Fish Farmer Magazine September 2017

Fish Farmer VOLUME 40

Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

NUMBER 09

SEPTEMBER 2017

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SHOW REPORTS

WILD DECLINE

COOKING LESSONS

GOOD MANAGEMENT

Booming Aqua Nor reflects health of the industry

Don’t blame salmon farming says Jon Gibb

Martin Jaffa on tackling the fall in fish consumption

Nick Joy defends those in positions of authority

September Cover.indd 7

04/09/2017 16:38:32

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Contents 4-15 News

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

Show stopper

New concepts

Phil Thomas

T

he recent Aqua Nor exhibition in Trondheim was notable for its even bigger than usual crowds, as well as the sophistication of the technology on show, as we report this month. New entrants into the industry from the oil and gas sector were much in evidence, but some of the most headline grabbing products were created by familiar names.

One of these was Scotland’s own Ace Aquatec, which walked off with the show’s prestigious Innovation Award, despite stiff competition from Norway. Congratulations from all of us to the firm’s Nathan Pyne-Carter!

Also in this issue, our correspondent in Ireland, Devin O’Connell, investigates the shellfish sector there, in particular the progress of a family owned oyster business. And we welcome back Jon Gibb, who addresses the reasons behind the decline in wild salmon catches on Scotland’s west coast.

His plea, for all those interested in salmon to work together for the health of the species, was very much the theme of Scotland’s Salmon Festival, which drew big crowds to the banks of the River Ness earlier this month.

Our British Trout Association columnist, Doug McLeod, is still recovering from a hip operation. We wish him well and hope he will be back with us next month - when Fish Farmer marks its 40th anniversary with a special edition.

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

Meet the team

Contact us

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

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

Cover: Aqua Nor exhibitors in Skansen harbour, Trondheim

41 Aqua Nor

16 Comment

JENNY HJUL – EDITOR

Fish Farmer is now on Facebook and Twitter

Contents – Editor’s Welcome

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

Subscriptions Subscriptions Address: Wyvex

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

Tel: +44 (0) 1371 851868 UK Subscriptions: £75 a year ROW Subscriptions: £95 a year including postage- All Air Mail

18-19 Comment

46-47 Aqua Nor

20-21 Shellfish

50-51 Aquaculture Europe

Martin Jaffa

Nicki Holmyard

22-25 Ireland focus Devin O’Connell

Hands on robots

What’s on in Dubrovnik

54-56 Alternative species Farming grouper

26-27 Salmon Festival

Celebrating iconic species

56-57 Vietnam expands 28-31 Comment John Gibb

33-34 New generation

Marine Harvest’s rising star

Growing export markets

60 Processing News Ticking the right boxes

62-63 From the archives

36-37 Aqua Nor

Cod farming

38-40 Aqua Nor

Find all you need for the industry

Record breaker

Best stand

64-65 Aqua Source Directory 66 Opinion

By Nick Joy

Printed in Great Britain for the proprietors Wyvex Media Ltd by J Thomson Colour Printers Ltd, Glasgow ISSN 0262-9615

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Welcome - Sept.indd 3

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04/09/2017 16:44:54

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Tailored transport for cleaner fish

Above: Cleaner fish delivery to Loch Shell last month

MARINE Harvest Scotland has started moving its cleaner fish (wrasse and lumpfish) using a new lorry trailer, custom fitted with individual transport tanks.

These tanks were designed to improve and

stabilise the transport environment during the lengthy transportation periods.

This system and operation will reduce multiple hand nettings and water changes and so diminish any cumu-

lative stress events on the cleaner fish during transportation and at final discharge.The fish are now transferred directly from the hatchery to the salmon cage in the same tank and water that they were

loaded into.

The tanks have been designed internally and externally to provide quick and efficient loading/unloading from the lorry trailer to the boat/barge, individual monitoring and contin-

uous life support with effective discharge for the fish, plus a safer and much more controlled working environment for the personnel around the operation.

The tanks have also been successfully designed and tested to be able to transfer fish at much higher stocking densities than previously, therefore reducing transportation costs.This lorry system will cover 50 per cent of the forthcoming cleaner fish deliveries during winter, with any issues or improvements to be addressed before a

second trailer is commissioned to cover all the company’s cleaner fish.

Marine Harvest production coordinator manager David Gray said the system had been trialled for four months and went into operation last month.

‘Early indications show that is has been very successful, with benefits in not only fish welfare but also improvements in fish survival,’ he said.

‘The system is more efficient and effective due to the mobility and ease of handling of the tanks and direct discharge of the tanks into the seawater cages.’

Scottish investment pays off for Marine Harvest SUBSTANTIAL investment has started to pay off for Marine Harvest Scotland, with significant improvements in survival rates for salmon, as well as better growth.

The news came as Marine Harvest Group posted record profits in its Q2 results and follows a challenging period for the salmon farming industry as a result of sea lice and amoebic gill disease (AGD).

Marine Harvest achieved an operational EBIT of EUR 198 million in the second quarter of 2017, compared to EUR 149 million in the corresponding quarter of 2016.

This performance, the highest ever for half year results, is largely due to bigger fish and a healthy market thanks to strong demand for salmon.

Total operational EBIT per kg for Norway was 2.50 euros and

for Scotland it was 3.10 euros.

Chile was 1.45 euros, Canada 2.35 and Ireland 3.40.

Ben Hadfield, Marine Harvest Scotland managing director, congratulated his staff on their achievement in reducing the impact of sea lice and AGD. ‘We were determined to tackle these issues and have undertaken a massive investment programme, which includes the introduction of new technology, along with improvements in the design of existing equipment.

‘But, most of all, we have a dedicated workforce who were determined to succeed.

‘These results have been achieved due to a lot of hard work focused on specific targets, such as reduced sea lice numbers, more efficient growth and lower mortality levels.’

The introduction of wrasse and

lumpsuckers has helped reduce sea lice levels. This will now be followed by a scaling up of the company’s production, with plans to invest £3.5million in farming cleaner fish.

Other measures include the use of a thermolicer, skirts around the salmon farm nets, and hydrolicers.

Total investment in sea lice control has amounted to £12 million in the last year alone.

Another factor in the financial outcome so far this year has been the quality of the fish grown by the company. More than 97 per cent of the salmon produced has been rated as superior quality, which attracts higher prices.

The appetite for salmon continues to grow worldwide and the company continues to invest in new farms to meet demand.

Applications for salmon farms

off the coast of Rum and at Sconser quarry have recently been submitted. New sites have also been opened off the Isles of Colonsay and Muck.

A £93 million feed plant is currently under construction at Kyleakin quarry on Skye and a £26 million salmon hatchery is nearly complete at Inchmore in Glenmoriston.

‘We provide much needed jobs in some of the most fragile economies in Scotland and these two projects alone will provide almost 70 well paid permanent jobs,’ said Hadfield.

‘Our workforce is now close to 700, with a further 500 jobs in the salmon processing facility in Rosyth.

‘Salmon farming is a thriving industry and a huge success story for Scotland and we will continue to invest to grow.’

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04/09/2017 16:45:38

All the latest industry news from the UK

Record half year revenue for SSC THE Scottish Salmon Company has reported a 25 per cent increase in revenue in the first half of this year compared to 2016, to a record £72 million.

Harvest volumes, though, were down on last year’s, from 13,123 tonnes to 11,617 tonnes, due to bringing harvests forward in the second half of 2016, reducing availability for 2017.

The strong performance was supported by the buoyant market, increased mean weights of harvested stock and a continued focus on improving operational efficiency, said the company.

Growing demand for salmon, particularly of Scottish provenance, improved the price and subsequently earnings have risen substantially year on year with EBIT/kg before fair value adjustment of £1.65 (H1 2016: £0.39).

The SSC said that while biological challenges remain, its ability to manage the situation has improved significantly compared to last year.

Exports accounted for 52 per cent of all sales value, compared to 42 per cent in the first half of last year, with new markets in the Far East and an expanded presence in North America.

Consent was secured for an additional 2,000 tonnes at a site at Portree on the Isle of Skye, with a number of other proposals for site development underway. The Portree site will be stocked in 2018, with first harvests

Above: Scottish salmon - a ‘strong provenance story’

anticipated in late 2019.

Craig Anderson, CEO of the company, said: ‘Demand for premium quality Scottish salmon across the globe has never been higher and we have maximised the opportunities this provides, evidenced by a record half year performance.

‘Export sales have risen exponentially in key territories like Japan, where we have just exhibited at the Seafood Expo. The response to our products has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly our unique Native Hebridean Salmon which has

such a strong provenance story.

‘Our strategy for long term sustainable growth is paying dividends, with another site expansion consented in the period and a robust pipeline in place.

‘Our programme of site development and securing long-term customer relationships at home and overseas are the fundamentals which underpin this growth strategy and remain our key focus for the remainder of 2017.’

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04/09/2017 16:45:54

United Kingdom News

Farm manager course launched

Above: The NAFC Marine Centre in Shetland

THIRTEEN senior fish farm staff from five salmon farming companies have enrolled on a new professional development programme in aquaculture management developed by the NAFC Marine Centre UHI. The farmers, including seven from Shetland salmon farms and six from elsewhere in Scotland, are the first to enrol on NAFC’s new degree level Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management.

The programme is the first of its kind in the UK and has been developed by NAFC staff in response to demand from Scottish fish farming companies. It will enable experienced fish farm staff to gain a qualification in senior management while working in the industry.

The flexible training programme, which will normally take about 24 months to complete, uses distance learning technology to allow candidates to study at times and places that suit them and which fit in with their work and other commitments.

Candidates can enrol on the programme at any time and are supported and assessed by NAFC staff throughout their training.

On successful completion of the programme they will receive a Scottish Vocational Qualification at Level 4 from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), which is equivalent to an Ordinary Degree (SCQF Level 9), as well as a Lantra Technical Apprenticeship Certificate funded

by Skills Development Scotland.

Course leader Stuart Fitzsimmons said: ‘Following the successful introduction of our Modern Apprenticeships in Aquaculture for new and experienced fish farm staff, we had a lot of interest from aquaculture companies in a training programme for their managers.

‘The Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management has been designed to meet that need and to provide a progression opportunity for staff who have completed the Modern Apprenticeships.

‘It will allow senior aquaculture staff to gain a management qualification while working in the industry, and building on their existing knowledge, experience and skills.

‘The use of distance learning, supported by NAFC staff, means that people from anywhere in Scotland can undertake this training at times and places that suit them, without having to attend college classes.’

The NAFC Marine Centre currently has more than 50 aquaculture staff enrolled on its Modern Apprenticeships in Aquaculture at Level 2 or Level 3, with more than 150 having already completed one of these programmes. The centre received a glowing review of its existing aquaculture training programme earlier this summer, said Fitzsimmons, following an audit by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The NAFC Marine Centre is also launching two new short training courses for the aquaculture industry: Capstan Winch Safety Awareness; and Jet Washing Safety Awareness. These have again been developed in response to demand and complement the centre’s existing suite of short courses covering different aspects of aquaculture operations.

NAFC’s academic quality manager Duncan Kidson said: ‘The launch of the Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management and the new short courses demonstrate NAFC’s ability and willingness to respond to the training needs of the Scottish aquaculture industry and to deliver that training in a flexible manner to meet the needs of the people working in the industry.’

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Minister’s visit marks Highland jobs boost FERGUS Ewing, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, has reaffirmed his commitment to growing the aquaculture industry during a visit to Gael Force Group in Inverness last month.

The minister praised the Highland firm for creating of around 20 new jobs, following the announcement earlier this month that it had secured a deal to build barges for Marine Harvest.

Gael Force will build and supply Marine Harvest with a series of SeaMate 400T concrete feed barges complete with state-of-the-art SeaFeed Offshore Feeding System.

Gael Force Group owner and managing director Stewart Graham gave the minister a tour of the company’s engineering facility which is set to double in capacity to accommodate its increased programme of barge builds.

The company expects that the initial order for Marine Harvest will add a further 20 to the 43 staff who have already joined the company this year. At least another 12 jobs will also be created in the group’s own supply chain and the wider rural Highland economy.

Speaking during the visit on August 25, Ewing said: ‘I am delighted Gael Force has secured this major order from Marine

Harvest. This is testament to the quality of their work and strength of their team.

‘It is also a further demonstration of the value of the aquaculture sector to Scotland in terms of the overall economy and jobs created.

‘I work closely with the aquaculture Industry Leadership Group, and we are committed to further develop and grow the supply chain in the sector.’

Stewart Graham said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to Gael Force and I am pleased he has been able to see at first-hand the quality of output from our team.

‘His continued support of the strategic plan for aquaculture growth to 2030, and of the Scottish aquaculture industry as a whole, has been unwavering and for that he should be commended.

‘As a direct consequence of the success of Scottish salmon we have created many new jobs this year and will continue to recruit on the back of this order.

‘We are grateful to Marine Harvest for placing their order and their trust in Gael Force.

‘There are huge positive benefits to the wider rural economy and its communities and this order is a great example of that positive impact on the Highland economy.’

Above: Fergus Ewing (right) with Gael Force’s Stewart Graham

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:46:13

All the latest industry news from the UK

Lantra award nominations now open THE search is now on for the country’s top aquaculture trainees as Lantra Scotland opens up nominations for its Land based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards.

Over the last 16 years, the awards have become well known for celebrating the achievements of young people, new entrants, career changers, training providers and employers in the land based, environmental and aquaculture sectors.

They are open to learners in agriculture, aquaculture, equine, fisheries management, environmental conservation, game and wildlife, horticulture, trees and timber and land based engineering.

As well as these industry categories, Lantra’s other awards include Higher Education, School Pupil and Rural Secondary Schools, CARAS (Council for Awards of Agricultural Societies), Jean’s Jam for inspirational tutor, the Tam Tod Trophy, Modern Apprentice of the Year, and Overall Runner-up and Winner for Land based, Aquaculture and Environ-

mental Conservation Learner of the Year.

Finalists for all the awards will be shortlisted by an independent panel of judges early next year, with winners announced at a ceremony at the DoubleTree

by Hilton Dunblane Hydro in March.

Kevin Patrick, director of Lantra Scotland, believes that nominating learners for these awards is good for the country’s economy.

‘With all the incredibly diverse and rewarding careers available in our land based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries, it’s clear the sector makes a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, particularly in rural areas,’ he said.

‘By recognising the country’s top learners, their employers and training providers, our awards can highlight the hard work and

achievements of everyone involved.

‘Ultimately, we want to ensure that our industries are supplied with the very best talent, bridging skills and recruitment gaps to build a vibrant and successful economy.’

To get a nomination form, call Lantra on 01738 310364 or email scotland@lantra.co.uk The closing date is November 10.

Salmon a huge booster for UK food exports More to Awe decline than exports during the first six months of this year increased by 8.5 per cent to £10.2 billion.

Andy Bing, sales director of Loch Duart Salmon, told BBC News: ‘British salmon is becoming more popular globally. This half we’ve sold more BRITISH food eration announced than we ever have.’ exports hit a new re- last month. Sales The firm’s main cord during the first were also helped by half of 2017 – thanks the fall in the value of export markets were France, the US, Italy, to an unprecedented the pound. and Switzerland. UK demand for salmon.

The federation salmon exports have Salmon exports said salmon was the grown after Chilean rose by more than 53 second largest comproducers suffered per cent to a value modity export after problems in 2015 of £408 million, the Scotch whisky. Total with algal blooms Food and Drink Fed- UK food and drink

that killed a large amount of their fish, he said.

He remained optimistic about the eventual post-Brexit trade deals that can be struck with EU countries.

‘Europe needs lovely Scottish salmon just as we need lovely French wine and wonderful German cars,’ he said.

However, he added that Loch Duart was ‘finding it difficult to plan without better guidance’ from the government about Brexit.

farms, says SSPO

CLAIMS that salmon farms are to blame for the decline of wild stocks in one of Scotland’s rivers are ‘premature and over simplistic’, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said last month.

The 2017 count from the River Awe in the south-west Highlands is projected to be the lowest since records began, said Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland - the result, it believes, of ‘intensive’ fish farming in the area and the spread of sea lice at farms.

MSPs are set to hold an inquiry into the salmon farming industry in early 2018. Ahead of the inquiry, Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Minister for Rural Affairs, is planning to hold an aquaculture debate in the Holyrood parliament.

The SSPO and Scotland’s salmon companies will issue formal invitations to MSPs in the coming weeks encouraging them to visit farms and see for themselves what the industry is doing, said SSPO chief executive Scott Landsburgh.

Strong Q2 for Grieg but problems remain HIGHER salmon prices helped propel the Norwegian fish farmer Grieg Seafood to higher profits and earnings during the second quarter of 2017.

But the company said that sea lice and algae were presenting challenges at its Shetland operations.

The company reported an operating income of NOK 2,030 million, an increase of 21 per cent on the same period

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UK news.indd 7

last year. The EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) per kilo rose from NOK 19.20 to NOK 21.20. The harvest volume was 18,503 tonnes, up from 16,263 tonnes in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 14 per cent.

Grieg said it has been taking steps to reduce the production time in the sea in Shetland from 24 to 18 months.

‘Quarter two, 2017, saw the

start of harvesting of the first fish under the new production plan, and because of this the costs have fallen slightly...nevertheless, costs remain high in Shetland. This relates especially to biological challenges, where sea lice and algae are the main concerns. There is close collaboration with other fish farming parties in the region with a view to finding solutions to these challenges.’

Above: Reducing production time in the sea

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04/09/2017 16:46:30

European News

NEWS...

Norway and China in free trade talks CHINA and Norway have got down to serious negotiations that should at last set the salmon export train in motion.

Although the two countries restored normal relations last December and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg led a high powered delegation of 240 seafood and business leaders to China in the spring, full scale export sales of salmon in particular have yet to resume.

Industry minister

Above: Full scale export sales of salmon have yet to resume

Monica Mæland said it was good that talks on a free trade agreement were now underway:

‘The reports from the Norwegian negotiating delegation on further progress are promis-

ing,’ she said. ‘This is the ninth round in a long running series of free trade deal nego-

tiations between the two countries and the first since September 2010.

Earlier meetings were primarily used to exchange information about where we stand and to set out formal procedures.

‘China is a major commercial trading force and a very important trading partner for Norway.

‘A free trade agreement will be important for Norwegian business and will facilitate increased Norwegian

exports of goods and services to China.’

The parties agreed to meet by the end of 2017 for the next round of talks.

Meanwhile, in a separate move, the Nordland County Municipality, which includes the Vesterålen and Lofoten areas and several Norwegian companies, signed a co-operation agreement with Zhejiang Province, which has a population of 56 million and is one of China’s richest provinces.

Iceland communities in fish farming plea ‘DON’T shut us out of plans to expand aquaculture’ - that’s the plea from a growing number of coastal communities in Iceland following a major risk assessment on the genetic impact of salmon farming on wild fish stocks.

Progressive Party MP Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson pleaded in a recent article that there are no grounds for closing the Isafjord region, which he represents, to aquaculture.

And two fishing communities on Iceland’s north east coast have also expressed fears they could be ignored, resulting in economic stagnation.

A recent assessment ordered by Iceland’s Marine Research Institute (MRI) warned against siting fish farms in areas such as Isafjord.

Sveinsson has spoken out on the positive social impact of fish farming, adding that it should be possible to devise effective measures to prevent farmed and wild salmon becoming mixed up.

He said there was no reason why Iceland should not be able to build fish farms by careful planning and learning from the mistakes made in other countries.

He also referred to the decline in economic activity in his region over the last 30 years. The state, he added, should not prevent what was ‘environmentally friendly food production’.

Iceland has signalled a major expansion of its fish farming operations, but with most of the production based in the west of the country. Iceland eventually plans to produce more than 70,000

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tonnes of farmed salmon each year.

Meanwhile, the town council in Fjarðabyggð (population 4,675) and the municipal council of Djúpavogshreppur (population 450) in the east of the country have submitted a resolution saying they were deeply concerned about the future of fish farming in their region in the light of the MRI report.

They are arguing that experience in the Westfjords has shown that aquaculture remains one of the main opportunities for the economic and social development of isolated rural communities such as Fjarðabyggð and Djúpavogshreppur.

