Fish Farmer Magazine August 2020

Fish F armer AUGUST 2020

THE LATE SHOW

The new team behind Aquaculture UK

ANTI-SOCIAL DISTANCING Hamish MacDonell

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES Sandy Neil

NORWEGIAN GOOD Sustainable feed

A BRIGHT FUTURE Nick Joy

SEA LICE The Perennial Problem

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26/11/2019 11:23 10/08/2020 12:37:41 26/03/2020 16:20:15 06/01/2020 10:25:54

Welcome

Editor’s Welcome

A

s we start to emerge from lockdown a lot of the focus in this issue is on the challenges and opportuni�es that the ‘new normal’ presents. Many farmers, processors and suppliers have found new ways of doing things, o�en forced to by circumstance, but have actually found that the new ways work be�er than the old. So in many ways nothing will ever return to quite the way that it was before.

Sustainability has also very much come to the fore during the crisis, and in his two pieces this month Vince McDonagh looks at Bakkafrost’s sustainability ini�a�ve, as well as running his eye over a promising new collabora�on between Mowi and Skre�ng on sustainable feed.

It would help, of course, if we could take the environmental lobby with us as part of the massive contribu�on that fish farming has to offer on the subject of climate change What’s happening in aq and protein provision, but at the moment we are some way off that. Hamish Macdonell in the UK and around th and Dr. Mar�n Jaffa both take a look at issues around extreme ac�vism in the month’s What’s happening in aquacu magazine. in the UK and around the w Finally, ever been given a shiny new JENNY car but allowed to drive it? That is the HJUL –– EDITOR JENNY HJULnot EDITOR situa�on Carsten Holm currently finds himself in. The Managing Director of Diversified JENNY HJUL –– EDITOR JENNY HJULto EDITOR Communica�ons UK now holds the keys Aquaculture UK, but for the �me being his test Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions drive has been cancelled! I caught up with him to find out how frustra�ng that feels.

So, a busy month with lots more inside. Enjoy your ‘new normal’.

Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions salmon farming sector in Scotland, when it was to he focus this month istopictures on Europe, the internati T HE is coincidence that andwhere videos of unhealthy Sno Fish Farmer went press, there was sti lltold no offi cialonal be thewere subject ofScotti a be parliamentary inquiry, embraced the industry willsent soon gathering the (European salmon to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti sh news from the shScotland, parliamentary inquiry into salmon farming sector in when itEAS was tosalmon he focus this month istopictures on Europe, the internati T HE is coincidence that andwhere videos of unhealthy Sno Fish Farmer went press, there was sti lltold no offi cialonal opportunity this would provide to explain how it operated.

Take care, Aquaculture and WAS Aquaculture Society) parliament went back to work at (World the start of month.

These farming, conducted earlier this year by thethis Rural Economy be the subject of aSociety) parliamentary inquiry, embraced industry willsent soon be gathering the EASinto (European salmon were to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti shthe news from the Scotti sh parliamentary inquiry salmon Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The had nothing to hide and, if given fair hearing, Meet thehealth new chief exe Dave Edler conference, to be staged over five days in theait southern images had this litt le to doprovide with theto current state of Scotland’s ficould sh and industry Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now heldFrench five opportunity would explain how operated.

Aquaculture Society) and WAS Aquaculture Society) parliament back to work at (World the start of month.

These farming, went conducted earlier this year by thethis Rural Economy address much of the criti cism levelled against it. city of Montpellier.

As well as highlighti ng the latest technological farms where sea lice levels are in decline and, in fact, at a fi vemeeti ngs, in private, to consider their report and we must be Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The had to hide and, if given fair hearing, Meet thehealth new chief executiv conference, to benothing staged over days in theaof southern images had litt le to do with thefive current state Scotland’s ficould sh and industry Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now heldFrench five Fish Farmer supported this but at times salmon advances in our fast moving sector, Aqua 2018felt willthat alsohas feature year low (htt p://scotti shsalmon.co.uk/monthly-sea-lice-reports). pati ent.

However, waiti ng forview, their recommendati ons been address much of the criti cism levelled against it. city ofngs, As well asare highlighti ng the latest technological farms -Montpellier. where sea lice in decline and, inwe fact, at abe fivemeeti in private, tolevels consider their report and must farmers were being drowned out bywhich theREC noisier elements offarming the sessions on emerging markets and look atinvolves the role ofthe fishusual This latest propaganda campaign, all made harder by leaks from within to anti -salmon Fish Farmer supported this atthe times salmon advances in our fast moving sector, Aqua 2018felt willthat alsohas feature year low (htt p://scotti shsalmon.co.uk/monthly-sea-lice-reports). pati ent.

However, waiti ng forview, theirbut recommendati ons been angling lobby, which had called foras the investi gatiRural on.

But asngs the farming in alleviati ng poverty.

Increasingly, industry meeti anti -aquaculture suspects, came Holyrood’s Economy acti vists.

The latest of these (see our news story on page 4) farmers were being drowned out bywhich theREC noisier elements offarming the sessions onpropaganda emerging markets and look atinvolves the role fishusual This campaign, allofthe madelatest harder by leaks from within the to anti -salmon sessions progressed, and eventually farmers’ voices were heard, are broadening their scope, tackling subjects such asthat thethe social and Connecti vity committ ee returned the summer recess we to makes grim reading for the industry asfrom itgati suggests committ ee angling lobby, which had called for the investi on.

But as farming inThe alleviati ngof poverty.

Increasingly, industry ngs anti -aquaculture suspects, came as Holyrood’s Rural Economy activists. latest these (see our news story onmeeti page 4) became more opti misti c.

We now believe that MSPs, perhaps with acceptability of aquaculture and the contributi on it makes to global consider its draft report into the future of salmon farming. members have been willing to listen to those campaigning to sessions progressed, and eventually farmers’ voices were heard, are broadening their scope, tackling subjects such asthat the committ social and Connecti vity committ ee returned the summer recess we to makes grim reading for the industry asfrom it suggests ee Serving Worldwide Aquaculture Since 1977 food security and saving the planet, aindustry move that is toanti welcomed. the excepti on ofvaluable one or two Greens cahoots with -farming Those who want toWe shut down thein asbe shut down this sector, rather than to those who operate became more misti c. now believe that MSPs, perhaps with acceptability ofopti aquaculture and the contributi on ithave, makes toexpected, global consider its draft report into the future of salmon farming. members have been willing to listen to those campaigning to Also investi gati ngacti initi aties, veswhich inregard thenow developing world, Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, the industry in a Dr favourable stepped their viti involve the within it.up food security and saving the planet, aindustry move that is tobreaching welcomed. the excepti on ofvaluable one or two Greens cahoots with anti -farming Those who want to shut down thein asbe expected, shut down this sector, rather thanthe tohave, those who operate Meet the team Charo Karisa of WorldFish writes about farming potenti al inthe Fish Farmer: Volume 43 Number 08 light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sitesindustry to snatch photographs in Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and, in any case, Also investi gati ng initi ati ves in the developing world, Dr Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, regard the in a favourable stepped acti vitiish es,and which nowculti involve breaching the within it.up their Editorial Advisory Board: Nigeria, both in catf ti lapia vati on. responsibiliti es seriously and that businesses will only ever invest the hope of fi nding incriminati ng evidence against farmers.

Onein committ ee’s fi ndings are not binding.

Scotland’s fi sh farmers Contact us Charo Karisa of WorldFish writes about the farming potenti al in light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sites tosomething snatch ingame Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and,photographs inofany case,ngthe Steve Bracken, Hervé Migaud, Jim Treasurer, In Scotland, the summer has been aofwaiti What’s in a name?

Dr Nick Lake Phil Thomas growth that isfibeen sustainable.

Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 campaigner lmed himself searching, unsuccessfully, for minister, dead have always fortunate to have the support their Nigeria, both catf ish and tilapia culti vati on. responsibiliti seriously and that businesses will only ever invest in the hope of fies nding incriminati ng evidence against farmers.

One committ ee’s fiin ndings are not binding.

Scotland’s fi sh farmers Chris Mitchell, Jason Cleaversmith while the parliament is in recess and the members of Holyrood’s Fax: +44(0) 131 551especially 7901 If the committ ee members, those who have yet to of Phil fi sh at a Marine Harvest site.

Another said he saw ‘hundreds’ Fergus Ewing, to grow sustainably.

In Scotland, the summer has been something of a waiti ng game What’s in a name?

Dr Nick Lake Thomas growth that isfibeen sustainable. campaigner lmed himself searching, unsuccessfully, forto dead haveRural always fortunate toshfarmermagazine.com have the support of their minister, and Hamish Macdonell Economy and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue weigh up Email: visit aparliament farm, like tothe learn more about theagainst of infested salmon in awould pen, but we only have his word that But itsalmon should not go unchallenged that some MSPs onsubject the REC while the isdedler@fi in recess and members of Holyrood’s If the committ ee members, especially those who have yet to fi sh at a Marine Harvest site.

Another said he saw ‘hundreds’ of Fergus Ewing, to grow sustainably. the evidence in their inquiry into salmon farming.

We don’t expect Interim Editor: Dave Edler their we have plenty of good stories in our May Even Rural and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue weigh up Head Offi ce: Special Publica� ons, Fe� esto Park, of theinquiry, professional vets and biologists who manage theissue. welfare of committ ee, with their own against the growth of visit a Economy farm, like toagendas learn more about the ofthetime infested salmon in go awould but we only have his word against that Buttheir itsalmon should not unchallenged that some MSPs onsubject the REC report unti l pen, the autumn but hope the MSPs are using the Designer: Andrew the Balahura bett er, they could head to the Highlands later this month, where 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL Wefor evidence in their inquiry into salmon farming. don’t expect these farms on a daily basis. industry, are in breach of Code of Conduct MSPs. As they their wefully have plenty of good stories in ourgrowth May toinquiry, become acquainted with the facts about fithe shissue. farming. of the professional vets andagendas biologists who manage welfare of committ ee, with their own against the of theEven Commercial Manager: Montpellier report Dr Marti n Jaff a Doug McLeod meet the aquaculture industry en masse at Scotland’s theirthey report unti l the autumn but hope the MSPs areas using theittiis, meit Ifthey the is proud of its high standards, itsalmon says are inwill aindustry positi on to inflthe uence the future course of farming, bett er, could head to Highlands later this month, where This month also sees reti rement of Marine Harvest’s longest these farms on a daily basis. industry, are in breach of the Code of Conduct for MSPs. As they Subscriptions Janice Johnston to become fully acquainted with the facts about fi sh farming. biggest fi sh farming show. must mount aaquaculture much more robustWe defence oftrouble itself, through its and of businesses vital toBracken.

Scotland’s economy, we have a right Montpellier report Dr Marti n Jaff a Doug McLeod they will meet the industry en masse Scotland’s serving employee, Steve had no Subscrip� ons Fish Farmer If the isto proud ofreti itsAddress: high standards, as itsalmon says itcollecti is, it ng are in aindustry positi on inflthe uence the future course ofat farming, jjohnston@fishfarmermagazine.com This month also sees rement of Marine Harvest’s longest will certainly be at Aquaculture UK inindustry, Aviemore and look representati ve body, the SSPO, than it has done to date.

The toWe know who they are, and we hope the through its warm tributes from his friends and colleagues to mark the biggest fi sh farming show.

Magazine Subscrip� ons,economy, Warners Group must a much more robustWe defence itself, through its and ofmount businesses vital toBracken.

Scotland’s we have a right Publisher: Alisterserving Benne� employee, Steve had noof trouble collecti ng forward toand, seeing many of you there too. campaigners, we now see, willrest stop nothing, representati ves, will pressure the parliament toand investi gate before milestone along with of the industry, thefarmers team will certainly be at Aquaculture UK inat Aviemore and look Publica� ons plc, The Mal� ngs, West representati vethey body, the SSPO, than itthe has done tothrough date.

The toWe know who are, and wethe hope industry, its at Fish warm tributes from his friends and colleagues to mark the should be prepared toyou fivery ght back. the to REC report isall published.

Farmer wish him the best for the future.

Street, Bourne forward seeing many of there too. campaigners, we now see, will stop at representati ves, will pressure the parliament toand investi gateatbefore Rising stars Marti nBrown Jaff a Orkney anniversary Janet milestone and, along with the rest of thenothing, industry, thefarmers team Fish Lincolnshire PE10 9PH should prepared to fivery ght back. the RECbe report published.

Farmer wish himisall the best for the future.

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Janet Machrihanish Orkney farm Marti nBrown Jaff a visit Advisory Board: Steve Contact Tel: +44(0) us 131 551 1000 MeetEditorial the team Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Steve Bracken, Scott HervéLandsburgh, Migaud, Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 Migaud, PatrickJim Smith and Jim Hervé Patrick Smith, PatrickMigaud, Smith, Treasurer and Fax: email: +44(0) 131 551 7901 Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Steve Bracken, Scott HervéLandsburgh, Migaud, jhjul@fi shupdate.com Treasurer, Wiliam Jim Treasurer and Dowds William Dowdsemail: William Dowds Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines New player Dawn Migaud, PatrickJim Smith and Jim Hervé Patrick Smith, PatrickMigaud, Smith, Treasurer and 3 new Editor: Jenny Hjul jhjul@fi shupdate.com Treasurer, Wiliam Jim Treasurer and Dowds William Dowds William Dowds Head Office: Special Publications, Dawn Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines New player new Designer: Andrew Balahura Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Editor: Jenny Hjul Advertising Manager: Team Leader: HeadEdinburgh, Office: Special Publications, EH5 2DL Designer: Andrew Balahura Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Dave Edler 10/08/2020 14:01:47 Advertising Manager: Team Leader: Figure 9. Development of salmon nominal catch in sou

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Contents

Fish F armer

In the August issue...

News

What’s happening in the UK and around the world

SSPO

24-25

Hamish MacDonell

Shellfish

26-27

Nicki Holmyard

Challenges and Opportunities

28-33

Sandy Neil

Seas the day

34

Shellfish supplier expands

Comment

36-37

Martin Jaffa

A moral duty

38-39

Vince McDonagh

Norwegian Good

40-41

Vince McDonagh

The Late Show

We catch up with Aquaculture UK’s new owners

Lump fish

New study on Pasteurellosis

Aquaculture Stewardship Council First monitoring and evaluation report published

Management, Monitoring and Analysis Understanding the data

Cleaner fish Sea lice

Disinfection and Anti-Fouling What’s New

Monthly update on industry innovations and solutions

Processing News

All the latest news from the processing industry All the latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses

Opinion Nick Joy

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48 50

66

Prevention and control

Find all you need for the industry

46-47

60-61

The perennial problem

Aqua Source Directory

42-45

56-57

An effective biological solution

Industry Diary

6-23

71 73 74 76-77 78

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:06:54

Marine solutions that work for you

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10/08/2020 13:03:04

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

UK seafood processors face covid impact survey

A major survey is underway to find out the financial and socio-economic impact of Covid-19 on the seafood processing industry throughout the UK. It began last month and will continue during August. The survey is being conducted by Seafish which is asking seafood processors to provide information on how the outbreak has affected their business and how they are responding. The survey also asks for financial data and information on operations and recruitment to determine the size and economic performance of the sector.

Seafish economist Ana Witteveen said: ‘Early returns from the survey show that, unsurprisingly, many seafood processing businesses had to reduce production or close down completely in response to Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions. Sadly, for some businesses the doors may never reopen, with smaller processors at particular risk of owners opting to wind down or retire early.

‘However, some smaller processors have proved particularly agile in responding to the extraordinary circumstances of recent months.

Businesses with small workforces or staffed by family members have been reporting that they were able to quickly implement new working

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methods and continue to operate throughout.

Some small processors have also been able to adapt by setting up or scaling up home delivery offerings and online sales. This has offset the absence of wholesale trade, and the increased margins associated with retail has seen some businesses reporting that profits are up compared to the same period last year.

‘For larger processors who may be more dependent on wholesale trade, and who have had to remodel work spaces to meet new guidance, we are tending to see a gradual return of workers, with more being brought back from furlough each week.

‘These of course are only the early indications from the first businesses we have spoken to. It is clear that we are looking at a mixed and complicated landscape. We would invite all seafood processing businesses to take part in the survey to help us put together the most accurate picture we can of the sector as it weathers current challenges, adapts to new working practices and prepares for the future.’

Jimmy Buchan, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Seafood Association (the national representative body for seafood processors in Scotland) said: ‘While we know the challenges we are

facing, we should never underestimate the importance of clear statistical and financial data on the sector.

‘When the Scottish Government was developing the Scottish Seafood Business Resilience Fund, it was data from previous Seafish processing surveys that they turned to.

This really illustrates to me that, while we can debate whether the right support has been provided, we will always be better placed to make our case to governments if we have the data to support it.

‘I would strongly encourage seafood businesses of all sizes, wherever you are in the UK, to fully engage with Seafish to complete the survey and provide the requested financial data.’

Seafish will attempt to contact all UK seafood processing businesses and invite them to take part in a short phone call, and in some cases a subsequent online survey.

The survey results are used by government to understand how the sector is impacted by changes in policy and can also be used by the industry to highlight to government the challenges it faces and provide evidence to support this.They also inform Seafish’s own work in supporting the seafood processing sector.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:13:16

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10/08/2020 13:05:53 30/10/2019 15:15:21

United Kingdom News

NAFC chart course for shellfish producers

DURING 2019, NAFC collaborated with Scottish Shellfish Producers to develop an extensive online survey to collect views from Scottish shellfish farmers. The work was funded through the University of the Highlands and Island’s Aquaculture Industry Engagement Fund and the results have contributed to the development of ‘Shellvolution’, a new strategy for the Scottish shellfish farming industry.

During the consultation, the shellfish producers confirmed their desire to become a more knowledge-based industry. They clearly expressed their intention to become more resilient, to grasp market opportunities and to achieve sustainable growth as has been previously described in ‘A View Towards 2030 – Scottish Aquaculture’, which set a target of tripling shellfish production to 21,000 tonnes per annum by for 2030.

Three themes emerged during the consultation as priority areas for future work: 1) Spat Production: Improving spat production and better understanding factors that affect natural spat settlement.

Mussel farmers rely on spat the settles naturally on their farms from the wild but this varies between locations and from year to year.

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2) The Shellfish Farm-Environment: Gaining a better understanding of the interactions between mussel farms and the environment including factors that affect growth and production capacities and the impacts of plankton and water quality.

3) Best Practice: Addressing mussel farmers’ desire to share and learn from existing best practices and data and to create new tools to help standardise data capture and analysis.

The full report has now been published and will be used by Scottish shellfish industry, the public sector and academics to identify ways to work within these themes and to help the sector achieve their targets.

Michael Tait, owner of Shetland Mussels Ltd, who contributed to the survey, said: ‘This report is timely and is part of a wider initiative ‘Shell-volution’. We hope Shell-volution will help evolve our shellfish sector into its next generation by asking key questions and coming up with projects to answer them clearly, each of which will unlock bottlenecks in our expansion plans.’

Dr Nick Lake, Chief Executive of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers, also

welcomed the survey: ‘it is a very useful snapshot of current practices and aspirations. We particularly welcome the themes that have been identified and research prioritisation exercise. Shellvolution is a strategy that fits well with ASSG aims, which are to drive forward Scottish production, improve shellfish quality and build a more profitable, sustainable and more robust shellfish industry throughout Scotland.

We look forward to contributing further to the Shell-volution strategy and to see this important future work get underway.’

Above: Nick Lake

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:13:58

All the latest industry news from the UK

SAMS launch new 5 year marine strategy IN order to help safeguard the planet’s ocean environment, a leader in Scottish marine science has called for investment in research, technology and people, as he launched the Scottish Association for Marine Science’s (SAMS) new five-year strategy at the start of August.

SAMS Director Prof Nicholas Owens said there was never a more important time to support marine science research as Scotland develops its Blue Economy, a crucial part of the country’s recovery post-lockdown.

A commitment to saving the oceans, Earth’s largest ecosystem, is embedded in the UN Sustainability Goals and, as we approach the UN’s Decade of the Oceans 2021-2030, Prof Owens said society had a responsibility to ensure the ocean was protected for the generations to come.

He said finding the right balance between using Above: Nicholas Owens and protecting the ocean required a greater understanding of the marine environment than we currently have: ‘It falls on the shoulders of the global marine science community to build the essential knowledge, skills and technologies that are missing. Our strategy shows how we will direct our research, education and partnership working with governments, industry and the public to benefit both society and the natural world.

‘As the oldest marine research organisation in the United Kingdom we will empower our team of researchers to use their ingenuity in observing, understanding and predicting the changes in our ocean to develop new solutions to the problems of climate change, depletion of marine life, water pollution, waste, and food security.We will encourage them to develop environmen-

tally advanced innovation and commercialisation products to benefit the Blue Economy.’

The global ocean is the most important component of Earth’s life support system and helps to stabilise the climate. However, it is seriously degraded and is under threat of ecosystem collapse from climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, and overexploitation.

These stressors are caused by human activities and behaviour and the demands for seafood, shipping, mineral resources, coastal development, energy, waste disposal and tourism are still growing.The need for marine conservation and economic development of marine industries can therefore be in conflict.

SAMS’ strategy seeks to find a sustainable middle ground, an ocean in balance, whereby the marine environment is protected, while meeting the needs of the population. Prof Owens added: ‘I’m committed to a vision where one day our oceans will be fully healthy again, teeming with diverse and abundant marine life. I dream that this healthy ocean will also bestow on us clean energy, plentiful and good food, powerful medicines and global transport systems that will connect people and societies.’

The SAMS business model of research, education and enterprise is geared to generate new knowledge that informs policy makers about our ocean environment. It also allows the institute to disseminate these findings through teaching, as part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and to develop solutions and commercially useful products through its marine science consultancy, SAMS Research Services Ltd.

SSC delighted with fun replacement for Skye half marathon The Stormyhill Stragglers have been named the winners of a challenge to walk, run or cycle as many miles as possible throughout the month of June, to raise funds for Skye Community Response.

A total of 112 teams signed up to take part in the challenge and collectively raised £23,566 for Skye Community Response.The challenge was organised following the postponement of the annual Scottish Salmon Company Isle of Skye Half Marathon due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Skye Community Response was set up to support the local community throughout the coronavirus pandemic.The response team coordinates various volunteers and groups in the wider Skye and Lochalsh area offering services such as food delivery, prescription collection, social services support and home support.

Sam Crowe, Race Organiser at Skye Events said: ‘On behalf of Skye Events, we would like to thank everyone who

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participated and donated to the local fundraiser.

We would also like to thank The Scottish Salmon Company for its continued support and for generously donating our top prize.’

Davy Taylor, Head of Production North, at The Scottish Salmon Company said: ‘The Skye’s the limit challenge was great fun and really gave us all a focus throughout the whole of June to achieve our own goals and keep busy during a very unique time in all our lives. . Seeing so many people of all ages taking part, with smiles on their faces as we passed each other walking or pedalling, was a sheer joy. Well done to everyone who supported, donated and took part.’

