’s answer to Q as he talks about his latest inventions. While he might not have any Aston Martins fitted with machine guns or dart firing fountain pens in Akva’s Inverness premises, his team does produce an astonishing array of technical wizardry.

AKVAconnect, for example, can run a farm remotely, with its software controlling all aspects of the hardware- the cameras, feed sensors, feeding system and so on.

The proprietary software was developed specifically for Akva and its open design means it can be modified to suit local conditions and demands.

There are 10 to 15 AKVAconnect feeding systems in Norway, four in Chile, and the first three are due to be in Scotland by September. In fact, the camera component is already being used here as the system is modular and integrated, and so can be introduced in increments, said Knowles.

Other modules in use include the barge control system, and a module to ramp up lights slowly, thus saving energy. Knowles said he’s not aware of anyone else with a fully integrated software package doing anything similar.

He points out the Akva double camera, a fixed point look-up camera that is a mid-way option between the most and least sophisticated models, and currently deployed in Ireland, Portugal and Spain.

Knowles said this is an example of a product that was developed from scratch locally, in response to a gap in the market, made possible by the greater autonomy of the Scotland group.

Akva Group Scotland has some 1,000 cameras in rental, including about 40 in the Mediterranean, across many customers.

The company also has 600 lights out on rental- they come back in during the summer for servicing, as part of the rental contract, and will be ready to go back in the cages for the next cycle.

Fishtalk is management software, a database system that provides a means for site managers or operatives to record biological details, including treatments and harvests, that are then used by management for reporting.

It can be integrated with financial systems, or as a planning system, and customers throughout Europe use it for all different species.

The data is fed into the system, typically entered on the site, and can then be accessed by other staff.

The company has also established a training base in Inverness. Traditionally, staff would get trained on site but there can be too many distractions there, so now Akva prefers to train them in the Shore Street HQ. Akva has a single line feeding system for staff and customer training, and this can provide the basic theory before people go out on the sites.

The facilities are also used on the development side. For example, one customer wanted a high delivery feed rate and Akva was able to develop that and test it in house.

When Knowles started work at Akva 19 years ago there were four employees in the Scotland headquarters. With expansion, there is a greater need for routine ways to get people up to speed and keep up with product knowledge, he said.

The service and support in the company is ‘massive’, with its business

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Above: Brian Knowles.

Opposite page: The special

cabin housing the FNC8 controls.

model of rentals, and there is a very wide product range. But this brings a constant challenge if ‘we don’t want to be a jack of all trades and master of none’.

Over at Akva’s newer premises in Walker Place, laid out like a large hangar, Akva engineers are working on several highly technical orders.

There is a full range of pump sizes available, designed to cover the wide variety in market needs – and all are now supplied, assembled and produced for the global market from the base in Scotland.

A pump for a seven-disc net cleaner is being packaged to send to the Middle East, and a pump for the new FNC8 is almost complete, its inner workings exposed.

This product has gone through a complete redesign over the last 18 months to increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs.

Knowles points out that it is this kind of cutting edge technology that ‘has allowed us to grow up as the industry has expanded’. With bigger cages,

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Masters of invention

the old net cleaners would not have coped.

Ian Lawson, product manager for net cleaners, said when he started in the company they had a single disc net cleaner on a pole. ‘When we got two discs we thought we were very clever!’

That was only about 13 years ago but the complexity of the equipment now bears little resemblance.

The FNC8, or Flying Net Cleaner, is the piece de la resistance, operated from a high-backed pilot chair with consoles on the arm rests to manoeuvre the ROV along the net.

Housed in a special cabin, the chair faces a bank of six screens depicting the FNC8 at different angles.

It can be operated (easily according to Knowles) remotely from here or at the cage from a hand-held console.

Designed by Sperre, the specialist in this field and now owned by Akva, the FNC8 can clean horizontally, vertically and upside down at high speed.

This net cleaner is all about a high volume of water (250 litres per minute) and pressure targeted by electrical controlled propulsion at the net, so as not to waste high pressure water holding the machine in place against the net .

The underside of the FNC8 is very smooth so when it comes into contact with the net there is no damage done.

There are speed sensors on each disc and from the control screens the

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has allowed us “toThegrowtechnology up as the industry has expanded ”

operator can see if one disc is not doing its job properly. Four cameras are also embedded in the FNC8, and within the tether or ‘umbilical’ there are fibre optics.

It is at the high tidal sites where nets don’t hang so smoothly that traditional net cleaners are less efficient.

But the ROV flies along the net, as its name suggests, and gets to the bits that other net cleaners can’t always reach, the bottom for instance.

Not for nothing is this machine called an ‘intelligent’ remote net cleaning rig, the sharp end of technology perfected by Akva’s workforce in Inverness. FF

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08/08/2017 12:32:56

Iceland focus

Sea change for salmon Norwegian investment drives farm sector’s ambitious goals for growth

S

PECULATION that Iceland could one day develop a salmon farming sector to match Scotland’s seems more plausible following growing interest in the past year from a number of big Norwegian players.

Norway Royal Salmon bought a 50 per cent stake in Arctic Fish last August, and earlier this year Midt-Norsk Havbruk invested in Ice Fish Farm, which has a long-term goal to produce 15-20,000 tonnes of salmon.

The leading Norwegian bank, DNB, was also quick to see the potential in Iceland’s rebooted salmon farming industry, with head of seafood, Anne Hvistendahl, telling Fish Farmer in 2016 that the country offered scope for growth for Norwegian farmers, whose expansion plans at home were limited.

Other big names in salmon aquaculture are also eyeing up opportunities in Iceland, with Akva recently supplying a feed barge to Arnalax – the biggest Icelandic salmon farmer, part owned by Norway’s SalMar and on course, it claims, to produce 15,000 tonnes by 2018.