Their claim is backed up by a report from the regional employment and development department which showed that the growth in aquaculture had brought positive benefits to rural communities by increasing employment and reversing population decline.

The two communities have asked for a meeting with the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, and the senior representatives at the Marine Research Institute at the ‘earliest opportunity’ so they can put their case and counter some of the claims in the MRI report.

Above: Some Icelandic communities would welcome salmon farms

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04/09/2017 16:47:19

All the latest industry news from Europe

Leroy hits half-year profits high

Above: Norway must start to increase production

THE Lerøy Seafood Group, whose operations include both fish farming and conventional trawling, is the latest Norwegian aquaculture business to announce an overall positive performance for the second quarter of this year.

The operating profit (before fair value adjustment) was NOK 801 million compared with NOK 760 million in Q2 2016.

This corresponds to operating profit on lower harvest figures of NOK 27.3 per kg against NOK 18.5 per kg in Q2 2016.

The group reported revenues of NOK 4,224 million, compared with NOK 4,262 million in the same period in 2016.

But the harvest volumes of salmon were down by 36 per cent on Q2 2016.

Skretting appoints new boss

But the group said these figures must be viewed in light of the high harvest volume in Q1 2017. For 2017 as a whole, the harvest volume is expected to be higher than last year.

Again, including the 2017 Q1 figures, the group’s revenue for the first half of this year was NOK 9,684 million, up 20 per cent on the equivalent six months of last year.

The first half operating profit was NOK 2,078 million, substantially up on the comparable 2016 figure of NOK 1,345 million. The first half pre-tax profit figure was NOK 2,134 against NOK 1,367 in 2016.

Lerøy CEO Henning Beltestad said: ‘Salmon and trout prices remain at a high level and, as a result, Lerøy Seafood Group can report its highest revenue and highest operating profit in any halfyear period in the group’s history.

‘As previously reported, the harvest volume for salmon and trout is down from the same quarter last year, but for the year as a whole, however, the harvest volume is expected to be higher than in 2016.’

Beltestad added: ‘The sustained high price level for salmon is, however, strongly affected by the fact that the Norwegian fish farming industry has not increased production since 2012.

‘In the near future, it will be of decisive importance for the long-term competitiveness of this industry that Norway gradually starts to increase production.’

FEED giant Nutreco has appointed Therese Log Bergjord as the new managing director of Skretting Global Salmon and Fish Feed Southern Europe. She will take over from Steven Rafferty, who resigned earlier this year.

Log Bergjord is currently managing director Nordics of Compass Group and will take up her new position on November 1, 2017. She will also join the Nutreco executive committee.

Based in Stavanger, she will report to Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco.

Log Bergjord has a background in finance and business administration. Having previously acted as vice president commercial for Pan

Fish and global sales director for Skretting, she has considerable aquaculture expertise.

She was also a member of the board of SalMar, a position she will now step down from.

‘I am really excited to rejoin Skretting in this new position,’ said Log Bergjord.

‘Aquaculture is a dynamic and thriving industry and I look forward to making my contribution to the further growth of Skretting.’

Above: Therese Log Bergjord

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04/09/2017 16:47:35

European News

Norway Royal Salmon’s Aqualife launch fish health service revenues rise THE fish farmer Norway Royal Salmon (NRS) has reported a large increase in operating revenues for the second quarter of this year.

The figure was NOK 1,232.9 million compared to NOK 995 million in the same period last year.

The operational EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) was almost NOK 136 million, down from NOK 168.5 million in 2016, but the EBIT for the year to date is up by almost NOK 20 million to NOK 340 million.

NRS said harvested volumes were 29 per cent lower during the period. The situation around fish health and sea lice was good.

The company’s interim report says: ‘Demand for Norwegian salmon in Asia has been good for a long time. The second quarter of 2017 was no exception.

‘The trade problems with China continued in the second quarter, however work is being done to find a solution, which will be very positive in the long term.’

Bakkafrost announces strong Q2 THE Faroese salmon farming group Bakkafrost announced a substantially improved financial performance for the second quarter of this year.

The company delivered a total operating EBIT of 459.2 million Danish kroners (DKK) compared to DKK 307.1 million for Q2 last year This quarter the combined farming and VAP segments made an operational EBIT of

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DKK 435.0 million. The farming segment made an operational EBIT of DKK 489.5 million.

Bakkafrost said the salmon spot prices have been on record high levels since 2016, and this continued in Q2 2017.

The total volumes harvested in Q2 2017 were 18,400 tonnes gutted weight compared to 13,000 tonnes for the same period last year.

AQUALIFE Services had launched a new European fish health and welfare service to tie in with the increased internationalisation of its vaccination services.

Based in Portugal, the service is centred on fish vet Nuno Ribiero, who joined the company in June.

The initial focus will be on flatfish farms on the Atlantic coast and bass and bream aquaculture in the Mediterranean.

However, this is just the start of Aqualife’s ambition to provide holistic health and welfare services to its global vaccination

Above: Vaccine delivery

customers. Head of Fish Health and Welfare Ronnie Soutar said: ‘Aqualife’s role in vaccine delivery is only part of what keeps farmed fish healthy.

‘Our traditional markets in salmonid aquaculture have been pretty well served by fish health professionals but that is not always the case with the new

ventures who are increasingly using our services.

‘Of course, we work closely with fish health colleagues already involved with customers’ farms but we also see a need to develop our own service to fill gaps and expand the practical help available to farmers.

‘It’s great to have Nuno join us, to help

turn our strategic aims into reality.’

Aqualife’s owner and CEO, Gordon Jeffrey, said: ‘The core team of Ronnie and Nuno really brings something special to fish health services.

Ronnie has decades of experience and is, I believe, the only fish vet who has been directly responsible for running farms.

‘Nuno represents the new generation of fish vets, full of enthusiasm yet realistic.’

Ribiero said: ‘A main aspect of our service will be the interpretation of results which Ronnie and I can provide, to translate into practical recommendations at farm level.’

Dark clouds threatening salmon profits THE recent golden era for salmon and rainbow trout farming could be coming to an end – at least for the time being, said the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The main reason would seem to be the rising cost of production.

The Directorate said the last year was the best period for operating profit margins since figures started Above: Liv Holmefjord, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries chief officer to be compiled in profitability. tion per ‘man years’ 1982, increasing from – in 2006 and 2010.

The Directorate had also fallen over She said that 19.4 per cent in 2015 found that average the same 12-month despite a very good to 36.3 per cent in production cost per period, which meant economic perfor2016. kg had risen by 18.6 that more employees mance in 2016, But it warned that per in the 12 months are now needed to profitability results ‘dark clouds’ are between 2015 and produce the same showed cost levels threatening future 2016 and was averag- amount of fish. were increasing and profitability. ing just over NOK 31 The Directorate now becoming quite Liv Holmefjord, the per kg at the end of said it will publish high.

Directorate’s chief last year. fuller details of This meant the officer, said that only Other kinds of costs salmon farming industry was more twice before has the were also rising. The production costs and dependent on high industry recorded Directorate’s survey profit performance salmon prices in operating profits of more than 30 per cent order to achieve good showed that produc- in the late autumn.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:47:57

All the latest industry news from Europe

Smolt sludge used to power fish farm SLUDGE waste from smolt production is now being used by one of the world’s leading salmon farmers to produce valuable biogas.

Normally, the sludge is sent for disposal, but Cermaq said that if it succeeds with its trials the development could realise significant potential both for the company and the wider fish farming industry.

Marit Holmvåg Hansen, head of smolt production at Cermaq, said: ‘Not only do we get rid of sludge in a way that is good for the environment, but we can utilise it as energy in our own plants.

‘The production of salmon smolts at our hatcheries on Forsan

Above: Sludge waste from smolt production will produce biogas

(in the Nordland region of Norway) generates about 160 tonnes of sludge a year. This slurry consists of a mixture of fish faeces and other

wastage. Using bacteria, we start a process that converts this sludge to methane or biogas.’

Hansen said there were many forms of bi-

ogas production based on existing technology in Norway, but this was the first time a method based solely on fish sludge had been adapted as a raw

material. He expected the plant at Forsan to become a demonstration or showcase site for the entire aquaculture industry. When the formal conversion

starts next April, the sludge should provide biogas with an energy output equivalent to 500,000 kWh a year which could be used to heat the farm.

AquaGen acquires 51 per cent of AquaSearch ova AQUAGEN has bought 51 per cent of the shares in the Danish based breeding company AquaSearch ova, one of the world’s leading suppliers of genetics for the portion size trout market.

Globally, portion size trout is one of the fastest growing aquaculture sectors and has become an important commodity of animal protein. Production in 2016 was 650,000 tonnes, with annual growth of five to seven per cent over the last three years.

AquaSearch ova, established in 2006, is a leading global player in breeding and egg production of trout. From its headquarters in Billund, the company has developed cost effective production and distribution from its six broodstock farms in Denmark.

‘Our association with AquaSearch ova represents an important strategic milestone for AquaGen,’ said Odd Magne Rødseth, chairman of Trondheim based AquaGen. ‘With this we get a new platform for growth and value creation, helping AquaGen to maintain and strengthen its commitment to trout breeding.

‘Due to a limited market for large trout, many breeding companies in Europe and Chile have chosen to close down their breeding programmes for trout.

‘AquaSearch ova’s strong position within

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

European News.indd 11

the portion size trout sector completes our commitment to all farmed species of salmon and trout.’

Torben Nielsen, CEO of AquaSearch ova, said: ‘This transaction is very positive for the trout industry because it helps to provide advanced technology and research resources to more trout farmers around the world.’

Right: AquaGen’s Odd Magne Rodseth (left)

and AquaSearch ova’s Torben Nielsen

11

04/09/2017 16:48:23

World News

NEWS...

Zambia urged to suspend Asian imports

Above: Zambia’s aquaculture sector must compete on a level playing field

THE Zambian government has been urged to suspend the importation of fish from Asia, where tilapia lake virus is affecting the productivity of fish farms, the Zambia

Daily Mail reported.

Aquaculture Development of Zambia (ADAZ) trustee Fisho Mwale said the government should also start issuing health certificates prior to imports.

Mwale said there is a need to intensify health inspections of all imported fish if the country is to avoid having ‘discarded’ fish from Asia that is bad for consumption.

He called for the increased awareness by border staff of the mislabelling of Asian tilapia as Namibian mackerel, aimed at avoiding paying the normal tax duties.

Mwale said the outbreak of the tilapia lake virus posed a threat to Zambia’s growing aquaculture sector.

‘This is a new disease that has spread quickly internationally and for which there is no known cure. It has wreaked havoc on many Asian tilapia markets. Leading experts do not yet know if the virus can travel by frozen fish.

‘We propose that until further research is conducted, imports of frozen fish, live fish and fish eggs from the affected countries are banned to Zambia, to protect our fish stocks and fish farmers,’ he said during a symposium for ADAZ members last month.

Mwale said it is difficult for Zambian farms to compete with unfair competition from imported fish which are often a health hazard.

‘We are not advocating a total ban on imports since Zambian fish farmers can and should compete in an open market. But we are requesting a level playing field.

‘Some imported tilapia suffer from problems…these fish are not fit for consumption in other markets and so are dumped in Africa at low prices.

‘This is not safe for human consumption and preys on low income consumers. Also, imported fish is often advertised as being Zambian.’

Americans would pay price of sustainability AMERICANS would be willing to pay more for their seafood if it is certified as sustainably and responsibly sourced, says a consumer survey by Cargill Aqua Nutrition.

The company, which produces feed for salmon, tilapia and shrimp in at least 18 countries, says it is dedicated to tailoring feed solutions to customers’ needs.

The survey of more than 1,000 Americans found that 72 per cent said they believed seafood was important to their health and nutrition.

Eighty-eight per cent of those same consumers were willing to pay more for seafood that is certified as sustainably and responsibly sourced.

This especially appealed to the younger generation, with 93 per cent of millennials agreeing they were willing to pay more.

Einar Wathne, president of Cargill Aqua Nutrition, said: ‘We are committed to delivering healthy seafood for future generations, and we know we must do this in a way that is responsible and meets consumer preferences.’

Results from the survey were released at the Aquaculture Roundtable Series in Bali last month, where Wathne was a keynote speaker.

The survey also found that out of five seafood options given, 47 per cent of Americans prefer shrimp.

Eighty-four per cent of Americans trust that their seafood is sourced

12

World news.indd 12

in a safe and responsible way and 70 per cent say where and how their seafood is sourced impacts their purchase decision.

Cargill’s animal nutrition business has more than 20,000 employees at more than 275 facilities in 40 countries, which together produced 1.74 million tonnes of aquafeed in 2016.

Above: Healthy seafood for future generations

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:49:09

World News

Rwanda feed plant boosts production THE cost of fish feed in Rwanda has been reduced by half thanks to a new fish feed factory that has started operations in the country, according to the New Times of Rwanda.

The factory, located in Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ), has the capacity to produce about 700kg of feed per hour, and is expected to boost fish farming in the country.

Local fish farmers have been importing feeds from Israel, Germany, Mauritius, and Uganda, and they say this was costly because of freight charges. It also affected the freshness of the feed and fish productivity.

So far, the factory has installed a facility worth £300,000 (about Rwf330 million).

Bart Gasana, the managing director of Aquahort Exports, the firm that owns the factory, told the New Times that the plant will expand its activities depending on feed demand from farmers.

Gasana said the factory will guarantee farmers fresh, nutritious and affordable feed. The ingredients making up the feed come from commodities such as soya, maize, and other fish products.

Francis Kavutse, a fish farmer at Muhazi Lake, with various ponds in Kayonza District, said: ‘In about three months since I started using this locally produced feed, I have realised that it is nutritious and it has a smell that fish recognises fast. Fish respond by consuming it easily because it does not sink in water.’

Kavutse owns 30 cages and he needs between two to five tonnes of feed per month. The cost of feed since the new plant was built has dropped from about Rwf1,500 (£1.50) to Rwf800 (about 75p) per kg.

‘With this feed, each fish in my ponds is growing at a rate of about 40 per cent compared to the imported feed, which could only stand between 18 to 20 per cent of growth rate,’ he said.

Kavutse said the feed they used to import weighed less compared to Above: Rwanda has set itself ambitious production targets the actual weight indicated on the sack. A sack indicating 40kg actually weighed about 25kg or 28kg, he claimed.

Gasana noted that they want to further reduce the price of the feed to Rwf400 to make it more affordable to farmers.

‘There should be measures to reduce the cost of raw materials needed for the production of the feed and electricity, such that we reduce the price of fish feed to Rwf400. By so doing, we will increase fish farming productivity at a very good rate,’ he said.

The Programme Coordinator of Aquaculture and Fisheries at Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), Dr Wilson Rutaganira, said the factory would help farmers get affordable feed, and promote commercial fish farming, mainly through cages.

He said that fish feed typically accounts for more than 65 per cent of the sector production cost.

British Made Cage Nets In Nylon & Dyneema ‘Having such a factory in the country is very important because the cost of feed is going to reduce, more production is going to be supported, as Predator Exclusion Nets well as more increase in investment,’ he said.

There are only 1,600 tonnes of fish produced from aquaculture per Anti Foul Coatings year, but Rutaganira noted that thanks to this factory, production could increase to between 5,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes per year if farmers Ropes - Large Stock All Sizes embrace the use of the feed.

The factory comes after the government privatised Urban Fisheries Floats, Buoys, Cushion Buoys Products Promotion Centre, a facility that was responsible for collecting fish and selling it in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, to Acquahort Exports, for Chain & Chain Weights a 10-year lease.

To further facilitate farmers’ access, Gasana said the factory will offer Tarpaulins the feed to farmers on credit provided that they supply fish to the company. The cost of feed will be deducted from the payment that a farmer will receive for their produce.

When fish produce gains momentum, the company will engage in fish QUALITY NETS FOR FISH FARMING collection, treatment, distribution, processing, packaging and export, he said.

Tel: 01253 874891 Rwanda’s total fish production from both aquaculture and capture e-mail: john@borisnet.co.uk fisheries amounts to 26,500 tonnes per year. The country, which imports web: www.borisnet.co.uk about 15,000 tonnes of fish per year, has set itself a target to produce 112,000 tonnes by 2018.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

World news.indd 13

13

04/09/2017 16:49:25

World News

Aquaculture course scholarships A LIMITED number of scholarships for a three-week aquaculture training course in the Netherlands are being offered to some sub-Saharan countries by the Dutch government.

The course - which runs from February 26 to March 16, 2018, at Wageningen University and Research, Centre for Development Innovation (CDI) - will focus on responsible aquaculture development.

The first part of the course will concentrate on aquaculture development on a higher level, introducing the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA) as developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The EAA considers all impacts of aquaculture on other uses and includes the design of an aquaculture management plan that involves users of the water body or catchment area where aquaculture is developing.

Participants will practise the various steps of this approach based on their own aquaculture situation.

The second part of the course will discuss what can be done on the farm level to reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture.

International environmental certification standards and programmes will also be discussed.

The course is intended for aquaculture professionals, such as lecturers, researchers, policy makers, extension officers, hatchery and farm managers, and so on.

Requirements include good English language skills; education level at BSc or higher in a subject relevant for aquaculture development; and a minimum of three years of working experience in aquaculture development.

For more details about the course contact Peter G.M. van der Heijden Peter.vanderheijden@wur.nl

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World news.indd 14

Mass escape delays new farm plan

AN application by Cooke Aquaculture to build a new farm has been put on hold, following a mass escape of salmon from one of its other farms.

The company lost thousands of fish in August from a pen in Skagit County, Washington, holding 305,000 salmon.

Cooke, which hopes to site a new farm in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, asked planning officials that a September hearing for a project permit be postponed as it deals with the mass escape of thousands of fish at its other facility.

Cooke has recovered more than 122,000 fish. The Lummi tribe says its anglers have caught another 20,000 fish, reported local media.

Cooke is proposing to build 14 floating circular net pens about 1 ½ miles offshore.

It would move current operations from Port Angeles Harbour and increase production by 20 per cent.

Washington state governor Jay Inslee placed a moratorium on net pen permits until an investigation into the escape is completed.

Vietnam shrimp exports show sharp rise

VIETNAM’S shrimp exports in the first half of this year rose by 15.7 per cent year-onyear to US$0.56 billion, thanks to declining supply sources from other shrimp exporting countries.

Of the total, white legged shrimp made up $955 million, a rise of 20.4 per cent, while black tiger shrimp fell by 5.3

per cent to $421 million, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported.

The country’s shrimp exports rose sharply in the second quarter, although they declined in the first quarter due to a shortage of raw materials in the domestic market.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:49:45

Trade associations – SSPO

Familiar ground Collaborative approach to growth discussed at meeting of international salmon groups

S

COTLAND’S salmon sector will collaborate with its international counterparts to address obstacles to growth, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation’s Scott Landsburgh said, following a meeting in Norway recently.

The International Salmon Farmers’ Association (ISFA) convened in Trondheim last month during the Aqua Nor exhibition – the final time the SSPO will be represented at this gathering by Landsburgh, who retires at the end of the year.

He has witnessed many changes in the industry during his tenure and stands down amid hugely positive Scottish salmon export figures.

He concedes, however, that many challenges remain for the industry which will entail even greater, faster transformation in the coming years.

Reflecting on the meeting, and on the challenges and issues discussed with his colleagues from around the world, Landsburgh said: ‘At every meeting of ISFA, each country presents an overview of its aspirations and challenges. It is interesting to note that every country farming Atlantic salmon has a plan to at least double its production but is being held back by a perception that its approach to environmental sustainability has to demonstrate improvement.’

He went on to express his feelings of ‘familiarity’ with the discussion due to a ‘very similar perception running in Scotland in recent years which has focused on our ability to manage and control our sea lice burden’.

Landsburgh said he came away from the meeting with a sense that, on this specific issue, all jurisdictions are in a similar position and therefore need to collaborate on an international scale to access the optimum management tools.

ISFA brings together the major salmon producing countries and regions via their respective trade associations to discuss issues facing the salmon industry across the globe. The Trondheim meeting covered a number of other topics, including the thorny issue of the recent Marine Mammal Protection Act in the US. The United States is Scotland’s largest export market and anything that could potentially create a barrier to entry is clearly of serious concern.

