Fish Farmer April 2018 by Fish Farmer Magazine

Fish Farmer VOLUME 41

Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

NUMBER 04

APRIL 2018

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PRIZE NIGHT

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

HOLYROOD HEARINGS

PARTING SHOTS

Preview of Aviemore and the aquaculture ‘Oscars’

BC salmon leader Jeremy Dunn on building trust

Triumph of science in second parliamentary probe

Scottish sector bids farewell to outgoing SSPO chief

April Cover.indd 1

03/04/2018 16:28:25

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Contents 4-15 News

What’s happening in aquaculture in the UK and around the world

16-19 News focus

JENNY HJUL – EDITOR

Show time

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Meet the team

Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Migaud, Patrick Smith and Jim Treasurer Editor: Jenny Hjul Designer: Andrew Balahura Advertising Manager: William Dowds wdowds@ﬁshupdate.com Advertising Executive: Scott Binnie sbinnie@ﬁshupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett

Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 email: jhjul@ﬁshupdate.com Head Oﬃce: Special Publications, Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL

Subscriptions

Welcome - Apr.indd 3

36-37 Fish Veterinary Society Biosecurity

BC’s Jeremy Dunn

42-43 Aquaculture UK Introduction/Awards

22 Lantra awards

44 Aquaculture UK

23 Comment

54 Aquaculture UK

Aquaculture winners

Phil Thomas

24-25 SSPO

Conference

56 Aquaculture UK Stirling

One year to go

28-29 ASSG Nick Lake

30 BTA

Doug McLeod

Figure 1: Fully automatic and unmanned drilling floor operation (Image courtesy of Robotic Drilling Systems AS)

62 Book review

Missing sea trout

63 Processing news Great Danes

64-65 Aqua Source Directory

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Awards

26-27 SSPO

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Students

20-21 Industry platform

Scott Landsburgh

Cover: Courtesy of Benchmark

34-35 Fish Veterinary Society

Salmon inquiry

WO of the biggest shows for aquaculture companies are looming into view, with the seafood extravaganza in Brussels just weeks away, and the Aviemore exhibition at the end of May. We bring a preview of the latter in this issue, and also news of the industry’s ‘Oscars’, the 2018 Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards, which are to be held during Aquaculture UK. With a record number of entrants, the judges - led by Jim Treasurer - had a hard job narrowing down the ﬁeld, but they have now produced a shortlist, the details of which can be found on page 42. One special award, introduced this year, will be left to others to decide. Called the People’s Choice, it is just that, so make sure you cast your vote. Scottish aquaculture has been in the spotlight again this month as the Holyrood inquiry into the sector continues. In March, MSPs heard from experts from Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture and, the following week, from the angling lobby. We report on both sessions, as well as on the interesting exchange, away from the cameras, between one of the sea lice specialists from Stirling and a spokesman for sports ﬁshermen (page 16). Also, we feature the highlights of the Fish Veterinary Society’s annual conference, which attracted international delegates alongside the top health professionals from closer to home - all providing plenty of food for thought.

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Contents – Editor’s Welcome

Find all you need for the industry

32-33 Comment Martin Jaﬀa

66 Opinion

By Nick Joy

03/04/2018 16:18:34

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Better communications healthy for industry New £1.7m fund for

Above: Ronnie Soutar

THE Scottish aquaculture industry needs better communications, both within the industry and with government, a leading ﬁsh vet told a sector conference recently. Ronnie Soutar, re-

cently appointed head of veterinary services at Scottish Sea Farms, was giving an update from the Strategic Farmed Fish Health Framework Working Group, on which he sits. The group is a

bringing together of industry and government against a background of developing the industry’s programme of growth, and it is actively supported by Rural Economy minister Fergus Ewing, said Soutar. Addressing fellow vets and other ﬁsh health professionals at the Fish Veterinary Society’s conference outside Edinburgh in March, he said ‘we are now being seen as a body of authority that must be consulted’. The health framework group, co-chaired by Marine Harvest’s Ben Hadﬁeld and Marine Scotland’s Colin Moffat, is due to agree a strategy this spring, so ‘the timescale is very tight’, but being driven by the minister, said Soutar.

There had been a lot of negative press in the past six to 12 weeks, he noted, with the backdrop of the ongoing Holyrood inquiry into salmon farming. The industry needed to address the issues raised by this investigation, and the process of doing so must be transparent. The main objectives of the strategic farmed ﬁsh health framework include improving farmed salmonid marine survival; maximising farmed salmonid health and welfare; innovation and research; and improved communications. Soutar said it would be ‘a major step forward having a ﬁsh health framework in Scotland’. Global reach: Page 34

Salmon chief wins leader’s award CRAIG Anderson, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Company, won the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Regional Director of the Year award at a ceremony in Glasgow in March. Anderson (pictured) was one of several regional winners in the awards, staged by the IoD (Institute of Directors) Scotland. The awards mark outstanding leadership across 14 categories, representing businesses throughout Scotland. David Watt, executive director of the IoD in Scotland, said: ‘These awards allow us to celebrate the immensely diverse landscape of businesses across Scotland, and the women and men who lead them. ‘All of tonight’s ﬁnalists are effective and

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dynamic leaders, and their skills are vital to building Scotland’s future.’ The Director of the Year Awards were held at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow. The Scottish Salmon Company was also commended as the most Entrepreneurial Exporter of the Year in the Scottish Export Awards, held in the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. in March And Stirling based Aqualife Services was commended in the Small Exporter of the year category. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon presented the ﬁfth annual export awards, which were sponsored by HSBC in association with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

humane slaughter

NEW research funding worth £1.7 million is aimed at improving the welfare of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods at slaughter. The project, under the auspices of the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA), will include farmed fish, crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, and cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish and squid). There are increasing concerns about the welfare of these species worldwide but there is a lack of practical and scientifically validated humane stunning methods for them. The HSA wants to support the development of humane stunning methods which will preclude the possibility of these animals experiencing pain or distress at the time of slaughter. HSA’s chief executive and scientific director, Dr Robert Hubrecht, said: ‘There is good evidence that we need to be concerned about the welfare of fish, and perhaps also for some cephalopods and crustacea. ‘This evidence has already resulted in the introduction of legislation, in various countries, to protect fish welfare around slaughter, but the legislation is limited, and more knowledge is needed. ‘The HSA hopes that this new substantial funding will lead to significant improvements in the welfare at slaughter of fish and also cephalopods and crustacea.’ The funding for the research is the result of a donation from an organisation which wishes to remain anonymous. The HSA is now seeking applications from academic institutions, commercial companies or any other organisation suitably qualified to carry out the research. The deadline is May 31. For more information, visit www.hsa. org.uk/grants-awards. Fish Veterinary Society: Page36

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03/04/2018 16:08:24

All the latest industry news from the UK

Global expert now a SAMS professor

Above: Elizabeth Cottier-Cook A MARINE ecologist who is a global authority on the impacts of invasive non-native species has been been awarded a professorship from the University of the Highlands and Islands. Prof Elizabeth Cottier-Cook has earned a worldwide reputation through her work at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) UHI in Oban, which has also focused on the development of novel biosecurity techniques. She has collaborated with colleagues in China, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, the US, numerous countries in the Mediterranean and most recently the Philippines, Indonesia and Tanzania. She also leads a £6 million project which seeks to improve the sustainability of the global seaweed cultivation industry – GlobalSeaweed STAR.

On top of this, Cottier-Cook runs the prestigious ACES international aquaculture masters course, which has attracted 45 students from 24 different countries to SAMS since 2015. ‘It is a great honour to have been awarded a professorship from the University of the Highlands and Islands, a university that has been growing in stature, year on year, and I am proud to play a part in that development,’ said Cottier-Cook. ‘SAMS UHI has been very supportive of me in my career and has allowed me to pursue topics I am passionate about, both in terms of the academic research and teaching.’ Cottier-Cook’s association with SAMS began during her PhD in invertebrate aquaculture. Although attached to Napier University, Edinburgh, she was based at SAMS. She joined the association at post doctorate level in 2001 and in 2006 became a lecturer in marine biology. In 2014, she was promoted to senior lecturer and became head of the SAMS UHI – United Nations University Associate Institute. UHI principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Clive Mulholland, said: ‘Professor Cottier-Cook is a deserving recipient of this title. She has forged links across the world and made an important contribution to our understanding of the effects of non-native species on the marine environment.’

Salmon farmer in superfast link A peninsula of Knoydart and Loch Nevis on the west coast of Scotland will be able to access superfast broadband thanks in part to salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms. The farmer and rural broadband company HebNet have upgraded the local infrastructure with an enterprise-grade wireless link between Skye and Knoydart. It is capable of

delivering superfast broadband of 30Mbit/s or more, putting the area on a par with broadband provision in parts of central Scotland. Scottish Sea Farms has also invested in a dedicated ﬁbre optic connection, enabling its three Loch Nevis farms to be equipped with remote feeding and monitoring systems and ensuring that salmon are fed as and when they instinctively want.

The world moves forward Feeding is the most important task in aquaculture. Therefore, you should choose the best and most advanced tool. We in Steinsvik have worked with feeding systems since the 80s. Time after time, systems like Are 126, MultiFeeder, GMT Feeder and FeedStation have set the standard for what is possible to achieve with a central feeding system. Around the world, our solutions are used both for land and sea based farming. Now we have raised the bar once again. We present Next Generation FeedStation!

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03/04/2018 16:08:44

United Kingdom News

Croatian farmer Xelects ideal partner SCOTTISH genetics company Xelect has won a contract to provide its services to leading Croatian sea bass and bream producer, Cromaris. St Andrews based Xelect will deliver a complete package of genetic management to the farmer’s selective breeding programme. The Cromaris fish are bred at a state-of-the-art hatchery in Nin, Croatia, and are, says the company, recognisable for their superior quality. The partnership with Xelect will allow Cromaris to take advantage of the latest technologies in selective breeding to ensure its product continues to excel in the European

market. Professor Ian Johnston, CEO of Xelect, said: ‘Xelect looks forward to developing a longterm partnership with one of Europe’s most progressive producers of sea bass and seabream.’ Operations director Dr Tom Ashton said: ‘We are delighted to be working together with Cromaris, providing them with expert genetic services. The Cromaris company values of excellence and quality are a good fit with our own.’ Cromaris welcomed the partnership, with production manager Dane Desnica saying it would help the company to ‘further growth in quality and performance’. Hatcehry manager Lana Vidovic added: ‘We are very excited to establish a longterm broodstock breeding programme that will enable us to produce high quality fry. We feel that collaboration with Xelect is the right way to reach those goals.’

Above: Sea bream

Loch Duart in rural accolade SALMON farmer Loch Duart was highly commended in the Rural Employer of the Year category at his year’s Scottish Rural Awards. The company, based, in Sutherland and the Hebrides, is a significant employer in the remote communities of northwest Scotland. It employs more than 115 staff, many of whom work at sea, and has been an established business for nearly 20 years. The award was accepted by Andy Bing, sales director for Loch Duart, at the ceremony, held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. Alban Denton, managing director of Loch Duart said: ‘Being highly commended in the Rural Employer Award is hugely important to us as we are rightfully proud of our fantastic team, who make our extraordinary tasting Loch Duart salmon one of the most in-demand products at restaurants and hotels across the globe. ‘I’m especially pleased that the skill and passion of our team is recognised, as we continue

to attract individuals who are at the top of their game in aquaculture. I’d like to thank Scottish Rural Awards for this recognition.’ The Scottish Rural Awards are hosted by Scottish Field magazine (sister publication of Fish Farmer) and the Scottish Countryside Alliance.

Above: Andy Bing

£1m project aims to save wild stocks A PROJECT aimed at trying to halt the decline in wild salmon stocks was launched on April 3 on the River Garry in the Scottish Highlands. The Missing Salmon Project will track scores of fish in an attempt to uncover what has caused populations to drop by 70 per cent in the past 25 years. And with global populations of wild Atlantic salmon declining from eight to ten million in the 1970s to three to four million fish today, it is hoped the project will have an international impact. The two-year scheme, launched by the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), will study salmon in the Moray Firth on Scotland’s east coast.

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The executive director of the AST, Sarah Bayley Slater, said:‘Salmon have been around for more than 60 million years, but their future looks very bleak indeed. ‘If the decline we’ve seen across the Atlantic and in Scotland continues, the wild Atlantic salmon could be an endangered species in our lifetime. ‘In launching the Missing Salmon Project, we are making our stand now and giving our generation a chance to save the species before it’s too late.’ The AST, whose patron is Prince Charles, is preparing a wider Suspects Framework, which identifies and aims to quantify the causes for salmon mor-

tality on their journey from river to sea and back again. The Missing Salmon Project, part of the Suspects Framework, is looking to raise £1 million – including by crowdfunding - to pay for the tags and the acoustic receivers that track the salmon’s journey. Dr Matthew Newton, tracking coordinator

the causes for their increasingly worrying mortality rates.’ The Missing Salmon Project will tag smolts as they begin their journey from their home river towards the sea. Salmon are recorded as they pass through strategic points – which will help determine how many fish make it to the ocean and where for the AST, said:‘If mortality occurs. we’re going to have a The tracking project meaningful impact on will start in the Moray reversing the Atlantic Firth, where 20 per cent salmon’s decline, we of all salmon that leave need to tag and track the UK originate, and fish on a scale never the lessons learned will seen before in Europe. be transferable to other ‘By tagging the fish and populations of salmon tracking their progress around the UK. from their spawning In a separate study, the ground and back again, Scottish government is we’ll be able to pinpoint investing £700,000 to where fish are being address the decline of lost – and help identify wild salmon stocks.

The money will include £500,000 for research and activities, and includes a new national programme of local sampling. This will help to count the numbers of juvenile salmon in rivers. District Salmon Fishery Boards (DSFBs) and those interested in establishing new DSFBs can also bid for a share of £200,000 for mergers, or to set up new boards to improve the effectiveness of fisheries management. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:‘The decline in wild salmon numbers is due to a range of complex factors and is of great concern - we must do all we can to safeguard the future of this iconic species.’

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03/04/2018 16:09:38

All the latest industry news from the UK

Green light for Scottish caviar farm SCOTLAND’S first caviar farm has been given the go-ahead, despite opposition from animal rights activists. Fynest Caviar will build its closed containment recirculation facility at Ardkinglas Sawmill in Cairndow, Loch Fyne, following a decision by Argyll and Bute council’s planning committee. The farm, consisting of three buildings, will rear sturgeon up to 12kg and the hope is to have the first caviar on the market by Christmas 2020. The proposal was opposed by Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on the grounds that the intensive farming of sturgeon was ‘cruel’. But their objections have been overruled. Fynest Caviar said: ‘Our fish will mature at seven to 10 years old. At this time they will measure 27-40 inches in length and be in a weight range of 10-12 kilos. ‘When certain fish have been identified for processing they will be moved to a smaller diameter tank containing cold water. ‘This causes the metabolism of the fish to slow greatly. Clove oil will be introduced into the water in the tank to anesthetise the fish.’ The firm said that once in the dispatching room, fish will be placed on a processing table

and be killed with a club or ‘priest’.They claim that death is instantaneous. Argyll and Bute planning officer Sandra Davies said that in its application, Fynest Caviar ‘had provided a lot of supporting details in order to demonstrate the acceptability of the proposals’.

Above: Caviar

‘Lochlander’ salmon launched at show THE Scottish Salmon Company launched a new product at this year’s Boston seafood show.Aimed at its export market, Lochlander Salmon has been developed exclusively by the company for premium restaurateurs, up-market hotels and top chefs in the US.

It is initially being introduced to the North American market, where demand for quality, traceability and Scottish provenance continues to grow. The brand focuses on Scottish sea loch provenance, sustainable farming and excellence in animal care, said the Scottish Salmon

Company, which recently became the first salmon producer in Scotland to be awarded Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification for all its marine sites. Since 2011, the company’s exports have more than doubled and currently account for over half of sales.

Dawnfresh is first to appoint female farm boss ALISON Hutchins has been appointed farming director of Dawnfresh, believed to be the first woman to hold such a position in the Scottish industry. She replaces Stewart Hawthorn, who has left the company to focus on other business interests. Hutchins, a former manager at Marine Harvest, has been at Dawnfresh, the UK’s largest trout farmer for five years, and was previously farming operations development manager. She met community councillors in Taynuilt, Argyll, re-

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cently to try to build better links between the local village and Dawnfresh, which farms on Loch Etive and Loch Awe. Hutchins told councillors that Loch Etive now employs 27 local people, compared to 13 five years ago, while there were another 10 jobs at Loch Awe.

Salmon farmer sourcing wrasse ‘responsibly’

SALMON farmer Loch Duart has been working with fisheries and conservation authorities in England since 2016 to source wild wrasse sustainably for use on its Scottish farms. The company said its cleaner fish strategy had helped it achieve its lowest historical lice counts on all sites by the end of 2017, even during ‘peak lice’ periods of warmer water. The independent producer plans having the first medicinal free year in 2018 for the control of sea lice and will be developing wrasse husbandry skills to achieve this. The company has reduced its MSD provides prodTHE aquaculture ucts including the sea annual requirement for wild team at MSD Animal lice remedy Slice and caught ballan wrasse, but continHealth has welthe Aquavac range of ues to work closely with south comed the recent vaccines to the aqua- coast regulators, and has been appointment of a praised for its conservative apculture industry. new UK business proach to sourcing the species. A graduate from manager. The availability of wrasse from Newcastle UniverSophie Smith the south of England was highsity with a BSc in brings extensive Above: Sophie Smith agriculture and envi- lighted by local fishermen. Their experience to the sizes are more varied, suggesting ronmental science, Smith was role, which involves working an even distribution of popuawarded the George Heslop with Scotland’s top salmon lations and generations of fish, Harrison award for excellence producers on their fish health in agricultural zoology, specialis- good habitat and warmer water programmes. temperatures. ing in parasitology. She replaces Dafydd Morris, Loch Duart representatives She joins MSD from Agriwho has moved on to head met IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and health, where she led the UK MSD’s operations as general Conservation Authority) officials sales operation. manager for Nordics Aqua.

MSD appointment completes team

Above: Alison Hutchins

in December 2017, when it was agreed that the farmer would lead regulation and close monitoring of the fishery. Lewis Bennett, Loch Duart cleaner fish coordinator, said: ‘When fishermen started catching wild wrasse for Loch Duart in 2016 the fishery was basically open to anyone. ‘The risk of the fishery being over exploited was high even in these wrasse rich locations. Loch Duart found that the key regulatory and advisory bodies developed innovative management measures which were nothing short of outstanding. ‘Loch Duart and the rest of the industry is making the transition from wild caught wrasse to farmed wrasse.’ There is currently no regulation in Scotland on wrasse fishing, and Loch Duart is working with Marine Scotland to set standards and fishery guidance. The company has focused on specific size ranges and fishing periods backed by ongoing scientific data collection and research. Loch Duart has a short holding policy prior to transport to reduce stress, and is also developing a transport system with the RSPCA.

03/04/2018 16:09:55

European News

NEWS...

Bakkafrost chief speaks of landmark year

Above: All parts of salmon from the Faroe Islands will be used

BAKKAFROST chairman Runi M. Hansen has described 2017 as a landmark year in the Faroese salmon farming company’s history. He said in his annual statement to shareholders and employees that the highlight was the merging of seven factories on the Faroe Islands into one modern facility. But it was also a satisfactory year in financial terms with an operating EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) or gross profit of 1,378 million Danish kroners (DKK) up from DKK 1,165 million on 2016. ‘All of Bakkafrost’s investments have the same goal - to prepare the company for the future by reducing the biological risk and making Bakkafrost competitive,’ he said. ‘We, who are

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responsible for the company, must endeavour to have an operation as effective and sustainable as possible, while the politicians must aim to set a competitive framework, compared to foreign competition. If one of these objectives fails, we and the community will lose.’ His report continues: ‘With our unique product and our sales and marketing effort, we have achieved premium prices. ‘By building the new [VAP] factory in Glyvrar, we wanted to go even longer in value creation, and the plan is to use the old factory at Glyvrar for product development and research. ‘A new salmon fishmeal and oil factory will start operation in Havsbrún in 2018. By producing salmon fishmeal and oil from

guts, skin and offcuts of salmon into more valuable products, Bakkafrost pursues more value creation. ‘The plan is to certify this production as human grade. By this, all parts of the salmon will be used and sold as healthy food. It is most important for us as a company to continuously develop in all areas. Bakkafrost has probably the longest value chain in the salmon farming business.’ Bakkafrost’s board of management, led by CEO Regin Jacobsen, said the overall performance in 2017 was strong and satisfying. The salmon market continued with record high prices in 2016 and into 2017. As expected, the salmon price decreased in the second half of 2017, especially during the last

quarter of 2017, as the supply of salmon began to increase again. The VAP (value added processing) segment moved its operation into the new facility at Glyvrar in the beginning of 2017 and experienced start-up issues, but the operation had since improved. As in 2016, the VAP segment had a loss last year because of high salmon spot prices. The VAP segment sells on long-term contracts and typically the prices in the long-term contracts have a time lag, compared with the spot price for fresh salmon. The VAP segment had a profit for the last quarter of 2017. The farming segment experienced high margins, and the FOF segment had a very good year in 2017.