The fact that Iceland is serious about developing a significant salmon farming industry is underlined by the presence of two high profile fisheries experts at the helm of the Icelandic Aquaculture Association (Landssamband Fiskeldisstodva).

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Above: Farm at Súgandafjörður Westfjord, Iceland

Former Icelandic fisheries minister Einar Gudfinnsson is the chairman of the association, while Icelandic seafood executive Kristjan Davidsson – chairman of Valka and formerly a senior executive at HB Grandi, SIF and Islandsbanki - was appointed managing director in April.

Gudfinnsson, who attended the Brussels seafood exhibition with Davidsson in April, told Fish Farmer that the salmon farming revival began very recently.

‘Last year less than 8,000 tonnes was produced, 2,000 tonnes of this in land based farms and 6,000 tonnes in sea cages.

‘But we are seeing a steady growth to 10,000 tonnes by 2018-2019, based on current projections, and continued growth up to 25,000 tonnes by 2020-2021.’

There is also rainbow trout production of about 4,000 tonnes, although this is declining as salmon takes over.

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Sea change for salmon And Iceland has played a dominant role in farming Arctic char, accounting for 80 per cent of world production, with a small but growing market of about 4-5,000 tonnes.

But salmon is now the focus, and the country’s forecasts are optimistic. The Marine Research Institute (MRI) estimates the biologically workable quantity for the west and east fjords could be as high as 200,000 tonnes a year in the future.

However, the burgeoning industry is not without its challenges, as Gudfinnsson explained. Most of the Icelandic coast is closed for aquaculture. The south is not suitable for salmon farms and the area with big wild salmon rivers in the west and north is closed too (see report, page 71).

Therefore, salmon farming will take place in very limited areas, with only the north-west and south-east permitted to have open cage farms.

MRI determines the biomass limits and, as Gudfinnsson says, ‘it’s a very precautionary process and open for review’.

‘Back in 2004, the authorities decided to take precautionary measures to minimise the potential threat to wild salmon. Now there are still disputes and the acquisition of licences takes a very long time.

‘There are at least three regulatory authorities and their decisions can be contested by NGOs and so on, so it can take five years to get a salmon farming licence.

‘The smolt production capacity is 25,000 tonnes but once farmers secure licences they can start smolt operations. But they need the financial security because a hatchery is a £2 million investment and takes two years to build.’

There are currently five main companies, three in the west and two in the east, as well as a few minor enterprises.

Gudfinnsson said there are ‘lots of reasons’ for the present revival, which was initiated by private companies rather than the government.

‘In the 1980s it was mostly a land based sector. Then it was based on a price of around 60 NOK per kg but when the price of salmon collapsed to less than 40 NOK it was unsustainable.

‘Since then, the progress in technology has been huge; we’ve de-

There are so many “ uncertainties before we

can make predictions with confidence

”

QUALITY FOR LAND AND SEA Storvik Aqua Ltd Equipment and Technology for Aquaculture Serving the industry for 30 years Providing support and solutions

www.storvikaqua.co.uk lc@storvik.co.uk Tel: 01546 603989

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Iceland focus

Above: Salmon farms

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veloped Norwegian standards; the price has risen considerably; and the temperatures in the ocean have risen and it is therefore more attractive to farm in sea cages.’

Production is currently ‘going very well’, he said. And, as Davidsson pointed out, Iceland benefits from having extensive knowledge of the processing and handling of fish thanks to its successful fishing industry.

‘The investors’ appetite is there and wasn’t before,’ said Davidsson, who was an early pioneer and has previously chaired a salmon company.

Iceland struggled the first time round, buying equipment from Norway and Scotland, while other countries made a very good profit.

But now the Norwegian investment is bringing a lot of capital and expertise, as well as market access. Iceland sends people to Norway to train and there are a number of Icelanders who have been working on Norwegian farms and are now returning home.

‘There are four or five farms with varying degrees of Norwegian investment,’ said Gudfinnsson. ‘They attempted to attract Icelandic capital about two to three years ago but the knowledge of salmon farming in Iceland was limited and it was seen as too big a risk. Norway, on the other hand, saw the potential and was very much in favour of investing.’

Both Gudfinnsson and Davidsson confirm that the demand for Iceland salmon is ‘huge’ and they are selling the bulk to the US, with an average size of 5kg.

Their farms rely on bigger smolts – up to 500g - which are taken in wellboats to the farm sites to minimise the risks. The sea phase is one and a half years and sites are fallowed following the cycle.

Gudfinnsson said the Icelandic government

has established a committee to study the implications of aquaculture on nature and to set parameters. Made up of scientists, recreational fishermen and farming stakeholders, it is due to report this autumn.

The new fisheries minister in Iceland is on board - ‘he is outspoken that fish farming is here to stay and is an important part of the economy’, said Gudfinnsson. ‘But still there is a perception that we’re growing too fast.’

When the British chef Jamie Oliver announced he was opening a restaurant in Reykjavik, he posted a picture of the kind of salmon pen from which he will source his fish. This caused a backlash among angling interests, who believe farmed salmon pose a risk to wild stocks.

Aquaculture production is still small, though, especially compared to the fishing industry. One trawler can fish about 10,000 tonnes and there are 60 boats in Iceland – ‘we’re currently producing about one boat load,’ said Gudfinnsson.

Iceland catches 1.5 million tonnes of fish a year and fishing is the backbone of the economy. But tourism surpassed fisheries last year as the biggest industry. There were 2.2 million visitors (including a growing number of salmon anglers) in 2016, which helped boost GDP. Tourism took off, ironically, in 2010 after the volcanic eruption. This was a ‘spur to tourism, a huge advertising campaign!’ said Gudfinnsson; it really put Iceland on the tourist map. ‘There were queues all the way to Reykjavik to see the danger zone.’

