ai17189047059_World Fishing 07-08_Euronete.pdf 1 20/06/2024 18:31:49
READY OR NOT: AI HAS ARRIVED AND IT’S TRANSFORMING FARMED BLUE FOOD PRODUCTION
Helping to keep the blue economy above water page 14
Iranian fish production in the shadow of sanctions page 16 NEW HORIZONS
NEWBUILDS
Whitefish, shrimp and crab options for new Polarbris page 36
AQUACULTURE
Exploring probiotics for better aquaculture –inside and out page 48 INSIGHT
Now available from stock. The Damen Landing Utility Vessel (LUV) 2208 offers the aquaculture sector a strong, stable workboat based on the proven credentials of the iconic Damen Multi Cat series. The LUV boasts ample deck space, with a capacity of 70 tonnes, or 2.5 tonnes per m2. She's the only LUV in her class capable of supporting a heavy duty deck crane - HS Marine AK 72 series.
JASON HOLLAND | Editor | jholland@worldfishing.net
Since the start of this year, I’ve been fortunate to have attended several key industry events on WF’s behalf. At these, I witnessed many discussions segue onto the topic of artificial intelligence. My interpretation from this development is we’ve reached the point whereby AI is never going to be too far from our value chain conversations – no matter if it’s seafood processing, distribution, catching or farming. It therefore came as no surprise when this issue’s Special Report: Land-based aquaculture technology became largely dominated by AI-related stories.
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EXECUTIVE
We’ve reached the point whereby AI is never too far from our value chain conversations
What’s become clear – as our cover suggests – is that AI is already very much present in the blue food space, and it’s rapidly transforming the way things are being done. We’ve heard that investing in it offers the ability to improve efficiency, sustainability and profitability, and as the Special Report illustrates, in aquaculture – both on land and in the sea – it can be a gamechanger in terms of the real-time monitoring of biomass, fish growth and health. Beyond this, it’s maintained AI has the potential to dramatically improve aquatic food farming practices and build social licence, not least through addressing survival problems, feed formulation issues, and by helping mitigate the effects of environmental and climate challenges. Furthermore, through robust data insights, as well as heightened levels of transparency, it’s insisted that greater consumer confidence can be established in the sector.
All that said, it’s also maintained that a change in mindset is needed from industry players to ensure and accelerate AI’s development in the sector, with particular emphasis on greater collaboration, crossfunctional thinking and data sharing. Undoubtedly, there’s much, much more to come from AI – unprecedented new possibilities, potential, concepts and technologies. As expressed by many frontrunners these recent months, these are indeed exciting times.
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Launched in 1952, World Fishing & Aquaculture is published by Mercator Media, a B2B media and events company specialising in international maritime industries, including marine business and technology, ports and terminals, and environmental strategies.
Through its publication and free access website (www.worldfishing. net), World Fishing & Aquaculture provides expert-written, in-depth coverage of the fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors, with a strong focus on the emerging solutions, technologies and innovations that are shaping the broader seafood economy’s landscape.
Blue foods have all the right attributes to be the protein heroes on our plates, reports Jason Holland
With no clear, go-to definition, “sustainability” is a word that often rankles – particularly irking people connected to the seafood space. Yet it continues to be one of the widest-used terms the industry has; it’s applied in wide variety of different contexts and circumstances to imply any number of things. It’s been most commonly given as an indication that products are sourced from well-managed, healthy stocks or are species that were caught or farmed using methods that have a minimal impact on the marine environment. More recently, alongside the growth of certification schemes and third-party accreditation, the sustainability agenda has extended further still to examine and evidence the social and ethical impacts of seafood production and fish welfare.
But that’s far from the end of sustainability’s evolution. At Seafood Expo Global (SEG) 2024 in Barcelona, acclaimed US chef and author Barton Seaver offered another standpoint: that in the context of serving up blue foods, sustainability should be about intention, and what a chef, kitchen or restaurant is looking to accomplish.
From a chef’s perspective, there is an “arcing trajectory” with regards to where sustainability has come from and where it’s going to, Seaver said. “When I first started off with sustainability, and sustainable seafood, it was really about cover your ass. It was about do no harm. It was about no “red lists”. It was about not doing bad. But to me, that’s not how we should define sustainability. I mean, health is not defined as the absence of disease, right? That’s not what we would think of as thriving… Sustainability has kind of been sold as the same thing. It’s like, we’re not screwing everything up today.”
Sustainability was also something that was demanded of chefs. Now though, there’s an opportunity for them to “personalise the narrative” and demonstrate their intent and what they’re trying to accomplish, he said.
“Really what it comes down to is that chefs now have an opportunity: It’s no longer just demanded of us to talk about sustainability; it’s now our opportunity, it’s really expected of us to be the drivers of it. There’s still no really good definition of sustainable seafood, but to me –as a working term – it means seafood that’s sourced and served with intention.”
Chef Danielle Leoni told the SEG session that understanding where seafood comes from is a crucial part of the intention process.
“I want to be able to help people understand that it is very much a solution to our health and our planet’s health. But that has to be done first and foremost, by helping them – consumers, guests, diners, eaters – to have a more positive relationship. And that starts with knowing the stories, and having a purpose behind that fancy food that’s on the plate.”
Frozen seafood is another integral part of a sustainable
future, Seaver said. He pointed out that in the United States about 50% of all seafood is thrown away.
“Fifty percent! I don’t care if it was sustainably produced, there’s no way to sustainably throw away a fillet of fish,” he said. “You know, we we’ve paid the entire environmental cost in order to have that [fillet] and yet we throw it away.
“Embracing frozen seafood helps out everybody in the supply chain – frozen seafood really is the future of the seafood industry.”
Another pro-sustainable endeavour is for chefs to diversify the products they are sourcing “rather than chaing sustainable cod over the world”. Instead, he suggests, asking for haddock, hake, plaice, dabs, flounders, ling etc.
“Those are all flaky, white-flesh fish. And all of those should have a place on our menu. They all have a season, availability and a great price. Its like we chefs have actually created a lot of boundaries, a lot of hard barriers to sustainability actually being achieved on the water in [dependent] economies.
“Telling the ocean only what we’re willing to eat rather than ask of it what it’s able to supply is an inherently unsustainable relationship. So there’s a lot that chefs can do, should do, must do to participate more in sustainable seafood.”
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Despite increased efforts, industry hears seafood consumption is falling amid environmental and sustainability concerns. Jason Holland reports
“Sustainable fisheries management is not just about preserving fish stocks for future generations, it’s also about keeping our oceans healthy, especially for those whose livelihoods depend on them,” Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries told the Seafood Futures Forum at Seafood Expo Global (SEG) 2024 in Barcelona.
Addressing the 2024 edition of the Marine Stewardship Council’s annual SEG event, Sinkevičius acknowledged that the fishing and seafood sectors are the “lifeblood” of many coastal communities across the EU, and that they’re vital for sustaining economies, while the supply of these low carbon foods are crucial in the fight against climate change.
“More than ever, consumers are aware of and attentive to the environmental consequences of what they buy. And while they may balance these considerations against other factors such as price, health, taste and quality, they also know how important it is that our seafood is sourced sustainably. Our job is to empower them, give them reliable, transparent information to make more sustainable choices,” he said.
Robust third-party certification schemes are one way to achieve this end, as is clear, accurate and reliable labelling, he said. While at a regulatory level, policymakers need to make sure that general food information laws and fishery-specific labelling requirements apply to all seafood products placed on the EU market.
“But this is not all. We have recently proposed a directive on the substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims,” Sinkevičius said. “This directive tackles greenwashing. It will introduce environmental labelling rules to make sure they are solid, transparent and trustworthy. At the European Commission, we are acutely aware that our food system needs to be sustainable, fair and healthy.”
Increased certification
With the seafood industry facing significant challenges –not least climate change and rising ocean temperatures, MSC CEO Rupert Howes told the forum that sustainably managed fisheries are better equipped to deal with these issues, and that the wild-catch certification scheme, through its global fisheries target of 30% engagement by 2030, will work with partners to accelerate this engagement and to grow the market for sustainable seafood.
As of 31 March 2024, 19% of the marine catch was engaged with the programme, meaning just shy of a fifth of the wild catch is certified, has had its certification suspended, or is in assessment. This includes 713 fisheries, plus 54 that are new to MSC.
“No-one is slipping back. We’re seeing more and more market commitments to credible certification and labelling programmes. We’re seeing growth in the market and growth in fishery engagement,” he said.
However, people are experiencing “unprecedented upheaval” in their lives, Caroline Holme, Senior Director of international insights company GlobeScan, told the forum.
Delivering key findings from GlobeScan’s most recent seafood consumer survey, Holme said there’s a growing pessimism among consumers about the health of the world’s oceans and the future availability of seafood, together with increased concerns about fishing practices, particularly overfishing, illegal fishing and accidental catches.
Its analysis also found that over the past two years, people have been buying less seafood and that there’s been a decline in purchasing behaviour across all categories except canned products and diet supplements/fish oils. Additionally, while home consumption levels have remained steady over this period, people are eating less seafood when they are dining out.
“The cost-of-living crisis has impacted the amount of seafood people are buying, the type of seafood (they’re going for cheaper options), and also where they consume it,” Holme said.
The survey found that between 2022 and 2024, people have been increasingly swapping red meat for fish, but also that some fish consumers are swapping out of the category to eat more vegetarian- and vegan-based meals. It further found that health, quality and change in cooking habits ranked as the three main reasons for consumers to switch from red meat to fish, but that health, saving money and quality were the top three reasons to eat less fish.
“They’re thinking in their heads that I can be more sustainable by just not eating seafood and just swapping that seafood meal for something else. And to save some money,” Holme said. “They want to protect the ocean environment and they see eating less seafood as a way to do that. That’s really a concern if some people are thinking that seafood is an unsustainable diet option.”
Much to the disappointment and dismay of salmon farmers, Canada’s government is banning open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia (BC) coastal waters by 30 June 2029 as part of plans to protect wild Pacific salmon numbers.
UK, Norway and the Faroe Islands have decided on quotas for Northeast Atlantic mackerel. They agreed the total allowable catch for 2024 will be 739,836 tonnes.