Seafood growth is ‘just the start’ VALUE creation from Norway’s fisheries and aquaculture sector has grown threefold in just ten years - but that is only the beginning, said Geir Ove Ystmark, managing director of Seafood Norway. Its contribution to the country’s GDP last year was NOK 93.8 billion. Speaking recently to the Seafood Norway annual conference in Ålesund, he said this growth pointed to seafood as one of Norway’s most important industries for its future prosperity. ‘Fisheries, aquaculture and increased value creation from the sea are emerging as one of the few industries that has the potential to fill the gap after the oil and gas (has gone).’ The Seafood Norway conference attracted some 400 delegates, along with a number of politicians. The main theme was the future of the industry, and how far it can grow between now and 2030, and continue to keep employment at a high level. Ystmark said: ‘It is very important that we as an industry ensure that the wider society can also see in what direction we are going.’ Later he said that to ensure greater value creation, more of the fish that Norway produces should be processed before leaving the country because it was good for employment and the economy. Currently 20,000 people in the EU, including Britain, were employed in processing Norwegian fish. ‘We cannot have a future where a seafood nation like Norway is only exporting unprocessed fish,’ he warned.

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03/04/2018 16:14:30

All the latest industry news from Europe

Go ahead for joint offshore farm TWO of Norway’s leading salmon farming companies have been given the go ahead to expand their activities in the northern area of the country. The Directorate of Fisheries has granted a number of offshore development permits to Norway Royal Salmon and Aker, which are collaborating on a joint project in the Troms area of Finnmark. The development, which presents several technical challenges, not least the harsh environment in that region of Norway, has been some time in the making. Two years ago, the companies had together applied for 15 permits to farm salmon, trout and rainbow trout in a semi-submersible offshore plant, under the name Arctic Offshore Farming. But the Fisheries Directorate told them it wanted more information on how they were going to address the environmental challenges; this it eventually received and a formal planning application was submitted in February last year. In the end Norway Royal Salmon (NRS) and Aker received permission to proceed with just over half that figure (7.7 permits) – a maximum permitted biomass of 5,990 tonnes over the next seven years. This corresponds to seven permits of 780 tonnes maximum allowed biomass and one permit of 530 tonnes.

Norway fisheries minister moved to justice

The directorate has also laid down a number of strict environmental conditions involving the management of the new plant. NRS said in an Oslo Stock Market announcement that the farm will significantly increase the utilisation of Norwegian waters in that area of the country. Because the venture combines offshore expertise with good aquaculture practices, it would only have a small environmental footprint, while promoting fish welfare. The companies also said they hope to begin production by the summer of 2020. The news was greeted with enthusiasm on the Oslo Stock Exchange, helping NRS shares to rise.

NORWAY’S fisheries minister, Per Sandberg, has been appointed acting justice minister amid a growing political crisis in Oslo. He replaces Sylvi Listhaug, a controversial figure in the ruling centre right coalition, whose hard line views on immigration threatened to bring down the government last month. It is not known if Sandberg will eventually return to his fishing post, but he has been told to run the justice ministry ‘until further notice’. The Oslo government, led by prime minister Erna Solberg,has been at the centre of some extraordinary infighting. Listhaug caused a storm when she accused the opposition Labour Party of putting terrorists’ rights before national security. The party’s youth members were the target of the country’s worst peacetime massacre in July 2011 when 77 people died at the hands of Anders Brevik. Sandberg, who is a member of the Progressive Party, has been an effective, if combative, fisheries Above: Per Sandberg minister.

NEW

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03/04/2018 16:14:49

European News

Aquaculture fires up Irish industry IRELAND’S seafood sector grew 6.4 per cent last year, contributing €1.15 billion to the country’s GDP. The aquaculture sector performed particularly well. This strong growth - for the third successive year - was driven by a 12 per cent increase in net exports (to €331 million), a four per cent increase in domestic consumption (€429 million) and significant ongoing investment, both private and public (€386 million), leading to the value of trade surpassing €1 billion for the first time. The farmed seafood sector, including shellfish, was worth £208 million, an increase of 24 per cent on 2016. The sector produced 20,600 tonnes of finfish (mainly salmon) and 26,400 tonnes of farmed shellfish. Overall, salmon production was worth €147 million, showing a growth of 25 per cent. But Irish organic salmon increased in value by 40 per cent. Production of farmed mussels rose by 53 per cent. The figures were revealed in a report – the Business of Seafood 2017, published by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, and launched by fisheries minister Michael Creed. Creed said: ‘This report is significant as it measures the value of the entire Irish seafood economy, capturing the value created at all stages, from sea to plate. ‘It clearly demonstrates the scale and importance of the Irish seafood sector to our economy, supporting over 14,000 jobs. ‘From a government perspective, it’s encouraging to note how public investment is helping to strengthen an already vibrant sector to the benefit of exports and job creation, particularly in rural and coastal regions.’ Jim O’Toole, CEO of BIM, added: ‘Ireland’s seafood industry is thriving. Over the last two years, the contribution of the Above: Shellfish sector to Ireland’s GDP has grown by over 14 per cent. ‘The fact trade sales have exceeded €1 billion for the first time demonstrates the clear demand for Irish seafood.’

Lone UK firm battles for seafood prize

ONLY one UK company has managed to make the final list at the 2018 Seafood Excellence Global Awards in Brussels later this month. Three or four years ago, British seafood businesses were highly prominent and also took some of the top prizes. The lone flag carrier this year is Clearwater Seafoods (Europe), based in Windsor and a subsidiary of Clearwater Canada. It markets and distributes seafood in the United Kingdom such as scallops, lobster, clams, shrimp, snow crab. The offering hoping to take top prize in the best retail section at the awards is its Bacon Wrapped Scallops. A total of 40 finalists from 17 countries have been selected from an original entry of 78 to contend for top honours at the big Brussels expo, which takes place from April 24-26. The awards have been divided into two sections, with ten finalists in contention for the best hotel/restaurant/catering products and 30 finalists in the best retail product category. Special awards will also be presented for innovation, convenience, health and nutrition. Once again there is increasing interest from the Far East, with seafood producers in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam strongly in contention. France leads the pack among the European producers, followed by Iceland, Spain and Belgium. All competition entries will be on display within the exposition itself, at stand P-4619 on the Brussels Expo Patio, and winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 24, during a special reception – open to all expo visitors and exhibitors – in Auditorium 2000 from 6:15 to 8pm.

Marine Harvest plans China fast food outlets MARINE Harvest is planning to open hundreds of fast food salmon restaurants throughout China and Taiwan over the next seven years, the company has confirmed. The world’s largest salmon producer believes the move could generate up to £1.5 billion (16 billion Norwegian kroners) by 2025. Norwegian salmon sales to China are starting to open up Above: Ola Brattvoll now that relations between the two countries have thawed, following tensions over the jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Marine Harvest’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, Ola Brattvoll, told the Nor-

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wegian publication Dagfens Naeringsliv that the company is also planning to launch a new brand throughout China called Supreme Salmon. This would be sold through a chain of up to 2,000 restaurant outlets, as well as in branded consumer packs sold in grocery stores. Marine Harvest is not the only Norwegian business planning a big move into the salmon restaurant business. In November a new company called Pink Fish opened in Oslo with what it says will be the first of 1,000 such restaurants. But while South East Asia is on its target list, the initial focus will

be on Norway, the UK and Europe. Pink Fish is currently seeking investors to help finance its ambitions. Marine Harvest will almost certainly have its own cash reserves to get its restaurants off the ground. It believes salmon is ideally suited to Chinese style cooking with its risottos, fried rice and noodle bases. It will also control the supply chain, providing salmon from its own farms. Brattvol said: ‘We believe this has a great potential and that in five to eight years we can build it up to 2,000 restaurants across China. ‘Call it ‘casual fast food’, it has a higher price segment than the likes of MacDonalds or Pizza Hut, but we believe we can provide a good quality, healthy meal at an affordable price.’ Many of the restaurants are likely to be operated on a franchise basis.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 16:15:13

All the latest industry news from Europe

Norwegians urged to eat more ﬁsh Benchmark’s new man in the Med NORWAY is awash with fish - both farmed and wild caught - but the country’s population and especially the younger generation are turning up their noses at it. Domestic seafood consumption has fallen dramatically in recent years – a drop of 15 per cent last year - so now the government in Oslo has launched a campaign urging people to eat fish at least three times a week. Starting in March, the ‘3-a-week’ logo will be seen in stores and on advertisements the length and breadth of the country. It will be backed up by health messages, recipes and cooking tips. The target group are consumers in the age range between 18 to 40, where the reduction in seafood consumption has been the most marked. Norway’s young seem to be no different from their counterparts in other countries in that they prefer fast food outlets and other

proteins, such as chicken, to fish. Fish also needs to be cooked carefully and skilfully, and another suggestion is that the young do not have time to spend in the kitchen. The Norwegian Seafood Council says it hopes to see an increase in consumer awareness during the year. It has also been analysing the media choices of the young so it reaches the target audience more effectively. Schoolchildren are also been targeted. Last year the Ministry of Food and Fisheries allocated more than 12 million kroners (£1.1 million) for projects that it hopes will provide children with positive seafood experiences. Under the subsidy scheme, called Sea Measures, the ministry is funding projects designed to help kids create healthy dietary habits during their early years which, the government hopes, will last for the rest of their lives.

Bright Sparks help start-ups PIONEERING aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark announced last month that it was backing Hatch Accelerator 1.0. The investment will be used to accelerate a group of eight companies between April and June of 2018, under the auspices of Hatch, the first global accelerator programme dedicated to the aquaculture industry. While Aqua-Spark focuses on the growth stage of small to medium enterprises, Hatch (featured in Fish Farmer, February 2018) was created with the mission of investing in early stage aquaculture opportunities. Aqua-Spark can direct well suited, early phase companies to Hatch, and as Hatch actively finds and grows early stage start-ups, Aqua-Spark can absorb those that have progressed beyond accelerator.

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European News.indd 11

BENCHMARK Animal Health is strengthening its presence in the Mediterranean with the appointment of a new manager, to be based in Athens. Harry Tziouvas, in the newly created position of technical services manager (Mediterranean), will focus on supporting Above: Harry Tziouvas producers in the field, as well as providing them with advice and knowledge on health management in aquaculture. Tziouvas brings to the role years of both scientific and farm based aquaculture experience. Prior to joining Benchmark, he worked as a senior biologist (North Region) for the Scottish Salmon Company, where he managed the fish health management of marine and freshwater sites. He holds an MSc in Aquatic Photobiology from the University of Stirling and a BSc in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management from the Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece. He is fluent in Greek and English. Benchmark is a pharmaceuticals and biotechnology company headquartered in the UK.

• Fish Cage Nets – Nylon & HDPE • Predator Solutions • Net Service Plant • Treatment Tarpaulins • Lice Skirts • Supplier of LIFT-UP • Wrasse Hides VISIT US AT AQUACULTURE UK STAND No. 59

03/04/2018 16:15:34

World News

NEWS...

Salmon farming to be phased out in US state THE US state of Washington has banned Atlantic salmon farming, after a bill was signed to phase out all sea pens by 2025. State governor Jay Inslee put his signature on the legislation, as expected, last month, spelling the end of US operations for Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture. The move follows a campaign against Cooke’s Atlantic salmon farms, after a mass escape last summer when one of its Cyprus Island sites collapsed. An estimated 260,000 salmon were lost in Puget Sound, although Cooke disputes this number. The governor also vetoed a section of the bill that said the

legislature would ‘revisit the issue of marine finfish aquaculture once additional research becomes available’. Scientists had asked for the legislation to be halted, and Cooke claims it has been

discriminated against under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Cooke spokesman Joel Richardson said: ‘While our company and our rural sea farming employees are deeply disappointed

by the governor’s decision to ignore the science and sign the bill, we will certainly respect the wishes of the legislature. ‘Our employees remain our top priority, and Cooke Aquaculture Pacific will continue to

take the time we need to fully evaluate our operations and investments in Washington and explore all our available options.’ The company, headquartered in New Brunswick, paid more than $70 million for nine farms in 2016. The last of its leases expires in 2025. Industry leaders have expressed dismay over the decision. The CEO of Cermaq, Geir Molvik, said aquaculture has a responsibility to feed the world’s growing population. ‘We will soon be nine billion people and only two per cent of our food comes from the ocean and most fish stocks are fully utilised,’ Molvik told Undercurrent News

last month. ‘Fish has a much lower carbon footprint than production of animal protein. We need more fish farming, and we have an obligation to use those areas that are suitable for fish farming. I hope the State of Washington will find a way forward to do their part.’ However, the US government body that oversees fish farming has claimed it is powerless to save the industry in Washington state. Michael Rubino, director of aquaculture at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told the Boston Seafood show last month that their hands were tied.

Marine Harvest wins BC court battle MARINE Harvest Canada has won a legal tussle with the Namgis First Nation, who were trying to prevent the restocking of a salmon farm. The move would have stopped the company transferring up to one million smolts to its Swanson Island farm in British Columbia, but was dismissed by the federal court. According to a report in the Globe and Mail, Justice Michael Manson issued a 41-page decision agreeing there is a ‘real and non-speculative likelihood of harm’ to the ’Namgis’ way of life from fish borne disease, but he rejected an injunction on the transfer of the smolts because of its timing. The application to halt the restocking was not filed until March 9, 2018, ‘mere days before the transfer was set

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to begin’, Justice Manson wrote, adding the late notice prevented the company from finding room for the smolts in any of its other BC fish farms. Marine Harvest has operated for 28 years in compliance with Fisheries and Oceans Canada requirements for transferring fish, court documents showed, and the ruling also said Marine Harvest has made ‘good faith’ attempts at consultation with the First Nation. In a statement, the company said it ‘will continue to seek engagement with the Namgis First Nation to find collaborative solutions and a pathway forward.’ Building trust in BC - Jeremy Dunn: Page 22

Above: Salmon smolts

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03/04/2018 16:16:27

All the latest industry news from around the world

Novel local feed ingredients put to the test A PROJECT to boost omega-3 levels in African and Asian fish farms by using novel feed ingredients held its annual progress meeting recently in Tanzania. The three-year Sustainable New Feed Ingredients for Promoting Health (SNIPH) project aims to improve the omega-3 levels of farmed tilapia and carps in Kenya, Tanzania, and India. The scheme, funded by the BBSRC, is for the benefit of lower income local populations which cannot afford increasingly expensive fishmeal within feed formulations. The project is applying and expanding the current evidence base of nutrient and fatty acid compositions of a range of local, readily available, indigenous materials, including freshwater macrophytes, seaweeds and microbes. Researchers will assess their availability, feasibility and potential as feed ingredients in terms of nutritional quality, cultivation potential, supply level, and socio-economic viabilities. This interdisciplinary project is working with a wide range of stakeholders across the value chain, and is now going into a series of on-farm and laboratory based fish trials to assess and compare the performance of fish fed on these diets, as well as the levels of omega-3s present within the fish. The progress and planning meeting was held at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, in Tanzania.

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World news.indd 13

Left from top: SNIPH project annual progress and planning meeting with partners from India, the UK, Kenya and Tanzania at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. Mary Opiyo, senior research scientist from SNIPH project partners KMFRI, setting up a farm feed trial at commercial tilapia and catfish producer Mwea Fish Farm in central Kenya. Aquaculture trial research facilities at Sokoine University of Agriculture overlooked by the scenic Uluguru mountains.

03/04/2018 16:16:46

World News

Raceway ﬁrst for Mexican tilapia farmers

A TILAPIA farm in Campeche, Mexico, is the first aquaculture operation in Latin America to experience labour savings and enhanced production from the in-pond raceway system (IPRS). Above: The Romellons First introduced to Chinese fish farmers by the International Soy in in-pond raceway system Aquaculture Programme of the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC), the at La Granja Tilapia IPRS technology has been widely adopted throughout China and Vietnam. It offers many advantages in product safety, operational efficiencies and resource conservation. A 12-month demonstration project of the technology at La Granja Tilapia’s farm brought the IPRS to Latin America, where pond aquaculture of tilapia and shrimp is expanding for a demanding domestic and export market. The demonstration was a notable success, producing 50 per cent more yield while using less water, electricity and labour. ‘We are very satisfied with this system,’ said Francisco Romellon Sr, president of La Granja. ‘We’re now building raceways in four more ponds.’

The Romellon family was in the business of wild shrimp and turned to aquaculture as stocks decreased. After initially producing shrimp, the family turned to tilapia in 2008 and steadily increased production each year to supply a growing domestic market. La Granja expects to produce 2,200 tonnes of tilapia in 2018. ‘The consolidation in the retail market with chain stores required us to keep increasing production with more technology, aeration, probiotics, and in that way we grew to the point of establishing a hatchery in 2016,’ said Francisco Romellon Jr, Francisco’s son. ‘To supply the national market year round with fresh product, we need to ensure product safety with a closed cycle, and the IPRS is in our plan.’ Jairo Amezquita, USSEC project manager for Aquaculture Utilisation in the Americas Region, first told the Romellons about how the IPRS could improve their efficiencies while conserving resources, and about the technology’s rapid adoption in Asia. ‘We were sceptical of the new system at first,’ said Francisco Romellon Sr, ‘but were surprised at the much faster growth rate. ‘We saved a lot of water and electricity, and it took much less effort in harvesting. We’re able to stock much smaller fingerlings at five grams, and don’t have to move them at 70 grams, so we can do several cycles a year without stopping.’ Amezquita believes that Latin American aquaculture can greatly benefit from IPRS technology. ‘The IPRS, together with soy based feed, is central to USSEC’s mission to support and promote sustainable aquaculture,’ said Amezquita.

US tariff threat stuns Indian farmers THE Indian shrimp farming industry has been thrown into a spin following the news that it is facing a near threefold increase in tariffs on shrimp imports into the United States. The move by the US Department of Commerce is being seen as an anti-dumping measure and the proposal is to raise duties from the current level of 0.84 per cent to 2.34 per cent. The news hit the share prices of Indian fish farming and shrimp feed companies last month, with falls of up to six per cent. But the industry is being urged to remain calm as a similar move was proposed last year only for the final figure to be revised down to 0.84 per cent. Observers think that the same could well happen again as the Department of Commerce figure is only an outline proposal at the moment and has yet to be ratified. The United States remains India’s largest market for seafood, with exports totalling almost $6

World news.indd 14

billion. But it is not the only market. Shrimp exports overall (known in the UK as warm water prawns) increased by around 20 per cent last year, with Japan, Vietnam, China and now Europe taking large quantities. Nevertheless, India is gearing up for a possible trade duel with the US. The dispute has parallels with recent European concerns over higher tariffs on steel and aluminium exports into the US which also threatens a trade war. If the new shrimp import tax goes ahead, it will lead to calls for counter measures to be taken against US exports to India, although in trade terms the advantage clearly lies with the US. The dispute may be taken to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Demand for Indian frozen shrimp on international markets has been growing at an impressive rate. The United States alone imported 1.88 million tonnes of Indian seafood last year, a growth of 22 per cent.

Above: Shrimp farm

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03/04/2018 16:17:09

All the latest industry news from around the world

Shrimp partnership to drive sustainability A NEW partnership between shrimp producers was forged last month with the aim of transforming the industry. Pioneered in Ecuador, members of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) are committed to farming to the highest social and environmental standards, through greater collaboration and transparency. In order to achieve this mission, the SSP has outlined strict product criteria all members must meet: Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification; zero antibiotics; full traceability; and minimal environmental impact. ‘Up until this point the shrimp sector has been a commodity market, and quality has often taken a back seat to prices,’ said José Antonio Camposano, executive president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture from Ecuador. ‘But there are consumers who want more choice. Consumers who care about what they eat, and how it has been produced, and it is time they were offered a choice of farmed shrimp that meets the highest standards and is fully traceable to its origins. Shrimp grown by producers who care, for consumers who care.’ Using the ASC standard as a benchmark for its sustainability performance, SSP members have added three additional indicators which will support greater market differentiation. Speaking at the SSP announcement at the Seafood Expo North America, Dr Michael Gilmore, director of the Harvard Infectious Disease In-

stitute, said: ‘This level of industry commitment in removing antibiotics from food production is a highly significant step in preserving the utility of drugs we have and reducing the likely spread of resistance. ‘This is the direction we need to see all food sectors taking.’ The SSP has been launched by seven founding members from Ecuador but invites any company or region to join.

