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SNP-Green deal includes no-go sea zones for farming

Above: Patrick Harvie, Below: Tavish Scott

THE power-sharing deal agreed between Scotland’s SNP Government and the Scottish Greens includes a commitment to ban all fi sheries and aquaculture from at least 10% of Scottish waters.

The deal, which follows weeks of negotiations between the two parties, falls short of a full coalition, although two Green MSPs have been given junior ministerial posts. The parties have agreed to differ on a range of issues from aviation and international relations to independent schools and the regulation of sex work. In other areas, the Greens will support the SNP, including on a call for a second referendum on Scottish independence within fi ve years.

A shared policy platform has been hammered out, which has been published as Working Together to Build a Greener, Fairer, Independent Scotland – otherwise known as the Bute House Agreement.

The agreement specifi cally addresses aquaculture and pledges:  An independent review to consider the effectiveness and effi ciency of the current regulatory regime for fi sh farming – this had previously been announced by the Scottish Government;  A vision and strategy for sustainable aquaculture “that places an enhanced emphasis on environmental protection and community benefi ts”;  An immediate programme of work to better protect wildlife and the environment, including a response to the Salmon Interactions Working Group in September 2021, consultation on a “spatially adaptive” sea lice risk assessment framework for fi sh farms by the end of the year, and strengthened controls on sea lice, wrasse and fi sh escapes in the course of 2021/22; and  A commitment to ensure “that fi sh farming contributes more to support communities and recreational fi sheries, to promote innovation and to support services such as fi sh health and welfare inspections and monitoring”.

In addition, the agreement commits to a “step change” in marine protection, including the introduction of a new category of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), for inshore and offshore locations, which will cover at least 10% of Scottish waters.

Within the HPMAs there will be no permitted aquaculture or fi sheries of any kind, or infrastructure developments, but limited tourism and recreational activities would be allowed.

A recommendation that HPMAs should be introduced for English waters was set out in the Benyon Review, commissioned for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and published in 2019.

The document also states: “The Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party believe that Scotland should have a sustainable, diverse, competitive and economically viable aquaculture industry. It must operate within environmental limits and with social licence, and ensure there is a thriving marine ecosystem for future generations.”

The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) has cautiously welcomed the joint policy programme published as part of the SNP/ Scottish Greens power-sharing agreement. The SSPO says the programme is “a constructive starting point”.

Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, said: “Scotland’s salmon farming sector has always recognised the need for a good working relationship with SNP Government ministers who, in turn, have acknowledged the important role we play not only in island and rural communities, but right across Scotland.

“We hope the strong and supportive partnership we have with government will continue during this parliamentary session, whatever the makeup of the ministerial team.”

Mowi promises “good mood food” in TV ad campaign

MOWI is promoting its brand in the UK with a nationwide TV advertising campaign and a tie-up with Great British Bake Off star Kimberley Wilson.

The company’s TV blitz includes spots across many satellite channels as well as ITV and Channel 4. Mowi anticipates that more than 65% of adults in the UK will have seen a Mowi advert over the period of the campaign.

The initiative is also being supported with a refreshed digital advertising campaign launching on Instagram, Facebook and, for the fi rst time, Pinterest. The aim is to drive over 9,000 clicks a week to www.sainsburys.co.uk.

Speaking about the investment, Head of Sales James Cowan, said: “Our commitment to growing the salmon category continues as we inspire consumers to eat salmon and recognise the quality and freshness of Mowi. Many thanks to all our colleagues who deliver consistently high-quality products in these challenging times. We have learned that over half of Mowi sales have been incremental to our partner Sainsbury’s and we continue to provide bespoke support to it during the TV campaign.”

Meanwhile, former Bake Off fi nalist Kimberley Wilson has partnered with Mowi, creating delicious, nutritious recipes as part of the Good Mood Food campaign. A chartered psychologist with a degree in nutrition, Wilson has developed recipes specifi cally aimed at creating a positive mood.

Above: Kimberley Wilson Left: Mowi new packaging

Marine fund grant for fi shers and processors

Above: Mairi Gougeon visits Mowi. Below: David Duguid

FISHING businesses and marine organisations in Scotland have been awarded funding to mitigate the impacts of Brexit, help the sector recover from effects of Covid-19 and protect the environment.

The fi nancial support of almost £800,000 – part of the £14m Marine Fund Scotland - was announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon in a food and drink debate in the Scottish Parliament.

Recipients in the latest round of awards include the Independent Fishers Science Support Scheme (nearly £360,000) to support onboard observers on fi shing vessels, £280,000 to Seafi sh for fi sher training and the Solway Marine Litter project (£41,060). Fish processor and supplier Downies of Whitehills, based in Aberdeenshire, is to receive around £206,000 towards a new store and freezer. Gougeon said: “Our producers, farmers and fi shermen showed tremendous spirit as they navigated the pandemic and now face the stark realities of a new operating landscape brought about by a reckless Brexit deal. “Daily, we hear of new and emerging challenges: shortages of HGV drivers and workers in processing and manufacturing, as well as associated skills shortages across the industry.” She said that labour and skills shortages typifi ed the hard Brexit that had been imposed on Scotland.

Meanwhile, the UK Government-led Scottish Seafood Industry Action Group convened for the fi rst time this month in an online meeting chaired by UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid.

The Action Group is a successor to the Scottish Seafood Exports Task Force, which wound up earlier in the year after producing a report outlining problems for the sector and priorities for action. Some actions have been carried out but others, such as setting up a fully digital system for environmental health certifi cates (EHCs) are still works in progress.

The SNP had criticised the decision to end the Task Force, but Duguid said the Action Group would continue to address the issues identifi ed.

Duguid said, following the Group’s fi rst meeting: “There was good news on progress on digitisation of paperwork for exporters and we are raising concerns with the EU about plans that would mean each animal for live export would have to be counted, possibly adding unnecessary stress for shellfi sh such as crabs and lobsters.

“A priority for the industry is the issue of labour shortages and this is something we are in the process of considering.”

In August, the seafood trade body Seafi sh announced that new health certifi cation rules, which would have applied to seafood exporters in Great Britain exporting to the European Union would not come into effect until 15 January 2022. They had been planned to take effect from 21 August, but the industry asked for more time to prepare for the change. As well as requiring more detailed information to accompany seafood consignments bound for the EU, EHCs will from 15 January have to be signed off by an offi cial veterinarian. At present, environmental health offi cers are authorised to sign EHCs. One easing of the rules will be that clinical inspections of listed and vector species can take place up to 72 hours before loading, rather than being limited to 24 hours ahead.

Seafood funding rounds open for bids

SEAFOOD and fisheries businesses in England are being invited to apply for project funding from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

The MMO, an arm of the UK Government, has opened four timelimited funding rounds to support:  Businesses trading in live bivalve molluscs (LBMs);  Projects aimed at protecting the marine environment;  Projects delivering “world class” science and technological achievements; and  Projects supporting or enhancing the recreational sea fishing sector.

The closing date for submissions for all four rounds is 6 October 2021.

The funding for businesses in the LBM sector aims to support financial resilience and viability; help businesses adapt to post-Brexit trading conditions; and encourage investment in infrastructure, such as depuration facilities, that facilitates domestic sales and exports. This funding round will have an individual grant cap of £150,000 per project.