The UN agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the “High Seas Treaty” has been adopted by the European Council. The treaty will enter into force once it receives 60 ratifications.
Tuvalu’s sought the help of the marine conservation group after its capability to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing became compromised with the loss of its only patrol boat in a cyclone last year.
Newlat Food SpA has declared its intention to acquire the entire group in a GBP 700 million deal.
Bellingham, Washingtonheadquartered processor Northline Seafoods has completed Hannah, its stateof-the-art seafood platform that will start operating in Bristol Bay, Alaska, during the 2024 salmon fishing season.
The vessel’s departure from Bellingham’s Fairhaven Shipyard on 25 May 2024 marked the successful completion of a three-year-plus project including 15-months of construction.
Hannah, a 400-foot by 100-foot barge, is a vertically integrated, all-in-one solution for buying, freezing, shipping, storing and distributing wild Alaskan salmon. This supply chain platform improves quality, increases efficiency, and preserves the value of wild salmon at the source.
The vessel’s ultra-lowtemperature refrigeration system creates a new production model for wild Alaskan salmon. Whole, round fish are frozen quickly to a core temperature of -30°F directly on the fishing grounds, preserving salmon in a fresh-like state.
“This is a dream come true. Seeing our vessel leave the Fairhaven Shipyard is a critical milestone for the Bristol Bay salmon industry and for Northline Seafoods. I am proud
of our team and appreciative of all the people who helped us get here,” Northline Seafoods CEO Ben Blakey said. “Our success is shared with many partners, including the Port of Bellingham and the more than 250 local vendors who contributed to the construction of the Hannah. This is an important moment for us all.”
Northline Seafoods’ Hannah has the following attributes:
n Freezing Capacity: Freezes up to 1 million pounds of salmon per day with a production crew of 20
n Freeze Time: Freezes salmon to -30°F core temperature in under 2 hours
n Ice Production: Produces over 1 million pounds of slurry ice per day
n Hold Capacity (fresh): Holds 2.3 million pounds of fresh fish
n Freezer Hold Capacity: Onboard cold storage holds over 10 million pounds of frozen salmon
n Personnel: Total crew capacity of 95 berths, with 75 personnel for seasonal operations
n Location: Hannah will be located at Clarks Point in the
Nushagak district and will buy fish from all Bristol Bay fishing districts n Partners: 250+ Washingtonbased vendors contributed to Hannah
At the end of the 2024 fishing season, Hannah will return to Bellingham where it will continue to operate as a cold storage facility for the 2024 season catch. The whole, round, frozen salmon will be stored on the vessel, thawed and processed on-demand, to buyers’ specifications. In the spring of 2025, the vessel will once again make the journey to Bristol Bay, creating a cyclical, flexible, adaptable and efficient supply chain.
In 2022, Northline Seafoods received a US$40 million Food Supply Chain loan backed by the US Department of Agriculture as part of the “Build Back Better” initiative. This financing was secured through Greater Commercial Lending, a Reno, Nevada-based subsidiary of Greater Nevada Credit Union, which provides loans to businesses and organisations in underserved and rural communities.
Seattle, Washington-based investment bank Zachary Scott assisted Northline Seafoods in the financing of construction and operations.
The opening of the 14th Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition on 18 September 2024 will mark 40 years of the industryleading event and the busiest IceFish programme to-date.
As regular visitors to IceFish through the years can attest, the event has evolved a great deal over the past four decades. This has consistently enabled attendees to keep up-to-speed on the key developments, products and services that are propelling the commercial fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors on to new levels of productivity, efficiency and sustainability. It has also established itself as an important meeting place for industry stakeholders from all over the world.
While IceFish 2024 is returning to the familiar venue of Smárinn, Fifan Halls Kópavogur, the very first Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition in 1984 was held in Laugardalshöll, a modest sportshall in Reykjavik. Once again, Mercator Media is organising this year’s IceFish, but 40 years ago, it was hosted by ITF (Industrial and Tradefairs International Limited – later taken over by Reed Exhibitions). In line with the event’s considerable growth, the change in venue – to the Smárinn/Fífan Halls – was required in 1999. This provided the show and its exhibitors with much more space to engage visitors, negotiate business, and to impart valuable insights and opinion.
Underlining the importance of IceFish on the industry calendar, several companies have exhibited at every single edition. Among these and starting out as pioneering entities and members of the Federation of Icelandic Industries, Marel, Hampidjan and Saeplast have been ever present since IceFish 1984. Other companies to feature at all of the shows include Eimskip, Olis (BP Iceland), Baader, Atlas,
18-20 September
Kaeling, Scanmar, Style, Fiskifrettir and The Danish Export Group organising the Danish National Pavilion.
The last IceFish, held in June 2022 – the first to be held after Covid restrictions were lifted – featured 400 exhibitors and brands. Now back in its usual September slot (just after Icelandic fishing quotas have been released for 2024/2025), and celebrating its 40-year milestone, the organisers expect the attendance to be back in the region of 500 exhibitors/brands from Iceland and the rest of the world. Included in this year’s coming together will be national pavilions from the Faroe Islands and Norway, as well as the aforementioned Denmark Pavillion.
IceFish 2024 also looks forward to welcoming more than 40 new exhibiting companies and helping them showcase their products, services and solutions. Illustrating the growing international importance of the show, these ventures will be arriving from 10 different countries, including South Africa, Turkey, Germany and Italy. There will also be a number of Icelandic firms making their debut, which demonstrates the local importance of the event,
particularly for aspiring companies looking to get a foothold in the country’s fishing, processing, seafood and byproduct sectors.
The expectation is that this year, a bumper crowd of some 12,000 people will visit IceFish and its surrounding events over the course of the three days. Alongside the exhibition, the programme features matchmaking meetings, the 9th Icelandic Fisheries Awards recognising excellence in the Icelandic and international fisheries and seafood sectors, and a new Exhibitor’s Presentation Theatre.
Also included is the 5th Fish Waste for Profit Conference, which will dive into the globally important area of 100% fish utilisation. This hugely popular conference is being held in the Hilton Nordica Reykjavik.
Fittingly, in line with the first IceFish in 1984 being launched by the then Minister of Fisheries, the late Halldór Ásgrimsson, the 40th anniversary exhibition this September is due to be opened by the newlyappointed Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, in the presence of the Mayor of Kópavogur, Ásdís Kristjánsdóttir, and other dignitaries.
The European Commission has issued a so-called “yellow card” to Senegal, with the West African country informed that it needs to step up its actions in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The US’s Department of Commerce and NOAA have pledged US$20 million to help regional fishery management councils tackle the impacts of climate change. The funds are part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
First quarter 2024 IFFO analysis shows a generally positive outlook for fishmeal and fish oil in 2024, with yearon-year production falling 24% and 30%, respectively, alongside weakening demand in China.
seafood alliance
AIPCE-CEP, EAPO, Europêche and FEAP, representing the EU’s fisheries and aquaculture industries, are to form a strategic alliance aimed at advancing shared goals and promoting critical industry priorities on a broader stage.
The EU produced just 1.08 million tonnes of aquaculture products in 2022, valued at €4.9 billion, according to the European Commission.
Simulators are playing a crucial role in training fishing crews to fish more safely, accurately and sustainably, explains Martin Reiten, VP Ship’s Bridge Simulation at Kongsberg Digital
The fishing industry has changed a great deal in recent years. Not only have fishing vessels become far more advanced in their design, construction and capabilities, but so has the equipment onboard. However, new technology requires a new standard of training if accidents are to be prevented. Unfamiliarity with operational techniques and processes can, in the worst cases, lead to disaster in the extreme working conditions which fishing crews have to endure.
Add to this the increasing global pressure to fish sustainably, avoiding by-catch, where fish of the wrong size and species are accidentally caught in a trawl, and it can be seen that fishing crews have plenty to think about, plenty to do and priorities to juggle – and need to be able to react quickly. The ideal fishing crew combines a solid work ethic with an ability to concentrate regardless of weather conditions and sea states.
It takes a cool head to pursue this occupation with any degree of success. A sea-fishing career requires an exceptionally high level of training to achieve an equally high level of competence; even more so with the IMO’s introduction some years ago of STCW-F certification and minimum training requirements for crews on seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres and above.
Mindful of the complex web of operational, budgetary and statutory obligations any training programme must recognise, Kongsberg Digital’s K-Sim Fishery Simulator has brought a new degree of authenticity to schooling fishing trainees since its launch in 2018. Methodical from the ground up, the simulator satisfies both the STCW-F training preconditions and DNV standards for certification of maritime simulator systems. However, the bare stats can’t possibly convey the breadth of immersive, hands-on educational value the simulator provides.
It offers a visual and hydrodynamic experience which genuinely is as close to the real thing as it’s possible to get without physically being on board a fishing vessel. From the perspective of instructors and trainees, it’s actually better, because the complete spectrum of training exercises can of course be implemented, monitored and controlled in conditions of complete safety.
Establishing familiarity
The precise replication of a fishing vessel bridge and external visuals enables trainees to thoroughly familiarise themselves with all the operational and navigational tasks and procedures they will subsequently have to carry out in real-life situations, with the simulator’s advanced physics engine accommodating a range of different environments and fluctuating weather patterns.
The exercises drill into every aspect of commercial fishing practices to ensure that learning is meticulous. In lessons on sonar deployment to locate fish in the vessel’s vicinity, for example, trainees will practice parameter adjustments and learn how sonar targets can be classified
to identify the species of fish, their size distribution and total biomass. The exercises will also instil an awareness of the pressing need to reduce bycatch, whereby marine organisms other than the target species and size are unintentionally caught.
Unfamiliarity with operational techniques and processes can, in the worst cases, lead to disaster in the extreme working conditions which fishing crews have to endure
There is a high degree of detail in simulating fishing operations scenarios. Students learn how to optimally pay out, relocate and haul in demersal and pelagic lines, and gain close familiarity with equipment such as warp and net winches, ground gear and spooling devices. Instructors can control weather, current and seabed conditions to expose trainees to the widest variety of contingencies, and exercises can be replayed so that instructors can issue itemised performance assessments.