The SSPO is working with the Scottish government and the European Commission to establish exactly what has to be done to ensure Scottish salmon complies with the rules as stated in the Act. As things stand, there is a concern that this implies the management and control of seal attacks by fish farmers could be deemed contrary to the legislation and therefore clarification is urgently required.

ISFA has a particular role to play as the member from the Maine Aquaculture Association is well connected in the Washington DC lobby, and is therefore an additional avenue for the SSPO to use to establish the definitive legal position.

A draft report from ISFA entitled ‘Salmon Farming: Sustaining Communities and Feeding the World’ was published in advance of the meeting and also provided a focus for discussions.

In it, key themes such as global population growth – and the need to cater for this growth with affordable, healthy protein sources – were highlighted and explained in detail.

The industry points to predictions made by the UN that there will be a global seafood shortage of 50-80 million tonnes by 2030 and that the world food supply needs to double by 2050.

The meeting, and Aqua Nor, took place against the backdrop of a number of important events affecting the salmon industry, at home and abroad.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

SSPO.indd 15

Environmental factors – always a potential concern for salmon farmers – continue to plague parts of the global sector. In Chile, for example, algal blooms hampered production and, consequently, exports.

To some extent, Chile’s misfortune is Scotland’s gain. Record export figures – both in volume and value – are in part due to its position as an alternative to Chilean and other farmed salmon.

However, the success is driven by a combination of factors.

The devaluation of sterling in the wake of the Brexit result has helped the competitiveness of food exports from the UK. Additionally, Scottish salmon farms managed to overcome environmental challenges themselves in 2016, having seen these limit their exporting ability in 2015.

And, above all, a growing awareness and recognition in both emerging and established markets that Scottish salmon represents a unique, high quality product has helped to push the export figures significantly higher.

The next ISFA meeting will take place next year with a new SSPO chief executive at the helm. For his part, Landsburgh looks back on an eventful nine years leading the Scottish organisation.

‘As an industry, we have faced challenges in many areas and from many angles. Not a week goes by without an issue that requires in-depth analysis and carefully considered responses.

‘But we are proud of our success, our notable achievements and what we are able to give back in terms of developing our communities and our economy. This makes the challenges we face worthwhile.’ FF

Every “country

farming Atlantic salmon has a plan to at least double its production but is being held back

”

Above: SSPO chief executive Scott Landsburgh

15

04/09/2017 16:50:39

Trade Associations – SSPO

Comment

BY

BY PROFESSOR PROFESSOR PHIL PHIL THOMAS THOMAS

Calm before a Underpinning

provenance storm?

tions in May 2021 or the general election in May 2022.

The Scottish parliament returned in September to find the political environment changed substantially since the start of the summer, and this is likely to affect proceedings.

Additionally, the recent Government Expenditure and Review (GERS) 2016-17 for Scotland does not make happy reading.

Even allowing for a geographic share of UK oil and gas revenues, the Scottish budget deficit was £13.3 billion or 8.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). depend on thesectors, provenance offarmed their products sheScotch quickly sensed an auSome industry including salmon and whisky in the dience response andhad moved toexport safer comedic material: there are some food and drink category, strong performances. things you joke that about!

However, nojust onedon’t can doubt the national budget deficit is challenging, andHowever, the fact that is four thatmyself of the UK, relentlessly focuses herpro-rata remarkit left metimes asking whether we think enough att entionthe on the performanceofofthe theprovenance Scottish government. about underpinning of Scottish farmed fish – and After anthat’s intensefarmed period salmon. of elections and referendums, there is a reported for me public weariness of party politi cs insh Scotland, and a detectable wishtoforour theindusgovThere is no doubt that Scotti provenance is important ernment(s) (Holyrood Westminster) to concentrate try – it gives us theand edge in all our key markets. on the key priorities thatProvenance affect people’s thened economy, jobs, educati on,most publicpeople serviceswill andagree so canlives be –defi in various ways but on. that it goes beyond the appearance and sensory qualities of the final Public agitati on on texture, these issues will presentati almost certainly intensify as Brexit negoproduct: flavour, visual on and product consistency tiati proceed, there is little yet to suggest that kind of focus in the areons always keyalthough factors in consumer appeal but provenance is about current of 19 bills which are making their way through the Scottish much programme more. parliament.

It reflects a wider concept of consumer quality assurance, including: There are two billsthe which touch on rural businesses.

Thethe firstprofessional is the Forestry the place where fish is grown and processed; and Land Management (Scotland) Bill, which will provide full and devoluti of conintegrity of the producti on and processing methods; theon quality, trol of Scottish forestry to Scotti sh people ministersinvolved and see the Forestry Commission commitment and care of the – the professional skills, Scotland Forest Enterprise Scotland absorbed as Divisions of the Scottish expertiand se, passion and dedicati on of the producers themselves. government’s Forestryon’ Directorate.

In ScotlandEnvironment our ‘place and of producti gives us a huge natural advanThe second is the Islands (Scotland) Bill which ofof new meastage because we grow fish in the pristi ne covers coastala range waters some of ures transfer powers andwild makescenic new provisions Scottiand sh islands. thetomost beauti ful and areas offor thethe world, our brand is The forestryby billits is unlikely to have any direct impact on fish farmers. However, protected PGI status. some of the longer term objecti of sh theFinfi legislati on areof designed to increase Likewise, adoption of the ves Scotti sh Code Good Practi ce public use of forestry resources, and this might increase tourism in fish farming allied with the industry’s deep commitment to a range of independent areas. farm quality assurance programmes, including the RSPCA fish welfare The islands bill appears ally more important, because it contains new scheme, builds on thepotenti underlying strength of our statutory regulatory arrangements for planning and licensing marine developments. systems to assure our production systems.

However, fish farming is specifically excluded as a development activity Finally, the skills, expertise, passion and dedication of our farmers in terms of the bill, as it is already under Local Authority Planning Control. can be demonstrated in abundance day in and day out – and they were Therefore, in practice, the bill is unlikely to change much so far as fish farmers showcased by the recent awards event. are concerned.

However, being wholly objective and forward looking, it is this third At the level of the parliamentary committees very little of the ongoing proarea of provenance where the Scottish industry has greatest scope for grammes of work are likely to stir the blood of those in the industry, although systematic development. That is not to say that our industry’s skills Above: The Rural Economy the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee’s plan to review fish farming and professional expertise are not of the highest calibre, but it is to and Connectivity early in 2018 will attract due industry interest and attention. recognise that our vocational educational and training structures, and Committee’s plan to Thus, overall, it looks as if there might be a Scottish parliament period of review fish farming relati ve calm. But with Brexit rolling forward, increasing public concern over the early in 2018 will attract www.fishfarmer-magazine.com things that matter, and growing scepticism towards party politics, we may in due industry interest fact be facing the calm before a significant storm! FF

All on theenough rural legislation Doquiet we think about what gives the front – for now industry its edge in key markets?

II

N August, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) published of the votes to cast and t may notits beanalysis politically correct say so at politi cal outcomes in June’s electi on. present but farmed Atlantigeneral c salmon would Thehave report, not unexpectedly, the not become Scotland’shighlighted leading food perceived the First Past the Postve exportshortcomings without the of Crown Estate’s positi (FPTP) voting system, and made a case for alternaengagement with aquaculture development tiback ve approaches, such as the Additional Member in the 1980s.

System Alternati (AV) system, or the Now, (AMS), aquaculture isve a Vote signifi cant part of Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. agency’s marine leasing portf olio and is reguUsing ERS’s criterion, theCrown best voti ng method larly celebrated by the Estate’s Scottish would result in the electi on of consti tuency Marine Aquaculture Awards event.

ThisMPs year’s from politicalon parti es 11 in proporti onsthe eventdiff inerent Edinburgh the June was refl ectihighly ng the aggregate votes forfor those parti usual successfultotal showcase Scotti shes across the UK. and a rare opportunity for indusaquaculture Disappointi ngly, the report didits notsuccess. look at the imtry to join together to mark pact of increasing the size of consti tuencies.

‘Larger The Crown Estate is presently at the centre consti tuencies and fewer MPs’ has a populist ringthe of further devoluti on discussions between that might find realand support thegovernment. present politiThe cal UK government Scottiinsh climate. long-term future of key Scottish functions reIn Scotland, where voting forexperti the Scotti mains unclear andAMS professional sesh could parliament has led to multi -party politi cs rather be squandered in the process of organisational than a bi-party situation, the ERS found large numchange. bers of have developed the skill of tacti Both voters the Crown Estate’s core experti se cal and voting – ‘gaming’ the FPTP system to make sure the Marine Aquaculture Awards are importheir vote has an impact. tant in maintaining the distinctive coherence This must dismay traditional politicians for whom of Scotland’s aquaculture and it would be a party allegiance is the bedrock of politics. Voters, tragedy if they became casualties of political it seems, are increasingly switch-voting to support change. preferred policies, or to defeat the candidates they This year’s Awards event was hosted by least wish to see elected. actress, writer and comedian Jo Caulfield, an In practice, this phenomenon has important inspired choice by whoever made the booking. implications since it has created greater political She was very funny and entertaining and kept volatility than previously experienced in general the proceedings going with a swing. Only once elections in Scotland. did when wondered what ‘proveTheshe factstray, that 21 of 59she Sotti sh constituencies nance actually meant’. changed hands in June made Scotland the most In acally room full folkinwhose politi volati le of region the UK,livelihoods in respect of Westminster elections.

12A key question now is whether this switch-voting tendency will impact the Scottish parliament elec-

16

SSPO.indd 12

Phil Thomas.indd 16

There is “a wish for

government to concentrate We should on key bethe organprioriti es ising our that affect training and people’son educati lives provisions much better

“

” ”

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com 03/07/2015

14:31:33

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Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Cooking on the

curriculum

Time to act as British consumers continue to lose taste for seafood

T

HE Daily Mail recently published the results of yet another survey about seafood consumption in the UK which found that eating fish is a disappearing habit.

This news comes as no surprise to me for I have spoken several times at meetings about how British consumers have long been losing their taste for fish, at least for fish cooked at home.

By not eating enough fish, two-thirds of people in Britain are putting their health at risk, according to the YouGov poll of 2,000 adults.

Of those surveyed, families with young children aged between five and 11 ate the least, with only 25 per cent eating fish twice a week.

By comparison, older consumers over the age of 55 ate the most, with 45 per cent consuming at least two portions a week.

Consumption has been in decline since it peaked in 2006, with an average consumption of 199g per person per week. Within 10 years it had fallen to 177g per person per week.

The figures in the survey, which was commissioned by World Cancer Research Fund, are for total consumption, including eating out. Consumption of home cooked fish has declined more sharply still.

There are lots of reasons for this decline but my view is that the overriding factor is an increasing disconnect between fresh fish and the consumer.

Fish has never been a favourite of younger shoppers but in the past they have been converted as they got older.

This is no longer happening because the parents of today’s young people are also disconnected so that there is no one from whom youngsters can learn the fish habit.

They may eat fish when they are out, but young people tend to be scared of cooking it, so avoid the fish aisle in the supermarket. Fish counters are alien territory.

What is of even more concern is that, currently, fish is relatively expensive, which makes it more unattractive to consumers. The decline can only continue.

The big question is how can this downward trend be reversed? Un-

18

Martin Jaffa.indd 18

fortunately, there are no simple answers.

I think that there has to be a complete sea change, and this has to start in the classroom, and the change must be much wider than just fish.

With the added incentive of beating childhood obesity, the time surely has come to introduce food to the school curriculum.

The next generation of kids needs to be taught about where food comes from and how it is cooked. This is not happening at home so it should take place at school. Sadly, this is unlikely in the current political climate so it may be down to the supply chain to initiate the needed change.

When I make presentations on consumption, I show a picture of a cute little dog (everyone goes ahh!) and I make the point that I don’t have a dog and therefore never go down the pet food aisle in the supermarket.

In the same way, consumers who never eat fish never go past the fish counter or the chilled fish shelves. Fish is completely off their radar.

In recent years, there have been some key innovations in fish products such as flavoured fish in a ready-to-microwave pack, which is so simple it doesn’t even have to be pierced.

The pack is taken out of the card sleeve and put straight into the microwave and then straight on to the plate. This is home fish cookery at its easiest.

Above: Fish counters are often alien territory

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Cooking on the curriculum

Yet these packs have not really met their full potential and there is a simple reason why: they tend to be displayed with the other chilled fish and thus they are never seen by those shoppers to whom they should be of most interest.

At the same time, such microwave products are not really attractive to those consumers who already cook and eat fish. But it is exactly these consumers who get to see the new products.

The problem is with the way these products are classed as fish by the supermarket and therefore must be displayed with fish.

Instead, it would be better if they were perceived to be meal options and displayed with similar meal choices, such as those made

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is clear is that a new approach to fish “Whatpromotion is urgently required �

with chicken or meat.

Experts who have interpreted the YouGov poll say that some of the decline in fish consumption can be attributed to changing shopping habits.

Many adults now avoid doing a weekly shop in the type of large superstore that has a fish counter and multi-bay shelves of chilled fish.

Instead, the modern shopper visits smaller convenience stores a few times a week.

Such stores only have space for a limited

range of products and, as a minor seller, fish hardly features. The small convenience store, however, would be the ideal location to stock these simple microwaveable fish packs.

Unfortunately, this is something I have yet to see and probably never will. These stores will always opt for high volume profitable items because these are what sell.

What is clear is that a new approach to fish promotion is urgently required but I suspect that it will be a long timing in coming, if ever. FF

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04/09/2017 16:52:31

Shellfish

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Community culture Oyster growing venture brings bright prospects

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INCE the first Porlock Bay Oysters were laid on the beach in 2013, this Community Interest Company (CIC) project has not been far from the news, for offering bright prospects to the area.

Situated on the Bristol Channel, which has the second highest tidal range in the world, and is fully exposed to the sea from the north west, Porlock would not seem to be a natural choice for an oyster farming venture.

However, back in 2012, the local parish council was seeking ways to improve employment prospects in the area, to raise the profile of the town, and to make money for local good causes. Porlock Futures CIC was set up to investigate a number of different possibilities.

‘Only one third of the national average of school leavers stay in the area, as there is little employment for them other than seasonal tourism jobs, and we wanted to change that,’ said Mike Lynch, the company’s treasurer.

‘We knew that Porlock had a history of fishing for native oysters (Ostrea edulis), and that during most of the 1800s there was a significant industry here. Sadly, as with all other oyster fisheries, it died out due to overfishing in the 1890s, but it gave us cause for optimism,’ he added.

The first step was to gather together a group of people interested in helping out, and to seek grants to undertake a pilot project. With funding secured, an operations manager, Tim Edwards,and his daughter Fiona were employed to oversee the project, assisted by two enthusiastic local volunteers.

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Below: Oyster farming at Porlock Bay. Opposite page: Fiona Edwards;

the depuration plant; Porlock Bay

Excitement was high in the community when the first batch of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from Morecambe Bay Oysters was purchased, and transferred to mesh bags, strapped to trestles on the beach.

These enabled growth trials to take place and provided samples for statutory sanitary surveys, the results of which are used to grade the shellfish harvesting water.

The testing regime showed minimal levels of e-coli in the water and allowed the site to be awarded an A classification. This means that the oysters can be placed on to the market without the need for depuration.

Encouraged by the results, the committee undertook a crowdfunding effort among the local community, which has now raised £114,000 in short-term loans from 170 people, with more than one third choosing not to charge any interest.

‘We set the investment limit at £1,000 per person, to spread the risk, but were really pleased when so many people came forward to support the project,’ said Lynch.

‘The community interest company structure means that all profits will be used for the benefit of the whole community.’

The money, together with a £75,000 grant from Power to Change, helped to set the project up on a more commercial footing.

The project was stepped up early in April 2016, with additional trestles placed on the beach and 80,000 part-grown oysters purchased from Caledonian Oysters.

‘We took in 20-30g, 30-40g and 40+g to ascertain which sizes grew better in the challenging conditions and added further seed from Caledonian and Morecambe Bay Oysters in the summer,’ said Lynch.

The oysters take around three years to reach ideal harvest size of 85g. They need no external feed input, and filter all their nutrients from the sea.

In June 2016, all but the 40+g oysters were moved to a sheltered nursery site at Bantham to encourage better growth. The water is less

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Community culture

heavily silted at the new site, and the tidal range less extreme.

‘The idea was that near market size oysters would be transferred back to Porlock for a couple of months before final harvest,’ explained Lynch.

‘In this way, the oysters take on the local ‘terroir’ or taste, and benefit from our fully saline conditions, before they are sold.’

The range of the tide means that oysters can only be worked for three hours on four to five days per month, which puts the pressure on the team, and local volunteers are always welcome to help spread the workload.

Limited access to the oyster trestles also means that onshore storage facilities are essential, and a small unit on the harbourside has been fitted out with four recirculating tank systems from Martin Laity.

Each tank can house up to 750 oysters set in trays, and the systems are run on artificial seawater, which is changed every month.

The tanks are also fitted with UV tubes, which kill any bacteria in the water and ensure the oysters are perfectly safe for consumers to enjoy.

The hot summer weather proved too much this year and the tanks are now awaiting a chiller unit, to maintain the oysters in optimum condition.

The company currently employs seven people on a part-time basis, and has also invested in a refrigerated van which is used for limited local sales.

Branding on the van helps spread the word about Porlock Bay Oysters among local restaurants and pubs, and excitement is building around the product. Unfortunately, admits Lynch, at present demand far exceeds supply.

‘We can only supply a couple of businesses with oysters on a continuous basis at present, but next year we will have around 170,000 to sell, rising to the low 200,000s in 2019 and to 450,000 by 2022.

‘Additional stock has been purchased this year from Guernsey Sea Farms to ensure we reach our target,’ he said.

The beach is owned by Porlock Manor Estate, which is very supportive and has just agreed to let the company lease a second, more sheltered site.

‘Interestingly, the new site is where the oyster storage ponds used to be situated when the dredged industry was flourishing, and we are hopeful that it will provide a less challenging environment for our oysters,’ said Lynch.

The parish council has also been running an oyster growing trial using seabed cages laid on a deep water site in Porlock Bay and the results are awaited with interest.

Porlock Bay Oysters has appeared on TV and radio and in many national newspapers as a fine example of community inspiration and cooperation, that is also providing a tasty product.

However, the journey has not been an easy

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It has been a very “steep learning curve for all of us and we are still learning

”

one, and the initially enthusiastic committee and band of volunteers has now slimmed down, but perhaps that is the case with any community project.

Mike Lynch believes that the majority of the farming and management issues have now been overcome and that the future will be rosier than the past.

‘It has been a very steep learning curve for all of us and we are still learning, but ultimately, we will make a success of this venture and that is the important thing,’ he said. FF

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04/09/2017 16:53:47

Ireland shellfish

Harty approach pays off Family oyster business combines tradition with new technology

BY DEVIN O’CONNELL

D

UNGARVAN is a small town on Ireland’s south-east coast. It was once a small fishing and seafaring community that made use of the abundant seafood of the Celtic Sea and the natural shelter of Dungarvan Bay. In recent decades Dungarvan’s population has grown thanks to investment in modern infrastructure and the biotech firms that have established themselves here.

But sitting alongside the modern there is still much tradition. Just outside Dungarvan there is the Irish language speaking region of Ring (Rinneach). In this Gealtacht area (where the road signs confuse tourists by instructing them to Stad or Geaili sli), you will find Harty Oysters.

Reflecting their surroundings, Harty Oysters proudly combine traditional farming with modern techniques and technology.

The Harty family has run a dairy farm on the shores of Dungarvan Bay since 1835 but it was not until 1985 that Jim Harty realised the potential for oyster farming on his doorstep.

With the ideal location merely a stone’s throw from his family land it must have seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

Established as Dungarvan Shellfish, the Harty family was soon producing oysters for export to France. Today the company can produce, depurate and export up to 15 tonnes per week.

Harty oysters meet the strict ‘speciale’ criteria for their quality.