Su Cox, Director, at The Scottish Salmon Company said: ‘A huge congratulations to the Stormyhill Stragglers and the rest of the teams on such a fantastic achievement. Well done to everyone involved, including Davy Taylor and Ewen Maclean from The Scottish Salmon Company who covered 2,138 miles over the month between them.

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10/08/2020 15:41:07

United Kingdom News

Mowi complete Kyleakin feed mill improvements

Above: The Mowi Kyleakin feed mill

MOWI have announced that the significant improvements work taking place at their Kyleakin feed mill site are now complete.

The new infrastructure has been specially designed to eliminate odour at the plant.

Claes Jonermark, Operations Director at Mowi Feed, told their in-house publication The Scoop: ‘I would like to start by saying that I am extremely grateful both to our neighbours and to the team here at Kyleakin. The last few months have been difficult for everybody. I really am amazed at the spirit, can do attitude and flexibility shown by everybody working here to ensure that we have continued to produce feed at full capacity during lockdown.

‘Lockdown also meant that our programme of improvements at the Feed Mill, which was designed in response to concerns expressed

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ff08 news MASTER.indd 10

about smells coming from the site, was delayed because contractors were not allowed on site. Again, our neighbours were extremely patient and understanding. I’m pleased that, as of the end of July, all planned work has now been completed. We will need a period of testing and measuring of course but I am hopeful that we will have succeeded in minimising odour from the plant.’

A new infrastructure ‘the uploader’ at the feed mill has been rebuilt and now incorporates charcoal filters. This means that any particles carrying odour must all pass through the charcoal filters which will remove the smell. Equally, significant work has been carried out on the ducting.

Previously, only air from the process passed through the biofilter. Now, also air from the raw material side of the process is connected to the biofilter, including the raw

materials which move through the plant for processing and which were thought to be the source of the odour detected.

Both these improvements are completely new to Mowi and have been designed specifically for Kyleakin. Electric cabling from the shore has also been installed at Kyleakin to remove the need for generators on board the feed vessel when staying at the pier. The company hope that this will also further reduce noise. Jonermark also announced that the Kyleakin team is now complete: ‘We had the last vacant positions that we were really keen to fill for a while. I am pleased to say that we were able to offer both the Quality Assurance and Planning positions to two local people as well as hiring a new local Operator. The fact that we were also able to do this during lockdown was incredible.’

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:14:47

• • • • •

associated with inbreeding depression.

In-depth assessment of hatchery and grow-out operations Evaluation of conformity to international best practice, including certifications.

An indication of any potential biological risks to the delivery of the business plan and any implications for buy-side valuations.

An assessment of management skills and staff development programmes.

Recommendations on the scope for increasing production and profitability in the future, including areas for potential CAPEX investment.

All the latest industry news from the UK

Xelect launch Genetic Due Diligence for aquaculture

Each due diligence assessment is bespoke for each client and typically includes an on-site visit by a senior member of Xelect, video conference interviews and broodstock genetic analysis. A detailed final report is provided and presented by our expert team. e scope of our audits usually includes the following areas.

FOR decades, aquaculture mergers and acquisitions have focused on the financial and infrastructure aspects of a transaction. Until now there’s been no clear way to evaluate what lies at the heart of a company’s value: its broodstock.

In recent years our industry has grown and evolved, and the value of transactions has increased significantly. Investors and potential owners have been looking for a way to get confidence in the quality and sustainability of a company’s biological capital. Xelect, the leading independent aquaculture genetics experts, have long been trusted by some of the biggest names in the industry to manage and increase the value of their broodstock.The team’s new BioAudit combines specialist genetics skills with deep industry know-how to provide independent and confidential genetic audits, alongside biological due diligence.

This unique service will give investors and buyers a wealth of new insights to help them make more informed decisions. Recent examples of BioAudit projects by Xelect include: - Providing buy side advice to the sovereign wealth fund of a prominent Middle Eastern country - A high profile due diligence

project for a major sea bass and sea bream transaction. Xelect’s CEO, Prof.

Ian Johnston, commented: ‘Every BioAudit project we do is completely bespoke for the client, but it typically includes a site visit, interviews with key personnel and a detailed genetic analysis of the broodstock at our custom-built laboratory. Customers get a detailed report and presentation, highlighting any risks from inbreeding or past genetic management, and an assessment of whether there is sufficient genetic diversity for selective breeding to improve key commercial traits – all

key factors for the future sustainability and profitability of the business’.

But it doesn’t stop there. Operations Director Dr Tom Ashton explains: ‘The team here are truly unique, with a highly specialised set of skills and backgrounds.This means that, as well as a genetics audit, we can offer a wide ranging biological due diligence service, covering feasibility of production targets, a biosecurity review, environmental and animal welfare checks and analysis of harvesting and processing practices. We think it’s quite a game changer for M&A’.

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10/08/2020 14:15:10

United Kingdom News

OTAQ announce strong annual results Seafood Scotland explains market pivot

OTAQ, the marine technology products and solutions group for the global aquaculture and offshore oil and gas industries, has announced its final results for the year ended 31 March 2020. During the period, the Company was a cash shell named Hertsford Capital plc, successfully completing the reverse takeover by OTAQ Group Limited (‘OTAQ Group’) on 31 March 2020.

As a result of the acquisition and consolidation of OTAQ Group, the Company has reported results refelecting the ongoing operations of OTAQ Group and its subsidiaries.

Financial highlights included revenues of £3.2m (up from £1.58m in 2019), a gross profit of £1.96m (up from £902k) and an adjusted EBITDA increase of £451,000 (up from £50k).

Operating highlights included the listing of OTAQ on the London Stock Exchange’s main market following the reverse takeover, a 20% increase in the company’s core product SealFence, a continued focus on innovation and research & development to broaden the company’s market share and, despite covid, a first quarter result this year that was broadly in line with expectations.

Post period-end Matt

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Enright joined the Board on 26 June 2020 as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary. He replaced interim Chief Financial Officer Simon Walters, who oversaw the successful transaction to list OTAQ on the Stock Market.

Alex Hambro, NonExecutive Chairman of OTAQ plc, commented: ‘This has certainly been a busy year for OTAQ, notwithstanding the current economic and social climate of COVID-19. The reverse takeover of Hertsford Capital plc has placed OTAQ in a strong cash position which, in line with our strong revenue and margin growth, we can use to further innovate and broaden our offering across the global aquaculture sector.

‘We have still maintained business throughout the lockdown with minimal interference, as our employees were granted special dispensation to continue supplying critical products and services throughout. As we come through this period, our objectives are to continue development and contracts with SealFence, while also looking to acquire small and medium-sized marine technology companies, taking advantage of the continuing growth in the salmon-farming and aquaculture industry.’

THE challenges of the past four months have noticeably shifted the Scottish seafood market, according to trade organisation Seafood Scotland. Current business behaviour points to a market dominated by long-haul and domestic markets as Europe becomes more challenging with increased red tape around Brexit, and successful ‘Buy Local’ campaigns in European markets during Covid-19 restrictions.

With the virtual standstill around export opportunities from the UK, many companies turned to the domestic market, which usually accounts for just 20% of trade. Even that pocket was significantly impacted with the closure of food service businesses across the country.

However, many seafood businesses successfully executed rapid change programmes and built on the domestic consumer side of their businesses, not enough to replace lost income, but enough to keep their operations open alongside support received from Government packages.

Now that UK food service is getting back to work, the industry will look to grow a greater domestic demand for their catch, but they are not stopping there.

Natalie Bell, Head of Trade Marketing for Europe, Middle East and Asia at Seafood Scotland, which works to increase the value of return to the Scottish seafood sector through trade promotion and business development support, explains: ‘The market profile has changed considerably. UK consumers are demanding more of their own seafood, as opposed to the 60% that is normally imported from places like Norway. Buying decisions are being driven by purpose, and ‘buy local’ is top of both consumer and food service consciousness, so the demand for more is likely to continue.

‘However, exporting profiles will also shift, with Brexit looming large on the minds of businesses. We are receiving a greater volume of enquiries from Scottish companies looking to widen their export base. Those that traditionally stuck to the key European markets are now extremely interested in sending their produce further afield to places such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. Scottish seafood and its quality is widely recognised in many markets, and when passenger air routes settle into a consistent pattern, we will see higher volumes of Scottish seafood travelling beyond Europe.

‘This could potentially result in a more sophisticated market that places higher value on domestic and long-haul markets – which is a significant turnaround, and it will have myriad impacts on transport, certification, processing practices, product, flavour and packaging profiles and species selection.

Furthermore, it helps companies to de-risk their operations, spreading their catch over more markets in case of further localised shut-downs in future.’

Key non-EU markets for Scottish seafood are the Middle East, USA, and Asia, particularly China, Japan and Singapore which are some of the world’s largest consumers of seafood.

Above: Natalie Bell

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:15:41

All the latest industry news from the UK

SSF appoint Northern Isles Regional Manager SCOTTISH Sea Farms has promoted longstanding Regional Manager for Orkney, Richard Darbyshire, to the all-new role of Northern Isles Regional Manager with responsibility for the company’s Shetland and Orkney farms, supported by two new Area Manager roles.

The three newly-created roles are part of a restructure aimed at helping Scottish Sea Farms in its quest to set a new benchmark for sustainability in the sector and will see the company’s three existing farming regions consolidated into two: the Northern Isles and mainland Scotland.

Commenting on the move, Scottish Sea Farms Managing Director Jim Gallagher said: ‘We will now have two farming regions of a similar size in terms of number of farms, each one overseen by its own dedicated Regional Manager: Innes Weir who joined us in Above: Richard Darbyshire December 2019 with responsibility for our farms on Scottish mainland, and Richard Darbyshire in his new Northern Isles role.

‘Richard has been instrumental in the stand-out results achieved on Orkney: from the exceptional team he has built around him and the superior fish they have reared together, to his work identifying the best growing conditions for possible new farms. Combined, it’s delivered some of the strongest biological performances across our farming estate.

‘We’re now looking to Richard to bring this same unwavering focus on fish health and appreciation of the local environment to our Shetland farms, helping identify and make the necessary changes to bring about similar scale

improvements as achieved on Orkney.’

Darbyshire, who will divide his time between Orkney where he is based and Shetland, said: ‘I’m ready and raring to go in terms of helping the Shetland team achieve consistently high standards across all farms and functions: infrastructure, equipment, staffing, health and safety, reporting, training and development.

‘This is a really exciting time for all of our marine farmers – Orkney, Shetland and mainland too – with our new Barcaldine RAS Hatchery producing significantly bigger smolts that require less time at sea. We’ve also got more tools at our disposal than ever before to proactively protect fish health. I’m keen to do whatever I can to help both of our Northern Isles teams maximise this strong start and deliver their best biological performances yet.’

Supporting Darbyshire in his new, broader role will be two new Area Managers: one based in Shetland and the other in Orkney, with the recruitment process due to start immediately.

Said Gallagher:‘It’s really important that we have local boots on the ground in each area; sector-experienced figures who understand the local marine conditions and have their sleeves rolled up ready to support our farm teams, ensuring they have the resources they need and enabling timely discussions around any additional support they might need.

‘Equally, we’re looking to our farm teams to seize this new structure and additional support as a route to delivering the highest standards of fish welfare yet.’

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OTAQ Aquaculture Ltd, Crombie Lodge, Aberdeen Innovation Park, Campus Two, Aberdeen, AB22 8GU, UK +44 (0) 1224 673301 | info@ otaq.com | otaq.com

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10/08/2020 14:15:58

European News

NEWS...

Italy confirms February date for AquaFarm event Salaks raise questions on ISA strategy

international ones,’ said Giuseppe Prioli, An event for all operators within the President of the Mediterranean Fish Farmers aquaculture sector and also those involved Association, ‘and this year the network is in innovations in the agritech world has now even more crucial to be able to get out of the been confirmed. The show that simultaneously economic crisis together.’ presents the two AquaFarm and NovelFarm ‘We must be able to face, live together exhibitions, now in their 5th and 3rd editions and overcome emergencies of all kinds, ‘ respectively, will be held on 17th and 18th states Pier Antonio Salvador, President of February 2021, at the Pordenone Exhibition the Italian Fish Farmers Association ‘and make Centre. sure that the supply chain is ready, even in the The President of Prodenone Fiere, Renato future, to handle crisis situations.’

Pujatti, said: During the two days of conferences and ‘We are very pleased to be able to confirm workshops ample space will be provided to this important tradeshow for 2021. If issues that have proved to be of fundamental there is one thing we have learned from importance during the lockdown period this emergency and from these months of and beyond. Security and traceability; lockdown, it is that the food production distribution; perceptions and consumer sectors have not stopped, rather, they have behaviour; regulations and funds; technological driven forward our Country. The citizens have innovations. These are some of the issues that found themselves increasingly attentive in will be addressed. their choice of basic necessities, confirming Among the the trend towards food sustainability.

MON farmer Salaks shared a stand with NSK Ship Design andnovelties of the 5th edition of ‘AquaFarm and NovelFarm are rather young AquaFarm will be a contest for research and lained the new concept they have designed together to make technological start-ups: what are the best events, but their scope and international tter use of the Norwegian fjords as farming relevance has continuously grown and sites. solutions to improve farm productivity? The call al forand the competition will be launched in consolidated each year, until they have become alaks CEO Odd Bekkeli said they wanted to exploit potenti existSeptember and will be open to participants reference points for the aquaculture industry e sites - traditi onal grounds for fish farms- rather thanfrom farmallfurther countries. and for indoor agriculture innovations. They . provide opportunities for discussion and work NovelFarm also confirms, for the third year,athe thatfigrant the possibility for theIntwo supply we have rds have made sh farming a success.

Norway lotUrban of Farm Challenge 2021, an chains to continue to establish more and more international competition for the redesign and an can be used better,’ he said. recovery of abandoned and disused buildings, structured projects, thanks to the networking w concept, Called FjordMax, willanincrease on threefold organized by the University of Bologna. opportunities that only exhibitionproducti can Another important novelty regards algae: offer’. based on its compact structure. With amount of space, today’s a theme that has always been met with AquaFarm and NovelFarm work on a y a farm cannetwork produce 4,100 tonnes of salmon but thisenormous farm could interest by the public since the basis, on the collaboration between y increase producti on to 12,000 tonnes, said Bekkeli. first edition and that in 2021 sees the birth institutions, research centres and companies. of AlgaeFarm ‘Weorm, have measuring always worked165m in synergy ngular steel platf longwith by 153m wide by 6ma space dedicated to this world, both in lectures and in exhibition space. institutions and other associations, including

Aqua Nor 2017

ord focus

ompact concept will produce more salmon in less space

prises three pens of 66m diameter, each holding 500,000 salmon. It d to be used14in shallower waters, said Bekkeli. pen there is an inner net for production and an outer net which barrier against escapes. At the bottom of the net there is a PVC sheet ff08 newswaste.

MASTER.indd 14 is then pumped up to tanks on board the ects organic This

NORWAY’S Food safety Authority has reacted to criticism over its handling of the rising number of recent Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) outbreaks in the north of the country.

Around 20 confirmed cases have been reported since the beginning of the year, the majority in the past three months and there is rising concern among some companies not just over higher numbers, but also about the way the issue is being handled by the authority.

Odd Bekkeli, general manager of Salaks, whose company was recently badly hit by an ISA outbreak, said the Food Safety authority was being too strict with its strategy of ordering all fish to be removed and destroyed whether they are infected or not. Even if just one salmon had the disease, he argues, the fish in nearby cages have to go as well.

Salaks faces the prospect of losing 750,000 salmon at its site in Bjørga, south of Tromso which, even at today’s low price of NOK 47 per kg, would cost NOK 158 million (£13-million) if the fish were allowed to grow to maturity (4-5 kg). Bekkeli said: It is not necessary to remove unaffected fish in nearby cages. Such a tough response would not happen in farming circles, if, say, a single cow became ill’.

But Eirik Jacobsen from the Food Safety Authority in Harstad said his organisation, while very concerned about the increase in outbreaks, was pursuing the right strategy.

He did not want to comment on the Salaks manager’s claims about being too strict, but added: ‘We do have a contingency plan to deal with detection and suspect cases. My role is mainly to ensure that we have a unified administration, and that we relate correctly to the regulations.’

He said some of the points made by Salaks were nonetheless important and would be looked at in the correct context. Above: Odd Bekkeli

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:16:26

All the latest industry news from Europe

Additional licences for Ocean Farm 1

Above: Ocean Farm 1

THE salmon farming group SalMar has been given the go-ahead to convert eight development permits into fish production licences for its giant revolutionary offshore ‘sea cage’ known as Ocean Farm 1.

The decision by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, follows a comprehensive investigation and full report which is open to examination.

The announcement was welcomed by SalMar, which has a 50 per cent stake in Scottish Sea Farms. The company said: ‘SalMar is proud that in this way we have completed a project that we believe is ground breaking in the work of developing an increasingly sustainable aquaculture industry.

‘Behind the project is a unique interdisciplinary partnership between Norwegian and foreign players with leading expertise in aquaculture, offshore and relevant research. In the realisation of this project, SalMar has helped to fulfill the authorities’ goal with the development permits to solve important environmental and area challenges facing the industry. SalMar has so far used approximately NOK 1 billion to design and develop Ocean Farm 1, where over 50 per cent of these have been deliveries of services and equipment from Norwegian expertise companies.’

The conversion does not affect the operation of Ocean Farm 1, which is now in the final part of the second production cycle. Standing almost 70 metres high and with a diameter of 180 metres and able to hold three million smolts, Ocean Farm 1 has been described as the start of a new era in aquaculture.

Further expansion is on the way. SalMar added: ‘The positive experience gained from the operations in the first two releases will lay the foundation for Ocean Farm 1 to continue to be an important production unit in SalMar’s total fish farming operations. SalMar has already started a project for a closer assessment of the financial and technical prerequisites for building more units of a similar design as Ocean Farm 1 in more exposed areas within the scope of the

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ff08 news MASTER.indd 15

Planning and Building Act. Our experience of Ocean Farm 1 underpins SalMar’s strong belief in sea-based farming.’

15

10/08/2020 14:16:51

European News

Mowi site in Poland takes covid hit A HUGE Mowi owned salmon processing plant in Poland was hit by coronavirus last month, with around 29 members of staff testing positive.

The Morpol site near the Baltic coast is one of the largest in Europe and employs more than 4,000 people.

According to the company 750 people had been tested over a ten day period, with 29 showing signs of infection.

The company told Intrafish and other sources that, given the size of the factory and the large number of people who work there, it was a relatively small percentage. Mowi said that it had effective measures in place for the past five months to deal with such a scenario and the past few days proved they had worked. Those who had been infected are reported to be fine and it is understood they did not pick up the virus inside the plant.

Another report said some members of staff had been reluctant to go into work.

But a Mowi spokeswoman said: ‘The situation does not require that the entire factory should be closed. Yes, the plant is in full operation with only a slight decline in production’.

Opened in 1996, the site has undergone several expansion phases and is able to process up to 150,000 tonnes of salmon a year for European and other markets. Had it gone ahead, a shutdown or a large scale reduction in production could have unsettled the salmon market.

Mowi has invested millions of euros in the factory, the most recent being €10 million to serve the Swedish market.

Above Mowi processing, Poland

Norway hopeful of UK seafood deal

NORWAY is hoping to strike a free trade deal with Britain by the end of this year so it can continue to sell its salmon and whitefish without serious disruption.

The UK is Norway’s fourth largest export market for seafood, mainly cod, haddock, farmed salmon and shellfish, and is currently worth almost seven billion kroner (£600 million) a year. But there is also considerable trade in machinery and marine and agricultural products.

Trade and Industry Minister Iselin Nybø, said recently: ‘We want to negotiate a comprehensive

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free trade agreement with the British, where current trade is continued as much as possible. Here we are talking about billions of kroner in goods and services that cross our borders annually. But the agreement will unfortunately not be able to replace the EEA agreement, and the business community must prepare for the fact that they will experience new trade barriers when the UK leaves the internal market.

‘An important priority for Norway in the negotiations with the British is that Norwegian companies get at least as good access to the British market as what EU

Above: Iselin Nybø

companies get.’

Other goals include:- Full free trade for seafood. This will be an improvement from the current situation where Norwegian seafood exporters do not have free trade into the EU, but must comply with different quotas and tariffs and ensure that modern and efficient customs procedures are facilitated.

Oslo is also saying it wants at least as comprehensive a negotiated result for climate, environment and labour rights as in the agreement between the UK and the EU.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:17:17

All the latest industry news from Europe

Dutch company Veramaris steps up US operations JUST one year after production started at its facility in Nebraska USA, Veramaris has announced the appointment of three new members to bolster the team and deliver even further growth for the business.

Alexander Hillmann joins as Chief Financial Officer from parent company Evonik. He has worked for the chemicals giant for almost 20 years in a number of different roles in Europe and the USA. Speaking about the appointment Alexander said: ‘This is a wonderful opportunity to work for a new company that is really making a difference. I hope the knowledge I bring will help Veramaris grow in the next exciting stage of its development.’

He takes over from Frank Beissmann who has returned to Evonik after three successful years on secondment, as part of the founding Above: Alexander Hillmann team that helped launch Veramaris.

Yann Le Gal takes the brand new role of Retail Manager, Europe. He has a wealth of sales experience from the seafood industry in France having been Sales Director at Mytilimer and Sales Manager at the Marine Harvest Group (now Mowi). He has a deep knowledge of the sector having earned a Diploma in aquaculture from the Groupe Ecole superieure d’Agriculture d’Angers, followed by a Master’s degree in Aquaculture and Economics from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

Yann’s experience will be invaluable as Veramaris collaborates with partners across the entire value chain, an approach which has helped deliver tangible results for them.

Herve Hartmann is becoming General Manger Veramaris LLC, based at their production facility in Blair, Above: Yann Le Gal Nebraska. A biochemical engineer by training, Herve has a wealth of experience having spent more than twenty years with Veramaris parent company DSM. He spent time in a range of production roles in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. He is also a linguist, speaking five languages.

Commenting on the team changes

Karim Kurmaly, CEO, said: ‘We have seen significant and exciting growth in the company since opening our facility in Blair a year ago and it’s testament to the hard work of the existing team that we now need to further strengthen our organisation with Alexander, Yann and Herve.

‘All of them are occupying different roles within the business but they have in common a wealth of knowledge and experience in their respective fields.’

Headquartered in Delft, The Netherlands, Veramaris is a joint venture between DSM and Evonik, both world leaders in science and specialty chemicals. Established in 2017, Veramaris was formed to help realise a vision to conserve natural marine life by using the ocean’s own resource, natural marine algae, to sustainably expand the world’s access to Omega-3.

Veramaris oil comes from natural marine algae, rich in both the essential Omega-3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, and ARA, a long chain Omega-6. These are vital nutrients that support optimal brain, joints, skin, heart and eye health in both animals and humans.

The zero-waste industrial scale production process runs at a stateof-the-art site in Blair, Nebraska, USA. Veramaris enables key stakeholders in aquaculture and pet nutrition to be less dependent on wild-caught fish as a source of both EPA & DHA and helps to meet the growing demand for sustainable seafood.