Go online to www.gov.uk/guidance/ fisheries-and-seafood-scheme#FaSS for more information on these funding rounds, eligibility criteria and details on how to apply.

SSC brings in Nofitech for hatchery project

RECIRCULATING aquaculture system (RAS) technology company Nofitech has won a contract with The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) to help redevelop SSC’s hatchery at its Applecross site in Wester Ross.

The agreement is part of a £49m investment to create a state-of-the-art RAS unit at the Applecross site.

RAS technology, SSC said, would allow fish to be reared for longer in freshwater tanks before being moved to marine sites. Greater control of the freshwater rearing environment means that farmers can produce larger smolt, shortening the marine production element of the cycle and so reducing the biological risk of rearing in the sea.

Ian Laister, Managing Director of The Scottish Salmon Company, said: “This contract marks the first important milestone in our commitment to incorporate RAS technology across all our freshwater production, which is fundamental to our growth strategy. Nofitech’s experience in this field will ensure that SSC is at the leading edge of RAS technology not only at Applecross, but at future freshwater facilities.”

The programme to redevelop the existing hatchery at Applecross is intended to be the first of three large hatcheries in Scotland, with sites for the other two still to be determined. It is part of a commitment by SSC’s parent company, Bakkafrost, to invest more than £40m a year in Scotland “across the value chain” over the next five years.

In November last year, Nofitech was appointed as the RAS contractor for Bakkafrost’s Glyvradal smolt hatchery on the Faroe Islands.

SSPO donates over £70,000 to wild salmon conservation projects

THE Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) has provided conservation bodies with funding of more than £70,000 to help ensure the future of wild salmon.

The awards were made through the Wild Salmonid Support Fund, which is financed by the leading fish farming companies and managed by independent grant-making charity Foundation Scotland.

The fund, launched this April, aims ultimately to invest around £1.5m to support wild salmon and sea trout stocks in Scotland. The five organisations receiving funding in this round are:

 Argyll Fisheries Trust, which received £18,600 to

invest in habitat restoration for sea trout in the

Dalvuie Burn near Oban;

 The Flow Country Rovers Trust, in the

Highlands, which will use its £10,070 grant to help fund research into macroinvertebrates in 10 rivers, contributing to a picture of the health of stream habitats and the effects of global warming;

 In the Outer Hebrides, Urras Oighreachd

Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Estate Trust) received a grant of £9,251 to undertake a project that will aim to improve salmon spawning grounds on the Carloway river, including the replenishment of gravel beds;

 Wester Ross Fisheries Trust; and  Lochaber Fisheries Trust.

Tavish Scott, CEO of the SSPO, said: “Investing in good science and nature restoration projects on Scotland’s rivers is extremely important.

“We look forward to seeing the results of these excellent projects that are funded by the sector, and those that will be delivered in future under this fund, to benefit Scotland’s iconic wild salmon and sea trout.”

Cooke’s Bay of Holland site gets organic certification

COOKE Aquaculture Scotland’s Bay of Holland farm site in Orkney has been certified as organic by the Soil Association.

The Bay of Holland seawater site, Stronsay, was constructed in early 2021 and stocked with Soil Association organic-certified smolts that currently average 550g. A new, purpose-built 200-tonne feed barge was commissioned from Gael Force to support the site.

Cooke Aquaculture Scotland is the largest producer of organic Orkney salmon and the latest certification brings the number of Cooke’s Soil Association organic certified seawater sites in Orkney up to 10.

In order to gain the Soil Association seal of approval, a farm site must meet the Association’s requirements, particularly as regards feed, stocking density, permitted treatments and fish welfare.

Cooke’s organic salmon are marketed as “Orkney organic” and sold by some of the leading retailers including Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Tesco.

Norman Peace, Bay of Holland Site Manager at Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, said: “It is fitting to mark the start of Organic September by confirming our newest seawater site has achieved Soil Association certification.

“We’ve been raising organic Scottish salmon consistently for more than a decade and this latest certification for Bay of Holland demonstrates our commitment to meeting the Soil Association’s highest standards and producing a premium product that is enjoyed throughout the world.”

Above: Site Manager Norman Peace

AquaGen hires Butler for hatchery role

Above: Steven Butler

AqUACULTUrE breeding and genetics specialist AquaGen Scotland has appointed Steven Butler as Development Manager for its Holywood Hatchery near Dumfries.

Butler, from Errol near Perth, comes to AquaGen with a strong background in aquaculture engineering project and hatchery management, having worked for several of the major salmon producers over the past 30 years.

He has consulted for AquaGen over the past 12 months, helping to make improvements to the hatchery, which AquaGen – which is headquartered in Norway – purchased in 2019.

Butler said: “It is a great opportunity for me to bring my experience to a company that plays such an important role in the Scottish aquaculture value-chain.”

Scottish Sea Farms staff set to clean up

SCOTTISH Sea Farms is scaling up its involvement in the Great British Beach Clean, mobilising employees and their friends, families and local communities to tackle rubbish washed up or left by beach users.

The event, taking place from 17 to 26 September, is organised UK-wide by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and covers hundreds of beaches. Scottish Sea Farms is asking its staff – around 480 on Scotland’s west coast, Orkney and Shetland – to take part by helping to collect rubbish from a registered beach local to them.

This is the fourth year SSF has participated in the Beach Clean. Last year, because of Covid-19 restrictions the company was represented only by employees in “work bubbles”, but this year family members, friends and neighbours are also being invited to take part.

Each team of volunteers will be focusing on a 100-metre stretch of beach, removing litter and rubbish washed up on shore, and recording what they find to help MCS record the scale and source of the problem.

Ten Scottish Sea Farms Beach Clean co-ordinators have volunteered to oversee efforts in their communities: from Barcaldine, Eriboll, Kishorn, Mallaig, Mull, Oban, South Shian and the Summer Isles on the Scottish mainland to the Orkney and Shetland islands. Each coordinator is responsible for registering their local Beach Cleans, completing a survey of the litter collected and submitting the data to the MCS national database. They will also deliver safety briefings on the day and issue protective gloves and bags, as well as packed lunches, to all those involved.

Scottish Sea Farms Managing Director Jim Gallagher said: “The more of us who get involved, the greater the difference we can make, so we’re delighted to be able to welcome back family, friends and members of our local communities.”

Aquaculture Innovation Summit focuses on aquaculture, technology and finance

EXPERTS and industry leaders will be sharing their insights at the Aquaculture Innovation Summit, which is being held as an online event on 28 and 29 September.

The summit, the fourth in an annual series, focuses on the technology, innovation and investment that is transforming the global aquaculture sector. Speakers include Dr Mark Powell, CEO and General Manager, Marineholmen RASLab AS, a Norwegian contract research and innovation company with a primary focus on recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology and land-based aquaculture production; Amy Novogratz, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Aqua-Spark, the international fund specialising in sustainable aquaculture investment; and Nils Arne Grønlie, General Manager of PHARMAQ, which uses advanced diagnostic and detection methods to support fi sh health and welfare.

The event brings together pre-revenue and emerging aquaculture companies; established players and suppliers in the sector; fi nancial, venture capital and private equity investors; government representatives and regulators; and service providers and consultants.

