Fish Farmer December 2021

Fish F armer DECEMBER 2021

LONG VIEW ON THE PULSE

Ambitious plans for ‘semi-closed’ cages

Fish and heart health

BACK TO GROWTH

Worldwide survey is upbeat

YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH

Sustainability

The ideal species for RAS?

Action is under way, from hybrid vessels to housing

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Welcome

Editor’s Welcome

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ierra del Fuego, issue the southernmost of Argen� na, a good claimand to the he December of Fish Farmerprovince celebrates innova� onhas in aquaculture, the�tle “The end of the world.” never-ending drive to improve sustainability.

Earlier this just month regional thethe province voted to ban open net It’s been overthe a year sincelegislature what wasof then Sco�sh Salmon Producers salmon farming.

Coming on top of the Danish government’s decision last Organisa�on, now Salmon Scotland, brought out A Better Future For Us autumn All. This to curtail further growth fishanfarming at sea, and thefor ongoing struggleinofthe theindustry, industryand in was theany document that setofout ambi�ous manifesto sustainability Canada to resist the closure farms in thehave Discovery Islands, is on clearer everyear. that the in this issue we look at how of those pledges been put into itac� overthan the past fish farming to make its case in order justvetofigures stay ininbusiness.

Also in thisindustry month’sneeds magazine, we talk to two innova� aquaculture. Stewart It’s not all gloom, however.

At the North Atlan� c Seafood Forum – heldgoing online this year Hawthorn is Chief Execu�ve with Loch Long Salmon, which is currently through the –planning Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg reiterated her belief that investment in process for a proposed semi-closed fish farm in the west of Scotland. the blue economy is aargues route to saving the environment, not harming Also the NASF, chief Hawthorn that the technology being applied to thisit.site willataddress many of the execu� ves and analysts alike were in agreement that the industry’s biggest challenge is challenges that currently make approving new farms a difficult process. finding ways to meet the world’s growing demand for their product – arguably, that’s We also profile The Kingfish Company, which is about to start construc�on of a new a good problem recircula�tonghave. aquaculture systems (RAS) farm in Maine for yellowtail kingfish, to replicate its In this issue we report the NASF present the first part of a preview of Aqua Nor successful model alreadyonopera� ng inand thealso Netherlands.

2021, ofMaiman the industry’s biggest trade shows.

CEO one Ohad was new to fish farming when he conceived the business plan, but his What’s happening in aq The July issue also features amanager profile oflooking Norcod, the frontes runner in thehim racethat to experience as an investment at currently future opportuni� convinced in the UK and around th revive the cod farming industry.

Find outenormous why Norcod’s Chief What’s happening in aquacu land-based aquaculture is a sector with poten� al. Execu�ve, Chris�an Riber, believes me they have that a model that w in the UK and around the wo Also in this this �issue we learn lumpfi sh works. can be bold or shy; that while salmon may be good We also focus on two aquaculture projects in Guatemala and The Bahamas that are being JENNY HJUL – EDITOR JENNY HJUL – EDITOR for our hearts, they have cardio problems of their own; and that aquaculture is making great supported

by Norway’s Kvarøy c,csand on thein“Øymerd” project which is se�ng out to steps in reducing the use of an�Arc� bio� –HJUL which JENNY HJUL –– EDITOR JENNY EDITOR turn helps human health. create a fi sh farm based on a fl oa� ng concrete island.

Also, Nicki Holmyard reports on an ini�a�ve to promote innova�on in English aquaculture Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions Nicki Holmyard looks at the shellfi sh farmers’ le against tubeworm and thisand issue also and Salmon Scotland’s Hamish Macdonell calls ba� for an apprecia� on of tolerance nuance features special industry reports on Breeding and Gene�cs, Transport and Logis�cs and Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions this Christmas. 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 Li� ing and Cranes.

However you are celebra�ng the fes�ve season, have a of good one. All of usinquiry, at Fish Farmer be thewere subject a be parliamentary embraced the industry willsent soon gathering the (European salmon to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti sh news from the Scotti 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 wish you the very best for 2022. opportunity this would provide to explain how it month. operated.

Aquaculture Society) and WAS (World Aquaculture Society) parliament went back to work at the start of this These farming, conducted earlier this year by the Rural Economy Best wishes, be thewere subject ofScotti a be parliamentary inquiry, embraced industry willsent soon gathering the EASinto (European salmon to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti shthe news from the sh parliamentary inquiry salmon Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The industry had nothing to hide and, if given aof fair hearing, could Meet thehealth new chief exe conference, to be staged over fi ve days in the southern French images had litt le to do with the current state Scotland’s fi sh and Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now held fi ve Robert Outram opportunity this would provide explain how it month. operated.

Aquaculture Society) and WAS (World Aquaculture Society) parliament back to work atto the start of this These farming, went conducted earlier this year by the Rural Economy Best wishes, address much of the criti cism levelled against it. city ofngs, Asto well asand, highlighti ng the latest technological farms -Montpellier. where sea lice are in decline and, inwe fact, at abe five- Meet meeti in nothing private, tolevels consider their report and must Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The had hide if given fair hearing, thehealth new chief executiv conference, to beto staged over days in theaof southern images had litt le do with thefive current state Scotland’s ficould sh and industry Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now heldFrench five Robert Outram 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, Astolevels well asare highlighti ng the latest technological farms -Montpellier. where sea lice in decline and, inwe fact, at abe fivemeeti in private, 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 ngofpoverty.

Increasingly, ngs anti -aquaculture suspects, as Economy activists. latest thesecame (see ourHolyrood’s newsindustry storyRural onmeeti page 4) became more opti misti c.into Weand now believe that MSPs, perhaps with acceptability of aquaculture the contributi on it makes to global consider its draft report 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 44 Number 07 Volume 44 Number 12 light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sites to snatch photographs in Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and, in any case, Also investi gati ngacti initi aties, veswhich inregard thenow developing world, Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, the industry in a Dr favourable stepped viti involve breaching the within it.up their Editorial Board: Nigeria, both in catf ish and ti lapia culti vati on.

Editorial Advisory Advisory Board: responsibiliti es seriously and that businesses will only ever invest in the hope of fi nding incriminati ng evidence against farmers.

One 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 photographs ingame Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and, inof any case,ngthe Steve In Scotland, the summer has been a waiti Steve Bracken, Bracken, Hervé Hervé Migaud, Migaud, Jim Jim Treasurer, Treasurer, What’s in a name?

Dr Nick Lake Phil Thomas growth that is sustainable.

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

Onein committ ee’s fiin ndings are not binding.

Scotland’s fish farmers Chris while the parliament is inthat recess and thethose members of Holyrood’s Chris Mitchell, Mitchell, Jason Jason Cleaversmith Cleaversmith Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 If the committ ee members, especially who have yet to fi shthat at aEwing, Marine site. Another saidofhea saw ‘hundreds’ Fergus toHarvest growhas sustainably.

In Scotland, the summer something ngminister, game of Phil What’s in a name?

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

Another said hefarming. saw ‘hundreds’ Fergus toHarvest grow sustainably. theaEwing, evidence in their inquiry into salmon We don’tof expect Editor: Outram Editor: Robert RobertRural Outram their we have plenty of good stories in our May Even and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue weigh up Head Offi ce: Special Publica� ons, Fe� es Park, of theinquiry, professional vets and biologists who manage theissue. welfare of committ ee, with their own against the growth of Head Offi ce: Special Publica� ons, Fe� esto Park, visit a Economy farm, like toagendas learn more about the subject ofthetime infested salmon in go awould but we only have his word against that Buttheir itsalmon should not unchallenged that some MSPs on the REC report unti l pen, the autumn but hope the MSPs are using the bett er,farms they could head to Highlands later this month, where 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DLWe the evidence in their inquiry into salmon farming. don’t expect Designer: Balahura Designer: Andrew Andrewtheir Balahura these on a daily basis. industry, are in breach of the Code of Conduct for MSPs. As they 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 Doug McLeod Montpellier report Dr Marti n Jaff a 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, Commercial Commercial Manager: Manager: 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 to become fully with the facts aboutof fish farming. biggest fish acquainted farming show. must mount aaquaculture much more robust defence itself, through its and of businesses vital toBracken.

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

The to know who they are, and we hope the industry, through its warm from his friendsdefence and colleagues tohave mark the biggest fishtributes farming show.

Magazine Subscrip� ons, Warners Group Magazine Subscrip� ons, Warners Group must mount a much more robust of itself, through its and of businesses vital to Scotland’s economy, we a right serving employee, Steve Bracken.

We had nonothing, trouble collecti ng forward toand, seeing many of you there too. campaigners, we now see, will stop at representati ves, will pressure the parliament toand investi gate before Publisher: Benne� Publisher: Alister Alisterrepresentati Benne� milestone along with rest of the industry, thefarmers team We will certainly be at Aquaculture UK in Aviemore and look Publica� ons plc, The Mal� ngs, Publica� ons plc, The Mal� ngs, vethey body, the SSPO, than itthe has done tothrough date.

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

Farmer wish him all the very best for the future.

West Street, Bourne West Street, Bourne forward toand, seeing many of the you 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 along with rest of thenothing, industry, thefarmers team Fish Lincolnshire Lincolnshire PE10 9PH should prepared to fivery ghtPE10 back. the RECbe report published.

Farmer wish himis all the best9PH for the future.

Conte Conten 4-15 4-14 News 4-15 4-14 News

Fair hearing French connection Farmers must fight back Uphold the code Fair hearing French connection Farmers must Uphold the codefight back

T I A TIA

16-21 16-17 16-22 Industry pioneer News Extra platform Parliamentary in 16-21 16-17 16-22 Industry pioneer News Extra platform Parliamentary inquir 22-23 18-19 24-27 Salmon market SSPO 22-23 18-19 24-27 Salmon market SSPO

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24 20 20-21 28-29 BTA Shellfish Comment 24 20 20-21 28-29 Comment BTA Shellfish

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Tel: Tel: +44 +44 (0)1778 (0)1778 392014 392014

ons: UK Subscrip� ons: £75 £75 aa year year www.fishfarmer-magazine.com nowSubscrip� on @fishfarmermag Fish Farmer isUK ROW aa year ROW Subscrip� Subscrip�ons: ons: £95 £95www.fishupdate.com year including including Facebook and Twitter Fish Farmer is now postage on www.fishfarmermagazine.com -- All postage All Air Air Mail Mailwww.fishfarmer-magazine.com www.fishupdate.com Facebook andthe Twitter Contact us Meet team

Meet thebybyteam Printed JJ Thomson Printed in in Great Great Britain Britain for for the the proprietors proprietors Wyvex Wyvex Media Media Ltd Ltd Thomson Colour Colour Printers Printers Ltd, Ltd, Glasgow Glasgow ISSN ISSN 0262-9615 0262-9615 Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 Contact us Meet the team

26 22-23 30 Shellfi sh Comment BTA 26 22-23 30 Shellfi sh Comment BTA 28-31 24-25 32-33 SSPO Comment Scottish Shellfi sh Sea Far 28-31 24-25 32-33 SSPO Comment Scottish Shellfi sh Sea Farms Rising stars Marti nBrown Jaff a Orkney anniversary Janet 32-33 26-27 26-30 34-35 Shellfi shfiSea Cleaner sh Far Scottish Comment 32-33 26-27 26-30 34-35 Janet Machrihanish Orkney farm Marti nBrown Jaff a visit Shellfi shfiSea Cleaner sh Farms Scottish Comment 13

Janet Machrihanish Orkney farm Marti nBrown Jaff a visit

13

34-35 28-29 32-33 36-41 Comment Cleaner Orkneyvisitfish Farm 34-35 28-29 32-33 36-41 Comment Cleaner Orkneyvisitfish Farm

3 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 new Migaud, PatrickJim Smith and Jim Hervé Patrick Smith, PatrickMigaud, Smith, Treasurer and Editor: Jenny Hjul jhjul@fi shupdate.com Treasurer, Wiliam 12/07/2021 15:32:14 Jim Treasurer and Dowds William Dowds William Dowds Head Office: Special Publications, Dawn 09/12/2021 14:10:22 Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines New player new Designer: Andrew Balahura

Contents

Fish F armer In the December issue...

News

What’s happening in the UK and around the world

Processing News

22-23

Update from the processing sector

Comment

24-25

Martin Jaffa

Salmon Scotland

26-27

Hamish Macdonell

Shellfish

28-29

Nicki Holmyard

Sustainability

30-35

Sandy Neil

Fish Health

36-37

Vince McDonagh

Loch Long Salmon

The plan for a semi-closed farm moves forward

Global Aquaculture Survey Norway

42-43

Vince McDonagh

Breeding & Genetics

44-47

Applying science to broodstock improvement

The Kingfish Company

48-51

Exclusive interview with CEO Ohad Maiman

Antibiotics

How the industry is tackling antimicrobial resistance

Processing Fish by-products are a lot more than just “waste”

Cleaner Fish Ben Whittaker on personality profiling for lumpfish

Lifting & Cranes What’s New Monthly update on industry innovations and solutions All the latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses Find all you need for the industry

Opinion Nick Joy

4

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52-54 55 56-57 58-59

Tough kit for tough jobs

Aqua Source Directory

38-39 40-41

How worldwide production is looking for 2021

Industry Diary

6-20

60 62 64-65 66

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08/12/2021 14:49:20

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

SEPA moots ‘protection zones’ for wild salmon THE new regime for regulating fish farming in Scotland will include wild salmon protection zones in which applications for new or expanded farm sites could be turned down if the risk to wild fish from sea lice is deemed to be too great.

The proposal is laid out in a consultation document from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which is set to become the lead regulator for marine fish farming in Scotland.

The document, Proposals for a riskbased, spatial framework for managing interaction between sea lice from marine finfish farm developments and wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland, includes details of where the protection zones are likely to be located and how the acceptable threshold for sea lice will be calculated.

In October, the Scottish Government announced that SEPA would be the lead body for regulating marine finfish farming, and said that proposals for a spatial framework to guide future applications for new farms or increased capacity would be published shortly.

Explaining the proposals now out, SEPA said: “Whilst the causes of the poor conservation status of wild salmon stocks are complex and believed to be due to a range of different factors rather than a single cause, sea lice from open-net pen finfish farms in Scotland can pose a significant risk to wild salmon populations.”

SEPA said it has worked closely with scientists from Marine Scotland as well as with Nature

6

UK News v2.indd 6

Above: SEPA proposed wild salmon protection areas Left: Terry-A’Hearn Opposite: SEPA risk assessment process; The Sir John Murray, SEPA’s survey vessel

Scot and local planning authorities to develop a means of assessing the risk to wild Atlantic salmon posed by marine finfish farm developments.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of SEPA, said: “Scotland is renowned worldwide for the quality of its rivers, lochs and seas. Despite this, in nearly 60% of salmon rivers across Scotland, including on the West Coast and Western Isles, salmon populations are in poor conservation status.

Whilst the causes of the poor conservation status of wild salmon stocks are complex and believed to be due to a range of different factors rather than a single cause, we know that sea lice from marine finfish farms can be a significant hazard.”

He added that the protection of wild salmon was “a national priority” for Scotland.

Protection zones Under the proposals, permits for all existing farms that can contribute to infective-stage sea lice in wild salmon protection zones would be changed to enable inclusion of conditions that (a) appropriately control the factors determining the number of juvenile sea lice emanating from the farms so that those numbers cannot significantly increase without prior authorisation; and (b) require sufficient information to be provided about the operation of the farms to enable calculation of the number of juvenile lice hatching from lice on the farms’ fish and the resulting infective-stage sea lice concentrations in wild salmon protection zones.

This is needed, SEPA said, to assess the impact of a development proposal on infective-stage lice densities in the protection zones.

Wild salmon protection zones are defined as “narrow or constrained areas of sea (e.g. sea lochs and sounds) that wild salmon post-smolts have to pass through, and are hence concentrated, as they migrate away from the coast to the open sea.”

The proposed zones identified in the document cover each graded salmon river under the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation or Sites of Special Scientific Interest for the conservation of Atlantic salmon or the freshwater pearl mussel (which is dependent on salmonids for part of its life cycle).

All the proposed zones are located on the west coast of Scotland or the Hebrides. There are no zones on the east coast – where there is no marine finfish farming – or the northern isles, where there are no relevant salmon rivers.

Although they are also subject to sea lice, sea trout are not part of the proposed framework for now, SEPA said, because too little is known so far about their interactions with the parasite.

Risk thresholds The threshold for risk to wild salmon is based on the likely exposure of post-smolts to sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) as the fish migrate from the coast to the open sea.

SEPA is proposing an exposure threshold of

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

09/12/2021 14:21:42

All the latest industry news from the UK

0.7 “infective-stage sea lice-days per m2” integrated over the upper two metres of the sea. This could mean, for example exposure for one day to a concentration of 0.7 infective-stage sea lice per m2, or exposure to 0.3 infective-stage sea lice per m2 on the first day of migration and to 0.4 infective-stage sea lice per m2 on the second day. The number of days’ exposure depends on how long a post-smolt would take to pass through the zone to the open sea.

The thresholds are aimed at preventing the number of mobile sea lice from exceeding a “safe level” of 0.1 lice per gram of wild salmon.

The anticipated number of juvenile sea lice dispersing from open-net pen farms will take account of the number of fish on the farm and the average number of adult female sea lice with SEPA with sufficient information in eggs per fish, as well as hydrodynamic factors order to calculate the risk threshold. such as ocean currents.

The document makes it clear that: “Any Farms in protection zones will need to provide proposal where expected contribution of sea

lice into the environment could not be accommodated within the sea lice exposure threshold would not be granted authorisation.”

SEPA is proposing to integrate controls for protecting wild salmon fully into its wider regulatory framework for controlling other pressures on the water environment from marine finfish farms, including discharges of fish faeces and medicines.

The consultation is open for comment until 14 March 2022 and details can be found at consultation.sepa.org.uk/regulatory-services/protection-of-wild-salmon/

Cooke Aquaculture opens new Scotland office SCOTTISH salmon farmer Cooke Aquaculture has opened a new Scotland corporate office.

It is located in Avondale House in Strathclyde Business Park in Bellshill, close to the main motorway serving Glasgow and Edinburgh – Scotland’s

Above: The new Cooke office

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UK News v2.indd 7

two largest cities.

The office has been completely refurbished and equipped with new energy-efficient equipment throughout to create premium office accommodation for more than 30 staff making up Cooke’s UK sales, supply chain,

communications, finance, IT and sustainability teams.

Cooke said the office is powered with renewable electricity from Blantyre Muir windfarm near Hamilton and has electric vehicle charging spaces outside.

At just over 5,000 square feet the new corporate office provides more than double the square footage of Cooke’s previous office accommodation in Strathclyde Business Park. Not only will this enable staff to socially distance, it is equipped with “hot desks” for staff who are not normally based in Bellshill.

Colin Blair, Cooke Aquaculture Scotland Managing Director said: “It’s been 20 months since we took the decision to enable those staff who could to work from home. Back in March 2020 no-one could have predicted how long the disruption to the business would last, nor foresee the effect Covid-19 would have on our working and personal lives.

“So today’s opening of our new corporate office, and the return of all our office-based colleagues across the country, feels significant.”

The move coincides with the company’s decision for all office-based staff to return in a phased approach to their normal places of work.

7

09/12/2021 14:22:28

United Kingdom News

Two senior hires, one returner for Seafood Scotland SEAFOOD Scotland, the national trade and marketing body for Scottish seafood, has created two new senior roles to help promote the industry, including a new initiative to support langoustine exports.

Karen Galloway joins as Head of Retail and Matthew Hurst takes on the role of Programme Manager.

In her new post, Karen

Galloway will support the strategic development of Seafood Scotland, focusing primarily on initiatives within retail, both UK multiples and independent retail sectors. She has over a decade of experience working in the seafood sector in marketing and project management roles, including two years

MacKenzie to lead Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture PROFESSOR Simon MacKenzie has been named as the new Head of the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture.

He is an evolutionary biologist and immunologist who has worked at the Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) since 2013. Professor MacKenzie will take over from Professor Selina Stead as Head on 1 January.

Professor Alistair Jump, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, said:“We are grateful to Professor Stead for her dedication and vision in leading the IoA over

the last three years.

“The period of her leadership has seen rapid changes in the external environment across policy and practice and the very significant challenges of leading the Institute during the pandemic.

Selina leaves the Institute efficient and well-positioned to meet the demands of the future.We wish Selina the very best of success in her new role at the University of Leeds.”

He added:“We are excited to welcome Professor Simon MacKenzie as the new Head of the Institute

of Aquaculture. Simon brings a wealth of research knowledge and considerable experience of leading successful academicindustry collaborations to improve animal health and welfare in the sector. He joins us at a tremendously exciting time, and we look forward to working with him as he leads significant new initiatives that will underpin the next phase of development of the Institute.”

Professor MacKenzie was born and bred in Stirling, but spent 12 years as Professor of Biology in Barcelona, specialising in human and animal immunology, before returning to Scotland.

During his time at the IoA, he has been Director of Research, focussing on molecular biology and the genomics of aquatic animals.

Left: Simon MacKenzie.