Iceland’s financial crisis is behind it and the country saw a seven per cent growth rate in 2016, with unemployment at two per cent, a huge budget surplus and a trade surplus.

The aquaculture association is building links with its counterparts in other salmon producing nations – the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, for example, has invited Gudfinnsson and Davidsson to see the Scottish code of good practice.

Gudfinnsson is positive about the future. The smolt bottleneck can be solved - as the number of licences increase, the investment in smolt production will grow. ‘It’s just a question of time.’

But he hesitates to make predictions beyond this. Companies are waiting on licence decisions before investing in smolt facilities.

So a future industry producing 100,000 or even 200,000 tonnes is a possibility?

‘I wouldn’t rule it out, but it’s not wise or realistic to make such predictions now. There are so many uncertainties before we can make predictions with confidence.’ FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 12:38:57

Iceland focus

Impact

on wild stocks Risks low but large tracts of coastline still out of bounds

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

I

CELAND’S Marine Research Institute has completed a risk assessment on the impact of an expanded fish farming industry on the country’s wild salmon stocks.

The study comes amid growing calls from coastal communities to allow more fish farms to help revive their economies and halt population drift.

The assessment was conducted in collaboration with foreign experts in the field of genetics. Now it will be verified and updated regularly with extensive monitoring of both wild stocks and salmon farms.

The MRI report says the size of the farms and their distance from rivers were the key variables in the model that was used to determine the quantity of fertile salmon which should be farmed.

Generally, the institute says the expected growth in aquaculture should have little impact on natural strains over the next few years.

There were, however, some effects in certain areas, including Isafjord, with Breiðdalsá the one place that seemed most at risk.

The MRI says no farming should be allowed in Isafjord due to the potentially high negative impact on natural salmon stocks in an area known as the Deep.

But it has recommended allowing up to 71,000 tonnes of production on land, of which 50,000 tonnes will be in the Westfjords region and a smaller total of 21,000 tonnes in the Eastfjords. The current annual production of Icelandic salmon is around 10,000 tonnes.

The MRI said it reached these figures because the areas were far from the main salmon fishing areas, and in any case salmon farming was prohibited on very large sections of the coastline.

Additionally, the MRI is recommending that anti-retroviral measures should be carried out. Its primary concern is to make sure sufficient spawning is always present in natural salmon fishing areas.

And there are also suggestions that breeding rates should be accelerated on farmed stocks so the age of puberty can be increased.

Fisheries minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said she will now study the conclusions of the risk assessment before acting on its recommendations. It was important, she added, to have got the views of some of the best experts and scientists in this field, who had tried to find the right balance between conservation and utilisation.

Currently, four Norwegian companies are investing heavily in Iceland: SalMar, through its ownership of the company Arnarlax, Norway Royal Salmon through Arctic Fish, Middle Norwegian aquaculture through Fiskeldi Austfjarda, and Måsøval Fiskeoppdrett with 53.5 per cent of the shares in Laxar Fiskeldi.

Laxar Fiskeldi has a licence to produce 6,000 tonnes of salmon and is working to acquire further permits.

Måsøval reported a profit of NOK 73 million last year, equivalent to ISK 956 million, which is unacceptable, according to some observers. High production costs, due to the problems associated with salmon lice, are thought to be behind the lower than expected earnings .

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Iceland.indd 71

must demand that all players “areWesubject to strict regulations ”

The sector eventually hopes to provide in the region of 150,000 tonnes of salmon and rainbow trout, which may be more than Iceland is prepared to permit.

Arni Gunnarsson, a member of the wild salmon organisation, the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, told the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv that it was important to ensure that farming in Iceland was not a threat to biodiversity or to wild salmon.

‘We must demand that all players are subject to strict regulations and that they are investing in the most modern technology, preferably in closed facilities,’ he said.

Above: Industry with great potential

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08/08/2017 12:39:29

Iceland focus

Farms halt population drift THE expansion of fish farming in Iceland is helping to revive the fortunes of isolated coastal communities by increasing their population, writes Vince McDonagh.

Many of Iceland’s more distant fishing towns have suffered in recent years as processing plants have closed down when companies consolidated their operations.

This has led to many young people drifting away to larger towns such as Reykjavik or Akureyri and it has given voice to serious concerns about the future of these communities.

Above: Patreksfjörður But now, according to Iceland’s regional employment development department, the growth in aquaculture is bringing positive effects by increasing the population after years of decline.

The contrast between fishing communities which have an aquaculture industry and those which do not has been quite noticeable, says the department and Iceland’s National Association of Aquaculture.

Between 1994 and 2011 the decrease in population in communities such as Bíldudal was almost 45 per cent. In Patreksfjörður it fell by almost 27 per cent and by 17 per cent in Tálknafi.

This is now being reversed, with increases of more than nine per cent in some areas, and it is down to the development of fish farming.

The employment department said: ‘Clearly, without the introduction of aquaculture, the population trends in the Westfjords would have been even more negative.

‘In some places, a decline of 10 per cent in population has been replaced by an increase of 10 per cent.’

SAFE SUPPLIER OF NET-TECHNOLOGY, SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE AQUACULTURAL INDUSTRY Egersund Net is a part of Egersund Group, founded in 1952. Egersund Net started net production in the early 1970s and was turned into a separate company in 1996. Since then, Egersund Net has established itself as one of Europe’s leading suppliers of seine nets and services for the fish farming industry.

www.egersundnet.no

OUR COMPETENCE - YOUR SAFETY

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Show opens doors to global market

THE Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition, or Ice Fish as it’s known, is set to welcome exhibitors and attendees from around the globe.