Alltech pioneer dies aged 73 THE president and founder of global biotech, feed and animal nutrition company Alltech, Dr Pearse Lyons, died last month aged 73. He had been suffering from an acute lung condition that developed during his recovery from heart surgery. Dr Lyons was the keynote speaker at the GOAL (Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership) conference in Dublin in October, organised by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA). He inspired the audience of seafood professionals with his upbeat message, urging the industry to continue to innovate to address challenges such as replacing fishmeal and fish oil, addressing environmental sustainability, and minimising pollution and fixing the sea lice issue. ‘I predict that we will conquer sea lice within six months because all things are possible now we have gene chips and novel nutritional solutions!’ he said. ‘Aquaculture is good because it is the most efficient protein converter out there and that means we are absolutely in the right business.’ Alric Blake, CEO and treasurer of Kentucky, US, based Alltech, said: ‘Dr Lyons was a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the agriculture industry, beginning with his innovative application of yeast technology in animal nutrition. ‘From farm to field, from market to family dinner table, our world is immeasurably better because he was a man who never saw problems, only a challenge that had not yet

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been solved.He inspired everyone he met with his energy, enthusiasm and passionate belief in possibilities. He instilled that positivity in his people, more than 5,000 Alltech team members around the world.’ Dr Mark Lyons, Pearse’s son and chairman and president of Alltech, said: ‘He saw farther into the horizon than anyone in the industry, and we, as his team, are committed to delivering on the future he envisioned. He planted seeds that will produce a bountiful harvest for the world in the Above: Dr Lyons addressing last year’s GOAL years to come.’ conference in Dublin

Visit us at K U Aquaculture D STAN NO. 173

03/04/2018 16:17:28

News focus – Parliamentary inquiry

Solicitor challenges professor’s sea lice science Contrary to recent perceptions, the industry in Scotland is making real headway

HE assertion by a leading academic that sea lice are mostly under control in Scotland has been challenged by a solicitor representing the angling lobby in Scotland. Professor James Bron, from Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture, gave evidence last month to the Scottish parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, which is conducting an inquiry into salmon farming (see reports, next page). The committee has also heard from the wild salmon sector and will be gathering further evidence in April and May, from government bodies, regulators and, eventually, from the salmon industry itself. On May 2, Ben Hadfield, Craig Anderson and Grant Cummings, the bosses (respectively) of Marine Harvest Scotland, the Scottish Salmon Company and Grieg Seafood will answer MSPs’ questions. The salmon sector remains under attack from certain elements within the angling community, whose grievances are not necessarily science based, as the following exchange demonstrates. Guy Linley-Adams, solicitor for Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland (S&TCS), in a written submission to the REC committee, took Professor Bron to task over his sea lice claims. Linley-Adams quoted last month’s report from the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) committee, saying: ‘The committee believes the efforts of the industry have proven to be largely insufficient to address lice issues.’ He also quoted a report by SAMS (the Scottish Association for Marine Science) stating that ‘the main treatment methods used in Scotland are experiencing reduced efficacy in dealing with sea lice on farms’. And he referred to responses to his group’s Freedom of Information requests to the Fish Health Inspectorate which showed, he said, ‘that the current sea lice figures on fish farms in Scotland are not encouraging’. Below is Professor Bron’s response:

Parly Bron.indd 16

‘Mr Linley-Adams referred to the following statement, which I made during the evidence session: ‘…mostly sea lice are under control in Scotland and, as I said, if you look at the data that has been produced there has been no rise in sea lice. So I think there is an impression that there has been a sort of skyrocketing of sea louse numbers but actually, if you look at the average, that’s remained relatively static there…’ ‘The above comment referred back to a statement that I had provided earlier in the same session, in which I indicated that: ‘…if you look at the actual figures, and there is a recent paper by Hall and Murray, we can see that actually the numbers of sea lice have not been increasing, and the reason they are not increasing is that we have a lot more tools at our disposal to help us control these pathogens.....’ ‘Mr Linley-Adams questions this in his communication to the committee, saying that ‘…as farm-specific sea lice data is not publicly available, it is not clear what the basis can be for Professor Bron’s statement’, and asserting that ‘what published data there is does not support Professor Bron’s evidence that ‘mostly sea lice are under control in Scotland’.’ ‘Mr Linley-Adams is incorrect. The statements to the committee which Mr Linley-Adams contests are based on the reported findings of a recent study. ‘This publication is in the public domain and employs data that are also in the public domain, and indeed are used by Mr Linley-Adams in his communication. ‘My statements to the committee were informed by: Hall L.M. and Murray A.G. (2018) - describing temporal change in adult female Lepeophtheirus salmonis abundance on Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon at the national and regional levels. Aquaculture, Volume 489, Pages 148-153 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/ S0044848617318367). ‘The authors of this paper work at Marine Scotland Science (MSS) which is the scientific division of Marine Scotland, a directorate of the Scottish government responsible for the integrated management of Scotland’s seas. ‘The authors of the paper are internationally regarded leading statisticians/modellers in their field, and the paper is published in a respected peer reviewed scientific journal. Having analysed data available at

Left: James Bron. Below from left: Ben Hadfield,

Craig Anderson and Grant Cummings. Opposite page: Guy LinleyAdams

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 16:07:21

Solicitor challenges professor’s sea lice science

The “ numbers of

sea lice have not been increasing… we have a lot more tools at our disposal to help us control these pathogens

”

national and regional levels, the authors of this paper concluded in the abstract to their paper that, with regard to sea lice abundance between December 2010 and September 2017: ‘…longer term changes at the national level and for two regions were also detected with no apparent overall increase occurring over the period.’ Which is what I stated to the committee in evidence. ‘I would now like to draw the committee’s attention to other aspects of the analysis presented in this paper, something I did not do in the evidence session due to time constraints. ‘There is an apparent decline in sea lice abundance at the Scottish national level, running from mid-2015 to the last data point in September 2017. ‘I contend that this demonstrates improvement in sea lice control, despite complicating factors such as complex gill disease, and I would argue that this has been achieved through increasingly successful use of a range of non-medicinal management tools, for example, cleaner fish and physical removal methods in addition to use of veterinary medicines. ‘Regional level models are presented in Hall and Murray’s paper. It can be seen that in the Northern Isles, Western Isles and North Mainland reporting regions there is a trend for relatively little change or even a decline in sea louse abundance. ‘In the South Mainland region there is a slight upward trend in abundance, though it should be noted that there are quite wide confidence bands around the data at this end, suggesting higher variability and a less predictable line (i.e. the actual abundance might be higher or lower than that described by the model fit). On the basis of the analysis presented by Hall and Murray (2018) I consider it correct to suggest, as stated in my evidence to the committee, that from a national perspective sea lice are ‘mostly’ under control. ‘As discussed in the committee meeting, this control is exerted by the use and gradual improvement of integrated pest management strategies (IPMS) that employ a broad range of tools. The use of multi-component IPMS mean that sea lice control in Scottish fish farming is increasingly less dependent upon, though still requiring, the use of veterinary medicines. ‘This is not to say that the mean numbers of lice per fish cannot be improved in the future, or that every farm has been able to keep numbers to a satisfactory level, but overall I consider that the industry in Scotland is making real headway in control of lice. ‘I do not dispute Mr Linley-Adams’ suggestion that sea lice numbers on some sites exceed nominal ‘trigger thresholds’. As I indicated in evidence, however, nowhere have these thresholds been scientifically established and, where set very low, farm louse estimates

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Parly Bron.indd 17

cannot easily be statistically validated. ‘However, rather than automatically triggering specific treatments, these are in practice ‘decision thresholds’ that prompt farm staff, health teams, responsible vets and others to make decisions about best management, taking into account specific contextual factors (for example, fish health and welfare state, site parameters, stage of production cycle, presence of other diseases, algal blooms, water temperature, weather considerations, and so on). ‘Treatment decisions should not be based simply on estimated numbers of adult female lice derived from a small sub-sample of fish. ‘Mr Linley-Adams included the following quote from the SAMS report in support of his contention that sea lice are not under control in Scotland: ‘The main treatment methods used in Scotland are experiencing reduced efficacy in dealing with sea lice on farms. New techniques are being applied, although the long-term success of these is uncertain. The legislative and voluntary frameworks that underpin the management of lice levels on farms are not transparent. They appear neither to be succeeding in controlling sea lice, nor capable of addressing the environmental effects of the lice.’ ‘To be clear, in my opinion, and based on my scientific knowledge and expertise in this area: 1. While some veterinary medicines show reduced efficacy in some regions/farms, the widespread use of IPMS means that they are rarely the only or main treatment method employed on Scottish fish farms. 2. The wide range of new non-medicinal techniques being applied, including cleaner fish, functional feeds, barrier methods and physical removal techniques, are currently proving successful at reducing louse numbers. 3. Whilst the contribution of individual components in IPMS is less clear, the currently employed range of tools and techniques for the management of sea lice is ‘mostly’ controlling sea lice numbers on Scottish fish farms. 4. Whilst it is not feasible that there is no environmental impact of sea lice, well supported evidence for the existence of any significant environmental impact of lice in Scotland is largely lacking. In my view, the ability of existing frameworks to address any environmental impacts of sea lice cannot easily be assessed until that evidence is available. The full submissions can be read at http://www.parliament.scot/ S5_Rural/Meeting%20Papers/20180314_REC_Committee_-_Updated_Public_Papers.pdf FF

03/04/2018 16:07:36

News focus – Parliamentary inquiry

Scientists shine new light on salmon farming Farmers have better control of parasites today than in the past, MSPs told lice, without impacting their health. So working out the effect on wild fish is very hard to do. ‘We’re farming something not far from a wild fish, so they tend to have the same diseases.The potential for introducing diseases to the wild population is therefore low.’ The launch of the REC committee’s inquiry follows the conclusion of an investigation into salmon farming’s environmental impact, conducted in February by the Environment, Climate Change and VERY different picture of the state of Scotland’s salmon industry Land Reform (ECCLR) committee. emerged when leading fish health experts appeared before HolyThe ECCLR committee released its findings last rood’s new inquiry into the sector last month. month, criticising the industry’s environmental Professors Herve Migaud and James Bron, both of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, were the first to give evidence - along with Professor Paul performance, and warning that Scotland’s marine ecosystem faces ‘irrecoverable damage’ from salmTett, reader in Coastal Ecosystems, from the Scottish Association for Marine on farming if concerns are not addressed. Science (SAMS), and economist Steve Westbrook – at the opening session of The ECCLR probe was informed by a report the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee’s investigation into produced by SAMS, but Tett, one of the authors of salmon farming on March 7. the report, conceded to the REC inquiry that ‘our Asked by Richard Lyle, SNP MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, about recent report may not be completely up to date’ because high mortality rates at salmon farms, Bron said there was a diverse range of it was based on a review of existing literature. health challenges at the moment. Also, much of the information in the review The impression is that there are a lot more sea lice, but if you look at actual was derived from Norwegian data but, as Tett, figures, numbers of sea lice are not increasing, he said. Migaud and Bron all pointed out, the two coun‘Many farms may have no problems with sea lice, some sites have serious tries have some significant differences. problems; mostly, sea lice are under control in Scotland…the average has Norway’s fjords, for instance, are deeper than remained relatively static. Scotland’s lochs, weather is colder – especially ‘To manage to stay on top of that is quite a feat.The industry has not sat back,’ he said, noting that there had been more innovation in treatments in the in the north, and the scale of farming is much bigger. last five years than there had been across a much longer period. Migaud said that Norway has an extended But it’s more difficult to treat sea lice because of gill health problems, and the industry has been in a transition period, moving from veterinary medicines to coastline and there are a lot of local differences between the north and south - ‘we can’t apply relying on a different approach, involving different tools. what happens there directly to Scotland’. ‘We’ve had to learn how to deal with these problems but the industry has The number of escapees entering rivers is also learnt how to cope with those.’ much higher in Norway than it is in Scotland, Putting farmed salmon mortalities (around 20 per cent last year) into said Bron. context, Migaud, Professor of Aquatic Breeding and Physiology, said salmon Fulton Macgregor, SNP MSP for Coatbridge mortality in the wild is about 90 per cent. and Chryston, was concerned about resistance ‘In some cases it’s 70 per cent, but it’s up to 99 per cent most of time.That to antibiotics and asked the panel how widedoesn’t justify what’s in farmed but that’s the biology.’ spread their use was in Scotland. In most important finfish species, mortality rates are naturally high.The lowest mortality is in sea bass and bream, which has up to 45 per cent survival, Bron said ‘tiny… we use almost none’, and far less than other salmon farming countries, such but cod survival is lower than 10 per cent. as Chile, because of the development of very As for the causes of wild salmon mortality, Bron said unless dead fish wash effective vaccines. up on beaches it is hard to tell how they died.The ocean is a ‘black box’ and The academics were also able to reassure very difficult to access. MSPs on the subject of stocking densities, when ‘Even without fish farming, wild fish can have 70 per cent infected with sea

Parly reports.indd 18

The “ potential for introducing diseases to the wild population is low

”

Above left: Professors Tett, Bron and Migaud and economist Steve Westbrook. Photo: Scottish Parliament TV. Above: Herve Migaud. Opposite top: Richard Lyle, SNP MSP

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 16:06:28

Scientists shine new light on salmon farming

Wild complaints focus on lice

Richard Lyle suggested less density would be better for fish mortality. Densities in the early days of salmon farming had been higher, said Bron, but ‘work we did established cut-off points for where health and welfare might suffer, so farmers all use lower density, and I think it’s about right.’ Migaud said current densities were 15kg per cubic metre for salmon, but explained to the committee that it was a challenge to get the fish to use their space better – ‘they are not fish that like to swim in isolation, they tend to congregate together’. Conservative MSP for North East Scotland Peter Chapman asked how effective cleaner fish were, while committee convenor Edward Mountain (Conservative, Highlands and Islands) wondered if there was a market for wrasse and lumpsuckers, once farmers had finished with them. Migaud agreed that was a very important consideration and that the industry was already looking into it. There was a potential export market for wrasse in Asia, while chefs around the world were trying to be innovative in finding uses for lumpfish – ‘but we’re still not there’. However, greater progress was being made in farming cleaner fish.There were challenges regarding the robustness of the fish before deployment, but ‘we’re prototyping vaccines at present’, said Migaud. The majority of cleaner fish are now farmed and in a couple of years the industry would be fully supplied by farmed lumpfish and wrasse. This was one example of good collaboration between the industry and academia, but there were plenty more, with ‘fantastic innovations’, many appearing in the last five years and so still bedding down, said Migaud. These included the use of recirculation hatcheries to reduce the time fish spent in open cages, optical delousing, functional feeds to boost mucus production and reduce sea lice attachment, and wellboats with reverse osmosis, capable of producing freshwater. FF

THERE is no reason why salmon farmers and way and Ireland, though not in Scotland.These took anglers cannot coexist and thrive in Scotland if two cohorts of fish and released them into the wild, one of which had been prophylactically treated against development is undertaken sustainably. This was the view expressed by Salmon and sea lice and one which hadn’t.The results showed Trout Conservation Scotland (S&TCS) in Holy- that, on average, about 20 per cent less fish returned rood on March 14, as the Rural Economy and to rivers in the group not treated for sea lice. He said he agreed with the academics who had told Connectivity (REC) committee continued its inquiry into the current state of salmon farming. the REC committee that Norway was different to Scotland. But, he reasoned, ‘we can draw broadly from In this second evidence gathering session it was the turn of the angling lobby to have its say. the results of those two studies’. Stewart Stevenson, the SNP MSP for North East Alongside S&TCS solicitor Guy Linley-Adams, Fisheries Management Scotland chief executive Scotland, said if mortality is occurring at sea does that Dr Alan Wells was also present, while Richard ‘detach the effect of farms’. Wells explained that it is the young fish leaving the Luxmoore spoke for the National Trust for Scotland, and Jon Gibb represented the Loch- rivers where the biggest impact is seen. ‘We don’t know what happens once the fish get out aber District Salmon Fishery Board. The inquiry was set up following a petition by into the marine environment because it’s impossible S&TCS, the lobby group that campaigns against to sample them.’ Gibb said aquaculture had put adult salmon in the salmon farming, and MSPs were eager to hear way of young smolts that were not used to meeting the the anglers’ argument. When John Mason, SNP member for Glasgow sea lice because, in nature, on the west coast, adult wild salmon (which carry sea lice naturally) don’t run Shettleston, asked the panel if it was possible to have successful angling and salmon farming, until May so they don’t cross over smolts. Linley-Adams noted that the recent Environment, Linley-Adams was the first to answer. ‘Definitely, yes.We’re often labelled as anti-fish Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) commitfarming but it’s not correct.We’re concerned tee report recommended that the industry Code of about the sustainable development of the indus- Good Practice trigger of .5 lice per fish should be a try. But there is no reason why the two sectors mandatory level, and he believed levels should be per farm not per fish. can’t coexist and both thrive.’ ‘There needs to be a ceiling above which farms Gibb, who declared himself a fish farmer, should not operate and the .5 level would be our but just for re-stocking purposes, agreed: ‘As a fishery board on the west coast, we’re most preference.’ certainly of the view there will be a place, we’re Wells said sea lice are dealt with on an area mannot there yet, where both sectors can thrive. agement basis, with synchronised treatments, and ‘Fish farming, like forestry, like hydro, like any shouldn’t be looked at in terms of individual farms. There is already a voluntary model for this with man made activity, is going to be a risk – it’s the Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification quantifying that risk and minimising that risk.’ scheme. A lot of the principles that he would like Wells said Fisheries Management Scotland sought harmonious coexistence but wanted to brought into the regulatory system already sit within see a proportion of fish farming profits invested that scheme. into improving wild salmon and sea trout stocks. The ASC is ‘one of the main reasons we’re working a lot closer with Marine Harvest now.They are the Angling groups blame the decline of wild salmon and seat trout stocks on salmon farming one company in Scotland that say they are going to try and get all of their farms through this certification along the west coast and have called for sea scheme.’ cages to be relocated on land. However, at the Holyrood hearing, there was It requires a much lower threshold for treatment an acknowledgement that other factors could - 0.1 lice per fish – and it also takes into account the number of fish within the area. be affecting depleting numbers of wild fish. Peter Chapman, Conservative MSP for North The REC committee will next take evidence on East Scotland, said there were also problems in April 18, when regulatory bodies, including Scottish east coast rivers and asked whether wild salmon Natural Heritage, will give evidence, and on April 25, when it will hear from Scotland Food & Drink, would be in decline if there was no salmon Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and the Scottish farming going on. Wells said: ‘It’s never been our position that Aquaculture Innovation Centre. Martin Jaffa: Page 32 fish farming is the only pressure that wild fish Nick Joy: Page 66 face. Marine issues are a significant problem, whether it’s east or west coast, Norway or anywhere in the range of the Atlantic salmon.’ Gibb said he had ‘never seen aquaculture as the main culprit in the decline of salmon and sea trout, but what is clear is that it’s most certainly adding an extra pressure’. The problem was sea lice from fish farms. Wells said experiments had been done in Nor-

We don’t know what “happens once the fish

get out into the marine environment

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”

03/04/2018 16:06:43

Industry platform – British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association

How we can

do things

better Building trust isn’t easy, but it’s worth it

BY JEREMY DUNN

FTER four years with the BC Salmon Farmers Association I find myself reflecting on the industry’s future as I move on to a new job. This is an easy industry to believe in, but not always an easy industry to represent. The association’s key role in representing the industry’s interests with media, government, communities, and other stakeholders will continue long after my departure. I have grown increasingly passionate about salmon farming during my time with the association. I have come to understand the deep pride all farmers feel in producing healthy food and the pride that comes when you work responsibly. The world’s appetite for fish is increasing quickly as population numbers, wealth and health consciousness grow. Wild fish stocks are now under great pressure and so already more than half of the fish people eat today comes from farming. Looking forward, aquaculture will have a still larger role to play in responding to tomorrow’s demand. Looking at the larger environmental picture when we consider all the pressures on the planet, the need for sustainable aquaculture becomes even clearer, given its environmental footprint is so much lower than most other sources of animal protein that we eat today. As a new farming sector we have made mistakes. But we are agile, innovative, and responsive to good science about how we can do things better. It has been just 35 years since we first put farming nets in the waters of BC and yet we have already made sweeping advances in everything, from how we site farms to ensure the best possible fish health and environmental stewardship, to how we partner with local First Nations communities. Earning trust for our industry in the face of negative attitudes and misinformation has been my mission these last four years. We have made significant progress in that time but have a lot more work ahead of us.