Photo: Jeff-Holmes

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as Head of Marketing for Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood industry across the UK. Matthew Hurst joins from Scottish salmon farm, Loch Duart, where he worked in international sales for six years. He will oversee delivery of key industry-led workstreams to improve the langoustine (nephrops) supply chain as part of the Scottish Nephrops Programme Board. This post is funded by Scottish Government.

Natalie Bell also returns to the Seafood Scotland team following maternity leave, to

take up her position again as Head of Trade Marketing (Asia, Europe and Middle East).

Top left: Karen Galloway Left: Matthew Hurst Above: Natalie Bell

HIE backs Scottish Salmon A four-year aquaculture research and development project has been awarded up to £5m in public sector funding.

The post-smolt innovation project is being carried out at The Scottish Salmon Company’s (SSC) Applecross sites in the northwest Highlands. It will create around 30 new rural jobs and significantly advance salmon farming in Scotland.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has approved up to £3m investment, and a further £2m in funding has been confirmed by Marine Scotland.

The project is being led by The Scottish Salmon Company as part of longer-term commitment by its parent company, the Bakkafrost Group.

A central aim is to increase smolt size from around 100g to 500g in an ecologically sustainable way, using innovative recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology.

It will include innovative husbandry and enhancing smolt testing and vaccination methods to improve fish welfare while increasing production.

Greater control of the freshwater rearing environment allows the length of time smolts spend in the freshwater phase of production to be increased.The marine phase, where the fish are most at risk to environmental and biological challenges, such as predation and disease, will be shortened.This will reduce biological risk and enable greater productivity and quality.

Announcing the funding, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “I welcome the new approach being taken by The Scottish Salmon Company since it became part of the Bakkafrost Group and the introduction of new management.

“The project will deliver on improved fish and welfare, applies innovation to address key challenges and contributes towards sustainability. It also supports the creation of new jobs which will boost the wider economy.”

See also Sustainability, page 30 Above: Rural Secretary Mairi Gougeon

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09/12/2021 14:24:19

All the latest industry news from the UK

Scottish salmon producers predict increased production for 2021 SALMON farmers in Scotland saw their production go up by 3.8% year on year for the third quarter of 2021, to 60,600 tonnes. The industry expects to produce a total of 217,000 tonnes this year, up 4.5% for 2020.

The figures come from Salmon Scotland’s Economic Quarterly report for Q3, 2021. The report also shows that salmon exports from Scotland fell to £182m in Q3, from a record level in Q2 of this year of £202m, reflecting some month by month volatility.

Farm gate prices (as shown in the NASDAQ Salmon Index, which records prices for Norwegian salmon) rallied in Q3 after a seasonal decline at the start of the quarter, but remain some way below the high level seen at the end of 2019.

For the first time, the Economic Quarterly

provides a regional breakdown for salmon production in Scotland. In descending order this breaks down as (with percentages rounded): • North Coast and West Highlands 15,900 tonnes (26%); • Argyll and Clyde 14,000 tonnes (23%); • Shetland 12,400 tonnes (20%); • Outer Hebrides 11,700 tonnes (19%); and • Orkney 6,700 tonnes (11%).

Farmed salmon contributes more than £640m to the Scottish economy, the report says, with a total turnover of more than £1bn at the farm gate and more than £370m spent with suppliers in Scotland. The salmon farming sector employs 2,500 people directly.

Salmon Scotland Chief Executive Tavish Scott said

he was optimistic about the future, adding: “As more businesses return to full capacity, the outlook for domestic consumption in the restaurant and hospitality sector should remain positive.

“This is because consumers will take the opportunity to eat out more often while at the same time cooking and enjoying

salmon in their own homes.

“The sector is proving just how robust and agile it is in challenging market conditions. This is clearly very good news for Scotland’s rural and island communities and all who live and work in them.”

Above: Production of Scottish salmon

Seal attacks ‘cost Scottish salmon farmers £12m a year’ MORE than one million farm-raised Salmon Scotland show that in 2020, the winter, the total is due to pass one salmon in Scotland are expected to 516,443 fish were killed directly in seal million well before Christmas. have been killed by seals in the two years attacks (with many hundreds of thouThe salmon killed by seals would have to the end of 2021. sands more so stressed they died later). fetched a market price of £12,253,743 Statistics published by Salmon Scotland, In the eight months to the end of in 2020 and a further £8,436,987 in the the trade body for Scotland’s farmed August 2021, a further 347,917 salmon eight months of 2021 to end of August, salmon sector, reveal the extent of seal were killed directly by seals, taking the adding up to a total lost revenue of predation on salmon farms, with attacks total since January 2020 to 864,360. £20,690,730. costing salmon farmers an average of With four months left in 2021 and with Scotland has 210 active salmon farms, £12m a year in lost fish. seal attacks peaking traditionally in of which about 70% will be stocked at any one time.This means The figures are contained in a report setting out in that on average, 2,792 detail the impact of seal atsalmon were lost per tacks on Scotland’s salmon farm (with a lost harvest revenue of £67,696) in farming sector.

Tavish Scott, Chief Exec2020 and a further 1,955 fish (with an expectutive of Salmon Scotland, said seal predation was ed harvest revenue of getting worse and he urged £47,399) in the first eight government ministers to sit months of 2021. down with sector leaders to Salmon Scotland argues discuss possible solutions. that farmers have a statutory duty to protect He said: “There is no easy fix but we need a diatheir stock but many feel logue with ministers – and they are powerless to the leaders of other sectors do anything about seals, which are a protected affected – to find ways of species, now that they tackling what has become an increasingly serious issue can now neither dispatch the predators nor scare for our members.”

Above: Seals in salmon pen after biting through top bird protection netting them away.

The figures released by

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09/12/2021 14:25:03

United Kingdom News

Lobster restoration project reaches another milestone ORKNEY Shellfish Hatchery (OSH) has announced the release of its first stock of land-raised European clawed lobster juveniles into the ocean.

The release, which saw 500 of the hatchery’s advanced lobster juveniles deployed directly onto the seabed at the Churchill Barriers in Orkney, Scotland, was supported by local diving school, Kraken Diving.

The lobsters had been successfully raised on land at the hatchery from egg through to stage 6 and beyond using the Aquahive© system from Ocean Above: The Orkney Shellfish Hatchery and Kraken Diving teams On Land Technology©. hatchery said, therefore giving them the best On release, they measured up chance of survival in the wild. to 45mm in size (from claw tip to end of tail).

Dr Nik Sachlikidis, Managing Director at Juvenile lobsters of this size are considered OSH, said: “We are excited about the first more robust than in earlier stages, the

release of our European clawed lobster juveniles and are extremely proud of the progress that both Callum, our lead lobster hatchery technician, and the hatchery team has made.

“We are pleased to play our part in maintaining and replenishing native lobster stocks in the local waters and this release is a clear demonstration of how we aim to support the valuable local fishery. I’d also like to extend a huge thanks to the Kraken Diving, Orkney team, who we look forward to working with again on upcoming, larger lobster releases.”

Last month OSH carried out its first successful release of native flat oyster spat, another of the restoration projects it is involved with.

New feed barge for Kames on Skye KAMES Fish Farming has taken delivery of a new feed barge for its Pooltiel site on Skye.The barge – named Fast Alice, has been designed to withstand the high energy nature of the site, and has high capacity hoppers, which will reduce the carbon footprint of feed deliveries and keep the farm stocked up in bad weather.

The vessel is fitted with environmental monitoring equipment, giving Kames’ farm staff live and historic information on water quality and tides.

The investment in the new barge was achieved with the help of funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The company said: “It’s a vital investment for us, keeping our site and jobs secure on Skye into the future.”

Above: The Fast Alice feed barge

Kelp study promises a happier home for cleaner fish A company that provides cleaner fish hides for fish farms has received a £125,000 funding package from the Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) to explore the benefits of using natural kelp to provide a more natural environment for the fish.

KelpRing – the name of the company and its product – is a system that mimics wild seaweed habitats, to create a “home from home” in which cleaner fish can thrive, helping them to keep sea lice numbers down in salmon pens.

Supported by the SIF programme, with additional input from the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), salmon producer Loch Duart, and the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, the new research will see KelpRings deployed at one of Loch Duart’s salmon farms for the next 18 months.

Designed as an alternative to artificial seaweed hides typically used on fish farms, KelpRing aims to be as close as possible to the type of environment ballan wrasse and lumpfish – the most common cleaner fish species – would experience in the wild.

A previous feasibility study with Scottish Sea Farms, combined with international research, showed that the

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introduction of natural kelp on salmon farms can have medicinal properties and a calming effect on cleaner fish, boosting their ability to tackle sea lice.

This latest trial will see Institute of Aquaculture researchers evaluate the impact of KelpRing against current standard conditions, assessing the preference of cleaner fish and mapping behavioural and physiological changes in the cleaner fish population related to their welfare.They will be also looking at cleaner fish efficiency by means of sea lice counts and the health and welfare state of salmon.

The SIF is administered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) on behalf of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Martin Welch, founder of KelpRing, said:“Cleaner fish are naturally drawn to seaweed forests and by adding kelp hides to salmon pens, it allows the fish to act as they would in the wild, in their natural habitat.

Wrasse and lumpfish can live a long and healthy life of up to 25 years if the conditions are right, and measures to enhance their wellbeing can only support their ability to treat sea lice.”

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

09/12/2021 14:26:15

All the latest industry news from the UK

Competition body clears takeover of Grieg’s UK assets THE UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared Scottish Sea Farms’ bid to acquire Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK, paving the way for the takeover of Grieg’s Scottish assets.

In June 2021, Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) – which is co-owned 50/50 by Lerøy Seafood Group and SalMar ASA – signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK from Grieg Seafood ASA for the Above: Scottish Sea Farms’ Slocka farm, Shetland purchase price of £164m. ever before to create the best growing Included in the deal are the conditions, working collectively as one company’s freshwater hatchery, processing team with regards to the key factors of facility and 21 marine farms around the fish health, stocking regimes and sea lice Shetland Islands and Isle of Skye which, management. combined, produced approximately 16,000 “This, in turn, will enable us to offer tonnes (HOG) of Atlantic salmon in 2020. customers a more secure and stable This complements the geography of supply of premium quality Scottish SSF’s own operations across mainland farmed salmon.”

Scotland, Shetland and Orkney, the It is anticipated that the acquisition, company said, putting the salmon grower on track to produce 46,000 tonnes in 2022. which will be financed with 100% cash consideration from SSF, will complete as Commenting on the CMA early as year-end. announcement, SSF Managing Director Grieg said last year that, following the Jim Gallagher said:“This is hugely positive Covid-19 pandemic, it had to make some news that promises farmers from both tough decisions by prioritising resources companies greater opportunity than

and investment. Its focus will now be on Norway and Canada.

It also emerged last year that this is not the first time that Grieg has tried to sell its Shetland business.

Faced with mounting biological problems, the company considered such a plan five years ago, but shelved the move until the situation had improved, deciding instead to wind down in the Isle of Skye. Most of those earlier biological problems have now been satisfactorily resolved, Grieg has said.

The UK’s competition rules required that the CMA consider “whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.”

Following the consultation period, the CMA has decided there are no grounds to undertake an “in-depth assessment” of the deal.

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09/12/2021 14:26:51

European News

NEWS...

Norway seafood exports hit new record a month early

Above: Salmon fillets

NORWAY’S seafood exports last month broke the 2019 all-time record figure of NOK 107.2bn (£8.9bn), the latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council show.

With the December figure still to come, they so far total NOK 108.8bn (£9bn).

November exports were worth NOK 12bn (£1bn), a value rise of 28% on a year ago.

Seafood Council CEO Renate Larsen said: “Although we still have major challenges with the coronavirus pandemic both at home and abroad, we experienced a growth in demand compared with November last year. This applies to important species such as salmon, cod, trout, saithe and king crab.”

She did not think that the threat of a new shutdown in some countries would hit sales as hard as they did at the start of the pandemic almost two years ago because of an increase in home sales.

November also saw a new monthly record for farmed salmon, with sales reaching 127,000 tonnes and worth NOK 8bn (£660m). Volumes were 19% higher and the value 40% up on November last year.

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Seafood Council analyst Paul T. Aandahl said the strong development in salmon exports continued with a new monthly record in value.

He said: “Most markets showed a strong increase in volume and value as a result of continued high sales to the grocery trade. At the same time, the consumption of salmon in restaurants has increased compared with last year.”

Aandahl added: “Thailand is a market that is worth highlighting this month. In November, Norway exported salmon worth NOK 145m (£12m) there, which represents a growth of NOK 92m (£7.6m).”

Farmed trout exports, which had been flagging, fared much better last month, showing a rise on both fronts for the first time this year.

They totalled 6,600 tonnes, a volume increase of 6%. The value totalled rose by 31% to NOK 427m (£35m).

Exports of fresh cod increased by 34% in volume and 35% in value to NOK 125m (£10m) last month.

Solskjær company invests £2m in Egg project OLE Gunnar Solskjær may have lost his job as Manager of Manchester United, but he could be onto a winner with his latest aquaculture venture.

Norwegian-born Solskjær, who was sacked in November following a 4-1 defeat at Watford, owns a 20% stake in investment company Akvakulturpartner AS, which has just pumped NOK 23m (£2m) into Hauge Aqua Solutions, the company behind the futuristic Egget (“Egg”) project.

So called because it is shaped like an egg, this unusual-looking object is designed to solve some of the problems associated with salmon farming such as lice, escapes and pollution. The first Egg farm is under construction and reported to be on budget and on time, and should be ready for delivery soon, with the aim of operating a farm in Romsdalsfjorden next year.

The Egg is produced by Herde Kompositt AS in Ølve, and is thought to be the main reason why Solskjær and Akvakulturpartner AS decided to buy into Hauge Aqua. Akvakulturpartner CEO and co-owner Bjørn-Vegard Løvik of Akvakulturpartner AS told the news platform Kapital.no: “What triggered us was the high-tech behind the Egg. It is fantastic fun and rewarding to be allowed to be involved in producing salmon in this way. At the same time, we believe that this will be a really good investment.”

“It is not the case that he [Solskjær] indulges in assessments of a strategic nature, but he is involved in investing if new, exciting and sustainable projects in aquaculture that we consider interesting emerge.”

Above: Ole Gunnar Solskjær

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09/12/2021 14:37:35

All the latest industry news from Europe

Faroes producer Hiddenfjord orders a fourth Certus cage from FiiZK

AQUACULTURE supplier FiiZK has won a contract to deliver to deliver a further Certus 15000 cage to Faroes-based salmon farmer Hiddenfjord.

Hiddenfjord has already taken delivery of three semi-closed containment systems from FiiZK, which are currently being installed and will soon be ready for receiving fish.

Børge Sneisen, Project Manager at FiiZK, said: “The fourth Certus 15000 will be delivered to the Faroe Islands at the end of May 2022.

Norway’s fish farm permits may be time limited

NORWAY’S Labour-led coalition Government has set industry alarm bells ringing by announcing that it was considering putting a time limit on the granting of new fish farming permits.

Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran said there was a need for a basic review of the entire aquaculture licensing system. He has asked a special committee set up by the previous Conservative Government to consider ending the current policy of permanent fish farm permits. The committee The collaboration with Hiddenfjord consists mainly of researchers and and local subcontractors has been academics, although at the request of the industry it now includes one very good and we continue with enclosure number four following the seafood company representative.

There is no indication yet how same model.” long that limit should be, but FiiZK said that there had been reports from Oslo suggest that the significant demand for its semiGovernment has already made up closed containment systems. its mind on the issue.

“This is the fourth enclosure we There are wide political differhave arranged delivery for with ences in the Storting (Norway’s a short lead time to our various parliament) over how tough the customers. Production, delivery Government should be with the and further development are now in aquaculture industry, which is facing full swing,” said Magnus Stendal, increasing costs for a number of Business Developer at FiiZK. reasons.

Skjæran said the Government must look at how the regulations in aquaculture can be adapted to meet current and future challenges.

He said: “The committee is to assess an extensive, demanding complex, case and important work is beginning now.”

The Green Party, although not formally part of the coalition, does have influence and is calling for a tightening up of environmental controls on the industry. The party wants an end to the unregulated dumping of chemicals and medicines used to treat lice and other diseases.

The Conservative opposition is critical of Labour’s proposals, warning they will undermine confidence and impede growth and investment, along with putting jobs at risk.

Above: Bjørnar Skjæran

Olympic champion carries flag for Norway’s seafood NORWEGIAN Olympic champion Karsten Warholm has signed a two year deal to help promote the country’s seafood across the world.

The co-operation agreement is with the Norwegian Seafood Council. The message of the campaign is: “Together we win the world for Norwegian Seafood”.

Karsten Warholm has been described as Norway’s greatest ever athlete, winning and breaking the world record in the 400-metres hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics this year.

He also holds gold medals from the World Championships in 2017 and 2019, and the European Championships in 2018.

Seafood Council CEO Renate Larsen said that through this agreement the country gets one team that has won over the world through their respective professions.

She added: “I am therefore incredibly proud that Karsten Warholm will now work with us to achieve our vision. It is a very good match between us and I am confident that we will work well together.”

Warholm said he looked forward to helping the Norwegian seafood sector, something he had long wanted to do.

He said: “It is a fantastic and important product for the nation. Our country is based on the values that come from the seafood industry. My ancestors worked at sea themselves [doing] all kinds of catching and fishing, and I have always had a great love for Norwegian seafood.

Seafood is also an important part of my diet and absolutely necessary to deliver the results that I do. It is also a wellknown fact that all the best in the world comes from the coast in Norway.”

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Above: Karsten Warholm (centre) with Renate Larsen and trainer Leif Olav Alnes

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09/12/2021 14:38:46

European News

Iceland company to spur growth with its first feed barge

Above: The AKVA AC 450 feed barge

ICELANDIC fish farm company Háafell ehf has chosen AKVA group to supply its first feed barge.

The impressive AC450Comfort feed barge will be put into operation at the company’s locations in the west of the country.

Gauti Geirsson, CEO of Háafell, said his company had more than 20 years’ experience in cod and rainbow trout farming, and was now moving into an exciting development phase with salmon farming.

He said: “With a new production permit of 6,800 tonnes of salmon (granted last summer) and investment in

the company’s first barge, we have taken an important step.

He added: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement on the delivery of a well-equipped feed barge within a limited time frame with AKVA group, which we consider a solid and competitive supplier.”

Háafell is a subsidiary of the larger integrated fishing company Hradfrystihusid-Gunnvör hf, which was started in 1941 at the height of the Second World War by a group of trawler owners as a traditional fish-freezing company. It is now involved in conventional deep-sea trawling and fish processing as well as fish farming.

Powered by shore-based renewable energy, the barge will be put into operation in the Ísafjarðardjúr fjord.

Roar Ognedal, Akva Regional Manager for Southern Norway and the Nordic countries, said: “We are very grateful that Háafell chose AKVA group as supplier.

“We have been following this company for a long time, and I am very pleased that they are now in the process of producing salmon.

“With our AC450Comfort feed barge, Háafell gets an established barge model with all the facilities and equipment needed for reliable operation at the locality.”

ISA confirmed at Laxar Fiskeldi fish farm in Iceland TESTS have confirmed infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) at a Laxar Fiskeldi fish farm in eastern Iceland.

MAST, the Icelandic food and veterinary authority, said it had received the results of tests taken earlier this month at the farm in Reyðarfjörður and the results showed that the site had been infected by a pathogenic variant of ISA. Laxar Fiskeldi is owned by the Norwegian salmon company Måsøval.

This is thought to be the first recorded case of the virus in Iceland and the news will be a huge setback for an industry that had prided itself on steering clear of the sort of health issues that have plagued neighbouring salmon-producing countries in recent years.

The authorities are now trying to find out whether ISA was brought into the country or is the result of some form of mutation.

The disease attacks the tissue in blood vessels, leading to bleeding in some of the organs.

The task of culling the salmon in infected pens is currently under way. Because ISA, sometimes known as salmon flu, is quite harmless to humans and is not transmitted through fish products, the slaughtered fish can be used for consumption.

RUV, Iceland’s national broadcaster, reported that around 68,000 fish had already been slaughtered.

Global offshore company makes first key appointment SALMAR Aker Ocean has made its first senior appointment as the company gears up for its global offshore aquaculture project.

The joint venture business has named Kristine Hartmann as its Development Director. She was previously Operations Director at C4IR Ocean, a foundation established by Aker and the World Economic Forum.

Prior to this, she was central in the development of the biotechnology company Aker BioMarine, where she was responsible for a number of

Above: The Ocean Farm 1 Right: Kristine Hartmann

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changes and development processes over a nine-year period.

Hartmann said: “Now Norway’s new industrial adventure begins. For a civil engineer in marine technology, with experience through establishing fisheries in Antarctica and a strong commitment to sustainable business models, it feels like coming home.”

SalMar Aker Ocean said the appointment of Hartmann will be followed up with several new people taking up key management positions. It was recently announced that Olav Andreas Ervik, who has led the company since its inception in 2019, plans to resign his position as CEO early next year. The search for his successor is currently under way.

Chairman Atle Eide said the company’s first goal was to be producing 150,000 tonnes of salmon by 2030. He added: “Our ambition is to be one of the world’s largest salmon producers from 2030, but that goal is only the beginning.