Left: Herve Hartmann

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ff08 news MASTER.indd 17

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10/08/2020 14:18:03

European News

AKVA Group acquires mooring system Alfaring AKVA group has entered into an agreement with Carl Stahl to purchase the mooring system Alfaring with two associated patents. The transaction was completed Monday 20 July.

Alfaring is a mooring system that is specially adapted to floating fish farms. The main component of the system is a flexible coupling ring in polyurethane (with an endless steel rope as core) which acts as a coupling point for anchor lines and attachment point for buoyancy buoy in a frame mooring. The system has low weight, long service life and long inspection intervals.

In addition, the system has a design that reduces the risk of tears in the net or mooring line, and the system satisfies the requirements of NS 9415 that apply to floating fish farms. Product Manager Mooring, Roar Ostebovik said: ‘One of the biggest advantages of Alfaring as a connection point is that we avoid more steel components. This will not be exposed to corrosion in the same way as a traditional connection point, and this will make us better able to deliver to markets that increasingly demand steel-free solutions’.

Above: The Alfaring

July export figures hold up well NORWAY’S seafood exports, including salmon, held up surprisingly well last month, given the turbulent state of global markets in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council recently released show. They totalled 7.9 billion kroner (£664 million) in July, the same level as July last year.

The country’s fish farmers exported 94,800 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 5.6 billion (£471 million) last month, a volume increase of six per cent, but a reduction in value of two per cent or NOK 132 million (£11 million). The average price for whole, fresh salmon was NOK 54.43 per kilo against NOK 59.60 12 months earlier.

Seafood Council analyst Paul T. Aandahl said:

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‘Weakened demand for Norwegian salmon, especially in Asia, as a result of Covid-19, is the reason for the decline in value for salmon in July. Markets that have bought significantly smaller volumes (in the past month) are China, Hong Kong and Sweden.

But the supply of salmon to Poland, France and Germany, on the other hand, increased sharply.”

So far this year, Norway has exported 595,000 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 40.6 billion (around £3.4 billion). Volumes and value are running at the same level as last year.

Farmed trout sales performed well last month, totalling 7,200 tonnes and were worth NOK 345 million (£29 million), a

volume rise of 43 per cent and the value up by 15 per cent. Exports for the year so far are also well up with the Ukraine, the United States and Finland the largest markets. Exports of both fresh and frozen cod also rose last month despite it being the low season for whitefish. Seafood Council analyst Tom-Jørgen Gangsø said sales were helped by a weaker Norwegian krone with species such as saithe and herring performing better in price compared to more expensive species such as salmon and cod.

Sales of salmon had still not normalised following the infection scare at a Beijing food market in June. while tourism (and subsequently catering) continued to be affected by the pandemic.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:18:25

All the latest industry news from Europe

Giant platform receives first salmon

JUST six weeks after completing its epic 15,000 mile voyage from China to Norway, the first salmon has been released into HavFarm1, the giant Nordlaks fish farming platform.

Nordlaks said preparations for receiving the fish had gone according to plan. Spokesman Captain André Grøtta said: ‘Until now, it has been a hectic period with a lot of personnel on board preparing for completion. We have given priority to getting the fish in, and we are on track to finish the release by September.

‘The salmon that has so far been released into HavFarm1, also called Jostein Albert after a former Nordlaks chairman, were moved from 100 metre cages at a nursery at Grøtøya and weigh an average of two kilos. Good weather and calm seas helped to make it a smooth operation.

‘So far, the fish have been moved into two of the six units on Havfram1. There are now about 20 people working on board, and there will be extra service people on board for some time to come. There is still a lot of work left before the vessel is completely ready and we have put all the fish in place, but now we are approaching more and more a normal operating situation’.

Trude Lind, head of the Nordlaks operations centre, said the fish had responded well to feeding with every indication they would thrive.

The platform also gave them a lot more room to move around. The aim is to move around 2.3-million salmon onto the platform over the next month, with the fist harvest taking place around New Year.

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10/08/2020 14:19:18

World News

NEWS...

Photo: Jim Abernethy

ROV upgrade for Ocean Tracking Network

Above: A �ger shark inves�gates an OTN sta�on deployed by the University of Miami collaborators in the Bahamas

THE Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), a global aquatic research, data management and partnership platform headquartered at Dalhousie University in Canada, has upgraded their remotely operated vehicle to a 1000-metre rated Saab Seaeye Falcon DR. Chosen in a competitive bid process, the Falcon was selected as the most powerful and capable ROV of its size, class and depth rating.

Greater depth capability of the Falcon DR extends the potential for maintenance and recovery of lost tracking equipment, lends itself to oceanographic and biological surveying, and expands opportunities for OTN’s research into deep-water habitats.

‘The Falcon is compact, easily mobilized and versatile, making it attractive to potential partners who are keen to share the vehicle for joint venture research, monitoring and recovery projects,’ says OTN Executive Director, Dr. Fred Whoriskey.

With its high-definition colour camera and built-in tools including an arm for non-invasive sample collection - the ROV will provide new insights on aquatic animals by offering a new, safer, and less intrusive way to study them underwater.

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OTN’s Falcon also comes with an ultra-short baseline acoustic tracking system, a Tritech multi-beam sonar, a Kongsberg high definition video camera and an associated lighting system, making it a highly versatile platform for the maintenance and recovery of OTN infrastructure equipment and providing high quality video for scientific and communications purposes.

OTN has more than 2,000 acoustic tracking stations deployed across five oceans, spanning seven continents, and in freshwater systems that serve as highways to the ocean for species that migrate between fresh and salt waters.

Worldwide, the Falcon can be sent to find stranded stations that have shifted from their coordinates for a variety of reasons, saving the loss of valuable equipment and data.

Just a metre long, with five powerful thrusters and intelligent control, the Falcon has precise manoeuvrability in strong cross-currents and is the most successful underwater vehicle of its class in the world.

Its revolutionary Saab Seaeye iCON™ common technology ecosystem of intelligent configurable hardware and software modules, provides operators and scientists with a ready development platform if needed.

Gulf of Mexico aquaculture plans are trumped A United States court has rejected a proposal to open up the Gulf of Mexico to fish farming.

The US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans this week blocked a federal permit that would have seen a network of fin-fish farms offshore in the American controlled area of the Gulf. It rejected an argument put forward by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that it had the power to issue aquaculture permits for the Gulf. Only Congress has that power, said the court judges.

The decision thwarts the current administration’s plan, signed by President Trump himself, to expand offshore aquaculture around the US coastline to help boost food security and cut down on the nation’s massive annual seafood import bill. A spokeswoman for the NOAA refused to be drawn on whether the organisation would appeal but did say it would review the verdict. However, businesses keen to start fish farming the Gulf have said the ruling meant there would be just one less permit. It would not stop eventual progress in that area of the US. The appeal was brought by a number of environmental groups and backed by Gulf fishermen who hailed the decision as a landmark victory in protecting fishing communities, the seas and helping to curtail the expansion of offshore fish farming in the US. George Kimbrell, legal director of the Centre for Food Safety, one of the plaintiff organizations in the case said: ‘Allowing net-pen aquaculture and its environmental harms in the Gulf of Mexico is a grave threat, and the court properly held the government cannot do so without new and proper congressional authority’.

Opponents continue to argue that aquaculture is not fishing and therefore is not governed by federal or NOAA authority. While offshore permits have been granted in other US states, notably Florida, it is becoming clear that aquaculture companies are likely to face an uphill fight to get expansion plans approved.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:22:05

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10/08/2020 13:06:54

World News

Dongwon invests in Salmon Evolution SALMON Evolution has announced that it has entered into an investment agreement with Dongwon Industries, one of the world’s leading seafood enterprises based in South Korea, whereby Dongwon will make a NOK 50 million investment to acquire a minority share in Salmon Evolution.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two partners further plan to enter into a partnership on jointly constructing a land-based fish farm in South Korea utilising Salmon Evolution’s technology. They will also jointly consider future opportunities for scaling similar projects in other Asian markets as well as the North American market.

‘This is a very exciting opportunity for us’ says CEO Håkon André Berg at Salmon Evolution. ‘Collaboration with a global player like Dongwon Industries will strengthen our commercial opportunities as well as giving us solid industrial support for scaling our concept in new markets.

‘The dialogue with Dongwon Industries has been ongoing for some time, and it became clear for us that the company had the intention to invest in Salmon Evolution.

However complications related to Covid-19 delayed the process, which makes it even more gratifying that we have now have an agreement in place’.

‘After assessing a number of projects for

Above: Håkon André Berg

land-based fish farming enterprises, we concluded that Salmon Evolution represents the best investment and partnership opportunity in the sector,’ explains Kiyun Yun, Dongwon’s CFO. ‘We believe that Salmon Evolution’s technology does the best job of recreating natural marine conditions while avoiding the many challenges faced by conventional fish farming in the sea.’

Salmon Evolution began in May the construction of a land-based fish farm in western Norway at Indre Harøy, Hustadvika municipality.

This facility will be based on 65 per cent reuse and 35 per cent supply of filtered and temperature-controlled seawater, which will contribute to optimal operations and

substantially reduce risk compared with other types of land-based aquaculture using virtually full water recirculation.

On completion, the fish farm at Indre Harøy will have an annual production capacity of about 36 000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon.

‘An investment by a large global seafood player sends a strong signal to the industry at this early phase,’ says Tore A Tønseth, chair of Salmon Evolution.

‘Our existing owners have broad experience from the whole value chain for conventional aquaculture and a high level of expertise with the various technology concepts for land-based fish farming. The fact that Dongwon is not only investing in us, but also plans to enter into a partnership with our company, is a strong verification of our potential.’

In addition to the value potential offered by building similar land-based farms in other parts of the world, Tønseth highlights the substantial sales and distribution opportunities which could come out of this partnership.

‘This takes us a long step forward in the work needed to ensure scaling and access in a world market where quality and sustainability are becoming ever more important.

Dongwon Industries will also be a strategic partner in our future distribution network.’

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www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:23:16

All the latest industry news from around the world

RAStech the latest summit to go virtual

RAStech magazine celebrates the pioneers of sustainable seafood production at the first-ever 2020 RAS Virtual Summit on Sept. 16, 2020. This global online event gathers together the world’s leaders in land-based aquaculture to deliver executive insights and best practices from RAS experts in the global aquaculture industry.

Designed with RAS operators in mind, the RAS Virtual Summit covers an array of topics along the value chain, including technology and systems design; fish growth and welfare management; and business operations. RAStech Editor Mari-Len De Guzman said: ‘We are bringing together top executives from RAS operators across the globe and create a venue for meaningful discussions about the future of land-based aquaculture and sustainable food production.

‘As the source for RAS professionals across the world, RAStech is continually expanding its platform to provide meaningful content to our audience. Given the current global pandemic, the RAS Virtual Summit enables this global community to connect and learn about the latest in RAS developments around the world without the health risks associated with COVID-19.’

The RAS Virtual Summit will feature a combination of live presentations, Q&A sessions and panel discussions. Attendees will also have access to a library of on-demand sessions from scientists at The Freshwater Institute, a program of the Conservation Fund, which focuses on research that supports the sustainability of America’s seafood supply.

‘The new summit is just one more way in which RAStech is able to facilitate further discussions and knowledge sharing about RAS. Plus, with this being a free online event, it makes it easy for industry professionals worldwide to listen in and participate,’ said Jeremy Thain, Advertising Manager at RAStech.

‘Big RAS, small RAS, technology, design, investing, research and more. In reality it’s more like a virtual ‘RAS festival’ than a one-day event.’

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

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The full schedule of the 2020 RAS Virtual Summit can be found at www.rastechmagazine.com

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10/08/2020 14:23:36

Coronavirus crisis – Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

BY HAMISH MACDONELL

Anti-Social distancing Activists show a cavalier attitude to public health

I

T didn’t take them long. Almost as soon as the lockdown restrictions started to lift, the anti-fish farm campaigners were back, crowding onto yachts without a thought for social distancing and setting off towards salmon farms.

They then started on their usual antics, trying to climb on to pens, filming staff, diving underneath nets and sending drones up to grab video footage from the sky. This is the pattern we have got used to and it is a pattern repeated the world over, not just around salmon farms but wherever farmers try to rear stock.

But there is a new and pressing dimension to these intrusions brought about by the Covid crisis.

The number one duty of the SSPO and its member companies is to look after the health and welfare of all those who work in our sector.

All our member companies stepped up as soon as the virus hit and all moved swiftly to make sure employee protection was paramount.

Shift patterns were changed, transport options were extended, testing was offered, screens were installed and protective equipment was purchased. Yet we now have activists, not just willing to break all Covid-related rules designed to protect the population, but apparently desperate to do so. They seem to think nothing of putting salmon farm employees in danger by clambering all over their places of work with no protective equipment and not a thought for whatever they might be bringing with them.

As everyone who works in the sector knows, biosecurity is of crucial importance, not just on farms, but in hatcheries and in other sites too.

That is why visitors have to wear protective equipment, cleanse their footwear before venturing out and take great care.

This was an issue before Covid because of the health and welfare implications for the fish but it has now been multiplied because of the potential danger to staff working on these sites. The activists who insist on invading these sites are showing a reckless disregard for the safety of others and for the welfare of the fish – yet they seem either unaware of the dangers or they simply don’t care.

This is a difficult area, not least because our rural police service is stretched, there are not often officers where we would like them to be and it takes time to react to the often swift interventions of some of our more mobile critics.

But there are things we can do and the SSPO is starting an initiative

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which, we hope, will protect our employees from the very real stresses and potential dangers of having to deal with intruders in the future. One of the keys to this is public support.

Our salmon farmers work in the marine environment. There are others who do this too: fishermen, energy workers, boat operators, tourist guides and others. Then there are those who use the sea for recreation: like yachties, kayakers, divers and anglers. We all have to share the marine environment. We all have to be good neighbours and careful custodians so we all have an interest in preventing a small group of militant activists from disrupting the balance we all need to work, co-exist and enjoy the coast.

Also, the law is quite clear. The rights of navigation allow journeys from any single point to another on the sea, except if there is a structure in the way (like a fish farm), in which case, the marine user has to go around the structure – not try to stop, tie up, clamber on board or dive underneath it.

The law against aggravated trespass on land (the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994) also covers a similar offence on marine structures. Given that this has been used to combat the antics of some hunt saboteurs, it seems especially relevant here.

But the key here is not legal strictures but consent. We are only going to win this battle in Opposite: An activist ‘sits the long run if we can get other marine users in’ at a farm to recognise the dangers of intruders entering sites which are a danger to them and others.

We need every responsible marine user to act for all by notifying the authorities and acting as witnesses whenever there is illegal activity going on.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:24:29

Anti-Social distancing

That is why the messages of safety and co-opera�on are the ones we have to stress above all others.

Salmon farms are poten�ally dangerous places. There are cables and pipes beneath the surface, ropes and other obstruc�ons which can’t be seen, feeding systems and other automated apparatus which can come on unexpectedly - and that is before the added perils of sea swells, currents, �des and waves are taken into account.

The SSPO and its members are preparing guidelines for marine users based on a 15m safety zone around all structures on our farms. We will advise everybody using the sea to stay at least 15 metres from the edge of any structure, from all marker buoys and boats – for their safety and for ours.

At the same �me, we will be pu�ng out the clear message that we want people to see what we do, to find out what fish farming is all about and to understand what really goes on – but this has to be done properly, so that

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

SSPO.indd 25

one duty of the SSPO…..is to “lookThea�number er the health and welfare of all those who work in our sector ” everyone (and all the livestock) are kept safe.

The SSPO had planned a major ‘Open Farm Ini�a�ve’ for early summer this year. The Covid crisis meant it didn’t happen but we are keen to get it back on track again, as soon as we can.

That will show our commitment to openness, transparency and a desire to welcome all those who are interested to see what we do.

But the other side of that coin is respect for those who work on our farms, their health and safety and the welfare of the fish they grow.

Like death and taxes, these ac�vists will always be with us. We cannot force them to disappear but what we can do is harness the consent of all the other, responsible, marine users to make it so difficult for them to invade our sites that they are kept right out on the fringes – which is where they should have been, all along. FF

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10/08/2020 14:24:49

Shellfish

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Right on Cue Opportunities in farming sea cucumbers

A

s mussel farmers, we have o�en been asked if we can grow other species on or under our farm. The answer is yes, we could, if we nego�ated a change in the terms of our Crown Estate lease, but at present we are concentra�ng on building the farm to its op�mum size, before exploring what else might be economically viable. That task is challenging enough 6 miles out to sea!

Oysters, seaweed, scallops and sea urchins all spring to mind, as we already find those growing naturally in and around the farm, and if anyone has a market for starfish, which occur in plague propor�ons in some years, then please get in touch! Thankfully 2020 is not one of those years.

However, it is sea cucumbers that we have received numerous enquiries about recently; some from people just wan�ng to know if we grow and sell them, and others wan�ng to use the space under our farm to set up their own opera�on.

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms, and as such, are distant rela�ves to starfish and sea urchins. They are also lucra�ve business, and some 10,000 tonnes of dried sea cucumber are traded interna�onally each year from the wild, which is equivalent to around 200 million live animals.

Dried premium-grade sea cucumbers can a�ract prices between £300 and £1,500 per kilogramme.

Also known as bêche-de-mer, these leathery-skinned creatures are enjoyed as a delicacy with reputed aphrodisiac proper�es, by connoisseurs

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Shellfish.indd 26

Below: A chinese sea cucumber dish. Opposite: A sea cucumber. Inset:

Drying sea cucumber for cooking

in the Far East, and are par�cularly popular in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.

Sea cucumbers have also been found to have an�-carcinogenic, an�oxidant and an�-inflammatory proper�es, which makes them valuable to health food manufacturers and producers of alterna�ve medicines.

The rising demand for sea cucumbers has led to a severe decline in wild stocks in the last few decades, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

This has led to a�en�on turning to fishing or gathering the animals in the Mediterranean and north-eastern Atlan�c Ocean, where they receive mixed protec�on from governments.

Turkey for example, has capped the annual catch limit at 2,500 tonnes for 2020, while Italy declared a moratorium on all fishing and transport of sea cucumbers in 2018 to allow a thorough stock assessment to take place. Spain does not regulate its sea cucumber fisheries, except in Galicia where harves�ng of the Holothuria forskali species is allowed.

Greater protec�on for the species is given by farming them, and interest in aquaculture of sea cucumbers for ea�ng and for culture-based stocking programmes is emerging around the world. China, Madagascar and Australia all have well-established farms for sea cucumbers, and the Na�onal Aquaculture Center in Saudi Arabia is now farming H. scabra, also known as the sandfish. Blue Ventures, whose successful farm in Madagascar has been opera�onal for 10 years, is now helping kelp farmers in coastal communi�es in Zanzibar, to diversify their fishing and farming ac�vi�es by providing training and technical support in sea cucumber aquaculture.

According to FAO data, in 2018, just over 177,000 tonnes of sea cucumbers were produced in aquaculture, worth more than £1.1 billion. Almost 99% of these by volume and value, were farmed in Asia, with the remainder in Europe.

Whilst there are currently no commercial sea

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:28:33

Right on Cue

These “leathery

skinned creatures are enjoyed as a delicacy with reputed aphrodisiac proper�es

”

cucumber farms in Europe, a growing number of research projects are underway.

MaReSMa, based at the University of Algarve in Portugal, has iden�fied Holothuria arguinensis and H. polii as the best candidates for farming in the Mediterranean region. The University of Cadiz in Spain, is also working on H. arguinensis, which was once a common species found across the Atlan�c, from Portugal to the Canary Islands.

In 2019, researcher Dr GonzálezWangüemert’s company obtained a licence to set up a 20-hectare hatchery in an estuary near Cádiz, with the aim of se�ng up Europe’s first commercial sea cucumber farm to breed this species. H. arguinensis can grow to 40 cm long and is one of the five sea cucumber species of high culinary value in the Mediterranean and north-eastern Atlan�c.

As a seabed grazer, sea cucumbers are par�cularly suited to growing in polyculture systems, where they eat �ny marine species and algae,

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Shellfish.indd 27

and hoover up waste and faeces from fish and shellfish aquaculture, which is broken down into harmless small par�cles.

At SINTEF Ocean in Norway, researchers are hoping to get their tank of sea cucumbers to spawn and produce viable larvae this summer, which is something they have failed to achieve in the past. To assist with the task, they are looking to the counterparts in Asia in a bid to copy methods used successful there, Female sea cucumbers release eggs into the water, which is fer�lised by male sperm. When the eggs hatch, the resul�ng larvae have a free-swimming phase, before seeking out the seabed or bo�om of the tank, which is their natural habitat.

Another challenge faced by researchers is how to feed the larvae effec�vely, and they are looking to the counterparts in Asia in a bid to copy methods used successful there.

SINTEF Ocean has long-term plans to build an onshore aquaculture facility in which sea cucumbers can be farmed to marketable size, and believes that they will grow faster in a controlled system than in the wild.

The project has a�racted the interest of health food manufacturer Seafood Home, which produces a dietary supplement made from sea cucumbers harvested from wild popula�ons around Iceland. Called Aminoblue, the product has been on the market for two years, with posi�ve feedback from consumers. In order to feed growing demand from dwindling stocks, Seafood Home is keen for the sea cucumber farming project to succeed. FF

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10/08/2020 14:28:54

Coronavirus

Challenges and

Opportunities Easing of lockdown offers new hope, and problems, for the industry

BY SANDY NEIL

T

he coronavirus pandemic has impacted every corner of the UK’s, and the world’s, economies, but one of the hardest hit sectors during the three month lockdown was hospitality and foodservice, which, since its fortunes are �ed to the seafood industry, had dire consequences for Sco�sh farmed salmon. This month we inves�gate the challenges and opportuni�es the lockdown has created for this £2 billion arm of the Sco�sh economy.

On the evening of 20 March, in a desperate bid to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the UK’s restaurants, pubs and cafes were all forced to shut up shop un�l further no�ce.

Three days later, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all but essen�al businesses – those selling food – to close their doors.

While many food shops could move their core business online, it was not so easy for full-service restaurants, pubs, cafes, and hotels, which are inherently social industries reliant on customers paying them a visit.

Sales at pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels across the UK plunged by £30bn during lockdown, according to UK Hospitality, a trade associa�on represen�ng many of the hospitality sector’s 65,000 businesses employing

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3.2 million people. Revenues, it said, plummeted by 87 per cent between April and June compared to the same period last year. The figures, collated by data provider CGA, showed sales for the three-month period came to £4.6bn, £29.6bn lower than in 2019.

Phil Tate, group chief execu�ve of CGA, said it was the ‘clearest picture yet of the calamitous impact of the pandemic on hospitality’, resul�ng in a ‘virtual wipeout of sales’ for the second quarter. Seafood sales were hit the hardest.

The closure of dining-out op�ons meant the popular foodservice channels for seafood almost disappeared. By comparison, last year looked rosy: consumer spend on total seafood out-of-home

Above: Mee�ng friends is back on the agenda

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:30:55

Challenges and Opportunities

(OOH) went up 2 per cent to £4.8 billion in 2019, and accounted for 8 per cent of the total spend in the en�re foodservice sector, the market researcher Kantar reported. The es�mated 1.2 billion servings of seafood in foodservice equated to an average of 23.1 million servings of seafood purchased each week. On average, around £92 million was spent on seafood each week out-of-home.