As well as online presentations and interactive panel debates, the Summit gives attendees the chance to meet one-on-one in a virtual format, creating opportunities for networking during the event. It will also provide the chance for emerging businesses to get their ideas in front of those with the fi nance and resources to help make them happen.

Presentations from industry leaders will also be available ahead of the summit itself, for those who register.

Other speakers at the event include Bryton Shang, CEO and Founder, Aquabyte, a Silicon Valley and Norway-based venture-backed company applying machine learning and computer vision to fi sh farming; Larsen Mettler, Managing Director with S2G Ventures, a multi-stage venture fund investing in food and agriculture; Sophie Ryan, CEO, Global Salmon Initiative, a leadership group representing more than 40% of the global farmed salmon industry and focusing on sustainability; Gerard Chia, Partner VisVires New Protein; and Jennifer Kuo, Chief Technology Development and Sustainability Offi cer with international feed group Grobest.

The Aquaculture Innovation Summit is organised by Kisaco Research and PHARMAQ is Digital Innovation Partner for the event. Fish Farmer magazine is a media sponsor.

Attendance at the two-day event, including networking facilities, costs £799 (start-ups/emerging companies and VC/angel investors) or £1,299 (others). For more information or to register, go online to www.aquacultureinnovationsummit.com

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Research aims to improve wrasse vaccination

Above: Ballan wrasse

A team of UK researchers has received funding to fi nd better ways to vaccinate ballan wrasse against bacterial infection.

It is hoped the project could help to grow the use of wrasse as cleaner fi sh to control sea lice.

The consortium – led by the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture and the salmon producer Mowi, with support from Otter Ferry Seafi sh, Ceva Ridgeway Biologicals and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre – will explore the range of factors that determine the best possible conditions for delivering vaccinations against Aeromonas salmonicida, a bacterium that can cause potentially fatal outbreaks of disease in cleaner fi sh.

Ballan wrasse currently receive vaccinations against multiple health conditions at the hatchery stage. However, the group will look at alternative formulations of the vaccine, which could offer greater protection against disease.

The team will also consider the best timing and method of delivering the vaccine – ideally through immersion which can be easier to administer than injections – and assess and compare the way ballan wrasse react to each variable.

Dr Sean Monaghan from the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling said: “Enhancing vaccines for Aeromonas salmonicida could represent a signifi cant step forward in the use of ballan wrasse in aquaculture. We know that prevention is better than cure and we are, therefore, working towards the development of more effective vaccine formulations and protocols that can be used by hatcheries and producers to improve fi sh welfare.”

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Benchmark reports strong growth in Q3

GENETICS and animal health specialist Benchmark Group saw its revenue and profits surging back in the third quarter of this year, with strong performance in all areas, especially in the sale of salmon eggs.

The group’s revenue for Q3 was £28.3m, up 17% on the same period last year. Revenue for the year to date is £87.8m, an increase of 9% on the first three quarters of 2020.

Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations was £4.4m, up 110% on Q3 of 2020, and adjusted operating profit was £2.9m, up 383% on the same quarter last year. Adjusted operating profit for the year to date was £7.3m (up 40%).

Statutory accounts, however, show an operating loss of £5.9m for the year to date and a loss of £1.2m for the latest quarter (the previous year saw statutory losses of £8.1m for the first three quarters and a loss, restated, for Q3 2020 of £4.2m.

Benchmark also reports liquidity of around £51m as at 23 August 2021.

Genetics was the best performing division, with revenues up 21% driven by demand for salmon eggs. Advanced nutrition revenues increased by 15% year on year. The group expects to see revenue increase further once its sea lice treatment Ectosan/CleanTreat comes onstream.

Benchmark CEO Trond Williksen said: “We are very pleased with the results and progress in Q3 2021 and the subsequent period. Our three business areas performed strongly, and we achieved a major strategic milestone with the successful commercial launch of Ectosan® Vet and CleanTreat®. We now have the basis to have three profitable business areas moving the Group closer to overall profitability.

“There is good momentum in the business following the streamlining exercise conducted in 2020 and the adoption of a new commercial focus. Our end markets are gradually recovering from the impact of Covid-19, creating a positive environment for our business. All this provides confidence in our ability to deliver full year results in line with market expectations, as well as progress in future years.”

Climate change research grant for Stirling’s Falconer

UnIvERSITy of Stirling researcher Dr Lynne Falconer has been awarded a £1.5m grant for a project that aims to help the aquaculture industry use data to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Dr Falconer, of the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling, has been awarded a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship award for her proposal to use data from salmon farms located on the coasts of Scotland and Norway to develop tools for better decision-making, as the industry faces up to the effects of global warming.

Together with her research team, she will use a combination of fieldwork, data analysis and predictive modelling to develop a framework of tools

for industry to develop future responses to short- and longterm changes. Dr Falconer said: “The Fellowship provides an outstanding opportunity to establish my own research team and

Above: Lynne Falconer lead an ambitious

programme of research that will have real-world impact.” “Marine aquaculture is an important contributor to the global food system. But climate change is a threat, as fish production is highly influenced by the farm environment. Even small changes in the farming conditions can affect fish growth, health and welfare. Dr Falconer is one of 97 Fellows awarded in the current round of the Future Leaders Fellowships scheme, worth a total of £96m.

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NEWS...

NTS wins contested bid for Norway Royal Salmon in dramatic twist

Above: Norwegian Royal Salmon farm

DESPITE predictions to the contrary, NTS emerged the winner in the battle to own Norway Royal Salmon (NRS).

On 26 August, in a day of high drama and more than a few surprises in Oslo, NTS announced in the morning it had acquired only just over 40% of the shares in the business. Rival fi sh farmer SalMar, which was also keen to acquire NRS, looked to be on its way to victory.

But as the deadline for acceptance of the NTS offer drew to a close that afternoon, NTS won two key share blocks from Egil Kristoffersen and Sonner, and from Norway Fresh, taking the NTS stake to more than 70% and sealing the deal.

NTS had offered NOK 240 a share and faced a rival bid from SalMar with a higher fi gure of NOK 270. Acceptance of the latter depended on SalMar acquiring 50% of the company’s shares.

SalMar said in a brief statement that evening: “SalMar’s announced voluntary cash offer to buy all outstanding shares in Norway Royal Salmon ASA will not be promoted.”

According to reports from Norway, business magnate Helge Gåsø, who is the largest single shareholder in NRS and who also represents NTS on the NRS board, was ready to try to block the SalMar bid.

NRS said in announcement to the Oslo Stock Exchange that NTS ASA will become the owner of NRS, having secured more than 50% of the shares in the business. This made it impossible for SalMar to gain more than half of the stock.

NTS is a major player in the supply of wellboats, support vessels and other aquaculture support services, but its salmon farming operations are relatively modest, which is why it was so keen to get its hands on NRS.

Meanwhile, NTS also posted secondquarter operating revenues of NOK 601m (£50m) against NOK 610m for the same period last year.

NTS ASA’s total operating revenues in the second quarter of 2021 amounted to NOK 601m (£49.7m), compared with NOK 610m (£50.4m) in the same period last year.

This gave an EBITDA of NOK 221m (£18m), compared with NOK 205m and a group operating profi t of NOK 130m (£10.8m) against NOK 119m 12 months ago.