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Above: Jeremy Dunn. Right: Anti-salmon farm protesters in BC

One key reason we face this challenge is that aquaculture is young. All farming, whether on land or in water, has an environmental impact. The key is to minimise the impact and farm responsibly, prioritising both human food and the environment simultaneously. In BC, salmon farmers live that every day. Also, people are rightly passionate about the oceans, and want to be sure that aquaculture operations don’t harm the waters and wild fish. The oceans we operate in are definitely under pressure. Unfortunately, the serious threats are mostly invisible or awfully complex and challenging to address - like climate change, plastics and other pollutants, and over fishing. It is easier to point to fish farming and say that shutting it down will solve the problem, rather than tackle the real issues. It is easier than getting chemicals and plastics out of our waterways, easier than addressing climate change, easier than genuine reconciliation with First Nations. Building trust with British Columbians in this environment is hard work. It takes time, as well as both patience and persistence. I have seen change over just the past four years within academia, the culinary community, and the general public. I still get asked the same questions all the time, but I’m thankful that people are interested and take time to consider a different perspective than views they may have held for some time. We are making progress. We’re holding more events, introducing more people to farm raised salmon and sablefish, and have become

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03/04/2018 16:05:29

How we can do things better

Transparency and sharing solid “ fact can help transform ideological

battles into conversations grounded in values and science

”

more connected to the wider food community through relationships with chefs and other producers as members of the BC Agriculture Council. Over time, more and more British Columbians are accepting our industry, and starting to value it. Transparency and sharing solid fact is critical and can help transform ideological battles into conversations grounded in values and science. Our critics may get many of the details wrong and sometimes point in the wrong direction for

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Industry Platform - JD.indd 21

solutions, but they are right to worry about the oceans. We are concerned about the oceans too. That common ground is not a bad place to start from. As an industry, we must accept that we need to constantly change and improve. Change is hard, especially when it is constant and under appreciated, but it will be the key to our continued success. External standards are essential. Salmon farmers in BC are all certified to at least one independent third-party standard, clearly demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship and change through investment and innovation. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification is particularly helpful, not just because it’s environmentally rigorous but because its standard setting process is in effect social, forcing relatively rational debate and agreement about what sustainable means on the ground. The saying, ‘you can tell a lot about someone by the company they keep’ is one I bear in mind. I believe the company we keep goes a long way to building trust and reputation. I’ve been fortunate in my time at the BC Salmon Farmers Association to keep company with some of Canada’s most accomplished scientists, some of our greatest and most passionate chefs, and with great community advocates and leaders who work daily to make the lives of their neighbours better. Jeremy Dunn is the outgoing executive director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, and the incoming director of Public Affairs and Community Relations for Marine Harvest Canada. FF

03/04/2018 16:05:44

Aquaculture Learner of the Year

Mull man scoops

award Rapid progress for latecomer to fish farming

SCOTTISH Sea Farms employee has been named Aquaculture Learner of the Year at the Lantra Scotland Awards 2018. Alan Tangny, 30, who is based on the Isle of Mull and is undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture through Inverness College UHI, was nominated for the exceptional commitment shown both to his on-site and SVQ work. Marine Harvest employee Scott Forder, 26, from Kinlochewe, was named runner up in the awards, which were presented on March 28 at the Dunblane Hydro hotel. Forder, who works at the company’s Torridon site, is also doing a Modern Apprenticeship through Inverness College UHI. Tangny is a latecomer to fish farming, having switched careers with no previous knowledge of the sector. ‘I left school at 16, went straight to university then left again after two weeks,’ said the father of four. ‘It just wasn’t for me. So I took a job as a waiter and worked my way up to chef, but once my children came along I was looking for something with more family friendly hours.’ Tangny applied for a vacancy with Scottish Sea Farms for a husbandry trainee and, on being offered the role, was enrolled on the Modern Apprenticeship scheme. Three years on, he has not only successfully completed his Level 2 training, but he has recently been promoted to a senior husbandry position with the company. He actively promotes aquaculture at major rural events, including the Mull Highland Games, and has given a number of talks promoting the opportuni-

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ties, products and economic benefits that the industry offers. ‘It’s a proud feeling winning this award, and it has confirmed by belief that anything is possible if you work hard and have the right attitude. ‘I’m probably not your typical winner, fresh out from school or college – I was in a bit of a rut and needed a change of career. ‘The aquaculture Modern Apprenticeship gave me a new start and winning this award has made it all worthwhile. Thank you!’ Martin Sampson, Inverness College UHI lecturer and SVQ assessor, said: ‘Alan is a great example of how a person can achieve their life goals by embracing the opportunities for advancement opened up by learning and running with it. ‘He has approached the SVQ learning process with the same enthusiasm and ability that he applies to his job. ‘His work in the SVQ has been exemplary, and his rapid progression and achievement in his workplace parallels and is testament to this.’ Tangny attributes his success to the support offered by Scottish Sea Farms. ‘At a company level, they invest a lot in training and development – there’s real potential for career progression. ‘At a farm level, the team have been every bit as supportive, giving their time and sharing their considerable experience. ‘As someone who lives on Mull, as well as works here, it has been great to learn first-hand how much Scottish Sea Farms do, both to protect the salmon in their care and the surrounding environment.’ Tangny starts work at 8am and is home in the evening in time to see his young children. Next on the horizon is Level 3 – once he finishes building his own house on Mull. Jim Gallagher, managing director at Scottish Sea Farms, said: ‘This is a huge win for Alan and for the company. Alan represents everything we look for in our team. He’s talented, hard working and cares passionately about fish health and welfare. ‘If his story inspires more people to consider a career in salmon farming, then it can only be good news for the sector.’ Scott Forder, meanwhile, first became interested in salmon farming through family and friends who worked locally in the industry. With the rapid growth of aquaculture in recent years, he felt it was the right time to get involved and is now enjoying working at Marine Harvest while doing a Level 3 SVQ. The 2018 Learner of the Year Awards were organised by Lantra Scotland, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries, and saw more than 200 guests take part in its largest awards’ ceremony yet. The keynote speech was given by Dougie Vipond, TV presenter of sports and outdoors programmes. According to Kevin Patrick, director of Lantra Scotland, the awards play a vital role in celebrating the achievements of trainees within Scotland’s rural sector, as well as encouraging employers to invest in the next generation of talent. ‘Our awards highlight the incredible people, the great work they do and the career opportunities within Scotland’s land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries.’ FF

It has been “great to learn first-hand how much Scottish Sea Farms do both to protect the salmon in their care and the surrounding environment

”

Above: Alan Tangny with Dougie Vipond. Left: Scott Forder with Vipond

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 16:02:51

Trade Associations – SSPO Comment

BY BY PROFESSOR PROFESSOR PHIL PHIL THOMAS THOMAS

Underpinning Winning words provenance and wily ways Do we think enough about–what givescitadel the can be retaken by stealth Fishermen must not despair the quota industry its edge in key markets? ASED on long experience of meetings to ‘scenario build’ the potential

impacts of government policy or proposed regulation, I am deeply scept may bearguments politicallythat correct to say so at tical not of any say, ‘they surely won’t do that’ or ‘they can’t present possiblybut dofarmed that’. Atlantic salmon would not have become Scotland’s My observation has been that, in leading the right food circumstances, governments (of all export without the Estate’s positithings ve to achieve their political political hues) can and willCrown do quite outlandish engagement with aquaculture development goals. back inof the 1980s. or adverse impact on those affected are often brushed Issues rationality Now, aquaculture cant political part of objective the aside if the greater goalisofa asigniﬁ cherished comes into play. If agency’s marine leasing portf olio and regu-anything. governments are determined, they can do is almost larly by political the Crown Estate’s sh power held regionally Thatcelebrated is why I favour systems with Scotti substantial and locally, so that the power held centrally be constrained. That said, the Marine Aquaculture Awards event. Thiscan year’s US has in that kind of system and11 look where got them! event Edinburgh on the June wasit’s the Last month was pleasedshowcase when opposition in the usual highlyI successful for Scotti sh Scottish parliament forced changes in theand Forestry andopportunity Land Management (Scotland Bill), which will bring aquaculture a rare for industhe andtogether responsibilities of the Forestry Commission (Scotland) and Forest try roles to join to mark its success. Enterprise Scotland fully under Scottish control. The Crown Estate is presently at the centre original bill hadon contained a planbetween to transferthe the powers and roles to a ofThe further devoluti discussions new Scottish government department. However,The the parliamentary amendUK government and Scotti sh government. ments will now mean arm’s length long-term future oftwo key agencies, Scottish at functi ons re- from government, will remain charge.and professional expertise could mains in unclear This might not seem a huge deal.ofBut since land reform is a key policy priority be squandered in the process organisati onal for the SNP administration and acts as a clarion call for some left-leaning change. Labour land outexperti of the direct Both politicians, the Crownkeeping Estate’s core se andcontrol of the government sounds like a useful idea. Awards are importhe Marine Aquaculture A recent document from the Scottish Land Commission- Land for the Many tant in maintaining the disti nctive coherence Not the Few? sets out the land reformer’s of Scotland’s aquaculture and it wouldlatest be a thinking. This is, essentially, that we should have a bitcasualti of ground, to achieve that the government tragedy if theyallbecame es ofand politi cal should limit the amounts that others should be allowed to own. change. This is something that might find popular Thisidea year’s Awards event was hosted by appeal, but it breaks down in disarray once you start considering how the might be put into actress, writer and comedian Jo Caulﬁeld,objective an practice. However, remember what I said at the start: it is political goals not inspired choice by whoever made the booking. practical that drive many politicians. She wasrealities very funny and entertaining and kept That leads me ongoing to the with Brexitadiscussions andonce the future of the UK’s waters the proceedings swing. Only and fisheries, which is fast becoming a polemical issue. did she stray, when she wondered what ‘proveInitially enthused by clear statements from Michael Gove, David Davis and nance actually meant’. others that the UK will take back its waters, there is now deep disquiet that this In a room full of folk whose livelihoods move will be delayed until 2020, due to the Brexit transition arrangements. 12Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson have both been up in arms about it, while Nigel Farage and Nick

should “beWeorganising our training and education provisions much better

”

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Phil Thomas.indd 23

Clegg threw dead fish into the Thames, apparently as some sort of protest (don’t ask!). depend on the thecat provenance their products she quickly sensed an auMeanwhile, was furtherofput among dience response moved to safer when comedic material: there are some the pigeons (pardon and the mixed metaphor) things you just don’t joke about! someone in the press looked at the Defra fisheries However, her remark discovered left me asking myself statistics and unexpectedly that fish was whether we think enough the underpinning of the provenance of Scottish farmed fish – and anabout internationally traded commodity. for me that’s Moreover, theyfarmed realisedsalmon. that fish caught in UK There is no waters might be doubt landed that in theScotti UK bysha provenance foreign boat is important to our indusit gives edge in incontinental all our keyports. markets. ortry by –a UK boat,us andthe likewise Provenance be defined various ways but most people will agree And then, it wascan ‘discovered’ thatinsome fiendish that it goes beyondhad thelegally appearance continental companies bought and UK sensory qualities of the final product: flavour, texture,other visualstuff) presentati fishery quotas (and probably from UKon and product consistency are always factors consumer appeal fishermen, andkey some wereineven now based in thebut provenance is about much more. UK! It reflwe ects a wider concept consumer quality assurance, including: Finally, had a definitive quoteoffrom a lecturer theoffithe sh isWest grown and processed; the professional inthe law place at the where University of England to the effect that UK countries mismanaged theirmethods; and the quality, integrity of the productihad on and processing fishing quota andand ‘Brexit willofdothe nothing to put it commitment care people involved – the professional skills, right again’. experti se, passion and dedication of the producers themselves. Well at this stage, I were aoffisherman, I would In Scotland ourif‘place production’ gives us a huge natural advannot despair. Whatwe is needed setthe of winning tage because grow fiis shain pristine coastal waters of some of words in thebeauti Brexit agreement to scenic get theareas UK waters the most ful and wild of the world, and our brand is back into UK hands. protected by its PGI status. This should then beon followed a UKsh enabling Likewise, adopti of theby Scotti Finfish Code of Good Practice bill, transferring fisheries to thedeep control of devolved to a range of independent allied with the industry’s commitment UKfarm governments and settingprogrammes, out suggestedincluding regula- the RSPCA fish welfare quality assurance tions for what muston happen to fish that strength is caught in scheme, builds the underlying of our statutory regulatory UKsystems waters. to assure our production systems. Through combination of winning words and Finally,athe skills, experti se, passion and dedication of our farmers wily ways, the quota citadel can be retaken by in and day out – and they were can be demonstrated in abundance day stealth, and thebyUKthe canrecent move in whatever direction showcased awards event. it wishes. However, being wholly objective and forward looking, it is this third Remember, it’s the political goal the means area of provenance where thenot Scotti sh industry has greatest scope for that will motivate the politicians – but the fishing systematic development. That is not to say that our industry’s skills industry will need to experti ensure the politicians’ goal highest calibre, but it is to and professional se are not of the and the industry’s goal vocati remainonal one educati and the onal same.and training structures, and recognise that our To eager politicians, with short attention spans and many priorities, 2020 can seem like a lifetime www.fishfarmer-magazine.com away. FF

It is “ political

goals not practical realities that drive many politicians

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23 03/07/2015 14:31:33

03/04/2018 16:01:49

Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

Scott’s away Retiring salmon boss champions industry’s enviable performance ‘Scott and I worked closely together when I was SSPO chairman. That period was one in which the salmon farming industry and the Scottish political and regulatory landscape changed hugely, and in so many ways. ‘Always measured and analytical in his approach, except concerning his golf, Scott has made a major contribution to the industry’s success. Funny moments? There were many but most better kept until after the present generation of politicians and officials have moved on or mellowed in retirement.’

Phil Thomas, former SSPO chairman

COTT Landsburgh leaves the Scottish salmon industry ‘in pretty good health’ despite the ups and downs of recent months. The outgoing chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation spoke to Fish Farmer the day after his retirement at the end of March, before taking a well deserved break at the US Masters. Landsburgh, who has handed over the SSPO baton to Julie Hesketh-Laird, represented Scottish salmon farming interests for almost a decade, fending off attacks from an increasingly hostile angling lobby as well as tackling often unfavourable Scottish press coverage. But while the current ‘media circus’ has certainly been a low point of his tenure, it doesn’t compare to the ‘baptism of fire’ he had three months into the job, when there was an outbreak of ISA in Shetland, with a cordon sanitaire being established

and fish having to be culled. But the industry has moved on and as Landsburgh does so too, he remains confident in its ability to overcome its challenges. ‘Despite what the media is portraying, the Scottish salmon industry, in my opinion, is actually in pretty good health, and there are an awful lot of sectors in Scotland that would love to have the commercial performance of the Scottish farmed salmon sector.’ Other businesses look upon the sector with envy and he believes it ‘should be celebrated and not pilloried by the media’. He said he hoped this success could be spelled out when the industry gives evidence in the ongoing Holyrood inquiry into salmon farming. ‘We can demonstrate that while we have faced quite incredible challenges in the last five years, we’ve never sought help from anybody, we don’t seek money, we don’t seek expert advice, other than from within our own international industry, and we’re dealing with the problem.

‘Scott and I have served together on the board of directors of the International Salmon Farmers Association for over ten years. During that time, I grew to deeply appreciate Scott’s pragmatism, critical thinking and piercing sense of humour. ‘He has a real knack for coming to the core of an issue and politely but firmly making his point. Scott is a rare find in this day and age, a good street fighter who is a true gentlemen and scholar of the human condition. ‘The Scottish Salmon Producers Association and the broader aquaculture community have been incredibly lucky to have such a talented, determined and hard working person in their corner. Scott’s energy and dedication will be missed but I have no doubt many of us will continue to reach out to Scott for his wise counsel.’

Sebastian Belle Executive director of Maine Aquaculture Association 24

Scott Tribute.indd 24

‘Scott has made a huge impact on the industry during his time. In recent years, Scottish salmon has become the star player in Scotland’s and the UK’s food export story. ‘The success of food and drink activity in Scotland has stemmed from collaboration and partnership. Scott was one of the founding members of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership and helped develop our unique model of export working. ‘As a result of the joint investment from SSPO, ourselves, other industry bodies and government, we now have a global team of specialists based in 12 cities around the world. That investment is really paying off. The sector has challenges and opportunities going forward, but it is unquestionably stronger for the work Scott has done.’

James Withers, chief executive, Scotland Food & Drink Above: Landsburgh with former rural affairs minister Richard Lochhead . Left: With former first minister Alex Salmond. Opposite page clockwise from top: With Phil Thomas and David Sandison; with former Scottish Office minister Lord Dunlop; with David Mundell; and with Fergus Ewing.

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03/04/2018 16:00:47

Scott’s away ‘Scott will be sorely missed by the industry – and the wider food scene of Scotland – as his deep knowledge, gentle and persuasive style and total commitment to both salmon farming and Scotland have been instrumental in enabling producers, large and small, to have their voices heard. ‘His passion for the environment, ﬁsh welfare and fragile communities has – in balance with commercial, political and wild ﬁshery interests – supported and enabled the development of world class salmon rearing. What could be a better tribute to his contribution than the sustainable, high quality salmon production that Scotland and its exports are now famous for. ‘On a more personal level Scott never failed to share his experience and wise advice to enable myself, a relative newcomer to salmon farming, to get up to speed. He saw and constantly sought to use experiences that were wider than the salmon industry to best aid progress.’

Alban Denton, managing director of Loch Duart

‘I have had a very productive working relationship with Scott, during which time many positive changes have taken place, not least the joining of forces of the SSPO and Shetland Aquaculture and the creation of one team in 2014. ‘Through a time of relentless consolidation and development within the industry, Scott has been a great asset in the public aﬀairs arena, with an astute nose for how our industry is best placed in terms of government relations and our ‘place’ in the wider economy of Scotland. ‘I’m sure he’s looking forward to the continued challenge of the golf course; however, I’m also pretty sure he’ll maintain a keen interest in the fortunes of the salmon farming sector as well.’

David Sandison, general manager of the SSPO www.fishfarmer-magazine.

Scott Tribute.indd 25

‘It may look like on the surface, on account of the data being published, that the status quo is remaining but nothing could be further from the truth. ‘The reality is that there’s been huge change and huge investment in the industry in the last five years, on fish health and environmental challenges. ‘And if people care to look properly and listen to people of substance – for example, Professor James Bron of the Institute of Aquaculture – then they’ll learn that this industry, far from being out of control, is dealing with very difficult challenges and bringing these under control, quietly, diligently We’re not there yet, it takes time.’ On a personal note, Landsburgh said he is going to miss his colleagues in the industry – ‘life is about people and I’ll miss the people. I don’t live very far away from Durn [headquarters of the SSPO] and I’ll pop in from time to time.’ Although he has ‘one or two irons in the fire’, this is definitely the end of his full-time working life, and he is looking forward to the future and the opportunities it will bring. ‘It’s 41 years since I graduated from university and I’ve still got a lot to learn!’ FF

‘Scott Landsburgh has made a huge contribution to the development and success of Scotland’s aquaculture sector. His leadership has enabled the sector to grow in professionalism and conﬁdence and helped it establish strong foundations upon which to ﬂourish in the future. I wish him well in his retirement.’

Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy

‘Scott has been a constant and continued power house of information, knowledge and insight for the entire salmon industry and has worked tirelessly to establish its true credentials as a world class and sustainable industry. I will miss working with Scott and wish him the very best in his retirement.’

Craig Anderson chief executive of The Scottish Salmon Company 25

03/04/2018 16:01:10

Trade Associations – Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

BY ROBBIE LANDSBURGH

Brexit countdown Businesses must adapt to the change coming – one year from now

ITH one year to go until the UK is due to exit the European Union, the Scottish salmon industry remains steadfastly committed to both a transition period and, over the longer term, a comprehensive free trade agreement. In October 2017, we published a position paper on securing the best outcome for the industry from Brexit and while some issues have become more nuanced since then, our key priorities have not really changed. We still wish to see continued progress and further detail on: • Customs arrangements • Legal and regulatory certainty • Workforce and communities • International trade policies These themes and our overall industry position are covered in more detail in the position paper, available in the business section of the SSPO website. We are cautiously optimistic that a mutually beneficial agreement can ultimately be reached between the negotiating parties. Positive statements have come from both sides since it was agreed that sufficient progress on the main separation issues had been made in December 2017 to allow formal discussions on the future relationship between the UK and EU to take place. The increased likelihood of a time limited transition period is very welcome - although we still need comfort that this will become legally binding. It can also be taken as a sign that progress is being made towards a final free trade agreement aimed at minimising cross-border friction between the UK and the EU27 in future. Perhaps understandably, detail on the intended parameters and nature of this future relationship has been drip-fed into the public arena over the past few months. It is clear from the information available that while there is continuous dialogue and negotiation, and a broad eagerness to reach agreement by both parties, they are still some way off reaching consensus and a formalised agreement. Some public criticism of each side’s respective positions is to be expected during the course of the negotiations, whether genuinely substantive or not, and must be seen at least partly in a political context; tactical moves to frame things one way or another in the media to gain an advantage are inevitably part and parcel of such high profile, high stakes talks.