Then in 2020 foodservice ‘suffered unprecedented decline seemingly overnight’, as the number of buyers and the frequency of OOH food purchases decreased by over half, according to the trade body Seafish. Total purchases OOH once worth £1 billion in April 2019 were worth just £200 million in April 2020, Seafish’s COVID-19 Seafood in Foodservice report stated. Visits for seafood OOH declined by 83 per cent that month. But even amid falling seafood sales, opportuni�es could be found.

‘Businesses have got to think more laterally, adapt and evolve,’ said Seafish’s trade marke�ng manager Andy Gray: ‘It is no longer only about tradi�onal walk-in and sit-in diners, but takeaways, selling key products direct to consumers, home delivery, pre-placing orders, and click and collect.’ Companies should look at the best prac�ces of others and adopt them, he said. ‘This is about the adop�on of new technology, logis�cs, fish delivery vans- selling fish refrigerated or frozen for next day delivery. It is a growing area- people are looking to buy seafood, and at the moment places are not open or unavailable.’

Closed cages

“at Sales pubs,

Necessity drove inven�on of new business models. Restaurants provided takeaways and wet fish counters, seafood wholesalers shi�ed to supply direct to consumers, and retailers, like Morrisons, offered fish boxes for home delivery. ‘I do think there are opportuni�es when it comes to fish selec�on boxes,’ Gray said. The behavioural changes also acted as a learning curve for customers: people grew more aware they could buy seafood online and have both fresh and frozen delivered.

In April, the first month of lockdown, the delivery market was boosted by 2 million new buyers and a 25 per cent increase in buyer spend. Food deliveries

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10/08/2020 14:31:14

Coronavirus

accounted for 40 per cent of all OOH visits in April 2020: a total 9.3 million delivery visits, with sales totaling £83 million. For seafood sales, deliveries accounted for 35 per cent of total seafood visits OOH in April.

As coronavirus cases at last began to decline in May, the pressing ques�on became what challenges and opportuni�es lay ahead for the foodservice and hospitality sectors, and for the linked seafood industry, when lockdown eased and pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels could open again.

Seafish expected an ini�al sales rush as consumers sa�sfied their cravings for fish and chips, or treated themselves to the dining out experience in full-service restaurants. However, ‘this will be balanced against customers who will be wary of dining out and want to take their �me before rushing back to mass socializing venues,’ Seafish said: ‘People have a heightened sense of risk and may be looking to eat out in places that have put in measures to manage that risk, even a�er lockdown eases.’

This led to another key problem: the 2m social distancing rule, required to ensure the safety of staff and customers, would reduce sea�ng capacity, threatening the viability of many establishments. One restaurateur was reported saying: ‘You can’t run a full restaurant un�l there is a vaccine – if the restaurant is not full, it is not profitable, so it might as well be shut.’

An even bigger challenge lay beyond the UK domes�c market. As countries around the world followed each other into lockdown, shu�ng up their restaurants, cafes and bars, export markets for Sco�sh salmon crashed. ‘Pre-coronavirus, 80 per cent of Sco�sh seafood and shellfish was exported, with the remaining 20 per cent des�ned for UK food service and retail,’ said Seafood Scotland, the industry’s na�onal trade and marke�ng body, in May. ‘With the export market at a stands�ll, the sector is now completely reliant on the UK market to keep afloat, and even within this segment the food service sector is opera�ng at minimal levels.’

Gradually, stage by stage, lockdowns began to li� cau�ously across Europe in May and June, and then the UK in July. At last the colossal export and domes�c markets for Sco�sh salmon could start to return.

Last year was a record for Sco�sh farmed salmon exports, reaching its highest ever value of £618 million, up 22 per cent on 2018, according to HMRC sta�s�cs. Volume too increased by 26 per cent to 94,000 tonnes. The EU accounted for 56 per cent of the volume of global Sco�sh salmon exports, and 52 per cent of the value. As spring rolled into summer in 2020, Europe’s restaurants, bars and cafes started to reopen in many of the top 20 export markets for Sco�sh salmon.

Switzerland, worth £3.6 million in 2019, was the first to open its eateries on

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Sandy Neil.indd 30

Top: Lockdown beginning to ease. Middle: Sco�sh salmon Bottom: Micheál Mar�n Opposite - below: Regin Jacobsen., top: Beer gardens opened and Nicola Sturgeon

11 May, followed on 15 May by Germany, the sixth largest export market valued at £22.8m.

Three days later came Poland and Italy, worth £10.3m and £5.9m respec�vely, and then on 21 May Denmark, which bought £9.7m of Sco�sh salmon last year. Next on 1 June came Holland, valued at £5.1m, followed one week later by Belgium, worth £13.9m, and then on 10 June Spain, which took £4.3m of Sco�sh salmon in 2019. Sales, though, will be slow to return to normal. For example in Spain, the EU country set to suffer most in the coronavirus crisis with record unemployment, strict distancing guidelines mean eateries could only operate on 50 per cent capacity.

France, Sco�sh salmon’s largest export market at £221m, finally opened its cafes, bars, and brasseries on 15 June, followed on 29 June by its fourth largest export market, the Republic of Ireland, worth £25m. In order to reopen, Irish pubs had to serve food to the value of at least €9 (£8), and customers could only stay a maximum of one hour and 45 minutes. Ominously for the UK, the Irish government has twice delayed its fourth and final stage – reopening ‘wet pubs’ that don’t serve food – due to a rise in COVID-19 related deaths. Ireland could not ‘risk moving backward’, said the Irish Taoiseach Micheál Mar�n.

A�er France, America was the second largest export market for Sco�sh salmon last year, valued at £179m, and a volume growing 28 per cent year on year. By the end of June every state had allowed restaurants to reopen for dine-in service of some kind, with varying degrees of social distancing measures in place for businesses that elected to reopen, such as se�ng tables six feet apart, and capping dining room capaci�es between 25 and 75 per cent.

Exports to China, the third largest market worth £59m in 2019, gradually restarted in July a�er a

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:31:48

Challenges and Opportunities COVID-19 scare. Many Chinese buyers halted imports of salmon, and the fish was removed from supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, a�er the coronavirus was found on a chopping board used to cut salmon at a food market in Beijing in June. Officials in China and Norway, one of the world’s top farmed salmon exporters, later concluded imported salmon wasn’t the source of the contamina�on.

‘Salmon exports to China are resuming, but Beijing is s�ll under lockdown,’ Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Faroe Islands-based Bakkafrost, said. The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) said Norway exported 119 tonnes of fresh salmon to China in the first week of July, down 76 per cent from the same week a year ago, but up from 58 tonnes the previous week. ‘So it is gradually going up again, and this is the same tendency as we saw in February,’ NSC seafood analyst Paul Aandahl said. It took about eight weeks for export volumes to return to normal levels a�er exports to China were first disrupted by lockdowns, he added.

At home, the United Kingdom has not been united in its easing of lockdown restric�ons: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have all done it their own way. Northern Ireland was the first to reopen its hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes, much earlier than planned on 3 July. A�er the Irish government announced its hospitality sector would open on 29 June, many in Ulster’s hospitality industry, which employs 65,000 and is worth £2bn annually, called for the reopening to be brought forward from the original date of 20 July.

However, fewer people will be allowed inside premises, with sit-down only service, screens and barriers, and indoor and outdoor sea�ng reconfigured to maintain social distancing of 2m between everyone – or 1m if 2m is not workable. Colin Neill, Chief Execu�ve of Hospitality Ulster, said: ‘We are reminding business owners and customers alike to act responsibly and adhere to the guidance. We have one chance to get this right to ensure the containment of the virus and save jobs and livelihoods.’

The next day on 4 July came England’s own ‘independence day’, as a na�on known for enjoying a pint or two was allowed back into pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes. ‘Our long, na�onal hiberna�on is coming to an end,’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘life is returning to our streets’.

The guidelines include keeping contact details of one person in the group so they can be traced in the event of an outbreak, ordering food on apps, assigning a single member of staff per table, separa�ng indoor sea�ng with plas�c screens, and

opera�ng a pre-booking system to control the amount of customers they let in, leading to supermarket-style queues. Social distancing at 2m halves the sea�ng capacity, raising fears many establishments would not be financially viable, so the government reduced the distance to ‘1m plus’ – though actual capacity would s�ll be low due to smaller groups and solo customers at tables. The Health Minister Ma� Hancock warned anyone breaking social-distancing laws would be arrested and prosecuted, but in reality everyone knows it’s too difficult to police.

England and Scotland’s two leaders, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Sco�sh First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, are poles apart. Simply put, Scotland is trying to eliminate the virus, while England’s aim is to suppress it. Scotland hopes to have it gone by the end of summer. Without a vaccine, England will have to live with it and ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed. Nonetheless, the pubs are open – for now.

Many of the changes in Scotland mirrored those announced for England, but with dates around two weeks later. The first important step came on 29 June when non-essen�al shops reopened in Scotland, following their reopening in England on 15 June. The Sco�sh Government’s Na�onal Clinical Director Prof. Jason Leitch said he was looking forward to people suppor�ng local businesses, but he warned: ‘It is not back to normal. This is not the Boxing Day sales.’

A bounce in UK retail sales in July was detected by the Confedera�on of Bri�sh Industry (CBI). The CBI’s measure of retail sales volumes rebounded to a score of four in July from minus 37 in June, indica�ng sales grew slightly compared to the same period a year earlier, sugges�ng the sector is returning to normal. Stronger grocery sales drove the jump in the gauge, the CBI said.

However the ‘picture remains bleak’ for many retailers, the CBI’s chief economist Rain Newton-Smith said. ‘It’s great to see retail sales stabilise this month, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. This crisis has created winners and losers within the retail sector.’ For example, wholesalers reported the fourth consecu�ve month of falling sales and orders. The CBI also predicted that overall sales are expected to dip slightly in August, with the gauge falling to minus five. On the up side, internet sales con�nued to grow rapidly.

Then, on 6 July in Scotland, outdoor hospitality such as beer gardens and pavement cafes reopened for the first �me in 15 weeks. Customers were warned al fresco dining and drinking would not be the same as pre-lockdown: diners were asked to use their smartphone to scan the QR code to see a menu; party sizes were limited to six people from two households, and they could only spend up to one hour and 45 minutes at their table.

On 15 July the Sco�sh Government ini�ated its ‘biggest step so far’ in exi�ng

People have a heightened sense of risk and may be “looking to eat out in places that have put in measures to manage that risk ”

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Sandy Neil.indd 31

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10/08/2020 14:32:09

Coronavirus

lockdown, Ms Sturgeon said. A�er a long three months, indoor areas of pubs and restaurants could reopen, alongside all holiday accommoda�on, hairdressers, barbers, museums, cinemas, libraries, childcare, and places of worship.

While the food might be the same, the dining experience would be very different, with safety measures protec�ng staff and customers such as sealed, pre-packaged cutlery, hand sani�ser, screens, passing places on the way to the toilet, contactless taps and flushes, weekly deep cleans, and no paper disposable menus or salt and pepper on tables. Pubs and restaurants adopted major changes to ensure social distancing could be observed, but it meant many lost up to 50 per cent of their capacity with a knock-on effect on turnover. The protec�ons allowed premises to relax the 2m rule and pack more punters in.

Just because bars, restaurants and hotels can open does not mean they will. The Sco�sh Beer & Pub Associa�on (SBPA) feared hundreds of pubs across the country have failed to weather the crisis and won’t be reopening their doors. Paul Waterson of the Sco�sh Licensed Trade Associa�on said: ‘We’re hearing more and more, for a couple of reasons people just aren’t going to open next Wednesday.’ For some pubs, it is because they don’t believe they are viable at the reduced 1 metre social distancing guideline. ‘Some, especially in tourist areas, have decided that there’s not enough customers for them to open right away, they want to keep their staff in furlough – it’s safer to protect their jobs at this point.

Thirdly, there’s some that simply won’t open again.’

The Sco�sh Beer & Pub Associa�on’s chief execu�ve Emma McClarkin added: ‘The pandemic was obviously catastrophic for the hospitality industry with an es�mated £670 million lost in revenue for Scotland’s pubs and bars since March.

‘Support from both Sco�sh and UK Government’s has been instrumental in keeping businesses afloat un�l now, but we es�mate that up to 460 pubs could have been lost during this �me and will not be reopening their doors on Wednesday.’

Business owners warned their biggest hurdle would be persuading customers it was safe to go out to eat and drink, a�er months of being told to stay at home and not to socialise. Polling indicated customers were indeed wary, leaving the industry with a long road ahead to get customers back through the door.

One early survey of 2,000 people na�onwide at the end of July, conducted

by High Speed Training, found 78 per cent of Britons were yet to enjoy a meal out since lockdown restric�ons were relaxed. Of those that had dined out, over two thirds (68 per cent) chose to visit an independent restaurant over a chain eatery (32 per cent).

Marc Crothall, chief execu�ve of the Sco�sh Tourism Alliance, said being able to take bookings again was a much-needed boost for businesses, but these were currently si�ng at about 30-40 per cent for many hotels, when they could expect to be around the 80-90 per cent mark at this �me of year.

‘I think there’s nervousness around moving and going somewhere else and not knowing and I think people are conscious around their own financial circumstances,’ he said. ‘We won’t see everybody opening up on the 15th, not be a

32

Sandy Neil.indd 32

long a shot. There will be many businesses that will stay closed and that’s across all sectors.

‘We need Scots people to be out there supporting local businesses in their local communi�es. For tourism to recover and the great restaurants and all the pubs and hotels people have always loved visi�ng in the past, for them to be there in the future, they need the support of local people spending in their local areas.’

Visit Scotland has launched a campaign to a�ract people to tourist a�rac�ons across Scotland. The ‘Take five for tourism’ appeal asks people across Scotland to support the sector in its ‘�me of need’.

The five ac�ons that could help restart the visitor economy are taking a trip, visi�ng an a�rac�on or experience, shopping locally, dining out and booking a stayca�on. With tourism worth more than £11.5bn to the Sco�sh economy and suppor�ng one in 12 jobs, the sector has been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown and travel restric�ons.

The UK chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a number of support measures, including a six-month value added tax (VAT) cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors. The rate of VAT on hospitality and tourism was slashed from 20 per cent to 5 per cent from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021.

Sunak also announced the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which provides a 50 per cent reduc�on for sit-down meals in on-trade outlets, as well as cinemas and visitor a�rac�ons. Both the discount and VAT cut will only be applied to food and non-alcoholic drinks.

One of the biggest challenges lying ahead is if coronavirus cases rise again, and ci�es, coun�es or countries must go back into lockdown. Scotland’s First Minister said July’s openings depended on keeping the virus under control, and could be reversed if there was a fresh outbreak. ‘All of us want to see the economy moving again, all of us want to see life return to as close to normal as is possible, but that will only be possible if we all act in a way that keeps the virus at bay,’ she said. ‘Because if it starts to run out of control again, then we have to go back to square one.’

Sure enough on 5 August a growing COVID cluster, linked to an Aberdeen bar, led to the reimposi�on of lockdown restric�ons. All of the city’s pubs and restaurants were ordered to shut by 5pm that day, and its popula�on of 228,000 were no longer allowed into each other’s houses, or travel more than five miles for leisure purposes, at least un�l the measures were reviewed in a week’s �me.

A similar scenario may meet Wales, last UK country to reopen its pubs and restaurants, a�er

Support from both Sco�sh and UK “ Government’s has been instrumental in keeping businesses afloat un�l now

”

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10/08/2020 14:32:36

Challenges and Opportunities

3 August. For now England has returned to some normality: people have had a haircut, drunk a pint, eaten a meal in a restaurant and even gone to the cinema. They just hope the new norm can stay. However, a further easing of lockdown restric�ons – due to come in on 1-2 August – was postponed for at least two weeks a�er the number of coronavirus cases began to rise for the first �me since May. At the end of July the Office for Na�onal Sta�s�cs, which is regularly tes�ng households in England, es�mated there were around 4,200 new infec�ons a day, compared with 2,800 a week before. The Prime Minister said with ‘numbers creeping up’ it was �me to ‘squeeze that brake pedal in order to keep the virus under control’.

England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whi�y, warned the UK may have hit its limits on easing restric�ons, meaning this it: we are now, give or take, at the absolute limit of how much we can reopen society without a resurgence of coronavirus. The big ques�on surrounds schools. If the current rules are leading to an increase in cases, can we open schools as well? If we want to open schools, will we now have to close something else like pubs?

The Scien�fic Advisory Group for Emergencies, also known as Sage, had already said government may need to ‘change measures at the end of the summer in order to be able to keep R below 1 whilst proceeding with the planned reopening of schools’. R is the number of people each infected person passes the virus on to on average, anything above 1 is growing epidemic. The fact cases are rising in the height of summer is also a concern.

Scien�sts suspect the virus will spread even more easily in the winter months. Restric�ons may be needed to be �ghtened as the seasons turn.

The biggest challenge as the UK enters recovery

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Sandy Neil.indd 33

and an eventual ‘new norm’ is recession. ‘The COVID-19 pandemic pushed economies into a Great Lockdown, which helped contain the virus and save lives, but also triggered the worst recession since the Great Depression,’ stated the Interna�onal Monetary Fund (IMF). ‘In the absence of a medical solu�on, the strength of the recovery is highly uncertain and the impact on sectors and countries uneven. We are now projec�ng a deeper recession in 2020 and a slower recovery in 2021.

‘Global output is projected to decline by 4.9 per cent in 2020, 1.9 percentage points below our April forecast, followed by a par�al recovery, with growth at 5.4 per cent in 2021. These projec�ons imply a cumula�ve loss to the global economy over two years (2020–21) of over $12 trillion from this crisis.

‘This crisis like no other will have a recovery like no other. First, the unprecedented global sweep of this crisis hampers recovery prospects for export-dependent economies and jeopardizes the prospects for income convergence between developing and advanced economies.

‘Second, as countries reopen, the pick-up in ac�vity is uneven. On the one hand, pent-up demand is leading to a surge in spending in some sectors like retail, while, on the other hand, contact-intensive services sectors like hospitality, travel, and tourism remain depressed. Countries heavily reliant on such sectors will likely be deeply impacted for a prolonged period.

‘Third, the labour market has been severely hit and at record speed, and par�cularly so for lower-income and semi-skilled workers who do not have the op�on of teleworking. With ac�vity in labour-intensive sectors like tourism and hospitality expected to remain subdued, a full recovery in the labour market may take a while, worsening income inequality and increasing poverty.’

Based on how things went a�er the last major financial crash in 2008, analysts for Seafish expect a 30 per cent decline for seafood in retail over the next five years. In its May update on the impact of Covid-19 on seafood in retail, the UK trade body Seafish said ul�mately, the degree of severity will be dictated by the degree of impact the pandemic has on personal finances.

Primarily, the first thing shoppers do when personal finances are under pressure is to trade down to cheaper op�ons, and many will con�nue to trade out of seafood altogether into other cheaper proteins. There could be a period of decline in retail sales of chilled seafood, but the frozen and ambient seafood sectors are likely to remain resilient for a while as shoppers look to save money in a period of uncertainty.

On top of all this, it is easy to forget, lies the challenges and opportuni�es created by Brexit. As much as everyone would like to forget 2020, it will be unlikely that they can. FF

Opposite - top: The na�on’s favourite, fish & chips, below: Emma McClarkin Above: Sco�sh salmon.

Left: Chris Whi�y

33

10/08/2020 14:32:55

Shellfish Supplier

Seas the Day

Western Isles shellfish supplier expands into mainland

A

Western Isles shellfish supplier has successfully expanded its customer base into St Andrews, Glasgow and the Borders during lockdown and has praised support from Business Gateway, which ensured the firm was in a strong position to adapt to the pandemic.

Seas the Catch supplies and promotes sustainable creel caught Hebridean shellfish to established and self-catering accommodation across the Highlands and Islands.With these outlets closed due to the lockdown, the business successfully adapted their offering by selling fish boxes direct to customers by delivery or through a new click and collect service.

The popularity of these boxes enabled the team to move to monthly deliveries instead of weekly, which gave them time to explore new customers and expand into central Scotland. Seas the Catch now supplies new customers in St Andrews, Glasgow and the Borders with shellfish including crab, Above: Neil, Stewart and langoustines, and scallops.There has also been high Iain MacLean of Seas demand for lobster, which has resulted in Seas the the Catch Catch working with other local suppliers.

The business, initially launched in 2018, was supported by Business Gateway and received a variety of specialist start-up services including one-to-one business support, advice on business plans and

start-up grant funding through the Outer Hebrides Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (OHYES).

Neil Maclean, co-owner, Seas the Catch, said: ‘We were initially very concerned when COVID-19 hit, as most of our customers were restaurants and hotels. However, by adapting and targeting new customers, we have now got an opportunity to expand our reach across Scotland.

‘We engaged with Business Gateway when we first launched, and they helped ensure the business was in the best place for growth by providing helpful, strategic and impartial advice.This early support also meant that we were in a strong position going into this crisis as we looked to adapt to the pandemic.’

Fiona Chisholm, Business Adviser, Business Gateway, said: ‘The early stages of setting of your business are vital to get right, as it really helps ensure your business gets off on the right foot.We worked with Neil and the Seas the Catch team to do just that and it is rewarding to see how they have responded and enabled the growth of their customer base despite the challenges of lockdown.’ . FF

By adap�ng and targe�ng new “customers, we have now got an

opportunity to expand our reach across Scotland 34

P34 Seas the catch.indd 34

”

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:33:45

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Spectis Robotics - FP.indd 35

10/08/2020 13:07:55

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Not Don Away Industry critic has been left behind

I

faced something of a dilemma in writing this commentary for Fish Farmer magazine. I wanted to highlight the latest exploits of one of the anti-salmon farming critics but at the same time to say that in today’s climate the industry has moved on, leaving him behind. However, I felt that if I wrote about him, I might be giving him some validity. In the end, I decided that the best way of questioning his credibility may actually be to write about him.

In a recent video, Don Staniford says he is approaching his 50th birthday and that he is getting too old to be an activist. By all accounts, Mr Staniford has been fighting against salmon farms for nearly twenty-five years. In all that time the industry has grown and undoubtedly will continue to grow. The simple fact is that other than being a minor irritant, Mr Staniford has failed to achieve his aims of shutting down the industry, or even making a dent in it.

In April 2017, journalist John Vidal wrote in the Guardian newspaper that he first heard Mr Staniford speak about salmon farming in 2012. Five years later he asked him what had changed during the intervening period. Mr Staniford replied that little had changed except that the industry had got bigger.

John Vidal wrote that Mr Staniford had spent the five years since 2012, labelled as an ‘eco-terrorist’, a ‘troublemaker, an ‘exaggerator’ and ‘a prophet of doom’. He has been sued by the industry for defamation, lost a high-profile Canadian high court battle and been heavily fined. According to Mr Vidal, Don Staniford has also been threatened many times.