Norwegian salmon sales hit August record

EXPORTS of Norwegian salmon hit a new August record last month, with sales totalling NOK 7bn (£584m).

The country’s fi sh farmers exported 119,000 tonnes during the month, an increase of 21% on volume and 33% in value compared with August last year.

Seafood exports of all types, including whitefi sh, shellfi sh and pelagic species such as herring and mackerel, also soared to a new high last month, totalling NOK 9.6bn, (£800m) up by 23% or NOK 2.3bn (£192m).

On salmon sales, Seafood Council analyst Paul T. Aandahl said: “We have never had such a strong August for salmon exports, either in volume or value.

“Increased tourism and a gradual reopening of the restaurant sector are two of the explanations. At the same time, we also see that home consumption is increasing in several markets, which has raised the demand for salmon compared with August last year.”

Poland was the largest growth market for salmon.

Aandahl added: “There is still a high demand for processed products such as smoked salmon and pre-packaged salmon portions for sale in retail in markets such as Germany, France and Italy. This means that sales of salmon as a raw material to the processing industry are increasing.”

Seafood Council CEO Renate Larsen said the reopening of the world community was obviously having a positive effect.

Farmed trout sales also performed well in value terms last month despite a 6% drop in volume. They totalled NOK 404m (£34m), a rise of NOK 79m (£6.6m) or 25% with the US, Belarus and the Ukraine the largest markets.

Icelandic Salmon to launch own brand

ICELANDIC Salmon is preparing to launch its own brand in the coming weeks.

The company said the label would be called “Arnarlax – Sustainable Icelandic Salmon” and would help the group break into new markets as well as differentiate its products from others. The launch is expected some time during the current quarter.

Icelandic Salmon is the parent company of Arnarlax, the largest producer of Atlantic Salmon in Iceland and owned by the Norwegian giant SalMar.

It said: “With Icelandic super-chill technology, Icelandic Salmon has continued to expand a new export route by boat to the US, with a lower carbon footprint and less cost than air freight.

“The group also signed a contract with a local partner for production of pre-rigour fillet, which is a new product for Icelandic Salmon.

The announcement was made on presentation of the group’s first-half (January-June) results, which show a small increase in revenues to €35.7m. The operational EBIT or profit came out at €3.43m against a loss of €490,000 in the first half of last year.

The company also generated a half year pre-tax profit of €2.95m compared with a loss of €6.88m 12 months earlier.

It said: “Continued attention to cost efficiency and increased market prices have contributed to the good financial result. The total own harvest in the period was 4,848 tonnes, and biological performance improved especially on mortality and growth rate.

“Low lice levels recorded and no delicing required. Two Arctic char facilities were acquired in the period. Conversion to smolt production is underway and will increase the group’s total smolt capacity with approximately 800,000 smolt in 2022 and 1,500,000 smolt in 2023.”

The statement added: “Icelandic Salmon experienced positive development in biology in the first half of 2021, mainly related to reduced mortality and a better growth rate.

“A change of harvest strategy with lower biomass into the winter season and lower density in the cages contributed to the improved results.

“The majority of the fish was harvested towards the end of the period, leading to a favourable price achievement.”

A new barge and a service boat were delivered during the period, further extending the group’s production capabilities.

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Aquaship selects Cflow for wellboats

AQUACULTURE services provider Aquaship has chosen Norwegian company Cflow to install fish-handling technology on two newly commissioned wellboats.

The vessels, Grip Marine and Grip Explorer are both conversions from offshore industry PSVs (platform supply vessels), adapted for live fish transport.

Cflow will deliver complete water treatment and fish handling systems for the vessels. The advanced control system will monitor fish handling operations onboard and also collect data to continuously improve fish welfare and efficiency.

Nils Otterlei, Chief Operating Officer at Aquaship, said: “It is crucial for us to have the latest technology onboard. We have had a good cooperation with Cflow over decades and with Grip Marine and Grip Explorer we are taking it one step further. In addition we are reducing our environmental footprint through converting existing vessels instead of building from scratch.”

Chlorine spill impact “limited” says Grieg

THE environmental impact from a chlorine spill at a Grieg Seafood site has been “temporary and limited”, the company said.

The leak, at Grieg Seafood Finnmark’s harvesting plant in northern Norway, killed an estimated 96,000 salmon in four pens outside the plant. The incident took place on 10 August and appears to have involved 15,000 litres of chlorine, which is used to disinfect the harvesting plant.

Grieg said that the lost fish were insured and that no staff were injured in the incident.

The company engaged Akvaplan-niva, an accredited subsidiary of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), to carry out an independent report on the impact of the spill. Chlorine is highly toxic to marine life, but it rapidly breaks down in water and the consultants’ report confirmed that the impact on the local environment was temporary. Akvaplan said that its investigation showed that fish and seabed species were already recolonising the affected area and the effect of the spill had been confined to a limited area.

Managing Director of Grieg Seafood Finnmark, Vidar Aamo Nikolaisen, said: “I am relieved that the environmental consequences are limited and temporary, and that the spill has not impacted the Altafjord. Fortunately, recovery and recolonisation around the harvesting plant will proceed quickly, according to the assessment.

“Still, this is a very serious incident. It is first and foremost a fish welfare tragedy. During the three years that each salmon is under our care, we constantly work to ensure the best possible fish health and welfare. It is painful to think about what our fish have gone through. Such a leak should not occur. We will get to the bottom of this matter and we will learn from the incident at all levels in the organisation.”

He apologised for the incident and said the company would work to rebuild the trust it had lost.

SalMar and Aker launch offshore farming venture

SALMAR has entered into a strategic partnership with Aker ASA, the industrial investment company specialising in energy, seafood and marine biotechnology, to establish a global offshore aquaculture business

The new joint venture company will be known as SalMar Aker Ocean AS and will conduct fish farming in open water and in some instances, far out at sea.

The partnership combines Aker and SalMar’s industry knowledge and leading expertise in salmon farming, industrial software and environmental technology, the two companies said.

Aker will invest up to NOK 1.65bn (£136m) in three tranches. The initial aim is to operate in Norwegian waters, but the new company eventually plans to expand internationally.

Their plan is to create “the world’s most reliable and intelligent aquaculture business out at sea with the highest requirements for fish welfare” along with an ambition for zero emissions for the entire value chain.

SalMar already has considerable experience in offshore farming through its Ocean Farm projects.

SalMar CEO Gustav Witzøe said: “SalMar’s investment in sea-based farming marked the start of a new era in the seafood industry.

“We are very pleased to enter into this collaboration with a strong industrial partner such as Aker. Together we will lead development and ensure sustainable growth in salmon conditions.

“We will exploit the ocean’s potential to produce healthy food, use digital technology and environmental technology, and together with the unique supplier industry ensure long-term and sustainable food production. Together we can take the next technological leap for aquaculture, and we have a global ambition.”

Aker CEO Øyvind Eriksen added: “The aquaculture industry is facing a new, and even more sustainable era, and opens up for the use of a new resource base with green production.

Andreas Ervik will lead the company as CEO and the board will consist of six members, including Gustav Witzøe, Atle Eide, Kjell Inge Røkke and Øyvind Eriksen.

SalMar and Aker believe the new offshore technology opens up large new areas for salmon farming, where salmon can grow under optimal conditions.