Described as a dessert oyster, Harty oysters are noticeably sweeter and milkier than usual with a tender, meaty flesh.

The company credits their flavour and quality to the unique qualities of Dungarvan Bay. The area has a high level of natural nutrient input from local rivers but its exposure also ensures that it is well mixed with good water exchange.

Left: Quality product.

Right from top: Jim, Joe, Ray and Shay Harty.

Opposite: The potential is huge; Jim Harty started growing oysters in Dungarvan Bay in 1985; Jim (back row, left) with French oyster producers in 1995.

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Harty approach pays off

‘This is one of the best bays in Europe,’ said Ray Harty, who has taken over the day to day running of the business from his father, Jim. ‘At one point the French wanted to buy the whole bay!’

Though it employs up to 40 people, Harty Oysters still remains a family business with brothers Shay, Joe, Ray and sister Ita occupying key roles.

While Ray acts as general manager, Shay is in charge of quality, Ita takes care of their complex logistics needs and Joe works on sales.

‘Joe works on Chinese time,’ said Ray, ‘he’s up at five or six in the morning because by the time we normally start work here it is already past lunch time there.’

Pushing into the Asian market is now seen as crucial to the Irish shellfish industry. Previous reliance on exports to France has proven problematic. In 2014, French farmers achieved an unprecedented double production year.

This culled the demand for imported oysters and left many producers struggling. Harty Oysters was just one of many that experienced difficulty.

‘We essentially shut for six months,’ recalls Ray. ‘But we had a proven track record with the bank and we were able to get ourselves going again.’

Turning their attention towards Asia and growing their export market was key to the company’s survival.

Though France is still the main export destination, other markets are now open to the company, and with their product travelling to London, Belgium, Italy and Asia, Harty Oysters can now rightfully consider itself to be a global exporter. But Asia is still seen as the ultimate goal as the potential is so vast.

‘People in Asia are starting to explore a more western diet,’ said Ray. ‘They also know that they can trust western imports because of our food safety standards.’

Further expansion is also on the cards with the company eyeing up the lucrative US market, but Ray admits that is ‘going to take a while’.

‘Since oysters are live food we need FDA approval and that is a difficult process.’

Harty Oysters’ future has been further bolstered by the development of its own depuration and packaging plants. The packaging plant has allowed the company to become a brand in its own right and seen production increase from one to eight tonnes per week.

There is also the nursery unit which was constructed in 2015 with aid from BIM (the Irish sea fisheries board).

The unit is a closed seawater system that holds freshly imported seed until it is ready to be placed on the shore.

The system uses treated seawater from the bay and has decreased mortality from as high as 50 per cent to as low as just 10 per cent.

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It also allows the firm to buy seed at a smaller size, just 1.5mm compared to 6mm previously. This has reduced costs significantly and gives greater control over the whole production cycle. The nursery can grow oysters up to 8mm in a matter of weeks.

All Harty Oysters’ seed is imported from France, where water temperatures and conditions are significantly different.

The nursery allows for a period of acclimatisation before the young oysters are exposed to the cooler waters of Dungarvan Bay. It will also give the company the option to sell excess seed to other producers, creating another stream of income. However, stability of supply and consistency are the two key benefits.

‘When we send a box of half year oysters, we know every oyster in that box is a half year oyster of good quality,’ said Ray. ‘And we can do that 52 weeks of the year.’

This enthusiasm coupled with ‘a lot of hard work’ has clearly done well for the company. Its innovative attitude also saw it winning BIM’s innovation in aquaculture award for 2016, a fine example of a producer that has maintained a traditional approach while simultaneously mastering new technology.

Ray Harty is optimistic about the future of the Irish oyster industry as an untapped resource, ripe for expansion.

‘We have over 3,000km of coastline. If we suddenly discovered the same area of agricultural land they’d pour money into it. The potential there is huge.’ FF

At one “point the

French wanted to buy the whole bay!

”

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04/09/2017 16:54:46

Ireland shellfish

Seafood destination Developing shellfish as a national brand could help create global demand

BY DEVIN O’CONNELL

S

HELLFISH aquaculture in Ireland began as a pursuit by wealthy families who grew oysters for their own consumption, though wild harvesting was no doubt occurring for much longer.

Some of the earliest farms were located in County Sligo, which is not surprising as the name Sligo come from the Gealic ‘Sligeach’ which translates roughly as ‘shelly bay’.

The area already had an abundance of wild shellfish before one of the first oyster farms was built here, compromising several enclosed ponds

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in Ballysadare Bay. Other farms would appear soon after on the opposite side of the bay and much further afield, and real commercial development of mussels began in the 1970s.

Farms were developed in Wexford in the south-east and further north in Carlingford Loch. These early farms used the Dutch bottom growing technique, and it was not until later that decade that rope grown techniques were introduced, beginning in Bantry Bay. This region in the south-west had suffered economically due to the collapse of the local oil industry. Rope cultivation of mussels was developed there to stimulate the economy and replace the jobs that had been lost.

But due to constraints of seed supply, the rope grown mussel industry did not surpass 1,000 tonnes of production until 1984.

From its initial localised beginnings the industry is now widespread but concentrated, with most oyster production in the south-east and mussel production in the west.

Though it can be mistaken for merely a cottage industry, the majority of Irish shellfish is exported. In recent decades the industry has

Above: Though it can be

mistaken for a cottage industry, the majority of Irish shellfish is exported

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Seafood destination

The “ industry has

changed from one of an almost exploratory, small scale nature to an important and viable enterprise

”

changed from one of an almost exploratory, small scale nature to an important and viable enterprise.

In total, there are 1,900 people employed by the Irish aquaculture industry, with almost 1,300 of these working in oyster production.

The value of the oyster industry increased dramatically from 14 million euros in 2008 to more than 40 million in 2014.

A remarkable turnaround in profitability has also seen the sector go from a net loss of 6.5 million euros in 2008 to an 18 million euro profit.

The decline of shellfish production in France, the main export destination, has helped to drive these value increases.

Unfortunately, this success has not been replicated in the mussel industry, even though it is Ireland’s largest aquaculture sector by production volume.

This part of the industry has faced many challenges, including seed supply, competition from foreign producers and bio-toxin issues.

The low value of mussels on the European market saw the industry struggle to achieve a production value of 12 million euros in 2016.

But there is still optimism that an increase in seed supply could see 2017 profits increase, albeit slightly.

While the majority of Irish shellfish is exported to France, the industry is keen to expand and take advantage of emerging markets in Asia.

Irish shellfish was previously sold in Asia as a French product as France was the initial destination. This has made it difficult to establish a sense of Irish providence among Asian con-

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Shellfish - Ireland.indd 25

sumers. However, some producers have made inroads, selling directly to Asia rather than via France.

As exports to the region are still relatively small, this has been enabled by a collaborative effort between producers sharing resources and shipping costs.

There is still some way to go before a demand for Irish produce is fully realised but the potential gains are driving a consistent effort to exploit the opportunities.

This type of collaboration is seen as essential in an industry which has traditionally comprised many small producers. Though there has been some amalgamation, it remains fragmented and dispersed.

Apart from mussels and oysters there are also low levels of abalone, clam, scallops and urchin production. This sector of novel species is expected to grow as feeding and breeding technology advances.

For the time being though, the novel species sector is characterised by low volume and high value. It has proven difficult to quantify demand for these species, adding to the restrictions on expansion.

Moulding Irish shellfish into a national brand is clearly a priority for the industry. The pairing of oysters with another great Irish icon, Guinness, is well established.

Events such as the Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival and the Connemara Mussel Festival help shellfish producers to capitalise on Ireland’s large tourism industry.

Further to this, seafood has been made an integral part of the Wild Atlantic Way. This is a recently established 2,500km long tourist route on the west coast. Among its variations there is the Wild Atlantic Seafood Trail which encourages tourists to sample seafood, including farmed mussels and oysters, as they experience the landscape and culture.

Initiatives such as these should develop Ireland as a seafood destination for tourists and create a demand for Irish shellfish globally. FF

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04/09/2017 16:55:27

Scotland’s Salmon Festival

All star cast

Junior angler is talk of tournament in event to mark iconic species

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COTLAND’S Salmon Festival, held in Inverness, was declared a ‘great success’ by its organisers after five days of public lectures, an angling tournament and a family fair.

The biennial event, led in partnership by Inverness College UHI, is the first of its kind to celebrate the Atlantic salmon and its importance to Scotland, economically, culturally and historically. It ran for the first time in 2015, when it attracted 3,500 people.

The festival this year included a science conference, a kitchen theatre run by Marine Harvest, talks about Alexander Grant – Inverness’ famous fishing rod maker and speycaster – at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, and Inverness Angling Club’s Centenary Speycasting Tournament on the River Ness on September 1 and 2.

The winner of the contest, as in 2015, was Norway’s Geir Hansen who cast 53m. But the story of the final was how well one of the Inverness Angling Club juniors did, said Alan Scott, secretary of the club and a member of the festival’s steering committee.

Jordon Grant, 15, cast 49m in his heat – managing to get within 4m of the top cast of the competition - and qualified for the final.

‘He was up against some of the top casters in the world and got into the final 10 best casters from the previous three heats, and was fifth equal overall,’ said Scott.

‘We knew he was a naturally gifted speycaster. We’ve watched him develop over the past couple of years, we’ve coached him and encouraged him, and helped him with the right equipment.

‘But even so, he was not casting with a competition rod, he was casting with a standard fishing rod.’

Scott, who worked for the Highlands and Islands Development Board from 1968-84 and was involved in the salmon farming industry from the start, said the point of the festival was to bring together all those involved and interested in salmon.

‘If we’re going to do anything for the species then everyone involved in salmon must work together.’

The speycasting tournament coincided with a free family fair at Bught Park, which included well attended cookery demonstrations by top chefs at the Marine Harvest Theatre Kitchen.

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Steve Bracken, Marine Harvest’s business support manager who was also on the festival steering committee, said they had great attendance at the company’s salmon barbecue and, in fact, ran out of plates at one point!

The information stand and the theatre kitchen, run by food writer Rachel Gillon on behalf of Marine Harvest, were very popular too. There was also a giant iTab with a Marine Harvest app, which visitors could download, containing all the recipes prepared by the chefs.

‘We were delighted with the quality of the dishes the chefs prepared and the feedback has been very positive,’ said Bracken.

‘There was a mix there of people who were interested in food, people interested in salmon, and people interested in salmon farming.’

And it was encouraging, he said, that people who may not agree with salmon farming were engaging with staff on the Marine Harvest stand and asking questions about the sector.

The two-day international conference at Inverness College heard from industry speakers providing an academic insight into salmon.

The theme of the conference was ‘Atlantic Salmon Marine Ecology – Knowns and Unknowns’ and it was opened by Peter Hutchinson, of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation.

The conference was followed by an evening of public lectures at Inverness College, themed around the natural history of the Atlantic salmon and the history of salmon fisheries in Scotland.

Speakers included Professor Eric Verspoor, director of the Inverness College UHI Rivers and Lochs Institute (see right); Professor Ken Wheelan, research director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, who talked about Atlantic salmon at sea; and Dr Ronald Campbell, senior biologist with the Tweed Foundation, who reflected on the historical patterns of salmon and grilse abundance in Scotland’s rivers.

Melanie Smith, chair of Scotland’s Salmon Festival steering group and head of Research Development at Inverness College UHI, said after the festival: ‘It was a great success. We were very fortunate with the weather as the sun shone on both the Friday and Saturday for our family fair and speycasting tournament, which was watched by a large crowd who came to see some of the best speycasters in the world compete.

‘The schoolchildren who visited on the Friday had a great time electrofishing,

Left: Inverness Angling Club president Graham MacKenzie presenting the junior (under 18) award to Jordan Grant. Opposite, from top right: Marine Harvest’s Jayne MacKay at the salmon barbecue; chef Mark Heirs and food writer Rachel Gillon at the theatre kitchen; the casting contest. Pictures: John MacPherson

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Star cast

learning to speycast and making arts and crafts, while on the Saturday the bouncy castle and face painting were a hit with families, who also loved seeing the bugs and fish on the Inverness College UHI Rivers and Lochs Institute stand.

‘There was marvellous food cooked by great chefs at the Marine Harvest Theatre Kitchen and some wonderful crafts and food and drink products to buy.

‘We also had a busy few days at Inverness College UHI, hosting a twoday international science conference and evening of public lectures.’

Plans are already underway to stage the third Salmon Festival, in 2019. FF

If we’re going to do anything for “ the species then everyone involved in salmon must work together ”

Study into pink salmon invasion THE appearance of increasing numbers of non-native pink ‘humpback’ salmon in Scottish rivers and across Western Europe will be the focus of a new genetics study.

Using the latest genomics technology at the Inverness College UHI Rivers and Lochs Institute (RLI), Professor Eric Verspoor, director of the RLI, hopes to increase awareness of this potentially invasive non-native salmon.

Professor Verspoor, who delivered a lecture on the subject during Scotland’s Salmon Festival’s science conference, said the full extent of the invasion of pink salmon and their impact on native Atlantic salmon stocks is unknown.

The RLI is exploring using DNA shed into the environment (eDNA) by the non-native salmon to help understand the scale of their spread and breeding to produce viable offspring in Scottish rivers.

The information will be used to advise on the future threat to native Atlantic salmon.

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The professor, an ecological population geneticist with 35 years’ experience using molecular genomics to inform fisheries management focused on Atlantic salmon, said: ‘Atlantic salmon are important to Scotland, economically, culturally and historically, and the concern is this non-native species could have an impact.

‘Over the last 50 years there have been only a handful of isolated reports of non-native salmon in the UK, but this year alone there have been sightings in many rivers from the north of Scotland to southern England.

‘We already know this includes both males and females and the fish are in a maturing state. They have already been observed building spawning redds (nests) and spawning in the River Ness but we still need to know if this results in viable juveniles and permanent populations in our rivers.

‘Also, while we know they can’t interbreed with the Atlantic salmon, the presence of pink

salmon in Scottish rivers may impact Atlantic salmon reproduction by disturbing nests, introducing diseases or parasites, or competition for food.

‘Therefore, it’s essential we understand if its increasing prevalence in rivers is going to be an issue in the future.

‘In this respect, we are developing partnerships with colleagues on the River Ness Fisheries Board, across the UK, and in Russia, where pink salmon have interacted with native Atlantic salmon stocks for many decades, to extend understanding of the actual impacts.’

It is most likely the non-native salmon have migrated from populations in the Russian Kola Peninsula and White Sea region, or Norway, where small colonies have become established from introductions in the 1950s and 1980s.

They are smaller than the Atlantic salmon and get their name from their distinctive humpback appearance.

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04/09/2017 16:57:20

Comment TALES FROM THE RIVERBANK Hard facts would also seem to bear this out.

Look, for instance, at the famous spring fishery on the Aberdeenshire Dee. For over ten years now there has been a local byelaw requiring virtually 100 per cent catch and release of all spring salmon. Yet the spring fishing on the Dee has continued its steep decline and is now a pale imitation of its former glory days.

Further south on the Tay – ironically, on the very river that Monteith works – the principle of catch and release has been much slower to take hold. Nevertheless, the spring fishing

BY JON GIBB there over the past two seasons has broken all recent records.

Don’t get me wrong – without doubt the management tool of catch and release has a A compulsory catch and release scheme would place. When catches are so low that there are not enough salmon to fill the headwater gravels not boost salmon numbers on our rivers with eggs then it makes sense to maximise the WORDS JON GIBB possible number of spawning fish. Indeed, this is exactly what happened on many West Coast rivers in the 1990s when the unchecked expansion of aquaculture near river mouths had a devastating effect on returning salmon f I’ve learnt one thing in a career managing ‘A and sea trout. Voluntary catch and release was fisheries for Atlantic salmon then it’s that brought in and slowly but surely the returns complex problems rarely have simple solu- knee-jerk on most rivers started a partial recovery (aided tions. I was reminded of this recently when I reaction to the by a more enlightened approach to fish-farm heard about a petition that is shortly to be management in recent years). submitted to the Scottish Government.

Somewhat surprisingly, the chairman of the River Tay ghillie Jock Monteith has raised a decline in North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Orri Vigfusson, petition on the website Change.org that asks wild has thrown his weight behind the petition. I Holyrood to introduce legislation to make catch wonder if he has read the small print, though. and release of all wild salmon caught by anglers numbers The petition states that all salmon caught ‘by in Scotland compulsory. Within days the story ismanagers that 90 per cent HEREitison a general maximofamong wild salmon main culprit. rod and line’ would be returned. I wonder if the While I don’t think this entirely smacks had made to the pages many national of the job managing anglers’ expectati hubris, there is a tendency to forget that salmon ’ of the timefamous Icelandic conservationist,ofbest known broadsheets andisset the internet forums alight.ons while the rest you actually work with the fi sh. are mysti cal for his buyouts of salmon netting stationsdiadromous creatures that travel But is it actually realistic, or indeed desirable, Practicallytoevery angler insingle the country arrives on the riverbank with an of miles on the high seas before pushing around the North Atlantic, will bethousands happy when to ask fishermen release every fish that unshakeable personal belief about the reasons intostill river valleys and headwaters to complete would they catch? There are 80,000-100,000 salmon for the continuing declines inhe learns that Scottish netsmendeep rod catches.

Sortingrivers out fact fromyear, fiction is a big part of the workload. me’s journey. be allowed to kill their harvest oftheir fish lifeti – especaught on Scottish every of which Below: Herring and firmly opinions not just the armour we all use to protect The vast ecosystem that they inhabit is influenced cially as it has just been announced that netting 85But perarecent areheld already released unharmed, mackerel..spot the post around the coast took over 25,000 with around 20,000 killed each year. one Monteith ourselves from uncertainty?

Because thing is for sure, these are highly stationssmolt by far greater forces than just Homo sapiens. salmon. Opposite salmon- Top: lastMale season, an astronomical 50vein, per the first (and easy) target has been argues thattimes the release thesec extra fish ‘will uncertain for wildofAtlanti salmon.

In this and female over the increase stock levels dueand to geometric progresThe challenge is to try find the real reasons for the declines among cent increase the impact of fish farms on west coast salmon merganser.

Right:previous Cooling year.

It is in sion over the next five to 15 years’. clear a simplistic knee-jerk reaction thethat North East all the background noise of professional axes grinding, competing bids for stocks.

I wish funding it were that truth is that it to the worrying Atlantic decline in wild salmon research andsimple. endlessThe media spin.

Asnumbers a manager with responsibility for some of the only many of spawning to fill thethe influence of man as the is not the answer. Apart from playing directly Thetakes vast so majority theoriessalmon out there have largest and iconic fisheries in the west, it is my view available habitat in a river with juvenile fish; the into the hands of the burgeoningthat anti-bloodthe impact of aquaculture in the 1990s, prior real bottleneck to survival of the species occurs sports lobby, a compulsory catchtoand therelease adoption of basic management practices in the marine phase due to oceanic warming. policy will not have the desired such effectasinsynchronous the production and single yearStudies have shown that the juvenile smolt recovery of the species. Anglers themselves, in class stocking, was probably considerable: both sea output of many Scottish rivers has not declined spite of taking the occasional fish ‘for the pot’, lice and widespread escapes were a big problem for significantly, but that the marine survival are the best conservationists of salmon. They us back then. rate at which these smolts return as spawning are part of the solution, not the problem.

But with recent refinements and improvements adults has declined from over 35 per cent in the COMMENT ON In spite of widespread media coverage, when – starting with the birth of Slice, and now with the THIS VIA OUR 1970s to less than 5 per cent in the past decade.

I last looked the petition only had 450 signause of cleaner fish and hydro and thermolicers Putting back more spawning adults into a river FACEBOOK PAGE tories. Scottish ministers will hopefully take OR TWITTER lice numbers will not change this fact one iota and, in most WWW. notice that this is hardly a resounding vote of are reduced significantly in estuaries where treatment operations are coordinated in a circumstances, will not bring about the boost SCOTTISHFIELD. confidence in a well-intentioned but misguided joined-up manner.

CO.UK to returns that the petition seeks. proposal.