SSPO.indd 26

Accusations of UK cherry picking versus EU intransigence are fodder for political commentators but we firmly believe that it’s best to ignore the noise and focus on the practical steps being taken by both sides, the areas of genuine common interest, and on the bigger picture. The bigger picture for us is continued sustainable growth both at home and abroad. The current success of our industry in global markets is not guaranteed in the future and every effort must be made to facilitate quick, low cost, frictionless access to export markets to ensure the success continues. Again, that is why we support a comprehensive free trade agreement which avoids tariffs and limits non-tariff barriers between the UK and EU. Continued access to countries with existing free or preferential trade agreements with the EU for UK exporters, on a similar basis to that currently enjoyed, is an additional key priority. Ours is a highly perishable product which requires quick delivery from harvest station to dinner plate; if this process is hampered in any way, we run the risk of falling out of favour with our export markets, which would be a disaster for our industry - an industry that is vital to Scotland’s rural economy as well as being the UK’s largest food exporter. This message needs to be heard loud and clear by the Brexit power brokers. Looking ahead, we wish to be part of moves to open up trade with the rest of the world via new bilateral, pluri-lateral and multi-lateral free trade agreements. Some of the countries mooted as priority markets for the Department for International Trade are already key export markets for our industry. A policy of rules based, expanded internation-

“toWebe wish part

of moves to open up trade with the rest of the world

”

Above: New and exciting markets beyond Europe

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 15:59:47

Brexit countdown

al free trade has our support and we stand ready to advise the government of our issues, priorities and aspirations as it progresses towards these trade talks. Unless events take a dramatic turn, the UK will have left the EU by this time next year. It will come around in the blink of an eye. Businesses in both jurisdictions will have to adapt to the change – preparations for this should surely be underway across all major economic sectors by now - and there are likely to be winners and losers.

To ensure we win as an industry, we need the terms of exit and the future trading relationship to be mutually advantageous or at least not significantly detrimental to either side. This is crucial and certainly the focus for the next year at least, but it’s far from the only consideration. With far greater global economic growth projected outside the EU than inside it, we need to be ready to take advantage of and influence any and all future moves to expand into new and exciting markets beyond Europe. Robbie Landsburgh is public affairs consultant for the SSPO. FF

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nisations – the BTA, ASSG and SSPO – to abreast of the important topics of the day hellﬁsh and salmon sectors respectively. er content is concerned we hope you’ll

into oyster growing around the globe and also an overview of the Hungarian aquaculture industry, which is beginning to evolve from production of carps to higher value predatory ﬁsh. We hope you enjoy all the changes. FF

Rob Fletcher News Editor

Trade associations - Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers

ntributors Mike Urch has more than 40 years experience of the seafood industry. Now a freelance journalist, he is a former editor of Seafood International magazine.

BY NICK LAKELAKE CEO AND JANET H BROWN DR NICK

nts

Paul Wheelhouse is Scotland’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and is an MSP for the South of Scotland.

Janet Brown works to support and promote all aspects of sustainable shellﬁsh culture and restoration via The Shellﬁsh Team and edits The Grower.

Conference Why do we doseason it?

Editorial Advisory Board News in Brief Norwegian News Biosecurity issues to be addressed at Oban event News Cultivating shellfish is a worthwhile calling, despite the challenges Trade Associations he ASSG is currently in fast forward mode with preparations for will be opened by Scottish environment minour annual shellfish conference, to be held in Oban from Octoister Dr Aileen McLeod, encouraging proof of Hungarian Aquaculture do we cultivate shellfish? This is a question many producers is notsupport typicallythe subjected to such low temperatures exposure. We Care needs ber HY 22-23. the Scottish government wishes during aerial must have asked when, faced with frozen bodies, cut hands and will need to await the spring to see what impact on survival or growth such a Oysters The shellfish world is not really large enough to support two to provide to the industry. to be taken inclement weather,so they have triedmeeting to maintain stock. with not challenge maycould have not had.run such an event on simultaneous conferences to find our coinciding The ASSG Interview Personal satisfaction high quality to apprecia- an annual basis without the support of our one but two parallel events isatandelivering unfortunate state produce of affairs. that we do tive consumers is obviously one driver, and another is the ability to secure an Investment continues Sea Lice The ASSG conference was forced to change dates due to Oban hostsponsors and we are extremely grateful to the economic return. Mod at the time of the early neap tides in October, It is good to record that investment in shellfish apace not leave ing the National Crown Estate, Seafish, and Scottish Naturalcultivation continues Seafood in InSchools ausual widerslot. sense, shellfish cultivation has benefits not directly relating to em- through both the public and private sectors. The most recent round of the Euour Heritage. ployment financial in extended social Aquaculture and environmental benefits. ropean Maritime and Fisheries FundEnterprise (EMFF) has are seen aboutany a third route of a million But we or now clash gains with but both the European Society’s Equally, Highlands and Islands Marine Scotland Increasingly, shellfish cultivation in terms of high quality protein production pounds of investment in shellfish cultivation projects, including processing annual get together, which will be heavily geared towards shellfish once more sponsoring the prizes of Richard by which Processing is recognised as having aof lowProfessor carbon footprint and constituting capital. activities. under the leadership Aad Smaal, while overnatural in Cape Cod Bramble designed and commissioned ceramic is onewill of the jigsaw Oyster pieces that will help offset the consequences of This equates a fifty/fifty public and private sector split. OHV Would thecould private there be small the World Congress. plates for thetoBest Scottish Shellfish competiMarkets Itclimate change. sector have had sufficient confidence to make such investments if EMFF were Nevertheless, the ASSG has in place a programme of direct reletion winners. spread Equally, so interest called ecosystem services can bepolicy attributed to the cultivation of not available? Aqua Source Directory vance and to shellfish growers, makers and regulators

“

”

shellfish, and biodiversity can beand greatly improved in and aroundatcultivation In many cases, it seems unlikely and so there is now an urgent question as to issues bookings can be made our website Biosecurity sites. On a purely philanthropic basis, some growers actively .embellish comwhat may replace this fund whenFish we leave the EU. www.assg.org.uk The notification bystructural Marine Scotland dvisory Board: Jim Treasurer, Steve Bracken, Herve Miguad, Sunil Kadri and Ken Hughes mercial production with elements of natural establishmentThe of stocks. Terrestrial farmers appear to removal have beenofguaranteed conference Health Inspectorate of the the ap- a transition period in r: Rob Fletcher Design: Andrew Balahura The desire to re-establish ‘biogenic reefs’ has been a recent driver, based on terms of subsidies to maintain current practices, but with a goal of securing proved zone status for the Reculver shellfish Manager: William wdowds@fi shupdate.com Publisher: Bennett food species Dowds such as the native oyster, which is recognised in the UK Alister Biodiversity production and enhancing environmental management. hatchery in Whitstable, Kent, on the basis of l: +44 (0) 131Action 551 1000 Plan. Fax: +44 (0) 131 551 7901 e-mail: editor@fishfarmer-magazine.com Thepresence case for the of shellfish the of environmental oyster herpesbenefits virus (OHV) in production are clearly eviRe-establishment of such reefs is considered by the scientific community to dent, alongiswith the value of food production (and potential export earnings). ww.fishfarmer-magazine.com www.fi shupdate.com the area of huge import for the UK shellfish be fundamental improving water Road, quality,Edinburgh biodiversity EH5 and remediating coast- industry However,asthe establishment of shellfish cultivation and placing products on e: Special Publications, FettesinPark, 496 Ferry 2DL a whole. al erosion, alongP.O. withBox a range of other positive environmental impacts.Estate, Oban, the market is an lengthy andwhile highly regulated process. Deep pockets ns Address: ‘Fish Farmer’, 1, Crannog Lane, Lochavullin Industrial Argyll, PA34 4HB to The situationextremely appears be that Continued of the shellfish cultivation industry is supported by are required bringdetected a businessintothe fruition and make sufficient profit for continno OHV hastobeen hatchery 1631 568000 Fax: +44 (0)development 1631 568001 the Scottish government through ministerial leads and the work of Marine ued reinvestment. facility itself, the area from which it draws its ptions £75 a year, rest of world £95 including postage. All Air Mail. Scotland. Such ruralsupply business enterprises require a degree of public sector intervenseawater has become do contaminated Clockwise from top right: eat Britain for the proprietors Wyvex Mediathere Ltd by Headley Ltd., Ashford, ISSN However, for some public bodies often appearsBrothers to be a disjoint with this Kent tion give 0262-9615 private investor confidence. The case for public benefits accruing withtoOHV. Winners of the 2014 position. To farmers, encountering both natural challenges and the bureaucrat- from production are clear and so it is does hoped that future public investTheshellfish immediate consideration is where shellfish awards; the ic and administrative hurdles in running a rural enterprise, it must sometimes ment will bePacific available to assist thesupply industry. this leave oyster seed into Scot- event 3 in Oban rmer-magazine.com seem hardly worth the effort. land for the next and following years? I wish that publicly funded individuals and organisations would take Researching solutions While there are currently two other time out from focusing on their own specific interests, and question The recent BBSRC research for proposals was heralded by ARCH hatcheries, both of which council remaincall within what impact they may intentionally or unintentionally be having on UK at our conference Oban last year. initiative is specifically 08/02/2013 11:24:01 linked to reapproved zones andinare capable ofThis supplying the development of Scottish shellfish production. search based innovation to support the growth of the UK aquaculture industry. Scottish producers, Guernsey Sea Farms and If we could spend less time dealing with the unhelpful fake news and sensaOne project we were able to consider, based on our immediate priorities, Morecambe Bay Oysters, what is needed is tionalised negatives frequently proffered it would give all who want to see a concerns detectionand of natural biotoxins in shellfish flesh and growing improvedthe planning forward ordering on successful industry and productive marine environment more time to achieve waters. these Led by Robert Gordon University researchers, thewww.fishfarmer-magazine.com project seeks to develop 18 aims. rapid monitoring in the marine environment through what is termed an elecInclement weather tronic mouse- basically, a ‘laboratory on a chip’ technology that could lead to True to form, March has come in like a lion, but hopefully will go out like quantitative detection of biotoxins while at sea. a lamb. ASSG.indd 18 Being British, I can’t have a conversation without mentioning the This would overcome our current issues of being able to rapidly test02/10/2015 for bio- 15:33:07 weather at some point. While a short period of snow has caused the usual toxins but not with sufficient precision while at sea to make judgements with chaos, with reporters outdoing each other in deep snowdrifts and designer ski regard to food safety limits. We will know in June if the bid has been successful. jackets, the plunging mercury has also been of concern. Spare a thought for all One other project which we were not able to take through to a BBSRC applithose with oysters exposed to such a thermal shock, coupled with spring tides. cation regards the prevalence of tube worm shell fouling, primarily on mussels. While the Pacific oyster has a reputation for being hardy, our own native oyster This topic has arisen many times since the genesis of shellfish farming in

ASSG.indd 28

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 15:58:39

Why do we do it?

Scotland but has failed to attract a research focus. Previous studies have suggested that it is an important, but highly site specific and often variable, problem. However, it could be costing the Scottish industry an annual six-figure sum in lost production opportunities, with shell fouling making mussels less visually appealing and causing problems for processors. One of the difficulties in undertaking research is the variability of fouling intensity at any particular site and over time. Many operators may have never had a problem, while at other sites it may appear and disappear without clear reasons. The BBSRC approach was unfortunately not relevant as it is not really a research area currently requiring innovation – just simply a better understanding of the biological processes involved. To understand the temporal and spatial biology of these serpulid worms, field data will need collecting over an extended time period. What this does show is that because the cultivation of shellfish is so intricately linked to the natural Above: Oysters processes of the marine environment, a lifetime of experience and observations at a site can be as valuable as short-term research or perceived innovative quick fix solutions. There is scope for both innovation and old school investigation in the development of our relatively infant industry. Industry development It’s good to know that our industry has a future – we know that because we have various strategy documents telling us so! Industry targets of doubling Scottish shellfish

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

ASSG.indd 29

production by 2020 look as though they are on course. We also have the Aquaculture Growth to 2030 strategic plan, which identifies a figure of 21,000 tonnes of shellfish production by that date. Not to be outdone, Defra has recently released a Seafood 2040 strategy for England. I’m not sure whether there will be any public servants or industry representatives in post throughout this period to be accountable for those targets, but Defra seeks to address all the limiting factors associated with seafood supply and consumption. Interestingly, there is a commitment to establishing a new all stakeholder seafood science and innovation group to enhance the supply chain. This makes sense as it is not only in seafood cultivation or capture that further research is required but in ensuring that products are able to get to the market and meet all consumer expectations. One specific strand of the strategy is to grow UK seafood consumption, an aspiration which should have positive benefits for Scottish shellfish production and supply to the market. A key element of this work is to review the environmental credentials for seafood production in the UK and compare them with other geographical regions and protein sources. Hopefully, we will not have to wait until 2040 for the outputs of this work to be reported, but I am very confident that cultivated shellfish will again be found to be a very low carbon footprint source of high grade marine protein, which fulfils all the necessary checks regarding environmental production credentials and is seen as an extremely nutritious food source. That said, demand is driven by consumer choice so it is important that as an industry we produce what continues to be seen as a premium and wholly natural product. Dr Nick Lake is CEO of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers. FF

of experience and observations at a “siteA lifetime can be as valuable as short-term research ” 29

03/04/2018 15:58:58

Trade Associations – British Trout Association

Brave new world Industry must face up to technologically driven change BY DOUG MCLEOD

T’S not really news to say that advances in technology can be major drivers in reducing costs, transforming industries and improving profit margins. However, at this time we appear to be enjoying a particularly rapid – nay, dramatic – period of workplace technological change. And there is no reason to suppose that the aquaculture industry will not be included in the rapid evolution of developments in engineering digitalisation that will revolutionise working practices. There are a multitude of ‘technology signals’ that are being created in research centres around the world, which will have major impacts on industry over the next five to 10 years. Innovative approaches utilising advances in artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision making, along with robotics, are building on the foundation of automation introduced into manufacturing industries decades ago and are likely to change the face of industrial processes radically. Importantly, these innovations are more than the use of novel equipment, such as the remote sensing drones discussed in last month’s article. The new generation of automation is based on ‘industrial communication’ which enables the introduction of precise and flexible electric powered robots, replacing labour intensive, costly and potentially dangerous manual processes and leading to a reduction in costs, along with an increase in efficiency and consistency of operation. There are a multitude of workplace environments where such robots offer clear advantages over traditional practices, which I believe will include aquaculture pens, tanks, raceways and ponds. The application of semi-autonomous robots would be particularly appropriate in the hightech environment of recirculation systems. One industry where the introduction of robotics to a labour intensive, dangerous and costly process is about to become more common is the drilling floor of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs, driven by health, safety, security and environmental concerns, in addition to the significant cost cutting benefits.

BTA.indd 30

The cost benefits include a reduction in drilling time (up to 40 days per rig per year), less downtime, faster installation and completion, lower energy consumption and greater consistency/repeatability. An unmanned drilling floor is to me an incredible concept, implying the replacement of pipe handlers, roustabouts, roughnecks, drill bit changers – the hustle and bustle of the floor reduced to an integrated group of multi axial electric robots handling the ironwork! The impact on a trout farm, with its husbandry people and technicians and engineers, will be similarly difficult to absorb, but – in time- will take place on those operations that look to survive in this brave new, technologically driven world. However, as always with the introduction of technological advances, there is the downside of a reduction in employment, at least on the drilling rig. Transferring the innovation to aquaculture would imply a lower socio-economic benefit from the industry to the remote regions where aquaculture traditionally flourishes, which would reduce the ‘weight’ of the industry with politicians and regulators. Nevertheless, I believe that the cost reduction benefits from the introduction of robotics to the fish farming workplace will make the transformation inevitable, especially as the unit size of farms expands. Another technologically driven change that the industry must face up to and manage. FF

Below: Fully automatic and unmanned drilling floor operation. (Image courtesy of Robotic Drilling Systems AS)

are a multitude of workplace environments “Therewhere robots offer clear advantages ”

Figure 1: Fully automatic and unmanned drilling floor operation (Image courtesy of Robotic Drilling Systems AS)

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 15:57:55

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Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Spectator sport Frustrating business of hearing anglers give ‘evidence’

HAVE been glued to the Scottish parliament’s TV channel, watching the evidence sessions of both the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, not only in connection to the two salmon farming inquiries but also the sessions about the conservation regulations for wild salmon. And a frustrating business it has proved to be. Yet, however frustrating watching these sessions on TV, it is nothing compared to the frustration of actually sitting in the committee room while evidence is being given. I attended the session when the academics were present. I had to apply in advance for a ticket, but I don’t think I had much competition

Martin Jaffa.indd 32

for a seat. I was the only one there. It was compelling stuff. The frustration arose because, as a spectator, one has to keep one’s mouth firmly shut. This was extremely difficult when the answer given was, in my opinion, either wrong or misleading, or when the witnesses couldn’t answer the question. This was inevitable because witnesses were being asked questions that were clearly outside their expertise. I have no idea how or why witnesses are selected but it is possible to see that, at least in the REC committee sessions, they are grouped according to their activities – such as, academics, anglers, regulatory bodies, industry and government. However, in the case of these investigations into the salmon industry, I wonder whether the committee members would be better informed if the sessions were based on themes - sea lice, for example. Thus, the topic could be fully discussed, and any claims challenged. This would avoid the situation where one session is told that sea lice

Above: It is essential to protect wild salmon.

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03/04/2018 15:56:54

Spectator sport are under control while the opposite is being conveyed to members at another session. How can the committee members know who is right? I have written previously that the salmon industry has nothing to fear as long as it is given a fair hearing. Unfortunately, I am not sure that this happened at the ECCLR committee. The committee heard from 12 witnesses of whom only one was from the salmon industry, although the inquiry concerned salmon farming. That one representative had to share a platform with two critics of salmon farming. It is not surprising that the ECCLR committee report was so damming of the industry. However, I think that the problem goes even deeper than that as I am led to understand that a number of the ECCLR committee members had not even visited a salmon farm. I am left wondering how they can be truly informed without even seeing the farming operation. It is also frustrating that some views that have formed the conclusions of the committee appear to be based on TV and press coverage, generated by activists pursuing their own agenda and funded by who knows who for reasons unknown, yet at the same time, some of the written submissions from the industry perspective have been ignored. We wonder whether some of the science has been dismissed in favour of popularity. We certainly saw this in action with the inquiry into wild salmon conservation regulations,

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Martin Jaffa.indd 33

where rivers are graded according to their conservation status. In its original petition, Salmon & Trout Conservation Scotland argued that because most west coast rivers were initially graded as a category 3 river, which meant mandatory catch and release, this was proof of the impact of salmon farming. The ECCLR has recently debated the latest round of proposed river grades and it was rather surprising that it was split on whether to approve the regulations. Those opposed claim that the science used by the government is flawed. One complaint is that the comparative data has been collected from just a handful of rivers that have fish counters. This may well be the case, but despite arguing that more rivers need counters, those responsible for river management do not seem to have taken the initiative to get a counter placed on their own river. There are more than 300 salmon rivers in Scotland, which would mean an immense task for the government on their own. The main reason why MSPs are against the proposed conservation limits seems to have been the influence of their constituents. This has been led by one angling group in the Loch Lomond area whose river has been categorised as grade 3. They claim that members will be deterred from rejoining the club if they cannot take a fish home. It seems to me that rather than change the regulations, it is the anglers who need educating as to the reasons why it is essential to protect wild salmon. After all, millions of anglers fishing for other freshwater fish happily return all they catch without question. Why should salmon anglers be any different? What is most puzzling is that only a short time ago the ECCLR committee argued that salmon farming should be subject to more stringent control in order to protect wild salmon, and then they nearly voted to annul the latest conservation regulations so that anglers could kill more wild salmon for sport. It’s no wonder that this process is so frustrating. FF

How can “ they be truly

informed without even seeing the farming operation?