“Along the way, a wealth of opportunities will be created for the Norwegian supplier industry in transition, and a foundation will be laid for thousands of industrial and engineering jobs in Norway.”

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09/12/2021 14:41:02

All the latest industry news from Europe

Frøy takes delivery of world’s largest wellboat

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THE Gåsø Høvding, hailed as the world’s largest wellboat, has been officially handed over to its Norwegian owners at a ceremony in Turkey.

It is so big that its owners, the aquaculture supply vessel company Frøy, said a commercial aircraft could fit onto its deck. Frøy described the handover at the Sefine shipyard where it was built as a big day for the company.

“The boat is completely unique – there is nothing else around to compare it against,” Frøy’s Operations Director, Oddleif Wigdahl, said.

Designed by More Maritime, the Gåsø Høvding is 82.3 metres long and 30.9 metres wide. More Maritime said it had worked closely with Frøy throughout the project.

The vessel, which was launched earlier this year, has been built for a large salmon farming business that is yet to be named. The Gåsø Høvding has a total well volume of 7,500 cubic metres. It is equipped with negative pressure sorting and removal of all types of cleaner fish, freshwater treatment with reuse, 12-line hydrolysers and an advanced automated hygiene system.

Wigdahl added: “The boat is built for high capacity and can load more than 1,000 tonnes of fish per hour. This makes it environmentally friendly and economical, because it can process and transport more fish in less sailing time.”

The high load capacity contributes positively to fish welfare, Frøy says, because operations can be carried out faster and the fish are therefore exposed to less stress.

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Above: The Gåsø Høvding

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09/12/2021 14:41:50

European News

New Icelandic government backs aquaculture growth

ICELAND has a new Fisheries Minister – and a new coalition government with a determined pledge to strengthen the country’s fish farming industry.

Left-green party member and Health Minister in the old government, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, takes over the key cabinet job of

Minister of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture from long-serving Kristján Þór Júlíusson, who is no longer in parliament.

The new government is a politically strange alliance between the Left-Greens, the conservative leaning Independence Party and the centre right Progressive Party. It finally came together last

weekend, more than two months after the general election.

Katrin Jakobsdottir of the LeftGreen movement will continue as Prime Minister.

The new administration, which hopes to be in power for four years, said it planned to create a comprehensive policy on the structure, framework and charging system for the country’s growing aquaculture industry.

It added: “In this work, emphasis will be placed on opportunities for job creation

on the basis of self-sufficiency, scientific knowledge and the protection of wild salmon stocks”.

It also plans to appoint a committee to map new opportunities and challenges across the seafood and fisheries sector.

Labour-related disputes have hit Iceland’s traditional fishing sector in recent years and the government says it wants to submit proposals for improved social harmony.

Icelanders voted to remain outside the European Union several years ago – and this policy has not changed.

The new government stated: “Iceland’s interests are best served outside the European Union. The Government will place greater emphasis on the implementation and development of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement so that Iceland’s interests and sovereignty in co-operation and trade with other countries are secured.”

Above: The Icelandic Parliament Left: Svandís Svavarsdóttir

SalmoTerra orders an 8,000-tonne RAS farm from Graintec DANISH aquaculture technology supplier Graintec has signed a multi-million krone deal to build an 8,000-tonne land-based facility for Norwegian fish farming company SalmoTerra.

Graintec said it would deliver all parts of the farm, which is based on recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) technology. This will be the first grow-out facility for SalmoTerra and will be located at Øygarden, near Bergen.

The two-stage project is moving swiftly, with construction due to start early next year and phase one production under way in the first half of 2023. Following completion of phase two, total production should reach 8,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest land grow-out facilities in Norway.

SalmoTerra Managing Director Harald Schreiner Fiksdal said: “Our clear vision is to create optimal conditions for the wellbeing of the fish in our visionary RAS plant.

“We wanted a supplier to partner up with, a partner with shared values and visions. Graintec has a long project history within large projects. It understood our expectations and supported us in creating peace of mind for our investors [in terms of] this great project in Bergen.”

Graintec CEO Michael Mortensen said: “SalmoTerra is a well-worked project and has very talented people on board. We are looking forward to a long partnership as trusted advisor. SalmoTerra marks an important

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milestone for Graintec as this is our first fish farm project. Having supplied salmon feed plants and feeding solutions for more than two decades we have a long track record in delivering complex projects to the salmon industry.”

He added: “Graintec is committed to develop sustainable aquaculture technology. We have invested heavily in building up RAS competencies and have developed a unique RAS concept that will allow SalmoTerra to realise its vision of farming sustainable salmon of highest quality.

Above: SalmoTerra illustration

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09/12/2021 14:43:09

All the latest industry news from Europe

Måsøval raises £33m to help fund Vartdal purchase NORWEGIAN fish farming company Måsøval has successfully raised NOK 400m – around £33m – to help finance the purchase of the Vartdal Group, another family salmon business.

Måsøval has made a private placement of 9,828 million shares at a price of NOK 40.7 each, which netted NOK 400m. Its share price rose to NOK 42 following completion.

Interest was so strong that it took less than 24 hours on the Oslo Stock Exchange to finalise the share purchase. DNB Markets and Carnegie were engaged as facilitators.

In November, Måsøval announced it was buying the Vartdal group for around NOK 1.5bn (around £128m).

The companies being acquired include Aquafarms Vartdal AS, Vartdal Fiskeoppdrett AS, Urke Fiskeoppdrett AS, Western Seaproducts AS (a slaughterhouse) and Vartdal Fryseri AS. The Vartdal Group is a fully integrated breeder and currently has four permits for the production of salmon in production area 5 (“PO5”) with a total maximum permitted biomass of 3,120 tonnes.

Some of the money raised by Måsøval will be used for other growth projects and general corporate purposes. Vartdal Invest AS is a fully integrated salmon farming business with a maximum biomass (MTB) of 3,120 tonnes. The company is also able to produce its own land-based smolt and post-smolt with a capacity of 670 tonnes of biomass.

Based in the Trøndelag region, Måsøval has been in business for almost

Above: Lars Måsøval, the company’s Chairman

50 years and was in at the start of modern fish farming in Norway. Måsøval Eiendom, which is wholly owned by the third generation in the Måsøval family, owns 77% of the company. The board believes the deal will allow the business to diversify biological risks and pursue growth in the PO5 production area.

The Norwegian salmon industry has undergone considerable consolidation this year and more mergers are expected in 2022.

Russian Aquaculture reports strong growth and profit RUSSIAN Aquaculture has seen significant growth in both revenue and profit for the first nine months of 2021.

The company, which farms Atlantic salmon and trout in the Murmansk and Karelia regions, reported year-on-year revenue growth of 73% for the nine months to 30 September 2021, taking the figure to RUB 9.7bn (£99m).

Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, depreciation and amortisation) was RUB 3.9bn (£39.8m), up 52% on the same period last year. Net profit increased by 117% to RUB 4.8bn (£49m). Financial results for the nine months are unaudited.

Biomass increased, at 29,800 tonnes at the end of September 2021, compared with 22,300 tonnes at the end of September 2020. Sales by volume were also up, by 75% year-on-year to 18,000 tonnes.

Russian Aquaculture CEO Ilya Sosnov said that demand in the global salmon market had increased throughout the period., with the Russian market alone up by 45%.

He added:“We are seeing a steady increase in the consumption of salmon and in demand for quality chilled salmon, which affirms the fundamental appeal of the Russian market and the growth potential for our business. In this regard, we continue to invest heavily in both equipment and production assets.”

The board is recommending an interim dividend of RUB 352m (£3.6m) for shareholders. It has also established a Sustainability Committee “to ensure a systematic approach to and integration of ESG [environmental, social and governance] practices into all business processes.”

AE2021 Madeira: correction OUR report from Aquaculture Europe (Fish Farmer, November 2021, page 45) incorrectly credited Portugal’s Ministry of the Sea with the wine tasting session at the AE2021 Conference. In fact, the wine tasting, as well as other opportunities to enjoy Madeiran produce, was provided by B2E CoLAB as part of the Blue Bioeconomy Portugal collaborative

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booth, which CoLAB organised. The CoLAB stand represented seven institutions with an interest in the Blue Economy, and was one of the most visited stands at the show.

We are happy to make this correction and look forward to seeing CoLAB again at AE2022 in Rimini, next year!

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09/12/2021 14:55:06

World News

NEWS...

Skretting to build feed plant for Atlantic Sapphire SKRETTING, the world’s largest provider of feed for aquaculture, is to build a state-of-theart plant for Atlantic Sapphire’s landbased salmon farm in Florida (pictured).

Skretting has also entered into an agreement to finance the feed factory, it said in a statement.

According to the announcement, a local feed plant will minimise the carbon footprint of transporting the feed to the facility, and is expected to cut the company’s logistics cost, and thereby its cost of production, by approximately US$0.3/kg head-

on gutted.

Atlantic Sapphire said that it had chosen to work with Skretting due to the company’s unparalleled track record in R&D and the two firms had committed to co-operate to develop specialist RAS salmon diets.

As well as reducing their carbon footprints, the two companies will work together to add novel ingredients to the feeds in a bid to use zero marine ingredients in the salmon diets, while still maintaining high levels of omega-3s in the finished products.

The statement added: “The allin feed price will be determined by the actual cost per specific diet and can only be influenced by factors outside the control of Skretting.

Skretting CEO Therese Log Bergjord said: “The agreement contains contractual mechanisms to ensure that Atlantic Sapphire always has access to marketleading salmon feeds in terms of both quality and value, while Skretting continues to exceed industry standards.

“With the long-term agreement that Skretting and Atlantic Sapphire have established, we are committed to increasing capacity to facilitate future growth of the land-based salmon industry in the US.” Johan E. Andreassen, CEO of Atlantic Sapphire USA, said its

business case was centred on technological development and in-market production of delicious and healthy salmon with significant sustainability benefits compared to conventional ways of salmon farming.

“Having our most important production input locally fits perfectly with this strategy, as it reduces production cost and GHG emissions significantly, while at the same time accelerating the technological development of a customised feed for our Bluehouses that we expect will lead to higher productivity and output.”

He added: “Further, we see this agreement with the world’s leading salmon feed producer as a strong sign of confidence in our business case and future growth.”

From the top: Therese Log Bergjord; Johan E. Andreassen; Atlan�c Sapphire’s Miami facility

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09/12/2021 14:53:21

All the latest industry news from around the world

Mowi tops sustainable Maine land deal opens way producer list for third year for Kingfish RAS plant LAND-BASED aquaculture business The Kingfish Company has concluded the purchase of land estate near Jonesport, Maine.The acquisition marks a crucial step towards the construction of its planned fish farm in the north-eastern United States.

The company plans to build a recirculating aquaculture facility (RAS) to produce yellowtail kingfish, replicating its site in the Netherlands, which is already in operation.

In October,The Kingfish Company reported that it had secured approval for the two final permits from the State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection earlier this month, which were required in order to advance to preconstruction design and engineering on schedule.

Ohad Maiman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Kingfish Company, said:“These announcements represent a major milestone in The Kingfish Company’s execution of its expansion strategy, and its focus on technology-driven local production of high-value, import-dependent seafood in the EU and the US. “Today, Kingfish Maine is one step closer to achieving fully operational status, and we are ready to build on our proven blueprint and scale our technology locally Above: Mowi salmon Below: Ivan Vindheim to service our network of distributors nationwide.” and salmon farming is part of MOWI has been ranked the The company’s Netherlands operation runs on 100% the solution toward shifting most sustainable animal renewable energy, sourced from wind, solar and biogas.The to a green economy.” protein producer for the company’s facilities operate on seawater,.

Chief Sustainability and third year in a row by the Yellowtail kingfish (also known as ricciola, hiramasa or greater amberjack) is a Technology Officer, Catarina highly versatile premium fish species, popular in Italian and Asian fusion cuisines.

Coller FAIRR Protein Martins, added: “I am Producer Index.

See profile feature, page 48.. delighted to see Mowi’s The report, now in its sustainability strategy fourth edition, assesses and achievements being 60 of the largest listed recognised in this global global meat, dairy and rating. For three years in a aquaculture companies on row now, Mowi is considered 10 environmental, social the most sustainable animal and governance themes million tonnes, up 2.5% on 2020 THE aquaculture sector worldwide protein producer in the aligned with the United levels, with a further 2.7% growth is set to record substantial growth world.

Nations Sustainable expected in 2022. after a slump in 2020, the first year “This achievement of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Development For salmonids, which is a highis the result of Goals (SDGs).

That’s the prediction of the annual value product group, but only hard work and Overall, Mowi the fourth largest by volume, production surveys and forecast passion for what scored 81 out the GSA said it expected 2021 from the Global Seafood Alliance we do every day: of 100 and was production would total around (GSA – formerly known as the producing food that Global Aquaculture Alliance). rated “Industry 2.8 million tonnes, an increase of is good for people Best” against 4.4% on 2020. The GSA said strong The two surveys – for shrimp and good for the many of the criteria growth in Norway and the smaller and finfish – were produced planet,” she emphasised. aligned to the SDGs producing nations had offset a poor by the GSA in association with Mowi is joined in the top including greenhouse gas year for Chile.

Rabobank, with additional data five ranked companies emissions, deforestation See feature, page 40. from the United Nations Food and by fellow Norwegian and biodiversity, use of Agricultural Organisation (FAO) aquaculture companies antibiotics, animal welfare, and analysts Kontali. Estimates of Grieg Seafood and Lerøy working conditions, food growth for the next few years were Seafood Group who are safety and governance. based on a survey of producers. ranked second and fourth CEO Ivan Vindheim said: The GSA said shrimp production respectively.

“This shows again that for 2021 would be up 8.9% on The 2021 report found Mowi is at the forefront of 2020’s figures to just under 4.5 that aquaculture companies, million tonnes. An estimate based sustainable food production. primarily salmon producers, on official FAO data gives a much I am proud and humbled continue to perform better to lead a company and larger estimate of around 7 million than land-based animal an organisation that is tonnes, but this includes data from protein producers on all a recognised leader in China, Indonesia and Vietnam, which risk factors, especially sustainable food production. the GSA believes is overstated. deforestation, biodiversity Importantly, the index Global finfish production for 2021 and antibiotics. highlights that aquaculture was estimated to be around 38

Global production bouncing back, says GSA survey

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World News v2.indd 19

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09/12/2021 14:55:55

World News

New service vessel heads for British Columbia A new service vessel is on its way to British Columbia for Nidaros Shipping. The Coastal Server will provide delicing treatment for Grieg Seafood in Canada.

The vessel was built by Moen Marin for Nidaros, and has been fitted with the SkaMik delicing system. As this issue went to press, the vessel was off the coast of northern Mexico.

Terje Andreassen, CEO of Moen Marin AS, said: “Crossing the Atlantic for your own machine is not an everyday occurrence for work boats in the aquaculture industry, but we were never in doubt that the Coastal Server could carry out such a voyage. Nabwork 2411 are robust boats.”

Coastal Server is the sixth new-build vessel that Nidaros Shipping has bought from Moen Marin. Håvard Grøntvedt, Chairman of Nidaros, said: “We are very satisfied with the quality of the vessels, and with the follow-up during the construction phase and after takeover.

Moen Marin is proactive and quickly follows up on warranty and maintenance locally in British Columbia.”

The Coastal Server is equipped with the mechanical delicing system SkaMik 1.5. This is the first time this technology is being used on the coast of Canada.

Right The new Coastal Server

Salmones Camanchaca in ‘green’ bank deal

CHILEAN salmon farming company Salmones Camanchaca has signed a US $135m (£101m) refinancing agreement linked to sustainability.

It is thought to be one of the first, if not the first deals of this type for a fish farming business and involves DNB Bank, Santander and Labbank.

In return, Salmones Camanchaca has pledged to reduce greenhouse gases and become carbon neutral by 2025, as well as increase the amount of other waste such as paper, cardboard and so on that goes to recycling. The company has also agreed to improve occupational safety.

It also well timed because Chile is in the middle of a presidential election where one of the candidates is reported to be not well disposed towards salmon farming.

Company CEO Ricardo Garcia said: “Because this is part of the sustainability model we have been promoting since 2019, we are not a passive spectator in the face of global and Chilean challenges.”

Another aim is the reduction of

the amount of marine ingredients that are used in the diets to obtain the harvested salmon (known as the “fish in/fish out ratio”).

Garcia said: “In our case, by 2025 we are compromising a fish in/fish out ratio of less than 0.6.”

At the same time, the company announced it would move part of its production to the Aisén region of Chile. This pledge follows damaging high-oxygen levels and algae outbreaks that affected farms in the Los Lagos region earlier this year.

Salmones Camanchaca, which is one of Chile’s oldest salmon farming companies, said it was also buoyed by the news that salmon prices were rising after historically low levels last year.

Above: Salmones Camanchaca Left: Ricardo Garcia

Huon Aquaculture: Correction THE photo used to illustrate the news item on Huon Aquaculture in our November issue was incorrectly captioned. It should have read: “David Mitchell, Fish

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Performance Manager at Huon Aquaculture Company” and not “Peter Bender, CEO”. Apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

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09/12/2021 14:56:45

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09/12/2021 14:59:02

Processing News

‘Salmon express’ makes first trip A new rail service carrying salmon from northern Norway for processing in Denmark and other European countries was inaugurated at the start of this month

Above: The CargoNet hybrid train

THE first train hauling 18 salmon wagons left the port of Narvik on Friday 3 December.

Despite winter snow, it arrived without incident in Padborg in the far south of Denmark.

Some of the fish will

be sent onto Poland, which has a large salmon processing industry.

The test service attracted so much interest that it was quickly fully booked.

It was launched by

CargoNet, the Scandinavian rail company, which started a similar service to Malmö in southern Sweden 18 months ago.

CargoNet said the development would ensure fresh Norwe-

gian seafood can get to European markets as quickly as it would road trucks. It should also ease pressure on northern Europe’s roads as well as cutting CO2 emissions. The company has several terminals in Norway.

On its return journey the wagons are filled with general goods and foodstuffs and taken to Oslo then onto the north of the country.

CargoNet Sales and Marketing Chief Karl Fredrik Karlsen said the new service met all the criteria for the fast transport of fish with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

“Theis tointention start three trips a week

”

It also contributed to improved traffic safety, he said, because fewer heavy lorries are on the roads, along with offering the seafood sector a simpler and better transport service.

One fully loaded train can carry 700 tonnes of fish, doing away with 10,000 road trailer journeys and reducing 20,000 tonnes of CO2 over a year.

Karlsen said the weekend trip was a test service to gain experience, but the intention is to start three trips a week next year, increasing to five a week if demand warrants it.

Eirik Flo, Logistics Director at Coast Seafood, described the development as exciting, adding that Padborg had long wanted a regular seafood rail service from Norway.

Norcod in harvest agreement with Vesterålen Havbruk Cod farmer Norcod and aquaculture business Vesterålen Havbruk have agreed a partnership deal for the harvesting of all Norcod’s farmed cod volumes from its Frosvika facility in Meløy, in Nordland county, Norway.

The agreement runs for the next three years with an option to extend, and covers the entire slaughter and processing of cod at Vesterålen Havbruk’s fish-processing facility in Myre. The facility also processes large amounts of wild cod during the winter fishing season. Myre is considered the “cod capital” of Norway. The agreement covers harvest of up to 10,000 tonnes per year.

“The first harvest will take place from September next year and into 2023. The fish went into the sea at Frosvika this summer, so it will be the culmination of almost two years’ hard work during the production cycle. We know our fish will be in the best hands,” said Norcod Production Director Rune Eriksen.

The deal is a key step for Vesterålen Havbruk as it will enable year-round activity for the facility in Myre.

“We’re very happy to be working closely with market leader Norcod. This agreement is important for both companies as it enables a better utilisation of the untapped potential in existing facilities. It will also

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contribute to sustaining our local community with year-round jobs. our employees are used to handling large volumes of cod during the main season and being able to transfer this knowledge into cod farming is key in the scale-up of the whitefish industry,” said CEo of Vesterålen Havbruk, Brynjar Kværnstuen.

Vesterålen Havbruk will also harvest its own farmed cod, raised in pens at sea, next year. Together with the Norcod volumes, the partners are now closer to building Norway’s

largest facility for processing farmed cod.

“It’s a great decision and we look forward to working together to build a new and sustainable cod-farming industry. The market is crying out for fresh farmed cod year-round, so there’s plenty room for more players. Competition is good,” said Eriksen.

Harvesting of Norcod’s cod volumes from its other sites further south in Norway are not covered by the agreement, with separate slaughter arrangements in place in Trøndelag county.

www.fishfarmermagazine.co.uk

09/12/2021 15:01:33

Processing News

Greencore opens up the books on seafood sourcing ConvenienCe food manufacturer Greencore Group plc has taken a major step towards transparency by publishing details of its seafood sourcing through the ocean Disclosure Project (oDP).

The company’s disclosure profile shows that 99.9% of its seafood from aquaculture comes from farms certified under recognised international programmes.

Based in the UK, Greencore supplies chilled, frozen and ambient foods to all major supermarkets in the UK, as well as convenience and travel retail outlets, discounters, coffee shops, food services and other retailers. Greencore has voluntarily disclosed information about the origins of its seafood ingredients through the oDP. The company has published an ODP profile containing a list of its wild-caught and farmed seafood sources alongside information on the country of origin, certification and ratings, and environmental impact of production. The data can be seen at oceandisclosureproject.org/companies/greencore.