Knee-jerk reaction

High sea

hazards

I

simplistic

worrying

Something doesn’t add up in blaming salmon farms for the drop in wild catches salmon

T

not the answer

FIELD ONLINE

Above: Xxxxx

Not that you would believe that reading the news-

WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.papers.

CO.UK While 163 there are still some problem areas,

the general trend is for far better lice control and escape prevention.

28/05/2014 12:22:04 Conversely, the facts used to back up media claims of aquaculture’s role in what is undoubtedly a worrying trend of declining catches do not always stand up to scrutiny.

Several rivers in the Loch Linnhe region are

163_sf07.indd 163

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High sea hazards

currently experiencing the worst salmon run for many years (interestingly after a near record MSW salmon run last year) and the papers have been quick to blame fish farms.

But tracing back to May 2015, when this year’s smolt cohort went to sea, one finds that local farms had some of the lowest lice levels ever recorded.

Something doesn’t add up.

Furthermore, over the last three years Marine Scotland Science has been trapping thousands of migrating wild smolts from two tributaries of the River Lochy and treating half against sea lice infestation and leaving half untreated.

Far from the treated group outperforming the other (as one might expect if sea lice were the issue), in fact not a single fish from either group has yet to be recorded back to the river. This suggests that something far larger and more sinister is at play than simply sea lice from fish farms.

Even the latest peer reviewed paper, currently being used extensively by fiery wild fish campaign groups (Shepherd and Gargan 2017: ‘Quantifying the contribution of aquaculture to declining annual returns in wild Atlantic salmon population’), would agree. It concludes that while fish farming impacts may have reduced individual adult returns on the studied river, ‘salmon lice impact does not explain a declining trend in this population’.

Meanwhile, away from the west coast and the distractions of competing objectives surrounding fish farming, some ground-breaking work has been taking place looking at the role of freshwater predation on migrating salmon smolts.

A recent study by the River Deveron Fisheries

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Jon Gibb.indd 29

Trust trapped smolts heading out to sea in the spring. A staggering 60 per cent died before they made it to the river mouth.

It is thought that the majority of these fish were lost through predation by brown trout and piscivorous birds (mergansers and goosanders). This is a highly significant finding.

A similar study on the River Conon has also found that three per cent of the fish are lost for every kilometre of travel.

In this experiment over half of the smolts disappeared after just 17km travel from the point of release.

Additionally, on the Aberdeenshire Dee it has been discovered that there is 26 per cent freshwa-

ter mortality on migrating smolts, with sea trout kelts and foraging harbour seals being added to the usual list of hungry suspects.

So it would seem that numbers of migrating

Competing pelagic “ fish stocks are now very rapidly eating salmon out of proverbial house and home

”

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04/09/2017 16:25:21

Comment

juvenile salmon are perhaps cut by up to half before they even make it to the mouths of rivers. And this is before they face the vast array of challenges on their high seas journey to and from their North Atlantic feeding grounds.

Yet it is towards the distant ocean that the majority of scientific attention now appears to be focusing – even if these freshwater findings on predation clearly throw up some thorny but highly relevant questions.

There is a trend for both ‘climate change’ and ‘genetics’ to be winning buzzwords in the competition for academic research funding. This is perhaps why the world of salmon conservation is being steered in this direction.

Leading fisheries scientists are currently engaged in detailed studies into genetic sampling of individual river populations and intricate models tracking the influence of global warming on shifting oceanic currents and the marine migration paths of salmon.

A commonly held belief (introduced by the 5.5 million euro and multi-disciplined SALSEA project from 2008 to 2011) proposed that due to anthropogenic climate change and oceanic warming, the prey species of Atlantic salmon have moved further north, which is both starving 1sw grilse and delaying the maturity of salmon. It was a neat theory but was rather short on demonstrable evidence.

Similarly, geneticists are currently very excited about a new so-called ‘eDNA tool’ which they intend to use to look at the belief (often bandied around by disgruntled anglers) that salmon smolts are being hoovered up as by-catch in trawlers on the open seas.

The tool can detect whether a smolt has been present in the catch long after the fish have been processed by testing the left-over water in the hold.

Yet fisheries scientists, suffering from that same tendency of over estimating man’s influence, sometimes appear happy to sink with a good theory when they should perhaps be swimming with some ugly facts.

And these inescapable facts are that not only have the bulk of waters around the salmon’s feeding grounds been cooling since 2008 (see insert), mackerel and herring stocks have also recently exploded all over the North Atlantic.

In a massive eco-system scale shift over the last few years, it would appear that competing pelagic fish stocks are now very rapidly eating salmon out of proverbial house and home.

Nobody is suggesting that global warming is a fallacy; that glaciers are

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Jon Gibb.indd 30

not melting and that everything is hunky dory in the oceans. But what does seem to be the case is that oceanic warming/cooling and food availability is both patchy and constantly changing. It is far from a uniform picture.

Back in the heyday of Scottish grilse abundance (1960 to 1980), when marine survival rates were up to 35 per cent compared to today’s paltry five per cent at best, the availability of food would have been widespread and uniform over the entire ocean.

It is becoming increasingly apparent now, however, that while some areas of the North Atlantic are escaping relatively unscathed, other areas of the salmon’s traditional feeding grounds are becoming barren wastelands.

One species that has capitalised in some of the better areas, but has gradually been driven westwards in a hunger and density-driven migration, is the humble mackerel.

Undoubtedly boosted by a conservative fishing quota system (following the collapse of stocks in the 1970s), rapidly increasing numbers of small and starving mackerel have expanded their range all over the North Atlantic.

Mackerel are now being seen in super-abundance from Iceland to the tip of Greenland in areas of the sea that have never before been home to this voracious species.

Importantly, this zone of expansion is exactly that used by European salmon and grilse post smolts (see insert).

Some more enlightened researchers, such as leading Norwegian marine biologist Jens Christian Holst, are attributing the decline in survival of Scottish grilse to this explosion of pelagic fish, especially in their early stages of marine feeding and depending where an individual stock feeds at sea. (His enlightened talks on the subject can be found on YouTube.)

Although the subject needs more exploration, this impact may have a solution – we may simply need to increase the quotas for international mackerel trawlers while leaving a net-free corridor for migrating salmon.

This ‘pelagic over-grazing and under-fishing’ hypothesis may also explain why MSW salmon weights are getting notably larger in recent years (these being the high seas survivors that manage to grow big enough to feed on the glut of pelagic invaders).

It may also be why west coast stocks are faring worse than their eastern and northern counterparts. West coast smolts have further to travel to the feeding grounds and may well arrive later, thus missing the diminishing

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High sea hazards

If we are “serious

about stemming the decline we might be best to take ourselves out of the picture

”

Opposite: Distribution and density of pelagic fish stocks in July 2016. Left: Distribution of post smolt salmon in the North East Atlantic.

Below: The decline in Atlantic salmon stocks

window of food availability.

Western spate rivers are also smaller and being predominantly grilse fisheries may also be disproportionately affected.

Whether it’s devastating predation during down-river migration or overwhelming competition by mackerel in an ever changing ocean, are we not guilty of over thinking the problem when there might be some relatively simple immediate solutions?

If we are serious about stemming the decline of wild Atlantic salmon we might be best to take ourselves out of the picture of suspects, stop being led from pillar to post by competing scientific agendas, and address some of the more obvious and immediate facts staring us straight in the face. FF

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04/09/2017 10:49:23

The next generation

Rising star Award winning fish farmer now also an aquaculture ambassador

J

ACK Fraser has followed his father, uncle and several of his cousins into the aquaculture industry, but few of his relations have achieved quite so much in such a short time.

Jack has progressed in just six years from feeding fish during his school holidays to being appointed assistant manager at Marine Harvest’s Kingairloch sea farm.

But what really made his a name to remember in the sector was winning both the Aquaculture and Modern Apprenticeship categories at Lantra Scotland’s Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards earlier this year.

He said he was delighted to win the awards, after being put forward by Inverness College UHI, where he is working towards Level 3 in the Modern Apprenticeship scheme.

‘They say that winning a Lantra award shows you have ability and you can work hard, but I’m grateful I was nominated as that’s an achievement in itself,’ said Jack, who recently visited the Aqua Nor exhibition in Trondheim with Marine Harvest.

Winning two Lantra awards gave a boost to his confidence, as well as earning him positive comments from his colleagues.

‘It’s been great, I’ve had senior managers congratulating me and lots of people seem to have a good idea who I am. This kind of recognition is not only good for my own confidence, I’m sure it will help me achieve my career goals.’

Jack, who is 22 and lives in Fort William, puts a lot of his early success down to the support and guidance from his father, Iain Fraser, who has been working in the industry for more than 30 years, starting as a farm technician for Marine Harvest and working his way up to site manager.

Jack worked for Iain when he first started but they are now at different farms – ‘probably a good idea!’ said Jack.

‘Without the encouragement of my dad, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He taught me the importance of listening to others and learning from them.

‘In many ways that’s how I got into fish farming – I used to help my dad at the weekend, stocking and feeding the fish to earn a bit of money. That got me enthused about aqua-

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Jack Fraser.indd 33

culture and I haven’t looked back since then. Having so many family members involved in the trade helps too.’

Jack joined Marine Harvest’s SQV Level 2 Modern Apprenticeship scheme back in 2015, after working for the company for a couple of years, straight from school.

The apprenticeship combines practical work at one of Marine Harvest’s fish farms, with study through Inverness College UHI. This blend of theory and practice prepares apprentices for the working environment and helped Jack to secure an assistant management role at the first time of asking.

‘The apprenticeship scheme has been great for me as I have learnt so much in a short period. You are out there doing the job, learning from your peers, while the college provides the theory.

‘It works really well and has given me so much confidence. The scheme is geared to what you will be doing in your job, so it is a great way to prepare you for the working environment. It really does try to push people to get into a level where they can work within management.’

Jack’s responsibilities at Kingairloch include overseeing the feeding programme, delegating tasks to others, writing up feed reports and managing administration.

The site uses cleaner fish and is ‘really successful’, said Jack. ‘We only had a couple of treatments this year, which is pretty good compared to say five years ago; we’ve really improved.

‘We’ve had a bit of an influx of cleaner fish and a bit more knowledge within the system so a lot more sites are getting the cleaner fish and

It’s an “ incredibly

satisfying and challenging role and this is what I want to get across to young people

”

Above: Jack Fraser receives his Lantra award from farmer and TV presenter Adam Henson

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04/09/2017 16:21:54

The next generation

Above: Jack Fraser is now assistant manager at Marine Harvest’s Kingairloch farm

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Jack Fraser.indd 34

they know how to treat them and care for them.’

Jack previously worked at the company’s Loch Linnhe site, where he first learned how to handle cleaner fish.

‘In Linnhe we were one of the first sites to get them and we made sure we were going to make it work for the company. It’s a total different aspect to fish farming - it’s another species and it’s pretty much another job on its own. We also treat salmon with thermolicers as well as using desalination methods.’

So what does the future hold for one of aquaculture’s rising stars?

‘My ten-year plan is to progress as far as my knowledge and skills will take me within the company. I’d like to eventually become an area manager, where I will be responsible for several fish farms across the west coast of Scotland.

‘In the short term, I need to complete my SVQ Level 3 and progress through the assistant manager levels, as well as complete various skills courses.’

He likes being out in the fresh air every day – ‘the best bit is getting the fish in at a small size and growing them up, and showing that the work you’re putting in is in front of your eyes.’

On top of his day to day duties, Jack has taken on an ambassadorial role, visiting local

We made sure we were “going to make cleaner fish work for the company ”

schools on behalf of Marine Harvest and advising other youngsters about the opportunities in aquaculture. He recently went to his old school, Lochaber High School, to talk to fourth, fifth and sixth years.

‘There are a lot more aspects to the job than just handling fish. I was there to put it into their heads that there are mechanical apprenticeships, electronical apprenticeships, laboratory jobs, there are so many different roles, management, admin, the lot.

‘Getting your hands dirty can certainly be one part of the job, but there is so much more. It’s an incredibly satisfying and challenging role and this is what I want to get across to young people who are considering their options.

‘It’s amazing how many of them don’t know what they want to do, the majority I’d say are unsure. So this was just to put the feelers out and let them know about our company because it’s a very big employer in the area.’

He believes that, increasingly, youngsters on the west coast would like to stay in the area, if the jobs are there.

‘A lot of people I went to school with went away, got their degrees and have moved back to Fort William to get jobs here.

‘I’d definitely say people are trying to stay in the local area. And big local employers like Marine Harvest would welcome them with open arms.’ FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:22:15

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© 2017 Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

04/09/2017 10:50:27

Aqua Nor 2017

Record breaking show Norway sets the bar high with impressive display of industry innovation

T

HE world’s biggest aquaculture exhibition, Aqua Nor, attracted record crowds this August, up 30 per cent on the previous show in 2015.

Over four days, some 27,110 visitors flocked to see the latest products and services on the market, in a greatly expanded Trondheim Spektrum exhibition centre.

The show had been sold out months before the doors opened on August 15, with a waiting list said to be over 100.

A total of 600 exhibitors, representing 25 countries, showed their technology and shared their expertise at the stands. Extra tents were erected to accommodate the upsurge in participating companies, which included many new names, several from the oil and gas industry, and a focus on highly sophisticated technology.

Crowds on the first day had by lunchtime surpassed the total number of visitors for the first day of the 2015 show, said Erik Hempel, director of communications at the Nor-Fishing Foundation, which organises Aqua Nor. The visitors came from 71 countries.

Meanwhile, press registrations were up by 200 per cent on the Thursday before the exhibition began.

A new exhibition centre will be built in time for the 2019 event, adding 2,500 square metres of additional space, the president of the Nor-Fishing Foundation, Liv Holmfjord, confirmed at the opening ceremony.

Norwegian fisheries minister Per Sandberg spoke of the huge contribution aquaculture, and in particular, salmon farming, makes to Norway’s economy.

‘Salmon is the most famous Norwegian abroad,’ he joked as he officially opened Aqua Nor 2017. Addressing the large crowd, that included Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, the minister said aquaculture was still a young industry, albeit one that had netted US$7.8 billion in exports for Norway last year.

He welcomed the ‘large number of international visitors’ and especially his counterparts from Iceland and Chile, as he described the opportunities in aquaculture.

Despite the industry’s size, ‘we are still only seeing the beginning,’ said Sandberg, and there was ‘enormous potential’ to develop the sector.

Sustainability was the key to growth – ‘do your business sustainably or don’t do it at all,’ he said. But profitability is what drives the industry forward and it was possible to align profitability with sustainability.

‘It’s our responsibility to keep telling the story of the benefits of aquaculture. If we succeed in getting the message across, there will be more people involved in aquaculture worldwide.’

He said Norway was in the process of implementing a new system where growth was possible if the environmental footprint was acceptable.

‘We set the bar high…but our tough love and strict terms will spur innovation from the farmers,’ he said, highlighting the big technology developments in both offshore and closed farming concepts that had been stimulated by the Norwegian government’s innovation licences.

‘The government and the industry must invest in the

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Aqua Nor Spread 1.indd 36

future…I’ll promise I’ll do my part.’

Later, the minister and the royal party toured the exhibition, which is 40 per cent bigger than the last show, and saw for themselves the technology of tomorrow.

On the stand of Kruger Kaldnes they heard about advances in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), with sales manager Heidi Kyvik explaining the company’s contract to build one of the world’s largest salmon post smolt units.

The NOK 650 million facility, for Norwegian farmer Leroy, began construction earlier this year and is due to be completed in the spring of 2019.

Kruger Kaldnes designed and will deliver the

Left: Crown Prince Haakon, Liv Holmfjord and Per Sandberg talk to Heidi Kyvik of Kruger Kaldnes. Above from top: The exhibition centre; touring the stands; the lengthy first day queue.

Opposite page: Record crowds.

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Scottish Ace wins Norwegian award

our responsibility “It’sto keep telling the

story of the benefits of aquaculture

”

complete turnkey farm, which will have a capacity of approximately 4,000 tonnes of smolt per year – six million 500g post smolts, and six million 160g smolts.

The VIP party also stopped by the Scottish pavilion, the first time Scotland had taken a national stand at Aqua Nor, and spoke to Fish Farmer’s William Dowds.

He showed the Crown Prince previous front covers of Fish Farmer that might be of interest, including one featuring Prince Charles visiting Marine Harvest Scotland’s farm at Loch Leven, and the other, Fish Farmer’s August issue, with Princess Anne at Otter Ferry.

At the end of Aqua Nor, the Nor-Fishing Foundation’s Kari Steinsbo said it had been a big success.

‘A strong professional programme, excellent stands, professional stand personnel all around the exhibition and a good feeling through all four days have made Aqua Nor 2017 an exhibition to remember.

‘In addition, there has been a marked increase in the number of students visiting Aqua Nor, and this hold great promise for the future of the industry.’

Aqua Nor 2019 will be held from August 20-23, 2019. FF

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Scottish Ace wins Norwegian award THE pioneering Scottish technical company Ace Aquatec won the coveted Aqua Nor innovation award for its pipeline in-water electric stunner, it was announced during the show’s opening ceremony on August 15.

Nathan Pyne-Carter, managing director of the Dingwall based firm, was at the Trondheim exhibition to receive the award, and a cheque for NOK 100,000 (about £10,000), from Norwegian fisheries minister Per Sandberg.

Ace Aquatec had been shortlisted alongside two Norwegian companies, chosen from a record 28 candidates, a 64 per cent increase on Aqua Nor 2015.

Pyne-Carter’s stunning system comprises three to five electrodes and connected switching electronics capable of rendering the fish unconscious within one second, without damage to the flesh.

‘It is believed that the system has the potential

to transform welfare and efficiencies in aquaculture and mariculture worldwide for fish and crustaceans,’ the Aqua Nor jury said.

Pyne-Carter thanked the early adopters of the technology, saying that in the initial development ‘it’s hard to convince companies to join you on the journey’.

Scottish Sea Farms, in particular, had trialled the product, and Pyne-Carter also thanked distributor Sterner.

He disclosed during the show that Ace Aquatec planned to open branches in Canada and Chile. The company is also developing a new machine to tackle sea lice.

The other Aqua Nor finalists were OptoScale of Trondheim, which has developed a system for biomass measuring with an accuracy of 99 per cent, and Planktonic, also of Trondheim, which has developed an innovative live feed for marine juveniles. FF

Left: Nathan Pyne-Carter with Per Sandberg and Crown Prince Haakon

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Aqua Nor 2017

Scots stand out National pavilion proves a hit with exhibitors and customers

S

COTTISH companies were able to attract new business at Aqua Nor this year thanks to a well positioned national stand in Hall A. The Scottish pavilion, which hosted ten firms, was the result of discussions between Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Development International (SDI) and the Scottish Aquaculture innovation Centre (SAIC), which all agreed Scotland needed to be better represented at Aqua Nor. To celebrate the increased Scottish presence this year, HIE held a reception on day two of the show, drawing a big crowd.

Among the industry leaders present were Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation chief executive Scott Landsburgh, SAIC CEO Heather Jones, Terry A’Hearn of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Sea Farms managing director Jim Gallagher, BioMar managing director Paddy Campbell, Skretting UK general manager John Williamson, and Gael Force Group managing director Stewart Graham.

Scotland’s first time exhibitors are already talking about 2019, when they hope the national pavilion will return, bigger and even better.

Andrew McColl of HIE said it had been a pleasure hosting the Scottish companies and they had had many compliments on the pavilion – ‘it’s been a successful show here in Trondheim’.

The exhibitors tended to agree, with many pleased with the level of enquiries – and new orders – although several admitted it had been harder than expected to crack the Norwegian market.

Trimara’s Kerry Hawthorn reported lots of interest in her AutoBoss net cleaner and said she was ‘blown away’ by the scale of Aqua Nor. ‘I’ve met heaps of people from around the world – from Tasmania to the Middle East to a tilapia farmer in Ghana,’ she said on day three of the show.

She said it had been a huge advantage being part of the Scottish pavilion, where the footfall was generally very high, and had showed a video of the net cleaner to many fish farmers, including from Canada, Maine, Chile, France and

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Marine Harvest in Scotland, as well as lots of Tasmanians from the salmon companies Huon (which sent a party of 17 to Trondheim) and Tassal.