I found the claim that he has been threatened many times most revealing since for most of the time Mr Staniford keeps his head down well below the parapet. I am not sure he has been sufficiently visible to be ‘threatened’ by anyone except on one or two isolated instances, and these seem to have been by the police. It is only necessary to watch his many videos to see that his main modus operandi is to skulk around salmon farms and other industry in-

36

Martin Jaffa.indd 36

stallations when no-one is there. Inevitably, there is little for him to see except to dig around in bins containing some dead fish and wherever possible, he tries to make the most of it.

Over the past year, he has started to follow the example set by one or two others of kayaking out to salmon pens, usually very early in the morning in the hope of finding something to film. In one of the latest videos, someone appears on the pens and Mr Staniford runs off to his kayak. He does not seem to like confrontation, so it is difficult to see how he has been threatened. On his videos he gives the appearance of being full of bravado but the reality is that he is quite the opposite.

A couple of years ago I watched Mr Staniford miss one of his greatest opportunities to publicise his cause, but he failed to grab it. He attended one of the sessions of the Parliamentary Enquiries into salmon farming. I fully expected him to stand up and shout out anti-farming messages. Instead, he sat quiet as a church mouse and then disappeared out of the door as fast as possible at the end of the meeting. He could have generated so much publicity, but he failed to live up to the activist label.

Just recently, Mr Staniford joined a handful of other ‘campaigners’ on a boat trying to film around a number of farms. This resulted in an encounter with the police, which is on video too. It seems that Mr Staniford feels that he is not breaking any law by sailing up to a set of salmon pens, yet besides anything else, there are major health and safety concerns about entering the area around salmon pens, let alone gaining access. Just because they are at sea does not make salmon farms any more open to public access than any other farming venture, especially during this pandemic, but Mr Staniford feels he is free to do as he pleases as long as there is no one around to challenge him.

This raises a couple of issues.

I can only wonder whether Mr Staniford would be so welcoming if he had unauthorised visitors come to his home on the Wirral, digging around in his bins, videoing around the property and flying drones overhead. I suspect he would be the first to call the police, yet he clearly believes that the ‘evil’ salmon farming industry needs to be exposed and that overrides all else. However, as I mentioned, Mr Staniford has failed to convince anyone except a couple of Green MSPs’ and a few journalists looking for an easy story. On his watch, the salmon farming industry has continued to grow, producing the most popular fish consumed by UK consumers.

It is interesting that other industries don’t tolerate such behaviour. The Guardian reported recently that Greenpeace were fined £80,000 for ignoring a court order banning activists from occupying an oil rig. The judge said that she was entitled to jail the organisers but decided to show some leniency and imposed the fine instead.

Mr Staniford is perfectly entitled to protest against the salmon farming industry but rather than join the debate in a legitimate way, he seems to prefer skulking around amongst the bins out of sight and largely out of mind. FF

the end “IIndecided

that the best way of questioning his credibility may actually be to write about him

”

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:36:07

Not Don Away

Coming in the next issue...

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by Friday 4 September

Fish Farmer www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Martin Jaffa.indd 37

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10/08/2020 14:36:30

Sustainability

A moral duty Sustainability put front and centre of Bakkafrost’s operations

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

I

T came as no surprise when Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Bakkafrost, was appointed co-chairman of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) a few weeks ago.

His company’s philosophy on sustainable aquaculture has always run parallel with that of the GSI, an organisation which is publicly committed to minimising the industry’s environmental footprint.

As he said on appointment last month: ‘We are all facing the huge challenges which continue to emerge on climate, biodiversity and food security’.

In fact this has been part of the Faroese salmon farmer’s DNA long before it became fashionable.

His late father Hans had a vision to create a shared value for society when he and his two brothers founded Bakkafrost 52 years ago. Back then, of course, terms such as sustainability and climate change were often derided, usually only whispered as being a serious threat to the world among a few small scientific circles.

Today, it is at the very heart of his business. The company believes a rapidly growing global population, coupled with an ever increasing demand for protein is putting unprecedented pressure on the planet.

The challenge to produce more food efficiently and sustainably is one aquaculture is stepping up to meet. As the largest salmon farmer in the Faroe Islands, Bakkafrost believes it has a moral duty to ensure it does this responsibly; and this means thinking long-term on economic, social and environmental issues.

The company has pledged a 50 per cent cut in carbon emission over the next decade, with work on that goal well underway. It has also produced its own Healthy Living Plan.

Jacobsen told Fish Farmer Magazine he is happy with progress since his sustainability plan was first launched: ‘We’ve made great strides certifying our farms to the best-practice Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard.

‘We doubled our number of certified farms last year and we are positive we will meet our commitment to the Global Salmon Initiative to have all sites in the Faroe Islands certified by the end of 2020.

‘Working with customers to promote ASC in Asia has also been a highlight

38

Bakkafrost - Vince.indd 38

for us. Fish health and welfare remains a top priority for us and, through large investments in biosecurity, we’ve managed to significantly improve salmon survival rate in 2019. ‘ The company has constructed the Faroe Islands’ first waste-to-power biogas plant which came into operation last month.

It converts waste from salmon and dairy farms and will save more than 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, while providing enough power for almost 2,000 homes. ‘This will have considerable local impact,’ said Jacobsen.

The sustainability message runs through the company like a seaside town’s name on a stick of rock.

The CEO said: ‘I think one of the most meaningful measures of success for us in the past year was how employees responded when we asked them to rate us on our approach to sustainability, in our first company survey.

‘They not only felt we were taking responsibility for our role in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but they also felt they had a good understanding of how they could contribute in their roles.

‘Having sustainability embedded into our culture is a must if we are to be fit for the future.’

Last year Bakkafrost surprised a few people when it swooped for the Scottish Salmon Company, regarded within the industry as a highly valued prize.

That too will soon join the sustainability programme, although full details have yet to be worked out. The company would only say at this stage: ‘We will be working very closely with Scottish operations to integrate our sustainability policy and strategy and we see lots of opportunities for learning from both sides.

‘We are ahead in many areas but we can also learn from them on others. Nothing has been announced yet but more information will be included

“

We are all facing the huge challenges which continue to emerge on climate, biodiversity and food security

”

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10/08/2020 14:45:03

A moral duty in the next sustainability report in March.’

Jacobsen also said in a recent report: ‘One of our main priori�es will of course be the integra�on of the Sco�sh Salmon Company into Bakkafrost, and we are looking forward to sharing best prac�ce in addressing the common challenges shared by us, such as improving fish health and welfare and minimising environmental impacts.

‘We will be looking at how we can best deliver this updated sustainability strategy with maximum impact.’

The eco message is integrated into virtually everything the company does. In June the Minister of Nordic Collabora�on, Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen, and Regin Jacobsen signed an intent to facilitate a compe��on to build a new eco-friendly workboat.

The project was ini�ated by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Government of the Faroe Islands and the goal is to discover new green solu�ons for remote loca�ons, with Bakkafrost par�cipa�ng in the project.

It was a similar message when earlier this year the company ordered a new carbon friendly wellboat capable of containing 1,000 tonnes of salmon.

Designed by the leading Danish company, Knud E. Hansen, it will be equipped with special ba�ery storage systems, making energy consump�on op�mal at all �mes. It will also be capable of producing fresh water from seawater to use in de-licing opera�ons.

Like many island communi�es, the Faroes has a deeply ingrained spirit of resourcefulness which has influenced the company’s approach to community investment, job crea�on and the care it takes of

Above: Biogas plant Opposite: The new well boat and a Bakkafrost farm

its people. But there has also been growing interest from both customers and investors.

Aquaculture provides one of the lowest carbon animal proteins in the world.

Those who work in the industry know that, but it is a message that doesn’t always get out to the rest of a some�mes scep�cal world.

The company believes that by planning sensibly it can play a cri�cal role in improving nutri�on for an ever growing popula�on along with be�er fish health and a lower carbon footprint.

The pressure is clearly on. In short, Bakkafrost views a more sustainable approach to fish farming as a no-brainer for any company which wants to be successful in the future. FF

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Bakkafrost - Vince.indd 39

39

10/08/2020 14:45:23

Feed

Norwegian

Good

Mowi and Skretting join forces for sustainable feed project

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

T

HE day may not be too far away when much of the feed given to salmon does not contain fish raw material or anything else which harms the environment.

A number of experiments aimed at achieving this goal are currently underway with a new sense of urgency. Perhaps one of the most interes�ng is a project by Skre�ng Norway, a global leader in aquaculture feed, and the farming giant Mowi.

The two companies have been using the Centre for Aquaculture Competence in Norway, where there is a commercial scale seawater produc�on site for Atlan�c salmon, to test feed that does not contain fish meal or fish oil under full scale natural condi�ons. And the results, although s�ll not complete, are already turning out to be more than sa�sfactory.

According to Technical Weekly Magazine in Norway, the Centre has found that feed based on plant protein with added Omega-3 algae oil does not adversely affect the quality of the fish. This confirms results from earlier feeding trials.

Grethe Rosenlund, senior researcher at the Skre�ng Reseacrh Centre in Stavanger, told the publica�on that achieving this under natural produc�on condi�ons in the sea with the wind and weather, was a real milestone: ‘What we have seen so far is that the fish have grown and thrived although we will have to wait for the final results before we can say anything for sure.’

Leif Kje�l Skjæveland, community contact with Skre�ng, said that with more farmed fish being produced to sa�sfy a growing popula�on it was clear feed should not come from industrial fish or marine protein: ‘There are not enough wild fish in the sea for that which is why we always have to look for alterna�ve ingredients to fish meal and fish oil.

But research in this field had to be taken gradually, each step at a �me’.

Rosenlund added: ‘We are ge�ng to know more about what salmon require. Not least,

40

FEED - Vince.indd 40

we have gained more knowledge about what micronutrients it needs especially in rela�on to protein and fat.

‘I find it exci�ng that we can get a predator to eat alterna�ve feed and yet s�ll taste salmon. In addi�on, this method is more sustainable.’

However, Skre�ng says that finding a sa�sfactory replacement for fish protein and fish oil had been something of a challenge un�l a few years ago. For salmon it was essen�al that Omega-3 contained the two fa�y acids EPA and DHA, but land plants offered no sa�sfactory alterna�ves to fish oil.

Then recently the organisa�on had been able to gain access to concentrated Omega-3s that had been squeezed from marine algae which they were now able to grow on land.

Arne Høie, who heads Skre�ng’s process development department, said: ‘What we do is blend some of this algae oil into the feed, although it is expensive which means it is added in small doses.’

Rosenlund said it was proving possible to produce more farmed fish feed without increasing the strain on marine eco-systems and the protein can be grown on land.

As for Skre�ng, it says it wants more of the feed to come from alterna�ve raw material sources, including from some that have not yet been used.

Skjæveland said the hope is that six per cent

Left: CAC is a large scale experimental fishfarm used for documenta�on purposes

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10/08/2020 14:47:54

Norwegian Good

of Norwegian feed will come from completely new raw material sources.

Meanwhile, the news last month that Mowi has struck a deal with its suppliers to ensure that all of its soya feed produc�on will in future be 100 per cent deforesta�on free within the next year may have started a trend.

A number of organisa�ons and poli�cal par�es in Norway are pushing for reducing the climate footprint and environmental impact of soy use.

Including Labour, the Centre Party and the Greens.

Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen also wants the industry to become less dependent on foreign ingredients and has allocated NOK 20 million for research into using

What we “have seen so far is that the fish have grown and thrived

”

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FEED - Vince.indd 41

more Norwegian raw materials. Øyvind Fylling-Jensen, CEO at the research organisa�on Nofima, says: ‘There is currently no shortage of new raw materials: microalgae, mesopelagic fish, insects such as crickets and insect larvae are being experimented with.’

‘Nofima is currently building a feed technology centre that will, among other things, solve the challenges with new raw materials in farmed feed.

‘The key to developing a good salmon feed lies in understanding the technical and nutri�onal quality of the raw materials so that they can be processed in the right way for salmon feed.

‘In this area, the companies are inves�ng large sums in research and are individually making progress.

‘There is now a poli�cal will for more use of public research funds so that the companies can take new steps in the development of farmed feed based on Norwegian raw materials.’. FF

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Fish Farmer 41

10/08/2020 14:48:25

Diversified Communications

‘The best of times, the worst of times’ Diversified’s UK chief reflects on a frustrating year

BY DAVE EDLER

W

hen Carsten Holm, the Managing Director of Diversified Communica�ons UK, put his signature on the document to complete the acquisi�on of Aquaculture UK last year from 5m, he could never have imagined how turbulent the a�empts to stage the first exhibi�on under his company’s stewardship would prove.

I catch up with Holm, virtually of course, at his base near Brighton in West Sussex. He is both excited and frustrated. The sort of frustra�on that comes a�er taking delivery of a wonderful new toy, only to be told that it has to remain inside its box for at least a year.

As the screen opens for our call, Holm is proudly holding alo� a commemora�ve mug produced to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Fishing News, the publica�on that first started his connec�on to our industry when he took on the role as their Sales Manager. As well as Fishing News the company also had Fish Farming Interna�onal as part of its por�olio, which gave Holm his first introduc�on to aquaculture. However, the connec�ons don’t end there. During this �me his Editorial Director was Peter Hjul, whose daughter Jenny will be well known to most of you as

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the most recent previous editor of this very magazine. These were heady days for the fishing industry, with the weekly edi�on of Fishing News some�mes running to as many as 180 pages. It is a period that Holm looks back on with great fondness: ‘They were some of the best days of my life. I learnt so much about the importance of the rela�onships that you have with your customers, and also I really loved the fishing industry’.

A�er that The Fishing Exhibi�on in Glasgow was launched in 1987 and grew to become one of the biggest trade shows ever staged at the SECC. The gala dinner connected to the event was so popular that it had to be run over two nights, with 800 a�ending each evening at the biggest venue available in Glasgow at the �me.

These were hec�c �mes for Holm and his team: ‘I remember during one four day period in Glasgow, I managed a total of about five hours sleep! It was just crazy, but that was in a way what actually a�racted me to this industry. It’s full of really genuine people and a really strong sense of community. So, when the opportunity came up to get involved in the fish farming industry, it really felt like going back in �me to these great days’.

Holm joined Diversified Communica�ons UK fi�een years ago. The company is part of a group which has its roots very firmly in the fishing industry. A family owned company based in Portland, Maine in the United States, an area very well known for its lobster industry. The company’s first publica�on, which is s�ll published to this day, was the Na�onal Fisherman.

It then grew organically to include the seafood sector, launching a seafood exhibi�on in the US. Because of this success they were the natural ‘go to’ company when a similar exhibi�on was muted for Europe. Fast forward to today, and the Global Seafood Expo in Brussels (now Barcelona) has become the biggest event on the con�nent and part of the staple diet of ‘must a�end’ exhibi�ons for everyone working in the industry.

The company con�nued to grow organically as their exper�se in staging successful events

Left: Carsten Holm proudly displays his ‘Fishing News’ mug

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10/08/2020 14:49:52

The best of times, the worst of times

became recognised, and they were subsequently invited to organise events in the medical and food sectors, and even one on buses!

Eventually an approach to take over an event in the UK saw the birth of the Bri�sh company, and it has grown to now employ over 100 staff with a por�olio of 20 events and dinners, as well as a handful of publica�ons. However, Holm says that the company o�en prefers to be ‘media neutral’, which was a factor behind Diversified declining the invita�on to also take on board the media wing of 5m The Fish Site when they picked up Aquaculture UK. He also says that the fact they are part of a family owned company contributes to the overall philosophy of the group: ‘I think that’s maybe the difference between ourselves and a larger PLC type company where the pressure is very much on short term profitability and making sure you maximise value year on year, whereas we tend to be able to take a longer term view and look at the sustainability of the products in the longer term, and in order to do that the customers very much come first.

So, we spend a lot of �me talking to them, whether they are exhibitors or not, and playing

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Diversified.indd 43

a very ac�ve part in the communi�es in which we work’.

The opportunity to acquire Aquaculture UK came about when Benchmark, the parent company of 5m, made an approach to Holm’s colleague Cheri Arvonio. Arvonio is the Event Director for Ocean Business, the leading bi-annual event for oceanology, which has quite a crossover with the aquaculture industry. Holm said that when he found out about the approach he was ‘cock-a-hoop’: ‘I want to first pay tribute to Benchmark themselves. I think they have done a brilliant job with Aquaculture UK and turned it into a far more

I “ remember

during one four day period in Glasgow, I managed a total of about five hours sleep!

”

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Diversified Communications

professional event and added to its depth. So, when Cheri called me up my ini�al reac�on was ‘this is fantas�c, I’d love to get involved’. This was not just from a personal point of view but also as a business because our roots lie so firmly within the fishing industry. That’s where we come from. It just seemed like a natural thing to do.

‘Since then it’s all been a bit of a rollercoaster, although I have to say that 5m have been great throughout and really easy to work with. The ini�al plan was that we were going to take a ‘back seat’ at the 2020 event and observe and learn as 5m completed the handover. We would come to the event and meet people, listen, sit back and learn and start to understand in what direc�on the industry really wants to go, because I think that’s so important. We are mere facilitators.

‘But of course that didn’t happen. Covid came and we were forced to cancel. First of all we postponed un�l September, thinking that this would surely give us enough �me to get back to normality, but how wrong we all were! It quickly became clear that we were increasingly unlikely to be able to welcome back interna�onal exhibitors and so we reluctantly took the decision to postpone to 2021.

‘The difficulty with that of course is that we move into an AquaNor year, but we spoke to exhibitors who agreed that to go four years without an event in the UK with the community having a chance to come together was just far too long. So, we agreed it would be fine if we staged it in May, there would s�ll be enough space in between the two events for it not to impact either significantly’.

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Arvonio agrees but says that there is a need to con�nually keep an eye on the developing worldwide situa�on: ‘Obviously we are s�ll ten months out from the scheduled event right now, so there is an element of ‘wait and see’. But everyone is remaining really posi�ve and we’ve been able to transfer virtually everyone over to the new dates next year and so we are op�mis�c it will go ahead as planned’.

I ask Holm, once the event does go ahead, about his plans for taking it forward and how Diversified see it developing in the future. His answer is perhaps surprising: ‘It might sound awful but you know I really haven’t the foggiest. And that’s because we really do see ourselves just as facilitators.

Everything has to be industry led. So, that’s why this period has been so difficult for us. Normally we would be talking to people and really ge�ng a sense of what is going on. But what I think

Above: Global Seafood Expo. Opposite (top): Archive photo of The Na�onal Fisherman.

(Left): Cheri Arvonio

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10/08/2020 14:50:38

The best of times, the worst of times

“

I think that’s maybe the difference between ourselves and a larger PLC type company where the pressure is very much on short term profitability we will do is to set up an advisory panel made up of key people from within the industry so that they can give their input into where they would like to see the show going in the future.

We’re not ‘uber ambi�ous’ in terms of growth, we need to grow with the industry in line with its own needs. But we will do everything we can to build on the sound founda�ons laid by 5m and we will move forward to make the show even be�er, whatever that may mean, and the only way we can find that out is by listening and understanding and reac�ng.’

That listening will also extend to decisions about the future of the event in Aviemore itself.

Holm has already seen first hand one of the groups events in Brussels outgrow its loca�on, as Global Seafood Expo has moved to Barcelona, and he agrees that capacity in Aviemore is a poten�al problem, especially if more and more visitors cannot find accommoda�on locally and have to be ‘bussed in’ from places like Inverness. However, he is also aware of the unique in�macy that comes with staging an event at a ‘resort’ and what could poten�ally be lost by taking it elsewhere. But that is a decision for another day.

In the here and now, Holm is very bullish about the future prospects for the aquaculture industry more generally post covid: ‘I have absolutely no doubt that aquaculture

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is going to become ever more important for the planet. We need to feed people, we need protein, and we need to do these things sustainably in a way that doesn’t harm the planet – and aquaculture is an answer to all of these problems’.

That seems to be the perfect note on which to end, as Holm looks forward to the day when he can finally take that shiny new toy out of the box!. FF

”

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10/08/2020 14:51:03

Pasteurellosis and Norwegian lumpfish Lumpfish

By Rebecca Ellul and Anita Rønneseth

-What is pasteurellosis?

Pasteurellosis is a disease affecting farmed Atlantic salmon as well as lumpfish used as cleaner fish in Scotland and Norway. Pasteurella skyensis typically infects Atlantic salmon only, while a separate Pasteurella-like species (Pasteurella sp.) has been recorded to infect lumpfish.

Lumpfish disease

In the case of Norwegian lumpfish, the first cases were recorded in 2012, with reports of outbreaks rapidly escalating since then. The most characteristic symptoms include white nodules all over the skin, especially around the eyes forming white rings. Other symptoms include cataracts and haemorrhage at the base of the jaw and fins. Internally, similar white nodules can be seen on the New study on Pasteurellosis and Norwegian lumpfish kidney, and fluid may accumulate in the abdomen (see Figure 1). Bacteria can be isolated from the head kidney of infected fish and easily cultured on blood agar supplemented with 2% salt (see Figure

BY REBECCA ELLUL AND ANITA RØNNESETH 2).

(Pasteurella sp.) has been recorded to infect lumpfish. In the case of Norwegian lumpfish, the first cases were recorded in 2012, with reports of outbreaks rapidly escala�ng since then. The most characteris�c symptoms include white nodules all over the skin, especially around the eyes forming white rings. Other symptoms include cataracts and haemorrhage at the base of the jaw and fins. Internally, similar white nodules can be seen on the kidney, and fluid may accumulate in the abdomen (see Figure 1).

Bacteria can be isolated from the head kidney of infected fish and easily cultured on blood agar supplemented with 2% salt (see Figure 2).

Is the disease confined to Norway?

Outbreaks of Pasteurella skyensis affec�ng Atlan�c salmon have been mostly recorded from Scotland, with only a few cases occurring in Norway. Pasteurella sp. affec�ng lumpfish has so far only been recorded in Norway.

How is this different from Pasteurella skyensis?

Analysis has shown that the two species are related, but not closely. The Pasteurella sp. isolated following outbreaks in Norwegian lumpfish is related to, but serologically dis�nct from Pasteurella skyensis and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, which causes pasteurellosis in farmed fish species in the Mediterranean Sea and Japan, amongst others.

It is also gene�cally dis�nct from, although phenotypically similar to, a group of Pasteurella isolates recorded between the 1980s to the 1990s to cause a systemic infec�on characterised by severe ophthalmi�s known as “varracalbmi” in Norwegian Atlan�c salmon.

Above: Figure 1. Clinical signs of pasteurellosis What is pasteurellosis?

Figure 1.Opposite: Clinical signs of pasteurellosis in lumpfishis a disease affec�ng farmed in lumpfish.

Figure 2. Pasteurella sp.

Pasteurellosis isolated from head kidney of infected lumpfish Atlan�c salmon, as well as lumpfish used as grown on blood agar supplemented with 2% salt.

cleaner fish in Scotland and Norway. Pasteurella skyensis typically infects Atlan�c salmon only, while a separate Pasteurella-like species

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P46-47 Lumpfish Editorial.indd 46

What stage of lumpfish is affected?