Purse seine functionality
In May this year, Kongsberg Digital announced a new project funded by FHF (the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund) for the development of its K-Sim Fishery simulator to incorporate a new purse seine application. The integration of purse seine capabilities has been designed to aid research, bolster safety and efficiency in operations and enhance fishing gear, elevate fish quality and mitigate catch losses. The new simulator feature will also serve as a valuable tool for educating and training individuals in this fishing technique, promoting safer and more sustainable fishing practices.
n Kongsberg Digital’s K-Sim Fishery Simulator has brought much greater authenticity to fishing trainees since its launch in 2018
Today’s fishing operations are advanced and require highly competent crew onboard the vessels. By adding the new purse seine functionality, even more commercial fishermen can now access valuable training to increase safety and efficiency as well as provide a more sustainable approach to operations. We are proud to be able to contribute to the development of the fishing industry, which is crucial for a large proportion of the world’s population.
Making industry more sustainable
Today, there is much talk of sustainability and with good reason. We are at a point in history where we have a chance to turn a negative trend around, to stop depleting and damaging the resources of our planet and start protecting and preserving them.
Few would dispute the oceans represent one of our most critical and valuable resources. More than 250 million people depend directly on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihood, and more than one billion people in poorer countries rely on fish as their primary source of nutrition. Of the 17 UN sustainability goals we must meet to turn the trend, goal number 14 focuses on life below water: To conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.
In its latest sustainability report the UN says, “While there has been some progress in expanding marine protected areas, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, banning fishing subsidies and supporting smallscale fishers, action is not advancing at the speed or scale required to meet goal 14. To counter these trends, swift and coordinated global action is imperative. This entails increasing funding for ocean science, intensifying conservation efforts, advancing nature- and ecosystembased solutions, addressing the interconnections and impacts of human-induced pressures, and urgently turning the tide on climate change to safeguard the planet’s largest ecosystem.”
As the numbers indicate, fisheries are a vital industry for the world’s population. Unfortunately, as illustrated in several recent reports, they have historically had a high rate of accidents, and with large-scale fishing, new challenges arise.
Governments are working with shipowners and fishermen around the world to better understand the cause of accidents, and all parties are keen to find new solutions to this persisting problem. A survey from the Nordic Council of Ministers on prevention of accidents in
Nordic fisheries reported the following: “The fishermen’s assessment of safety training and education shows that it has been an extremely important element in the prevention of occupational accidents and in promoting safety in general.”
Are simulators the solution?
Kongsberg is a developer and supplier of technologies that can help the fisheries industry meet the dual challenge of safety and sustainability: Simulators for safety training of seafarers and fishermen, and sensor systems to help them find and catch fish in the most sustainable manner possible.
As vice president for ship’s bridge simulation in Kongsberg Digital, one part of my job particularly close to my heart is finding ways in which advanced maritime simulation can support the UN Sustainability goals and provide a safer working environment for the people working in the maritime industries.
I truly believe, as does the IMO, that using a simulator as an advanced educational tool enables much better situational awareness than students would otherwise get in a classroom setting or by reading a book. With simulators, you enter a parallel reality where you can really test things and understand the consequences of your decisions. And you can gain this knowledge without putting your own health and safety or that of others at risk, and with no risk to assets or the environment.
Kongsberg Digital supplies hardware for training facilities, but we also want to make simulation available to a wider range of users and stakeholders – enabling them to train anywhere and anytime – vastly increasing the safety of crew and the environment. This now applies equally to fisheries. Simulator training can help educate and protect commercial fishermen while moving the industry toward safer and more sustainable fishing practices for the future.
Mars Petcare’s Global Marine Sustainability Lead, Andrew Russell, looks at the challenge of sustainable fish sourcing, and highlights the importance of investment in the blue economy and the need for long-term thinking in order to improve ocean health
As its name suggests, the Peruvian anchoveta is a species of fish that mostly inhabits the cold waters surrounding Chile and Peru. This small pelagic species has become critical to the economies of the Southeastern Pacific nations. In Chile alone, they contribute more than half of the volume of fish, with fisheries and aquaculture supporting the livelihoods of more than 300,000 people.
The Peruvian anchoveta is small, usually only reaching around 20cm in length, but what they lack in size they make up for in numbers, travelling in vast shoals along the expansive Chilean and Peruvian coastlines. For that reason, as well as their high nutritional value, they have become a commercially important species, consumed not only by humans but also used by aquaculture, livestock and pet food industries. But this species, which plays a key role in the food chain, faces threats from multiple angles, such as unsustainable fishing practises and fluctuating stock health due to climate change.
Solving this complex challenge requires significant cross-sector collaboration, as well as a multilayer approach to help protect natural ecosystems, reduce pressure on fish populations, and support the livelihoods of people dependent on fish supply chains. At Mars, our Responsible Fish Sourcing Strategy focuses on: Reducing pressure on ecosystems; rewarding sustainable, and traceable fish supply chains; restoring critical habitats through collaboration; and respecting the human rights of those involved in our fish supply chains.
Supporting sustainable fisheries
Properly regulated fisheries are inherently more sustainable. By managing fishery operations, including for
example catch limits, vessel monitoring and enforcement, and restrictions on fishing areas, governments and local communities can ensure fish stocks are healthy enough to sustain and where needed replenish the ecosystem. However, many fisheries that are aiming to improve their operations require significant investment into their longterm recovery and stability. Currently, one of the biggest challenges that fisheries involved in fishery improvement
At Mars, we depend on sustainably-managed fish supply chains, as these nutritious ingredients are used in our pet food brands
projects (FIPs) face is fragmented funding streams.
In April 2023, in a bid to address this very issue, Finance Earth – an impact investment advisory and fund manager in collaboration with WWF who Mars have been proud partners for the past 10 years – launched the Fisheries Improvement Fund (FIF), which aims to catalyse a US$100 million investment in fisheries improvement by 2040.
The FIF is an innovative multistakeholder blue finance solution that brings together key industry players, including Mars Petcare. The latest project in Chile, which was announced in April of this year, aims to improve the management and stock health of multiple small pelagic species in the region – particularly of Peruvian anchoveta in the Central-Southern Region.
At Mars, we depend on sustainably-managed fish supply chains, as these nutritious ingredients are used in our pet food brands, such as SHEBA and WHISKAS. That’s why, alongside other businesses, Mars joined the FIF –committing $1 million to the fund over the next five years to support fisheries improvement projects (FIPs).
Protecting and restoring vital marine habitats
As well as sustaining fish populations through improved management, it’s also vital to invest in the restoration of natural habitats, particularly coral reefs, which are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on the planet. An estimated 25% of all marine life, including over 4,000 species of fish, depend on them. However, coral reefs are also among the most sensitive natural ecosystems, vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, warming ocean temperatures and damaging human activities.
Coral reef restoration has a myriad of benefits. As well as being a vital habitat for many commercially important fish species, healthy reefs can act as natural barriers protecting coastlines from erosion and storms, draw tourists to boost local economies, and play a crucial role in supporting over a billion people who are reliant on coral reefs worldwide.
Only a few years ago, if you were to visit the shores of Sulawesi in Indonesia and the Salisi’ Besar reef, you would have found a barren seafloor, carpeted with highly mobile, grey coral rubble. Salisi’ Besar is just one of many coral reefs around the
world that was once colourful and full of life, but was slowly withering away from the impacts of human activity.
Thanks to a collaborative effort, led by the Mars brand SHEBA, the reef has begun to be transformed as part of the world’s largest reef restoration program. In fact, today, if you were to look at satellite images of Salisi’ Besar, you would see the restored reef spells out the word “H-O-P-E”. So far, there has been a 64% rise in the number of fish species and coral growth has increased from just 2% to 70%.
Collaborating to support a flourishing blue economy
Programmes like Sheba’s HOPE reef restoration, and the Fishery Improvement Fund are only made possible when partners who are dependent on the blue economy take accountability for the impact of their operations and commit to working hand-in-hand with local communities, experts, organisations, and others in the industry to address the issues surrounding sustainable sourcing. By thinking long-term and partnering across sectors to achieve scalable change, we can drive the regeneration of our most critical marine ecosystems and resources through restoration programs, from local fishing communities to global multi-nationals –collaboration remains the key to a more abundant future for all.
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Despite the detrimental impact of sweeping Western measures imposed over Iran’s nuclear programme, the government has ambitious plans to near double its fish production. And while a lack of access to critical technologies and foreign markets has hurt, it hasn’t crippled the industry, writes Vladislav Vorotnikov
Iran’s fish industry is standing firm despite external pressures, according to Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad and Head of the Iran Fisheries Organisation. In a recent press conference, Hosseini said the country’s aquaculture production is estimated at 1.25 million tonnes and fisheries production at 1.46 million tonnes per year, while recent studies by Iranian scientists had indicated the combined production could be boosted to a level of 4.5 million tonnes per year, and the authorities have a clear vision how this volume can be achieved.
Building cage farms along the 8,800 km (5,468-mile) coastline is seen as the first and primary step in rampingup the production performance, Hosseini said. In the past, the development prospects of cage farming have been hindered by a lack of technologies, as Western companies, including equipment suppliers, usually only do business with Iranian clients through schemes involving a chain of intermediates in third-countries, which implies big risks and huge costs.
However, as Hosseini pointed out, that issue has been largely solved, as 85% of the technologies used in cage
farming have been localised in Iran. As a result, in the 1401 Iranian year, which ended March 2023, the number of cage farms in operation in the country tripled, reaching 357. Their combined production performance is estimated at 35,000 tonnes per year.
The trend is picking up, as Iranian authorities expect the cage farm sector’s output to jump to 500,000 tonnes in several years, Hosseini estimated.
However, Iran still lacks hatcheries to purchase broodstock and heavily relies on imports in this segment, he noted, admitting that securing the supply of broodstock in sufficient quantities is associated with challenges.
Embracing the reality
It’s recognised that Iranian government officials have a habit of downplaying the impact of Western sanctions on the economy. Market players, on the other hand, concede the fishing industry is among the economic sectors that felt the heavy brunt of the restrictions.