She had already sold nine units, to customers on both the east and west coasts of Canada, to Maine and New Zealand, and sold more units at the show, including to Scotland.

The only disappointment was the lack of interest from potential Norwegian customers.

‘It would be good to get to know Norway more and we must think of a way to access this market.’

Hawthorn, a Canadian who moved to Scotland from New Zealand last year when her husband, Stewart Hawthorn, was appointed farming director of Dawnfresh, hopes a strong Scottish client base will allow her to spend more time in her new home.

‘I keep flying to Canada, Maine and New Zealand and this show was to launch into the European market. Hopefully, I can now stay put in Scotland!’

She said she talked to a lot of people from the oil and gas industry, many of whom had recently taken on new roles in the aquaculture sector, a trend throughout the 2017 exhibition.

Hawthorn said selling one unit was not so difficult but what she wants is repeat orders from satisfied customers.

Alasdair Ferguson, managing director of Ferguson Transport, said the Scottish pavilion had been an excellent idea and had become a good central point

Above: The Scottish pavilion had a central position at the show.

Opposite: William Dowds shows Crown Prince Haakon front covers of Fish Farmer on an ipad

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Scots stand out

“

for networking and meeting customers, old and new.

‘It’s our first time at Aqua Nor and the Scottish pavilion has helped us network with people from all over the world,’ he said.

He believes there is a lot of confidence in the Scottish sector and is encouraged by the level of innovation and how the industry has embraced the 2030 vison for growth.

‘It’s key to keep abreast of that and understand what’s in the market and what we need to do to support the industry,’ said Ferguson.

The logistics company has many Scottish customers, including Marine

Harvest, Akva Group and Aqualine, but Ferguson said it was good to ‘raise our profile’ in Norway too, and he had seen farmers from several different countries on the stand.

With 40 years of involvement with aquaculture, after joining the family firm from school, Ferguson has noticed big changes in the last 10 years – ‘it’s great to see these changes, it’s going in the right direction’.

One new client for Ferguson might be Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture, also on the Scottish pavilion. During the show the Institute, represented by director Herve Migaud, James Dick and John Taylor, discussed with the logistics firm a more efficient way to transport fish from Stirling’s freshwater site at Buckie Burn to Machrihanish and, when necessary, out to sea cages.

James Dick said there had also been several enquiries from students looking to do PhDs at Stirling or masters degrees, and a number of the university’s alumni from around the world dropped by.

I’ve met heaps of people from around the world – from Tasmania to the Middle East to a tilapia farmer in Ghana

”

Bigger salmon sites the way forward double growth in the industry by 2030.

SCOTLAND could grow its aquaculture sector if it increased the scale of its He acknowledged that there was ‘definitely a willingness’ on the part of the farms in line with some Norwegian models. agencies to engage. He also stressed the need for the supply chain in Scotland This was the message from Scottish Sea Farms managing director, Jim Gallagher, who took a party of aquaculture officials on a tour of a SalMar farm to keep pace with farmers’ ambitious growth targets.

Visiting the Scottish pavilion at Aqua Nor in Trondheim, he said that as the on the eve of the show. salmon companies expanded they would like to be able to buy from Scottish The site, at Froya – about two and a half hours’ drive from Trondheim- had suppliers.

14x150m cages containing around 2.5 million fish in total.

This represents 12 to 13,000 tonnes gutted weight, far greater capacity than currently permitted at Scottish farms. One cage can produce almost the same as an entire farm in Scotland.

Gallagher wanted to point out the difference in scale of a Norwegian salmon operation to his guests, who included Terry A’Hearn, chief of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), Anne Anderson, also of Sepa, Charlotte Wright, chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and Heather Jones, chief executive of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

It would be easier to manage sea lice, waste and so on with just two or three of these size farms instead of many more smaller farms, said Gallagher.

The Froya farm has a sea depth of 50m and strong currents, similar characteristics to Orkney, for example.

The group also looked at computer monitoring of the environmental impact of the Froya farm.

Gallagher said the trip to SalMar, which owns Scottish Sea Farms, was to see how farming is done in different countries and demonstrate to the environmental agencies ‘what could be done in Scotland to our mutual benefit’.

‘We’re on that journey…it’s all part of the Industry Leadership Group’s dialogue,’ he added. The ILG, of which Gallagher is co-chair, was created to Above: Sepa’s Anne Anderson and Terry A’Hearn with the Froya site manager

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04/09/2017 16:19:18

Aqua Nor 2017 These included Bente Tostensen, now head of Nofima, and Ingunn Stubhaug, from Norway, who works for Skretting.

The Stirling team also used the show to meet with many of their industry collaborators, such as feed group BioMar and Pharmaq.

And the university’s commercial operation reported interest from several small Norwegian start-ups, said Dick, among them a company looking at algae products as feed ingredients.

Chris Hyde of Otaq had a busy four days, too, promoting the company’s seal deterrent.

This, he said, had proved its worth, ‘curing’ the seal problem in some west coast and Herbridean sites.

The Scottish Salmon Company, Otaq’s biggest customer, has the system installed on 18 sites. They had been having significant problems, particularly in the Hebrides, but these ‘have all but been eliminated’, said Hyde. ‘They are not losing fish and they are not shooting seals.’

The first system was installed in 2014 by the Scottish Salmon Company.

Then at the beginning of this year Marine Harvest replaced older systems with Otaq’s.

They have had ‘fantastic results’, said Hyde, adding that the company will be installing more this year.

He described the system as unique, as it is able to monitor itself and measure its own sound output. The manager on the barge can see what’s going on and check whether everything is okay.

The recent US legislation banning imports of seafood from countries which shoot seals needs to be addressed more urgently by the industry, Hyde believes.

‘I think the industry should be more concerned about this.’

The SSPO is looking into the legislation which could potentially close Scotland’s – and Norway’s- valuable North American markets.

The only way to comply with the law might be to make the shooting of seals illegal, a move that would work against farmers’ interests in areas where there is heavy seal predation.

In the UK, farmers must apply for a licence to kill seals and this is only granted if other measures, such as anti-predator nets or acoustic deterrents, have failed.

And, unlike Norway, information about the number of seals shot must be published. The most recent figures for Scotland show a dramatic decrease in culls. Hyde said Otaq had helped achieve these results.

The company closed a sale with a Finnish company on day two of Aqua Nor, and had discussions with Chilean farmers, who have predation problems with sealions. But accessing the Norwegian market proved more difficult.

‘I was disappointed in the Norwegian interest as I hoped for more, but I’m delighted with the interest from Canada, Chile, Central America and the Baltics,’ said Hyde.

‘And it’s been great to network with so many Scottish fish farmers.’ FF

Above: The reception on the Scotland pavilion

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Model anchors put to the test

Above: Heather Jones, CEO of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre

LAWRIE Stove of AquaMoor, displaying its products in the Scottish pavilion, had devised a simple test to demonstrate the firm’s Stingray anchor.

This involved a mini sandpit with steel wire cables attached to two scale model anchors, one a double shank Stingray and the other a standard single shank.

By pulling on the wire cables, visitors to the stand could see for themselves the comparative performance of the two models.

Stove shared the University of Dundee’s test results that show the Stingray’s maximum embedment is 12 times deeper than a conventional single shank anchor and can generate eight times the holding power, though the scale model tested is only half the weight.

More than 7,000 anchors have been supplied in Australasia in the oil industry so it is a well proven design which has now generated commercial enquiries from Scottish Sea Farms, Marine Harvest in Scotland and Ireland, Cooke Aquaculture and Dawnfresh.

The company had a ‘fantastic’ show, said Stove. They had hoped,

at least, to see key decision makers in the Scottish industry, then hopefully engage with potential Norwegian customers, and also attract global interest too.

By lunchtime on day one they had achieved their first goal. ‘We saw everybody we wanted to from Scotland and several then came back for repeat visits,’ said Stove.

The company was more surprised by the level of enquiries from Norway, from salmon farmers, equipment suppliers and several consultants, who suggested AquaMoor sought Norwegian accreditation for its new direct embedment anchor products – the Raptor and the Alpha anchors.

There was also a lot of interest from structural engineers and academics – from Sintef and NTNU (the Norwegian University of Science and Technology) - in AquaMoor’s assured analysis and design process for its short-scope Moorflex and Seaflex mooring systems.

And from further afield, there were delegations from Canada, Chile, India, Russia, New Zealand and Singapore.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:19:40

Aqua Nor 2017

Iceland business ‘going through the roof’ THE Pentair takeover has given Vaki a chance to be more proactive and exploit new markets, said the Icelandic based company’s David Jarrow. Vaki is now selling its biomass counters in the Mediterranean sea bass and bream sector, and the firm is responsible for Pentair’s business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from its Reykjavik headquarters. It is only the first year of the new set up but it seems to be working well, said Jarrow, and nothing much has changed on the day to day level of dealing with customers.

Increasingly these are in Iceland – ‘we’re trying to support the business at home as it takes off,’ said Jarrow, a Scot based in Iceland for 20 years. ‘In fact, our percentage of business in Iceland has gone through the roof, there’s been a rapid expansion in the last one to two years.’

Vaki has sold a lot of feeding systems in particular in this market.

‘We developed a system to suit them, which is smaller than the feeding systems that the bigger Norwegian farmers might use – and it’s taken off. It’s more straightforward and the whole thing is housed in a container which can be dropped into the customer’s land base.’

Jarrow thinks Vaki is the only supplier of feeding systems in Iceland now, with about 20 in place. They are also selling biomass counters to the Icelandic market. Vaki used to develop its new products in Scotland when there was no industry in Iceland. Now it can start to do this in Iceland and that, said Jarrow, ‘is very good for us as a company’. As for Iceland’s aquaculture potential, he said there was already licence approval for 200,000 tonnes, though the sector has some way to go to produce this. FF

Stand out winner!

THE best stand award at this year’s Aqua Nor went to OK Marine, Egersund Trading and Egersund Net, which had a commanding presence in the centre of Hall D. The decision was taken by a jury which evaluated stands on whether the position of the stand is eye-catching; whether it is easily noticed and attracts the visitor’s attention; whether visitors stop and look, ask questions; and whether the stand provides ready and relevant information about what it markets.

The Norwegian winners certainly scored high on all the above criteria and the huge stand was very busy every time Fish Farmer dropped by. OK Marine’s Oyvind

Kristoffersen said they had sold hides and other cleaner fish equipment worth between £3-4 million to Scottish farms so far this year, and a further £1 million worth to Ireland.

New products are constantly in development to help cleaner fish acclimatise before transfer to sea pens, and new small pens had been constructed with bigger escape hatches. The fish can swim more easily through from these and into the cages.

New, easier to handle material for hides had also been developed, said Kristoffersen. It can take just 10 days from a farmer ordering a product, getting it made up in the factory in Lithuania and delivered back to the pen. The plant, owned by Egersund Net, is run by an old fisherman, said Kristoffersen, also once a fisherman, and he now has 280-300 employees -‘we speak the same language’ which helps explain the rapid turnaround in the evolution of new products.

New Thermolicer halves treatment time A NEW generation Thermolicer that will shorten treatment times, increase capacity and be much gentler on fish is in the final stages of development

by Norway’s Steinsvik.

The company’s mechanical delousing machines have proven effective in Scotland and Norway in helping to address the parasite problem, but concerns have been raised over the impact of the process on fish welfare.

To improve the product, Steinsvik designed a special Thermolicer vessel containing the machine. The diameter of the fish pipes would be increased and the fish pump would be positioned low in the boat, to reduce lifting height and thereby reduce stress. Both pumping and crowding can cause stress.

Steinsvik has now modified its design much further, by encompassing the whole delousing process within the pump.

As Steinsvik’s Tore Laastad explained, this will halve treatment times. In the new system (System V), fish are pumped into

a low level vacuum tank where they are separated from the cold water.

Directly after entering the tank they land in a pool (around 9,000 litres) of heated water and so the delousing treatment begins straight away.

The hatch to the vacuum tank is closed once the fish are inside and they are then pushed up the pipe to the water separation unit. The whole system is completely closed and can treat 300 tonnes of fish an hour.

The heated water recycled from the water separation unit and the deloused fish are then returned to the pens.

The system is designed to accommodate four tanks working at the same time, each performing a different stage of the process, so there is a steady flow of fish in and a steady flow out during the treatment.

‘We thought that increasing the diameter of the pipes was the best method to improve the Thermolicer,’ said Laastad.

Above Tore Laastad.

Below:Steinsvik’s stand

‘Then we had the idea of simplifying it and running the whole delousing unit inside the fish pump. We realised there was an unnecessary stage.’

Steinsvik hoped to build the first tank by the end of August and then start doing trials in Norway. The new model Thermolicer will be on active duty from April 2018, first on a barge, which is much quicker to construct than a boat.

Feedback from the industry in Norway had been very positive, said Laastad, who reckons that within 12 to 14 months the first of the new generation Thermolicer boats will be operational. FF

Left: OK Marine CEO Atle Kristoffersen accepts the Best Stand award from organiser Erik Hempel

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Aqua Nor 2017

All systems go in Iran Business brisk for Aqualine as new markets open up

N

ORWAY’S Crown Prince Haakon was the first visitor to try out the virtual reality display on Aqualine’s stand. With special goggles and two handsets, it was possible to take a ‘tour’ of the company’s Midguard system.

Fish Farmer tried this too and was transported from the bustle of Hall D to the relative calm of a salmon pen. By pulling the ‘trigger’ on one handset the virtual tourist can be teleported to the bottom of the pen, or the side, or even inside, swimming with the fish.

The Prince was said by Aqualine staff to have taken quickly to the controls, perhaps as an Xbox generation royal.

Aqualine sales manager Hans Olav Ruo said the company has sold 900 nets, mostly the Midguard system, since 2015 and had been very busy in the Asian market. Midguard is a complete net cage system in which all components work together, and the company says it is the industry’s first escape-proof fish farming system.

Outside Norway, customers include Iceland and the Faroes, and there has been an enquiry from the Shetlands.

‘A lot is happening because the salmon price is so good. Now is the time to act, not talk!’ said Olav Ruo. Around the world, business is also brisk. Four complete farms, including nets, cages and moorings, were sold to Indonesia recently to farm barramundi, said Olav Ruo. And they are getting ‘more and more emails’ from Africa.

They have another big project in the Persian Gulf for an Iranian customer who runs a poultry and meat business and has decided to diversify into aqua-

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

The “ government is targeting 200,000 tonnes by 2020

”

culture. He has a licence to farm 20,000 tonnes of Asian sea bass and Aqualine is supplying the first cages, which were due to be built in August. He has already bought the fingerlings, from Australia, which he will on grow in nurseries.

The client has a major processing and distribution operation with supermarkets for his main business so is ideally placed to develop a seafood market, said Olav Ruo. Aqualine has had huge delegations of Iranians at its facilities in Norway for a few years and this spring they sealed an agreement with a company in Iran to act as agent, Vaziri Trading Co. The company’s Roya Vaziri was at Aqua Nor and she explained that the government in Iran had been helpful as they are pushing aquaculture, with lots of licences being given out. The country is targeting an increase in production to 200,000 tonnes by 2020, exploring new species. Most of the farming will be located in the Persian Gulf, mainly for barramundi and sea bream, with the rest in the Caspian Sea. There are only two nursery units for sea bass and bream so production is limited at the moment. But the coastal area for cages spans the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, a large coastal area with potential. There is also sturgeon farming in the Caspian Sea but this is an expensive operation, said Olav Ruo. FF

Seminars draw a crowd EUROPHARMA, leading developers of complete fish health and welfare programmes, welcomed hundreds of delegates to its seminars and stall. Nikos Steiropoulos, managing director of the Clydebank based company, attended the show, joining Norwegian colleagues to talk about the work they do and how they can support customers optimise fish production.

One of the most popular seminars focused on Europharma’s SuperSmolt, a patented biotechnology programme that combines a functional feed and mineral bath treatment to induce optimal smoltification of Atlantic salmon without need for a winter photoperiod.

‘Aqua Nor 2017 was a fantastic

OUR COMPETENCE - YOUR SAFETY

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success and the feedback we received was very encouraging,’ said Steiropoulos, adding that ‘hundreds of delegates’ had attended the company’s seminars.

‘Attending events like this is a great opportunity not only to link up with my Norwegian colleagues, but also speak face-to-face with customers and join in discussions about ways we can work together to keep improving the industry.’

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com 17/03/2017 14:13:49

04/09/2017 16:17:01

Aqua Nor 2017

Fluctus scoops biggest barge sale yet MARINE Harvest signed a contract worth five to six million euros during Aqua Nor with Norwegian supplier Fluctus for three 500 tonne feed barges.

These will be for Marine Harvest sites in the north, west and south of Norway, said Per-Roar Gjerde, the company’s chief operating officer in Norway and Chile.

This is the first time that Marine Harvest has worked with Fluctus, a new company but one staffed with aquaculture experts.

Gjerde said ‘we had a process to see which company gave us the best offer’ and Fluctus was chosen on account of the technology, construction, the people involved, the delivery times and, of course, the cost.

Marine Harvest buys three to four feed barges a year for its Norwegian sites, said Gjerde. The new barges will deploy about 25,000 tonnes of feed to produce some 20,000 salmon.

Runar Hatlevik, project leader at Fluctus, said the team had a wealth of experience behind it, with staff who had delivered barges to Marine Harvest while working for other companies.

One of the main strengths of Fluctus was its quick service intervals, said Hatlevik.

The new feed barges, measuring 30 by 11m, will be built in Poland and Estonia and delivered in March next year. They are among eight barges currently under construction for Fluctus, which is based in Austevoll, where it designs and equips the barges.

Fluctus has customers in Scotland, too, supplying cameras and feeding systems, said Hatlevik. He agreed that aquaculture represented a big market for his company but said ‘there are very few decision makers’.

The Marine Harvest deal is their biggest single sale to date.

Left: Marine Harvest’s Per-Roar Gjerde and Fluctus’ Runar Hatlevik

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your expert genetics partner xelect.co.uk www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

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Aqua Nor 2017

Fjord focus New compact concept will produce more salmon in less space

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ALMON farmer Salaks shared a stand with NSK Ship Design and explained the new concept they have designed together to make better use of the Norwegian fjords as farming sites.

Salaks CEO Odd Bekkeli said they wanted to exploit potential and existing inshore sites - traditional grounds for fish farms- rather than farm further out to sea.

‘The fjords have made fish farming a success. In Norway we have a lot of places than can be used better,’ he said.

Their new concept, Called FjordMax, will increase production threefold in half the amount of space, based on its compact structure. With today’s technology a farm can produce 4,100 tonnes of salmon but this farm could potentially increase production to 12,000 tonnes, said Bekkeli.

The triangular steel platform, measuring 165m long by 153m wide by 6m high, comprises three pens of 66m diameter, each holding 500,000 salmon. It is designed to be used in shallower waters, said Bekkeli.

On each pen there is an inner net for production and an outer net which acts as a barrier against escapes. At the bottom of the net there is a PVC sheet which collects organic waste. This is then pumped up to tanks on board the floating platform, so the farm does not need to rely on strong currents.

Some 90 per cent of organic emissions will be recycled in the semi-closed, fully integrated farm.

‘We’ve made it so we can control it onshore too,’ said Odd Bekkeli, pointing out the high level of automation.

Salaks, which said its farm concept took one and a half years to design, is in the process of applying for licences now.

The company already produces around 9,000 tonnes of salmon a year from its other sites, and its revenue in 2016 was NOK 480 million ($59.5 milllion). A new RAS smolt plant, which came into operation in July, should increase smolt production tenfold.

NSK, meanwhile, is also the company behind the Nordlaks Ocean Farm (Havfarm) design, which has won 10 development licences from the Norwegian government.

These will allow it to farm with one of its Ocean Farm ships, with a total biomass of 7,800 tonnes, although the structure will have capacity for 10,000 tonnes which amounts to more than two million fish.

Described as the world’s largest ship, the Ocean Farm measures 430m long

and 54m wide and will lay at anchor, fixed to the seafloor using the offshore industry’s technological solutions.