The disease affects fish at all stages of growth, from hatcheries to fish deployed in salmon cages to control sea lice infec�ng salmon. There are also reports of the bacteria found in eggs and milt, sugges�ng they can be transferred from broodfish to offspring.

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10/08/2020 14:52:09

Lumpfish disease REFERENCES Ellul, R.M., Walde, C., Haugland, G. T., Wergeland, H., & Rønneseth, A. (2018). Pathogenicity of Pasteurella sp. in lumpsuckers (Cyclopterus lumpus L.). Journal of Fish Diseases, 42(1). h�ps:// doi.org/10.1111/ jfd.12905

Why is it difficult to control this disease?

There are currently no available commercial vaccines for the disease.

An�bio�c treatment is difficult to administer especially in the field, and success rates of treatments are low.

It has also been recorded that outbreaks re-emerge shortly following an�bio�c treatment, indica�ng that surviving fish may be asymptoma�c carriers. The species has not yet been characterised fully as it is difficult to grow in liquid cultures, delaying thorough research, including vaccine produc�on.

Ellul, Rebecca Marie, Bulla, J., Brudal, E., Colquhoun, D., Wergeland, H., & Rønneseth, A. (2019).

Protec�on and an�body reac�vity in lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) following vaccina�on against Pasteurella sp.

Fish and Shellfish Immunology, 95, 650–658. h�ps:// doi.org/10.1016/j. fsi.2019.11.016

Does it affect salmon (cross contamina�on)?

Since 2018, reports have �sp. meisolated for bacteria be inkidney contactofwith the filumpfish sh at suitable doses in order Figure 2. Pasteurella fromtohead infected grown on blood agar Holm, B. (2019). emerged of a novel Pasteurella isolate being to observe gradual mortali�es and the onset of symptoms, as well as salt.

Pasteurella kan gi isolated from Atlan�c salmonsupplemented farms around with 2% closely replica�ng the natural disease transmission pathways. RT-qPCR Norway. As reported by the Norwegian Veterianalysis of surviving fish several days following the end of the challenge sykdom hos både laks og rognkjeks. h�ps:// nary Ins�tute in 2019 (Holm, 2019), only a few has shown that Pasteurella sp. was detected, indica�ng that asympwww.ve�nst.no/ of the locali�es repor�ng outbreaks of pasteur- toma�c carriers can be present in a surviving popula�on following an the disease to Norway? nyheter/pasteurellaellosis confirmed having the -Is disease in bothconfined outbreak of pasteurellosis. kan-gi-sykdomlumpfish and salmon, but only in one locality Histopathology has shown that the bacteria tend to aggregate in Outbreaks of Pasteurella skyensis affecting Atlantic salmon have been mostly recorded from was the same isolate affec�ng both species. clumps in all �ssues sampled. This aggrega�on was also observed when hos-bade-laks-ogonly aexposing few cases occurring in Norway. sp.toaffecting lumpfish has sorognkjeks far only Furthermore, all the affectedScotland, locali�es with reportisolated leucocytes fromPasteurella head kidneys the bacteria, in vitro. ed that well boats were usedbeen for treatments recorded in Norway.

The bacteria ini�ally entered the cells individually but at a later �me Sandlund, N. around the �me leading to the outbreaks. point were observed to form elongated filaments or chains both inside (2020). Rognkjeks Furthermore, 14 cases were-How registered is this in differentand fromoutside Pasteurella skyensis? the cells.

Research and development vaccines were also utviklet sykdom 2019 and 17 cases so far in 2020 according to developed in collabora�on with PHARMAQ/Zoe�s and tested; howe�er smi�e – mens the Norwegian Veterinary Ins� tute (SommerAnalysis has shown ever, that the two species related,despite but not closely.

Thelevels Pasteurella isolated no protec� on wasare conferred high an�body being sp. smi� et laks ble ikke set, 2020). In preliminary work carried outbreaks out by following in Norwegian lumpfishon is using related to, butinac� serologically distinct sp. from Pasteurella measured postvaccina� formalin vated Pasteurella syk. [Press release] the Norwegian Veterinary Ins�tute, it appears bacterins. damselae subsp. piscicida, which causes pasteurellosis in farmed skyensis and Photobacterium fish h�ps://www.hi.no/ that the novel Pasteurella isolate from Atlan�c These results were published last year in the journal Fish and Shellfi sh hi/nyheter/2020/juli/ species isolate in the Mediterranean Sea and Japan, amongst others. It is also genetically distinct from, salmon and the lumpfish Pasteurella Immunology (Ellul et al., 2019). It is possible that the aggregates that rognkjeks-utvikletalthough phenotypically similar to, a group of Pasteurella isolates recorded between the 1980s to the belong to separate gene�c groups.

However, form prevent the vaccine from being efficient due to their large consykdom-e�er-smi�eit is likely that both isolates aff ect lumpfi sh, a systemic 1990s to cause infection characterised by severe ophthalmitis known as “varracalbmi” in figura�on, but further work is required to inves�gate this. In order to menssmi�et-laks-bleas outlined by preliminary results of ongoing Norwegian Atlantic salmon. iden�fy and study Pasteurella sp. virulence factors at the func�onal and ikke-syk research at the Ins�tute of Marine Research genomic level, isolates from both lumpfish and Atlan�c salmon have Sommerset, I. (Sandlund, 2020). been sequenced and will be used in the next steps of this PhD project.

(2020).

Ny variant av The results of this work will subsequently enable the iden�fica�on of Pasteurella-bakterie What research is ongoing? prospec�ve vaccine candidates for future vaccines against this sprer seg �l stadig Research involving pasteurellosis in Norwedisease. FF flere oppdre�sanlegg. gian lumpfish is being carried out as part of h�ps://www.

Rebecca Ellul’s PhD project carried out at the ve�nst.no/nyheter/ Fish Immunology group at the Department ny-variant-avof Biological Sciences at the University of pasteurella-bakterieBergen. The team has established a challenge sprer-seg-�l-stadigmodel best suited to study the progress of the flereoppdre�sanlegg. disease in lumpfish, and the results have been published in the Journal of Fish Diseases (Ellul et al., 2018). Bath challenge allows enough

Outbreaks of Pasteurella “ skyensis affec�ng Atlan�c salmon have mostly been recorded from Scotland

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”

47

10/08/2020 14:52:27

Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Good Stewardship ASC publishes it’s first monitoring and evaluation report

T

he Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has published its first Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) report, demonstrating for the first time the impact of certified responsible aquaculture, including clear improvements in the environmental performance of salmon farms in Norway, Canada and Chile, and shrimp farms in Vietnam.

The report is a product of ASC’s measurable performance requirements, commitment to transparency, and its requirements that farms make public their performance on more than 100 indicators. The M&E report uses thousands of data points from hundreds of certified farms to analyse trends in their performance – reinforced with case studies illustrating social and environmental gains, and market access achieved by ASC farms.

Among the report’s findings, it reveals that ASC shrimp farms have increased by 50% their ongoing compliance to the environmental performance requirements between 2014 and 2018. The report also found clear evidence that certified farms are learning to work together, and with their feed suppliers, to reduce their reliance on wild-caught fish in the feed they use, helping to reduce the pressure on wild fishery stocks.

ASC standards also include requirements for social responsibility such as treating staff and local communities fairly, and the report has revealed the importance of this, with demonstrated improvements in working hours and overtime across all species and countries looked at, especially across shrimp farms in Vietnam, Ecuador and Honduras, and salmon farms in Chile.

The report also found that farm performance improves the longer it is in the ASC programme, and producers with more than one farm will share the learnings about responsible performance from their certified to their non-certified farms. Jill Swasey, the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the ASC said: ‘Reporting on our impact is a key part of the ASC mission, and this report demonstrates the value of transparency in a certification programme. ASC certified farms must go above and beyond when it comes to publicising their performance data. We can use that to identify trends and further adapt the ASC standards, and the wider industry can use it to identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.’

Other findings in the report include: • Shrimp farms in India and Vietnam have improved how they monitor their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions as a result of certification • Indian shrimp farms show marked improvement in community Above: Shrimp farm relations – this is due to better communicating with local communities and sharing conflict resolution policies • Nearly 18,000 products were able to carry the ASC logo around the world through 2019, a 380% increase in five years • Over 1,100 farms certified (across nine standards) in 42 countries producing nearly 2m tons of seafood by the end of 2019 • Almost 13,000 people are working on ASC certified farms around

ng “onRepor� our im-

pact is a key part of the ASC mission

”

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the world, where they are protected by the ASC’s social requirements Along with the impact evaluation, the report also looks in more detail at a number of case studies, illustrating various social and environmental improvements around the world, including a Thai shrimp farm that has made key improvements to working conditions, and a Japanese cooperative which bounced back from the 2011 tsunami to improve their environmental and social practices and become ASC certified.

Another case study highlights the importance of ASC’s market-driven approach to improvement in its partnership with Ikea. Ikea has committed to only serving farmed salmon that is ASC certified, helping to drive up market demand for certified seafood and reward responsible farmers.

ASC will continue to evolve its Monitoring and Evaluation programme to learn from results and deliver impacts in a transparent and accessible way more regularly for stakeholders.

The M&E report can be found on the ASC website asc-aqua.org , where it can be downloaded in full, along with a summary of the key findings. FF

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 14:56:19

Adisseo – Advertorial

Functional feed additives to reinforce skin mucus protection

C

ommercial aquaculture species suffer from a variety of bacterial infections and parasites which cause important economic losses. Skin mucus is the first barrier by which fish are protected from the attack of pathogens. Adhesion and growth of bacteria and parasites is a constant battle between the mucus defensiveness and renewal.

The skin mucus defensive mechanism is composed of physical (i.e. viscosity, impermeability) and biochemical (i.e. antioxidant, detoxifying, bactericidal and immune protection) barriers which can be modified through functional nutrition.

Through continuous research and innovation, Adisseo has developed unique and efficient functional feed additives to reinforce skin mucus protection. Their health promoting feed additives (SANACORE® GM, APEX® BRANCHIA) are based on combinations of synergetic natural compounds that through multi-

ple mechanisms such as enhanced antioxidant, detoxifying, and antimicrobial capacities of skin mucus can reinforce protection against a broad spectrum of bacteria and parasites.

Recent studies evaluating these additives under infections by different opportunistic bacteria and ectoparasites relevant to Mediterranean aquaculture demonstrate high efficacy to inhibit bacterial growth in skin mucus and to reduce parasite infection rates. Supplementation is therefore a prevention strategy to compensate for the stress and increased susceptibility of infection associated to intensive farming.

The Adisseo team of aqua experts works hand-in-hand with producers around the globe to identify and resolve bottlenecks in aquaculture productivity by the application of their innovative functional feed additives.

For more information visit: https:// www.adisseo.com/en/species/aqua/

AQUACULTURE

Share Our Vision

Species-specific solutions for a sustainable and profitable aquaculture At Adisseo, we offer species-specific nutrition and health solutions to aquaculture customers around the world.

There is a lot to gain by optimizing your feed additive strategy.

Our aqua experts are passionate to help you find out how to increase your productivity and profitability.

A AQ036-08

We look forward to sharing our vision with you!

www.adisseo.com

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10/08/2020 14:57:24

Monitoring – Introduction

Management,

Monitoring and Analysis Without an accurate understanding of growth conditions, crop health can suffer

A

quaculture is a rapidly growing form of food produc�on that has successfully yielded a substan�al amount of fish and shell- fish to help feed the world’s growing popula�on and growing appe�te for seafood. However, this method of food produc�on is faced with many challenges, some of which include increasing costs, more stringent government regula�ons, and limited water supplies. These challenges have created a need for more advanced monitoring and feeding technology in order to create �ghtly controlled and sustainable growth condi�ons.

Ensuring a successful and sustainable aquaculture business with environmentally friendly prac�ces begins with an accurate and reliable understanding of water quality parameters. Without an accurate understanding of growth condi�ons, crop health can suffer and improper feeding habits may be used, ul�mately resul�ng in disappoin�ng produc�on levels, high input costs, water pollu�on and even disease.

Several companies have developed all the tools necessary to effec�vely monitor and manage clients aquaculture opera�ons. They include spot sampling handheld water

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quality instruments that allow for a quick check of water condi�ons, while con�nuous mul�parameter and DO monitors can aid in process controls for an en�re facility.

Monitors can assist with an opera�ons feeding cycle via �mers and aid in the overall management of a facility with a facility mapper included in so�ware solu�ons such as the AquaManager so�ware from YSI, a Xylem brand. AquaManager also allows you to easily view real-�me water quality condi�ons remotely via PC or through the AquaViewerII app. Addi�onally, alarms can be set when condi�ons fall below user-defined standards, quickly aler�ng facility management of the condi�on so they can respond quickly to the change in condi�ons.

Their relay and input/output expansion modules also allow for flexibility in configuring clients con�nous monitoring and control systems. FF

Left: The ProSwap Digital Water Quality Meter

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10/08/2020 15:00:09

Ross-Shire Diving – Advertorial

Diving In

Ross-shire Diving Services land major Mowi contract

W

hen Brian Watson and Fiona Cameron made the decision to leave successful careers in New Zealand to return to Scotland, it was with the vision of se�ng up a new life with their young family and return to the area where they grew up.

Watson began his diving career on returning to Scotland, diving for Wester Ross Diving Services and Cameron con�nued her career in environmental science, joining the environment team at The Sco�sh Salmon company.

A�er a successful four years diving and supervising, the future looked uncertain for Watson when the company he worked for made the decision to cease trading in 2017. It looked as though the fi�een year provision of diving services for the aquaculture industry in the North-West area of Scotland might be coming to an end.

However, Watson, Cameron and the team at Ross-shire Diving Services had other ideas. They were determined to keep the service going and for it to be con�nued by a local company. Watson and Cameron invested all their savings to buy equipment and start their own company and by combining their skills established Ross-shire Diving services Ltd. Fast forward three years and now Ross-shire Diving Services have just beaten off the compe��on to win the tender process securing the contract for diving services for Mowi Scotland in the North region. This is in addi�on to providing the services to their other clients in the sector such as Loch Duart, Sco�sh Salmon Company, Cooke Aquaculture and Organic Sea Harvest.

They are in no doubt about the importance of aquaculture to the local area and why it was important for Ross-shire diving to take up the reins: ‘This importance has been highlighted this year when if anything we have been even more busy than usual during the covid crisis and have kept our opera�ons going throughout these challenging �mes to provide the essen�al services that the industry needs’.

We have “kept our

The company’s base in Kishorn in Wester Ross, makes them ideally located to quickly provide the range of services that the industry needs.

Watson and Cameron are very proud of what they have achieved over their 3 years and are con�nually looking forward ensuring they are providing the best service possible. They have made a commitment to excellence and have signed up to complete ISO 9001, 45001 and 14001 accredita�ons.

Looking forwards Watson and Cameron are confident in the future and hope to invest in a new workboat and dedicated diving vessel which will future proof the business and expand on the range of services that the company delivers. A full range of the services provided can be found at https:// rsdiving.com FF

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Ross-Shire Diving - PED.indd 51

opera�ons going throughout these challenging �mes to provide the essen�al services that the industry needs

”

Top: Diver John Strang exi�ng water a�er comple�ng net inspec�ons at Mowi’s Loch Alsh farm Middle: Brian Watson and Fiona Cameron Left: The team diving with surface supply at Loch Duart

51

10/08/2020 15:02:33

RS Aqua – Advertorial

Revolutionising Aq IN the uk and irela

Intelligent design Automated real-time monitoring system arrives in the UK and Ireland

R

S Aqua have partnered with Innovasea to bring their Aquaculture Intelligence monitoring system to the UK and Ireland. RS Aqua are the UK’s largest supplier of marine science technology, and Innovasea develop cutting edge aquaculture solutions. In the past 12 months RS Aqua have successfully trialed the Aquaculture Intelligence system with MOWI Scotland, MOWI Ireland, Grieg Seafood and Cooke Aquaculture. All four companies now rely on the system for real time environmental monitoring at specific sites.

Aquaculture Intelligence is an automated real-time monitoring system, consisting of three main parts: cableless sensors (aquaMeasures), a surface telemetry unit (aquaHub), and a cloud-based portal (aquaCurrent). The aquaMeasures can measure a suite of parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll, pH, depth (and more!). Data from weather stations, tidal sensors and current profilers are also supported.

A typical Aquaculture Intelligence system is made up of an array of aquaMeasure sensors measuring parameters at different locations on a farm e.g. DO and temperature in each cage. Each aquaMeasure is simply hung on the end of a rope at the required depth. They send their measurements acoustically through the water column as often as required and these are picked up by the aquaHub telemetry unit.

The aquaHub is generally situated somewhere central on the farm, and so long as it is within 500 m of the sensors, it can support receiving data from up to 100 of them at a time. The data are pushed online using WiFi, or the cellular network if WiFi is not available. Iridium communication is also supported for sites without WiFi or cellular coverage.

Once the data is online, users access it on their laptop or smartphone using aquaCurrent, Innovasea’s fully secure online app. Site environmental conditions are presented numerically and graphically in real-time, with all historical data accessible as well. AquaCurrent is simple to use, includes various data analysis tools, and can export data using different file types. It also includes a threshold alarm system, which alerts the user via phone if a parameter moves outside a specified range.

Aquaculture Intelligence removes the need for sensor cables and reduces labour intensive monitoring processes. It triggers alarms if events harmful to fish health occur (such as low DO) and can mitigate the onset of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Further innovations to the system are in the pipeline, such as automated cage aeration, HAB risk indices, and plankton analysis software.

RS Aqua are looking forward to supporting producers and bringing Aquaculture Intelligence to more aquaculture sites across the UK and Ireland. For more information or a chat about the system, please contact them at info@rsaqua.co.uk or +44 (0) 2394 004 540. FF

Intelligence removes “Aquaculture the need for sensor cables and

Just Sensors, No Cables

Data available on

Wireless Underwater Communication Monitor Environmental Performance Predict Harmful Events Maintain Fish Health

Dissolved Oxygen Weather & Currents Chlorophyll Turbidity

Easy to install and use

Innovative online

Suspend Sensors In Water No Labour Intensive Monitoring Robust To Harsh Ocean Conditions Data Secured Locally & Online

Real Time Data Plots Alarm System For Cruc Export Historical Farm Data Available on Lapt

Call RS Aqua for UK & ROI supply

+44 (0) 2394 004 540

info@rsaqua.co.uk

Above: An aquaMeasure Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature sensor with weight collar on a CERMAQ farm, Bri�sh Columbia.

Left: An aquaHub telemetry box at MOWI Canada West, Bri�sh Columbia. This pushes the data from all of the farm’s sensors online in real �me.

Below: The wireless Aquaculture Intelligence system transmits sensor data acous�cally through the water column.

reduces labour intensive monitoring processes

52

RS Aqua - PED.indd 52

”

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www.rsaqua.co.u

Revolutionising Aquaculture Monitoring IN the uk and ireland

Just Sensors, No Cables

Data available online instantly

Wireless Underwater Communication Monitor Environmental Performance Predict Harmful Events Maintain Fish Health

Dissolved Oxygen Weather & Currents Chlorophyll Turbidity

Easy to install and use

Innovative online app

Suspend Sensors In Water No Labour Intensive Monitoring Robust To Harsh Ocean Conditions Data Secured Locally & Online

Real Time Data Plots Alarm System For Crucial Parameters Export Historical Farm Data Data Available on Laptop, Tablet & Phone

Call RS Aqua for UK & ROI supply

RS Aqua.indd 53

+44 (0) 2394 004 540

info@rsaqua.co.uk

Temperature Salinity pH Depth & More

www.rsaqua.co.uk

10/08/2020 15:05:36

R3 IoT – Advertorial

Rising to the challenge Unlocking the value of data in aquaculture - with a little help from space

A

quaculture is changing. Climate change, rising production costs, stricter regulations and issues of social acceptance have brought about a pressing need for improved practices within the industry.

Manually intensive farming methods and traditional practices can no longer guarantee yield at the production volumes required to meet a soaring global demand.

As the aquaculture sector grows to contribute around £600 million annually to the UK economy, pressure is mounting for aquaculture operations to expand.With fierce competition and costs rising, producers must embrace digitisation and technology to keep up.

A recent study found that only 1.8% of Scotland’s 169 active seawater finfish sites are digitally enhanced; or fitted with smart sensors feeding live data back to producers.The 98% of unconnected sites leaves major potential for growth through gains in efficiency and productivity without the need for new farms.

Producers cite several obstacles for having struggled to adopt new digital solutions to date: added costs for uncertain returns, concerns over reliability and lack of technical know-how to cite a few. However, the single most significant barrier to digitisation of farms remains the lack of reliable connectivity.

Rising to the Challenge R3 IoT, a Glasgow-based communications technology provider has solved this problem with a ground-breaking connectivity solution uniquely adapted to aquaculture.The R3 IoT Connected Seafarm enables secure and reliable transmission of sensor and other data over a hybrid satellite-cellular communications service.This means intel from farms located anywhere in the world can be transmitted back to personal devices (such as mobile phones or computers) in a cost-effective manner.

However, simply providing raw data is not enough.The R3 IoT platform unlocks the true potential of the Connected Seafarm by turning large quantities of raw sensor data into valuable actionable information. In turn, producers use tailor-made dashboards and insights to inform operational and strategic decision-making during day-to-day operation to help improve stock survival rates,

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predictability, fish wellbeing, and productivity.

The service is highly scalable, with the possibility of providing information from a vast array of environmental and operational sensors – up to 100s can be deployed across a single farm.These can range from important temperature and dissolved oxygen readings that are directly linked to the health and performance of the fish, to salinity, turbidity and total algae measurements which can warn of incoming dangers, and many more. Operational parameters such as feed levels for individual silos or generator fuel levels can help planning and save valuable time and money.

Solving Three Key Problems for Fish Farmers Quality data from remote sites Across much of the sector, environmental data from sea sites is still collected manually. Often a single data point collected once per day by hand, the data presents issues in latency, consistency, and availability.Whether it’s the time taken to travel to site, collect, record and finally enter the data in a spreadsheet, or the lack of measurement when it isn’t possible to travel to site, data needs to be timely and trustworthy to add the most value. It also needs to be collected from multiple points across a farm, such as inside individual cages, or at different depths as well as continuously, day and night to capture issues where and when they happen.

By tackling the issues above with a solution that

Above: Co-founders of R3 IoT, Allan Cannon and Kevin Quillien, on site in Shetland in 2019 where the pilot service provided 100% up time over an extended 9 month trial.

Opposite - top: Remote sites anywhere in the world can be connected via the R3 IoT technology providing new opportunities for innovation in the industry, below: A intuitive User Interface makes it easy for Senior Management and Farmers alike to see what’s going on on the farm. This can be easily configured depending on customer requirements.

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10/08/2020 15:06:43

Rising to the challenge

recent study found “Athat only 1.8% of

Scotland’s active seawater finfish sites are digitally enhanced

”

does not depend on local mobile infrastructure to operate, the R3 IoT Connected Seafarm platform ensures any and all farms can unlock the value from digitisation and technology.

The recent Covid-19 induced lockdown has highlighted an even greater need for remote monitoring and control that can enable continued operations even when personnel movement is restricted.