”

03/04/2018 16:25:21

Fish Veterinary Society – Annual conference

Global

reach

International delegates and varied programme at ﬁsh vets’ gathering

ISH health professionals met near Edinburgh last month for the Fish Veterinary Society’s annual conference. The two-day event attracted the best turn out so far said Matthijs Metselaar of Benchmark Animal Health, the conference organiser and the new FVS president. He was particularly pleased with the level of international delegates, who included the chief veterinary officer of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Kristina Landsverk, and the chief veterinary officer of the Food and Veterinary Authority of the Faroes, Birna Mørkøre. The conference covered topics ranging from the likely impact of Brexit on the profession and industry, and biosecurity in Norway and the Faroe Islands. The main session on day one focused on the humane slaughter of salmon and other farmed fish, with talks, chaired by Dave Robb of Cargill, on automated percussive stunning, electrical stunning, and how science can assess welfare at slaughter. On the second day, Professor Mannfred Weidmann of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture gave an overview of viral diseases in aquaculture. He spoke of

how rapidly viruses can evolve, and how stress can make fish more susceptible to infection. He also warned of the evolution of IPN (infectious pancreatic necrosis) in salmonids being aided by the use of vaccines and selective breeding, that drive resistance. And he spoke of the continued spread of tilapia lake virus (TiLV), which has now been found in Ecuador, Columbia and Egypt, US, Peru, China, India, Thailand – and, most recently, Peru. It was this subject that won Adam Young, from the University of Edinburgh, first prize in the student poster abstracts competition. ‘With tilapia being the third most important fish Left: Students Lucia in aquaculture, due to their hardy nature, as well Drabikova, Rapule Mphuthi and Thami as their ability to be farmed under a variety of Nogwebela. Above: Prize conditions and systems, this virus may have a major winner Adam Young and impact on global fish production,’ wrote Adam. the other competitors. ‘The risk of TiLV increased spread and impact is Opposite: Abigail Seager of compounded by unregulated trade and low biosethe Veterinary Medicine curity standards. There is no current treatment for Directorate the disease, outlining the importance of managing the disease through farm interventions, strict biosecurity and regulated movement. ‘Treatment studies are being targeted towards the

Transparency, clarity and certainty lacking from Brexit process THE likely changes to the sector brought by Brexit were the subject of the first session of the conference, with Abigail Seager presenting the Veterinary Medicine Directorate’s (VMD) view, and Lindsey Toon of Benchmark offering an industry perspective. ‘What we don’t know is quite a lot!’ said Seager, expressing widespread frustration over the opaqueness of proceedings so far. But, she said, ‘we can’t just sit back and wait for answers’ and the VMD has established an EU exit programme of work, which is looking at all possible scenarios. Its aims include ensuring both the continued availability of veterinary medicines, and that the UK remains an attractive place for pharmaceutical companies to invest in. Seager said there was a lack of clarity at the moment, with negotiations conducted at a ‘secretive level’. But the VMD has identified high priority issues post Brexit, including centralised Marketing Authorisations (Mas), the maintenance of mutually recognised MAs, joint labelling, and a special imports scheme. Trade was the top priority and it was essential to ensure continued trade

Vets - Students.indd 34

on Day One after Brexit. To this end, the VMD was contingency planning for a range of outcomes, said Seager. ‘We want to ensure we still have a thriving UK animal health industry.’ Chris Mitchell of Pharmaq, addressing cooperation with European colleagues, asked if, in veterinary medicine, ‘we all want the same thing’. Seager admitted again that ‘we don’t know’ but although she couldn’t speak for the EU, she felt ‘we were still moving in the same direction...but the details of how we’ll work together in the future have still to be determined’. She said there was a possibility that Brexit would make it more expensive to get new medicines, in the scenario where there were two different regulatory systems. Lindsey Toon spelled out what Brexit may mean for the industry. For veterinary medicine companies based in the UK for their major operations, being a third country (that is, not in the EU or the EEA) affects four main legal areas: • The address of the Marketing Authorisation (MA) holder; • The address of the Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV); • The address of the Qualified Person(QP) for batch release;

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 15:55:54

Global reach

production of effective vaccines, as it is suspected that fish which have been able to survive TiLV become resistant to infection.’ The runners up in the competition were David Street-Jones, for his poster on the manipulation of the common bully by a parasitic eye fluke, and Primrose Lehubye, whose abstract on identification and quantification of polychaete worms of abalone in South African farms received a recommendation. The students who attended the FVS meeting and entered posters were MSc Aquatic Veterinary Studies, MSc Aquatic Pathobiology and Continuing Professional Development students (Aquatic Veterinary Studies). They were sponsored to attend by various commercial companies. ‘One of FVS’s key objectives is to encourage the brightest and best veterinarian students to enter our young industry,’ said Metselaar, ‘and we therefore continue sponsoring students to come and present to the conference.’ He said that the FVS members ‘were really pleased’ with the conference and the reception and dinner on the first night, where ‘there was a lot of discussion going on and networking’. ‘We achieved what we wanted to do.’ This year’s event was coordinated with the Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA), whose conference was held the following day in the same venue, the Houston House hotel in Uphall. FF

“

One of the key objectives is to encourage the brightest and best veterinarian students to enter our young industry

”

New team elected THE Fish Veterinary Society is administered by a committee of volunteers elected by the full membership at an AGM during the annual scientiﬁc meeting. This year’s AGM elected the following members as the committee representing the society until the next year’s conference/AGM: President Senior Vice-President Junior Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Publications Oﬃcer Elected Member

• The site(s) of Quality Control (QC) ﬁnal product release testing. To sell a product in the EU all these activities must be in the EU or EEA. Conversely, to sell a medicine in the UK all these activities may also need to be in the UK. Toon outlined what regulators are saying to the industry. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) that manages the centralised procedures and the Heads of Medicines Agency that coordinated the decentralised and mutual recognition procedures are taking a hard Brexit view. The four areas highlighted must reside within the EU or EEA and any required amendments to existing product marketing authorisations (MAs) must be made by variations. These variations must have been submitted, assessed and completed before March 29, 2019 – though, she added, this will now change due to the transitional arrangements. The UK will no longer act as reference member state of rapporteur in EU regulatory procedures (even during the transition). What does this mean practically for the industry? The situation is unique for each company in the EU, said Toon. There are costs involved in several areas:

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MATTHIJS METSELAAR DVM PhD MRCVS MIFM RONNIE SOUTAR BVM&S MSc MRCVS NIKOS STEIROPOULOS DVM MSc MBA MRCVS DARIO MASCOLO BVM MSc MRCVS CHRIS WALSTER BVMS MVPH CertAqV MRCVS DAVID W SUTHERLAND BVM&S MSc MRCVS STUART BECKER BVSc PhD MRCVS

• Cost of the regulatory procedures to make changes to MAs; • Costs for changes to packaging (changes of MA holder, changes to joint UK/ IE packs); • Costs for additional staff if activities currently in one location may need to be duplicated in a second location. Resources are required to evaluate the impact of Brexit changes, prepare and submit the variations required and implement those changes. She said it was all very distracting but the industry was working as a group and making the government aware of the impacts Brexit will have, as well as suggesting solutions to make the transition easier. The National Office of Animal health (NOAH) has a Brexit committee which has assessed the Day 0 issues for pharmaceutical companies and identified 38 scenarios that may have implications for product availability in a hard Brexit situation. NOAH has also surveyed its members to gauge their feelings towards Brexit. Some 84 per cent felt the government was not progressing well overall. The ability to attract veterinary staff and R&D scientists was seen as an issue longer term. And already there was evidence of a reduction in EU applicants for jobs. What is lacking is transparency, clarity and certainty, said Toon.

03/04/2018 15:56:10

Fish Veterinary Society – Annual conference

Fighting in the fjords How the Faroes and Norway keep ISA in check

HE chief veterinary officer of the Faroe Islands’ Food and Veterinary Authority, Birna Morkore, was invited to the FVS conference to talk about her country’s approach to biosecurity, recognised as being among the best in the salmon producing countries. She said half the Faroes’ export income came from salmon so the industry was immensely important to the country. Addressing the reaction to ISA (infectious salmon anaemia), she said the first outbreak was in 2000, when salmon production was growing and there were few regulations in place. By 2004, some 27 out of 32 farms were hit, with production dropping from around 70,000 tonnes in 2003 to 20,000 tonnes in 2005.These outbreaks led to a radical tightening in regulations. Since then there had been smaller outbreaks, in 2014 and 2017, without such a drastic effect on production, which is now at more than 80,000 tonnes. Regulations to control ISA include increased surveillance and vaccination.A policy of ‘all in, all out’ means only one generation is permitted in each fjord, and there must be no movement between fjords. There must be at least 5km between production sites, each cage must be fallowed for two months after slaughter, and fish density is set at between 3kg and 25kg per cubic metre.Also, ISA vaccination is mandatory. The outbreak in 2017 came after a hard winter in 2016/17 and following lice treatments with freshwater.There is a close link between stress and ISA, she said. The Faroes have introduced strict surveillance to detect ISA at an early stage and there is mandatory sampling for both the pathogenic ISAV-HPR-deleted and the non-pathogenic ISAV-HPRO. With positive findings of the pathogenic ISAV, precautions are taken and

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additional analyses are undertaken for confirmation. Confirmed ISA sites are then closed. Morkore said non-pathogenic ISAV-HPRO can act as a reservoir for virulent ISAV strains and so controlling ISAV-HPRO at smolt farms should also be considered. With sea lice, the situation is better now than in previous years, she said. This she put down to several factors, including increased surveillance, with mandatory counting every fortnight. Faroese limits are 1.5 adult females per fish. If there are three consecutive counts above this limit, harvesting must take place within three months. There is a penalty point system with one point for each time a farm exceeds the limit (1.6 equals one point, and 4.6 is three points). Meanwhile, every medicinal treatment incurs two points. Farmers with more than 20 points must reduce their number of smolts, but those with under 10 points are allowed to increase their smolts. The Faroese insist on very strict rules regarding foreign well boats coming into the country.The exporting country has to certify that it hasn’t been in an ISA or PD area for three months, and a vet has to sign for it. From Norway, the chief veterinary officer of the Norwegian Food Safety authority, Kristina Landsverk, stressed the importance of cooperation with the other salmon producing countries of Scotland, Ireland, Iceland and the Faroes. ‘You can’t farm Atlantic salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean without the challenge of ISA,’ she said. Although the virus comes in different forms, with a low and high pathology, she agreed with Morkore that it can mutate from a low to a much higher virulence. This evolution can be driven by stress and therefore management is very

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Fighting in the fjords

important in reducing the risks of an outbreak. In Norway, the first outbreak of ISA was in 1984, and an ISA crisis occurred in the early 1990s, with 80 outbreaks. Preventative measures since then had been effective, with 20 outbreaks a year the maximum in any subsequent year.There were some ‘hot spots’ in 2016 and last year there were 14 outbreaks, spread along the coast. Production of farmed salmon over this period had increased from 25,000 tonnes in 1984 to 1.3 million tonnes in 2017. Norway’s preventative measures apply to every stage of production, from the disinfection of eggs, to vaccination in the hatcheries, to health controls in sea water, fallowing, the removal and hygienic treatment of dead fish, and the treatment of effluent water during the slaughtering process. It is important to detect outbreaks as early as possible.Within Norway’s aquaculture act there is a formal framework - if mortalities reach a certain level, the Fish Health Inspectorate must be informed. It is a mandatory, risk based system. If there is suspicion of an outbreak the Norwegian Food Safety Authority must be notified. Enforcement is ‘state of the art’ in order to reduce secondary outbreaks and involves killing, fallowing, control of movement, the establishment of surveillance zones, the control of transport, and the control of slaughter houses. It’s strict but, she said,‘it works and sites can be restored’. She said the economic losses incurred due to the measures imposed are not compensated for by the government so the industry must bear the costs.

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strict “butIt’sit works and sites can be restored

”

Above: Delegates at this year’s conference. Above right: Birna Morkore from the Faroes

This makes prevention all the more necessary and here, she believes, there is room for improvement.Vertical transmission should be controlled, and broodstock screened, something that is currently under discussion. Vaccination is not mandatory in Norway.And they could limit the movement of fish (the EU’s fish health directorate is more liberal than Norway’s). They could stop holding pens at the slaughterhouse as these are a risk for spreading disease – the Faroes don’t have them, she noted. Among the risks, she mentioned mechanical delousing treatments, and especially warm water treatments, for producing higher mortality rates. Chris Mitchell of Pharmaq observed that soon the three largest European salmon producers won’t be in the EU so perhaps there should be another mechanism apart from the EU aquatic health code. Landsverk said the Norwegians pay for a specialist at the European Commission and have done for five years (a new one starts in May). ‘This is the way to have influence over the Commission’s work – fish is not their speciality.They listen to Norway on aquaculture because we are experienced and can improve the regulations.’ FF

03/04/2018 15:55:04

Fish Veterinary Society – Humane slaughter

Passing the stress test

Welfare concerns and commercial interests drive progress

VERY year 140 billion farmed fish are killed (and three trillion fish in total, if wild fish are included), which is over 43 times more than the number of terrestrial animals slaughtered. This, said Krysztof Wojtas, head of fish policy at Compassion in World Farming, is why his organisation is involved in fish at the moment. He is leading a European wide project aimed at improving the welfare of fish in the EU and the UK, because despite the increasingly sophisticated slaughter systems in the salmon farming industry, fish mostly die inhumanely, he said. While legislation has controlled slaughter practices in animal agriculture for years, fish do not receive the same level of protection. Wojtas said that humane methods of slaughter were needed for all species. While appropriate equipment does exist, it needs to be validated, stunning parameters need to be established in theory and then the equipment developed to deliver. Also, equipment needs to be regularly checked and audited, with third party certification. The EC is now developing legislation specifically for fish and Wojtas said his organisation is lobbying for a fund so farmers can get help in buying equipment. Change is being driven by food businesses, with supermarkets such as Lidl, Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons in the UK, and New England Seafood in the US, concerned with welfare at slaughter. People care about fish welfare, according to Compassion in World Farming’s own survey, and food businesses want to collaborate with them to make slaughter more humane. Furthermore, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is including fish welfare and humane slaughter in its new certification schemes. Wojtas said: ‘We hope in the very near future we’ll have humane slaughter in their certification.’

Left and right: Ace Aquatec’s presentation. Above (top): Bode Henson of Baader. Opposite page: Ace Aquatec’s Nathan Pyne-Carter

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Charlie Mason, of the Humane Slaughter Association, agreed that consumer awareness was behind the move for welfare improvements. There are no legal requirements for fish to be humanely slaughtered, other than the stipulation that they be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering. Poor welfare at slaughter causes stress and if stunning is distressing it can affect product quality, said Hans Van de Vis, of Wageningen University and Research, who has worked in this field for 25 years. Discussing how science can assess welfare at slaughter, he said the European Food Safety

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03/04/2018 15:53:03

Passing the stress test

Stunning developments improve product quality

Authority (EFSA) advises a two-step approach: laboratory testing, when stunning is reversible; and evaluating the subsequent implementation of the results in a commercial setting. Studies based on the electrical activity of the heart (ECG) show that the most effective methods for stunning are electrical and percussive stunning. However, clove oil has also been approved as an effective anaesthetic in New Zealand, under the name Aqui-STM. But this is not permitted to stun fish in the EU or in Norway. With electricity, stunning should be combined with an effective killing method to avoid recovery. Mis-stuns may occur due to varying resistance between individual fish. Automated percussive stunning is high-end technology, designed for Atlantic salmon, said Van de Vis, and when applied correctly, it results in immediate stunning without recovery. However, it will not work for some species, such as African catfish and yellowtail kingfish. He said there had been much progress in the humane slaughter of fish over the past 15 years, but there was still room for improvement in all the available systems. FF

We hope in the very “near future we’ll have

humane slaughter in ASC certiﬁcation

”

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BAADER has developed what it calls ‘a full solution’ for fish from stunning to filleting, with its automated percussive stunner integral to the process of quality control. The company’s Bode Hensen said farmers spend more than 15 months perfecting their fish but the stock can be damaged once it is out of their hands. ‘Our aim is to reduce all the problems and stress in fish and ensure welfare is at the highest level,’ he said. He outlined the changes that can occur when fish are stressed, including early rigor mortis, flesh ‘gaping’ and blood spotting in fillets, and soft flesh and paler meat. Baader’s 101 percussive stunning and bleeding machine involves a ‘swim in’ procedure, taking advantage of natural behaviour and thus causing the fish minimum stress. The forward momentum of the fish hits a trigger system that activates the pneumatically operated stunning piston, giving a rapid blow to the skull. With a pneumatically operated bleeder, a blade is pushed into the blood vessels in the gill area. After both stun piston and blade have retracted, the ramp drops and the fish drops to the bleed table. Hensen said the technology, pumping fish directly from their cages, reduces human interfaces with the fish, achieves 100 per cent accuracy, and results in improved processing efficiency. Several machines have been installed, from Norway to Canada to Australia, said Hensen. The advantages of electrical stunning were described at the conference by two pioneers in this area. The first, Frode Kjolas, of SeaSide (now part of Optimar), said he had been working on stunning and bleeding technology since 1995. He said it was easy to convince farmers of the benefits of the company’s Stansas electrical stunner, not just on welfare grounds but because they could see that their fish were

easier to work with. Fish enter the machine head first and a laser directed system cuts the fish for bleeding; parameters can be changed according to the species, which means the machine is suitable for everything from salmon and sea bass to turbot, sole, catfish, eel and crab. Designed in collaboration with several research institutes, including Norway’s Nofima and Sintef, the Stansas electrical stunner was first put into operation in 2005 and since then some 300 systems have been supplied, said Kjolas. In the UK, electric stunning technology has been advanced by the Scottish company Ace Aquatec. The firm’s CEO, Nathan Pyne-Carter, has picked up a number of awards for his humane stunner, which avoids undue impact by pre-pump stunning the fish before they leave the water. Speeds of 75 tonnes an hour, with fish rendered 100 per cent unconscious before bleeding and slaughtering, are achieved with the system, said Pyne-Carter. He has installed his stunners on a Swiss land based salmon farm, in a Japanese yellowtail farm, and in Greece, Chile, Denmark and Scotland, demonstrating its versatility. With research conducted at Bristol University and trials at Scottish Sea Farms, he was able to achieve ‘fantastic results’. ‘We wanted it to be used in any environment, including on fishing boats,’ said Pyne-Carter, so simplicity was the key. ‘Once it’s installed, it’s good to go.’ And reliability is another factor - since the first installation of the system in 2012, the firm hasn’t had to replace a component. With real-time monitoring via wifi, ‘we can go into the system to ensure it’s doing what we want…you can have engineers in place before any components start to go wrong’. Ace Aquatec has its systems on rental in different parts of the world and, says Pyne-Carter, ‘we want them to last’.

03/04/2018 15:53:21

Fish Veterinary Society – Clean Treat

Eco friendly cleaner a ‘game changer’

HE Clean Treat system, developed by Benchmark to improve the environmental footprint of sea lice treatments, has been hailed by senior fish vets as a possible ‘game changer’. John Marshall of Benchmark told the Fish Veterinary Society’s annual conference that the technology was the result of 10 years’ work and had now been deployed aboard two vessels, both operating in Norway. The system removes all trace of chemicals from bath treatment water, and can be installed on well boats or on purpose built or specially adapted barges. Launched last year, Clean Treat is a threestep process: the treatment water containing medicines goes through a pre-filter to remove organic matter and detritus. It then passes through primary, secondary and tertiary purification stages, with the medicine level checked at each step. Then, in an onboard lab, a chemist samples and releases the water when there is no detectable level of medicines present. The chemical residues removed from treatment water are solidified and then disposed of in one of the world’s three specialised incinerators designed for such waste. The second vessel fitted with Clean Treat left for Norway in March, said Marshall, and was due to go into action at the end of the month. Stationed in a fjord, it can purify 1,200 m3 an hour, increasing the capacity of the previous Clean Treat boat, and will have a rota of chemists working in its detection lab as it undergoes tests. Benchmark is still collaborating with industry partners to further optimise the system, and the commercial scale field trials in Norway will test new products. Clean Treat is suitable for most currently available bath treatments for sea lice, and it has the potential to work on compounds not previously used in aquaculture.

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Asked whether farmers’ practice of reducing sea lice medicines, because of their possible effect on the environment, would now be reviewed in light of Clean Treat’s cleansing abilities, Marshall said: ‘It does open the door to medicines we haven’t even considered before…this is making a real impact on the industry.’ As well as engaging in conversations over changing the types of medicines farmers could use, Benchmark has also been in talks with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. At least two new products could be brought to the market as a result of Clean Treat, said Marshall, who added that its benefits could also apply to AGD treatments. Ronnie Soutar, recently appointed head of veterinary services at Scottish Sea Farms, said the technology ‘seems to be a game changer’. Above: How the system Marshall said the vessel en route to Norway is an adapted oil sector works boat, fitted out to accommodate the Clean Treat systems, and with plenty of accommodation to house the teams of scientists involved in the trials. Clean Treat would ideally be delivered as a service rather than sold to individual farmers, he said. FF

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03/04/2018 15:52:10

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03/04/2018 13:06:24

Aquaculture UK

Prize night for industry stars Awards shortlist reﬂects spirit of enterprise that characterises sector

HE high achievers of Scottish fish and shellfish farming have been shortlisted for the 2018 Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards, run for the first time by Aquaculture UK. Some 38 companies, individuals and initiatives are up for awards, and the organisers said they were overwhelmed by both the number of entries and standard of the submissions received. The awards are a unique opportunity to recognise individuals, companies or organisations that have made the most significant contribution to the UK’s aquaculture industry since 2015, when the awards were last staged. A range of companies – from start-ups to established names – and their representatives have made the final shortlist, with nominees chosen on the basis of their high standards of innovation, responsibility in their approach to business and their environmental sustainability. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony, hosted by TV presenter Dougie

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Prize night for industry stars

THE SCOTTISH MARINE AQUACULTURE AWARDS 2018 SHORTLIST: AQUACULTURE SEAFOOD PRODUCT OF THE YEAR The quality of the entries across all the “categories this year was exceptional ”

Vipond, on May 23, during the Aquaculture UK 2018 exhibition in Aviemore. The awards include prizes for innovation, business development, stewardship and sustainability, and there will be an inaugural set of awards recognising the contributions made by the shellfish sector and the industry’s rising stars. Entries were encouraged from individuals, companies and other organisations involved in the UK aquaculture industry, no matter how large or small, who: • Employ the highest standards of aquaculture husbandry; • Supply aquaculture products to local, national and international markets; • Farm with a high level of environmental awareness and deliver a high quality product. The Best Aquaculture Company award will be announced on the night. Meanwhile, the industry can vote online for the People’s Choice award from the list of nominees (https://www.aquacultureawards. com/vote/). The winner of this award will also be announced at the awards presentation. Susan Tinch, event manager of Aquaculture UK, said: ‘This shortlist reflects the spirit of enterprise and the commitment to excellence that characterises the UK aquaculture sector. We would like to thank all those who entered and congratulate those who have made the shortlist. ‘The quality of the entries across all the categories this year was exceptional and the judges took over a day to deliberate, before selecting the final nominees. ‘The Scottish Aquaculture Marine Awards have established themselves as a key date in the industry’s calendar and Aquaculture UK is delighted to provide a platform highlighting all the excellent work taking place. ‘We are all looking forward to a fantastic night on May 23.’ FF

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M&S Scottish Lochmuir Beetroot & Vodka Speybay Oak Smoked Salmon, Scottish Sea Farms Native Hebridean Farmed Salmon, The Scottish Salmon Company Moules Frites, Scottish Shellﬁsh Marketing Group Ltd. Wester Ross Sashimi Grade Salmon, Wester Ross Fisheries Ltd.