Ali Akbar Khodayi, Secretary of Iran Aquatic Production and Trade Union, underscored the “brilliant achievements” of Iran’s fishing industry in the past few years but
emphasised it “would be in far better condition if not for the heavy shadow of sanctions.” He confirmed it is being hurt in several ways. For example, Iranian companies are denied the right to participate in the world’s main industry exhibitions, including the annual Seafood Expo Global (SEG) in Barcelona, Spain.
In recent years, Iranian companies have tried to circumvent this restriction, taking part in such events under the titles of companies registered in other countries and not mentioning their Iranian origin, Khodayi said.
On the other hand, the problems Iranian businesses face in the West are, to a certain extent, compensated by strong ties with other economies. According to Khodayi, Iranian fish companies traditionally have a strong presence at the world’s largest China exhibition in Xindao City and in St Petersburg, Russia.
But Khodayi also noted Iranian fish exporters face the challenge of collecting payments for delivered goods, as the transactions are associated with certain risks, and clients often demand substantial discounts when dealing with Iranian fish suppliers.
This is tightly linked to another obstacle, as Iranian authorities are limited in their ability to negotiate favourable access to the key markets. Khodayi said that while the government managed to secure tariff preferences for markets like China, South Korea and Russia, supplies to Europe, the most promising market for Iranian fish, still face numerous hurdles.
To illustrate how sanctions impact foreign sales, Khodayi said Europe now accounts for just 0.1% of Iranian shrimp exports. In comparison, before the sanctions were imposed, over 50% of foreign sales of Iranian shrimps landed in Europe.
Export hopes
In recent years, Iranian officials have increasingly pinned hopes on exports, as domestic consumption has little potential for growth. Indeed, rampant inflation has decimated the purchasing power of the 89 million Iranians in the last few years and business unions have determined that red meat consumption almost halved over the past year, and poultry consumption dropped by nearly 30%.
There are various estimates of how much fish is consumed in Iran. Reza Behramlu, head of the Hamedan Agricultural Jihad Organisation, estimated that in 2024, the per capita consumption will be 12 kg. Other reports put this figure as low as 8.9 kg. Nevertheless, all institutions looking into this subject admit a downward dynamic. As a result, some products like caviar and shrimp have already become almost purely export commodities.
In a statement in 2022, Hosseini estimated Iran could boost the value of its seafood exports nearly fourfold to $2 billion in the foreseeable future. However, amid Western sanctions, Iranian authorities have had to resort to hard currency rationing to keep the wheels of the national economy in motion. Today, seafood exports worth around $600 million per year, alongside hydrocarbon exports, are one of the critical sources of hard currency for the state treasury.
Over the past several years, Southeast Asia accounted for 75% of Iranian seafood exports, and further hopes are placed on this region. According to Khodayi, exports to Russia and the countries of the Eurasia Economic Union, a trade bloc of five post-Soviet countries, were also on the rise. In contrast, deliveries to neighbouring Middle Eastern countries showed a mixed dynamic.
Under the plan drafted by the Iranian Fisheries Organisation, fisheries production is expected to more than double, reaching 2.6 million tonnes by around 2030. Iran catches fish in the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the international waters of the Indian Ocean.
The Iranian fishing fleet comprises 11,500 vessels, but over the years some of these have been accused of operating without authorisation in the exclusive economic zones of countries like Yemen and Somalia.
In 2021, Iran embarked on a five-year fishing fleet modernisation plan, under which vessels over 20 years were to be replaced. The plan was mainly designed for the barges that make up a lot of the coastal fishing fleet. Meanwhile, the government estimates the total number of fishing vessels engaged in offshore operations to be between 800 and 1,000.
To-date, though, Iranian officials haven’t provided any details on how the country plans to ramp up fish catches. In earlier statements, authorities pointed towards offshore fishing, as catches in the Iranian exclusive economic zone had reached a ceiling. However, Iran’s potential to expand its fishing fleet remains questionable. The country lacks access to Western fishing gear and has a limited shipbuilding capacity. Furthermore, building ships at foreign yards is associated with sanctions risks, plus it requires substantial investments.
The Iranian fish industry has shown surprising resilience in the face of Western sanctions in the past, but it is yet to be seen whether the ambitious growth plans drafted by the authorities for the fishing and aquacultural sectors can be realised.
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Aquaculture surpasses capture fisheries in aquatic animal production for the first time, finds the new ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024’ report
World fisheries and aquaculture production has hit a new high, with aquaculture production of aquatic animals surpassing capture fisheries for the first time, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The 2024 edition of ‘The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture’ (SOFIA) said global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022 surged to 223.2 million tonnes, a 4.4% increase from the year 2020. Production comprised 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 37.8 million tonnes of algae.
“FAO welcomes the significant achievements thus far, but further transformative and adaptive actions are needed to strengthen the efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability of aquatic food systems and consolidate their role in addressing food insecurity, poverty alleviation and sustainable governance,” said FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu. “That’s why FAO advocates Blue Transformation to meet the overall requirements of better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.”
Record aquaculture volume
In 2022, and for the first time in history, aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries as the main producer of aquatic animals. Global aquaculture production reached an unprecedented 130.9 million tonnes, of which 94.4 million tonnes are aquatic animals, 51% of the total aquatic animal production.
According to the report, the aquaculture growth indicates its capacity to further contribute to meeting the rising global demand for aquatic foods, but future expansion and intensification must prioritise sustainability and benefit regions and communities most in need.
At present, a small number of countries dominate
aquaculture. Ten of them – China, Indonesia, India, Viet Nam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile – produced over 89.8% of the total. But many low-income countries in Africa and Asia are not using their full potential.
Targeted policies, technology transfer, capacity building and responsible investment are crucial to boost sustainable aquaculture where it is most needed, especially in Africa, it states.
Further transformative and adaptive actions are needed to strengthen the efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability of aquatic food systems
Dr Qu Dongyu, FAO
Global consumption rises
The record production of aquatic foods underlines the sector’s potential in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition, says the FAO. Global apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods reached 162.5 million tonnes in 2021. This figure has increased at nearly twice the rate of the world population since 1961, with global per capita annual consumption rising from 9.1 kg in 1961 to 20.7 kg in 2022.
Of total aquatic animal production, 89% was used for direct human consumption, underscoring the critical role of fisheries and aquaculture in maintaining global food
n Aquaculture’s growth indicates its capacity to further contribute to meeting the rising global demand for aquatic foods, says the FAO
security. The rest was destined for indirect or non-food uses, mainly fishmeal and fish oil production.
Supporting further consumption from sustainable sources is crucial to foster healthy diets and improve nutrition worldwide. Aquatic foods provide high-quality proteins – 15% of animal proteins and 6 percent of total proteins worldwide – and key nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. In 2021, they contributed at least 20% of the per capita protein supply from all animal sources to 3.2 billion people.
Most fisheries stocks sustainable
Global capture fisheries production has remained stable since the late 1980s. In 2022, the sector produced 92.3 million tonnes, comprising 11.3 million tonnes from inland and 81 million tonnes from marine capture. Despite the growth in aquaculture, capture fisheries remain an essential source of aquatic animal production.
The proportion of marine stocks fished within biologically sustainable levels, however, decreased to 62.3% in 2021, 2.3% lower than in 2019.
When weighted by production level, an estimated 76.9% of the 2021 landings from stocks monitored by FAO were from biologically sustainable stocks. This, the report says, underscores the role that effective fisheries management can play in facilitating stock recovery and increased catches, highlighting the urgent need to replicate successful policies to reverse the current declining trend.
Production and consumption rises
SOFIA also contains FAO’s outlook for fisheries and aquaculture, which projects increases in world production and apparent consumption for the period up to 2032. Aquatic animal production is expected to increase by 10% by 2032 to reach 205 million tonnes. Aquaculture expansion and capture fisheries recovery will account for this rise.
SOFIA projects that apparent consumption will increase by 12% to supply on average 21.3 kg per capita in 2032. Rising incomes and urbanisation, improvements in postharvest practices and distribution and dietary trends are expected to drive most of this increase.
However, it believes that the per capita apparent consumption in Africa will continue to decrease, as production projections may not keep up with population growth. This is especially alarming for sub-Saharan Africa where many countries are dependent on aquatic foods to meet their nutritional needs, particularly animal proteins and micronutrients.
The report also presents a scenario showing the potential implications of population dynamics on the supply of aquatic animal food up to 2050. Due to the rising global population, to maintain through to 2050 apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods at the 2022 estimated level of 20.7 kg per capita would require an increase in the total aquatic animal food supply of 36 million tonnes, a rise of 22%.
This highlights the need to accelerate Blue Transformation priority actions in a world where aquatic foods play a more significant role in ending hunger, malnutrition and poverty, says the FAO
Vital livelihood provider
In addition to nutrition and food security, fisheries and aquaculture are an important source of livelihoods. According to the latest data, an estimated 61.8 million people were employed in the primary sector of fisheries and aquaculture in 2022, down from 62.8 million in 2020.
Sex-disaggregated data indicated that women made up 24% of the overall workforce but 62% in the processing subsector. The FAO also reports that gender inequality issues remain, including differences in wages, insufficient recognition of women’s contribution to the sector, and gender-based violence.
Production
Global fisheries and aquaculture production: 223.2 million tonnes
Aquatic animals: 185.4 million tonnes
Algae: 37.8 million tonnes
Global aquaculture production: 130.9 million tonnes
Global capture fisheries: 92.3 million tonnes
Aquatic animal production by region: Asia (70%), Europe (9%), Latin America and the Caribbean (9%), Africa (7%), Northern America (3%) and Oceania (1%)
Main producers of aquatic animals by country: China (36%), India (8%), Indonesia (7%), Vietnam (5%) and Peru (3%)
Estimated total first sale value of fisheries and aquaculture production: US$ 472 billion
Estimated total first sale value of aquaculture production: $313 billion
Sustainability
Proportion of sustainably fished marine stocks monitored by FAO (2021): 62.3%
Proportion of sustainably fished marine stocks level monitored by FAO weighted by production (2021): 78.9%
Consumption
Global apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods (2021): 162.5 million tonnes
Global apparent consumption of aquatic foods per capita (2021): 20.6 kg
Increase in global apparent consumption of aquatic foods per capita: from 9.1 kg in 1961 to 20.6 in 2021
Employment
People employed in primary production: 61.8 million
Workers by sector: fisheries (54%), aquaculture (36%), sector not specified (10%)
Percentage of jobs by region: Asia (85%), Africa (10%), Latin America and the Caribbean (4%), Europe, Oceania and Northern America combined (1%).