Greencore Purchasing Controller, Seafood, victoria Broekhuizen said: “We have worked really hard with our suppliers on fish sourcing and disclosing our progress is crucial; it helps drive accountability through transparency. We are committed to continuous improvement, and this way our progress is visible to all.”

Tania Woodcock, Project Manager for the ODP, said: “By participating in the Ocean Disclosure Project, Greencore has acted on its commitment to environmental transparency and successfully fulfilled its ambition to disclose the sources of its wild-caught and farmed seafood ingredients.”

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership started the oDP in 2015 to provide an information resource for responsible investors, seafood consumers, and others interested in sustainable seafood. To date,

39 other companies including retailers, suppliers and aquaculture feed manufacturers from around the world have participated. Other new participants this year have included seafood suppliers Thai Union Group, LP Foods and Hilton Seafood UK.

Above: Sushi (photo: Greencore)

Dutch processing companies in strategic alliance FOOD and feed-processing manufacturers Dinnissen Process Technology and Ottevanger Milling Engineers have formed a collaboration.

The deal between the two Netherlands-based companies has been realised through a participation in Dinnissen by Bolster Investment Partners and Triott Group, the holding company that owns Ottevanger.

The collaboration allows Dinnissen to focus more on high-end processing solutions for food, dairy, chemicals, pet food and pharma.

For Ottevanger, the alliance offers the opportunity to strengthen its position in the international feed market.

The companies said that this step fitted in with the ambition of the companies “to realise value creation, continuity and growth in a sustainable way”.

Both companies have strong international customer bases that largely complement each other. With the alliance, the companies said they would continue to shape collaboration in areas such as customer projects, international services, R&D, innovation and efficiency.

Dinnissen Process Technology CCO Frans Bakker said: “We are facing the next growth step for our company.

This alliance with Ottevanger and Bolster enables us to

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Processing News v2.indd 23

achieve this and to continue our healthy future. We want to follow our customers even more internationally, and strengthen our service and 24/7 support. Ottevanger has been a solid player in the international processing industry for years. We complement each other very nicely.”

Ernst-Jan Ottevanger, Ottevanger Milling Engineers and Triott Group CEO, said: “Dinnissen is a wonderful company, built on values that have many similarities with our values: customer friendly, progressive and with an eye for the human dimension. This alliance fits in with our growth strategy. We are confident we can offer our customers even more with this.”

Below: Dinnissen Ottevanger organic nutrition centre

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09/12/2021 15:02:10

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Festive feasts Religion and tradition have a big influence on how we consume fish at Christmas

C

HRISTMAS is coming and I have no�ced that my local fishmonger is already displaying some whole carp on his fish counter. Tradi�onally, carp are grown in Europe during the summer months when they benefit from warmer temperatures and faster growth.

As winter approaches, they are le� to hibernate or are harvested for the fes�ve season.

The tradi�ons vary around Europe, but my involvement with carp farming was through the efforts of a war-�me refugee from Latvia who wanted to grow some of the taste of home in the English countryside.

He told me that it was tradi�onal to take the larger scales from the farmed mirror carp and put them in your wallet to ensure con�nued wealth in the coming year.

During the 1980s, there was s�ll a large Eastern European popula�on living in the north of England who s�ll wanted to eat fresh carp at Christmas and New Year, especially those from Poland. Carp remains the most popular fish in Poland, yet the only �me it is eaten is at Christmas.

The Polish Christmas meal typically consists of 12 dishes in reference to the 12 apostles. Every dish should be at least tried as it brings good luck for the coming 12 months. Most interes�ngly, the meal doesn’t contain any meat except that of cold-blooded fish.

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Comment (Martin Jaffa)v2.indd 24

The focus on fish is certainly connected to the Catholic Church and the observance of fast days, during which the ea�ng of meat was forbidden, but fish was allowed.

Christmas Eve was tradi�onally part of the advent fast period, a tradi�on that con�nued long a�er the Reforma�on.

Another Catholic tradi�on relates to the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which appears to have originated in Italy but has been adopted widely with the Italian migra�on, especially to the US. As elsewhere, the consump�on of fish is encouraged on Christmas Eve as it is considered an important fast day. The idea of ea�ng seven different fish dishes may come from the seven sacraments, but the true origin is unknown. Today, a fish pie may be the simplest way to eat a variety of fish in one go. Fish on Christmas Eve may also be seen as a way of ea�ng a lighter dish before the big splurge on Christmas Day. In more recent �mes, the widespread availability of salmon from aquaculture has meant Christmas has become a period of high demand, especially for smoked salmon, which is bought either for home consump�on of to give as a gi� to friends and rela�ons. One of the most popular ways to eat smoked salmon is with scrambled eggs on Christmas morning.

Some years ago, Kantar conducted a survey of Christmas shopping habits and found that more than two million extra shoppers buy smoked salmon in the run-up to Christmas.

However, I suspect that Bri�sh demand for smoked salmon pales into insignificance compared with that of the French.

Prior to the pandemic, I used to do a sweep

Above: Smoked salmon at Christmas Left: Carp is a popular fes�ve dish in Europe

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09/12/2021 15:04:14

Festive feasts

around French supermarkets to record their offerings. Extra open-top chillers were brought into stores and lined up along the widest aisles and almost exclusively displayed a massive range of smoked salmon products.

Most packs of smoked salmon in the UK are sized at 100–120g with a 300g pack available at Christmas. In France, packs ranged in size up to 800g with branded and own label offering a choice of origins including Scotland, Norway, Ireland, the Faroes and Chile. Packs of Label Rouge smoked salmon are also displayed.

How shoppers are able to decide which smoked salmon to buy is baffling because the choice is so wide. Although fresh salmon is widely available, the focus at Christmas in France is very much on the smoked salmon variety.

In the UK, the Christmas market for salmon is much more diverse.

Alongside fresh and smoked salmon, there is an extensive range of added-value dishes in most retailers. Many of these take the form of hors d’oeuvres or starters such as salmon terrine with prawns, smoked salmon canapes and salmon pate. In addi�on, there are uncooked salmon sides with a range of flavourings such as clemen�ne and cranberry flavour.

Christmas is also the �me when whole salmon starts to reappear on fish counters in ever large numbers. They are typically on price

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Comment (Martin Jaffa)v2.indd 25

promo�on, making salmon at Christmas even more a�rac�ve to consumers.

At the �me of wri�ng, at the end of November, Morrisons have just launched this year’s offer on salmon at £5.99/kg. However, it will be interes�ng to see how other retailers promote their salmon offerings. Many supermarket fish counters no longer exist as supermarkets respond to changing consumer demand. Christmas is very different with con�nued strong demand as shoppers splash out for the Christmas fes�vi�es. This year, with the pandemic on our minds, perhaps it may be even more so. FF

How shoppers are able “ to decide which smoked salmon to buy is baffling ”

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09/12/2021 15:04:47

Salmon Scotland

BY HAMISH MACDONELL

Dreaming of a grey Christmas In the season of goodwill, can we set aside “black and white” arguments?

I

T is difficult not to wonder where the spirit of Christmas has gone.

The season of “goodwill to all” seems to have bypassed all those involved in the recent fishing dispute between the UK and France.

Indeed, it was hard to know what was more depressing: the sight of flag-bedecked French fishing vessels buzzing around like angry wasps as they attempted to stop cross-Channel ferries from docking in French ports or the arms-folded intransigence of the negotiators from both sides.

This dispute, over the issuing of a small number of licences to French fishing vessels, caused a pre-Christmas headache for Scotland’s salmon producers, who were once again caught in the crossfire of an argument that had nothing to do with them.

Then there was the now traditional festive broadside from French television, which broadcast a programme that was so biased against salmon farming it would not qualify for the term “documentary” here.

The crew did actually interview someone from Salmon Scotland on camera, but then cut every word of the interview from the programme when it was aired.

At home we had the extraordinary decision of a number of galleries to drop salmon from their menus on the advice, apparently, of a group of artists, none of whom had any real connection to salmon farming and certainly not much knowledge.

But what was even worse was the reaction of the gallery bosses who took that decision and then hid, refusing to engage with Salmon Scotland or find out what salmon farming actually entailed by accepting an invitation to come to a farm.

It would be encouraging to see this activity as a blip, the result of Brexit and Covid tensions – a one-off, an end-of-abad-year hiatus.

But, unfortunately, that is unlikely to be the case. All the indications are that we are entering an era of polarised and polarising opinions, and salmon farming will be just one of the sectors struggling to get its – rational – voice heard.

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Salmon Scotland (Hamish) v2.indd 26

The privileged activists who crusade against salmon farming in Scotland represent the crudest manifestation of this tendency.

They demand that they are right, sure that their blinkered determination allows them to do anything, however potentially destructive or threatening.

Just a few days ago, a brave female employee from one of our salmon producers posted a message online making it clear how uncomfortable she felt about unauthorised intruders – “middle-aged men skulking around” as she described them – clambering all over her workplace.

In the black-and-white world of the activists, there is no middle ground to their righteous crusade against fish farming, but there is and the woman who bravely posted that comment expressed it perfectly.

This isn’t a case of we are right and they are wrong – this is about collateral damage and the effects that actions have on those on the sidelines, impacts the activists never seem to consider.

Indeed, if we look at all the issues that affect us, from climate change to Brexit, there is a middle ground. Just dismissing it as “blah, blah, blah” isn’t enough because that

“tooTheremanyare

people who want to simply stick their fingers in their ears

”

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09/12/2021 15:07:09

Dreaming of a grey Christmas

Above: Reality often appears in shades of grey Opposite: Farmed salmon was taken off the menu by some art galleries

is just going to polarise views still further.

There are too many people who want to simply stick their fingers in their ears, shut their eyes and shout and, if we all did that, nothing would ever get done.

So, it needs the rest of us, those who believe issues are complicated and have many sides to them, to keep reasoning, debating and getting the facts out there.

Every time the French fishermen block our consignments of salmon from reaching market, demanding immediate concessions from the UK, we have to lower the temperature, talk to all sides and make sure the rational view is heard.

Every time a television station decides to broadcast a documentary with sensational exaggeration and without balance, it is our duty to point out the other side of the argument.

And every time a gallery or museum gives in to knee-jerk populist activism without checking out what is real and what is made up, we should make sure the facts are known.

Having spent nearly three decades in print journalism, the demise of the traditional

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Salmon Scotland (Hamish) v2.indd 27

newspaper saddens me – but not because of any rose-tinted view of Fleet Street and its dubious charms.

Newspapers have always provided readers with a wide view of the world. Simply because of the way they are put together, readers’ eyes are drawn to stories they wouldn’t normally seek out.

As a result, readers used to receive a balanced view of the world and its issues.

Now, when the online content people devour is brought together by algorithms, they get more and more of what appeals to their palate, narrowing their focus and range, and lessening their exposure to the unusual and the different.

This is the route to confirmation bias, to the polarisation of everything and the intolerance of the unknown.

As a livestock protein sector, we are hardly alone in battling the fingersin-the-ear brigade. Indeed, those in red meat and poultry undoubtedly have to cope with worse than we do.

We are all the victims of the polarisation of politics and, unfortunately, it is going to get worse.

So, as we enter the festive season, my Christmas wish is a slightly unusual one. I want to hear more uncertainty, genuine questions being asked and an acceptance that there is nuance and intricacy in every argument. I want to see a much bigger grey area, pushing back the black and white arguments to where they belong.

So here’s to a grey Christmas – and a happy, healthy and, above all, a tolerant New Year. FF

27

09/12/2021 15:07:52

Shellfish

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Innovation ahoy!

The English Aquaculture Innovation Hub has taken a step forward

S

USTAINABLE development of the aquaculture sector can help contribute to na�onal food security while helping to meet lower carbon emissions from our food, so it is not surprising that efforts are being made to help promote growth of the industry in England.

The pathway to achieving sustainable growth was set out in the English Aquaculture Strategy, released in November 2020, which iden�fied the development of an English Aquaculture Innova�on Hub as a cri�cal means to help achieve a tenfold increase in aquaculture produc�on over the next 20 years.

The need for a hub that could help the sector develop county-wide, was also iden�fied in the Dorset Mariculture Strategy, released in August 2020.

Dorset Coast Forum (DCF) has now taken up the reins, with ambi�ons to site a na�onal English Aquaculture Innova�on Hub in Dorset. DCF recently secured funding from the Marine Management Organisa�on (MMO) to undertake a wide-ranging feasibility study that it hopes will enable the idea to be taken beyond the concept stage.

The ini�al funding is for a five-month project, which kicked off in October with a na�onwide study on the poten�al posi�ve economic impacts of si�ng the English Aquaculture Innova�on Hub in Dorset and percep�ons of how it could help the sector to grow.

At the same �me, the New Economics Founda�on is undertaking an in-depth economic review of the en�re English aquaculture sector, which will include obtaining up-to-date informa�on from the sector, rather than just relying on official figures, which can be up to two years out of date.

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Hatch Blue – an interna�onal business set up to invest in sustainable wild-caught and farmed seafood innova�on – is also involved and is developing a business model and plan that will enable a hub to operate long-term.

“Hatch Innova�on Services has undertaken similar studies in Canada, Norway, Ireland, the US and Singapore, and is very good at coming up with a concept to facilitate longevity, whether that is through membership fees, pay-asyou-go schemes, a levy or some other form of funding,” explains Mar�n Sutcliffe, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Officer at DCF, who is leading the project.

Dr Claude Kaplan, Director at Hatch Innova�on Services, says: “Hatch is really excited and proud to be working with Mar�n and his team to further develop and refine the concept of an English Aquaculture Innova�on Hub.” The English aquaculture sector is likely to be very different from that in Scotland, and it is more likely that seaweed and shellfish will be

This page from top: Geffrey Back and Jack Comben, Dorset Cleaner Fish; lumpfish [photo: Dorset Coast Forum and Dorset Cleaner Fish Ltd] Opposite, clockwise from top left: Mar�n Sutcliffe, Crab House Café; Seaweed spooling crew, Jurassic Sea Farms; Mike Webb, Jurassic Seafarms

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09/12/2021 15:12:08

Innovation ahoy!

“

Dorset is the perfect place for the aquaculture sector to flourish

”

the dominant focus, according to Sutcliffe.

“While seaweed and shellfish are grown elsewhere in the UK, there is a specific need to develop techniques, cul�va�on methods and technology that can fit with the unique nature of the English coastline and its exis�ng uses. We will also likely see the addi�on of high-value fish farmed in tanks onshore, so it makes a lot of sense to have a hub that focuses on the needs of businesses here,” he says.

DCF is leading on stakeholder engagement to ensure the outcomes of the studies meet the needs of the local, regional and na�onal mari�me sectors, and 5G Rural Dorset has come on board to look at how 5G technology could enhance the sector as it grows. This might be through making remote monitoring of farms possible, for example.

The work is supported by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership and Dorset Council, both of which see the emerging aquaculture sector as key to providing rural and coastal jobs across the county.

Cecilia Bu�on, Dorset LEP Chair, says: “Dorset LEP is delighted to support the ambi�on for the county to be the centre of the English sustainable aquaculture industry and this project will lay the founda�ons of that ambi�on.

Food security is a na�onal priority and Dorset is the perfect place for the aquaculture sector to flourish. I am eager to see the outputs from this study.”

She adds: “Poole Harbour is already home to a thriving aquaculture sector where shellfish are grown on the seabed, and it’s hoped that this study can provide a route to a hub that will provide jobs and drive innova�on in Dorset and across the English industry.”

Sutcliffe acknowledges that there will be a need to minimise any conflict with other marine users and landowners across England if aquaculture is to develop to its full poten�al.

“We’ll be using the DCF network and our links to na�onal bodies such as Seafish, Cefas [The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science] and the South West Aquaculture Network, to make sure we reach as many people as possible to feed into the process,” he says.

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Shellfish (Nicki Holmyard) v3.indd 29

Posi�ve results Sutcliffe outlines that the survey, which ended at the end of November, showed very posi�ve feedback from industry.

“We sent out to 650 people across England, with addresses provided by several aquaculture networks. More than 250 unique visits to our website were recorded as a result, and we received a total of 81 completed responses, 31 of which were from businesses. Of these, 71% were from aquaculture businesses, so we are happy that the survey targeted the right people,” he says.

“An overwhelmingly posi�ve 83% of respondents stated that they believed a hub for England was relevant, while the other 17% said they needed more informa�on in order to make a decision. Similarly, 91% responded that they would support a hub, with only one dissen�on. It seems as if the �ming is right, which is exci�ng.”

The next stage is to hold a series of workshops, star�ng in early December, which aim to tease out what a hub would look like and what it might do to support the industry.

Sutcliffe says: “The survey iden�fied a number of priori�es for the hub, such as having a physical space on land and perhaps in the sea too.

However, it also told us that stakeholders wanted a be�er-defined online resource, access to funding informa�on and support, training and incuba�on/support for new business ventures.

“We now need to clarify what sort of funding people are looking at – is it venture capital funds, angel investors or bank loans? Why are they not using exis�ng online resources provided by agencies such as Seafish, Cefas, Food Standards Agency and Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]? What level of training is required and who needs it?”

He concludes: “There are many topics to discuss and many ques�ons to answer, and the informa�on gathered will help to inform the business model and technology study, with a final report expected in February 2022, a�er which we hope to move on to Phase 2, which will be to develop the plan.” FF

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09/12/2021 15:12:40

Sustainability

Steps to a

better future

Assessing a year’s progress since the publication of Scottish Salmon’s Sustainability Charter, A Better Future For Us All

BY SANDY NEIL

S

COTLAND’S salmon sector “stands on the cusp of something truly great,” states the Sco�sh Salmon Sustainability Charter. Hailed as a “groundbreaking” roadmap for Sco�sh salmon, the country’s number-one food export, this ambi�ous document was published a year ago.

The charter sets out the sector’s grand plan to lead the world in providing healthy, tasty, nutri�ous food, produced in the most responsible and sustainable way.

“What began a li�le over 50 years ago as a simple cro�ing sideline has grown into a billion-pound-a-year na�onal success story,” wrote Tavish Sco�, CEO of Salmon Scotland (which at the �me was known as the Sco�sh Salmon Producers Organisa�on, or SSPO).

“Ahead of us stands the opportunity to be a key contributor to Scotland’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 – and aid the country’s post-Covid recovery and renewal.”

Salmon Scotland’s Sustainability Charter sets out how the sector intends to realise those benefits, with five key pledges and 41 different ac�ons.

“The charter is just the start,” the charter affirms: “There is much work to be done now to establish a baseline, to put in place short-, medium- and long-term targets, and agree how and when to measure the progress made. But we’re ready to rise to the challenge.”

The charter is divided into five sec�ons covering animal welfare, environment, food, people and community, each with an overarching pledge: • “We will apply the highest standards of animal welfare;

• We will work con�nuously to minimise our impact and ensure a healthy environment; • We will produce healthy, nutri�ous food with full traceability every step of the way; • We will become the sector of choice for people looking to make a posi�ve difference; and • We will be good neighbours in every way, increasing our posi�ve social impact.”

Under each of these broad commitments lie many specific and bold pledges, such as sourcing 100% of fish feed ingredients from sustainable sources with full traceability of all ingredients, and improving pen structures to make sure all fish are prevented from escaping.

So, one year on, what progress has been made? In November, Salmon Scotland published an update on progress.

Protec�ng the environment Following November’s COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow, environmental pledges are right at the top of the agenda.

As “ farmers,

everything revolves around good biology

”

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Steps to a better future

“Raising healthy fish relies on a healthy habitat,” the charter says, “so it’s in all our interests to protect the environment: from adop�ng greener energies and working towards zero waste to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our own opera�ons before 2045.”

One pledge vows that Scotland’s salmon farmers will “pursue ways to divert poten�al waste, be it organic ma�er from freshwater hatcheries or obsolete farm infrastructure, into valuable byproducts”. In Argyll, there is progress to report.

At its Barcaldine hatchery near Oban, Sco�sh Sea Farms has been using environmentally friendly technologies to transform nutrient-rich fish waste into fer�liser for agricultural land. The waste is tested by the Sco�sh Agricultural College to be cer�fied safe for agricultural use before being spread onto the land to enrich the soil.

The company is working on ways to remove the remaining water from the sludge to produce dry pellets. This would reduce the volume of waste material and the road miles needed to transport it to farms. For land farmers, dry pellets would offer an even more nutri�onal natural fer�liser alterna�ve that’s easy to handle.

Another environmental pledge declares the sector will “take every step possible to avoid marine debris from our farms and recover any items promptly regardless of their origin”.

There is progress to report here too, says Janice Macgregor, Head of Communica�ons at Salmon Scotland: “We have a system in place where people can report marine debris and exactly where it was seen. Salmon Scotland then log this with the nearby salmon farms to request it is picked up.”

Within this sec�on sits a third eye-catching pledge: “We will work towards 100% renewable energy use.”