FINFISH FARM MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Robert Wyvill, Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. Sarah Last, Scottish Sea Farms Sean Anderson, Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. Paul Featherstone, Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd.

SHELLFISH FARM MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Above: Scottish Sea Farms managing director Jim Gallagher (centre) picks up the 2015 Best Aquaculture Company award. Opposite page: Former SSPO chief executive Scott Landsburgh, pictured (right) with former SSPO chair Phil Thomas at the 2015 awards, has made the shortlist this year.

Carly Daniels, National Lobster Hatchery Will Hancock, Fowey Shellﬁsh Company Ltd. Robert Lamont, Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company Ltd.

AQUACULTURE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Ace Aquatec NAFC Marine Centre, University of the Highlands & Islands Inverlussa Marine Services AKVA group Scotland

03/04/2018 15:51:04

Aquaculture UK

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AWARD

AKVA group Scotland Scottish Sea Farms Nutrition Analytical Service (NAS), Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO INDUSTRY

COMMUNITY INITIATIVE AWARD

The Scottish Salmon Company – Community Fund Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company Ltd – Stranraer Oyster Festival Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd – Isle of Rum development initiative Scottish Sea Farms – Heart of the Community Trust, funding on Orkney

RISING STAR AWARD

Lynne Frame, Scottish Sea Farms Scott MacKay, AKVA group Scotland Barbora Gaborova, Wester Ross Fisheries Kurk Jones, Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd.

Stuart Cannon, Kames Fish Farming Stewart Graham, Gael Force Group Steve Bracken, Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. Scott Landsburgh, Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

STEWARDSHIP & SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. – Helping to restore wild salmon stocks Loch Fyne Oysters Limited – ASC-certified Hebridean mussels National Lobster Hatchery – Lobster Grower 2 Scottish Sea Farms – A series of environmental improvements

INNOVATION AWARD

Above: Lynne Frame. Right: Steve Bracken with Fergus Ewing

Record show numbers THIS year’s Aquaculture UK will be 50 per cent bigger than the last show in 2016 and judging from pre-registrations, visitor numbers look set to reach new records too. The exhibition space, which was sold out by Christmas, will feature more than 160 companies, with some taking the opportunity to display their products outside too. ‘Activity has ramped up as we near the show, the response to the event has been great and we are seeing increased numbers of exhibitors and visitors,’ said Susan Tinch, event manager. The main focus for most is the exhibition floor, with about 60 per cent of exhibitors being UK businesses, and the rest from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.

Playtime – Environmental enrichment in a salmon hatchery – Loch Duart Lobster Grower 2 – lobster on-growing system – National Lobster Hatchery Enviro Nets for circular pens, as a means to tackle gill health issues - Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd. Pre-pump, in-water electric stunner - Ace Aquatec The remaining two awards – the Best Aquaculture Company and People’s Choice – will be announced on the night. The awards are sponsored by the Crown Estate, MSD Animal Health, AFEX, Hendrix Genetics, Skretting, Acoura, EWOS, Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, Elanco and Benchmark.

Registration is free and can be completed online at: https://aquacultureuk.com/visitors/registration/

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B I O L O G Y

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03/04/2018 13:08:13

Aquaculture UK – Akva Group Scotland

Join the ROV-olution! Growing business expands its network – and exhibition space

T will be hard to miss Akva Group Scotland’s stand at Aviemore – not only will it occupy a central position at the show, but it will be even bigger than the extensive 2016 exhibit. What’s more, the Inverness based company will also be displaying its latest products and innovations in a space directly outside the main exhibition. This is all to accommodate the growth of Akva’s Scottish operation, which has just expanded further by encompassing Norway’s Egersund Net into its stable of offerings ‘The stand is a bit bigger because we now have a new collaboration with Egersund Net,’ said Akva’s UK and Western Europe sales director, Dougie Johnson. ‘Akva Group Scotland will now represent all Egersund products in Scotland and in our export market outside Norway. We’ve always had this relationship with Egersund but the important thing for us is it’s much clearer…it closes the loop.’ The new arrangement enables Akva’s Scottish team to provide complete farm solutions directly, with local assembly and, said Johnson, ‘we hope it will drive more developments with them in terms of what we can offer in Scotland’. The move also has the potential to expand the number of service centres Akva has in Scotland. In particular, it hopes to explore a service centre for Shetland, where Egersund has recently taken over Grading Systems (see box); this will hopefully act as a focal point for support and services for the Northern Isles. This would be in addition to Akva’s two units in Inverness, and the service centres in Stornoway, Lochilphead and Kishorn. Jason Cleaversmith, Akva Scotland’s general manager, said: ‘With our service centres located throughout all the main aquaculture producing regions, this will allow us to not only have a local presence, but to respond quickly and efficiently to customer needs and further develop

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our best in class customer experience.’ The expansion of the past year has seen Akva Scotland’s staff increase from 56 to 77, and the growth is set to continue with new services and innovations. ‘We’ve invested heavily in our service and support offering – by way of resource, staff training and using our ears and mouths in the proportion to that which God intended,’ said Johnson. ‘We’re investing a lot of money in developing new products for the challenges that are facing the industry,’ said Cleaversmith. The technical development group, headed by Brian Knowles, has continued to focus investments and innovation around customer needs, often tailoring products for the Scottish market and specific producer demands. Leading the technical charge is Akva’s state of the art Flying Net Cleaner, the FNC8, or what Johnson brands the ‘ROV-olution’! Six of the remotely controlled ‘intelligent’ FNC8s have been sold since its launch on to the UK market late last year, five of these to Scottish salmon farmers and one to Europe, and about 15 have been deployed in Norway. ‘The trials were very successful and the FNC8 combined with the new Inverness built pump system is being well received by customers,’ said Johnson. ‘It’s a faster, net friendly cleaning system.’ Thrusters hold the ROV off the net so there are no sharp edges that can cause damage, with the rig ‘swimming’ along the net line in the pen, using high-pressure seawater to clean. Akva Scotland hopes to have one of the net cleaners on its outside stand at Aviemore – if they can get hold of one, said Cleaversmith, such is the demand already. In addition, in the outside space at Aquaculture 2018 the company will be showcasing examples of its 500mm cage combined with the new Polar Lift System (PLS 500), which has been specifically designed for high energy

We’re “ investing a

lot of money in developing new products for the challenges that are facing the industry

”

Left and opposite: Full farming solutions

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Join the ROV-olution!

locations, along with mooring systems; anchors; a net washing pump; grading panels; and a Polarcirkel boat fitted with a man overboard system. There is also a growing interest in Scotland for land based systems, supplied by Akva Group Denmark. ‘We’re looking at how we can build up the local support service here in Scotland for those land based units, which are mainly recirculation systems for hatcheries,’ said Johnson. ‘The land based element is growing in Scotland for us – it’s a potentially big market in the future.’ Cleaversmith said ‘there’s a lot of moving parts at the moment but it’s a very exciting time to be in the sector; however, everything we do is focused around listening to our customers, supporting their needs and refining what we offer to deliver fit for purpose innovation’. ‘We’re also doing work in novel feed delivery technology, looking at innovations in imaging and sensing and bringing the best from our global partners to support the Scottish industry.’ The Scottish team are promising other developments ‘in the pipeline’, with more details to be revealed at the show. ‘The stand will really be a meeting place with touch screen information and the opportunity to show people all the new technology,’ said Johnson.

Making the grade EGERSUND Net of Norway bought 70 per cent of the shares in Shetland’s Grading Systems last month, and will take over sales of the company’s main product, the Flexi-Panel. The remaining shares will be held by Viking Atlantic, owned by Grading Systems managing director Carsten Wangsmo. The Flexi-Panel is a grading net that, according to the company, is a recognised tool for optimal production and better fish welfare. ‘The economic gain of using the sorting grid is significant. Today, the product is used by customers worldwide to sort different species of fish,’ said Egersund Net. Wangsmo, who has been central to the patented product’s development, said there had been years of collaboration between Egersund Net and Grading Systems. ‘I look forward to being a part of Egersund Net, something that’ll continue to develop the company I’ve built up over many years,’ he said. Grading Systems employs four people in Shetland and sales last year amounted to a reported £1.7 million.

‘Just as important for us though is getting the customers’ feedback on us and our technology – and how we can best adapt it to suit the local markets. The message we want to get across is our huge focus on Scottish aquaculture.’ Akva Group Scotland will be on stand 157. FF

SAFE SUPPLIER OF NET-TECHNOLOGY, SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE AQUACULTURAL INDUSTRY Egersund Net is a part of Egersund Group, founded in 1952. Egersund Net started net production in the early 1970s and was turned into a separate company in 1996. Since then, Egersund Net has established itself as one of Europe’s leading suppliers of seine nets and services for the fish farming industry.

www.egersundnet.no

OUR COMPETENCE - YOUR SAFETY Visit us at Aquaculture UK Aviemore

STAND 157

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Aquaculture UK – Gael Force Group

Innovation

station

Farmers invited into ‘pod’ to talk about challenges and solutions

AEL Force Group’s attendance at Aquaculture UK is set to be its biggest at any exhibition to date, as it brings Fusion Marine into the fold. The two leading Scottish aquaculture suppliers announced last month that they were joining forces, with Gael Force acquiring 75 per cent of the outstanding share capital in Fusion, in a deal of an undisclosed value. The acquisition, which was due to conclude in early April, marks a period of expansion for Gael Force. Both companies see an excellent strategic ﬁt which will ensure that, by combining their resources and experience, they can jointly invest in developing new and innovative products. And they believe the deal will also see them continuing to provide competitive pricing and high service levels through close partnering with their respective customers At Aviemore, the group will have a presence on more than 100 square metres of exhibiting space spread over two stands. Gael Force plans to launch and demonstrate a series of new products, including a preview of its new range of Steel Barges, a SeaGuard 2-channel Seal Deterrent, and its new Pellet Detection software. In a ﬁrst, the company will be inviting visitors to an ‘innovation station’ on its stand. This is an enclosed pod which will provide farm operators and managers with a meeting place in which to discuss the real challenges being experienced on farm sites. ‘We are raising the bar with our presence at Aquaculture UK this May and will be taking the opportunity to fully engage with producers in understanding exactly what their current and future challenges are,’ said Gael Force managing director Stewart Graham. ‘Our innovation station is designed to stimulate healthy discussion around these challenges and our hope is that this will inform us in

Aviemore - Gaelforce.indd 48

our own product development roadmap which will in turn create added value for our customers.’ Gael Force and Fusion Marine will spell out their plans to invest in new, larger integrated offshore pens to support a move towards higher energy sites as the industry looks to unlock Scotland’s huge growth potential towards 2030. Graham said: ‘Both our companies are friends in the market and have worked together for many years. We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Fusion Marine. ‘Our discussions have highlighted just how aligned we are and what a good fit both companies are for each other, and for our key customer offering. ‘Our combined expertise, experience and product range will help both Fusion and Gael Force drive growth both in the Scottish market and in our target export markets too. ‘All of us at Gael Force are hugely excited by the growth opportunities this deal presents and look forward to working with our friends at Fusion Marine to grow our combined business.’ Fusion Marine’s name in the aquaculture community is highly regarded, with its fish farm pens and equipment having a long standing reputation for quality, strength and versatility. Both companies enjoy close working relationships with salmon producers and are, separately, key suppliers to the Scottish aquaculture market. Fusion Marine managing director Stephen Divers said: ‘It has been very clear throughout discussions that the common values and approach to business we share with Gael Force will enable both com-

Left: Stewart Graham of Gael Force and Stephen Divers of Fusion Marine

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03/04/2018 15:47:59

Innovation station

is that this will inform us “inOurourhope own product development ”

panies to combine our strengths to invest in new innovative products and solutions for the industry, and continue to deliver the best service for our customers, both in Scotland and overseas. ‘Our focus is on our customers and we have great confidence that working together in the Gael Force Group we are even better positioned to deliver value to the market in support of our long standing key customers. ‘Our planned investment in innovative new product development in the pens market will be an early example of that. ‘We also see added benefit for customers with our combined geographical coverage, including that of our ongoing servicing out of our location in Oban.’ The deal will see Gael Force further expand and develop its capabilities in end-to-end supply and manufacture of fish farming products and services. As well as manufacturing its own range of SeaMate Feed Barges, Gael force also makes the SeaFeed Offshore Feeding System, mooring systems, SeaSight underwater cameras and other aquaculture technology products. Visit Gael Force Group on stand 69. F

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03/04/2018 15:48:20

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Aquaculture UK – Gardner Denver

Striking a blow Industrial air supplier looks to expand aquaculture market with UK debut

MERICAN company Gardner Denver will showcase its innovative, space saving Robuschi Robox Aqua technology in Britain for the first time at Aquaculture UK. A new rotary lobe blower, the Robox Aqua, is specifically designed for the needs of the aquaculture industry. Its applications include fish food distribution into open water via pneumatic conveying systems from barges, and increasing water oxygen content through aeration processes to encourage greater fish yields. The blower can allow for pressure up to 1,000 mbar (g), volume flow up to 700m3/h and motor power up to 30kW. Furthermore, its innovative design utilises direct coupling to avoid transmission losses and reduce servicing costs. The unit also consists of fewer components for ease of installation and increased reliability, and its improved sound enclosure can reduce noise levels to lower than 80db(A). Thanks to its advanced, compact structure, Robox Aqua’s three side-byside units can fit into the same space as two conventional blowers. Its modular and stackable design also allows units to be installed on scaffold structures, making it ideal for barges with very limited space available. Cementing its presence in the aquaculture market, Gardner Denver announced last month a three-year partnership supplying Gale Force Group with all its industrial air needs. Gael Force has already built more than 80 feed barges to date, with the largest offering a capacity of up to 450 tonnes.

Each barge typically features between four to six feed lines; however, Gael Force is also constructing barges that are capable of running eight feed lines in total. Delivered by a pneumatic conveying system, these feed lines require low pressure, high volume technology to ensure the air flow rate remains at a suitable level when supplying the feed to the pens holding the fish. Pellets are susceptible to damage and can be lost when being conveyed from the feed barges to the pens. As a result, the pressure of the air being delivered is absolutely critical. As part of the agreement, Gardner Denver is supplying its range of rotary lobe blowers and side channel blowers for this application. The units’ compact design, small footprint, low noise emissions and performance levels make these ideally suited for fish feed conveyance. These machines are also offered with motor and frequency convertors, so operators of the barges can ensure efficiency levels remain optimised at all times. Gardner Denver is also supplying a number of compressors to Gael Force, which will provide high quality compressed air for a range of services. These include conditioning, which ensures the cleanliness of compressed air to help extend the service life of pneumatic components, allows aeration during farm treatments, and assists in controlling operational processes. Neil MacDonald, project and design engineer at Gael Force Group, said: ‘There is a bigger drive than ever before to accommodate more and more equipment on feed barges, which help manage the health and handling of the livestock, as well as deliver the on-board operations. ‘At the same time, as the level of requirement Left: The Robox Aqua has increased on feed barges, so too has the blower is designed for demand for compressed air. the aquaculture industry ‘As a result, space is really at a premium, and we need efficient blower and compressor technology that we can depend on. ‘We were impressed with Gardner Denver’s

The “ technology’s

small footprint and excellent performance makes it very attractive to potential investors

”

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Aquaculture UK – Gardner Denver

range of rotary lobe blowers, which already have an excellent reputation in the aquaculture sector, as well as the company’s side channel blowers and compressed air systems. ‘No matter the application, unit size has been a prime consideration here. All products meet this critical requirement, offering technologies with a compact design and small footprint, coupled with excellent performance. ‘Gardner Denver has been engaged with us from the very beginning, bringing its extensive experience and innovation to the table. The company has been really easy to work with, proving themselves to be a very trusted supplier.’ Umberto Onetti, aquaculture key account manager at Gardner Denver, said: ‘Our ability to offer a ‘one air’ solution really sets us apart from the competition. Whether it is rotary lobe blowers, side channel blowers or a compressed air system, our extensive portfolio means we can offer the right solution to meet your industrial air needs. ‘The agreement with Gael Force is also a great example of a company that has understood

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the efficiencies that can be realised from working with a single industrial air supplier. ‘Across the fish farming industry, there is increasing demand for equipment that can manage livestock health, handling and on-board operations, and can be fitted on to feed barges. ‘While this demand has increased, so too has the demand for compressed air solutions. ‘Any blower or compressor technology provided needs to be dependable, compact and efficient, and the Robuschi Robox Aqua meets these critical requirements. ‘With barge space often at a premium, the technology’s small footprint and excellent performance make it very attractive to potential investors. ‘Aquaculture UK is the most important aquaculture exhibition and conference held in the British Isles. ‘An important international trade event for the aquaculture industry, it offers aquaculture professionals the opportunity to network, discover new products and meet suppliers and decision makers from all over the globe.’ Representatives from Gardner Denver will be on hand to discuss the company’s range. Also present at the event will be Gardner Denver distributor Air Mac. Visit Gardner Denver on stand 273.

Above: Technologies

with a compact design and small footprint.

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03/04/2018 15:47:21

VISIT US AT AQUACULTURE UK STAND NO. 280

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03/04/2018 14:02:41

Aquaculture UK – Seminar programme

Focus on cleaner ﬁsh

Expert panel to address husbandry challenges

SERIES of seminars will run alongside the exhibition in Aviemore, one of the highlights of which promises to be the cleaner fish session. Chaired by Jim Treasurer, the former research director of FAI Ardtoe Marine Laboratory, the meeting aims to identify current technical issues with cleaner fish husbandry and deployment. It draws together a leading panel of experts, including Carolina Gutierrez Rabadan, Marine Harvest Scotland; Sonia Rey Planellas, Institute of Aquaculture; Chris Hempleman, Scottish Sea Farms; Richard Prickett, Dorset Cleaner Fish; Andrew Davie, Institute of Aquaculture; and Allan MacMaster, FAI Aquaculture, Aultbea Hatchery. The seminar will be divided into four sections: hatchery operations; best practice in deployment; health, vaccination and welfare; and the latest updates on technical and research topics, including nutrition and genetics. Following this, there will be a question and answer session and delegates will be given the opportunity to send in questions to the panel online before the event (for details, see the Aquaculture UK website). Nigel Balmforth, of Aquaculture UK organiser 5m Publishing, said: ‘The enhancement of breeding programmes and the successful deployment of cleaner fish is a core focus of the salmon farming industry and we are delighted to be hosting this important and informative question and answer session. The publishing group is about to release a new book, Cleaner Fish Biolo-

Visit us at Aquaculture UK Stand No. 201

Aviemore Conference.indd 54

gy and Aquaculture Applications, edited by Jim Treasurer. The cleaner fish seminar will be held from 10.3012.30, on Thursday, May 24, in conference tent 1 at the Aquaculture UK showground, McDonald Highland Resort. Also on the second day of the exhibition, delegates are invited to a networking breakfast promoting greater gender equality in aquaculture. To be held in conference tent 1, from 8.30-10am on Thursday, May 24, the theme of the event is ‘Supporting the future of aquaculture by encouraging diversity in the workforce’. Staged by 5m Publishing’s Fish Site, the breakfast will offer an opportunity for delegates to network informally and share ideas with a panel of senior industry representatives. These will include Ben Hadfield, managing director of Marine Harvest Scotland; Sheila Voes, chief veterinary officer, Animal Health and Welfare, of the Scottish government. Heather Jones, CEO of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC); and Ruth Clements, head of veterinary programmes of Benchmark Animal Health (owner of 5m Publishing). The event is supported by SAIC and Scottish Sea Farms, whose managing director, Jim Gallagher, said: ‘This event aims to recognise the significant contribution of those women already working within aquaculture and inspire other women to consider a career in the sector – as such, it’s something Scottish Sea Farms is very keen to be involved in.’ SAIC is holding its own event, following the success of a series of meetings held at the last Aquaculture UK show in 2016. ‘AQUAVATION – the Ripple Sessions’ will take place on Wednesday, May 23, from 10am–5pm, in conference tent 1, and will showcase some of the projects SAIC has funded, demonstrating what can be achieved when academia and industry join together with a shared aim. FF

We are “delighted

to be hosting this important and informative question and answer session

”

Above: Cleaner ﬁsh expert Jim Treasurer

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2018 11:43:00

SuperSmolt® Feed Only – All the benefits, now simpler

The new SuperSmolt® Feed Only programme additionally delivers: • REDUCED EFFORT – All the benefits of SuperSmolt® without the need for mineral treatments. • INCREASED PLANNING AGILITY – The programme can now also be applied in freshwater loch cages.