Held in Kópavogur, Iceland, from September 13-15, the show provides a platform for the country’s economically vital fishing industry, and also for its processing sector and, now, aquaculture too.

First held in Reykjavík’s Laugardalshöll more than 30 years ago, the Ice Fish exhibition, staged every three years, has become a fixture on the industry calendar, and has grown steadily.

The last exhibition in 2014 was a sell-out success, and saw bookings increase by 12 per cent to 15,219 compared with the 2011 event.

First time international exhibitors at September’s show include shipyard Astilleros Armon of Spain, Cemre Shipyard of Turkey, Peruvian netting company Fibras Industriales, and Singapore’s Siang May. Bookings this year are up by 41 per cent, said exhibition organ-

iser Mercator Media, with missions from the Far East, Americas and Africa.

A one-day conference, aimed at companies involved in the commercial fishing, aquaculture and processing sectors, will take place during the exhibition’s second day.

With the theme ‘Fish Waste for Profit’, the conference will promote innovation and maximising value, particularly through the complete utilisation of raw materials, pioneered by the Icelandic fishing industry.

On top of this, the World Seafood Congress will be held for the first time in Iceland, to coincide with Ice Fish. This important biennial congress, previously held in the US (Washington DC), Canada (St Johns), and the UK (Grimsby), is expected to bring in a 500-strong international audience, who will be joining the exhibition on the opening day.

The Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition is at the Smárinn sports hall in Kópavogur, just outside Reykjavík.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com 17/03/2017 14:13:49

08/08/2017 12:40:39

Iceland focus – Vónin

Iceland focus – Vónin

Ice Pack Faroe Islands company now offers complete solution

TOugH cAgES, “ I TOUGH ENVIROMENT

BY DAVE EDLER

CELAND and the Faroe Islands are enjoying a year of real growth in the aquaculture industry as they approach the major exhibition of the year, Ice Fish, which takes place from September 13-15 in Kopavogur.

Fish Farmer caught up with Bogi Non, sales and marketing manager at Faroese firm Vónin, to get his thoughts ahead of what is a key event for the company.

‘This has been a growth year for Iceland and the Faroes, things are goIfingthey work they’ll stand up to extremely well,in alsothe here Faroes, at Vónin. We then have some great new products to show at Ice Fish, including our new cage nets and some great new practically anything. That’s the thinking behind Vónin’s component of Vónin’s business, as well as being ranges of our fishing gear. Crucially, we can now offer a complete solution a key supplier to many salmon producers across aquaculture cages to our clients, our ‘Ice Pack’ if you like, with nets, cages and moorings northern Europe. Non says that the Faroese now all being provided’. environment helped in the construction of the Vónin has been involved with the Faroese salmon industry from its outputer-aided designAbove: to Vónin’s identify weak new cages. full year in the firing line of those winThe Faroe Islands are a aquaculture fantastic equipment. set, manufacturing and supplying The company aquaculture cages.

‘If they in the Faroes, then they’ll stand has now become a worldwide supplier for the industry with achieve points and the optimum ter work storms and passed that particular place togrown reartosalmon, with perfect Below: The Flyer up to practically anything. That’s the thinking a reputation for delivering high quality equipment that meets all of the strength in the HDPE100 test with flying colours after a prowater temperatures and fast-flowing prototype injection behind the new cages.’ current standards. moulded brackets. of making some currents of crystal-clear water – but On the fishing side of thecess business, Vónin will With the recent addition of its own design of salmon cages, Vónin can be unveiling some innovatiminor ve trawladjustments door designs to had to be it’snow still onethe of complete the toughest deliver fish farmenvironcage installations that“These Non menti oned at Ice Fish. One of them isensure the newoptimum Flyer. above. in Thethe company hasto a strong foothold in the Norwegian market with as strong as possible, perments world anchor cages ‘Vónin’s have Flyer is one of those ideas that should — Our cages branches all along the coast. It also supplies aquaculture equipment to with no compromisformance. and the advantages come as part of have been thought of years ago but somehow clients in Scotland and Iceland. This makes the aquaculture section a vital been developed es,” Vónin’s Nathan werethat’s some the north Atlantic weather that brings never was. It’s a deceptively “There simple device shackled to the headline of a trawl, providing Breeze said. “The problems to overa string of storms that batter the isand tested in high lift more eff ecti vely than any conventi onal trawl neck of the bracket come and Bakkalands every winter. In fact, producing energy flsites oats can.’and tends to be the weak frost got its cages in its own cages is a relatively new venIt isto sureNorto prove one of the star exhibits at are made point where failures two ture for Vónin. Adding its own cages an exhibition that is growing in deliveries. stature each There wegian year.

Standard can occur, so it was were few challengto its product range means that With a buoyant mood in thearegion, Vónin is defi nitely a company to watch out for in the to important to get es to start with Vónin is now able to supply complete NS coming 9415.

12 months. these right.” get the details right, salmon cage packages.

You can visit Vónin on Stand F-45 at Ice Fish but these were all 2017. FF

This has been a growth year for Iceland and the Faroes, things are going extremely well

”

The plastic brackets

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com The brackets that hold the tubes of the cage rings together presented a few challenges and Vónin used com-

Vonin - PED.indd 73

Bakkafrost orders the first cages

The first of the new Vónin cages, which were supplied to Faroese salmon producer Bakkafrost have had a

dealt with and there were no problems at all with the second part of 73 the delivery,” he said.“Those cages have now been out for a whole year, with a

08/08/2017 12:43:47

SuperSmolt® Feed Only – All the benefits, now simpler

The new SuperSmolt® Feed Only programme additionally delivers: • REDUCED EFFORT – All the benefits of SuperSmolt® without the need for mineral treatments.