Trade
Top exporters of aquatic animal products: China, Norway, Vietnam, Ecuador, Chile
Top importers of aquatic animal products: United States of America, China, Japan, Spain, France
Value of international trade of aquatic products: $195 billion
n SOFIA projects apparent consumption will increase by 12% to an average 21.3 kg per capita in 2032
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Leveraging new technologies can help reduce the impacts of aquaculture while helping with the challenge of meeting food security, writes Jason Holland
Net pens, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), flow-through – which blue food farming system is best?
According to Ohad Maiman, Managing Partner of landbased focused fund Aquafounders Capital, this is a complicated question that he’s been asked many times, particularly in the seven years he spent as CEO (and founder) of land-based yellowtail kingfish producer The Kingfish Company (2015-2022). Indeed, Maiman likens the question to asking which car is best – a Porsche or a Land Rover.
“It depends on what you are trying to do,” he told the recent Blue Food Innovation Summit in London. “There’s also the additional layer of technology combinations, with net-pen farmers using RAS for post-smolt, for example. It’s not ‘either/or’, with the technologies involved it’s about ‘also’. And when you think of the global seafood demand and an expected 30 to 50 million tonnes needed in the next 20 to 30 years, there’s room for all of them.”
Vincent Erenst, CEO The Kingfish Company, joined the RAS venture from the cage and pond farming sectors. He told the summit the main difference is that in the traditional production methods, there’s not much control over the environment that the fish are being farmed in.
“That counts for the water you pump into your system, and also for the water that comes out of the system,” he said. “You cannot really clean it because of the large volumes. And as you cannot really control what comes into the farm, you may get disease. And disease is one of the Achilles heels of traditional aquaculture. These are difficult problems to resolve.”
If we compare our performance with net cage farming yellowtail in Japan, our fish do a lot better
Vincent Erenst, The Kingfish Company
Erenst acknowledged that over the years, several technologies have been developed to try to resolve these issues, including pumping water from very low depths and cages that can be submerged into deep water, thereby reducing the impact on surface water.
At the same time, there are pump-ashore farms, with partial recirculation, and then there’s full recirculation systems such as that used by The Kingfish Company. This sees just 1% water replacement for every round that the water takes; the remaining 99% is cleaned by the filtration system.
“I think control helps make your fish perform a lot better. It’s surprising how well these fish do in these systems – if we compare our performance with net cage farming yellowtail in Japan, our fish do a lot better. It shows that if you provide the ideal conditions for the fish, their potential really comes to the fore. That’s a huge advantage,” Erenst said.
“The disadvantage, of course, is the more complex you make it, also the more it’s going to cost you. Capex – capital expenditure – per kilo is an issue for land-based farming, and the more control you get and the more sophisticated you make the system, obviously, the more you are going
to spend. On the Opex (operating expenses) side, it’s not so bad - it’s not cheap to run a farm, but as your fish grow fast with good feed conversions, these costs become pretty similar to traditional farms, and without the disease risk.
“Complexity and Capex – those are things that are more difficult in land-based farming, but they’re really developing. A lot of work has been done in the last five to 10 years, and you see how this industry is now developing. I think that in the coming years, it will develop a lot further and also make the investments much more affordable.”
Ideal location
Norway’s Salmon Evolution is using a hybrid flow-through system to produce its fish. CEO Trond Håkon SchaugPettersen told the summit location is a key element in establishing a land-based farm. He said the company’s location on the west coast of Norway, next to the Atlantic Ocean, gives it unlimited access to clean, high-quality water of the ideal temperature.
“Providing a lot of new water at all times makes it easier to maintain good water quality. Secondly, it’s also a sort of risk mitigating thing with having access to water – you don’t have the same complexity or limited margin of error that you have in a RAS facility, where if things go wrong, they happen very [quickly].”
On the downside, Schaug-Pettersen acknowledged that such flow-through systems “can be heavy” on the Capex side. “But compared to the conventional industry, if you include the licence costing in Norway and also the taxes you are, you are at the stage now where this is more or less on parity on Capex, and now we are seeing Opex levels that that are also fairly competitive. This was not the case if you go back only three four years ago – the relative competitiveness of landbased has significantly improved. And I think if you look at all the opportunities you have to control the environment, this should also increase going forward.”
Horses for courses (mostly)
Giving a technology-provider perspective, AKVA Group’s Communications & Sustainability Director Ståle Økland said there are many ways to reach a goal. This, he said, is evidenced by all the innovations coming into the aquaculture space.
Agreeing that water quality is essential, Økland said there have beene a lot of different types of technologies being introduced, not just in the RAS area, which has been AKVA’s main focus thus far, with the delivery of facilities producing close to consumer markets.
But he added that land-based aquaculture isn’t just about full grow-out, with a growing trend towards postsmolt facilities, with young salmon grown to sizes of 500 to 700 grams before at-sea transferal.
“We think that will get more important,” he said. “It’s a great way to grow in many places.”
What’s key is utilising the right technology in the right way, added Maiman.
“I remember in the early days of RAS, early advocates used to love saying with the technology, you can grow salmon in the Sahara Desert, but from a business-case standpoint, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should,” he said. “If you have optimal conditions and an abundant water supply then there are benefits in going more towards flow-through. The less you have [of these], the more sense that RAS makes. But even that isn’t a black and white separation – there are RAS systems with zero discharge goals and there are RAS systems with 40% replacement per day.”
Factoring current sustainability and traceability pressures, the summit heard it’s also very important to make the operations more appealing from a customer and consumer perspective.
“First of all, we’re farmers, and we like what do, and we want to be proud of it. Animal welfare, sustainability, traceability – those things that are our duty, and I think people at our company consider that duty above everything else. But especially in the market segment that we have chosen so far, which is high-end restaurants, we have a lot of responsibility – there’s a lot of chefs that really want to know what they are serving in their restaurants; they’re very proud of what they do too,” Erenst said.
“There’s a lot of attention on those aspects – for the consumers that we serve, and we believe that will trickle down further. We also see it at some purchasing sites of some retailers, consumers in Northern Europe, much more so than in Southern Europe, but it’s definitely increasing, and I think America will also follow. So, these trends – the things we try to do to grow fish in a sustainable and more animal-friendly way, I think they ring a bell with consumers. And I think that will spread.”
An important aspect of the seafood or aquaculture industry is that it’s highly regulated, added SchaugPettersen. He highlighted that in the salmon farming sector, there’s been no growth in global production over the last two or three years.
“The prospect of growth is very limited in the shortterm,” he said. “This is due to the need for sustainable growth; it’s also due to the challenges facing the industry. It’s extremely important to have sustainability, to have fish welfare and health very high on the agenda because it’s becoming more and more a licence to operate and to produce. I also think that increasingly you will see customers migrate to solutions that can prove, for example, very good fish welfare.”
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German researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based system to count and measure shrimp, detect stress and disease on farms, and gain insights into ethical farming practices. Bonnie Waycott reports
Over the last decade, the shrimp farming industry has grown significantly. According to Rabobank, more positive signs could be on the way, with an expected year-on-year production growth of 4.8% in 2024. However, the industry is also facing challenges as the need for optimisation increases.
Many experts are now pointing to the potential of artificial intelligence, or AI, as a possible solution. Recent progress in aquaculture so far has demonstrated that AI can be successfully integrated across various areas of fish farming, raising hope that the same could be applied to shrimp.
To further explore the prospects of AI on shrimp farms, a research team from the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany has successfully developed an AI-based computer vision system that sheds light on how shrimp are doing on farms.
“Shrimp are becoming extremely important within aquaculture in Germany and in Europe, because they can be farmed relatively quickly,” Dr Stephan Ende, scientist at AWI, told WF. “There is also huge market demand that German production cannot meet. Demand for local farmed shrimps from customers in Germany is estimated to be around 500 tonnes, but local production is currently less than 100 tonnes. Shrimp are also high value, and consumers are willing to pay more for a product that is produced locally in a safe environment.”
Real-time calculations
One significant challenge that shrimp farming has faced over the years is the need to maintain water quality and address issues such as feed spill in more uncontrolled systems like turbid ponds. Because it’s difficult to tell whether feed ends up in the shrimp as required or deteriorates at the bottom of a pond, farmers can overestimate or underestimate their stock. Being able to see shrimp in clear water was the key to Ende’s and his team’s idea of monitoring shrimp and supporting aquaculture management systems by providing farms with accurate data on shrimp biomass.
“We had a good vision of how to approach and solve the challenges that shrimp farms are facing,” said Ende. “We have good partners within this project who have supported us with AI and neural networks, and we have a partner in the shrimp farming industry who is very keen to use AI and has significant plans to expand.”
Ende and his team worked closely with Oceanloop, a shrimp farming pioneer, and Sander Holding, a water treatment systems manufacturer. During a two-year collaboration, they monitored and detected the growth, population size, mortality and stress in shrimp with up to 90% accuracy by setting up smartphones in two different positions, one of which was installed to provide a bird’s eye view of the surface of the water.
The devices automatically photographed the shrimp before transferring data to a local server. Computer visionbased algorithms then counted the number and length of the shrimp in each image. They also detected whether the shrimp were overlapping with one another and determined signs of stress by detecting slight colour changes on the
shrimp’s tails. Results were sent to a software package to analyse the data and optimise growth and feeding models. The work was carried out in real-time under authentic farming conditions, including high stocking densities that were deliberately set to initiate a stress response.
Optimising feed protocols
Ende and his team are now working on the next stage of the project and aiming to incorporate hardware cameras rather than smartphones. Hopes are high that in future, shrimp farms will be able to integrate the team’s software into their general management software and purchase hardware cameras for installation above rearing tanks.
‘‘
Our system offers shrimp farms a better understanding of how their shrimp are performing as well as how to farm ethically
Dr
Stephan Ende, Alfred Wegener Institute
The system is likely to play a key role in helping farms make effective management decisions, said Ende.