To put that in perspective, the world’s largest cruise ship is 360m long and the longest aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, is 342m long.

The Ocean Farm will be constructed as a steel frame for six cages, each measuring 50 by 50m, on the surface, with aquaculture nets going to a depth of 60m.

Unlike the FjordMax, the Ocean Farm has been designed for offshore use and will be able to withstand wave heights of 10m. FF

“

In Norway we have a lot of places than can be used better

Farmers exposed to new concepts TECHNICAL innovation is needed in the aquaculture industry to ensure that farmers can remain operational at exposed sites.

Innovations in autonomous systems and offshore structures will help drive growth, said the director of Sintef’s Exposed centre, Hans Bjelland, at a technology seminar held during Aqua Nor. The centre was set up three years ago to explore innovations that will enable safe and reliable exposed aquaculture operations.

Farmers are fearful of increasing their production costs with new technology but growth at current sites is limited and there are favourable conditions, in Norway at least, for development licences where new technology

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Above: Ken Rune Bekkeli, Karl Erik Bekkeli, their father Odd Bekkeli, NSK Ship Design managing director Kjartan Karlsen and NSK sales manager Thomas Myhre at Aqua Nor. Below: The FjordMax

is deployed, said Bjelland.

Many of the new concepts that have received or are awaiting licences represent fundamental shifts for the salmon sector, which ‘is leaving its familiar grounds and its experiences from current technological and operational procedures’.

The larger scale farms of some concepts demand risk management and contingency planning, and the skills of highly diverse project teams.

Predicting the future, Bjelland said that current technology will prevail but there will be much experimentation in the next five to 10 years.

‘It won’t be a case of either/or but both.

”

There is huge potential for new knowledge and solutions.’

The industry will gain more than extra space to farm and increased production, Bjelland suggested. All the investment in new structures and technology should result in safer and better fish farming for the whole sector.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:14:54

Aqua Nor 2017

Value of supply industry Survey finds innovations are result of close cooperation between customers and R&D

T

HERE have been several reports into value creation in the seafood industry but never before has there been a study into the value of the supply industry, said Ulf Winther, Sintef Ocean research director, during Sintef’s Aqua Nor seminar. Now, with finance from the Norwegian Research Fund (FHF), Sintef has undertaken such a survey.

Classic suppliers to the seafood industry are the boat companies, the cage and net suppliers, but there are new suppliers too, including some who were in the oil and gas industry and now see a market in the seafood industry.

‘We built a database of more than 800 suppliers covering fisheries, aquaculture and feed. These can be suppliers of R&D and consultancy as well as equipment,’ said Winther. ‘We interviewed about 25 suppliers, including feed suppliers, and among the findings we discovered that leading innovations are made in close cooperation between customers and R&D.’ In the aquaculture value chain, there are suppliers that deliver directly to salmon farmers and suppliers who supply other suppliers. These suppliers contributed NOK 424.5 million to GDP in 2015 and created 21,400 jobs.

‘That’s a lot,’ said Winther. ‘The supplier industry is of increasing importance.

We suspect this is going to increase and in two years from now we’ll do a follow up report. All national and international trends show great opportunities for the supply industry.

‘Enabling technologies will be central to the development of the seafood industry and will give suppliers much more opportunities in the future. By 2030 we won’t recognise the seafood industry from how it is today. There will be a higher demand for new technology and therefore an even greater demand for people with a high tech education.’

Artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and big data are among the tech-

2030 “weBywon’t

nologies that will be important in the future.

‘The supply industry in Norway is innovative, driven by demanding customers and the research institutions, with support from the government and the funding agencies. When you export high technology there is a challenge, particularly to countries that are producing species other than salmon and don’t necessarily have the same education levels, to not just deliver the equipment but to export training and follow-up services too.’

recognise the seafood industry from how it is today

”

Left: Ulf Winther

Quality eggs all year round AquaGen deliver certified salmon eggs the whole year round to agreed quality, quantity and timing.

The “off-season” eggs are produced from brood stock raised at the land based facilities Nofima, Sunndalsøra and AquaGen Profunda, Ørsta in Norway.

AquaGen AS • P.O. Box 1240 • Torgard • N-7462 Trondheim • firmapost@aquagen.no • www.aquagen.no/en/

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Aqua Nor 2017

Making robots work Advanced technology that could have applications for aquaculture

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HE Norwegian government has done much to stimulate innovation, said Vegar Johansen, the CEO of Sintef Ocean at the start of the research organisation’s seminar during Aqua Nor. ‘We have a new regime allowing companies to develop new concepts for aquaculture, enabling them to take technology from an idea to full scale trials,’ he said.

‘As a research institution we found that we need to see more between established areas of science and that is why we established Sintef Ocean this year.

‘We’re trying to find opportunities between, for instance, oil and gas, seaweed production and aquaculture. That is both fun and challenging.’

The other challenge, he said, was to try to deploy enabling and new technologies that are available but not utilised in the aquaculture sector – for example, ROVs to detect net damage and inspect cages.

One such technology involves robotics and how this can be applied to aquaculture. Sintef’s Jonatan Sjolund Dyrstad, in a talk on virtual reality and the future of fish handling, looked at how robots will change the processing industry.

He said researchers had conducted one project to improve the filleting of salmon and another to sort salmon based on size.

‘There were separate projects developing the software for different robots. What we would like is to build one solution that is able to tackle both tasks,’ he said.

‘What would we need a robot to understand in order to make it do such tasks that are trivial for us humans?’

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Humans have pre-existing knowledge and understand that the tail piece has to come off the fish and the rest of the fillet is processed. And sorting large salmon from small salmon is quite trivial for a human too.

‘The task of teaching a robot how to do all the things that we do is a large challenge. With humans, we raise them for 18 years and then they understand things but we would not like to take this time to train robots!’

So a virtual reality solution is used, where a robot can be programmed, say, to move herring from one box to another box. With virtual reality the robot can be exposed to different tasks.

You do exactly what you want the robot to do and the robot will then replicate what you did.

‘Each time it does a task successfully –such as grasp the herring - it learns to do the same thing in the future.’

The goal is to have a robot that can just be placed on the production line in the factory and told it what it’s supposed to do.

‘In the human brain the visual cortex interprets what we see in the world. When we know that something is a big fish or a small fish it’s because the visual cortex outputs that information to us,’ said Dyrstad. ‘When I sort fish I already know the concepts of big fish and small fish.’

The good news is that we can train the artificial equivalent of the visual cortex inside the computer, in simulation. The problem with artificial intelligence is that you need a lot of training examples in order to learn anything.

‘When we give a robot the opportunity to understand the world before we deploy it in a factory setting it doesn’t really need that many demonstrations anymore. We can just put a pre-programmed robot in the industry and tell it what to do and hopefully it will do just that.

‘If this works, how will it affect automation in the industry? First of all, many more tasks can be automated. If I already have a robot that can trim salmon fillets then I don’t have to engineer a new solution in order to sort big fish from small fish because I can just show the robot what I want it to do next.’

Secondly, automation will be an option for smaller producers because they can just invest in the robot and let it do the work that needs to be done, said Dyrstad. FF

“

What would we need a robot to understand in order to make it do tasks that are trivial for us humans?

”

Left: Sintef’s Jonatan Sjolund Dyrstad

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04/09/2017 16:12:18

Aqua Nor 2017

Flexible friends Replacing the hand in fish processing

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INTEF is looking at how to use robots in operations with humans – the robot can do some parts of the assembling while humans can do the tasks where nimbleness and dexterity are needed. These two can work together, said the organisation’s Aleksander Eilertsen.

In his talk – the future of fish handling: replacing the hand – he said when we think of automation we think of car factories, with parts that are hard and one size, and when you put them in you know exactly where to put them. With fish, however, it’s not all the same size and the bones are in different places.

‘If you look at how a fish plant is put up today you have a lot of single, one-purpose machines, where you have a great throughput but they can only handle one sort of fish.

‘The idea of humanoids is that you have what you have today – a single machine and a flexible worker that you can move around.

‘What we often do now is that we make some sort of tool that is specific to a task. But if you want to reach the future where we are trying to head you need to have something that is generic: a hand.’

Working at the Gemini Centre, in association with Sintef, NTNU and the University of Oslo, Eilertsen said they were developing the tools of the future, focusing on robotic grasping and manipulation.

‘The tools to grasp something are in development [see pictures]…replicating a hand takes a lot of computational power.

‘When you want to study a hand you take your own hand. There are 29 muscles in a hand but none of us uses those muscles in the same way, even though we have the same object in our hand [according to a study of 700 people/hands].

‘We can’t classify one type of hand as the perfect one. This means we need to do more research on which type of tool would be optimal for that process, even though we’re looking at generic handling.

‘We’re looking at doing research on fish fillets, on herring, lettuce, strawberries, raspberries and

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eggs. These are all compliant objects that need dexterity to be understood and classified.’

But this science is still in its early stages, Eilertsen conceded, and there is a ’long way to go, but we’re working on it’.

‘How do we bring this forward? We don’t know yet but hope you can help us and if you have any ideas where you want to use grasping, or you think you have a tool that you can make generic – because generic tools are the future – please don’t hesitate to contact me. The humanoid robot is not coming today but it is most likely the future.’ FF

The humanoid robot is not coming “today but it is most likely the future ”

Above and right: Aleksander Eilertsen demonstrates robotic hands

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04/09/2017 16:12:51

Aqua Nor 2017 - Vard Aqua advertorial

Game of

Stones Storvik Aqua becomes Vard Aqua

BY DAVE EDLER

T

MARCUS Live Fish Treatment Barge

Photo: Kjell Stian Brunes. Layout/print: VARD. With reservation for possible mistakes in the brochure.

HEREwere plenty of exciting new product launches and many new research initiatives to report on following last month’s excellent Aqua Nor event in Trondheim. However, one of the news stories that really caught the eye was the announcement that high-end shipbuilder Vard had completed its takeover of Storvik Aqua.

Vard has a proven track record as a high quality shipbuilder within a broad range of vessels and markets. As part of Vard’s aquaculture strategy, in November 2016 Vard acquired Storvik Aqua, a leading equipment supplier within aquaculture with over 30 years’ history, known for its equipment and systems such as biomass measurement, feeding equipment and oxygen optimisation tools.

Storvik Aqua’s head office in Norway, including its entities in Chile and Scotland, is now being renamed Vard Aqua with immediate effect. This is part of an integration process in which the operations are co-ordinated more tightly with other companies in Vard, including the shipyard Vard Aukra, which is dedicated to building vessels and barges within aquaculture.

Left: Vessel building. Top right: Vard Aqua team at Aqua Nor - Photo VARD.

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Vard Group AS Skansekaia 2, NO-6002 Ålesund Norway Tel: + 47 70 21 06 00 mail@vard.com www.vard.com

The name Vard derives from the Norwegian word ‘varde’, which refers to a small tower of stones used since ancient times as a navigation mark along the coast to guide ships. The name embodies the group’s maritime heritage and long history in shipbuilding. It also symbolises its ambition to lead the way in the industry, reflecting Vard’s size, position and goal to be a preferred partner for technologically advanced solutions. Probably, then, a rather suitable name considering the path that the group is now navigating through the aquaculture industry.

Through the integration of Vard Aqua, Vard has strengthened its offering and stepped up the company’s commitment within aquaculture.

Vard offers a range of products and systems for the aquaculture sector, such as live fish carriers,

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04/09/2017 16:10:07

Game of Stones

name comes from the Norwegian “The word ‘varde’, which refers to a small tower of stones ”

feeding boats, service boats, central feeding systems and barges, as well as fish farming technology and solutions to help build sustainable and efficient operations – inshore, offshore, at sea and on land.

Vard Aqua’s general manager in Scotland, Lorraine Campbell, said: ‘We are delighted to be part of Vard’s strategy within aquaculture.

‘This is a new and exciting opportunity for us and we look forward to offering more sustainable solutions to our customers, old and new’.

The company in Scotland will continue to be located at its Lochgilphead base and all contact numbers will remain the same.

You can contact Lorraine Campbell and the team by visiting their website vardaquaculture.com FF

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Aquaculture Europe 2017 – Dubrovnik

Turning policy into growth Croatia hosts conference focused on regional cooperation

D

UBROVNIK is the location for the next Aquaculture Europe conference, which will have an overall theme of ‘Cooperation for Growth’.

Held over four days at the Unesco World Heritage Site, AE2017 will feature three plenary speakers: Michael A Crawford of Imperial College, London, who will discuss ‘Is substitution compromising our omega 3 (DHA) position?’; Fernando de la Gándara, of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, and director of the Murcia Oceanographic Centre, whose talk is titled ‘Large scale RTD facility to take tuna farming forward’; and Anna Wargelius of the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, who will talk about ‘Gene editing. A game changer for aquaculture?’

There will be special sessions and industry forums during the conference, including a look at the evolution of tuna farming in the Adriatic and Mediterranean ‘as it moves from fattening to farming’.

One of the factors that may contribute to the lack of positive growth in the aquaculture sector is the lack of cooperation between operators in the sector.

This may be regarding production (breeding programmes, feed resources, benchmarking technical performance), promotion and market intelligence or training and knowledge management, including open access publications.

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Dubrovnik.indd 50

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04/09/2017 16:08:23

Turning policy into growth The organisers of the Dubrovnik conference say ‘turning policy into growth can be achieved through diminishing competitive forces through common actions using regional cooperation, task forces, public/private partnerships and other initiatives that help to reduce conflicts’.

The Croatian city’s history as a trade centre in the Adriatic and as a model of wealth and skilled diplomacy means that it is an ideal location for the Aquaculture Europe event—and for the theme of AE2017.

There will be parallel sessions on nutrition; genomics; many aspects of health control; aquaponics; organic aquaculture; integrated multitrophic aquaculture; recirculation aquaculture systems; governance, policy and planning; new and emerging species; climate change; cooperation in Mediterranean aquaculture; and much more.

An exhibition running alongside the conference sessions will include companies such as aqua feed specialists Sonac; Nutriad; Aller Aqua; and Noba.

BioMar will again be the gold sponsor of this annual aquaculture event, organised by the European Aquaculture Society.

This can be achieved “through diminishing

competitive forces through common actions

”

Aquaculture Europe 2017 will be held at the Valamar resort, with three hotels and associated meeting rooms providing ample capacity for participants. It runs from October 17-20. FF

Opposite: Model city

Wealth of species MOST people think of Croatian aquaculture being based on sea bass and sea bream. With its long and beautiful coastline, this is indeed true and these species make up about two thirds of the total marine production of 12,000 tonnes in 2015.

But more than 2,500 tonnes of Atlantic bluefin tuna, small volumes of dentex, meagre and turbot and 800 tonnes of shellfish (Mediterranean mussels and European flat oysters) were also produced last year.

The freshwater farming segment primarily produces common carp and rainbow trout, representing more than 50 per cent and about 30 per cent, respectively, of the total fresh water production of 4,800 tonnes.

Small volumes of silver carp, bighead carp, catfish, tench, pike, and zander are also farmed.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Dubrovnik.indd 51

Above: Sea bass

51

04/09/2017 16:08:48

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23 & 24 MAY 2018, AVIEMORE, SCOTLAND No other UK event provides aquaculture professionals with such direct access to suppliers from all over the globe representing all aspects of the aquaculture industry.

Over two days Aquaculture UK offers a valuable opportunity to network, discover new products and meet decision makers. The atmosphere is dynamic and exciting with open and friendly interaction between exhibitors and visitors.

Visit www.aquacultureuk.com to register as a visitor or contact info@aquacultureuk.com to find out more about exhibiting.

DON’T MISS THE UK’S LARGEST AQUACULTURE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE Untitled-1 49

04/09/2017 11:00:32

Alternative species – Xxxx

Super grouper

Unexpected ‘moon dance’ gives hope for year round cultivation in the Bahamas

A

RESEACRH project in the Bahamas to find the best candidate for commercial fish farming has narrowed the search down to a handful of likely species.

Nassau based Tropic Seafood Ltd (TSL) engaged in the research to reduce commercial fishing pressure on natural resources and to ensure a consistent supply of fish for processing at its plant in the Bahamas.

TSL is owned by Beaver Street Fisheries, of Jacksonville, Florida, one of the largest importers of farmed fish in the US. The most important criteria for choosing a species, according to TSL – which has been doing business in the Bahamas for more than 45 years - was strong global market demand for the species, and a relatively high price.

54

Grouper.indd 54

Left: Olive flounder tanks in a greenhouse.

Opposite - clockwise from top: Spawning aggregation behavior of Nassau grouper in indoor tanks; colouration of Nassau grouper while spawning; fertilised Nassau grouper eggs (12 hours post fertilisation)

Secondly, the technology for raising that species must be well understood, have great survival and must also be available as fingerlings or be able to be successfully cultured in an onsite hatchery, within the specific environmental conditions found in the Bahamas.

In the past, yellowtail kingfish (Seriola rivoliana) known locally as almaco jacks, and also as hamachi in the sushi and sashimi restaurants - were grown at Tropic Seafood, with great success. They attained a size of 10-12lb in two years.

For the past three years, Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) broodstock have been held at Tropic Seafood in order to acclimatise this wild caught species to spawn in captivity for future commercial aquaculture.

With permission from the Department of Natural Resources of the Bahamas, 46 wild Nassau grouper were collected during the open commercial fishing season three years ago, with average weight of the fish being 3-10lb.

In February 2015, a few fish were induced to spawn and produced enough larvae to allow an attempt to culture them. As a result, about 100 fish (F1 generation) survived and should be producing offspring themselves this winter.

The fish have been kept in above ground holding tanks and fed a natural diet of squid, capelin, shrimp and fish without any mortality. Today, those same fish weigh 10-25lb each.

In February 2017, the fish were transferred to large deep tanks two days before the full moon.

Within 24 hours of that transfer, 100 per cent of the fish spawned naturally in captivity, said Jon Chaiton, director of aquaculture at TSL. More than 50 million eggs were collected and released to the wild.

While in the open ocean, this species forms spawning aggregations during the winter months, breeding on many sites throughout the Bahamas.

These spawning aggregations may contain between 50 and 500 fish which come to a specific spot each year to join in this behaviour, sometimes

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04/09/2017 16:05:42

Super grouper

coming from hundreds of miles away.

This is why the Bahamian Department of Marine Resources closes the fishery for wild grouper from December through to February each year. They would be too easy a target during their spawning aggregations, and harvesting this resource would endanger their entire population.

What happens next is spectacular, said Chaiton.

Male and female fish swim together in what is described as a ‘moon dance’, where they congregate near the sea floor before shooting up towards the surface while winding around each other and releasing gametes (the males release sperm and the females release their eggs).

It is believed that as the fish swim to the surface, their swim bladders expand and exert pressure on their gametes, which causes them to be pushed out and into the water column.

With so much sperm and eggs in the water, fertilisation takes place and the fertilised eggs drift in the current for about three days until they hatch as larvae.

The larval period lasts about 45 days while the larvae go through several metamorphoses before becoming a baby grouper. Even at the very first larval stage, body pigmentation resembles those of adult grouper.

Chaiton said: ‘The most fascinating thing happened at the full moon in July 2017. First, the grouper changed into their spawning colours (they transform from vertical stripes to having a dark brown top half and a pure white bottom half prior

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Grouper.indd 55

to and during spawning events).

‘Then, there was another all natural spawning event at Tropic Seafood. This is the first ever mid-summer, all natural spawning event in captivity on record.

‘They began two nights before the full moon and released sperm and eggs each night for a period of five consecutive nights.

‘Because this event was unexpected, the eggs were not able to be held, but were collected and released to the sea to hatch in the natural environment.’

This new spawning behaviour could allow for yearround aquaculture production of Nassau grouper in captivity.

Although grouper culture technology has been practised for the past 25 to 30 years in Asia, it is only now being brought to the west, specifically the Bahamas.

Tropic Seafood, which works closely with Dr Daniel Benetti and his staff at the Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami, is also cultivating Japanese/Korean olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceous) with positive results.

To date, three groups of juvenile or fingerling olive flounder (known as hirami in the sushi and sashimi restaurants) have been received by the company and are being cultured.