• INCREASED PLANNING AGILITY – The programme can now also be applied in freshwater loch cages.

For the last 10 years, the Scottish Aquaculture industry have been using the SuperSmolt® programme to produce tens of millions of optimally smoltified salmon from tank-based systems. SuperSmolt® continues to provide clear benefits for both smolt producers and ongrowers:

Flexibility SuperSmolt® fish never desmoltify, giving you greater control over seawater transfer dates.

Improved health and welfare SuperSmolt® reduces stress, disease susceptibility and mortality following transfer.

Better smolts SuperSmolt® fish come on to feed quicker and more evenly post transfer.

Design / Trykk:

Europharma Scotland Ltd Clydebank Business Park G81 2QP Ph: +44 (0) 141 4357 100 supersmolt@europharma-uk.com

med helse som fag

Untitled-1 74

08/08/2017 10:19:04

.no / Andenes

Contact the Europharma Scotland Team for further information:

Europharma – Advertorial

True Original A good smolt is half the battle won says leading fish health firm

E

UROPHARMA, one of the world’s leading developers of fish health and welfare programmes, has helped customers save time, money and improve the health of their stocks, thanks to its proprietary smoltification programme, SuperSmolt.

‘SuperSmolt Original’ is a patented biotechnology programme that combines a functional feed and mineral bath treatment to induce optimal smoltification of Atlantic salmon without need for a winter photoperiod.

The feed and salts act together to stimulate special cell receptors that pre-acclimatise fish to seawater while still in freshwater, providing and maintaining a uniform smoltification.

The result is a high quality smolt that delivers numerous benefits in both the freshwater hatchery and on-growing at sea.

Following the success of the SuperSmolt Original programme, Europharma introduced ‘SuperSmolt Feed Only’ as a new improved programme variation which reduces effort with no need to include additional mineral treatments alongside the functional feed and can therefore also be applied to freshwater cages.

The Clydebank based company noted a 100 per cent uptake of the new programme from existing programmes thanks to its superior benefits and success of SuperSmolt Original.

SuperSmolt Feed Only is simple to implement and takes away the need for daily salt dosing, reducing overall costs and the number of hours committed to dosing tanks.

Hatcheries or freshwater loch sites using the SuperSmolt Feed Only programme have found that their fish never desmoltify, meaning staff have greater flexibility over sea transfer dates, especially when circumstances (such as wellboat or sea site delays) dictate a later transfer to sea is required.

The programme brings all the benefits of SuperSmolt Original, thus also allowing earlier transfer of fish due to extra growth from having fish on non-stop 24-hour light from first feeding onwards.

The results of the optimised smoltification achieved by the use of SuperSmolt programmes have been seen in hundreds of millions of fish treated in Scotland, Chile, Canada and Norway, showing better performance at sea compared with those not treated with SuperSmolt. Feed uptake, survival and growth are improved in the post transfer stage.

Europharma supports the SuperSmolt programmes with the integration of in-house ATPase analysis- an important tool in determining the right time to transfer fish to sea.

Laboratory analysis of ATPase levels in salmon gills during smoltification helps assess how far the process has come.

The Europharma team use its extensive experience in the use and interpretation of ATPase analysis and, together with other smolt parameters such as, smolt index, condition factor and behaviour, it can provide the best basis for choosing the right time for sea transfer – making sure that fish populations will be hitting the bullseye of the smoltification window every time.

To support the SuperSmolt programme users on site, Europharma employs a highly skilled team of experts.

Ross Beedie is the SuperSmolt technical support and works with the team of fish vets and technicians at Europharma to ensure the best use of the programme and service for customers.

He works closely with farms, ensuring the best practices are being used during the SuperSmolt programmes, in order to achieve the best in fish health and welfare.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Europharma - PED.indd 75

Since introducing “ SuperSmolt Feed Only, the feedback has been fantastic ”

‘I have worked at Europharma for four years, allocating most of my time to visiting farms,’ said Beedie.

‘This gives me the opportunity to speak to our customers and find out their specific needs. Talking face-to-face allows me to discuss any problems on the farms and find the best solutions to ensure optimum fish health.

‘Since introducing SuperSmolt Feed Only, the feedback has been fantastic. It saves customers time and money and the benefits to fish health are great.

‘We are seeing larger fish thanks to having no winter photoperiod and overall improved health.

Above: Providing ‘We will now continue to work with fish farms to solutions for the help better the aquaculture industry as a whole, aquaculture industry identifying issues and providing solutions.’

Farms which feel they could benefit from the use of SuperSmolt are encouraged to get in touch with Beedie to discuss how the programme can be used to produce an optimal and prolonged smoltification window with the subsequent benefits on growth and survival in the next stage in seawater. FF

75

08/08/2017 12:46:01

Processing News

Saucy Fish nets Amazon Fresh deal

Baltic buyer for UK salmon specialists

TWO artisan British companies specialising in high quality smoked salmon products have been bought by the Baltic region’s fastest growing seafood company.

AS PR Foods, based in Estonian capital Tallinn, has acquired John Ross

Jr of Aberdeen and the Gloucestershire business Coln Valley Smokery, which is part of the JRJ group, for £10.5 million or 12.3 million euros.

Reports suggest the deal has earned the founders a generous cash windfall.

AS PR Foods is a

and fish farming in Sweden and Finland.

But the company did admit at the time that rising raw material prices were causing problems for seafood businesses.