Furthermore, the R3 IoT service is already suited for future deep-sea farms whose distance from the shore will make communications and travel more challenging still.

Pressure for better practices As the aquaculture industry continues to grow, governments, consumers, and environmental groups are increasingly calling for tighter regulations to the industry to combat perceived environmental issues such as emissions, pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

Maintaining healthy stock is essential to sustainable and profitable farming.The insight from the R3 IoT Connected Seafarm can help early identification of issues like Harmful Algal Bloom and the conditions that when combined cause loss of stock.

Monitoring conditions inside individual cages can inform feeding strategy and reduce the wastage of a producer’s single largest cost.

Observing water quality and pollution levels can help prove that farming practices are not having adverse effects on the surrounding environment.

The ability to compare historical environmental and other data can also help identify or eliminate possible causes of issues and feed into training and improvements to husbandry practices within organisations.

Increasing demand for better product The global fish farming market is expected to grow from $275 billion in 2017 to $379 billion in 2025.The World Resources Institute claims the capacity of fish farms globally will need to double between 2010 and 2050 to meet this projected demand. Closer to home, Scotland’s aquaculture industry currently brings in a revenue of £1.8 billion, which the government aims to double by 2030.

At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the impact of their purchasing choices – the huge growth of organic and locally sourced produce reveals a better-informed consumer that is willing to pay more for food they can trust. Farming a better product and having the data from the Connected Seafarm to back it up means producers are armed with evidence they need to improve traceability, transparency and ultimately improving the relationship between the consumers and their food.

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Collaborations The talented team at R3 IoT have collaborated with many within the UK aquaculture industry to ensure the capabilities of the Connected Seafarm are perfectly aligned with the problems that need solved within the industry.

The capability and reliability of the service has been thoroughly demonstrated through several deployments across Scotland, and partnerships with renowned engineering service providers ensure that the technology can be coupled with the support and maintenance needed to maintain outstanding equipment performance.

With excellent support from research institutions around the country, R3 IoT has embarked on ambitious R&D programmes to continue improving the Connected Seafarm, particularly by bridging the gap between the data and the actionable insights as well as improving the ways in which farms can respond to issues and threats when these come to light.

Conclusion Farms no longer need to be remote, isolated operations left to the whims of unpredictable events.Through the R3 IoT Connected Seafarm, companies have constant, continuous links into the essential parts of their business, mitigating threats to stocks and reducing costs, ultimately ensuring your business is ready for the future of aquaculture.

R3 IoT is always on the lookout for the chance to demonstrate the value of the Connected Seafarm through pilots – get in touch with them if you would like to see it in action on one of your sites.

You can reach them at contact@r3-iot.com for any additional information or to obtain a copy of the Connected Seafarm catalogue showing the range of solutions for your farm. FF

55

10/08/2020 15:07:02

Cleaner Fish – Introduction

The benefits of cleaner fish Cleaner fish represent an effective biological method for the removal of lice

I

n this issue one of the areas we focus on is cleaner fish, and so we start with an overview for the benefit of any readers unfamiliar with the topic.

Cleaner fish are certain species of fish that, among other things, feed on the sea lice that live on farmed fish. In common with salmon lice, the cleaner fish also live freely in nature. Lice-ea�ng species are now caught and farmed on a large scale to control salmon lice in a chemical-free, biological manner.

The salmon louse is a parasite that lives freely in seawater in all areas of the sea in the northern hemisphere. It a�aches itself to the fish as a copepodite and remains stuck there un�l it can move and change posi�on on the fish.

The salmon louse sustains itself by feeding on skin cells and mucus.

The salmon louse represents the greatest challenge for the aquaculture industry today, although they do not affect food safety or the quality of the salmon.

Sea lice are the most common parasite on farmed salmon, and one of the biggest challenges for the aquaculture industry. Cleaner fish, which from nature’s perspec�ve are designed to feed on such parasites, are

56

Cleanerfish Intro.indd 56

used in the cages to feed on lice from farmed fish.

Under the right condi�ons, this represents an effec�ve form of biological delousing that can prevent chemicals entering the environment and saves a lot of money for the farmer.

Biological delousing with cleaner fish is a forward-looking method and represents a con�nuous, preven�ve treatment for sea lice. A�er a slow start with the use of wild-caught wrasse, today the farming of lumpfish is the most popular measure to combat salmon lice.

There have also been posi�ve developments in the farming of ballan wrasse, although on a different scale than lumpfish.

Un�l a few years ago, it was not common that cleaner fish in cages were fed maintenance feeds. This prac�ce has now changed however as research has iden�fied that insufficient

Below: Lumpfish Opposite - top: Wrasse, below: Lumpfish

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10/08/2020 15:08:01

The benefits of cleaner fish

access to the correct nutrients makes for less healthy and less func�onal cleaner fish.

Cleaner fish represent an effec�ve biological method for the removal of lice. This means that delousing can poten�ally be carried out without the use of medica�ons. It is not expected that resistance problems towards cleaner fish will develop, which would be the primary limi�ng factor for delousing with cleaner fish. In addi�on, the costs of using cleaner fish are much lower than for other methods. The cleaner fish itself can also be a valuable source of protein for the future.

Wrasse and lumpfish both have the following characteris�cs.

• As warm-blooded creatures, wrasse are most effec�ve at higher temperatures.

• They are less effec�ve in the winter when temperatures are lower and if it gets cold enough, they can assume a trance-like state.

• Lumpfish are ac�ve and effec�ve at lower temperatures, but find it difficult to deal with temperatures above 15°C.

Farmers of lumpfish are op�mis�c, and believe that they can solve a large part of the louse problem. The financial benefit and the health of the cleaner fish and its ability to survive are clearly connected. The Norwegian Veterinary Ins�tute has mapped out mortality of and cause of death in cleaner fish.

The report shows that some types of farmed and vaccinated cleaner fish are be�er equipped to withstand sickness and death. The species that are included in the project are the lumpfish and all the common species of wrasse; goldsinny, ballan wrasse, corkwing, small-mouthed wrasse and cuckoo wrasse. Almost a million cleaner fish were monitored at 17 different sea loca�ons and one hatchery.

Cleaner fish that are farmed and provided with op�mum feed are more robust and more resistant. Characteris�cs that it also appears possible to strengthen with proper tending and feeding while in the cage. FF

There is currently no established way to reuse lumpfish and wrasse when they have finished being used to feed on lice in the cages. Work is being carried out to find different areas of use, from using them as a raw material in fish and animal feed to developing possibili�es as fish for human consump�on.

Cleaner fish are cheaper than chemical treatment of salmon lice, but cannot on their own be the only solu�on to control the number of lice.

They must be used in conjunc�on with other methods, such as lice skirts and lice flushing.

One of the reasons for this is that cleaner fish are not equally ac�ve the whole year round, and cannot always manage to remove all the lice.

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10/08/2020 15:08:25

OK Marine – Advertorial

The GOOD Life

O

K Marine is an active contributor in the fight against salmon lice.

They use cleaner fish as a natural delousing tool and have built a complete concept to create the optimal conditions and welfare for cleaner fish. The concept is called the GOOD concept and provides proper protection, adapted feeding and a safe environment to create the best conditions for efficient delousing.

To protect cleaner fish from danger, it is critical to provide good opportunities to

return to safe feeding grounds. The GOOD concept is based on solid competence and extensive experience and has been developed in close collaboration with fish farmers. The OK Marine portfolio comprises products that help clients to handle the fish as gently and efficiently as possible.

The financial consequences of optimising conditions for cleaner fish are twofold; firstly, one reduces procurement costs for fish, but secondly and most importantly the main benefit is in reducing the need for de-

lousing treatment because the cleaner fish graze more efficiently. OK Marine has more than 10 years of experience in creating optimal conditions for cleaner fish and have become experts in creating the best possible meeting place for farmed salmon and cleaner fish. Their competence increases fish welfare and helps their clients to avoid large expenses.

For more information on OK Marine visit: www.okmarine.no or call on +47 38 61 05 30.

Left: General Manager, Atle N. Kristoffersen. Above: Dedicated to fish welfare: OK Marine is a supplier of high-quality cleaner fish equipment and has long experience and good coopera�on with companies who use cleaner fish to fight lice among farmed salmon.

With fish welfare in focus. The GOOD concept provides optimal conditions for cleaner fish. Proper protection, adapted feeding and a safe environment offers the best conditions for efficient delousing.

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+47 38 61 05 30 info@okmarine.no www.okmarine.no

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10/08/2020 15:09:22

Frontfish UK – Advertorial

Leading from the front

Frontfish UK Cleaner Fish Transport

F

rontfish UK provide professional cleaner fish transportation.

They specialise in small, regular collections and deliveries which have been found to significantly improve the fishes adjustment period to their new environment, as well as returning a very high survival rate.

They have over 30 years experience in live fish transportation covering a wide variety of species. Over the last six years specifically wild and reared ballan wrasse and lumpsuckers for numerous salmon farm companies.

The transport systems used by them are not only fully insulated, but individually monitored for O2 and NH3 throughout the journey.This allows them to provide a stable environment throughout the transportation aiding in the fishes well-being.

Frontfish UK pride themselves in providing a personal, professional and efficient service. Always catering for their clients specific needs.

Feel free to contact them to discuss your requirements.

Phone: Neil 07971 807754 or Dave 07810 117336 Email: frontfish@btconnect.com www.front-fish.co.uk

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10/08/2020 15:10:23

Sea Lice– Introduction

Sea Lice - the perennial problem W

e have already looked at cleaner fish as a poten�al sea lice solu�on elsewhere in this issue, and so in this introduc�on to preven�on measures we are going to look at lice skirts and tarpaulins.

Specially engineered to suit Sco�sh marine condi�ons, a sea lice skirt consists of a permeable fabric that lets water and oxygen move freely into the fish pens while parasites are kept at bay. The fabric typically fully encases the pens to a depth of 6m, providing a barrier against sea lice, which are usually found in the first few metres below the water’s surface.

In Scotland sea lice lice skirts can be obtained from various local suppliers including William Milne Tarpaulins from Aberdeen, W & J Knox from Ayrshire and Tom Morrow Tarpaulins from Inverness.

In the case of William Milne, they design, supply and manufacture all of their sea lice skirts directly from their Aberdeen factory. Meanwhile, W & J Knox place their emphasis on developing non-chemical products for be�er fish health, in conjunc�on with their partners Garware Wall Ropes who are based in Pune in India. The robust and porous woven X12 material forms a barrier between the cage collar and the net to exclude lice larvae. It can be tubular or overlapping, with monitoring showing be�er

60

Sea Lice Intro.indd 60

oxygen exchange than from standard polyester.

Wrasse hides or even combina�on hides for all cleaner fish can be strung across the cage.

Inverness based Tom Morrow produce a high quality and long las�ng screen. They use 100% non-degradable materials to produce a dependable product that can be relied upon. Their screens are protec�ng salmon across the globe and they offer fully enclosed or wrap around screens with or without floata�on.

Also making a name for themselves in the sea lice skirts market are Cunningham’s of Ireland, with offices North and South of the Irish (now EU) border. Cunningham Covers create custom lice skirts for fish farms in any shape or size required. Their bespoke skirts are extremely durable and suited to withstanding harsh marine environments.

Meanwhile, Norwegian company FiiZK (which

Below: sea lice infec�on Opposite: sea lice

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10/08/2020 15:11:31

Sea Lice - the perennial problem includes the former company Botngaard) has developed a new version of its lice skirt which it claims has revolu�onised the way in which lice skirts are made. The company also offers delousing tarps, placing their emphasis on surveying customer needs in terms of cage size and desired volumes to create a product that eases the job of fish farmers as much as possible.

Lice infesta�on is a huge challenge to fish farmers that has costly effects. The deployment of durable lice skirts such as those from any of the companies men�oned above is a proac�ve, preventa�ve measure that can help to eradicate this serious threat within the aquaculture industry. All of the suppliers offer bespoke design meaning that the lice skirts will always fit exactly the individual condi�ons applying at a par�cular fish farm. Because they are made from permeable fabrics, the skirts will keep lice out while at the same �me allowing water in, which in turn creates a safe atmosphere for the fish to live and grow in. To ensure there are no unwanted impacts on the water oxygen levels in the upper part of the pen, oxygen management is usually considered when using the skirts.

Another huge benefit of using lice skirts is that they restrict the need for handling of the fish.

Upli�ing, pressing, pumping and handling all put a strain on fish and as a result you o�en see damage and increased mortality. The best environment for the fish is when they are in their own cages and the lice skirt is a natural tool to help achieve this.

With repeated medical sea lice treatments, the number of days of starva�on required for the fish increases, resul�ng in poorer growth. Lice skirts limit the number of days of hunger and provide a more economical outcome when it comes to harves�ng.

Although fish mortality rates are generally in decline, the average size of dead fish has increased. Sta�s�cs show that a huge contribu�ng factor to increased mortality of larger fish is handling in connec�on with sea lice controls. It must therefore be a goal of all fish farmers to handle their stock as infrequently as possible.. FF

Proven to be 300% less stressful on pumped fish compared to traditional methods.

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Sea Lice Intro.indd 61

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10/08/2020 15:11:49

Cunningham Covers – Advertorial

They’ve got it covered Cunningham launch range of inflatable treatment tarpaulins products serving the fish farmer. Their tradi�onal aquaculture products include fender pads, wrasse hides and feed covers.

Cunningham’s new treatment tarpaulin range includes freshwater storage bags available up to 6000m3 and can be complemented with their new freshwater tow-bags. The Cunningham freshwater tow-bag or ‘Sea Croc’ has been designed to specifically store and tow large volumes of water such as towing freshwater to site for trea�ng fish for amoebic gill disease

Above: Cunningham ‘Sea Croc’, Freshwater tow-bag Left: Fish farm tarpaulins on-site Below: Inflatable treatment tarp

Lice Preven�on Lice infesta�on is a huge challenge faced by fish farmers that has costly effects. The deployment of a durable solu�on such as a Cunningham lice skirt can aid in the removal of this serious threat with the aquaculture industry. Cunningham lice skirts aren’t made in any specific shape or size, rather they are made bespoke to the farmer’s individual needs and requirements. FF

C

unningham, manufacturers of clever protec�ve covers, have recently launched their inflatable treatment tarpaulins.

With over 50 years in business, Cunningham are the sought-a�er people when it comes to the provision of clever, protec�ve and sustainable covers for the aquaculture industry. Their protec�ve solu�ons are vital to companies in the fish farming industry and those protecting high value assets in over 40 countries. Applica�ons of Cunningham tarpaulins include; Sea-lice skirts, Fresh-water tow-bags, water storage tarpaulins, water treatment tarpaulins, padded protectors, silt curtains, treatment tarps, fresh water treatment/storage bags, parasite barrier screens, feed waste cones, jump nets, disinfectant mats, harvest tents, poly tunnels and repairs, wind skirts and closed bag technology.

“

Designed in the Atlan�c…..these treatment tarpaulins reduce stress both for the fish and the opera�ves onsite

”

Treatment Tarpaulins Designed in the Atlan�c Ocean, these treatment tarpaulins are designed to reduce stress both for the fish and the opera�ves onsite.

This recent addi�on complements their range of industrial aquaculture

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10/08/2020 13:09:32

Nordic Cover – Advertorial

Ropelessly devoted to you

N

ordic Cover produces high quality, durable and ropeless kelp systems for cleanerfish. A special lacquered coating means there is minimal cleaning and therefore associated manual labour on sites. Nordic Cover kelp has been left in from October till April with no growth!

Nordic can tailor each kelp system for every site’s needs, ensuring that cleanerfish have the best possible habitat, reducing stress, and therefore eating more lice. Not only are they the cheapest option on the market, but being passionate about sustainability they also have a recycling protocol to ensure the kelp systems never end up in landfill.

“

MOWI now have mul�ple farms using Nordic Cover kelps, we’re very pleased with the quality of the product and the service provided

”

Ronnie Hawkins, Cleanerfish Manager, MOWI Scotland If you would like to know more and receive a free sample, please contact Helen Conlon at Helen.conlon@nordiccover.no or call on 07837028292.

Top: The perfect habitat, Above left: Horizontal ropeless system, Middle & right: High quality manufacturing

THE NORDIC COVER LICE SKIRT Produced from sewn textile sheets by the UK based James Dewhurst manufacturer Horizontal and vertical webbing offer high strength and reliability with excellent reviews from current users.The skirt can be made with additional splash guard, available in transparent, to give extra protection above the water!

In addition, we can produce full tarp skirts for complete cage protection.

Just like our cleanerfish habitats, these lice skirts have a recycling protocol in place to ensure the high-quality material is continually reused.

To view the prototype and for more information, please contact Helen Conlon at helen.conlon@nordiccover.com or call on 07837028292 64

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10/08/2020 15:14:36

- the gentle and efficient delousing system

Salmon lice present a significant challenge for the aquaculture industry and are a major threat to fish welfare, not to mention a large burden on the economics of the sector’ ’Hydrolicer handles the fish gently with controlled speed, low pressure and a low lifting height during the entire delousing process’ ’Hydrolicer uses only water taken directly from the sea to process the fish. No chemicals or tempered water methods are used while delousing takes place. All transport water is taken off on board the vessel and filtered. Lice, egg strings and eggs are collected and destroyed’

’With the main focus being on good fish welfare at all stages of the delousing process, Hydrolicer has achieved excellent results and become a recognised and preferred system across a wide range of sites in the industry

’Immediately after the treatment, the fish are ready for feeding’

Sentrumsveien 10 N-7160 Bjugn post@smir.no +47 924 34 554

Smir - Aug - FP.indd 65

smir.no

10/08/2020 13:10:27

Disinfection and Anti-Fouling – Introduction

Disinfection and

Anti-Fouling Disinfection In fish farming, as in all food production, the prevention and control of disease is of paramount importance. At all stages of production, from the hatchery to the processing plant, a cleaning and disinfection programme is required to maintain the health of the fish and to prevent the transmission of harmful microorganisms.

Lodophor disinfectants have been used in aquaculture for many years.

In the 1970s, buffered iodophor disinfectants were developed; these were specifically formulated to halt vertical transmission of viruses, such as IPN, on the outer membranes of the eggs of salmonoid species, without penetration or damage to the eggs.

Buffodine, from Evans Vanodine, was one of the first of this disinfectant type to be developed and patented. Since then, this class of product has been used worldwide for egg disinfection of salmonid and other marine species, including shellfish. Buffodine is currently the only Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR) approved, iodine-based, fish egg disinfectant in Europe (Authorised biocide: UK-2019-1172.)

Disinfection of equipment used in aquaculture is equally important.

Treatments are recommended for all hard surface disinfection in and around the hatchery, rearing and fattening facilities and transport. Personal hygiene, in particular hand hygiene, is also important and should form part of any cleaning and disinfection programme. Cleaning and disinfection should be a part of the Best Aquaculture Practice to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of fish to the consumer.

Anti-Fouling Biofouling or biological fouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals on wet surfaces that have a mechanAbove Buffodine, Fish egg ical function, causing structural or other functional deficiencies. Such disinfectant accumulation is referred to as epibiosis when the host surface is another organism and the relationship is not parasitic.

Antifouling is the ability of specifically designed materials and coatings to remove or prevent biofouling by any number of organisms on wet surfaces. Since biofouling can occur almost anywhere water is present, biofouling poses risks to a wide variety of objects such as medical devices and membranes, as well as to entire industries, such as paper manufacturing, food processing, underwater construction, and desalination plants.

Specifically, the buildup of biofouling on marine vessels poses a significant problem. In some instances, the hull structure and propulsion systems can be damaged. The accumulation of biofoulers on hulls can increase both the hydrodynamic volume of a vessel and the hydrodynamic friction, leading to increased drag of up to 60%. The drag increase has been seen to decrease speeds by up to 10%, which can require up to a 40% increase in fuel to compensate. With fuel typically comprising up to half of marine transport costs, antifouling methods are estimated to save the shipping industry considerably. Furthermore, increased fuel use due to biofouling contributes to adverse environmental effects and

is predicted to increase emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide between 38 and 72% by 2020, respectively.

In aquaculture fouling organisms settle on the cage nets over time, close the mesh openings, and cause unwanted weight gain. In order to prevent fouling, aquaculture nets are generally treated with antifouling paints.

A variety of antifouling methods have historically been implemented to combat biofouling.

Recently, scientists have begun researching antifouling methods inspired by living organisms. This type of design imitation is known as biomimicry.. FF

and disinfec�on should be a “partCleaning of the Best Aquaculture Prac�ce to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of fish to the consumer

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”

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10/08/2020 15:19:09

Garware – Advertorial

Biofouling: A ‘Gluey Constrictor’ Garware’s V2 technology has built-in antifouling properties

T

he famous phrase by Captain Haddock in Tin�n’s ‘Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles!’ would be one of the first introduc�ons to biofouling species in our childhood. Any surface submerged in water is suscep�ble to the growth of aqua�c species: both micro and macro, and this effect is known as biofouling. Each year, the control of biofouling on various marine industries such as shipping, oil & gas and aquaculture costs billions of dollars.

A growing global popula�on, combined with factors such as changing socioeconomics, will place increased pressure on the world’s resources to provide not only more but also different types of food. The world popula�on is projected to reach more than nine billion by 2050. With a third more mouths to feed by 2050, and most of the land-based resources being overexploited, ocean-based farming shows great promise for mee�ng the growing protein demand. Fish is a vital source of food for people. It is man’s single most important source of high-quality protein, providing ∼16% of the animal protein consumed by the world’s popula�on, according to the Food and Agriculture Organiza�on.

Marine aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the food sector and contributes significantly to the na�onal economy of many countries. Globally, commercial marine aquaculture has evolved into one of the most developed sectors in the food industry over the last decade. However, marine aquaculture is plagued by problems such as biofouling, sea lice infesta�on, diseases, harsh environmental condi�ons, and predators leading to heavy losses.

Typical aquaculture farms use nylon or polyester nets to farm fish like salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream, etc. Both micro and macro fouling s�ck on the nets and start ‘constric�ng’ the mesh leading to reduced water exchange in the aquaculture cage. Addi�onally, biofouling on nets leads to increased drag and load on the mooring system. The addi�onal drag leads to reduc�on in effec�ve volume of the cage net, which is detrimental to the fish. Biofouling can be very aggressive in summer �mes and the se�lement on nets in winter �mes is generally very low in the salmon farming countries. In some

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Garware - PED.indd 67

Above: A simple laboratory experiment shows that a�er spinning a V2 net in seawater for 3 days, no sedimenta�on was observed.

parts of the world, biofouling can be observed year round and the cost to control can be sizeable.

Two major strategies are used to control biofouling growth on the nets: i) an�fouling paints and ii) in-situ cleaning of nets. An�fouling paints chip off and sink causing elevated copper levels in the sediment. Elevated levels of copper can be toxic to the benthic organisms. Nylon nets are o�en treated with cuprous oxide based an�fouling paints. The paint lasts for 3-9 months depending on the geography and �me of the year. Therefore, the nets may need to be coated twice in one produc�on cycle. The biocides (copper oxide) leach into the environment over a period and remain toxic to non-target species.