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Opposite from top: Tavish Sco�, Salmon Scotland; Barcaldine see across Loch Creran This page from top: Barcaldine growing area; Smolt at the Barcaldine Hatchery; The hybrid vessel Laurence Knight

Here, again, we can see progress. In October, for example, Sco�sh Sea Farms took delivery of a hybrid power workboat, the first vessel of its kind to be used in Scotland’s aquaculture sector. The 15m catamaran, Laurence Knight, was commissioned by Mull-based boat operator Inverlussa Marine Services from Norwegian yard Moen Marin and went into service on Scotland’s west coast.

The boat, which runs primarily on its ba�eries, marked a “massive milestone” in both carbon reduc�on and cost savings, says Inverlussa Managing Director Ben Wilson. It can perform on-farm du�es for five to six hours without recharging its ba�eries from either of the two generators on board.

The ba�eries have a typical life expectancy of 16 years and are also 100% recyclable. And in another clever eco-friendly measure, the water used to cool the ba�eries is recycled to help heat the four cabins.

For Sco�sh Sea Farms, the new vessel will help achieve CO2 savings of around 234 tonnes a year, as well as poten�ally cut fuel costs by up to 50%. Sco�sh Sea Farms’ Regional Director for the Mainland, Innes Weir, says the boat would ins�l confidence in the future of hybrid technology across the business.

Fish welfare Introducing the sec�on on animal welfare, Salmon Scotland explained: “As farmers, everything revolves around good biology. This means high standards of fish health and welfare throughout a life cycle.

We feel a similar duty of care towards other wildlife.”

The Charter promises con�nued investment in recircula�ng aquaculture systems (RAS), well-boats and farm infrastructure. Major advances are happening in Applecross, where the Sco�sh Salmon Company is developing a £49m state-of-the-art RAS facility.

Greater control of the freshwater rearing environment means that

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09/12/2021 15:16:04

Sustainability

farmers can produce larger smolt, which will reduce the marine produc�on cycle and reduce the biological risk of rearing in the marine environment.

The innova�ve RAS will be powered by 100% renewable energy and forms part of the company’s long-term plan to transfer all freshwater produc�on to land, with increased produc�on volumes, be�er and stronger fish, reduced mortali�es, and greater consistency and quality for customers.

Another pledge in the animal welfare sec�on affirms: “We will con�nue to respond to consulta�ons and engage with stakeholders towards a plan for wild salmon.”

There is progress to report here too. In August, Salmon Scotland announced that than £70,000 had so far been awarded to organisa�ons across Scotland working to enhance and protect wild fisheries and habitats.

The awards were made by the Wild Salmonid Support Fund, a brandnew fund created by the SSPO and financed directly from Scotland’s salmon farm companies.

The fund is part of a five-year programme that will see £1.5m invested in suppor�ng the status of wild salmon and sea trout stocks in Sco�sh rivers.

Projects include the Argyll Fisheries Trust, which received £18,600 to invest in habitat restora�on for sea trout in the Dalvuie Burn near Oban; the Flow Country River Trust, in the Highlands, which is inves�ng a £10,070 award into research into river macroinvertebrates, important

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Sustainability v2.indd 32

indicator species and part of the food chain; and in the Outer Hebrides, Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Estate Trust) received a grant of £9,251 to undertake a project that will aim to improve salmon spawning grounds on the Carloway river.

This page from top: Construc�on starts on a site for affordable housing on Colonsay, near Mowi’s farm (Photo: Kevin Byrne); Mowi staff housing on Rum Opposite page from top: Sco�sh salmon farm; Orca; O�er; Wild salmon

Traceability Coming under the “traceability” heading, one rela�vely easy win was to “commission up-todate, evidence-based research into the nutri�onal values of Sco�sh farmed salmon”.

A nutri�onal study was commissioned to find out how healthy farmed salmon really is, and, the charter update reveals, the results were surprising and very encouraging.

“The study found that just one serving of Sco�sh salmon provides 70% of daily vitamin D needs, half an adult’s protein needs, 40% of recommended vitamin E intake and four-and-a half �mes the marine omega-3 fats recommenda�on.

“What this means for health is now clear: vitamin D helps immune func�on and bone health, vitamin E protects cells, protein is good for muscle building, and healthy bones and omega-3 fats support vision and healthy heart func�on.”

Another pledge in the traceability sec�on seeks to “support the increased provision of farmed salmon in care homes, schools, hospitals, prisons and staff restaurants, enabling more people to enjoy a healthier diet”.

Salmon Scotland is working with S�rling Council on an ini�a�ve to make fresh Sco�sh salmon available to all secondary school pupils in the council area once a week for two months.

The aim is to find out what barriers stand in the way of providing locally sourced, healthy

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Steps to a better future

nutri�ous food to public sector establishments like schools with the aim of rolling out the project more widely in the future.

The project has been delayed twice because of Covid restric�ons, but organisers are confident it will go ahead in the spring of 2022. The salmon is being provided by S�rling-based Sco�sh Sea Farms, and the project is being evaluated by the Sco�sh Associa�on for Marine Science near Oban.

Looking after the people In the section titled “Our People”, a key pledge is to “increase provision of high-quality, affordable housing in remote communities”. Progress can be seen on the Isles of Colonsay, Rum and Muck.

“A 12-unit affordable housing se�lement is being built on the Isle of Colonsay near to the Mowi salmon farm,” Salmon Scotland says.

“This represents a £2.4m investment by the salmon company in partnership with the Sco�sh Government Land Fund, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll and Bute Council.”

Mowi has also built two new environmentally friendly houses for staff on the nearby island of Rum, with the salmon company clearing and servicing two addi�onal plots for community use. The company had previously built four housing units on the Isle of Muck to assist with employee accommoda�on at this island farm.

The update reports: “Across our farming regions, member companies are exploring different ways of dealing with the increasingly scarce provision of affordable housing in rural Scotland.”

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Sustainability v2.indd 33

Playing a part in the community Using waste to collect waste: that is the forward-looking green project being pioneered by Sco�sh Salmon Company in the Western Isles. The ini�a�ve diverts material that would otherwise go to landfill – including fish waste – into an anaerobic digester. This then provides biogas, which goes to the council’s combined heat and power plant to be turned into electricity.

The electricity is used to make hydrogen and oxygen through an electrolyser, with the hydrogen being used to power a hybrid bin lorry to operate in Lewis and Harris – collec�ng waste.

A major pledge commits that the sector will “support the delivery of marine wildlife surveys… publish our farms’ wildlife surveys for the benefit of all”.

This year, Sco�sh Sea Farms rolled out a new wildlife recording app so that farmers’ wildlife observa�ons can be shared with the Biological Record Centre for use by conserva�onists, scien�sts and NGOs. Three farms par�cipated in the pilot, in which monthly paper records were replaced with the app-based system. The informa�on can be collected quickly on a phone or laptop, acquiring automa�c co-ordinates from GPS signals for loca�on.

Driving the ini�a�ve was Anna Price, from Sco�sh Sea Farms’ quality control team, who checked in monthly with the farms par�cipa�ng in the trial: Loch Nevis A, Bloody Bay and Creran.

Their feedback helped inform any changes that needed to be made, such as providing training in iden�fying less-common species, before the app was rolled out across all farms.

“The app is straigh�orward and anyone on the farm can use it,’ said Price. ‘Any species can be recorded, from orcas to o�ers, and seagulls to sea eagles, and photographs or videos can also be uploaded.

“I really want to get as many people as possible engaged with it because these observa�ons are a valuable resource for the public and the wider science community.”

“We have to keep up this pace,” Tavish Sco� concluded in the 2021 Sustainability Charter Annual Update. “Our sector is already a world leader in terms of sustainability, but we have to work harder to keep ahead of our compe�tors and, crucially, to meet the increasingly rigorous demands from our customers.

“So this annual update – regardless of the progress it champions – is just the start. There will be more, much more, to report on next year.” FF

will “beThere more,

much more, to report on next year

”

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09/12/2021 15:19:20

Sustainability

Faroes in

green pledge A consortium of businesses in the Faroes are working together to promote more sustainable practices

BY SANDY NEIL

T

WELVE companies in the Faroe Islands, such as fish farmer Bakkafrost and aquaculture supplier Vónin, are progressing their own sustainability charter, including a pledge to halve CO2 emissions by 2030.

Burðardygt Vinnulív, the Faroese Sustainable Business Ini�a�ve, is a network of a dozen businesses in the Faroes aiming to advance sustainable business prac�ces in response to three challenges: climate change, ocean health and biodiversity loss.

The group “aims to contribute towards UN Sustainable Development Goals 13: Climate Ac�on, 14: Life Below Water, and 15: Life on Land, with greater speed and impact than would be possible for individual companies”.

In January 2021, the founding members commi�ed to work together for at least three years to address the key risks and opportuni�es arising from these issues. A recent report presented the first phase of its plan and included a commitment from each of the 12 CEOs. “Through our Climate Change workstream, our first job has been to understand our individual opera�onal footprints,” it said. “In the first six months working together, we have mapped our scope 1 (direct) and scope 2 (indirect) CO2e emissions and set a target (aligned with scien�fic recommenda�ons) to at least halve scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

“In 2022, we will con�nue working to understand our scope 3 (indirect) emissions, working with our wider value chains to set further reduc�on targets. Scope 3 is where the largest emissions tend to be for a company and o�en much harder to control. We will also look to be ambi�ous in this area.

“Over the next two years we will also begin increasing our focus

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on adapta�on as well as mi�ga�on. We will report our progress every year and will look for third-party assurance and verifica�on where possible.

“We an�cipate that once we have calculated our indirect CO2e scope 3 emissions, our carbon footprint will grow considerably. Many of us have ambi�ous growth plans, so decoupling emissions from our growth is going to be a big challenge, par�cularly in areas where we do not have as much control of our value chain. As many of us already work together, we have already iden�fied some ways we can do this.

“To achieve our scope 1 and 2 reduc�on targets, we will also be relying on our na�onal electricity provider to meet its commitment to provide 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

“Affordability of clean energy as we electrify and explore other fuel sources will be another challenge – one also faced by other island communi�es and by others who don’t benefit from liberalised energy markets.

“Many of us will also be relying on our customers and suppliers to come on this

Left: Trout farm Above: Faroes fish farms Below: Puffins on Mykines Opposite: Regin Jacobsen, Bakkafrost

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Faroes in green pledge

journey with us if we are to be successful.”

The document includes a plan to safeguard oceans and biodiversity. “Island life is dependent on a strong rela�onship with nature,” it says. “While the Faroe Islands benefit from a seemingly pris�ne environment, we are acutely aware of the degrada�on of natural systems around the world. Many of us source raw materials and products from other countries, and we understand our responsibility to address impacts on the environment both here and in our global value chains. As large mul�na�onal businesses increasingly priori�se their impacts on ocean health and biodiversity loss, so will we.

“Our work will support Sustainable Development Goals 14: Life Below Water and 15: Life on Land. We will be looking for ways to significantly reduce marine pollu�on, to promote sustainable use of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and to reduce and reverse biodiversity loss.

“We have had seminars to understand more about global threats to biodiversity and conducted a top-level materiality analysis of our impacts, deepening our understanding of our task to reduce and reverse any poten�al nega�ve impacts on nature.

“Through our Biodiversity and Ocean Health workstream, we have selected one area to

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focus on ini�ally. Here we will follow a process with expert support to set at least one net posi�ve goal by 2030. In 2022, we will con�nue working on developing this goal, se�ng further targets to help us reach it, and thinking about how we may extend this approach to other areas within our control. We will report our progress annually.

“Some of us are s�ll at the start of the journey in understanding and responding to the biodiversity crisis, and we recognise we have a long way to go, not only in deepening our knowledge but also in finding solu�ons.

“The resources and infrastructure in a country of around 54,000 people are not the same even as our neighbouring island communi�es, so we are restricted in many decisions we make, from sourcing to waste management.

“We hope that through our stakeholder engagement we may be able to overcome some of these difficul�es and will also be able to influence other sectors in our society to take up this agenda with an equal level of ambi�on and speed.”

Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Bakkafrost,says: “We are pleased to be part of a group making progress against these urgent, shared issues. We have come further in the first few months of this ini�a�ve than I think any of us would have expected and we are already star�ng to see meaningful collabora�on opportuni�es between us. I am sure these will accelerate our progress on these issues.” FF

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09/12/2021 15:23:35

Fish health

Heart of the matter Fish may be good for our health, but they suffer cardio problems themselves

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

O

NE of the biggest threats to farmed salmon is not what you might expect. Every year, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of fish die from a li�le-discussed cardiac disease, cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS). In short: heart failure.

The disease made its entry into Norwegian salmon farms in the mid 1980s and later spread to the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Ireland. Now the authori�es are increasing their efforts to try to find out why this killer syndrome is on the increase.

Salmon mortality in Norway is alarmingly high. It is es�mated that around 50 million salmon die every year from various causes, many as a result of CMS. No part of the country’s long coastline is immune, but the western part of Norway appears to be the hardest hit.

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It is also reckoned that cases o�en rise following lice treatment procedures, sugges�ng stress may be a factor.

Scotland also has a problem. Mowi revealed in its third-quarter report, published in October, that incidents of CMS at its Sco�sh farms remain are s�ll too high. Neighbouring companies have also suffered in the past.

Edgar Brun, Director of Fish Health and Welfare at the Norwegian Veterinary Ins�tute, told

Above: Examining fish (Photo: SAIC) Left: Edgar Brun Opposite from top:

Health check for a salmon (Photo: SAIC); Ida Beitnes-Johansen

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Heart of the matter

CMS ALERT SERVICE LAUNCHED

The “ industry

must take some of the blame

”

the state broadcaster NRK recently that he believed there had been too much a�en�on on salmon lice. He is calling for the focus to be widened.

He says there are so many other diseases that are contribu�ng to the high mortality rate for farmed salmon and this has overshadowed the discussion around other types of infec�on. It is �me, he argues, to take them more seriously.

Ida Beitnes Johansen, an associate professor at NMBU Veterinary College, has been selected to find some of the answers and mostly importantly why some fish get sick while others remain healthy.

She says fish grow up in a highly controlled environment and it may be that stress is an important contributory cause.

Trygve Poppe, Professor Emeritus of Fish Health at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, believes the industry must take some of the blame for the country’s high fish mortality.

He also told NRK the fact that so many salmon and trout die prematurely was not worthy of a cultured na�on like Norway .

Firda Seafood CEO Ola Braanaas also believes there is an issue, adding that his company has introduced a number of measures that have resulted in reduced mortality. He says the company hopes to reduce losses to 5% within two years, with an eventual goal of zero deaths.

High mortality rates are costly for businesses – es�mated at around £130m a year – because the disease o�en affects large and mature fish coming up to harvest.

The Veterinary Ins�tute also believes the real cost could be almost twice as high as is es�mated because CMS is not a no�fiable disease.

In Vestland county, virus infec�on was registered last year in 35 fish farms – up from 28 in 2018 and 24 in 2017.

More worryingly, a number of CMS cases have been reported where the disease occurs significantly earlier in the life cycle of a salmon, o�en five months a�er release into the sea, when fish are as small as 100-300 grams.

According to scien�sts, this means that there is a risk of suffering CMS in a plant throughout almost the en�re produc�on cycle, resul�ng in major consequences for both opera�ons and finances.

So far, outbreaks tend to be confined largely (but not exclusively) to farmed salmon. Some locali�es appear to be affected more than others, which leads scien�sts to believe there are reservoirs of infec�on they do not yet know about.

Clinical microscopic findings include inflammatory changes in the inner, spongy part of the anterior and cardiac chambers, while the compact ventricular wall is usually normal.

In severe cases, the changes can be so extensive that the atrial wall ruptures, which has given the disease its more popular and frightening name – heart crack.

So far there is no vaccine or effec�ve treatment for CMS, but scien�sts are thought to be making progress. And that, for now, seems to be the best hope. FF

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A new service that automa�cally alerts salmon farmers to non-no�fiable diseases such as CMS, pasteurellosis and other problems in their area was launched by the fish health company Manolin earlier in the year. This is thought to be the first and only available system to no�fy farmers about the risk in their area of non-no�fiable diseases – those that are not tracked by the regulators.

Manolin’s industry member data shows that non-no�fiable diseases caused fewer than 1% of total mortali�es from 2012 to 2016, but increased to 10% 2019 and 9% in 2020.

According to a Norwegian Veterinary Ins�tute 2020 report, The Health Situation in Norwegian Aquaculture, the number of locali�es diagnosed with cardiomyopathy syndrome more than tripled between 2010 and 2020, from 49 to 154.

Above: Tony Chen, CEO Manolin

A BLOOD TEST FOR HEART ISSUES

Meanwhile, a group of aquaculture researchers in Scotland is aiming to develop a simple and cost-effec�ve mass-tes�ng tool that can quickly and proac�vely detect and differen�ate between a range of cardiac condi�ons in salmon.

The consor�um will seek to study specific blood biomarkers that indicate the presence of cardiomyopathies such as heart and skeletal muscle inflamma�on, cardiomyopathy syndrome and pancreas disease. Assessing the diseases with high precision is difficult with current diagnos�c techniques, par�cularly when they are at their early stages.

Bringing together experts from the University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, Life Diagnos�cs Ltd, Moredun Research Ins�tute, Benchmark Gene�cs Ltd, and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innova�on Centre (SAIC), the project will deliver a new tool that is simple to use for fish health professionals, easily deployable at fish farms, and brings immediate and prac�cal advantages in disease preven�on, earlier treatment, stock management and breeding for disease resistance.

Professor David Eckersall, an expert in veterinary biochemistry at the University of Glasgow, says: “Similar types of tests for cardiac biomarkers are deployed and used rou�nely in other species of animals. A big part of this project will be transla�ng what we know about detec�ng and diagnosing cardiomyopathies in other animals to fish.”

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09/12/2021 15:27:03

Loch Long Salmon

Gimme shelter The calm waters of Loch Long could be the future for salmon farming in Scotland

BY ROBERT OUTRAM

I

FF: Planning applications for fish farms have been tricky recently. Do you think you have addressed the issues?

SH: Our experience has been that there have been very few objections to what we’re proposing compared with conventional salmon farms. The local community response has been very positive.

[This is] because we’re addressing a number of the concerns that community members have, and at the same time we’re bringing stable, well-paid jobs to the area.

I think these people recognise that jobs are very important for local businesses and facilities, for schools, for shops, and for the community as a whole.

We’ve also had a very positive engagement with regulators. I believe they want to see the industry grow and thrive, but they also want to see concerns addressed.

We are offering a genuine solution to issues such as sea lice, waste discharge and seal interactions. Our focus on “prevention rather than cure”, I believe, has been well received.

N October, Loch Long Salmon (LLS), the business looking to create Scotland’s first semi-closed salmon farm, submitted the planning application for its proposed farm site at Loch Long near Beinn Reithe in Argyll.

The semi-closed system envisaged includes an inner layer with a conventional net, and another layer that is impermeable and opaque.

The farm will comprise four circular marine farming enclosures, each with an outer diameter of up to 50m and a square harvesting facility with a side length of up to 50m, all being semi-closed containment systems. These enclosures will sit in single file formation in an 80m x 80m mooring grid approximately 300m from the western bank of Loch Long.

Loch Long Salmon is a joint venture between Trimara Services, run by former Dawnfresh trout farming director Stewart Hawthorn, and the Simply Blue group. In May of this year, UK food distributor Goldenacre also became part of the joint venture, investing an undisclosed sum.

Fish Farmer magazine spoke to Hawthorn about the project.

Fish Farmer: Where is Loch Long in the planning process right now?

Stewart Hawthorn: We’re well advanced. We’ve submitted the SEPA CAR [Scottish Environment Protection Agency Controlled Activities Regulations] applications [which are] expected to be determined before the end of the year. Our planning application was submitted to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park on 8 October and it has now verified the application as “complete”.

So now it’s in a formal evaluation process with statutory consultees, and public consultation now open. We expect to be in front of the planning authority in January 2022, with a determination some time in spring early 2022.

I think “we’ve got a great, genuine story to tell

”

FF: How do you define a “semi-closed” fish farming system?

SH: In Norway they would call our system a “closed system”. We call it a “semi-closed” system because I think that more accurately reflects what we’re doing.

In our system there’s the net, which a conventional farm has, but we surround that net with an impermeable membrane. And that protects the fish from the external environment. Into that system we are pumping deeper, cleaner water, which is more stable in its chemical makeup, especially during things like rainfall events.

And because we have enclosed the net we can add oxygen to ensure that we’ve got better rearing conditions.

For the pumps, we’ll be purchasing power with a “green tariff” in order to ensure that we’re carbon-neutral.

FF: Isn’t a semi-closed system more expensive than a conventional farm?

SH: Our system has a number of cost

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Gimme shelter

Opposite from top: Stewart Hawthorn; map of the proposed farm’s loca�on Above: The sheltered waters of Loch Long

advantages. We eliminate sea lice, so there will be no lice chemicals, no wellboats and no treatment costs.

The idea is just to leave the fish alone and let them grow. They will be healthier and they grow faster.

Our system is at worst a similar cost to conventional nets. There is a slightly higher capital cost, and there is a cost for pumping water and supplying oxygen, but we gain by having better control and reducing risk.

Compared to an on-land RAS [recirculating aquaculture systems] farm there is also less risk, because there are fewer components in our system to go wrong.