Trout farmed in the lakes of Sweden and in the archipelago in the Turku area in Finland, as well as salmon imported from Norway, are processed in the production facilities of Heimon Kala in Renko, Finland, and in Vettel on the island Saaremaa, Estonia. business with big This deal gives AS ambitions. Just a PR Foods a strong few months ago it foothold into the unveiled a record per- quality end of the UK formance in 2016 with supermarket business sales of more than 47 as John Ross Jr has a million euros. presence in Waitrose, The company is enSainsbury’s and gaged in the producTesco. tion and processing John Ross Jr, which of fish products in carries the Royal WarFinland and Estonia, rant, was founded 30

Cash windfall

is a business “Thiswith big ambitions ”

years ago by Andrew Leigh. The company bought the Cotswold based Coln Valley Smokery in 2009, which gives it access to sporting events, including Cheltenham, the Henley Royal Regatta and Wimbledon, which Coln had agreements with.

In June, John Ross Jr won the coveted People’s Choice Family Business of the Year Award.

Young’s teams up with TV’s Ruth Langsford YOUNG’S Seafood, the UK’s leading fish and seafood business, has teamed up with TV presenter Ruth Langsford to give busy families a helping hand at dinner time.

Langsford joined Young’s chef Serge Nollent to film several short fish recipe videos that demonstrate how easy it is to create quick meals using Young’s products.

‘I’m a busy working mum and know the pressure there is to put something tasty on the table that everyone will enjoy,’ she said.

‘Young’s products are great for this, and I’ll definitely be taking these recipes home with me – they’re delicious.’

Jason Manley, head of Frozen Brand at Young’s Seafood, said: ‘’We want to inspire more people to love fish.’

The company has also recently launched its new Simply Breaded range, made with 100 per cent

76

Processing News.indd 76

responsibly sourced fish with no artificial ingredients.

Yvonne Adam, Young’s marketing director, said: ‘Sometimes the simplest things are the best. We’ve listened to what our consumers want: succulent fish wrapped in crispy golden breadcrumbs with nothing artificial, and this has helped us to create our tastiest recipe yet.’

With a new packaging design that gives the range a stronger personality and presence in store, the fillets also have a crispier breadcrumb and an improved shape, said Young’s.

In a blind taste test, the new recipe was preferred by a panel of 200 consumers.

This is the second such move by Grimsby based Young’s. At the beginning of the year the company launched one of its biggest marketing campaigns with a multi-million pound promotion to support its bestselling Gastro range, which it

took to the Boston Seafood Show in America. The move proved a major success.

The Simply Breaded range will appear in stores from August and includes: Young’s 4 Large Breaded Cod/Haddock Fillets (480g, £4.00 RSP); Young’s 4/2 Breaded Fish Fillets (400g, £3.00 RSP /200g, £1.50 RSP); and Young’s XL Breaded Cod Fillets (320g, £3.50 RSP).

Above: Ruth Langsford and Serge Nollent

THE Saucy Fish Co has secured another key listing for its new frozen range in the UK, following the success of a nationwide Sainsbury’s launch in February.

The grocery delivery service Amazon Fresh will sell the Saucy Fish Co range of five frozen fish products. Available products include two fishcake varieties.

The Saucy Fish Co frozen range joins the brand’s existing chilled range, and sits alongside some of the UK’s leading household names, available for same day delivery to Amazon Fresh customers. Amazon Fresh, which launched last summer, has recently added 42 new postcodes to its expanding delivery catchment area, meaning the service is now available in 302 postcodes across London and the south-east.

Since launching into Sainsbury’s stores nationwide in February, some 80 per cent of the Saucy Fish Co spend has been incremental to Sainsbury’s Frozen Fish category as a whole, with the brand successfully introducing a younger, more affluent customer to frozen fish through its targeted ‘Frozen Just Got Cooler’ campaign.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 12:49:25

Processing News

Marel reports strong Q2 order book A STRONG order book helped processing equipment supplier Marel deliver solid second quarter results, although they were down on the same period last year.

The company reported Q2 revenues of 244 million euros (264.2 million euros in Q2 2016).

The EBITDA was 44.2

million euros or 18.1 per cent of revenue compared with 18.3 per cent of revenue in 2016.

The order book currently stands at 418.9 million euros, substantially up on last year’s Q2 figure of 306.5 million euros.

Marel CEO Arni Oddur Thordarson said: ‘Due to product mix

and timing of deliveries of large orders, revenue in Q2 2017 was at a lower level than we expected going forward.

‘Revenue and operational profit for the first six months of the year were at a similar level as for the first half of 2016.

‘Marel’s competitive position is strong and good, resulting in a market conditions are 17 per cent increase

in order intake in the first half of the year

compared with the same period last year.’

Birds Eye frozen brand of the year

Above: Wayne Hudson (right) with Toby Middleton

BIRDS Eye has been named UK Frozen Brand of the Year by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for the fourth consecutive year.

The accolade comes as the MSC celebrates its 20th anniversary, and recognises the long-standing commitment made by Birds Eye towards responsibly sourcing fish.

Wayne Hudson, Birds Eye UK and Ireland managing director, accepted the award from Toby Middleton, MSC North East Atlantic programme director, at Birds Eye’s new head office in Feltham.

The annual MSC awards highlight the range of responsible fish choices for shoppers.

Hudson said: ‘Being instrumental in helping found the MSC with WWF under Unilever in 1997, we have a long-standing commitment to drive sustainable fisheries development and have played a pivotal role in generating over three million tonnes of MSC certified white fish in the last four years alone.

‘We want to thank all our fisheries industry stakeholders and suppliers for helping us reach this level of responsible sourcing.’

Red meat giant in Icelandic Seachill talks THE Hilton Food Group, one of Britain’s largest red meat suppliers, confirmed earlier this month that it is in early stage talks with Icelandic Seachill about buying the big Grimsby seafood business.

But it stressed that it was still uncertain that the negotiations would lead to a deal.