For the last 10 years, the Scottish Aquaculture industry have been using the SuperSmolt® programme to produce tens of millions of optimally smoltified salmon from tank-based systems. SuperSmolt® continues to provide clear benefits for both smolt producers and ongrowers:

Flexibility SuperSmolt® fish never desmoltify, giving you greater control over seawater transfer dates.

Improved health and welfare SuperSmolt® reduces stress, disease susceptibility and mortality following transfer.

Better smolts SuperSmolt® fish come on to feed quicker and more evenly post transfer.

Design / Trykk:

Europharma Scotland Ltd Clydebank Business Park G81 2QP Ph: +44 (0) 141 4357 100 supersmolt@europharma-uk.com

med helse som fag

Europharma.indd 55

03/04/2018 13:14:34

.no / Andenes

Visit us at Aquaculture UK Stand No. 307

Contact the Europharma Scotland Team for further information:

Aquaculture UK

Stirling service Nutrition team make business development shortlist

HE University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture is in the running for a top award in recognition of the nutritional analysis it provides to industry. The Institute’s Nutrition Analytical Service (NAS) – which provides advice and analysis to aquaculture, agriculture, food and drink, and human health sectors around the world – is shortlisted in the Business Development category at the Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards. Stirling is shortlisted in the category – which recognises those that have developed a husbandry or practice that has made a significant and positive contribution to the economic sustainability of the business – alongside Akva group Scotland and Scottish Sea Farms. James Dick, technical manager at the Institute of Aquaculture, said:

This is “ recognition

of the commitment of our staff

”

Left: The NAS team. Above: James Dick

‘We are delighted to be shortlisted in the Business Development category at the Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards 2018. ‘We would like to thank all our customers and collaborators for their support and encouragement. ‘We are committed to delivering a quality service and providing new strategies for the innovative analytical services that are required by the aquaculture industry. ‘This is also recognition of the commitment of our staff to provide quality recognised analytical services and a communication platform that is focused on easy access and customer satisfaction. We look forward to the awards ceremony.’ The NAS, founded in 1998, is an independent laboratory, internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for nutrition research, with specific focus on lipids and fatty acids. It was shortlisted for the award following testimonial submissions from several clients. As a leader in its field, the Institute of Aquaculture will host a stand (number 27) at the event, informing delegates of its world renowned research, teaching and commercial services. Visit the Institute of Aquaculture on stand 27. FF

Steinsvik welcomes UV system approval STEINSVIK has welcomed the recent decision by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute to approve a UV company’s products for use in the aquaculture industry. The atg UV Technology Wafer range provides the latest in medium pressure UV lamp technology, said Steinsvik, which sells the products in Norway and from its UK base in Fort William. ‘We are very pleased to finally get the approval,’ said says Geir Arne Albertsen, head of water engineering in Steinsvik. ‘We have been working towards this for a long time. atg UV Technology might be a new name for some in the industry, but they have had approved UV systems for drinking water in Norway since 2001.’ Steinsvik, which also makes Thermolicer machines, started collaborating with atg in 2013. The approved products are a new UV series especially developed for aquaculture. ‘The process of obtaining the approval has been a demanding one; however, the aquaculture industry is food production so a strict set of rules is needed for new products,’ said Albertsen. The Wafer range offers a state-of-the-art

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solution for a wide variety of water treatment applications, treating capacities of 1.0 m3/hr to more than 5,000 m3/hr in a single, high output, low footprint UV system. Well boat company Norsk Fisketransport has been using the system and is satisfied with the results. ‘We have been using the UV system for smolt and disease transportation. In all demanding conditions, the system has maintained the required UV dose,’ said the company’s Erling Lorentzen. Meanwhile, Steinsvik has appointed a new general manager for the UK. Innes Weir, who came on board on February 26, has 30 years’ experience in the aquaculture industry.

Above Installation example

Most recently he has been working as general manager of Cook Aquaculture Pacific, and he has also worked in Scotland, as marine site manager for Scottish Sea Farms. Steinsvik said the new management will give the company ‘a reboot in the UK’. Weir said: ‘It’s important to personalise our relationships with our customers- to identify their needs and create solutions that allow them to utilise the equipment, technology and experience to achieve best in class results. ‘I plan on visiting and meeting with all our customers and developing a deep understanding of their business goals and values, whilst ensuring they are updated on the latest developments available from Steinsvik. ‘We have the opportunity to build and develop the UK team around our customers. We understand just how important skilled, motivated staff are to the industry. ‘We employ local people, with an affinity to our core values and a real desire to assist the UK aquaculture industry in its efforts to develop and meet new challenges.’ Visit Steinsvik on stand 153.

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03/04/2018 15:41:22

OPERATES A FLEET OF 5 WELLBOATS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN SCOTLAND, CANADA AND NORWAY • One newbulid under construction. • Together with renowned ship designers we have developed wellboat designs in most size and capacity categories and we are ready to present state of the art solutions to potential customers worldwide.

M/V Inter Caledonia • Specialised for efficient and gentle freshwater treatments. • Freshwater produced from on-site Seawater by Reverse Osmosis. • Environmentally friendly and sustainable treatment of sea lice and AGD.

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www.intership.no

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03/04/2018 13:18:41

Netwax E4 Greenline from NetKem Netwax E4 Greenline offers excellent protection against fouling on pen nets Netwax E4 Greenline is developed for antifouling treatment of pen nets under “green” licences. The special active ingredient is approved by IMO and listed by OMRI for use in ecological agriculture. “Green” licences

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

IMO

Institute for Marketechology, Switzerland. Approves products used in ecological agriculture.

OMRI

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

Visit us at Aquaculture UK - STAND No. 111

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

22.03.2017 - April Issue

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03/04/2018 13:20:29

DON’T MISS THE UK’S LARGEST AQUACULTURE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE

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03/04/2018 13:21:28

Containment – AquaGen

On Track Reliable genetic tool traces salmon’s origins

TLANTIC salmon and rainbow trout egg producer AquaGen is leading the field of genetic traceability with Track, a powerful tool that uses a farmed salmon’s own DNA to trace it through the production cycle. A major benefit of Track is that there is no need for any form of physical tag on the fish. AquaGen Atlantic Green Track is now available as an addition to AquaGen’s Prime, Shield and Gain product ranges. To produce Track traceable salmon eggs, a unique combination of parent fish is used for each egg batch. This batch cannot be mixed with non-Track eggs and can only be sold to one hatchery. A DNA sample is taken from each parent fish, from which 50,000 genetic markers (SNPs) are analysed. These are matched to a delivery number and stored in a database for future reference. ‘When a suspected escape situation arises, a DNA sample from the unknown salmon is analysed for the same genetic markers, and the results checked against the database,’ said AquaGen’s researcher Kim Erik Grashei. ‘In this way, potential escapees can be traced back to their parents and the hatchery. Logistic tracing systems such as Fishtalk and Mercatus can then be used to check through the production cycle and narrow down the number of fish farms they may have escaped from.’ Track can also be used to trace salmon all the way to the consumer. Validation of concept Track has not yet been tested in a commercial setting, because none of the customers who have purchased it in Norway have had any major escape incidents. However, several blind tests have validated the concept, one of which is shown in Table 1.

60 Figure

Benefits of Track As well as its ability to trace escaped salmon back to the owner, Track is useful as an insurance for fish farmers against false accusations of escape. Other benefits of Track include evidence in cases related to quality issues in the processing plant, proof of ownership in the case of suspected stolen fish, and documentation of transparency through the production cycle. Used correctly, the system may also provide

1: Schematic drawing showing how salmon with Track are traceable from www.fishfarmer-magazine.com egg to fork

[Validation of concept]

AquaGen.indd 60

Below: Schematic drawing showing how salmon with Track are traceable from egg to fork Opposite: A validation test for proof-ofconcept for Track

In this test, DNA samples from 407 salmon of unknown origin were sent to AquaGen’s laboratory. The lab technicians were not told in advance that 187 of the fish had Track and 220 did not. However, all Track fish were correctly assigned to their parents and no non-Track fish were falsely assigned. The validation tests showed that more than 99.9 per cent of the potential salmon escapees were traced with Track. The concept of tracing escaped salmon by their own DNA, in combination with analysis of rare elements in the salmon scales, is currently being developed as a national tracing system in Norway.

03/04/2018 15:39:55

The validation tests showed that more than 99.9 per cent of the potential salmon escapees were traced with Track. On Track

The concept of tracing escaped salmon by their own DNA, in combination with analysis of rare elements in the salmon scales, is currently being developed as a national tracing system in Norway.

Potential “escapees

genetic profiles, and thereby determine which genetic profiles give an valuable data and shed new light on genetic Table 1: A validation test for proof-of-concept for Track interactions between wild and farmed salmon. increased rate of survival during a disease outbreak. This information can then be used in the breeding programme. It is also possible to develop Track for other In Norway, since 2014, AquaGen has sold approximately 160 million farmed fi sh species. [Benefits of Track] salmon eggs with Track per year, which accounts for roughly 10 per A future advantage, and something that is cent of the eggs incubated each year. This figure is set to rise, as the still under development, is the potential to hidden benefits of Track become more and more appreciated by salmidentify genes related to disease resistance in on farmers. salmon raised in commercial farming condi‘Track has actively been used in marketing material by several tions. customers keen to demonstrate due diligence, and one has been won In the event of a disease outbreak, a sample over to Track through a quality related incident that could have been of DNA from any dead fish can be used to settled if his fish had been traceable,’ said AquaGen group marketing assign the dead fish to their parental origin. director Odd Elvebø. Since AquaGen also knows the genetic AquaGen is now anticipating a boost in sales of Track eggs as enquirprofiles of the parents, it is possible to idenies and interest come in from fish farmers all over the world. FF tify any correlations between mortality and

(QUOTE: FF1977)

”

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can be traced back to their parents and the hatchery

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HOLYROOD HEARINGS Salmon industry in the spotlight

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March Cover.indd

03/04/2018 15:40:16

Book review

Insight into murky world

Work provides a signiﬁcant and new summary of information Review by Phil Thomas

IKE most people in the UK who have an interest in fish farming, I always find time to read the reLAKSation blog that comes from the pen of Martin Jaffa. It often contains useful information from publications that I don’t follow, and it is never shy about setting out its own distinctive points of view. Thus, as soon as I was alerted to the publication of Loch Maree’s Missing Sea Trout: Are salmon farms to blame? I ordered a copy online from Amazon, and with characteristically speedy action it was delivered the next morning. The book is short at 132 pages, and in an evening of indulgence I uncorked a previously unattended Christmas present, and settled down to read the book at a single sitting. The evening was enjoyable, and in terms of increasing my knowledge and insights into the slightly murky world of the book’s topic material, I thought it well worthwhile. For the purists who are looking for an academic critique, I should say that the book was obviously written in a hurry, although the research behind it must have taken many months of painstaking work. My guess would be that Jaffa was already well into the project but wrote and published at the gallop to try to get the book out in time for the Scottish parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform committee’s consideration of the environmental impacts of salmon farming. If I am correct, that objective may have been unsuccessful, although the author can hardly be criticised for trying. The book is structured more like a long essay rather than as a rigidly contrived series of self-contained chapters. It sets off very well and provides a readable and engaging narrative for those who have an interest in the subject area. It tends to falter slightly towards the end and becomes more fragmented as attention is given to some afterthoughts. Under other circumstances, these might have been introduced in the earlier text or added as footnotes or appendices. But that is easy to see with hindsight.

Book Review.indd 62

“

The interesting feature is that he has trawled through previously unexamined evidence

”

The thesis of the book is that the evidence, taken overall, does not support the conclusion that the decline in wild sea trout and wild salmon populations in Scotland are due to major impacts arising from salmon aquaculture. The author is fully correct, of course, but the interesting feature of his book is that he has trawled through previously unexamined evidence from ‘soft literature’ sources, such as long-past editions of Trout & Salmon magazine and reports of the District Salmon Fisheries Boards, to build his case. The book is not without its flaws, but the work it pulls together provides a significant and new summary of information, which later authors on the topic will much appreciate. FF

Above: Painstaking work

Loch Maree’s Missing Sea Trout: Are salmon farms to blame? Author, Martin Jaffa; Published by Callander McDowell, February 2018, ISBN 978-1-9999714-0-3 www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

03/04/2018 15:33:28

Processing News

Danes display latest technology at Brussels expo Danish suppliers set high standards for hygiene packaging and automation solutions at SPG 2018 DANISH suppliers are showcasing the latest in processing technology at Seafood Processing Global 2018 in Brussels later this month. Some 30 companies will be exhibiting as part of the Danish Fish Tech Group, the largest Danish export network for suppliers to the global fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing industries. ‘The Danish companies cover the entire value chain with processing and packaging equipment, cooling and cooking solutions, stainless steel solutions, cleaning systems, conveyer solutions, logistics services, and more,’ said Martin Winkel, head of the Danish Fish Tech Group and organiser of the largest ever Danish pavilion at the expo.

Long tradition

“

The Danish competencies within fish and seafood processing are at the forefront of food safety and hygiene standards

”

Above: Pavilion of Denmark at Seafood Processing Global 2017.

‘Based on a long tradition and strict regulations, the Danish competencies within fish and seafood processing are at the forefront of food safety and hygiene standards.’ One of the Danish exhibitors meeting the fish and seafood industry’s requirements for increased automation is DSI Freezing & Handling.

After recently acquiring Erlinord, the company is the only manufacturer of plate vertical and horizontal freezers which can offer fully incorporated solutions for loading and unloading of plate freezers. ‘The manufacturers of fish and seafood demand total solutions from one supplier,’ said Peter Nygaard Christensen,

Showcase for smarter processing MAREL is inviting processors to explore the automation, robotisation and data management that will prepare them for today’s hi-tech processing reality. The Icelandic company’s focus at Seafood Processing Global this year is on how its products can increase processing automation while ensuring the highest yield, throughput and product quality. Fish processors are experiencing a revolution in their industry, and

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Processing News.indd 63

Sales and profits surge for global trader

all of Marel’s core markets have enjoyed ground breaking advances in processing technology in the past 12 months, with more expected in the year ahead. For salmon processors, Marel will highlight the automatic quality scanning of salmon fillets and the unique cutting principles of its new salmon deheading machine. The Quality Scanner MS 2920 scans each fillet and registers volume, colour, melanin spots, blood spots, trimming defects, skinning defects, and brown meat, so processors can sort fillets downstream and better control the quality and size of each fillet. The company’s stand is in Hall 4 at the Brussels show.

sales director at DSI Freezing & Handling. ‘Accordingly, with Erlinord’s strong competencies within automation, including palletising, packaging and labelling, we can now offer customised solutions for automatic loading and unloading of vertical and horizontal plate freezers.’ Also on the Danish pavilion, Pack is

launching the new Ready2Cook Skin Packaging Solution. ‘Full surface skin packaging has a hermetically sealed solution that ensures food safety,’ said Camilla Haustrup Hermansen, Pack’s director for business development and marketing. Pavilion of Denmark, Hall 4, Seafood Processing Global, from April 24-26, 2018.

Wanted: fish and chip taster YOUNG’S Seafood of Grimsby is launching a PR and social recruiting campaign to find the world’s first professional chip shop taster to offer feedback on some of its products The company hopes the new appointment will strengthen its already successful portfolio, which is now the UK’s best-selling frozen fish line. After training at Young’s with the brand’s head chef and expert product panel, the lucky candidate

will have the opportunity to taste the brand’s Chip Shop products in their own home and share feedback throughout the year. The role is part time and the hours negotiable. The salary, meanwhile, is a host of Young’s products for tasting and £50 of Young’s vouchers with each delivery (four times a year). Candidates must be aged 18 and over. Visit https://youngsseafood.co.uk/chiefchip-shop-taster/.

Above: Helgi Anton

Eiríksson THE global trader Iceland Seafood International (ISI), which has just purchased Ireland’s largest fish business, has reported higher sales and profits for 2017. Full year revenues totalled €249 million, up from €246 million in 2016, while the profit before tax rose by 6.5 per cent to €3.5 million. Last month, ISI acquired Oceanpath, Ireland’s top seafood company, which sources, processes and sells fresh and frozen fish, for an undisclosed figure. The deal is expected to lead to significant growth this year. ISI CEO Helgi Anton Eiríksson said: ‘These are excellent results for Iceland Seafood International considering the challenges of the first half of 2017, with the 10-week fishermen’s strike in Iceland. ‘Our value added division...saw profits grow €200,000 year on year. ‘With Iceland Seafood’s global sourcing and manufacturing base and Oceanpath’s focus on manufacturing of premium seafood products, we believe this first acquisition since ISI listed on Nasdaq First North is a great value creator for the group.’

03/04/2018 15:30:53

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Opinion – Inside track

Precautionary tale BY NICK JOY

HAVE just had the extreme misfortune to read the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) committee’s report on the environmental impacts of salmon farming. Let’s be honest, these reports are rarely exciting and often dull. In this case, the position is worsened by two factors. First, direct opponents of the industry, even those utterly discredited, were asked for their opinions.These opinions were then cited as facts - which leads one to wonder why some people are asked to produce evidence that is scrutinised and some not. The second is that if you ask a scientist whether an industry is good or bad, they invariably do not answer the question and call for more research. Why would they not? There are nets out there with less holes than this report. It states that there have been no long term studies on sea lice and sea trout. West Sutherland Fisheries Trust has been netting sea trout for this reason for nearly 20 years! How long do they want? There have been eminent studies into introgression of farmed and wild fish done yet, surprisingly, the critics and the scientists allied to a committee that appears to be nothing but a conduit suggest that we should do more. Apparently, Sepa (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) has not done its job in ensuring the quality of the benthos because salmon produce excrement. Is this peculiar standard applied to cattle and fields? Zero impact on the environment is a ridiculous concept for any activity, including the existence of human beings.The issue should be whether such impact is easily reversible. Nowhere does the ECCLR committee look at the use of area versus food production. Surely this has to be significant. Instead, it follows the idiotic bandwagon that aquaculture should move onshore and burn huge amounts of energy. I will not waste time discussing a form of aquaculture loved by the people who have never risked a penny in their lives or produced a single gram of food for anyone else. The one thing that really makes me see red is the statement that nothing has changed or got better in the last 15 years or so. On what basis do they make this statement? The medicine use by the industry has declined a huge amount. Being a new industry, we face new challenges and these will be health challenges.The question is, what should we do about them? When I was giving a talk in the US a good few years ago, I set up one of the most ardent (and most discredited) critics of our industry. Knowing that he could not resist commenting, I said: ‘Why is it okay to treat your dog when it is sick but, according to you guys, not okay to treat a farmed animal?’ It was rhetorical but he leapt up and without hesitation shouted, ‘You don’t eat your dog!’ I replied, ‘It’s a welfare question’.Total silence reigned as the environmentalists realised the compromises between these two that a farmer has to make. Another area of complete contradiction in the ECCLR report is the use of the phrase ‘precautionary principle’, which the authors do not believe has been used enough, especially in the case of the potential effects of sea lice. Now forgive me if I have got this wrong, but if you are reacting to a potential effect, surely that is precautionary? I know there has never been a study (and there never will be) linking the incidence of sea lice to mortality in salmon and sea trout, and so all of the legislation around sea lice is precautionary. There is the odd fact within this inaccurate piece of stodge but

Nick Joy.indd 66

There are “ nets out there

with less holes than this report

”

there is only one line with which I can totally agree: ‘The status quo is not an option’. It is time that we put a serious piece of work in place.The critics of this industry and the industry make the same mistake, thinking this is a scientific debate.They insist on trying to link sea lice from the farms to the fish, knowing full well that the next stage (mortality) is impossible to prove. This is a statistical debate. Is the decline on the east coast any different from the decline on the west coast? I say not and I am sure the critics would say yes. However, there is a very simple way to check. Let’s hire an independent statistician to take the two sets of data since 1950 and interpret them. The methods of recording are the same. The error bars should be similar and thus it should tell us whether salmon farming has a significant effect or not. I do agree with the report’s call for the government to create a department to look at the health and welfare of wild sea trout and salmon. The organisations which claim to have migrating salmonids’ best interests at heart are the same ones that want them on a hook at the end of a line, hardly a normal conservation principle! The simple truth about this report is not that the industry hasn’t changed but that politics -and the quality of politicians - has not changed. FF

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03/04/2018 15:29:05

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03/04/2018 12:41:34