Also, seals can’t see in through the membrane, so they can’t worry the fish and we won’t need an ADD [acoustic deterrent device] or anti-predator nets.

We’ll be capturing more than 85% of the waste – salmon faeces and uneaten feed – and bringing that ashore. A big part of our vision is that, rather than discharging that into the sea, we’re using it as a resource, as a base for fertiliser or for anaerobic digestion, for energy production.

FF: What were the reasons for choosing Loch Long as a site?

SH: It’s a very sheltered location so there’s almost no risk of storm damage, and there are not many strong currents. But those things – lack of current, lack of wave action – would make it less attractive for a conventional farm.

It’s got lovely deep water, it’s isolated from other conventional marine fish farms, and it’s got a nice, reasonable flat area adjacent to it for a shore base, so we have got all these advantages.

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FF: Who will be supplying the cages for the proposed Loch Long farm?

SH: We’re talking to FiiZK and we’re talking to Ecomerden. We haven’t made a final choice yet, so we have designed our planning application to be suitable for either.

Other suppliers – for example, for smolts or feed – are also yet to be determined.

FF: Will your fish be marketed specifically as Loch Long salmon?

SH: Like any company producing high-quality, premium products, I’m sure that we will want to tell our story. And I think we’ve got a great, genuine story to tell.

FF: Do you see enough demand for salmon to soak up extra production?

SH: The short answer is yes! There has been a consistent and growing demand for healthy seafood, and for salmon in particular, over the last few decades.

The question is: where does the supply come from? For Scotland, we should be playing to our strengths, which is our sheltered coastal ribbon, for raising salmon.

For me, it’s about producing salmon in a responsible way.

FF: Would you expect to see established salmon farmers starting to adopt a semi-closed approach?

SH: We want to change salmon farming in Scotland for good, through leadership and by showing what’s possible.

We know that the world is consuming more fish every year. I think there will be more solutions looked for – on land, further out in the ocean and semi-closed – and we believe that for Scotland semi-closed is a fantastic solution.

FF: So is Loch Long on track?

SH: Yes, very much so. We had always envisaged getting planning permission in the spring of next year, and getting smolt into the water by the summer of 2023.

So everything is on track, and we are confident about the future. FF

39

09/12/2021 15:32:57

Global production

Aquaculture

bounces back A worldwide survey of producers reveals the post-2020 recovery is under way, but there are also winners and losers

BY ROBERT OUTRAM

T

HE Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) Conference – no�onally in Sea�le this year, but actually online – also saw the unveiling of the GSA’s global aquaculture produc�on surveys and forecast, covering finfish and shrimp.

Both surveys were produced by the GSA in associa�on with Rabobank, with addi�onal data from the United Na�ons Food and Agricultural Organisa�on (FAO) and analysts Kontali. Produc�on growth es�mate for 2020 and 2021, and forecasts for the coming year, were based on input from producers.

The results were presented by Gorjan Nikolik, Senior Analyst, Seafood, with Rabobank.

Shrimp shine in 2021 For the shrimp sector, it was a story of recovery from the slump in 2020, with further growth to come.

Nikolik said: “For La�n America as a whole, it’s been a booming year for shrimp produc�on.”

Mexico’s produc�on of vannamei shrimp declined slightly in 2020 compared with the previous year, but es�mates for 2021 suggest that, at just under 180,000 tonnes, the current year’s out will be 8% up year on year.

Brazil’s output is expected to be at least 65,000 tonnes or more according to the GOAL survey, with some es�mates predic�ng as much as 100,000 tonnes.

Ecuador remains a strong performer in the field, with con�nued year-on-year growth of 5.1% even during 2020 and expected growth of 10.2% to reach just

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under 800,000 tonnes.

Indian produc�on contracted steeply by 12.5% in 2020. With 2021 output es�mated at around 700,000 tonnes, it is expected to take un�l 2023 to get back to the produc�on levels of 2019.

China’s figures are controversial, Nikolik said.

Officially, shrimp produc�on in China passed 2 million tonnes in 2018, with just under 2.2 million in 2019.

Rabobank’s alterna�ve assessment, based on industry sources, suggests 2019 output was more like just over 500,000 tonnes, represen�ng a slight fall compared with 2018.

Applying industry expecta�ons to official data, Rabobank suggests growth is resuming a�er a fairly flat 2020, with 9.1% growth in 2021, or a total for the current year of more than 2,300 tonnes.

Vietnam is expected to record 13.6% growth for 2021, to around 760,000 tonnes, although growth next year is only predicted to be 0.9% and Rabobank feels official figures may be overstated.

Indonesia’s figures are also disputed. Rabobank feels the official figures for 2019, of over 900,000 tonnes, are over-op�mis�c and believes the real figure, based on industry sources, could be more like 380,000 tonnes.

Thailand, meanwhile, will see an es�mated 7.8% in growth for 2021, taking the country’s produc�on to just over 400,000 tonnes, while smaller producers such as the Philippines and Malaysia appear to be pre�y flat in growth terms. In total, produc�on

This page from top: India and Ecuador: shrimp exports by volume and value, 2020; Shrimp; Expected shrimp produc�on growth by region – CAGR = compound annual growth rate Opposite from top: Farmed carp, China; Global finfish produc�on – sources Rabobank, FAP, GSA; Global salmon produc�on by region

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09/12/2021 15:36:13

Aquaculture bounces back in 2021 for south east Asia – not including China – is expected to be around 1.6 million tonnes.

Using an es�mate based on official figures supplied to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisa�on up to 2019, global shrimp produc�on for 2021 will be around 7 million tonnes, up 8.9% on 2020, which had seen a fall of 2%.

Rabobank’s own es�mate – taking out overcounting for China, Indonesia and Vietnam – applies the same expected growth rate, but comes up with a global figure of just under 4.5 million tonnes.

In 2020, India was s�ll the world’s top shrimp exporter by value (US$4.48bn), but in volume terms Ecuador took the top spot, at 637,000 tonnes. For the year to date – up to July 2021 – Ecuador as leading on both counts (at US$3.09bn and 522,000 tonnes).

The GSA’s survey of producers suggest that further growth globally is expected for 2022, although producers are less op�mis�c about the impact of rising feed prices. In descending order, their top three concerns were market prices, disease preven�on and the cost of aquafeed.

A tale of two salmon na�ons The Global Finfish Aquaculture Survey and Forecast found that 2021 was a very different story for two of the leading Atlan�c salmon producers: Chile and Norway.

Norwegian farmers expect to record just over 10% growth, to around 1.5 million tonnes for 2021 a�er growth slowed to 2.7% in 2020.

Another 4.6% in growth is expected for 2022. Nikolik observed, however, that thanks to environmental regula�ons, Norway is approaching the limits of its capacity for marine fish farming.

In Chile, es�mated produc�on for 2021 has actually slumped by just over 14% compared with 2020, taking produc�on to a li�le over 600,000 tonnes.

One of the key factors for Chile has been biological issues, which have led to die-offs and culls of fish.

UK salmon producers expect to record a big increase for 2021, with around 210,000 tonnes compared with 2020’s es�mate of around 175,000 tonnes. In contrast, Canada’s produc�on, at around 140,00 tonnes, has been flat and is expected to remain so.

The “others” in salmon farming – including Iceland, Australia, Ireland and the US – are

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For La�n “America…

it’s been a booming year for shrimp produc�on

”

becoming increasingly significant, Nikolik said. With combined produc�on topping 160,000 tonnes, es�mated year-on-year growth for 2021 is 20% and growth is expected to con�nue at around 6% for the next two years.

Norway’s growth spurt and Chile’s misfortunes have cancelled each other out to create an expected steady growth curve for salmon produc�on between 5.2% and 4.4% over 2020 to 2022, slowing to 2.8% in 2023. Es�mated global produc�on for 2021 is around 2.8 million tonnes.

Other species Atlan�c cod produc�on in Norway is experiencing a revival, the survey shows.

From its high of around 22,500 tonnes in 2010, produc�on declined to just over 5,000 tonnes by 2019, but that is now growing and 2021’s es�mate is more like just under 10,000 tonnes, with further growth of more than 47% expected for 2022.

Meanwhile sea bass and sea bream produc�on – s�ll led by Greece and Turkey – appears to be recovering from the slumped levels of 2020, with an es�mated 3.8% increase taking the expected total for 2021 to just under 500,000 tonnes. This is s�ll marginally below the industry’s previous high in 2019, but 1.2% growth in 2022 and 4.2% in 2023 should see produc�on reach new peaks in those years.

Tilapia is a mature sector for established producers such as China and Indonesia, but it is growing in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam, Egypt and La�n America.

The FAO es�mated that world �lapia produc�on was around 5.5 million tonnes in 2019. Since then, the GOAL survey es�mates, total produc�on has grown by 1.2% for 2021 and will see further growth of 2.5% in 2022 and 3.7% in 2023.

Produc�on of pangasius, a large ca�ish, is es�mated at 3 million tonnes for 2020, up 3.7%, with a further 6% increase year on year for 2021.

Growth in carp produc�on – a huge industry in which China is by far the biggest player – appears to be slowing. Es�mated produc�on for 2021 is just over 24 million tonnes and growth for next year is only expected to be 1.6%.

The big picture is that global finfish produc�on for 20121 is likely to be around 38 million tonnes, up 2.5% on the es�mated figure for 2020, which had seen growth of only 0.2% from 2019. The industry expects to see further growth of 2.7% in 2022. FF

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09/12/2021 15:37:04

Marketing

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

Flying the flag Norway’s seafood industry is spending more than ever on promoting its products abroad

S

PAIN and South Korea will be the main targets next year as the Norwegian Seafood Council unveils another massive marke�ng budget.

The organisa�on has set aside just over NOK 300m – around £25m – giving rival salmon producers such as Scotland and the Faroe Islands a lot to think about.

The budget is similar to this year’s spend. It covers all types of seafood, of course, but by far the largest amount, NOK 143m (£12m), will be devoted to promo�ng farmed salmon mostly through PR and adver�sing campaigns.

Whitefish such as cod and haddock, much of which goes to the UK, receives NOK 67.5m (almost £5.8m), while NOK 19m £1.6m) will be spent on shellfish and NOK 32.5m (£2.8m) on mackerel and herring.

Covering at least 30 countries, the Seafood Council is determined to get the “Buy Norwegian” message to as many parts of the world as possible.

But the budget winners in 2022 will be Spain at NOK 28.5m (£2.37m) and South Korea at NOK 32m (£2.6m). Cod will be pushed hard in Spain while salmon will be the focus in Korea, where demand has been rising.

Around NOK 22.5m (£1.9m) will be spent in France, but with Japan at NOK 19.5m (£1.7m) and China at NOK 17m (£1.48m) these two countries have dropped down the list.

Børge Grønbech, Global Opera�ons Director at the council, says: “Every year, our goal is to have the marke�ng plans ready by the beginning of October so that the exporters can use them in their own marke�ng work.

“We expect to make some adjustments, but, with a few excep�ons, most things are now in place.”

The Seafood Council is clearly spreading its net wide with emerging markets such as Israel, the Middle East and Vietnam seeing their current

Above: Børge Grønbech (Photo: Marius Fiskum NSC) Left: Norwegian salmon in Spain Opposite - clockwise from top left: Promo�on campaign, France; Seafood Council stall, South Korea; salmon on sale, Italy; Trine Horne

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09/12/2021 15:40:38

Flying the flag

Italians hail sushi “the new pizza”

combined budgets of NOK 6.3m double to NOK 12.8m (£1.08m) for next year.

Grønbech says: “We have already reorganised with a new Nordic team and relaunched the [inspira�onal recipe] website Godfisk.no.

An important focus for the team’s campaign work going forward will be to work closely with the industry and contribute to more Norwegians, especially the slightly younger guard, ea�ng more seafood. It will be marked with, among other things, a “push” on TV campaigns, digital adver�sing and social media as well as a number of PR ac�vi�es.

Grønbech is linking the scheme with a business ini�a�ve where the council has set aside NOK 26m (£2.2m) in next year’s budget.

This corporate ini�a�ve is a co-financing between the Seafood Council and individual companies that, on their own ini�a�ve, have plans for new projects.

Some �me ago, the salmon sector no�ced increasing demand from southern Europe so these markets have received extra funding for the all-important 2021 autumn campaign, which runs up to Christmas.

Grønbech reveals: “One of the largest adver�sing campaigns of all �me for Norwegian salmon is currently being rolled out in Spain, France and Italy.

“Rarely have we run such a high-pressure (effort) in Southern Europe in one and the same period. A total of NOK 64m (£5.3m), over 40% of this year’s total interna�onal salmon budget, is going to be spent on major investment in these three countries.”

It was originally planned that Spain should receive the lion’s share, but Italians are taking to salmon in a big way and sales are on the increase in France, so it was decided they should also share the pot.

“An overall goal of the investments is to secure market posi�ons in these important countries, as well as to maintain the increased domes�c consump�on of salmon we have seen during the pandemic,” Grønbech adds.

He con�nues: “Both France, Spain and Italy are important engines for Norwegian salmon exports into Europe.

“These are the main reasons why

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Vince 2 - Norway marketing v3.indd 43

Italy is enjoying a sushi boom where it is being labelled the “new pizza”, according to the Seafood Council, which says it is one of the reason why Italians are buying more salmon.

When restaurants closed during the height of the pandemic, people started to eat more meals at home and this included sushi with its simple and easy-to-prepare recipes.

Health is also a big factor in a country, with a very high Covid death rate. The trend has con�nued following the li�ing of restric�ons.

precisely these countries have received extra funds to run large, na�onwide campaigns this year.

“By 2020, the three southern European countries accounted for almost a third of all European salmon consump�on “France is one of Norway’s largest export markets for salmon, while exports to Spain and Italy have increased sharply in the last 10 years. The poten�al for further growth is significant.”

The situa�on is quite different from 2020, when coronavirus hit these countries hard and sales ini�ally plummeted.

But Spanish and French households turned to ea�ng seafood at home in a big way, partly compensa�ng for some of the losses.

Speaking before the toughening of restric�ons in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, Grønbech said the increase in home consump�on during the pandemic had con�nued, but with the added bonus of people now venturing out to restaurants again.

He stressed: “It is important to ensure that post corona trend con�nues. In France, for example, this year’s adver�sing campaign contained a strong focus on ea�ng situa�ons and food enjoyment whenever salmon is on the menu.

“This (French) investment provided value for money, and contributed to increased home consump�on and an increased reputa�on for Norwegian salmon.”

Trine Horne, who is the Seafood Council’s Paris-based French envoy, said she had taken lessons learned from last year, including a greater focus on inspira�on for recipes and food enjoyment, which included a number of events aimed at chefs and influencers.”

She said this was providing an exci�ng campaign, with plenty of salmon on the menu, in the run-up to Christmas. FF

Rarely “ have we run such a highpressure (effort) in Southern Europe

”

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09/12/2021 15:41:38

Breeding and genetics

Stock answers Broodstock – shellfish, shrimps or finfish – is constantly being improved through technology

B

REEDING fish for aquaculture is increasingly a science – and hard science at that – rather than an art. The applica�on of cu�ng-edge biotechnology, including genomics, is already paying dividends for fish welfare and for farmers’ profitability.

For example, earlier this autumn we learned that a gene with a major role in resistance to infec�ous pancrea�c necrosis virus (IPNV) that can cause high mortality levels in farmed salmon and trout has been iden�fied in a study by a team of scien�sts. The study was carried out by the Roslin Ins�tute and Hendrix Gene�cs, together with the University of S�rling, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and Uppsala University.

The gene affec�ng resistance to a viral disease in Atlan�c salmon was iden�fied using CRISPR gene edi�ng technology. This discovery, made using a combina�on of genomics and gene edi�ng technologies, provides insight into why some salmon are resistant and others are suscep�ble to IPNV. Robbert Blonk, Director of R&D at Hendrix Gene�cs Aquaculture, explains: “The research project aimed at crea�ng cell lines that had a targeted knocked-out (dismantled) candidate gene called NAE1, which was suspected to be responsible for suscep�bility to IPNV. “Results showed that knocking out NAE1 fully explained the resistance in a very convincing way and this was published in a peerreviewed ar�cle. We are currently further tes�ng the gene.

“Also interes�ng – and even more useful for the industry – is that we now know which gene we need to check in our broodstock to even further improve the accuracy in selec�on for improved IPNV resistance in our stock.”

It’s just part of a busy year for Hendrix Gene�cs, which also owns hatchery business Landcatch in the UK. The company has upgraded its smolt unit in north-west Scotland, producing organic smolts for its key customers.

Bram Geurts, Director of Sales & Marke�ng and Salmonids at Hendrix Gene�cs Aquaculture, says: “The upgrade has proven its value in this excep�onal warm and dry summer. This is only one example of how we are investing in our sites and infrastructures to ‘engineer out’ risks as much as possible. Not only for our smolt rearing and gene�c support

This “ upgrade

has proven its value

”

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Stock answers

contracts in Scotland, but also in our opera�ons in rainbow trout and vannamei shrimp abroad, we are inves�ng in upgrading the infrastructure, and further �ghtening the rela�onship and informa�on sharing with customers now that the Covid restric�ons allow for closer interac�on again.”

In Chile, Hendrix has been working on its Atlan�c salmon product with the addi�on of improved robustness to bacterial kidney disease. This is especially important for the company’s customer base in the southern region, Magallanes.

A�er several challenge trials, Hendrix can now accurately monitor the animals’ health status during infec�on under these trials, and with genomics iden�fy the gene�cally more healthy and robust broodstock.

The group also owns Troutlodge – the world’s leading producer of eyed trout eggs – based in the US, in the states of Washington and Idaho.

There has been good take-up, Hendrix says, of lines that are intensively selected for resistance to bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD).

Through Kona Bay, the group’s shrimp brand for Asia, Hendrix has developed three separate products – Speed, Strength and Balance – developed specifically for different environments depending on the level of biosecurity the farmer is able to provide. The three lines give different weigh�ngs to growth rates and resistance to common health challenges.

Hendrix is inves�ng in local broodstock produc�on for Kona Bay in several bases in Asia. The first “broodstock mul�plica�on centre” is now opera�ng in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, with partners Skre�ng and Ecuacul�vos, Hendrix is inves�ng in Macrobio, its brand-new shrimp post-larvae (PL) produc�on centre and nucleus opera�on. This opera�on is targeted to supply the Ecuadorian market from the Kona Bay brand.

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Benchmark Gene�cs has also had a busy few months. On the second day of the Aqua Nor trade show in Trondheim, Benchmark signed a long-term agreement for the delivery of salmon eggs to the Premium Svensk Lax plant, a recircula�ng aquaculture systems (RAS) plant that is currently under construc�on in Säffle, Värmland in Sweden.

In August 2020, Premium Svensk Lax was the first company to receive the approval of the Swedish authori�es to build a land-based facility for Atlan�c salmon. The plant, which is designed to produce 10,000 tonnes annually, is scheduled to be in full-scale produc�on in 2024. Salmon will then be slaughtered, processed and delivered five days a week to the Swedish market. The goal is to meet 20% of local demand, with opportuni�es for further growth. The agreement entails that Benchmark, as the sole supplier, will provide gene�cs from its biosecurity facili�es in Iceland for a three-year period, with an op�on for another two years.

In November, Regal Springs, the world’s leading premium �lapia company, and Benchmark Gene�cs, entered long-term strategic co-opera�on to support Regal Springs’ breeding programmes for premium natural-grown �lapia.

Regal Springs has major opera�ons in Indonesia, Honduras and Mexico – with the US being its largest market – and commercial organisa�ons around the globe. The agreement secures Regal Springs access to Benchmark’s team of experts and advanced support systems for selec�ve breeding programmes and the company’s extensive experience from 30 programmes for 20 species, with �lapia one of the main focus areas.

“This strategic collabora�on is aligned with Regal Springs’ commitments

Top: Regal Springs, Lake Toba, Indonesia Above: The Svensk Lax Säffle site, Sweden Opposite: The Hendrix Gene�cs Ormsary site; Eggs, Roslin Ins�tute

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Breeding and genetics

The MiSeq is the “workhorse of our opera�on ”

to develop premium Naturally Be�er Tilapia and to have a posi�ve impact on the sustainability of Tilapia aquaculture”, said Laurent Develle, Global Head of Sustainability at Regal Springs, on announcing the deal.

Tilapia accounts for around 10% of the global finfish aquaculture, produc�on with almost 7 million tonnes worldwide, and is a significant and sustainable source of protein for human consump�on.

Morten Rye, Director of Gene�cs at Benchmark Gene�cs, says: “We are proud to assist Regal Springs in realising their ambi�ous goal for the company’s gene�c work. In addi�on to be�er animal welfare, gene�c improvements also will lead to higher produc�on efficiency and reduced costs.”

Bivalve mollusc producers can also benefit from gene�c and breeding exper�se. Earlier this year Orkney Shellfish Hatchery, the mul�-species aquaculture hatchery supplying premium shellfish products to the restora�on market, announced a breakthrough in screening techniques to detect the lethal Bonamia pathogen.

The discovery was the result of a collabora�ve effort with aquaculture gene�cs specialist Xelect. The innova�on uses a highly sensi�ve DNA test to sample the waters oysters live in to iden�fy the presence of the pathogen, with no need for the oysters to leave the hatchery whilst tes�ng takes place or be destroyed posttes�ng – which was previously the only way to check for Bonamia.