Hilton, which has a £1 billion turnover and, like Icelandic Seachill, is a major supplier to Tesco, posted a message on the London Stock Exchange saying: ‘Hilton Food Group plc notes the media speculation in relation to a potential acquisition and confirms that it is at an early stage of discussions in relation to such a transaction.

‘There can be no

certainty at this time whether any agreement on such a transaction will be reached, and a further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.’

The company’s shares rose 3.5 per cent to 705p following the announcement.

Icelandic Seachill issued a similar statement.

For years Tesco has been Icelandic Seachill’s main customer for fish. It is widely believed that Britain’s biggest supermarket chain would always have a say in who should get this key Grimsby processor.

The Hilton Food Group was established in 1994, to operate a beef and lamb central meat processing and packing facility for

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Processing News.indd 77

Tesco in Huntingdon, where it still has its head office.

Icelandic Seachill, which is also behind the Saucy Fish Co brand, plays a pivotal part in the Grimsby area’s economy simply by the scale of its operations and the large number of people it employs – some 750 regular staff and up to

400 agency workers.

Originally called Seachill, it was launched in the 1990s by a consortium of local seafood executives with the then sole purpose of supplying Tesco with fresh fish, before being acquired by the Reykjavik based Icelandic group.

The company, which is ultimately owned by

a pension fund in Iceland, has been selling its seafood processing business.

Its Grimsby rival, Young’s, is believed to have shown an early interest in bidding for Icelandic Seachill, but later withdrew.

Former Grimsby Fish Merchants Association chief executive Steve Norton said: ‘I

would say that if this report turns out to be correct then it could be a positive move for the town and the company.

‘Meat and seafood, especially salmon, are valuable proteins and both are farmed, although in different ways. I also see obvious synergies in product development.’

Above: Key Grimsby processor supplies Tesco

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08/08/2017 12:49:43

From the archive – March/April 1992

Glasgow exhibition

Eyes turn to Community Delegates in a mood for progress watch for encouragement from Europe

M

UCH interest in the early stages of this year’s Scottish Fish Farming Conference at the SECC in Glasgow centred on the EC and what it was likely to do to renew the minimum import price for Norwegian salmon.

While the EC’s representative, Dr Constantin Vamvakas, head of aquaculture in DG XIV Fisheries, was hamstrung in giving any assurances because the existing arrangement had not yet expired, he kept his audience in their seats with some interesting observations on support for aquaculture in the Community.

Earlier, Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish, chairman of the Sea Fish Industry Authority, opening the conference, had spoken of the need to keep up pressure on the Community, via the UK government, ‘to continue the action against Norwegian dumping’.

‘It’s one thing, as fish farmers, to ask you to compete with Norwegian fish farmers on level playing fields,’ he declared. ‘It’s quite another to ask you to compete against the Norwegian banks and, indeed, the Norwegian government.’

Pinpointing the use of chemicals and the environmental impact of farms as areas of concern, he said the whole food processing industry was facing increasing public awareness of the need to be careful about what was added to the food chain. This was why it was so important for every fish farmer to abide by the guidelines laid down by the Scottish Salmon Growers’ Association.

‘It only takes one maverick using either an illegal product – or a legal one

badly – to literally taint the whole industry,’ he warned.

‘But perhaps the greatest challenge to the industry still comes from environmental and conservation pressures,’ suggested Lord MacKay. Based as farmers were in some of the most beautiful countryside, cage design, cage siting, site management, tidiness on the cages and on the land bases must be of the highest order. To let standards slip would rightly bring criticism.

He drew attention to guidelines recently issued by the Scottish Office on cage design and cage siting.

Reporting on SFIA research and development in the industry, Lord MacKay described work on halibut at Ardtoe. Fish caught in the wild at 1.5kg had grown to 7kg in two and a half years. There were now 600 young halibut of about 50cm growing in SFIA facilities.

‘It’s very encouraging to note increasing industry take-up of our results,’ he said, ‘with three commercial hatcheries planned by British Halibut Association members for the coming year.’

Shellfish was in what he called an ‘improvement phase’, overcoming production problems but still faced with a need for marketing and technical improvements, to step up bulk supplies, reduce costs and meet quality requirements of consumers.

At Ardtoe, work on scallops and mussels was geared to improving cultivation systems and stock management techniques.

In Edinburgh a market development team was helping to stimulate demand

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Archive - August.indd 78

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From the archive – March/April 1992 Aquaculture would probably be included in the reform of the structural funds by 1994, said Dr Vamvakas.

This would change the procedures of financing and multiply the availability of funds.

Until now, only processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products (Regulation 4042 of 1989) have been included in this reform

by promoting shellfish, particularly in the catering sector.

A technical team in Hull were assisting in the development of equipment for shellfish purification and advising on water quality and hygiene for food handlers in view of the increasing demands imposed by EC Regulations.

The aquaculture industry must face up to detractors, Lord MacKay concluded, ‘whether they get the chance to appear on the media or not’.

Minimum prices We now know that the EC has extended its regulation on minimum import prices of salmon for a further three months, but at the time of the conference Dr Vamvakas could only say that he and his colleagues were trying to find the solution which would be most appropriate for the industry and between the Community and Norway.

At question time Mr William Crowe of the SSGA pressed the Commission to look again at marketing policies in addition to structural policies, which formed a major part of the paper by Dr Vamvakas.

Dr Vamvakas pointed out that the structural policy during the years 1987-1991 had not been ideal and this was why they were going further with their new ‘Multiannual Guidance Programmes’ (MGPs), but he agreed that fisheries in the Community, including aquaculture, were becoming very important, and marketing policies as well as structural aids would be developed.