“Most aquaculture management or software systems collect data without really integrating them or making suggestions to farmers to adjust areas such as feed regimes, and this is something that we want to incorporate,” he said.
“We can deliver information on stocking density and provide very precise estimates of biomass, and because it’s highly likely that farmers overfeed or underfeed, we would like to offer recommendations so that farmers adjust their feed in line with the actual number of shrimp on their farms. This will help them optimise profit, avoid overfeeding, which reduces water quality and requires water treatment, and avoid underfeeding, allowing shrimp to grow to their full potential. We also want farmers to get an alert from our software if their shrimp show signs of stress.”
using deep learning methods for object detection
“The 24/7 biomass and stress monitoring is an important milestone for us in improving the farming efficiency of our technology, as it allows us to update our predictive models with real data and therefore continuously benchmark our process,” said Dr. Bert Wecker, CTO of Oceanloop.
Performance transparency
With strong commercial interest from the Asian market, Ende and his team believe that their system will lead to opportunities, especially because systems like theirs are not yet on the market. Ende emphasises that when integrating AI on shrimp farms, clear water and good water treatments are key to allowing accurate visual observations. Farms will also have to consider budget and the overall costs of installing AI.
With this in mind, Oceanloop and AWI are trialling a range of relatively affordable cameras that can meet the system’s goals. Farms will also need to determine for how long images and other data can be stored on their servers, while the system will need to ensure accurate observations and measurements at deeper depths where shrimp can disappear from view, or when shrimp are overlapping. This could be overcome by using cameras with side views.
With increasing transitions from ponds to RAS systems in shrimp farming, AI technology such as this will enhance farmers’ knowledge of shrimp performance and help them farm more sustainably. It will also help overcome welfare issues, not just on shrimp farms but also on fish farms, and go the extra mile by helping consumers understand that aquaculture can be sustainable.
“Our system offers shrimp farms a better understanding of how their shrimp are performing as well as how to farm ethically, and through this, we hope to improve people’s general perception of aquaculture,” said Ende. “AI can
make aquaculture more transparent. Change won’t happen overnight but if we can prove that farmed species aren’t necessarily always stressed, or that mortality in aquaculture is no higher than in any other animal production system, that’s a huge step.”
Going forward, Ende and his team will be tailoring their system so that it works from the juvenile to harvest stages, implementing standardised hardware cameras, and integrating it into a commercially available software that will then be patented.
At Aquaculture UK 2024, Umitron’s Russell Ferguson outlined the company’s ambitions to be a more value-chain-aware technology provider. Jason Holland reports
Farmed blue food production is facing some serious challenges, including but not limited to its response to climate change, the increase in oceanic threats, and farms moving further offshore. There’s also a smaller pool of personnel available to monitor these farms. Consequently, in 2024, more decision making is becoming AI-based.
Speaking at the recent Aquaculture UK 2024 exhibition and conference held in Aviemore, Scotland, Umitron Field Sales Manager – Scotland, Russell Ferguson, insisted that addressing the issues affecting the industry requires innovative solutions. Indeed, he said that Umitron, a Singapore/Japan-based aquaculture technology start-up, was established in 2016 with the aim of its three founders to use satellite and AI technologies in the aquaculture space to help feed the world more efficiently while also minimising environmental impacts.
“We are here to support the development of the industry through the application of advanced technologies and AI, and machine learning, and all delivered with a lot of passion,” Ferguson said.
As such, Umitron has explored the challenges that shaped the industry in the past and the initial technological advancements that laid the groundwork for its development, Ferguson said. He explained that early industry iterations in AI started making significant strides in the latter half of the 20th century. While these technological advancements were sometimes called “fuzzy logic”, he said hope was given to aquaculture ventures, with the promise of solutions to complex problems being delivered
through data analysis and predictive modelling.
Around the same time, the advent of satellites and remote sensing revolutionised the monitoring of largerscale aquaculture farming operations.
“Satellites equipped with advanced sensors allowed for real-time data collection, kicking off a big data wave that would further boost AI integration into the sector, making for more affordable technological solutions.”
We need to be smart, the planet is evolving, and we need to keep pace in a responsible and sustainable way
With this big data wave, it became important to know what data was being collected and how it was being collected, as well as how the data was being used, and what gaps exist, Ferguson said.
“AI definitely brought about a paradigm shift in aquaculture practices. The ability of AI [to analyse] vast amounts of data in real-time opened up new possibilities – from monitoring water quality to optimising feeding schedules and detecting diseases early on, it has become a huge leap forward for our industry. Results include increased efficiency, improved yields, and a more sustainable approach to aquaculture and environmental conservation.”
builds data platforms for aquaculture using IoT, satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence
Supporting farmers
Ferguson acknowledged concerns raised in the media about the growth of AI in multiple walks of life, and like all technologies, he conceded “there will be good and less good applications”. But he insisted AI is the pathway to many benefits in the aquaculture space, including multiple data source points being identified at the same time, and interpretive outcomes determined by gathered data and then linked to various applications to provide one single data platform.
He also highlighted that AI can be mounted in satellites to send informed responses rather than just flat data and imagery, and that this could free-up valuable time for farmers.
“Labour is in short supply and there’s always something else that needs to be done on a farm,” he said, adding that the increased efficiencies can also lead to reductions in the production footprint.
“When we, Umitron, have been installing AI-driven software on farms, we’ve heard the concerns from operators about possible job losses due to this new technology…but for us, AI in aquaculture provides for rapidly calculated options that fully support farmer decision making to maintain high levels of performance as well as risk mitigation. And all of this goes to support a highly skilled workforce,” Ferguson said.
The future promises a symbiotic relationship between technology and aquaculture, shaping a more resilient and efficient industry ‘‘
As well as enabling the monitoring of farming systems, including feed performance and fish behaviour, and the ability to predict changes to the environment, other AI applications include biomass estimation and lice counting. “We accumulate masses of data about our stocks and the environment in which they’re grown. AI can use this data to predict changes, allowing farms to take timely action. And this will be the difference between [farm] success and failure.”
Ferguson explained the Umitron Pulse ocean data monitoring solution offers one way to keep check on changing water conditions. It combines satellite and buoy data and other in-sea sensors to form an ocean water quality map – by recording such parameters as water temperature, dissolved oxygen solidity, chlorophyll, wave height, ocean currents, wind speed and direction.
“This platform allows for 48-hour data protection –you can see what’s coming your way and take mitigation if possible, to lessen the impact on production. It alerts farmers across the world and in all aquaculture industry sectors about changes in conditions that could affect them such as a reduction in feeding, or cause mortality or prevent harvesting.”
The platform also offers two years historical data and helps farmers to track trends to see what environmental conditions have led to improve production performance.
Ferguson told Aquaculture UK that one shellfish farmer in Alaska, who had experienced a massive mortality event, used Pulse to look back at data and see what was happening on the farm at that particular time. He noticed that a number of parameters were acting abnormally. Consequently, he created alerts so he knows in advance when these events are likely to occur and to make sure he’s prepared, either by harvesting early if that’s a possibility, or by implementing protective measures.
Pulse can also be used for scoping new sites, he said. “That’s really important before deploying expensive
hardware. You can also start determining the environmental threshold values that may be of concern to production. We’ve used Pulse in Japan to identify the best sites for yellowtail.
“We have access to over 30 years of historical water quality data in all marine areas. We use this to find sites that meet the suitability requirements of the species concerned.”
Another AI-system developed by Umitron is an integrated feeding optimisation and mortality estimation solution called Remora. This plug-and-play software brings feed algorithms, pellet detection and mortality estimation to large-scale farm operations without installing additional hardware equipment.
This is a software platform that integrates directly with the farm infrastructure to acquire data about the fish based on their needs. It does this by learning their feeding behaviours, Ferguson said.
The existing cameras and computers are used and images from the camera streams are analysed by Remora to determine whether the fish behaviours show they are hungry, they are eating well, starting to become satiated all the way through until they stopped feeding all together. This behaviour study is called the fish appetite index (or FAI).
Because the feeding behaviour is not binary, not identical within species, site-to-site or within a site, the AI learns and assimilates data from video images about the fish behaviour before, during and after feeding, and its awards the behaviours (FAI) a value. When this value increases or decreases, operators are alerted to the change in behaviour so that they can make an informed choice whether to feed more feed less or stop feeding altogether.
This can also be combined with pellet detection for greater appetite awareness, with Remora alerting operators if the pellet threshold has been reached or exceeded.
“Linking these different algorithms means there’s a more efficient way to feed fish based on their needs, as well as being able to reduce feed wastage. Our streamlined version of Remora focuses on pellet detection with a very easy-to-use interface. In fact, some farmers have called it ‘idiot proof’, as it gives pellet alert video playback so you can see where and when you wasted your pellets.”
To prove further still that AI works, Umitron is also now producing its own branded seafood line, using technology called Umitrom Farm Smart.
“This is a welcome addition to our portfolio. After all, there’s not that many tech companies that sell their own seafood products,” Ferguson said. “I like to call this putting your mouth where the money is.
“The products have been adopted and promoted by a group of top Japanese chefs as well as major supermarkets and restaurant chains in Japan who want to give the consumer an informed choice to buy more sustainably grown seafood.”
He also confirmed Umitron has placed Scottish salmon into the Japanese market, and it’s now growing its brand in the US.
“All this is a very tangible benefit of the power of AI.”
With regards to the future landscape, Ferguson believes there needs to be much greater integration and interconnection between hardware and software providers.
“As an industry, we’re not quite there yet. Currently, we have multiple technologies – all gathering similar data sets that do not talk to one another. This data is stored in multiple servers consuming a lot of power and generating a lot of heat, and often the data is not used, or full access to it can be difficult to navigate.
“That’s why we are connecting our AI with other companies…We need to be smart, the planet is evolving, and we need to keep pace in a responsible and sustainable
way. The future we’re talking about isn’t that far off and we’ve started preparing for it – using multiple data sources from both local and global within an integrated data system that can support efficient production. For example, environmental data can be used to inform daily feeding as well as longer term feeding strategies. This data can be used to tell the provenance of the seafood being produced sustainably, to give consumers an informed choice.