Dr Nik Sachlikidis, who is also Managing Director of hatchery technology developer Ocean On Land Technology and BVI-based spiny lobster producer Caribbean Sustainable Fisheries, said ahead of presen�ng the findings at the NORA (Na�ve Oyster Restora�on Alliance) 4 Conference: “With the help of the Xelect team, 2021 has

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Breeding and Genetics v2.indd 46

seen Orkney Shellfish Hatchery achieve a major breakthrough in the hatchery management of the long-researched disease of Bonamia ostreae, a parasi�c infec�on that is lethal to shellfish. This innova�on takes some amazing recent academic work and applies it to the commercial hatchery se�ng. Ul�mately, this process allows us as a hatchery to manage our broodstock more effec�vely to control for Bonamia in seed produc�on and is an enormous step forward in the produc�on of disease-free na�ve oyster seed.”

Xelect has also been ac�ve interna�onally – for example, working with Martec, a leading player in Central American aquaculture, on the first commercial Spo�ed Rose Snapper gene�c programme (for more on this see “What’s New”, page 60).

The company is also working with aquaculture business Fresh Studio and feed company De Heus in Myanmar in a major new ini�a�ve to boost food security in the region.

The “Powering Aquaculture Progress” project is a five-year public-private ini�a�ve to modernise the aquaculture industry.

Fresh Studio and Xelect, with funding from De Heus and the Netherlands Government, collabora�ng on the development of two flagship hatcheries and an applied R&D farm. These will act as the basis for a modern, centralised breeding programme, which will supply high-quality broodstock for seed produc�on at hatcheries throughout the country.

Xelect is currently working with Fresh Studio’s team on the ground to develop the gene�c tools required to kickstart a centralised programme for rohu carp (Labeo rohita) – a very popular regional fish that has been largely neglected in gene�c terms. With a dedicated breeding programme, the project could develop a sustainable supply of fish that are ideally suited to local condi�ons, benefi�ng from faster growth and increased disease resistance.

Fresh Studio’s Country Manager for Myanmar, Floortje Jacobs, comments: “Since 2019, Powering Aquaculture Progress is one of the largest projects with foreign direct investment in Myanmar and is set to make improvements along all steps of the aquaculture supply chain. While improved technologies and knowledge for farmers are the main focus, we soon realised that we will not reach produc�vity improvements if we don’t analyse and work on the gene�c quality of the fish as

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Stock answers

well. Luckily, Xelect could help us with this.”

Xelect Breeding Programme Manager Lidia de los Rios Perez adds: “The initial phase of the project consists of the development of a genetics tool kit that will enable us to analyse the existing populations. In the second phase we will evaluate the genetic diversity and inbreeding levels of the available stocks and identify a suitable founding population for use in a future breeding and genetic improvement programme. The Xelect team are proud to be collaborating on this significant project.”

Meanwhile, the Xelect lab team have also recently taken delivery of a second Illumina MiSeq ™ genetic sequencer. This addition to the company’s custom-built facility allows Xelect to double its sequencing capacity.

Xelect says: “The MiSeq is the workhorse of our operation, allowing us to quickly and cost-effectively analyse tissue samples to get the genetic insights we need to run some of the most advanced breeding programmes in aquaculture.”

Rachael Wilbourn, Xelect’s Laboratory Manager, led the final setup. She says: “Given that over the last year alone we’ve analysed over 50,000 samples, this is a big step forward for us. We’re taking on new customers all the time, and it’s vital that we can provide them with the analysis and guidance they need as quickly as possible. For us, the MiSeq is an excellent platform, as it provides us with a

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rapid and cost-effective genotyping solution, as well as the flexibility to adapt our SNP [single nucleotide polymorphism] panels to meet our customers’ needs. Having a second sequencer is going to give us the capacity to not only increase our sample throughput, but also the opportunity to expand our research and development capabilities.” FF

Opposite from top: Fresh Studio, Myanmar; Morten Rye; Lidia de los Rios Perez; Fresh Studio This page from top: The Xelect lab team; Rachael Wilbourn, Xelect

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09/12/2021 15:46:59

Land-based farming

Long live the

kingfish!

The Kingfish Company is exporting its RAS model to Maine

BY ROBERT OUTRAM

L

AST month saw another milestone for The Kingfish Company and its planned recircula�ng aquaculture system (RAS) project in the north-eastern United States, with an important real estate deal.

The purchase of land near Jonesport, Maine, is an important step towards making the project a reality, following the earlier approval of key permits allowing it to move ahead.

This is one of several land-based RAS projects along the US Atlan�c coast, but unlike most of the others this farm will not be producing salmon, but yellowtail kingfish. It will be following a model already established by the group’s European arm, Kingfish Zeeland, in the Netherlands.

Kingfish Zeeland has been in opera�on since 2018 and is currently in the process of expanding its capacity from 1,500 tonnes annually to 3,500.

Chief Execu�ve Officer and co-founder Ohad Maiman says kingfish “�cks all the boxes” for RAS farming: it enables local

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Kingfish Company v2.indd 48

produc�on of a fish that is normally dependent on imports (for Europe and the US, kingfish is generally imported from Japan); it performs well in a RAS se�ng; and it is (like salmon) a high-value product.

Otherwise known as yellowtail amberjack or greater amberjack, Seriola lalandi is na�ve to the tropical and temperate oceans of the southern hemisphere. It is an established favourite in two leading cuisines; Japanese sushi and sashimi, and Italian, where it is known as ricciola.

Co-founder Kees Kloet is an aquaculture veteran and pioneered the use

Above: Kingfish Maine site design Left: Ohad Maiman Opposite from top: Tank at Kingfish Zeeland; Jennie de Haan, junior hatchery specialist; Kingfish is popular in several cuisines

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09/12/2021 15:53:17

Long live the kingfish!

of yellowtail kingfish in RAS, but this is Maiman’s his first fish farming venture. He was formerly Vice-President, Business Development, with Israeli investment company the Merhav Group.

At Merhav, Maiman had appraised a number of agro-industry projects and was par�cularly impressed by the strategic prospects for landbased aquaculture.

As he puts it: “I was hooked on the technology – excuse the pun! I saw there was a development in aquaculture that was no less drama�c than greenhouses in agriculture.”

The fact that world demand for seafood is rising while wild fish produc�on has been flat since the 1990s only underlined the possibili�es.

When Merhav proved reluctance to invest heavily in rela�vely untried technology, Maiman decided it was �me to start his own venture. He teamed up with Kloet, who had already been involved with the start-up of around 30 RAS farms, and was the first to trial kingfish in a RAS se�ng, with Silt BV. Unlike salmon, kingfish lives its whole life cycle in salt water. In that sense, it is a simpler species, although the need to provide live feed for the fish’s early stages presents its own challenges.

Kingfish Zeeland started with broodstock from Kloet’s original farm. The faster-growing individuals, gene�cally screened to avoid inbreeding, have been retained and the company now has a broodstock with several hundred fish.

Site selec�on was also important. Key factors for The Kingfish Company are clean seawater, local community support and good local logis�cs, with a cold chain infrastructure suitable for transpor�ng seafood.

As Maiman explains: “For us, site selec�on starts with access to clean seawater. That is not quite as easy as people think. When you look at nice beaches they usually have hotels and the very industrial areas are too risky to locate in from our perspec�ve.”

Both Kingfish Zeeland and the Maine site strike the right balance between being remote enough to enjoy clean seas, but not too remote for the distribu�on network. In Maine, for example, infrastructure already exists to distribute the state’s famous lobsters, while in the Netherlands the site is within half an hour of one of the country’s major seafood hubs.

The appeal of bringing jobs to an area with rela�vely sparse industry is another factor in ge�ng the local community onside, and in Maine The Kingfish Company invested �me in town hall mee�ngs at poten�al sites, both to sell the idea and to gauge public support.

Sustainability and respect for the environment are also important to the company, Maiman says. The protected RAS environment means the fish can be raised without recourse to an�bio�cs and vaccines, while energy for the Zeeland facility comes from renewable sources – wind, solar and biogas – and heat exchangers transfer thermal energy from waste ou�lows to incoming water.

The company works with some of the leading aquafeed producers, including BioMar and Skre�ng, increasingly taking a proac�ve role in helping the suppliers test, develop and op�mise be�er feeds for the species.

For RAS technology, the company’s supplier of choice has been Billund, although as Maiman explains: “As we have gone through several itera�ons of expansion, we have progressively built up our own in-house design and engineering department, including exper�se in construc�on, management and installa�on.

“We s�ll work with Billund and several other suppliers, but these days we do much more design, management and construc�on in house.”

The Kingfish Company has been listed on the Euronext Growth Oslo stock exchange since November 2020. The first half of this year saw revenue at Kingfish Zeeland up by 95% year on year, to almost €3.8m (£3.24m). Overall, the costs of expansion mean the group is s�ll burning cash. For H1 2021 there was an accoun�ng loss of €3.56m (£3.03m) compared with a loss of €1.29m (£1.1m) for H1 2020.

Maiman says: “We are already happy with the economics of what we’re producing. For today, the majority of the expenses that makes us not profitable are expansion expenses. We have a team of six people in Maine already… given the scale up and growth ambi�ons of the company, that is what we indicated when we listed in Oslo. We are on a five-year expansion plan that should see us with several thousand tonnes more produc�on by the end.”

He adds: “If we were for some reason to stop all growth, with our current capacity we should already be a profitable business.

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Land-based farming

“But we see the opportunity, and in many ways the race to be the first leader at scale in the RAS sector is an important reason to keep at full thro�le ahead.”

He is also happy with the way the company responded to the challenge of the pandemic last year. The Horeca (hotel, restaurants and catering) sector was the mainstay of the business before Covid-19 arrived. The company was able to successfully pivot to supplying the retail market during the first half of 2020, and this year has also signed deals with two more leading retail chains in France and Italy.

Maiman says: “We are ac�ve across several European markets and within each of these markets there are several channels, from distributors to retail. So when we add capacity, it does not cause a shock to one single market.

“For almost three years straight we have had to con�nuously limit alloca�ons to clients on fulfilment. There are simply not enough fish!”

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Now that the Horeca sector is reopening in many markets, The Kingfish Company is looking at an almost 50/50 split between Horeca and retail, Maiman says, with the possibility to go 60/40 either way.

He adds: “We saw that with the right retail partners, who are interested in the sustainability and environmental aspects of our opera�on and who are willing to support the product from a marke�ng point of view, retail could become a very important part of our addressable market.”

The company’s capital investment in the Zeeland plant should be complete next year, with the increased capacity expected to be stocked during the second half of 2022.

In Maine, it is hoped that construc�on on the new site will start early in the new year, and meanwhile the company is also in the early stages of assessing the possibility of a third site, in southern Europe. And Maiman can’t rule out the possibility of finding an addi�onal species to farm, as long as it meets the criteria.

“

There are simply not enough fish!

”

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09/12/2021 15:56:26

Long live the kingfish!

Of course, RAS farming is not without its risks and there have been recent examples of major losses. Maiman is aware of this but argues: “The way I see it, when I first heard about RAS, in 2013, there was a perfect track record of failure in the sector!

“But my personal view is that these systems are in many ways similar to opera�ng a submarine or a spaceship. It’s a 24/7 life support system that can’t be allowed to fail.

“With that in mind, my thinking was that if we can rela�vely reliably operate and deal with risk to human lives on a submarine or a spaceship if it’s done right, then we should be able to maintain such a life support system for fish.”

As he explains, there are triple redundancies for all cri�cal systems and backup systems for oxygen and electricity.

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He adds: “We take about a year to train produc�on employees to become shi� managers, who are then always on site, at night and on weekends, and available to troubleshoot if necessary.

“There is, of course, a built-in risk, so we are also insured, but we have reached year four with no mass mortality events. Our comfort and confidence is increasing.”

He is also confident that RAS aquaculture has a bright future. As Maiman puts it: “It’s apparent that since the late 1980s, or early 1990s, that wild catch has flatlined at about 90 million tonnes. Barring the discovery of a new ocean, I think the best we can hope for is responsible fishing that maintains it at that volume.

“Aquaculture has nearly doubled global supply, with an addi�onal 90 million tonnes; but now more and more, and par�cularly in western target market countries, governments are either not allowing or star�ng to ban some of the prac�ces of tradi�onal aquaculture.”

So, he concludes: “Assuming that challenges to capacity in tradi�onal aquaculture con�nue, looking to the next 30 years and to the next 90 million tonnes that the world will presumably need, I think it falls between RAS and offshore farming as poten�al solu�ons.

“I don’t think RAS is a ‘magic bullet’ answer for every species, everywhere, but I do think it has the poten�al to pick up a substan�al part of that addi�onal supply that is needed.” FF Opposite from top: Fingerlings; Kingfish Zeeland is powered by renewable energy; Adult kingfish This page from top: Fish in the tank; Sashimi; Yakitori; At the hatchery

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Antibiotics

Solid progress Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest potential threats to human health, and fish farmers are playing their part to help tackle it

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

Above: Xxxx

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09/12/2021 16:02:11

Solid progress

DRAMATIC RESULTS FROM NORWAY

S

COTTISH aquaculture made excellent progress in almost elimina�ng the use of “cri�cally important an�bio�cs” last year, according to an independent report.

Norway, the world’s largest salmon farming country, can also report a similar success story.

Cri�cally Important An�bio�cs are those classed as essen�al for human health, but where overuse in the past has been pu�ng lives at risk by crea�ng poten�ally deadly an�bio�c-resistant bacteria.

The World Health Organiza�on says an�microbial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats facing humanity and to highlight that danger it launched a global AMR awareness week in November.

There was a �me when fish, livestock and poultry farmers were big users of such medicines, but not any longer.

In its 2021 Targets Task Force (TTF) annual report, the organisa�on Responsible Use of Medicines Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), set up to promote the highest standards in food safety and animal health, says that Scotland’s salmon farmers are con�nuing to focus on the responsible use of an�bio�cs, balancing the need to protect fish health and welfare with a global aim to reduce use.

Underpinning this success was the news reported in Fish Farmer last year that Sco�sh Sea Farms had reached an important milestone in its mission to reduce the use of an�bio�c treatments, with zero usage recorded for the company’s marine farms and hatcheries.

RUMA is also repor�ng progress in the agriculture and livestock sectors, both major users of medicines.

Cat McLaughlin, RUMA Chair

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Producers, vets and wider industry “have con�nued to manage with the utmost professionalism ”

Opposite: Biofilm of an�bio�c resistance bacteria Top: Salmon farm, Loch Tay Above: Cat McLaughlin Below: Salmon

and Chair of Targets Task Force, says that despite an excep�onal 12 months due to the pandemic, the TTF had recorded some great achievements during its first year, which was a testament to the hard work and commitment across all sectors.

She con�nues: “As well as striving to achieve or sustain key targets, a number of important industry ini�a�ves have also been launched including Farm Vet Champions and the Medicine Hub. “Events of the past year have undoubtedly affected the industry in many ways, but producers, vets and wider industry have con�nued to manage with the utmost professionalism and commitment to the responsible use of an�bio�cs through this challenging �me.

“It is important to remember that the targets are not about driving towards zero an�bio�c use; an�bio�cs are needed when necessary as a tool to treat sick animals and to improve and maintain animal welfare. “ RUMA says all targets, including data colla�on and overall an�bio�c stewardship, were achieved – driven forward by the Sco�sh Salmon Producers Organisa�on Prescribing Vets group.

“Where indicators of progress are concerned, the sector has successfully established and reported a new

THE news from Norway, the world’s largest salmon farming country, is even more impressive.

The Norwegian Veterinary Ins�tute says in its NORM-VET report that only 0.8% of the marine sites farming salmon and rainbow trout were treated with cri�cally important an�bio�cs in 2020.

This represents a reduc�on of 99% since 1987 when the use of an�bio�cs was at its peak, which is even more remarkable given that salmon and trout produc�on has increased more than tenfold over that period.

The figures show that the focus on preven�on and fish welfare through the use of vaccines has been very effec�ve.

The Ins�tute says: “Although the consump�on of an�bio�cs will vary slightly between the different years, consump�on has now been stably low since the beginning of the 1990s. At that �me, fish health personnel, researchers and drug suppliers made a persistent effort and developed very good vaccines for the most important bacterial diseases.

The NORM-VET report also shows that the use of an�bio�cs in farm animals has decreased far more than the target set in the Na�onal Strategy against An�bio�c Resistance.

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Antibiotics

SHRIMP FARMERS LEADING THE WAY

Top: An�microbial tes�ng, petri dish Above: Rainbow trout Right: Shrimp

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sector is low, and therefore even a marginal increase in the already small number of farms requiring use of an�bio�cs in any one year, especially during the marine phase of produc�on, can lead to a spike in overall use figures.

In 2020, the report shows, 6.9% of freshwater finfish farms and 4.4% of marine finfish farms were treated with an�bio�cs.

The salmon sector in the UK used 29.3mg/ kg, which is s�ll much higher than the ul�mate target of 5mg/kg.

The RUMA TTF report has also looked at the Sco�sh trout sector, which experienced a par�cularly difficult �me last year due to the pandemic.

The lack of air freight meant that exports to metric for the percentage of farms treated important markets such as the United States with an�bio�c,” the report adds. became challenging.

“This metric shows very clearly that use is “The result of slow sales has meant higher restricted to a small number of farms in both stock being held on farms, but despite this the the freshwater and marine phases of prosector has managed well, with only a small duc�on. An�bio�c use on these farms was all increase in an�bio�c use, and usage is s�ll beunder veterinary care. In 2020 there was an low the maximum of 20mg/kg target currently increase in overall an�bio�c use compared si�ng at 13.9mg/kg,” the report says. with previous years.”

“The Bri�sh Trout Associa�on (BTA) is However, as highlighted in previous RUMA working very closely with Aberdeen University reports, and demonstrated by the new metric documen�ng the percentage of farms treated, to develop a vaccine for prolifera�ve kidney disease (PKD). overall use con�nues to be skewed by a small “PKD has been a major challenge for the number of farm treatments during the marine phase, where larger fish require propor�onate- trout sector for many years but with the upli� in the understanding and development of ly higher volumes of an�bio�c to ensure safe vaccines it is hoped that in �me a PKD vaccine and effec�ve treatment. might be possible.”

RUMA says the three-year produc�on cycle The report stresses that vaccines are a vitally for salmon may complicate the interpreta�on important tool in preven�ng disease in trout of annual fluctua�ons, although these longerfarms and increasing the use as well as improvterm trends provide greater insight into the ing the availability of cost-effec�ve authorised sector’s overall use. vaccines is crucial. FF They also show that an�bio�c use by the

THE Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), an alliance of leading producers, says it can demonstrate that by using best prac�ces and ensuring the highest levels of sanita�on and fish welfare, highquality pure shrimp can be grown without an�bio�cs.

To prevent and control the spread of an�microbial resistance the sector does not use an�bio�cs for growth promo�on.

For this reason, SSP farms are not allowed to use any an�bio�cs and are constantly tested in every produc�on cycle to ensure a healthy and pure product for all consumers.

Through the use of best prac�ces and ensuring the highest levels of sanita�on and fish welfare, highquality pure shrimp can be grown without the use of an�bio�cs.

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09/12/2021 16:03:46

Processing

Nothing wasted Seafood byproducts should be viewed as a resource with many uses, research shows

F

ISH farming byproducts have the potential to increase the sustainability of aquaculture and contribute to other sectors – such as food, diet supplements, animal feed and cosmetics – according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture have found byproducts – such as fish heads, frames, trimmings, skin and organs – are an underused resource that could support the sustainable growth of Europe’s aquaculture sector.

As part of the Green Aquaculture Intensification in Europe (GAIN) project, Stirling PhD researcher Wesley Malcorps has found that a large proportion of commonly farmed species – Atlantic salmon, European sea bass, gilthead sea bream, common carp and turbot – were being routinely wasted in industrial and household processing.

Malcorps says: “Although fish byproducts don’t sound appetising, they are full of goodness and can be used for many purposes – including in food supply and diet supplements. Our results show a substantially higher total flesh yield (64–77%) can be achieved if fish are fully processed, compared with fillet only (30–56%), as is often the case.

“Heads, frames and trimmings from all species show potential to increase the food supply in soups or processed foods such as fish fingers, sauces and fishcakes. They could also be processed into food extracts and nutraceuticals – such as protein powders, fish oil and collagen supplements – potentially producing a higher economic value.”

He adds: “Organs can be used in animal feed, as can skin, due to its high protein, low ash content. With their high level of valuable omega-3 fatty acids, feeding byproducts to livestock would also contribute to nutrition in the human food chain, and byproducts can also be used in pet food too.”

Importantly, the current 33% of byproducts that is used in fish feed – such as fishmeal, fish oil and protein hydrolysate – could be increased, which could greatly reduce aquaculture’s reliance on wild-caught fish.

“Although fish

byproducts don’t sound appe�sing, they are full of goodness

”

Above: Wesley Malcorps Left: Fish processing

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Malcorps says: “European aquaculture is dependent on imported feed from marine and terrestrial systems, such as fish meal, oil and soy, particularly for carnivorous species such as salmon. Substituting plant for marine ingredients just shifts the impact from sea to land, and also risks compromising the health and welfare of the cultured animal.”