In his paper, Dr Vamvakas showed that in 1983 the Commission had financed 32 installations with a Community contribution of 6.5 million Ecus (£4.6 million). By 1991 they were financing 227 projects and contributing 37.6 million Ecus (£27 million).

Finance had been raised through Council Regulations 2908 of 1983 and 4028 of 1986, this latter still being in force.

The first MGPs (1987-91) in the framework of Regulation 4028 had been successful and helped to develop the sector, but the new MGPs, running from now to 1996, had been prepared in a more flexible and evolutionary framework.

Upbeat In a far-reaching paper on monitoring for profit, Mr Donald MacRae of TSB Scotland took a global view of prospects and came to some upbeat conclusions.

The minimum EC import price and disposal of surplus Norwegian frozen stocks would have a significant beneficial effect on the Scottish industry, he predicted.

There was an expected shortfall on world demand for Atlantic salmon in ’92 of 13,000 tonnes, he pointed out.

This had been predicted (by Keogh, P. 1990) to increase to a shortfall of 38,000 tonnes in ’93, 45,000 tonnes in ’94 and 64,000 tonnes in ’95.

‘A recent survey of around 1,000 consumers in the UK showed that 72 per cent had never bought salmon, 90 per cent did not expect to buy salmon and 18 per cent thought it was too expensive.

Demand clearly exists and has the potential to be significantly increased by innovative marketing,’ suggested Mr MacRae. FF

Quality eggs all year round AquaGen deliver certified salmon eggs the whole year round to agreed quality, quantity and timing.

The “off-season” eggs are produced from brood stock raised at the land based facilities Nofima, Sunndalsøra and AquaGen Profunda, Ørsta in Norway.

AquaGen AS • P.O. Box 1240 • Torgard • N-7462 Trondheim • firmapost@aquagen.no • www.aquagen.no/en/

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14/07/2014 14:54:48 14/07/2014 08/08/2017 14:54:48 10:23:58

Opinion – Inside track

A zero sum game?

BY NICK JOY

O

KAY, I admit I had to look it up to check the meaning but ’zero sum game’ is such an apt phrase to describe relations between the wild salmonid lobby, the salmon farming industry and the government.

For 20 years at least I have been arguing that whether you believe farmed salmon have an impact or not, the current method of solving our differences is not working to the benefit of anyone.

Method one is for the wild lobby to scream through the media.This results in pressure on government to act, but not necessarily in the way that the wild lobby wants.

It also encourages the river proprietors of Scotland to believe they are both popular and conservationists. Neither is true.

The fact is that the only reason they want more fish is to catch them. Neither the press, electorate or government are persuaded otherwise.

Method two is to work through government, creating working groups that become subverted to the cause of wild fish, pushing the farmers to compromise.

It does not take long for all involved in this process to realise that each compromise given is not enough and more is asked for.

For many years I discussed my views with various of the movers and shakers in the wild lobby. Each time I would iterate the above and hear, firstly, that they did not subvert the working groups and, secondly, that the organisations or people that scream in the press were nothing to do with them.

The first is just not true. I watched each working group I sat on being lobbied endlessly to adopt a ‘farmers must change’ mindset.

The second is also not true. Even while I was being told about this, meetings were being held between the various organisations. Maybe they all sat and tied flies together, but I doubt that they didn’t discuss fish farming and what was irking them.

Until I read Jon Gibb’s article in last month’s edition of this organ I had little hope that the world would change.To answer Jon, yes it is time the reset button was pushed.

We may be the underpinning key to the Scottish economy but we are small fry politically. Bickering in public, briefing against each other and attacking the government benefits no one.

If we want to solve rural issues that matter to the farming and wild industries then we need to work out our differences and provide a united front to the electorate and government.

These issues include: rural housing, rural roads (not glory projects that increase the problem), wildlife interactions, farming education, ill designed legislation, and out of touch quangos. If we sat down in a room I am sure we could think of many more.

Think about what could have been achieved in the time that this useless wrangling has been going on.

Other countries have managed to solve their problems. I am incredibly lucky in that I get invited to places to see their solutions.

Denmark now has a thriving sea trout fishery despite the fact that around 20 years ago their rivers had next to no fish in them.They decided to set up a hatchery which took all of its breeding stock from the individual rivers.

Keeping them distinct, they bred a return for each river to supplement the growing stocks in the river. Denmark may have a reputation for breaking the mould in many forms of aquaculture but I had not expected

82

Nick Joy.indd 82

“beWethemay

underpinning key to the Scottish economy but we are small fry politically

”

to be quite so impressed.

Brown trout is not one of the easiest fish to grow and keep alive yet at Fyns Laksefisk they do it and with such ease and peace.

Just as importantly they work with students, educating and using them as staff to create a new breed of fish farmer - one who understands the needs of both industries.This is a role model that we should investigate and, with government, adopt.

It really is silly to have the habitat, the tourism and the facilities for a vibrant angling industry and waste time lobbying instead of solving.

The best catches of salmon and sea trout occurred in the 1960s in Scotland.The generation which fished then as boys has a nostalgia for that time and assumes that the fishery was at ideal production then.

Maybe it was, but why were the catches so much lower in the earlier part of the 20th century? My guess is that there were many contributing factors, and also that the subsequent fishing effort probably reduced the breeding population.

Anyway that generation, the 1960s fishers, are on their way out. It would seem that the younger generation are not that interested in angling.

If we want there to be fishers and fish for the future, we had better get some solutions devised and quickly, or we really will be talking about a zero sum game.

FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

08/08/2017 12:54:00

Ace Aquatec.indd 83

08/08/2017 10:27:46

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for conference: ae2017@aquaeas.eu for tradeshow & sponsorship: mario@marevent.com 08/08/2017 10:27:04