Nylon nets suffer from a major problem i.e., nylon absorbs water and subsequently the strength drops a�er absorbing. More recently, polyolefin nets such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) ne�ng have been introduced into the fish farming industry. HDPE does not absorb water and hence does not show the same level of reduced strength. However, high-density polyethylene nets have some drawbacks. Due to the low surface energy of HDPE, it is hard to bind an�fouling paints to the HDPE nets. Therefore, HDPE nets require frequent in-situ washing to assist in maintaining dissolved oxygen levels inside the pen. The same a�ribute also results in easy cleaning of this type of net.

Garware Technical Fibres, the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of salmon cage nets, has come up with an innova�ve composite yarn called V2 that has a built-in an�fouling property.

The highly specialized extrusion technology involves the forma�on of a composite yarn by an extrusion process involving HDPE along with metallic copper. In the case of nets made of V2 yarn, biofouling resistance is achieved by the slow release (corrosion) of copper ions from the surface of the copper present in the V2 composite net, when immersed in seawater.

The V2 net has gone through a full produc�on cycle of 13 months and the feedback received from the fish farmer was that on an average they are observing up to 50% reduc�on in in-situ cleaning frequency on the most recent versions. Addi�onally, the V2 net has been recognised by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and can be used at ASC cer�fied sites as per ASC guidelines. FF

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10/08/2020 15:20:10

(800) 227-7652 today!

NLB Corp. – Advertorial

BADINOTTI AND NLB: Net cleaning powerhouse.

Net Profits SEE VIDEO

© Copyright 2020 NLB Corp. | PSaleAqua_20_008_v1

NLB water jets specifically designed for harsh environments

C

leaners of net pens both in-situ and onshore require reliable, effec�ve water jet cleaning systems to remove algae, waste ma�er and other organic growth that restrict water flow reducing oxygen levels and water quality which affect fish health, growth and harvest yield.

NLB’s 225, 325 and 605 Series water je�ng pumps are specifically designed for the demanding rigours of net cleaning in the harshest of environments.

Extremely reliable, these proven triplex and quintuplex pump systems are slow running, minimizing wear on internal components. They provide up to 4,000 psi (275 bar) of trouble-free, low-maintenance performance. NLB offers a number of op�ons in a fleet of aquaculture-specific systems ranging from 200 hp (149 kw) to 500 hp (372 kw) with a range of flows from 73 gpm (276 lpm) to 212 gpm (800 lpm). The NLB aquaculture series pump systems feature stainless steel pump heads, exhaust and boost pump components to bring added longevity to component life in sea water environments.

The development of the NLB Series was the result of consulta�on and collabora�on with industry leading net cleaners. Significant considera�on to create a simple-to-service, compact unit drove the development process of the aquaculture series. Andrew Chilkiewicz, Marke�ng Manager at NLB, believes all of the customer requirements have been incorporated into the units: ‘A small footprint, pump reliability and serviceability were key to the development process. When you’re at the nets, miles from any port, you just can’t have issues with the equipment. This system, along with the support of our

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global footprint for parts and service, also add to the reasons why NLB is at the forefront of net cleaning system manufacturing.’

Other unit features include space-saving roll-up doors integrated into an aluminium enclosure, an undermount skid drip pan and an onboard, compact hydraulic system.

Large diameter hoses are standard to keep water veloci�es low and reduce pressure drop. A remote pressure monitoring system and engine default indicator gives operators assurance the unit is running at peak performance. Commonality of system components across power ranges make servicing a fleet easy.

NLB’s design approach to the aquaculture series has relied on almost 50 years of water je�ng experience. The company’s dedicated engineering resources allowed a holis�c approach to the design and manufacturing of these units and an end user func�onality. Notable is the fact that these units can easily be integrated with most net cleaning head systems in the market. NLB units along with their service and support capabili�es can be found around the world.

David Beckington, Vice President of Interna�onal Sales for NLB, said: ‘We believe our aquaculture series pump units are absolutely the best net cleaning systems customers can rely upon to provide extremely reliable and efficient opera�on. Some of our customers using our systems are very data driven and they have realized through cost tracking analysis that NLB systems have a significantly lower cost-of-opera�on compared to the compe��on.’

For more information on the NLB Aquacuture Series net cleaning systems, go to: www.nlbcorp. com/applications/aquaculture FF

“

When you’re miles from any port, you just can’t have issues with the equipment

”

Top: NLB customer facility in Northwest Canada Above: Slow running, easily maintained NLB pump Left: Small footprint with rollup doors allows easy access

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

10/08/2020 15:25:00

RELIABLE

NET CLEANING PUMPS. EASILY INTERFACES WITH MOST NET CLEANING HEADS.

R

un longer and stronger with NLB pumps that offer maximum uptime and easy maintenance. To learn more go to NLBCORP.COM or call (800) 227-7652 today!

BADINOTTI AND NLB: Net cleaning powerhouse.

SEE VIDEO © Copyright 2020 NLB Corp. | PSaleAqua_20_008_v1

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10/08/2020 13:11:21

Evans Vanodine – Advertorial

Can fish egg disinfectants still be used despite regulation?

F

or many years, the fish production industry has used fish egg disinfectants at the hatchery stage, to improve hatchability and profitability via destruction of disease-causing microorganisms on the outer coating of the egg. Many disinfectants are designed to kill extremely tough and resistant bacteria and viruses and are not environmentally safe. The selection of the correct disinfectant for use on fish eggs in aquaculture is therefore of great importance.

In the 1970’s, the buffered iodine disinfectant, Buffodine, was invented and patented by UK manufacturer Evans Vanodine, the first disinfectant of its type. It was specifically designed to kill viruses such as IPN and VPS, without penetration or damage to the eggs.

Generally, the use of these disinfectants was not regulated, even though they are very effective in providing low levels of mortality in brood stock and good hatchability. This, however, has now changed. In Europe, the use of all disinfectants is now controlled by the European Union Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) (EU 528/2012). The objective of BPR is to standardise the use and effectiveness of disinfectants across Europe, making them safer and preventing hazardous or environmentally unsafe compounds from being used. It is a long, complicated and expensive process, which has led to many, if not all, other manufacturers of specialist egg disinfectants to withdraw their products from the market.

Currently, Buffodine is the only authorised fish egg disinfectant in Europe (UK-2019-1172).

Above: Buffodine available in 5 L and 1 L

For all enquiries please contact export@evansvanodine.co.uk

Europe's No. 1 Fish Egg Disinfectant

Buffodine®

Reduces VHS, IPN and ISA viruses by over 99.95%

Fish Egg Disinfectant

• For disinfection of eyed salmonid eggs and newly stripped non-hardened eggs.

• Authorised* to kill viruses harmful to fish at an economical 1:100 dilution rate.

• Iodine based solution and colour coded to indicate virucidal activity.

• Patented 'buffered' neutral pH; allows disinfection without harming eggs.

• Improves hatchability of eggs.

European Biocidal Products Regulation Authorised*

Effective for over 40 years worldwide in aquaculture * Authorised biocide: UK-2019-1172.

Evans Vanodine International T: +44 (0)1772 322200 E: export@evansvanodine.co.uk

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www.evansvanodine.co.uk

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10/08/2020 15:26:33

Products and services

What’s NEW Monthly update on industry innovations and solutions from around the world Reduce your environmental footprint with FiiZK IN 2018 FiiZK received support from the governmental body, Innovation Norway, in order to increase their focus on the environmental effects of their production of tarpaulins for aquaculture.

Two years later they now use materials which lead to simpler and cleaner recovery and reuse.

The previous challenge was that the materials consisted of various polymers leading to a complex recovery. The goal was to create a solution that In The Deep creates better circular economy for FiiZK’s clients, SPECTIS Robotics Ltd. have anas well as providing them with a complete environnounced a new partnership with mental account covering the products entire life Deep Trekker Inc. to bring their remotely cycle. This includes production, transport, life span operated vehicles (ROVs) to Scotland. at sea and disposal/reuse.

Deep Trekker Inc. has a long history of collaboSince the start up FiiZK have received and recovration with global players in the aquaculture inered 800 lice skirts equaling 800 tons and 750,000 dustry, and Spectis is now bringing that expertise sqm of technical tarpaulins. This demolition is now directly to Scottish fish farms. You can speak to an established operation. Please contact them at: them about how Deep Trekker’s ROVs are easy to info@fiizk.com use, quick to deploy, and can empower fish techs to perform efficient and thorough net inspections. They can also remotely patch nets, remove morts and improve fish health and welfare. ROVs should be a big part of any fish farm’s recruitment and retention plan. You can contact Spectis now to book an on-site demo for your team. spectisrobotics.com T: 01224 701444 Euro Star AFTER years of workboat building, including EuroCarriers and successful delivery of delousing barges, Neptune Marine has developed the EuroSupporter series, an all-round support vessel for the growing aquaculture industry.

With free deck space that is remarkable for vessels of this length, these workboats offer exceptional value for their size when it comes to their ability to install equipment (e.g. delousing installations) or operate as working platforms for mooring operations or maintenance of fish farms.

The EuroSupporter series delivers comfortable facilities onboard, whilst minimizing harm to the well-being of fish. In Neptune’s mission to design and build sustainable vessels, the EuroSupporter series can be made IMO Tier III compliant, resulting in efficient operations whilst reducing emissions.

T: +31 (0)184 621423 www.neptunemarine.com

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What's New - Aug 20 -5.indd 71

Gael Force set their sights IN July, Gael Force Group celebrated the launch of a new integrated range of HD camera technology products under their SeaSight brand.

Their technology range has been substantially advanced with the development of a new SeaSight HD Camera which captures underwater video in crystal clear high definition. Combined with the new and intuitive SeaSight Control software, the full offering has been designed to provide salmon farmers with greater clarity and control, enhancing the task of monitoring feeding and fish activity inside pens.

The new SeaSight Control has a clean visual appearance which makes navigation straightforward. Camera windows are completely scalable and can be user-defined allowing the operator flexibility in screen layout.

SeaFeed Pellet Detection package can, as an option, be fully integrated into SeaSight Control. Pellet Detection uses clear video imagery from the SeaSight HD Camera and sophisticated detection algorithms to intelligently pinpoint feed pellets. gaelforceaquaculture.com/SeaSightHD

Observe the future OBSERVE Technologies are in the final trials of a unique augmented feed system that enables automatic feeding of pens. Operators and managers can configure custom feed strategies allowing them to automatically increase and decrease feeding rates ensuring a responsive and standardised method of feeding.

It is designed to complement existing processes and enable site personnel to feed more pens at once. Initial feedback has shown positive results with operators finding it increasingly useful to complement feeding in the early hours in the morning.

It is designed to plug into existing cameras already in place on farms. Together with AKVA group, it will be launched commercially into the Scottish market in the final quarter of this year. For more information please contact Jamie Johnston: jjohnston@akvagroup.com T: 07741909225

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10/08/2020 15:27:46

Flugga – Advertorial

Strong as an Oxe Six Fluggaboats ordered by Grieg Seafood

U

nst Inshore Services are currently building six Fluggaboats for Grieg Seafood.

These boats are being used as fast work boats for their sites in Shetland. Four of these are 8.5 m twin OXE 150 hp forward cabin boats and two are single engine a� consol boats with deck area as a priority.

The first two boats are currently opera�onal and are well suited to the condi�ons and clocking up almost 200 hours per month, the second two boats to be delivered in August with the final two boats delivered by the end of 2020.

The Fluggaboats are supplied coded to Cat 3 and ready to operate on delivery.

The boats are very well suited to the OXE diesel outboards and these are maintained and serviced by Unst Inshore Services. The company travelled to Sweden in December for training on the different systems that OXE use. This has proved invaluable both for themselves and Grieg as the reliability and economy are proving superb.

The Fluggaboats were developed primarily as a workboat for the salmon industry. They have now found a good power supply in the Oxe diesel which allows the boats to make good use of the room available in the aluminium hulls and HDPE collar.

Each cer�fied 8.5 hull has 7.2 m3 of buoyancy foam in the hull and collar, and has a boat weight of 3.7 tons full fuel. Cabin versions even benefit from a heater run off one engine. Stability is also very good on these boats, which makes working alongside a salmon pen safer.

The OXE diesels are supplied by Proteum. Proteum are a UK based marine distributor based in Southampton, providing marine diesel engines and support services to a worldwide customer base.

Distribu�ng a por�olio of marine products, including OXE Diesel, to both the commercial and pleasure boat markets, the OXE design has matured to achieve the highest levels of reliability. The range includes 125HP, 150HP, 175HP, 200HP and recently launched 300HP, all op�ons available are designed to meet different user specifica�ons.

The OXE Diesel is a cost effec�ve alterna�ve to petrol when considering total costs of ownership, benefi�ng from lower fuel costs, higher working efficiency, lower maintenance and ease of sourcing compared to petrol. Diesel’s lower vola�lity also makes it a safer op�on than a petrol alterna�ve.

The growth of the OXE Diesel is due to customers having confidence in the brand, which is considered to be a reliable, safe and cost effec�ve alterna�ve to petrol. Due to the pressures and new working guidelines due to Covid-19, Proteum has s�ll secured orders, commissioned engines and completed sea trails; keeping customers opera�onal and ready to get back on the water. FF

Above: One of Grieg Seafood fast boats.

ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF A RIB, JUST HARDER

Featured: 8.5m, aluminium and HDPE collar. Specifically designed for Salmon farm work, with heated cabin, twin Oxe diesel outboards. Coded MCA Cat 3 on delivery.

Built in Shetland and designed to withstand the harshest sea conditions, Flugga Boats utilise an HDPE collar and aluminium materials for strength, low maintenance and a long-life hull.

Flugga Boats, Hagdale Industrial Estate, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland ZE2 9TW Tel: (+44)1957 711 881 Email:info@fluggaboats.co.uk www.fluggaboats.co.uk

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10/08/2020 15:28:36

Processing News

Young’s hook up with Waitrose for sea bass launch

Above: Sea bass

THE first hot smoked sea bass product has been launched onto the UK market following a joint move between Young’s Seafood and the high end

supermarket chain Waitrose.

This innovative chilled farmed product, sold under the ‘Hooked’ brand was developed by

Young’s, which has seen sea bass increase in popularity among shoppers. Research has shown its light, fresh taste appeals to a wide audience.

However, until now, consumers have been limited to just the raw formats of the fish.

Young’s said it saw an opportunity to create a product for the chilled category which broke down traditional barriers to entry in smoked fish. The sea bass is smoked using oak wood to give it a light, nutty flavour, while retaining the light taste of sea bass which chilled fish consumers love.

Covid-19 has resulted in chilled ranges seeing growth in value sales by 14 per

cent year on year as, during lockdown, the category has attracted shoppers who were trying to recreate restaurant-style meals at home using high-quality fresh fish. Waitrose buyer Caroline Stanway said: ‘Sea bass is one of the favourite fish species for our shoppers so we are really pleased to have introduced this hot smoked alternative into our stores, giving our customers a new option for summer eating.’

Philip White, Commercial Manager at Young’s said: ‘We really wanted to open up the chilled market to a broader range of shoppers, some of whom

‘

We really wanted to open up the chilled market to a broader range of shoppers some of whom may have rejected smoked fish products previously

’

may have rejected smoked fish products previously, driven by uncertainty of how to prepare them or the strong flavours associated with the ‘oily fish’ species which are tradition-

ally smoked, such as salmon, mackerel and trout. This hot smoked alternative needs no further cooking, has a lighter smoked flavour and little to no smell.

‘Investment into new product development at Young’s is a key priority for us as we continue to drive the market across chilled and frozen, and this latest launch is another great demonstration of our industry-leading innovation.’

Young’s said ‘Hooked’ represented a fresh, modern proposition, sitting within its portfolio of brands, with a distinct look and feel designed to attract new, younger shoppers into the category.

Pure Salmon plans major expansion Pure Salmon is a sustainable land-based salmon producer with an operating facility in Poland capable of producing in excess of 400T of high-quality salmon per annum.

With grand plans, Pure Salmon is planning to produce 260,000T of high-quality salmon per annum with new facilities planned for Japan, France, China, Brunei, Lesotho and the USA. Each new location will have annual production or 10,000 or 20,000T per annum and will comprise vertically integrated production and processing facilities. Supported by Wiley, Pure Salmon has developed a general process building concept specific to their ‘Soul of Japan’ site, based on an annual capacity of 10,000T per annum.

Wiley was engaged to conduct a completed concept, realise and define design for the salmon processing facility. This provided a design and construct set of documentation for use by local Japanese construction companies to complete the consulting design prior to construction. Logan Ashmole, Wiley Senior Project Manager, said: ‘Congratulations to Pure Salmon who have recently raised $358USD to achieve their expansion plans. We are very excited to be working alongside their team to bring these plans to reality. We have confidence in their vision and the potential for land-based aquaculture in the future, especially as countries look to secure their domestic food supply in the current environment.’

Ashmole was also quick to mention that the project was a team effort: ‘Wiley worked with multiple parties throughout the development of the design including Smart Aqua, Marel, Baader, Aquatic, and Pure Salmon.

These stakeholders maintained their involvement throughout the realise and define design process and were critical to a successful project.’

Wiley’s completed project delivered consulting advice for Pure Salmon to be able to execute its facility in Japan and provide insights to translate the works for future facilities around the world. The design will form a base for the other facilities in subsequent design phases. This general

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concept facility was designed in line with Pure Salmon’s objectives which are aimed at taking pressure off the world’s oceans by producing salmon in regions close to the customer and thus reducing carbon emissions.

The clean technologies used will employ systems that have no negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The growing environment will be free of antibiotics, pesticides and pollutants providing the ideal environment for healthier fish and great salmon for Pure Salmon’s customers.

Above: The new facility

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Industry Diary

Industry DIARY The latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses OCTOBER 20 ASSG ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2020

The Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers’ annual conference features speakers from around the world.

October 8-9, 2020, Oban, UK

NOVEMBER 20 AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2020 Alexandria, Egypt November 28 - December 1, 2020

APRIL 21 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2021

This conference will cover the full scope and diversity of European aquaculture. AE 2021 will feature an international trade exhibition, industry forums, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops and updates on EU research.

Cork, Ireland April 12-15, 2021

MAY 21 AQUACULTURE UK 2021

FEBRUARY 21

SEPTEMBER 21 WAS NORTH AMERICA & AQUACULTURE CANADA 2021

This World Aquaculture Society event will feature hundreds of world class speakers and delegates from around the globe.

St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada September 26-29, 2021

AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2021 Aviemore will once again be the venue for this bi-annual trade fair and conference. It is undoubtedly the most important aquaculture exhibition held in the British Isles. The show has a tremendous following and with increased investment for 2021 it promises to reach even further across the broader aquaculture markets in both the UK and Europe.

The event will be held in Singapore this year with involvement from countries throughout the Asian-Pacific region and around the world.

Aquaculture is growing rapidly in the region and therefore 2020 is the perfect time for the world aquaculture community to turn its focus here.

Singapore, December 14-18, 2020

Lusaka, Zambia, June 28 - July 1, 2021

OCTOBER 21

DECEMBER 20

WORLD AQUACULTURE 2020

AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2021

Aviemore, United Kingdom May 19-21, 2021

JUNE 21

Madeira, Portugal, October 5-8, 2021

NOVEMBER 21 RASTECH CONFERENCE

RAStech 2021 is the venue for learning, networking and knowledge sharing on RAS technologies, design and implementation across the world.

Hilton Head Island, SC, USA November 3-4, 2021

ASIAN PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2021 Surabaya, Indonesia June 8-11, 2021

SEAWORK

AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2021 San Antonio,Texas, USA February 21-24, 2021

MARCH 21 LATIN AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN AQUACULTURE Guayaquil, Ecuador March 22-25, 2021

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WORLD AQUACULTURE 2021 Seawork is Europe’s leading commercial marine and workboat exhibition, providing businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to an international audience.

Southampton, Mayflower Park, UK, 15-17 June, 2021 Visit www.seawork.com

Merida, Mexico, November 15-19, 2021

FEBRUARY 22 AQUACULTURE 2022 San Diego, California, USA February 27 - March 3, 2022

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10/08/2020 13:12:46

Cork, Ireland, April 12-15, 2021

#AE20CRK

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Opinion – Inside track

A Bright Future?

BY NICK JOY

I

have finally visited a restaurant after all of these months. I would like to tell you it was a great experience but it wasn’t particularly.

It wasn’t bad but the whole place felt half empty and not the way restaurants used to be. Somehow I have come to equate busy with good, which is not the way it is going to be for some considerable time if ever. The food was ok but the service was incredibly nervous and the poor serving staff clearly were worried that they might upset a customer if they handled the cutlery wrong or if their mask slipped. It felt, as it was, somewhat experimental. Hopefully some of these things will relax and also people will become less po-faced about everyone being perfect.

We need these outlets to become thriving businesses again as we utterly depend on their ability to bring our product to the consumer in ways which encourage consumption but also which make people want to eat salmon at home. I have often come away from a restaurant thinking that I must cook more of whatever it was I ate. Chefs are the ambassadors of our products not only by endorsing it but also by showing people how to eat it. Yet all too often farmed products leave the marketing either to industry organisations, quality marks or the people between us and the consumer. No wonder they can control the access to the consumer for the farmers.

I know we are mostly business to business companies but imagine if a car manufacturer decided that it was a b2b business and didn’t try to sell its product to the consumer. How ridiculous would that be? Yet how often does the consumer get positive information about any farmed product? I have long hoped that aquaculture and agriculture would start working together to push healthy meal solutions and raise the profile of Scottish produce as a full meal option. We need to remember that we are not alone in the marketplace. It is often felt that we are in a highly competitive market with all of us trying to sell to a limited number of middlemen. In truth we are all competing for the plate a chef puts out or the home cook putting a meal out for the family. Yet there are some wonderful alliances that could be made.

Think of the meals you love and you can find alliances that would sell really well together: Salmon, tatties and asparagus. The asparagus industry in Scotland produces an absolutely dreamy product. And Scottish New tatties are just delicious. Surely if we pushed we could find a whole range of foods that we could market together. A campaign linking together different Scottish productions would also differentiate Scotland’s food because there are few other countries that could do it. I know it hasn’t been done but in this new connected marketplace, the consumer is listening like never before, so perhaps we should talk to them like never before.

Changing the subject a little, how wonderful it is to see Plaice production being contemplated again. When I was a student these things were being looked at and I worked with Dover Sole for some time in Hunterston. It was utterly

78

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The “ asparagus

industry in Scotland produces an absolutely dreamy product

”

fascinating. I also worked with Plaice at Ardtoe, where they had sealed off a small bay and put in pumps to ensure water exchange. They put in a large number of juvenile plaice, hoping to have a big harvest the following year. Unluckily the only harvest they had was a large number of crabs. Ever such was fish farming! I wish the new venture enormous success as it is exactly the sort of thing I got into fish farming for all those years ago.

Maybe if we take this sort of innovative spirit in production and apply it to marketing too, we will all have the bright future which aquaculture truly deserves! FF

www.fishfarmermagazine.co.uk

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