“The trajectory of AI in aquaculture is nothing short of exciting. Our team at Umitron envisions a future where sustainable and efficient farming practices are not just a choice, there are a necessity. Emerging trends, innovations and technologies are on the horizon set to revolutionise our industry further.
“The future promises a symbiotic relationship between technology and aquaculture, shaping a more resilient and efficient industry and by understanding and proactively addressing the challenges for farmers, the aquaculture industry can navigate the evolving technological frontier while maintaining a sustainable and responsible approach and to help this, we will focus even more on being a value chain aware technology provider.”
Artificial intelligence is transforming data utilisation in farmed blue food production and adding value along the way, writes Jason Holland
One of the biggest challenges facing the aquaculture industry is information scarcity, insists ReelData AI Founder and CEO Mathew Zimola.
Speaking at the recent Blue Food Innovation Summit in London in a session focused on harnessing AI tools for production technology, Zimola explained how difficult it is for producers to understand what’s happening under the water. This issue is emphasised by the widespread practice of “feed checking”, whereby a fish farmer will take scoops of fish feed and toss them across the water to see how the resident fish will react.
They’ll use this to determine fish behaviours – whether the fish are hungry, or if they’re full, he said.
“But what we’ve seen is that you can ask an operator on a fish farm, how hungry the fish are, they’ll do a feed check. And then you can ask another person
tonnes,” Zimola said.
“You’re reducing the cost per kilo, you’re also reducing the energy costs associated with your farm because you’re now increasing the production level while keeping all the other operational things at steady state. There’s tonnes of value that can come from just onboarding AI solutions from the companies that are innovating in the space right now.”
Operational efficacy
The shift from being insight-lacking to having near real-time information about the growth, health and welfare of fish, and their eating efficiency in farming systems is a huge positive brought by AI and other emerging technologies, agreed Tidal/The Moonshot Company Programme Director Kira Smiley.
She told the Blue Food session:
“Within the last five years or so, we’ve started to see a transformation – moving from small samples
n AI smart feeding system identifies real time population appetite and adjusts feed levels accordingly to maximise biomass while limiting waste
two minutes later to do the exact same thing, and you will get two different answers.”
ReelData AI’s solution is autonomous fish feeding technology. “It really was the first thing to show us that we can increase the growth of our industry with a single product play by anywhere between 10 and 20%. So, if you’re looking at a farm, that’s 10,000 tonnes, you can onboard an AI system that now makes that farm 11,000
told the summit. “This is happening at incredible scale, and some of the companies have been experiencing incredible growth – fivefold in just the past three years. It’s incredible and getting much faster than many of us think. And this will help the industry address a number of fundamental issues from its environmental impact, its productivity, and maybe also its survival issues.”
If you have good information going into these models, you can have good results coming out of ite
Kira Smiley, Tidal/The Moonshot Company ‘‘
of maybe 20 fish or pulling out some samples and not knowing answers to different operational questions until harvest, which could be 18 months later.
“All of those have shifted to create value and to allow you to start to do different types of iteration or experimentation to see how, for example, different feed types could impact growth or how different environmental conditions or treatment methods might impact welfare and growth. And through that, you start to be able to be much more precise about the operational management of your aquaculture systems, and then building efficiency in this space.”
Smiley continued: “That efficiency really is sustainability in so many ways, because waste of feed, for example, or mortality really decreases the efficacy of those operations.”
In the picture Aquaculture’s adoption of AI has been very rapid, acknowledged SWEN Capital Partners: Blue Ocean Investment Director Christian Lim.
“Just five years ago, nobody would imagine that we would know in realtime, the weight of fish in cages or tanks, or how many lice they might have,” Lim
Lim highlighted that some of the production sites currently used may not be appropriate in the long-term future, amongst other things due to climate change. As such, the industry needs to consider how it goes about producing more food offshore, for example. This, he said, is only possible if through automation.
“And so, that’s what we’re investing in. We’re investing in the solutions that will help build that future.”
What’s key is having sufficient quantities of good quality data, said Smiley. “If you have good information going into these models, you can have good results coming out of it,” she said. “That’s where this concept of big data comes in – the more data you have, and the longer your systems are in these [fish] pens, the more they can learn about the conditions, about new geographies, about
new areas, and they can continue to improve. What’s great about it is while it’s an effort to get the data, the rest of it is just this process of continual improvement as you continue to get more data to these models. And so really, for any kind of artificial intelligence tool, it’s only uphill from there.”
With AI-powered tools increasingly used to measure biomass, life, fish appetite etc data points, the next stage is to integrate various sources of data across farmers and across regions, Lim said, adding that this is where the industry currently faces a big challenge because most of the input and output data required to build effective models – including but not limited to the type and quantity of feed provided, and the genetic traits of the fish put in the pens –is in the hands of the farmers and is not being shared.
“There are very good reasons for that, but if you want to get to the next level and build models that are not only
Just five years ago, nobody would imagine that we would know in real-time, the weight of fish in cages or tanks, or how many lice they might have
Christian Lim, SWEN Capital Partners: Blue Ocean
providing data, but which are predictive, we need to have actually broader partnerships across the industry.”
Smiley agreed, insisting that the next level is reached when you have more open-source data that can be integrated across systems.
“Then you get rid of the silos that may exist and are able to get a lot more insights as to how various different factors impact each other. In aquaculture, these fish farms are part of an ecosystem, and if you’re not looking at those different components, it’s hard to have full insight into what’s really happening,” she said.
According to Zimola, what’s important for producers to recognise is that the industry isn’t collecting data until the farmers sit down with an AI provider.
“There’s a really good chance that all of that information that you’ve been collecting, all that historical information is garbage, and you’re gonna have to start at day-one again. The sooner you sit down with an AI solutions provider, the sooner you really that first step into leveraging these new artificial intelligence solutions that are coming to market. You don’t have to buy the solution at that point, but it’s really important to just have a call with these people and show them what you’ve been doing and maybe get some insights into what you can be doing better to prep you to start onboarding these solutions.”
Licence to grow
With regards to areas in which the industry could leverage AI, Lim pointed to Norway’s salmon industry, which faced a lot of controversy last year, including regulators finding widespread mislabelling (deformed and sick fish being sold as high-quality, premium products).
“I’m sure the industry is addressing that, but it created a lot of steer, and it was damaging for the industry. That’s about the health and welfare of the fish, but then of course, there’s also social
licence concerns regarding the environmental impacts of fish farming. I think AI can help in from two perspectives: First is to help address those issues fundamentally, because if you’re measuring in real time, you know the health of the fish, the wounds, and you can take measures faster. And if you can improve the welfare of the fish, you can also improve a feed conversion ratio and improve and reduce the amount of feed that you use, and therefore, use less forage fish. You are reducing all those impacts effectively with the with AI-powered tools and you build social licence by doing the right thing and simply addressing the problems at the root.
“The second is to bring transparency…today, we can know in real time what is happening in the pens – we have pictures of how the fish are doing every day and potentially in every pen. With this information, there’s an opportunity to create transparency to inform even the consumer of what’s really happening and to restore trust,” he said.
For aquaculture to progress with AI technologies, more industry collaboration and more transparency is vital, said Lim.
“I know it can be scary because sharing data could mean putting IP at risk, but I think there’s much more to gain and there’s an opportunity to actually shape the way things are going to be done. In this way, you can benefit from the sharing of information, with [the delivery of] much more powerful, predictive models than we have today, but which preserve the vested interests and value that everyone is creating.”
He insisted: “This will happen. There is no doubt. So now is your opportunity to do it in a collaborative, proactive way.”
Innovation | Industry insight | Knowledge sharing
visit: www.worldfishing.net/FWPCONFERENCE
contact: +44 1329 825335
email: info@icefishconference.com
DAY ONE – Thursday 19th September 2024
08:45 Coffee & Registration
09:15 Chairman’s Welcome
Thor Sigfusson, Founder and Chairman, Iceland Ocean Cluster
09:30 Gold Sponsor Welcome:
09:40 Keynote Address: Impactful partnerships for full utilization
The power of partnerships – how teaming up and collaborative relationships can accelerate full utilisation; what are the current available support systems for startups. Global collaborations that are making 100% fish impactful.
Alexandra Leeper PhD, Managing Director - International, Iceland Ocean Cluster
David Naftzger, Executive Director, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers
Melanie Siggs, representing Namibia Ocean Cluster
10:20 Q&A
10:40 Coffee & Networking
Growing emerging opportunities linked closely to partnerships in the circular economy and opportunities that connect land and sea and cross sector - pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, feed, pet foods, biofuels, and fertilizers etc. Nutritional value of these new products where relevant for consumption/feeds.
11:10 Stefán Þór Eysteinsson, Research Group Leader, Matis
11:25 Cem Giray, CEO & President, Salmonics LLC
11:40 Petra Weigl, Managing Director Europe, Regal Springs
11:55 Rune Frostad, CEO, Pretio
12:10 Q&A
12:30 Lunch & Networking
SESSION 2: GOING FROM GREAT RESEARCH TO A PRODUCT ON THE MARKET
Fireside chat, Mini-discussion session
Moderator: David Naftzger, Executive Director, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers
14:20 Kerecis
Speaker to be confirmed
14:40 Runar G. Solstad, Senior Scientist Marine Biotechnology, Nofima
15:00 Q&A
15:20 Coffee and Networking
AI, digital technology, and applications in commercial fishing/aquaculture by-product production, trends in market demands and consumer needs. Automation and processing technologies.
15:40- Moderator: Thor Sigfusson
16:40 Anton Heiðar Þórólfsson, XR and Simulation Technology Manager, Marel 16:40 Q&A
17:00 Chairman’s Close
17:10 End of Conference Day 1
17:10-18:00 Networking and Drinks Reception
DAY TWO – Friday 20th September 2024
09:00 Coffee & Registration
09:30 Chairman’s Opening & Summary of Day 1 – Thor Sigfusson
Energising the industry for investment (what do investors want from start-ups), IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) opportunities/processes/assistance for start-ups, business models options.