Growth and survival are great, said Chaiton, with test marketing of both fresh and live fish currently being conducted.

The olive flounder are kept in a closed water system with strict bio-security, so that there is zero chance of introducing an exotic species to the Bahamian water.

The flounder grow to about 1.0–1.5 kg in 12 months, and being a cousin to the Alaskan halibut, these fish can grow to four feet in length.

Spawning is controlled by temperature and both the hatchery and grow-out technology for this species are well understood as the Japanese and Koreans have been growing this fish for the past 40 years. FF

“theThisfirstis

ever midsummer, all natural spawning event in captivity on record

”

55

04/09/2017 16:06:05

World news

Vietnam’s big plan World’s third largest aquaculture producer has potential to expand EU market

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

V

IETNAM has the potential to become an even more significant exporter of farmed fish products into Europe and the UK, a detailed new report by Eumofa, the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture, has suggested.

The country’s Agriculture and Food Development Ministry has ambitious plans to strengthen the industry and boost production of farmed pangasius to 1.6 million tonnes by 2020.

Euomofa says this plan also includes the expansion of infrastructure in farming areas, the upgrading of fish hatcheries, and improvements to the overall production chain.

At the same time, the local pangasius sector aims to produce new value added products and focus on the sustainability of the supply chain.

This year, the first container of Vietnamese oysters was exported into the EU. Eumofa says Vietnam has the potential to increase its penetration into EU markets, targeting supermarkets and the food service market.

It is now the third largest aquaculture producer globally, behind China

56

Vietnam.indd 56

Above: Vietnam exports more than $4 billion worth of seafood.

Opposite: Pangasius is the largest aquaculture species

and India. The important northern Nam Dinh province is now meeting strict EU requirements, as well as the srtict Italian regulations, concerning health and environmental issues.

The report also points out that Vietnam is a large player in the global seafood industry and not just Europe.

Vietnamese exports of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates are worth well over US$4 billion, with pangasius, which is usually exported as frozen fillets, the largest aquaculture species.

But between 2007 and 2016 the export share of pangasius to the EU market shrank from 48 per cent to 15 per cent for various reasons, including the negative image of the fish itself, Vietnamese farming practices, and competi-

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04/09/2017 16:03:59

Vietnam’s big plan

The image of “ pangasius in Europe and other countries has been negatively affected by media reports

”

tion from other producing countries such as Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Europe also suffered due to increased demand from China, the US and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Eumofa said Vietnam has experienced radical economic and social growth, offering significant potential for EU businesses. This led, in 2012, to negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam.

Negotiations were concluded and the legal review of the negotiated text is currently on-going. The agreement is expected to come into force in early 2018.

The report continues: ‘In 2015, the production volume of pangasius accounted for 34 per cent of the total volume produced, reaching 1.17 million tonnes.

‘Vietnam has been and remains the main producer of pangasius globally since 1940, when production started, then based mainly in the Mekong River delta in southern Vietnam.

‘Vietnamese pangasius is mostly ‘basa’ and in recent years the sector has consolidated, resulting in more large-scale producers and the closing of several small scale producers.

‘The three main on-growing monoculture systems are (1) earth ponds (ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 square metres ) with a simple design, sited near river tributaries; (2) net cages (ranging from 50 to 1,600 cubic metres ) also sited

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Vietnam.indd 57

near tributaries of the Mekong River delta; and (3) net pens with a stocking density at 40 to 60 square metres.

‘But the small-scale, integrated pond, polyculture system is now being phased out,’ the report says.

‘Vietnam is also a notable producer of warm water shrimp, with a 2015 combined volume of 540,000 tonnes of whiteleg and giant tiger prawns.

‘The production of tilapia has also increased steadily, making up for low volume growth in pangasius over the past three to four years.’

Euomofa said the Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam brings the European Union a step closer to an agreement with other ASEAN members.

Currently, the EU has also concluded negotiations with Singapore and talks are in progress with the Philippines and Indonesia, making the ASEAN bloc the EU’s third largest trading partner outside Europe after the US and China.

But the United States remains the largest market for Vietnam’s seafood products, followed by China.

Last year, Europe bought 268,000 tonnes of Vietnamese seafood worth more than a billion euros, with shrimp and pangasius topping the list and Britain the largest importer at 18 per cent of that total.

The UK was followed by the Netherlands at 15 per cent and Germany at 14 per cent. But all major EU markets have seen a stable decrease, except for the UK, which has increased 28 per cent since 2010.

The Eumofa report says this decrease has been caused mainly by concern over the production cycle (proportion of pollution in fish farms).

‘The image of pangasius in Europe and other countries has been negatively affected by media reports and by campaigns in individual markets.

‘In general, the pangasius industry is viewed as massive, production driven, and a cause of

negative impacts on the environment.

‘The latter were related to the unsanitary conditions of water in the Mekong River (pollution, bacteria, industrial effluents, toxins and so on), inferior quality of fish feed, and exploitation of workers. Several large retailers in the EU are now withdrawing pangasius as a result.’

But improvements in this area are being made and the report makes it clear that Vietnamese aquaculture is on an expansion trajectory, offering major opportunities for European seafood companies. FF

From rivers to ponds

Above: Farming methods have changed

FARMING methods have changed dramatically in Vietnam over the past 20 years. In the 1990s, pangasius was bred by ordinary fishermen in the rivers, but today most of the country’s farming takes place in ponds on land.

Southern Vietnam accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s fish farming and is the second largest ASC production country, after Norway, with 75 certified farms.

Of these, 39 are pangasius plants, which account for 19 per cent of the national production, and 36 are shrimp farms, accounting for five per cent of the national production.

Vietnam is the world’s fourth largest producer of seafood, after China, Indonesia and India, and production is important for the country’s economy.

In 2008, aquaculture stood at almost seven per cent of Vietnam’s GDP (no recent figures have been published). In 2016, Vietnam exported fish products to 164 countries, half of which went to the EU, the US and Japan.

57

04/09/2017 16:04:20

Nutriad – Advertorial

Health promoters

Functional feed additives a key area for innovation in aquaculture

BY PETER COUTTEAU

A

QUACULTURE is the fastest growing industry producing animal protein.

Still, aquafeed production only represents four to five per cent of global animal feed production and is fragmented over many species and countries around the globe. This lack of critical mass limits research developments, particularly for tropical species of fish and shrimp. At the same time, the young aquaculture industry suffers from several bottlenecks.

Solving these bottlenecks requires multi-disciplinary work and combined progress on different areas including breeding programmes, vaccine development, farm technology, husbandry, zonal hygiene management, and nutrition.

At Nutriad, we believe that functional feed additives, powered by natural, bio-active compounds with specific functional properties, are an important component to solve these key issues.

A programme of empiric screening for important aquaculture species aims at identifying promising compounds for application in aquaculture. Our research has mainly focused on compounds which are heat stable in order to facilitate application under practical processing conditions for aquafeed.

In omnivorous fish such as tilapia and catfish, digestive aids have shown interesting results to improve nutrient utilisation from cheap ingredients.

Above: Delivering For carnivorous fish, digestibility enhancers adjust for decreased digestibility, particularly of dietary fat and energy, for fish fed feeds containing low levels of products and services fish meal and high levels of vegetable proteins.

young “The industry suffers from several bottlenecks

”

Farming operations for all major aquaculture species are under threat from disease, be it caused by viral, bacterial and/or parasitic pathogens.

Health promoting feed additives are a crucial component of an effective disease prevention strategy and have become a standard ingredient in premium brands of aquafeeds. Functional feeds containing gut health promotors deliver with every meal an adequate concentration of natural anti-microbial activities into the digestive system.

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

Find out more at www.nutriad.com FF

Power up your aquafeed too.

DISCOVER NUTRIAD’S AQUA HEALTH PROGRAM Nutriad’s aqua team works together with researchers and producers around the globe to develop an innovative range of health promotors and optimize their application under today’s challenging production conditions. Based on natural ingredients, these specialty additives reduce the impact of diseases and parasites on the productivity of fish and shrimp. Today, our aqua-specific product lines SANACORE®, APEX®, AQUASTIM® and BACTI-NIL®, are applied in premium brands of functional feeds for fish and shrimp. Feed is much more than just nutrition.

Interested?

Visit our booth #12 at EAS 2017, October 17-20, Dubrovnik

58

Nutriad - PED.indd 58

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 16:02:29

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Processing News

New factory ticks the right boxes

Salmon prices slice Wasabi profits

A supplier of fresh Scottish seafood and game is continuing its expansion strategy with the purchase of a new factory on the outskirts of Inverness.

Above: Fishbox founder Magnus Houston

COAST and Glen will add to its existing industrial premises in Walker Road in Inverness, with the new fish and game processing factory, which spans 2,631 sq ft within a 0.26 acre site.

The new facility, at Wyndhill Industrial Estate in Muir of Ord, is expected to lead to a number of new jobs.

It was purchased with assistance from HSBC. Coast and Glen supplies to food service customers throughout the Highlands and islands as well as to Michelin star restau-

rants across the UK. It also operates a sister company, Fishbox, which enables customers to have a regular box of mixed fresh fish delivered next day UK wide.

Founding managing director Magnus Houston, who was recently named Scotland’s Institute of Directors Emerging Director of the Year and Scotland’s Rising Star in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, has ambitions to grow the business and is actively expanding its customer base within the retail sector.

Ambitions to grow

“

The new factory will allow Fishbox to expand its customer acquisition

”

‘The new factory and office will not only allow Fishbox to expand its customer acquisition, but will free up space to let Coast and Glen continue its organic growth,’ he said.

Young’s reports big rise in Q3 turnover YOUNG’S Seafood has announced growth in turnover for the third quarter of its financial year, partly due to the capture of some new contracts.

The company has so far declined to name its ‘new business win’ but this is widely believed to be the 488-strong sandwich bar and restaurant chain Pret a Manger.

The figure for the 13 weeks to July 1 (Young’s financial year ends on September 30) was £131.9 million, an increase of 11.6 per cent year on year and an increase on the previous quarter’s sales. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was £5.2 million.

Bill Showalter (pictured), who took over as CEO in January, said: ‘Top line progression including contract wins, along with the actions we have taken to reduce costs, have further

BRC success for Grimsby salmon firm GRIMSBY salmon specialist JCS Fish has achieved certification to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) AA Grade standard – doubling up on its achievement last year of A Grade status.

BRC Global Standards is an independently audited safety and quality certification programme which major supermarkets require from their suppliers. It is now used by 22,000 certificated food suppliers in 123 countries.

JCS director Louise Coulbeck said: ‘We are all delighted to have passed the even more rigorous AA standard, which is testament to the continued dedication of our hard working team in Grimsby.’

Above: Louise Coulbeck

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Processing News.indd 60

reinforced progress towards our medium term profitability target. This was another quarter of year on year sales growth across both frozen and chilled temperature regimes.

‘We continued to drive our cost reduction programmes and the success of this approach is reflected in the results.

‘A new business win has been achieved in one of our targeted growth channels, food service, which includes a food service contract with a major fast food retail company.’

Grimsby based Young’s is also looking overseas for sales growth. Earlier this year it appointed an international director and a deal with a US retail source is thought to be close.

Above: Bill Showalter

Making a mark FORMER copywriter Mark White has forged a unique business delivering produce by travelling around London’s Underground.

His unlikely venture started seven years ago after a restaurant owner friend asked him to help move boxes around the markets at 3am in the morning.

Eventually, he began visiting the markets on his own after seeing that some fishmongers were selling fish sold at

Billingsgate for double the price.

One day he bought £20 worth of sausages from Smithfield market and sold them for £35.

Now he sends out a mailing on Mailchimp or through social media

and receives orders by return. These are delivered to customers via the Underground.

He later retreats to the Star & Garter pub in Soho, from where the remaining customers can collect their orders.

THE Wasabi sushi chain has blamed soaring salmon prices for its pre-tax profits tumbling from £2 million to £769,598 last year, the Daily Telegraph reported last month.

Despite the jump in salmon costs, Wasabi grew sales from £80 million to £98 million in 2016 after increasing the number of branches from 49 to 55, including a second store in New York.

Wholesale salmon prices have soared by as much as 50 per cent in the past year.

‘Unlike many businesses, Wasabi decided not to pass on the increased costs of salmon to our customers, preferring instead to absorb the additional costs ourselves,’ said Wasabit finance boss Scott Etherington.

‘The salmon wholesale market is notoriously volatile but we are very confident that Wasabi is in excellent shape to ride out any future price fluctuations during the remainder of 2017.’

Wasabi recently signed a trial with Marks & Spencer to open five sushi bars inside the retailer’s larger shops by the end of this year.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 15:59:15

B I O L O G Y

T E C H N O L O G Y By developing technology focused on solving the biological challenges we contribute to the continued development of a sustainable industry

with fish welfare as the most important success criteria. Good fish health is paramount in achieving good results and investing in our technology will help deliver both.

www.akvagroup.com

Untitled-2 61

04/09/2017 11:04:37

From the archive – July/August 2003

Will cod be a tasty dish for investors?

A

BOUT 300 licences for marine cod farming have been issued so far in Norway, but only approximately 50 of these have actually started to cultivate cod. Nevertheless, some important obstacles in the industry have been overcome during the last years.

For example, juvenile supply is not the bottleneck it was considered to be only one or two years ago. This is both a result of higher control over the biology, but also as a result of a slightly more reluctant demand from the ongrowing side. This has, and will continue to lead to a decline in the juvenile price, in addition to an increase in the production of cod.

Due to the elimination of the juvenile bottleneck, and due to the financial status of the industry, there were too many juveniles in the market in the beginning of 2003. Following poor profitability in the salmon sector, financial institutions in Norway are in general more reluctant to finance the fish farming industry – and most farmers cannot put fish into the sea without financial backup.

Farmed versus wild caught cod There are now between 15 and 20 companies which produce cod juveniles in Norway. Of these, fewer than 10 producers have a licence to produce a million juveniles or more.

Farmed cod is predicted to find its main role in the fresh market,

2.8

due to its perceived comparative advantages compared to wild caught cod. It can be supplied fresh throughout the year on a more reliable basis than wild caught cod, and usually has a shorter journey from the production plants to the market. Production methods for farmed cod can also be customised to meet specific standards or requirements such as quality or traceability.

Europe will probably be the main market for Norwegian farmed fresh cod because of its proximity to the production sites, and because of the status that it already has in this market. This is also the market for nearly all current Norwegian exports of fresh cod.

The product ‘fresh farmed cod’ is still a niche product, which can achieve higher prices than wild caught cod.

Once larger markets for farmed cod have been established, they will still face influences from wild caught cod, especially so in ‘good’ years in the cod fisheries. The main factors which affect the price of both wild caught and farmed cod are cod quotas and catches, but prices of other protein sources will also affect the cod price.

As long as cod supplies from fisheries constitute a large share of the total supply, and supplies of farmed cod exceed the volumes going to ‘pure’ niche segments, purchase prices of fresh wild caught cod will act as a guideline also for farmed cod prices.

Economic Feedprices Conversion Trend Weekly average first hand in NorwayRatio—Growth for fresh wild caught cod

2.6 2.4

EFCR

2.2

FEED CONVERSION

2

DAILY FEED

1.8

GROWTH TREND

1.6

WEIGHT CHANGE

1.4

AVG. TEMP

1.2 1 0.8 Jul ‘16

Aug ‘16

Sep ‘16

Oct ‘16

Nov ‘16

Dec ‘16

Jan ‘17

Feb ‘17

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Archive - Sept.indd 62

© 2017 Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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04/09/2017 15:56:01

Mar ‘17

From the archive – July/August 2003

over 2.5kg (gutted, head off) have fluctuated between NOK 14.90 and NOK 23.80 per kg during recent years.

Supply and outlook - European wild caught cod In the Barents Sea the quota (TAC) for 2003 divided between Norway and Russia is 395,500 tonnes, the same as in year 2001 and 2002. After transfers to third countries, the two countries will have 195,500 tonnes and 183,500 tonnes respectively in year 2003. ICES recommended a catch of only 305,000 tonnes in 2003, while the corresponding recommendation for 2004 is 398,000 tonnes.

In Iceland, the quotas follow the fishing year, starting a new season every September. The quota has steadily decreased in recent years.

In the 99/00 season the TAC was set at 247,000 tonnes, followed by 203,000 tonnes for 00/01, 190,000 tonnes for 01/02 and 179,000 tonnes for the current season.

However, the Marine Research Institute of Iceland has recently recommended an increased TAC for three quarters of the season of 209,000 tonnes.

In the European Community there have also been reductions during the last years. In 1999 the total EU quota for cod was 275,000 tonnes.

This has steadily decreased from 246,000 tonnes in 2000, to 149,000 tonnes in 2002. For 2003 the agreed total EU quota is 122,000 tonnes. Current recommendations from scientists for 2004 are for further decreases.

The outlook in EU waters is not promising, and a complete ban has even been discussed for the Norwegian/EU managed resources in the North Sea area. However, these catches are of minor importance in terms of volume.

Though a slight recovery seems to be apparent in some zones, the supply of wild caught cod is decreasing. A fact that can be considered good news for cod farmers. FF

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14/07/2014 14:54:48 14/07/2014 04/09/2017 14:54:48 11:11:34

Opinion – Inside track

Time to manage?

BY NICK JOY

I

N the early part of my career we advertised for a biologist and a site manager at the same time.

For the biologist job we received 150 applicants, for the manager’s three. I was astounded at the difference. The remuneration was broadly similar yet one had career prospects and the other’s was apparently very limited.

Why is management perceived to be something that is at the end of people’s career lists? It was a question that came to dog me throughout my career.

As I write this column, the Prime Minister has been talking about greed at the top of corporate structures and I am not going to disagree with the issue. Where I have a problem is singling out this greed.

When it was discovered that Chris Evans is paid £2 million a year did we all talk about corruption or greed? Not really, yet what is he actually responsible for apart from himself and a large fleet of cars?

When a footballer is bought for £200 million do we rail against a system that pays a person who can use their feet to an extraordinary degree over a person who can build a house or skipper a boat or manage a complex business?

The perception that management is a bad thing per se riddles our thinking in Britain and, to an even greater degree, in Scotland and it needs to stop.

We all know that a country full of badly run companies will have a weak economy and, in the long run, poor employment and low pay.

But we are told by the media that the problem with the NHS, for example, is too many managers, the idiotic suggestion being that if we got rid of them it would run smoothly.

The constant inference politically is that management has to be contained, constrained and controlled or else it will be a malign force on society.

However, we need to regard the management of business as a parallel to becoming a doctor, lawyer or accountant.

These professions are well paid and seen as critical to a successful society. But as I have often pointed out, doctors, lawyers and accountants only thrive in societies with a successful business community.

Doctors need there to be strong tax generation in the UK, and lawyers and accountants are funded by strong business too.

Of course, I was in management and therefore would feel this way, but there is more to it than that I hope.

We all like to be appreciated but that is not the issue for me either.

More than anything, management is the art of working with people, forming teams, getting everyone to see themselves in light of a team and working towards a common goal.

Its role is to motivate, encourage and drive personal development.

In other words, it is there to give people a greater chance.

Sure, there is room for abuse as there is in any position of authority, but there is also a much larger place for ethical behaviour.

Fish farming needs good management more than any other business I know because of the vagaries and dangers of dealing with water, fish and boats.

66

Nick Joy.indd 66

The “ organisation

required is critical, not just to the business but to people’s safety and security

”

Added to this is the requirement for multi-skilled, independent people who are sent to sea in small groups to accomplish difficult tasks in awkward conditions.

The organisation required is critical, not just to the business but to people’s safety and security.

The attitude that only certain types of people go for management will give us a certain type of management.

But to get good management, you need good people. So ask yourself when you read this, if you are not yet in management, why shouldn’t you be?

If you don’t want to be a manager then don’t ever complain about the manager you have if they are less than perfect. You only have yourself to blame! FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/09/2017 15:54:58

Ace Aquatec.indd 67

04/09/2017 11:12:33

Cooperation FOR

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for conference: ae2017@aquaeas.eu for tradeshow & sponsorship: mario@marevent.com 04/09/2017 11:13:53