SalMar Aker Ocean said it would continue to develop this technology to ensure production on salmon conditions, meet the highest requirements for fish welfare and minimise its environmental footprint.

Bakkafrost unveils big increase in profits for Q2

BAKKAFROST more than doubled its operating profit in the second quarter of this year, the Faroe Islands and Scotland fish farmer has reported.

The profit or EBIT came out at 407.5m Danish kroner (DKK) (£47m), compared to DKK 181.9m (£21m) during the same period last year.

Revenues totalled DKK 1.6bn (£182m) against DKK 1.1bn (£126m) a year ago on a total harvest of 28,200 tonnes, which was split between 17,600 tonnes from the Faroe islands and 10,600 tonnes from Scotland (the Scottish Salmon Company, which Bakkafrost owns).

Harvest volumes for 2021 are expected to total 106,000 tonnes with 66,000 tonnes coming from the Faroes and 40,000 tonnes from Scotland.

Commenting on the result, CEO Regin Jacobsen said that he was satisfied with the results overall.

He reported: “Despite the salmon market still being somewhat hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the market was quite strong in the quarter, especially the US market, which has taken increasing volumes of salmon.

The global harvest was only 1% up, compared with the same quarter last year. However, inventories have been released resulting in an increase in global supply of nearly 9%, compared with the second quarter last year.

“Looking ahead, the salmon market outlook is tight for the rest of 2021 as well as for H1 2022.”

Jacobsen continued: “We are especially pleased with the progress made in our hatcheries in the Faroe Islands, which during this quarter released 3.2 million smolt with an average size of 422g. Hence, we are closing in on our 500g target in our largesmolt strategy.

“We are very excited about this development and that our ongoing expansions of hatcheries in the Faroe Islands and in Scotland are progressing well, especially in Scotland, where having larger smolts is a key enabler for improving the performance of the farming operation.

“This is therefore also an important investment area for us, which not only benefits our operation, but also the suppliers in local communities where we operate.”

The importance of fish farming companies to the economies where they operate is illustrated by Bakkafrost’s announcement that its sourcing from local suppliers in Scotland totalled DKK 500m (£57m) and DKK 876m (£100m) in the Faroe Islands during the first six months of this year.

In addition to planned investments in the value chain in the Faroe Islands, Bakkafrost expects to invest DKK 350-400m (£40m-45m)a year in Scotland between now and 2024. A significant part of this will be invested in building three large hatcheries to increase smolt capacity and become self-sufficient with large smolt.

Mowi fined NOK 800,000 over breach of ISA rules

THE police chief in Norway’s Troms region has fined Mowi NOK 800,000 (£67,000) for violating the country’s aquaculture and food legislation.

The company has accepted the penalty without comment. The incident revolves around the emptying of a site in Dyrøy municipality on the orders of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in the summer of last year after the fish disease infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) was discovered.

The authority had ordered the site to be closed by 1 June 2020.

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, Mowi had violated section 28 of the Food Act by not being sufficiently careful, so that there was a danger of developing or spreading ISA.

The Directorate added: “Furthermore, the police consider that the requirements for establishing and implementing systematic control measures in section 23 of the Aquaculture Act and Section 5 of IK Aquaculture have been violated.”

An employee is said to have cut holes in the bottom of a seine bag and released a small amount of dead fish into the sea.

The report also points to a lack of risk assessment, procedures and training that should have provided adequate guidance for emptying cages during plant closures, when there was a risk of spreading infectious animal diseases.

As well as infringements of the Food Act in relation to ISA, the police also believe that requirements for establishing and implanting certain control measures in the Aquaculture Act were breached.

Lerøy posts sharp rise in Q2 sales

LERØY Seafood, the combined fish farming and whitefish trawling company, today reported higher-than-expected second-quarter sales of NOK 5.3bn (£431m), up nearly 13% from NOK 4.7bn (£383m) for the same period last year.

Lerøy, along with SalMar, is co-owner of Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk), which saw its income jump from NOK 7.5m in the April-June period a year ago to NOK 51m (£4.2m).

The group reported:

 Operating profit before fair value adjustment related to biological

assets NOK 583m (£47m);

 EBIT/kg “all inclusive” excluding whitefish NOK 13.8/kg. Prices

realised in the quarter were affected by winter wounds; and

 Earnings from land-based operations for whitefish remain weak

but with a significant improvement. There was a positive quota situation for the trawler fleet for the second half of 2021, with expected catch volume of around 73,000 tonnes of whitefish.

A dividend of NOK 2 per share will be paid this quarter. CEO Henning Beltestad said the second-quarter growth had been good and he expected that to continue.

He added: “In the first quarter, demand in the grocery trade was strong. This has continued in the second quarter where we have also seen a gradual improvement in demand from the hotel, restaurant and catering markets as a result of a reduction in restrictions related to Covid-19. Our experience is that seafood’s position in the market is very strong.”

Above: Henning Beltestad

Halibut farmer signs feed deal with Aller Aqua

Above Magne Torgersen (R) with Aller Aqua’s Sturle Skeidsvoll NORWEGIAN farm business Sterling White Halibut (SWH) has agreed a six-year supply contract with feed producer Aller Aqua.

Denmark-based Aller Aqua has been collaborating with SWH, the world’s largest producer of farmed halibut, since 2017 to ensure a supply of feed tailored to the needs of the fi sh.

Halibut, a slow-growing fi sh, takes four years to reach harvest size and SWH produces in the region of 1,700 tonnes of halibut yearly.

The halibut are grown in Ryfylke in Norway, and SWH handles the entire lifecycle of the fi sh, from broodstock through roe and larvae, to grow-out until the fi sh are ready for harvest.

Magne Torgersen, CEO of SWH, commented: “Aller Aqua have shown us that they mean it when they say they want to grow together. Their feed quality, and their input and availability, have been key in our decision, and we, therefore, have no queries signing a long-term contract. Together we fi nd solutions and our fi sh have never been better.”

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Mowi Q2 profi t of €137m boosted by Scottish division

STRONG demand for salmon gave Mowi’s operating profits boost during the second quarter of this year, with its Scottish division performing particularly well.

The world’s largest salmon farmer today reported a global Q2 operational EBIT or profit of €137m, against €99m for the corresponding period last year. Revenues increased from €911m to €1,000m.

The company said: “Strong demand for salmon drove prices higher in all markets in the quarter and resulted in better earnings for Mowi. Spot prices soared by 18% in Europe and close to 50% in the Americas.

“Generally less restrictive Covid-19 measures have sparked food service demand while retail demand holds up at a high level.”

Commenting on the results, CEO Ivan Vindheim said: “Demand for salmon has strengthened as Covid-19 measures have become less restrictive in most countries.

“The demand response was impressive during the quarter with approximately 25% higher global salmon prices yearon-year despite a relatively high global supply growth of 9% including frozen inventory release from Chile.

“Profits in Mowi Farming improved on the back of higher prices and stable harvest volumes and cost. Mowi Consumer Products had yet another a good quarter with record-high volumes for a second quarter.”

Mowi Scotland saw its operational profit double from €14.3m to €29.9m on the back of a much higher harvest, which rose by almost 4,600 tonnes to 19,162 tonnes, thanks to improved biology and average harvest weights.

The contract share at 51% was slightly down on last year (57%), but was positive, said the company.