Finally, the study shows potential industrial uses of byproducts in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and packaging.

“Fish skin offers potential for extracting collagen and gelatine as an alternative source to cattle or pigs,” Malcorps adds.

Fish skin also has potential for use as fish leather for the fashion industry.

The study was overseen by Professor Dave Little, also of the Institute of Aquaculture, who says: “Using the whole fish is a key component of the sustainable intensification of seafood.

There are issues to address in terms of technology and infrastructure, which would need capital investment to resolve, but our analysis indicates that byproduct separation could add value and nutritional efficiency.

“It could increase aquaculture’s output without using more resources.”

The paper, “Nutritional characterisation of European aquaculture processing by-products to facilitate strategic utilisation”, is published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

It can be viewed online at bit.ly/byprod2021 FF

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09/12/2021 16:07:39

Cleaner fish

Lumpfish with

personality Profiling the behaviour of individual fish gives a clue as to why some are better at tackling sea lice than others

BY BEN WHITTAKER

L

UMPFISH are deployed into salmon farms to help control outbreaks of sea lice, but just how effec�ve these cleaner fish are in preven�ng parasites from infec�ng salmon is a ma�er of ongoing debate.

While research has found salmon from cages stocked with lumpfish have infec�on rates 60–100% �mes lower than salmon from cages without lumpfish, dietary analysis has revealed that the vast majority of lumpfish in cages do not eat sea lice. Furthermore, recent reviews have cri�cised the high level of varia�on in parasite control between farms stocked with cleaner fish and note that behavioural interac�ons between lumpfish and salmon are very rarely documented. Understanding this high varia�on in cleaning behaviour may help unlock the full poten�al of lumpfish as cleaner fish, leading to more sustainable and efficient methods of controlling sea lice in aquaculture.

There are many reasons why some lumpfish might be be�er suited to cleaning salmon than others. Gene�c background, health and welfare, and the environment in which fish are raised are all thought to contribute towards the behaviour of cleaner fish in farms. However, differences in the psychology of individuals may be an overlooked factor influencing varia�on in cleaner fish performance.

Researchers from the Centre for Sustainable Aqua�c Research at Swansea University developed a series of behavioural tests to measure personality differences across a cohort of lumpfish. This included tests to record ac�vity levels, how individuals coped with stress, their willingness to take risks and aggression levels, and to compare how social each individual was within the cohort. Tests were repeated twice to check that behavioural responses were consistent and the scores were then used to build an individual personality profile for each lumpfish.

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The lumpfish were then introduced into a tank containing 10 Atlan�c salmon smolts and an observer watched to record how the two species interacted. These interac�ons included co-opera�ve behaviours that would be beneficial for cleaning in a farm environment, such as lumpfish moving closer to visually inspect salmon. Antagonis�c behaviours were also recorded to give context on interac�ons that are not desirable in farms – for example, lumpfish causing salmon to flee.

The results showed that a majority of lumpfish ignored salmon.

However, individuals that scored higher for “bold and non-aggressive” personality traits spent longer �me periods engaging in co-opera�ve behaviours, while individuals that scored higher for “ac�ve and social” personality traits displayed more antagonis�c behaviour. This suggests that the individual personality of a lumpfish affects how it will interact with salmon, and therefore how effec�ve it will be at removing sea lice.

These findings may account for the high varia�on detected by previous studies in sea lice consump�on and cleaning efficiency of lumpfish.

Above: Ben Whi�aker Below: Lumpfish at CSAR Opposite: Novel lumpfish test, CSAR

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09/12/2021 16:09:36

Lumpfish with personality

The “ individual

personality of a lumpfish affects how it will interact with salmon

”

Perhaps only a small number of individuals are cleaning sea lice from salmon and therefore they have a dispropor�onate effect on parasite control in farms. These personality tests provide a tool for iden�fying produc�ve individuals and give insight into the psychology of these so-called “elite” lumpfish.

However, the research also raises two important ques�ons: how can the efficiency of elite lumpfish be harnessed in farms, and what can be done with the non-cleaning individuals?

Ongoing research collabora�on between the University of Guelph and Fisheries and Oceans Canada aim to adapt these new personality tests for a commercial scale, screening behaviour of greater numbers of lumpfish at faster rates than has previously been possible. Not only will this help iden�fy elite lumpfish to be deployed into Canadian salmon farms, but gene�c research on the heritability of these behavioural traits might inform selec�ve breeding programmes to domes�cate lumpfish stocks. Results from the Canadian lumpfish can also be compared to the Bri�sh study to assess whether behavioural differences exist between dis�nct geographic popula�ons across the Atlan�c.

It is es�mated that more than 50 million lumpfish are produced by hatcheries each year, yet moun�ng evidence suggests the majority of these are not effec�ve cleaner fish. Further research is needed to be�er understand why so many individuals do not clean and what steps can be taken to improve their produc�vity in farms. For example, will raising lumpfish with new diets, tank enrichment or environmental condi�ons affect their personality and therefore cleaning ability? Could elite cleaners be used as teaching aids to demonstrate desired behaviours to their non-cleaning counterparts? Will non-cleaners feed on net bio-foul and thereby help maintain farm equipment?

It is hoped that by further developing behavioural tools, research can empower hatcheries to produce higher-quality cleaner fish and reduce the need for produc�on in mass quan��es. Not only would this be more economic and sustainable for the industry, but it will help create condi�ons that benefit the health and welfare of cleaner fish and salmon alike. Aquaculture research has tradi�onally focused on fish physiology in order to maximise growth rates and increase yields, but this study demonstrates that shi�ing perspec�ve to focus on fish psychology may provide new avenues for improvement and success.

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Ben Whittaker is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Canada.

Details of the research can be found online in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, October 2021 (“Personality profiling may help select better cleaner fish for sea-lice control in salmon farming”, Benjamin Alexander Whittaker, Sofia Consuegra and Carlos Garcia de Leaniz). FF

Lumpfish: they do make a difference

“It works! Lumpfish can significantly lower sea lice infesta�on in large-scale salmon farming”.

Biology Open, September 2018 (Albert Kjartan Dagbjartarson Imsland et al), details a study into the effec�veness of lumpfish as cleaners in salmon farming. Lumpfish were introduced into sea cages alongside Atlan�c salmon, while other cages contained only salmon, as a control. The researchers found that the presence of lumpfish was associated with lower numbers of parasites, including female sea lice L. salmonis), and there was also an inverse correla�on between the density of lumpfish in the cage and the recorded levels of sea lice.

Another study (Kirs�n Eliasen et al, Aquaculture, March 2018) indicates, however, that the appe�te of lumpfish for ea�ng sea lice depends on what other food sources are available. When zooplankton are plen�ful, lumpfish consume sea lice less readily, so their effec�veness as cleaner fish is likely to be seasonal as the numbers of zooplankton rise and fall.

57

09/12/2021 16:10:06

Lifting and cranes

Tough tools Lifting and loading equipment for aquaculture needs to be strong, reliable and designed for the job

T

ECHANO has commissioned miscellaneous equipment for Norway Royal Salmon’s subsidiary Arc�c Offshore Farming.

Originally a specialist supplier for the offshore energy sector, Techano now also provides li�ing solu�ons for the new genera�on of large-scale offshore fish farms.

During the autumn, Techano service engineers completed installa�on onboard for the first of two fish farm rings for Arc�c Offshore Farming. The equipment delivered includes a set of net handling winches, capstans, chain jacks, hydraulic power units (HPUs) and handling davits.

The farms are now at their loca�on outside Fellesholmen near Tromsø in northern Norway. Øystein Bondevik, Sales Director at Techano, says: “We have also experienced a high level of interest in our fish-transfer systems. The need for safe transfer between fish farm and live fish carriers is increasing as the number of farms opera�ng further from the shore increases. The harsher condi�ons and challenging weather put the opera�on at risk, but Techano FTS secures safe transfer.”

The most recent delivery is miscellaneous equipment for the live fish carrier Harald Martin, which was delivered from Tersan shipyard in late October.

Also, to meet the requirement for less manual work and safer opera�on during fish crowding, Techano has developed a system, Crowd Control, which improves health and safety and reduces risk of damage to nets and escapes.

There is less need for support vessels around the fish pens.

As the crowding is automated and can be run at low speed and with controlled mo�ons, it creates a lot less stress on the fish. The opera�on can be

58

Lifting and Cranes v2.indd 58

ini�ated well before arrival of the wellboat, and as such have the fish in posi�on simultaneously as the wellboat arrives. The system has been developed such that it can be retrofi�ed to any pen.

Based in Viadana, Matua, in Italy, HS.MARINE is a leading manufacturer of ship and offshore cranes with the world’s widest range of models.

HS.MARINE not only prides itself on cranes and other marine li�ing equipment that are reliable and robust, but it offers equipment that is designed

Above: The live fish carrier Harald Mar�n Below: Crosby Warehouse Opposite from top: HS.MARINE tall crane; FM Bulk Ship Loader

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

09/12/2021 16:11:38

Tough tools including loading and unloading feed. The company’s ship loaders and unloaders are designed to transfer feed economically and without unnecessarily breaking the pellets up or crea�ng excess dust.

The company’s chain, screw, bucket elevators, belt conveyors and loaders and unloaders for ships are designed for gentle handling, minimising both waste and down�me for repairs and maintenance.

Meanwhile, the Crosby Group, a mul�na�onal business offering li�ing, rigging and material handling hardware, is set to more than double the size of its warehouse in Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium, to meet growing demands in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMA) region.

The exis�ng 1,800m2 warehouse in Heist-op-den-Berg will be expanded to 4,200m2. Ground was broken at the construc�on site in May with comple�on scheduled for the end of this year.

The project chimes with a move to a single order-to-cash process, so regional partners will no longer have to work with mul�ple contacts and shipments when sourcing various branded products from the group. FF

Their “ structures

are built to withstand heavy forces

”

specifically for aquaculture. Its structures are built to withstand heavy forces and can meet the needs of fish farmers – for example, its cranes with an outreach up to 34 metres are suitable for hois�ng bird nets.

Net haulers can be integrated in the cranes and up to four winch units can be installed and simultaneously operated on one boom. For synchronised opera�ons, the crane radio control can be arranged to control other deck equipment such as winches or capstans.

FM Bulk Handling is also a specialist manufacturer, producing solu�ons for a variety of purposes

Effective ship loaders and ship unloaders – low impact on feed and environment.

Ship loader solutions from FM Bulk Handling – Fjordvejs are built to last and tailor-made for each ship or land-based installation. When fitted to a ship, our ship unloader provides equally effective and low-impact distribution of feed into silos on the water at the individual farms.

Specialising and solving problems for over six decades www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Lifting and Cranes v2.indd 59

Fabriksvej 14, V. Lyby DK-7800 Skive +45 97 58 42 00 post@fmbulk.com

59

09/12/2021 16:12:04

Products and services

What’s NEW Monthly update on industry innovations and solutions from around the world

Evoy launches the next generation of inboard electric motors

ELECTRIC marine motor developer Evoy has launched the next generation of its Hurricane Electric Inboard with an equivalent 400hp (800 hp at peak).

Once again Evoy has gone beyond what’s expected to assure its legacy as a technology leader. The first installation of this revolutionary motor system has been tested and installed on the X9 model from Evoy’s partner Goldfish, one of the leading boat builders of the Nordics.

Evoy is providing the strongest and fastest electric inboard and outboard motors on the market.

Follow their news at www.evoy.no

Xelect collaborates to find snappy solution

Costa Rican aquaculture business Martec and independent genetics experts Xelect are working together to create the first large scale genetic breeding programme for Spotted Rose Snapper (Lutjanus guttatus).

Martec plans to grow its production to 10,000 tonnes per year. By working with Xelect the company will be able to introduce advanced genetic techniques, balancing pedigree control with continuous gains in important traits.

Xelect’s breeding programme manager, Dr Carlos Diaz Gil, commented: “The first step is developing a bespoke genetic marker panel for Martec, which allows them to analyse genetic relatedness. We’ll then effectively work as an in-house genetics department for them, analysing hundreds of thousands of possible combinations to create the best possible improvements in key traits.” www.xelect-genetics.com 19/11/2021 - PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MARTEC AND XELECT:

Eco-friendly robot for heavy aquaculture work

ALREADY the largest underwater robotic vehicles provider for the aquaculture sector, Saab Seaeye has now launched the world’s most intelligent all-electric heavy work robot. It is equivalent to a 250 horsepower hydraulic vehicle but significantly more environmentally friendly. A deal for 10 Saab Seaeye eWROVs has been struck with launch partner Ocean Infinity, whose uncrewed Armada fleet supports infrastructure integrity projects in an environmentally responsible way.

Larger robots like this are suitable for extensive aquaculture infrastructure work, whilst Saab Seaeye’s easily manhandled metre-size Falcon, is widely used for inspection and maintenance in the sector. www.saabseaeye.com

FIRST COMMERCIAL SPOTTED ROSE SNAPPER GENETIC PROGRAMME NOW UNDERWAY [No embargo – for immediate release]

Martec (a leading player in Central American aquaculture) and independent genetics experts Xelect have recently announced a new partnership to create the first largescale genetic breeding programme for Spotted Rose Snapper (Lutjanus guttatus).

Martec are a fully integrated, BAP Certified producer, based in the tropical paradise of Quepos, Costa Rica. By joining forces with Xelect they will be able to introduce advanced modern genetic techniques, balancing pedigree control and inbreeding with continuous gains in important traits through selective breeding. This will be critical as they ramp up their production to 10,000MT per year.

Xelect’s breeding programme manager, Dr Carlos Diaz Gil, commented “The first step is developing a bespoke genetic marker panel for Martec, which allows them to analyse genetic relatedness. We’ll then effectively work as an in-house genetics department for them, analysing hundreds of thousands of possible breeding combinations to create the best possible improvements in key traits”.

Tony Broadhurst, Martec’s Technical Director, added “After more than a decade applying traditional methods, we’re starting to use 21st century technology to choose the best fish for breeding our future generations”.

Xelect’s CEO, Prof Ian Johnston, sees this as part of a rapid shift towards genetics becoming ‘the norm’ for producers of all sizes. “In the last couple of years, we’re increasingly seeing all the main producers switching to genetics backed breeding.

It’s not just the traditional favourites like salmon, bass and bream - we’ve recently begun work on a whole range such as rohu carp, tilapia, and pangasius. The whole industry is waking up to what’s possible.”

For more details of Xelect’s range of genetic services for aquaculture visit www.xelect-genetics.com

SeaFeed Spreader - an even better spread

NEW and improved for 2022, SeaFeed Spreader from Gael Force will reliably, controllably, and gently deliver feed to your fish at low operating costs. It has a robust rectangular float, offering excellent stability in the water. Plus, a brandnew engineered bearing component has been intelligently designed for long life, standing up to the rigors of the harsh marine environment. The bearing design incorporates sloping surfaces to encourage runoff of standing water, preventing build-up of debris, and therefore increasing the longevity of the spreader and enhancing overall performance.

Contact Craig Graham for more details at: craig.graham@gaelforcegroup.com or visit: gaelforcegroup.com

60

What's New - Dec 21_v2.indd 60

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10/12/2021 10:13:13

Looking to

recruit?

Post your vacancy on www.fishfarmermagazine.com for only £199 (+vat) per job posting.

Contact Janice Johnston 0044 (0) 131 551 7925 jjohnston@fishfarmermagazine.com

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JANUARY ISSUE

• Feed • Water Treatments, Systems & Analysis • Underwater Services & Products For more information on opportunities for advertising with editorial content around these subjects please contact: Janice Johnston 0044 (0) 131 551 7925 jjohnston@fishfarmermagazine.com

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Industry Diary

Industry DIARY The latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses FEBRUARY 22 AQUACULTURE 2022 San Diego, California, USA February 28 - March 4, 2022

MAY 22

AUGUST 22

AQUACULTURE UK 2022

WAS NORTH AMERICA & AQUACULTURE CANADA St John’s Newfoundland, Canada.

August 15-18, 2022

MARCH 22 2022 SEAFOOD EXPO NORTH AMERICA/ SEAFOOD PROCESSING

Boston, Massachusetts, USA March 13-15, 2022

Aviemore will once again be the venue for this biennial 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 2022 it promises to reach even further across the broader aquaculture markets in both the UK and Europe.

RASTECH CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 22 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2022 Rimini, Italy September 27-30, 2022

Aviemore, United Kingdom May 3-5, 2022

RAStech 2022 is the venue for learning, networking and knowledge sharing on RAS technologies, design and implementation across the world.

Hilton Head Island, SC, USA March 30-31, 2022

NOVEMBER 22 LACQUA22 WORLD AQUACULTURE 2021

Panama City, Panama November 14-17, 2022

Merida, Mexico May 24-27, 2022

JUNE 22 APRIL 22

SEAWORK 2022

SEAFOOD EXPO GLOBAL /SEAFOOD PROCESSING GLOBAL

WORLD AQUACULTURE 2022

www.seafoodexpo.com/global

Fira, Barcelona, Spain April 26-28, 2022

Singapore November 29-December 2, 2022 Seawork is a ‘one stop shop’ for buyers, providing access to the commercial marine and workboat markets. It is the largest European commercial marine exhibition held at the prestigious Mayflower Park venue in Southampton, SO14 2AN, United Kingdom. www.seawork.com

Southampton, United Kingdom June 21-23, 2022

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08/12/2021 14:59:17

SAVE THE DATE

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08/12/2021 15:04:36

Opinion – Inside track

It’s a wrap

BY NICK JOY

J

UST lately I have been buying rather a lot of smoked salmon. Having received a lot of packages, I noticed how little these things have changed during my exceedingly long career. I am sure that the plastics used may have changed and also the composition of the boards, but the style, substance and volume of the packaging has changed remarkably little. I wonder if this is more to do with the consumer than the producer.

As smoked salmon consumers tend to be the older, more affluent section of society, maybe packaging is influenced by the fact that this group tend to be more resistant to change.

Nonetheless, packaging is a very serious part of our industry’s impact.

I am often reminded of my mother’s attitude to Christmas packaging when I was young. She is of the war generation, and from a very early age she knew that life can be horribly unreliable. Both my grandfather and step-grandfather died relatively young from their injuries from the wars.

When faced with such experience of the impermanency of life, habits develop to counter the likelihood of being left without. As we travelled round the world as children (my father was a diplomat), we experienced Christmas in many different countries.

It was nearly impossible to have the usual British Christmas, but one thing remained the same: Father Christmas always gave us our presents in rather wrinkly reused packaging. Rather suspiciously he also wrote in the same illegible scrawl as my mother. Surely the two things could not be linked?

Our cynicism grew with time and so did our taking the mickey out of my mum for her parsimony.

Yet her example is a good one and I know that many in our industry use reusable boxes with long-standing customers, precisely because of its sustainability. The cleaning is often a pain and the fact that boxes disappear is also unexplainable even when the company name is imprinted on every possible face. Still, we all know that this is the right way. It’s just not possible in so many of the market situations that we face.

It’s always been galling to me that the frozen product can use a perfectly sustainable cardboard box, which is easy to dispose of and costs fairly little energy. Now, I do want to point out that polystyrene can be recycled into other things. My only issue with it, apart from its source, energy profile and waste issues, is that it can only be recycled into something else, which means that it is a single-use box.

Please understand that I accept that polystyrene is the best insulator and in a one-use scenario is extremely good at keeping fish fresh. It’s just that I wish we could find a good alternative with the same thermal properties that is multiuse or easier to dispose of.

Actually one of my most embarrassing cases of polystyrene waste came when I was taking a fairly high-profile customer for a walk near our farm.

I was just rather pompously explaining to her that we had our name put on our feed bags to ensure that we were found responsible for any we let drift when I looked into the wood and saw one of our polystyrene fish boxes impaled on the branch of a tree. It did make the case for having your company name on anything that might go into the environment, but it also was a salutary reminder that you can always do better.

As to packaging further down the chain, the public is still wedded to small packs and plastic, which means that the supplier has little choice. I wonder if the reduced salt and smoke levels also mean that we have to have a much more sterile environment.

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It was a “salutary

reminder that you can always do better

”

My father used to have his fish smoked when I was young and the amount of packaging was minimal. The pellicle on the smoked sides was thick and the smoke very strong with oodles of salt, so perhaps this is why it needed so little protection.

I’m not arguing that we should return to this, but we have, it seems, forgotten that smoking and salting were used as preservative measures before the advent of fridges. So the trend to reduce salt has contributed to the growth of packaging.

I wonder, too, where that delicious pellicle went and why. Who thought of the wonderful idea of shaving it off? Was it because it actually required some use of the teeth? For my part I thought my dad’s fish were delicious at the time, but palates were different then.

I won’t end this with a “bah humbug” as I have grandchildren now. If you ever feel jaundiced about the modern world – the waste, the laziness about preparing food or the hideous over-consumption – then just look into the eyes of a three-year-old at Christmas. If your love of this time of year isn’t restored, then you’re a tougher person than me.

So I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and successful New Year. Maybe, just maybe, the world will have a bit more sense next year! FF

www.fishfarmermagazine.co.uk

09/12/2021 16:13:16

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