Mowi said there continued to be a notable reduction in PD (pancreas disease) cases within Mowi Scotland and Pasteurella skyensis detections have been absent throughout the first half of 2021 following the introduction of a vaccine during 2020.

“However,” the report said, “CMS (cardiomyopathy syndrome) remains at a relatively high rate of detection. Sea lice levels in the second quarter were normal at most locations and additional control methods have materialised in the form of a second freshwater treatment vessel and high availability of cleaner fish from the breeding programme in Anglesey, North Wales.

“The transition to larger and fewer pen units in Scotland is proceeding as planned and 160m pens are now operational in Loch Seaforth, Western Isles.”

In Norway ,Mowi has decided to split up its largest farming unit, Norway Region Mid, into two new regions, which will be called West and Mid.

Above: Ivan Vindheim

Shetland shines as Grieg Q2 profits rise

GRIEG Seafood delivered higher profits during the second quarter of this year with its outgoing Shetland operation performing particularly well. However, the company’s Chief Executive, Andreas Kvame, said he was “not satisfied” with the results.

The company has agreed to sell its Shetland business to Scottish Sea Farms for £164m in a deal that it expects to complete by the end of the year.

The group made a pre-tax profit for the quarter of NOK 131m (£11m), well up from NOK 4m (£326,300) in Q2 of last year. EBIT for Q2 this year was NOK 44m (£3.6m).

Sales were lower than predicted, down from NOK 1.16bn (£95m) to NOK 1.1bn (£90m), while harvest volumes fell from 20,140 tonnes in Q2 last year to 17,812 tonnes this time.

Regarding Shetland, Kvame said: “We entered a sales purchase agreement with Scottish Sea Farms to sell our Shetland operations for £164m (now awaiting regulatory approval). “Substantial improvement efforts over several years are completed in the region, resulting in a profit for the quarter. I am pleased to hand over a healthy business to new owners for further development.” He added: “The market is getting better, prices are increasing, and biology is improving across the regions. At the same time, we still experienced some bumps in the road. I am not satisfied with an EBIT of NOK 44m. “British Columbia was a highlight with stable biological control for yet another quarter, coupled with high prices in a strong US market. Rogaland delivered a satisfactory result, although the share of fixed-price contracts affected earnings. “Finnmark [Norway], however, remained impacted by remnants of the challenging biology from last winter. Downgrades, harvest weight and the harvest profile affected price achievement negatively.”

Above: Andreas Kvame

Columbi unveils plan for Ostend fish farm

SALMAR chief Gustav Witzøe is among the big-name industry investors behind a plan to build a large land-based salmon farm in the port of Ostend on the Belgian coast.

The company Columbi Salmon, which is behind the project, has just completed a capital-raising exercise that netted NOK 162m (£13.5m).

Among the participants are the Refsnes salmon farming family, Witzøe’s investment platform Kverva Finans AS and the investment company Ferd AS.

SalMar recently strengthened its longstanding relationship with Refsnes by buying 45% stake in the business.

Columbi Salmon said the capital raising was the next step on the company’s journey to become the EU’s leading sustainable onshore salmon farming company.

Columbi CEO Anders Hagen added: “We are very proud to have some of the world’s leading private aquaculture investors as our owners.

“The Refsnes family’s 103-year-old industrial experience has been crucial in the start-up phase. The capital raise is an important step towards the realisation of our first facility in Belgium.

“The facility and the associated local ecosystem will position Columbi Salmon as the EU’s most sustainable aquaculture company.”

Columbi Salmon was founded by the Refsnes family, who were among the early pioneers of salmon farming, because they wanted to see aquaculture with an improved environmental footprint.

The plan is to build a plant with a salmon capacity of 12,000-15,000 tonnes a year.

In addition to fish, the plant will produce vegetables and lettuce based on waste from fish production.

The water used for producing smolt will be transferred to Columbi’s aquaponics facility, where 4,000 tonnes of salad will be produced annually without using a speck of soil.

Hagen declared: “We are in full swing with the development of the facility in Ostend, which will be the world’s most advanced, safe and sustainable.

“Our driving force is to build both more efficiently and sustainably than anyone has seen before, so that production is profitable, the footprint is low and fish welfare is good.”

Above Ostend harbour

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Above: Revsnes Laks FISH farming giant SalMar has entered into agreement to acquire a 45% stake in family-owned business Refsnes Laks through a combination of share purchases and private placement. The purchase price is NOK 665m (around £55m).

Refsnes Laks is a relatively small player in the Norwegian salmon sector, based in Revsnes, Trøndelag. It has around 23 employees. Company operations focus on producing sustainable salmon in cages at sea. However, its salmon is sold to dozens of countries worldwide, especially in the Asia region. Annual production is just under 4,000 tonnes.

Company chairman Ivar Refsnes said that for many years a close and value-creating collaboration had been developed between SalMar and Refsnes.

This applied to production, processing and sales in an international market. Ivar Refsnes maintained SalMar’s acquisition of a signifi cant ownership interest in the company was a natural continuation of that collaboration.

“It will strengthen the fi nancial basis for the company with its base in Åfjord municipality. This is a good solution for both parties,” he added.

SalMar said the transaction would provide it with further sustainable growth in the immediate vicinity of existing fi sh farming areas in central Norway and it” will be a good industrial solution that ensures signifi cant synergies and further development of existing activity and operational competence.”

Completion of the transaction is conditional on approval from the Norwegian Competition Authority. THE Kingfi sh Company, which specialises in the production of farmed yellowtail, came close to doubling its revenues, year-on-year, for the fi rst half of 2021.

Publishing its H1 report, Kingfi sh said net turnover rose by 95% during the period and at a time when many restaurants in Europe and the US were closed due to pandemic restrictions.

It increased from €1.946m a year ago to almost €3.8m this time.

With investment still going into a land-based farm in the US state of Maine, the company is still not in profi t, however. It reported a consolidated loss of €3.56m, against a loss of €1.29m in H1 last year, but the company described the results as “excellent” and in line with expectations.

It said the losses refl ected development costs related to the upscaling of the business, as well as the planned expansion of capacity in the Netherlands, where the company’s existing yellowtail farm is situated.

The Kingfi sh Maine farm will be similar to the system operated by the parent company in the Netherlands, using the same advanced technology solutions to minimise the impact of effl uent.

CEO Ohad Maiman told the Oslo Euronext Growth Exchange, where the company’s shares are listed: “We are in the process of doubling the capacity to more than 3,000 tonnes in the Netherlands and are in advanced stages of the development of a plant of 6,000-8,000 tonnes in the US, with a view to groundwork starting between Q4 in 2021 and Q1 in 2022.”

The group spent €10.3m on capital investment during the period, mostly related to the expansion of its Dutch facilities.

Above Yellowtail

Norway consults on new fi sh farming permit scheme

Norway is consulting on a proposed new permit scheme for opening up so-far undeveloped areas suitable for aquaculture. The Government said the new scheme had been tailored to meet future environmental challenges.

Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen made it clear that while the Government was keen for the industry to expand, it would have to be under stricter requirements.

He said: “We have natural advantages for producing more of the healthy seafood that the world needs. Therefore, we are proposing a scheme with new environmentally friendly permits that gives the industry the opportunity to use new areas and develop new technology to produce more seafood.”

He believes that production in open cages will continue to be the mainstay of fish farming in Norway, but land-based farming and the development of aquaculture further out to sea also need to be considered.

“With this scheme we are going in a new direction that gives the aquaculture industry the opportunity to use new areas along the coast,” he added.

In the first year, permits will be granted for up to 15,000 tonnes of biomass (MTB). Each individual applicant can receive a maximum of 10 permits, anchored to strict environmental requirements.

The permits, part of an environmental technology scheme, are in addition to the growth regulated through the current traffic light system. Minister of Climate and Environment Sveinung Rotevatn said: “The aquaculture industry creates great deal of value for Norway. But further growth must take place within a sustainable framework. Consideration for nature in general, and the wild axis in particular, is of crucial importance.” As this issue goes to press, however, Norwegians are voting in a general election that could bring a new government to power.

NEWS...

Huon reports fi nancial loss

HUON Aquaculture, the Tasmanian salmon farming company at the centre of a takeover battle, has suffered a loss of AUS $128m (£67m) for the fi nancial year ended 30 June.

The company said it had been a turbulent year, with challenges including a fi sh pen fi re, rising transport costs and the disappearance of a large consignment of fi sh from a processing plant in New South Wales.

At the time this issue went to press, Huon was subject to an offer of AUS $426m (£226m) from the Brazilian meat processing giant JBS. The offer has board approval, but Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest has been trying to block the takeover on fi sh welfare and environmental grounds. JBS, however, dismissed his criticisms in a full-page Tasmanian newspaper advert.

Although Huon’s revenue rose by 24% during the period (July 2020 to June 2021), its fi nancial performance was badly affected by the impact of Covid-19 which led to a reduction in global demand for salmon.

This, in turn, brought a reduction in salmon prices which continued for most of the fi nancial year.

Huon said it had started the new fi nancial year with signifi cant biomass in the water,

Above: Huon Aquaculture

including fi sh for harvest carried over from the previous period. Growing conditions at the start of the 2020-21 fi nancial year were exceptional, but a long and very warm summer during the second half resulted in lower average weights.

The company said it expected conditions to improve in 2022.

Meanwhile, Huon had some positive news in late August, picking up a clutch of top awards for the quality of its fi sh. The company won the Champions Seafood Trophy at the 2021 Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards, with fi ve products gaining gold and a further four winning silver.

Barramundi Group hires Mowi veteran Vincent Erenst

AQUACULTURE business Barramundi Group has appointed Vincent Erenst as Chief Operating Offi cer of Production. He will be based in Singapore.

With close to four decades of experience in the aquaculture sector, Erenst is an industry veteran with extensive experience gleaned through his time with some of the largest aquaculture operations globally, including a 12-year tenure in directorial positions at Mowi ASA (previously known as Marine Harvest).

In his most recent role, Erenst served as Group Chief Operating Offi cer at Greek seabass and seabream producer Avramar, formerly known as Andromeda Group. Before Avramar, Erenst held key leadership positions at Marine Harvest Group, and during his time strengthened the Group’s positioning in North America, notably driving strong business growth for Marine Harvest Canada for over a decade.

Erenst said: “I am excited to join the team at Barramundi Group, along with their ambitious growth plan to see this wonderful fi sh become a popular choice for consumers worldwide.”

His predecessor, Andrés Johnson, is moving on having concluded his three-year term with the group.

Andreas von Scholten, Chief Executive Offi cer of the group, said: “The board and management are thrilled to have a global top talent such as Vincent on board with Barramundi Group’s mission to feed the world responsibly and sustainably. We are confi dent that his addition will move the needle for our growth vision at this pivotal milestone that follows our recent listing on the Euronext Growth Oslo exchange. At the same time, we would like to thank Andrés for his immeasurable contribution to the integral capability-building phase for the Group over the last three years.”

Barramundi is a vertically integrated aquaculture business, operating farms in Australia, Singapore and Brunei. It recently celebrated its opening day on Oslo’s Euronext Growth Oslo stock exchange, following a private placement that raised around NOK 130.8 (£10.7m) ahead of the listing.

Pure Salmon set to move global HQ to Abu Dhabi

From the top: Abu Dhabi; Dr Tariq-Bin-Hendi; Dr Shaikha-Salem-Al-Dhaheri INTERNATIONAL land-based aquaculture business Pure Salmon is relocating its global headquarters to Abu Dhabi, in a move that the government hopes will encourage the development of sustainable food production.

Pure Salmon is owned by private equity fund 8F Asset management, which earlier this year raised £290m to develop recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facilities in Poland, Japan, France and the US.

The company said it was about to announce the location of its fi rst 10,00-tonnesper-annum facility in Japan, which will be the largest Atlantic salmon RAS facility in Asia and one of the largest globally. In Japan, Pure Salmon will operate under the name Soul of Japan.

Pure Salmon plans to build and operate multiple, vertically integrated aquaculture production and processing facilities with capacities of 10,000 tonnes and 20,000 tonne, around the world. It aims to be producing as much as 260,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon production annually by 2025.

Under the deal with the Abu Dhabi Investment Offi ce (ADIO), Pure Salmon will receive fi nancial and non-fi nancial incentives, not only to relocate its HQ but also to build the host country’s food sustainability using RAS technology.

The company’s Abu Dhabi headquarters will manage global production facilities in Poland, Japan, the US and France. The partnership is part of ADIO’s AED 2 billion (£396m) Innovation Programme. Dr Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said: “Over the last year, Abu Dhabi’s AgTech [agricultural technology] sector has experienced exponential growth, led by rapid technological developments that are enabling sustainable agriculture and farming practices to take root in arid and desert climates. “The introduction of Pure Salmon’s pioneering technology and knowledge to Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem will enhance the emirate’s aquaculture capabilities and create a hub from which new agriculture solutions can proliferate. ADIO is committed to supporting businesses aligned with our mission of advancing regional and global innovation.” Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency (EAD) has identifi ed aquaculture as a priority sector. EAD’s Secretary General, Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, said: “One of [our] key initiatives seeks to encourage economic investment in the sector, thereby reducing pressure on the UAE’s severely overexploited fi sheries, providing meaningful employment and generating wealth for citizens by producing safe, wholesome and high-quality seafood products.”

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Russian Aquaculture is back in the black

RUSSIAN Aquaculture is in profi t again and revenue is up substantially for the fi rst half of this year.

The company’s unaudited results for the six months to 30 June show a net profi t of almost RUB 2bn (£19.8m) compared with a loss of RUB 0.4bn (£4m) for the fi rst half of last year. Adjusted EBITDA was RUB 2.4bn (£23.8m), an increase of 6% on the same period in 2020.

Revenue totalled RUB 6.7bn (£66.4m), up 28% on H1 of 2020.

Biomass at the end of the half was 22,200 tonnes (30 June 2020: 9,300 tonnes).

The company’s half-year report also records that Russian Aquaculture made capital investments worth RUB 2.2bn (£21.8m), spending on equipment for its farms and also taking 100% ownership of its processing plant, which was previously jointly owned. Above: Russian aquaculture Russian Aquaculture is one of the country’s largest producers of farmed salmon and trout, with sites in Murmansk and Karelia. CEO Ilya Sosnov said that the growth in production volumes this year had had a positive impact on revenue and EBITDA, and weight gain for its fi sh had been “excellent”. He added: “Our results in the fi rst half of the year were also supported by growth of the market. The Russian salmon market grew by 50% in the fi rst half of 2021 in volume terms compared with the fi rst half of 2020, and by 47% compared with the fi rst half of 2019. This growth further reinforces our conviction in the fundamental long-term outlook for the Russian fi sh market and prospects for increasing sales volumes of our fresh, highquality products. “We continue to invest in implementing our growth strategy... we have successfully integrated our primary processing plant into all of our business processes, bringing us much closer to our goal of building the largest vertically integrated player in the aquaculture segment.”

The company’s board recommended paying out dividends totalling RUB 352m (£3.5m), based on the fi rst-half results.

Atlantic Sapphire posts losses for Q2 after mortalities

MIAMI-based salmon company Atlantic Sapphire continued to fi nd life diffi cult during the fi rst half of this year, delivering weakerthan-expected fi nancial results for Q2.

The Danish-owned land-based salmon farming company, which experienced a number of technical problems earlier in the year, reported a pre-tax loss of US $51.5m (£37.6m), against a loss of $31.5m (£23m) in the same quarter last year. The loss is higher than analysts had predicted.

However, revenues more than increased fourfold from $2.5m (£1.8m) to almost $10.9m (£7.9m).

Shortly after releasing its Q2 fi gures, the company faced a crisis when its Florida farm came close to running out of liquid oxygen. The company’s supply was placed at risk following a surge in demand from coronavirusstricken hospitals across the US as infection rates rose again.

Atlantic Sapphire said it had managed to secure access to oxygen, which is vital in keeping fi sh alive, from new and existing suppliers. These included its original supplier, Miami-Dade County, and at least three other suppliers from outside the state.

Following that announcement, the company share price, which fell by 30% at one point, began to recover.

Back in March, Atlantic Sapphire reported an incident in one of its systems at the Miami Bluehouse site, which led to the loss of 500 tonnes of fi sh.

The company said the start to 2021 had been challenging, but it has been working hard to correct the problems that led to this loss.

In order to reduce further issues, Atlantic Sapphire, which has around 2,000 outlets in the US, said it had updated certain operating procedures.

The company said in a statement: “Atlantic Sapphire is continuously improving its operating procedures to ensure that all actions taken by the farm operators do not pose a risk to the stability of the systems, therefore impacting the fi sh.

“To minimise the risk of a similar incident reoccurring, the group has updated certain operating procedures and such changes will take effect immediately.”

Further, the system in question had a larger standing biomass than the grow-out systems in the US (which are split in two).

The Denmark facility had not been split in two,because this modifi cation was not practically possible with the farm fully stocked with fi sh, the company said, adding: “Now this modifi cation is possible and will be performed, which will reduce the impact of such an event in the future.”

It says it expected the 3,000 tonnes of harvest volume from the Miami plant could be pushed forward from the second half of this year to the fi rst half of 2022. It is also carrying out trials to produce rainbow trout in Denmark..

ASC fish welfare rules set to be tightened

STRICTER fish welfare requirements could be introduced for producers certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council under proposals published this month.

The ASC is also consulting on additional documents accompanying its recently published Feed Standard, which aims to assure consumers that aquafeed used by ASC-certified producers is responsibly and ethically sourced.

The ASC is an independent, not for profit body that sets sustainability and welfare standards for the industry internationally. It was co-founded by the World Wildlife Fund and the Sustainable Trade Initiative in 2010.

The consultation marks the first phase of the ASC’s wide-ranging fish welfare project. A second phase will follow for public consultation at a later date following further research and development, and will bring in other species and address further welfare issues.

The ASC’s draft white paper on fish welfare can be found on the ASC website www.asc-aqua.org. The project’s proposed first phase will include: • Requirements of best practice for water quality. • Setting of limits for stocking density. • As an initial approach, prohibiting a number of slaughter practices: asphyxia (suffocation); Carbon dioxide; salt baths or ammonia. Further requirements on slaughter will be added in later phases, such as the prohibition of the use of ice slurry for slaughter.

The phase one requirements above will apply to ASC-certified finfish farms. However, included in phase one will be a requirement for good management practice for all farmers of fish, crustacean and bivalve species, covering issues such as staff training and risk assessment, the ASC said. Janneke Aelen, ASC Welfare Co-ordinator, said: “There is an understandable desire among our stakeholders, and many consumers, to see more welfare requirements added to the world’s strictest aquaculture certification scheme. “At the same time, with some of these issues we are in uncharted territory. Sometimes developing new indicators is a case of gathering pre-existing evidence, but in the case of some welfare issues it has required commissioning our own research.

“The ASC is first and foremost an evidence-based organisation. This approach allows us to tackle the most urgent welfare issues while ensuring we don’t stray from our principles for rigour and evidence.”

The new draft documents relating to the Feed Standard are the Certification and Accreditation Requirements (CAR) and the Requirements for Unit of Certification (RUoC). While the standard itself sets out the exact indicators that must be met for a mill to produce responsibly sourced feed, the CAR details the requirements a certification body needs to follow in order to conduct audits and certify against the ASC feed standard.

The RUoC is aimed at the organisations seeking certification, which in the case of the Feed Standard will be feed mills. It details the requirements the feed mill will need to take in order to enter and undergo the audit and certification process for the ASC Feed Standard.

WWF publishes hard-hitting report on Tasmanian aquaculture

THE Australian branch of the World Wildlife Fund has called for reform of the fi sh farming industry in Tasmania, following publication of a critical report on the sector’s environmental impact.

WWF-Australia is a stakeholder in the certifi cation schemes overseen by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, but WWF said: “Through our work to pursue sustainability in the growing aquaculture sector in Tasmania, we became aware through the science that the rapid increase in production volumes was cumulatively placing pressure on some ecosystems.”

In December 2019, WWFAustralia commissioned Seafood Advisory, an independent seafood consultancy, to prepare a report to examine the circumstances surrounding the ecological impacts of expanded aquaculture operations in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania.

WWF said that it was concerned at the cumulative impact of farming operations in enclosed waterways.

Seafood Advisory’s report, published earlier this month, confi rms there are ways that aquaculture certifi cation can and should be reformed, particularly to account for cumulative impacts of multiple farms. It also concludes, WWF-Australia said, that “…some impacts of aquaculture in Macquarie Harbour are beyond the scope of certifi cation and need to be addressed through government regulatory reform.”

In a statement on the publication of the report, WWF-Australia said that it would continue to advocate for “transformation” in the aquaculture industry,

This will include, the organisation said, working towards a stronger environmental regulatory framework, reforms to marine spatial planning, science-based biomass limits and enhanced biosecurity measures and environmental scrutiny, including through the transparency of data collection.

WWF-Australia said: “We will also advocate for the development of new solutions and consideration of land-based opportunities, which may be appropriate in certain contexts, and work to ensure animal welfare remains paramount in all aspects of the industry.”

The WWF stressed the Tasmanian state government must take the lead on regulation, and also that seafood suppliers had an important role to play in ensuring that their produce was sourced responsibly.

The report is available via the WWF-Australia website www. wwf.org.au

Above: Salmon pens in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania

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