10:45 Coffee & Networking
11:10 Mini – Pitch session and Panel Discussion from Session 4 Ben Wiper, Founder and CEO, CF Waste Recovery
12:20 Conference Wrap up – Thor Sigfusson
12:30 Lunch & Networking
14:00-16:00 Transfer to visit the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition
Fee Includes
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• Lunch and refreshments on conference days
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Your trusted seafood processing partner
MEET CARSOE AT NORFISHING IN TRONDHEIM, AUGUST 20-22, 2024
Hall D Stand 355: Visit our experienced team at the Norfishing exhibition to learn more about our turnkey processing solutions for fish, shrimp and crab vessels. Our reliable and long-lasting solutions are supported by our after sales team, who handle rebuilds and maintenance for factory trawlers to keep production capacity high and equipment running smoothly.
There had been delays to the newbuild’s delivery, due to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine and delayed deliveries of equipment, but Kjell-Gunnar Hoddevik and business partners Johnny Årvik and Jan-Ove Langeland have now received the seine netter from Karstensens Skibsværft
These are enterprising fishermen, who established Atlantic Seafish AS with older vessels, before investing a few years ago in the first new vessel in the Norwegian fleet to take advantage of changes in regulations allowing new gear combinations. Their newbuild Atlantic, delivered from its Turkish builder in 2020, is an innovative combination of a longliner and seine netter, and has fished successfully.
In 2021, with more fishing opportunities available than they could manage, the decision was taken to add a second vessel, and this time the order went to Karstensen for a combination seine netter/twin-rig trawler, also with capacity to deploy static gear for fishing snow crab.
The result is 43.4-metre,11.5-metre breadth Polarbris, which packs a great deal of technology into a relatively small space to provide a highly versatile new vessel capable of pursuing a variety of fisheries, including groundfish, shrimp and crab.
Polarbris is outfitted with electric deck equipment from Evotec, with a pair of 24-tonne fly-shooting winches at shelterdeck level, with pairs of 15.5-tonne net drums at the stern and amidships. The three 22-tonne trawl winches are fitted at boat deck level aft of the wheelhouse. Deck cranes are a TMP 1300 XL forward, and a SeaQuest PKB 4t/11m unit mounted on the gallows and able to reach any part of the trawl deck.
Polarbris has a C-Flow vacuum pump system with a 4,200-litre tank to transfer catches to the processing deck, outfitted by SteelTech to process whitefish catches as H&G production. KM Fish Machinery supplied the Mk 5 gutting machines. There are also options to route catches to tanks for live fish.
Whitefish and shrimp catches are frozen in the four DSI vertical plate freezers. Refrigeration for the freezers and the 470-cubic-metre fish-room, and the RSW system on board are from Teknotherm. Carsoe supplied the crab handling line for Polarbris.
The main engine is a 1370kW Yanmar 6EY22AW, powering the 3,900mm Brunvoll Volda propeller and twostep reduction gear, also runs an 890kWe Cummins shaft generator. Auxiliary power is supplied by a 600kWe Nogva Scania DI16 genset. In addition, a 600kWh Corvus Orca battery pack is a key part of the setup.
The electrical system as a whole is managed by a power management system controlling power consumption onboard and managing automated genset start-up as well as the battery pack’s function, providing optimal usage of the main engine and a high level of operational reliability. Polarbris has a wheelhouse with 360°visibility, and with a bank of screens facing the control position managed by a Florvaag FMCS screen selector application. The fishfinders onboard Polarbris are the Simrad SN90 sonar and ES-80 echo sounder. The primary navigation systems are a pair of Tecdis T-2138A esdic sets, a MaxSea Time Zero plotter and an Olex 3D system.
The X-band and S-band radars are from Furuno, as are the CI-68 log, SC-70 GPS gyro, GP-170 navigator, and FA170 AIS set. Autopilots are AP70 MkII sets from Simrad.
Sanford’s new scampi trawler San Koura Rangi has been floated off in Gdansk. Due for delivery at the end of this year, the vessel is now at the Maaskant yard in Stellendam for outfitting
With diesel-electric propulsion and an array of electric winches, designed to minimise fuel consumption and emissions, San Koura Rangi is expected to contribute to Sanford’s target of reducing the carbon footprint from its direct operations by 25% between 2020 and 2030.
Based on the Damen Sea Fisher 3210, the new vessel’s design has been developed through a process of cooperation between Sanford and the management and technical teams at Damen Shipyards, Damen Maaskant, and Damen’s representative in New Zealand.
As well as diesel-electric propulsion, the vessel will also have electric trawl winches integrated into the electrical system to re-route energy back to the switchboards, and the main propulsion also has a ‘get me home’ backup option in the event of problems with the main propulsion motor.
Further innovations include fans and large motors on variable speed drives. In colder climates in or near the Southern Ocean, the fans can slow down to reduce energy usage. Sanford has focused on using a robust long-lasting paint and anti-fouling coating system, which will reduce paint consumption and reduce solvent release to the atmosphere.
The choice has gone to CO2 as the refrigeration gas to be
use onboard, and while this is still a greenhouse gas, it is a significant improvement on CFSs and HFCs as a refrigerant.
San Koura Rangi will also feature the latest safety facilities for the crew, advanced bird protection for seabird safety and enhanced waste management to minimise any emissions.
Cutting-edge vessel to ensure high-quality products, boosting country’s economy and enhancing national food security
Fisheries Development Oman (FDO), the fisheries sector investment arm of the Oman Investment Authority, has commissioned Adamas to the fleet of its subsidiary, Oman Pelagic.
Adamas, which was constructed this year to sail under the flag of Oman, was built by Zamakona Shipyard in Pasaia in Spain. Its name is derived from the Latin word for diamond, and it is intended to symbolise the strength and resilience that has defined Omani seafarers through the ages.
With a cruise speed of approximately 17 knots, Adamas is equipped with state-of-the-art environmental instruments and advanced software for data collection. It will use non-entangling fish aggregation devices (FADs) made with biodegradable materials to enhance selectivity and to contribute to ecosystem conservation.
Measuring 84 metres in length, Adamas has a hold capacity of 1,200 tonnes, making it ideal for operations in international waters, where it will target various tuna species in international waters. The vessel’s propulsion system is powered by advanced engines, ensuring efficiency and reliability while minimising fuel consumption even in harsh conditions.
“The Adamas embodies our commitment to sustainable fishing practices and showcases our dedication to maintaining the highest quality standards in the industry,” said Muneer Ali Al-Muniri, Chairman of Fisheries Development Oman. “This vessel represents not just an investment but a profound step forward in our
commitment to enhancing Oman’s fishing industry and maritime legacy in line with Oman Vision 2040. With this investment, we reinforce Oman’s position as an attractive destination for local and international investors.
FDO said the commissioning of Adamas marks the completion of the first phase of its and Oman Pelagic’s expansion efforts in the fisheries sector. Subsequent phases, which have already been initiated across sectors, will see further growth across various sectors involving seafood products, fishing ports, vessels, processing and distribution.
Join us in September Hilton Reykjavík Nordica
The programme will cover all aspects: technology, regulatory changes and challenges, capitalising on emerging opportunities, future proofing and meeting market needs.
Session topics & panel discussions will include:
Keynote Panel: Impactful Partnerships
For more information please visit: icefishconference.com
contact: +44 1329 825335 or email: info@icefishconference.com
Emerging 100% Fish Value Chains / Opportunities Going from Great Research to a Product on the Market
Futureproofing and Advance Technology for Full Utilisation
Building, Protecting, and Investing in 100% Business
Mini-Pitch Session and Panel Discussion
Entry to Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition
Built for Seastar Holding, live fish carrier Seifjell has been built at the Cemre yard in Turkey to a design by Salt Ship Design
The 69.9-metre Seifjell has a breadth of 16.8 metres, a carrying capacity of 2,200 cubic metres in its two circular fish tanks, and has hybrid propulsion. This new vessel is expected to meet the increasing demand for treatment and transport services, especially related to post-smolts in Western Norway.
This innovative design is based on gentle and efficient fish handling in combination with a strong focus on hygiene, environment, and quality. MMC FP supplied Siefjell’s live fish handling system. The fish counters are Wingtech WFP2000 units and the vaccum system is MMC FP’s Stranda Prolog VT6400C400 installation. The reverse osmosis setup is a Norwater NWS4 system with a 150 cubic metre/day capacity.
Propulsion is centred around a pair of 1800kWe MAN 12V175D Tier III gensets, backed up by a 129kW Margen John Deere unit, powering 950kW ABB propulsion motors and a Brunvoll controllable pitch propeller. The system is supported by a 1000kWh air-cooled Corvus Energy battery pack. Seifjell has a pair of Brunvoll 550kW thrusters and an MT DP1 dynamic positioning system.
The deck is outfitted with a telescopic boom crane and a pair of hydraulic knuckleboom cranes from Palfinger, an dis prepared for the future installation of a PK2350M crane. Accommodation is for a crew of up to 12.
Armón yard in Vigo has launched freezer trawler Hadassa Bay for South Atlantic Squid Ltd, a joint-venture company owned by Beauchene Fishing Co in the Falkland Islands and Spanish company Copemar
The 75-metre Hadassa Bay replaces Baffin Bay, which suffered a fire onboard and became a total loss while in port in Vigo in December 2020.
A modest launch ceremony for Hadassa Bay took place at the Armón yard, attended by shareholders and their families, crew and representatives of the yard. Some family members of crew currently fishing in Falklands waters onboard the chartered Castelo joined the group.
Beauchene Fishing Company’s managing director Cheryl Roberts commented that this new vessel represents a multi-million-euro investment, and outfitting will now continue at the yard with delivery of the completed vessel scheduled for the last quarter of this year.
When sea trials are completed, Hadassa Bay is expected to sail in January next year and to arrive in Stanley for the first loligo squid season of 2025, opening in the later part of February.
Esbjerg company MLD is one of the pioneers of controllable trawl doors, and while this development has been focused on the pelagic sector, the company is also working on applying this technology to demersal fisheries
MLD has been trialling a seven-square-metre pair of demersal doors onboard Norwegian trawler Molnes, and this has demonstrated that the technology works, keeping the doors consistently steady distance of five metres above the seabed.
“This was fishing for saithe, with 19 tows totalling 65 hours for these trials. The skipper said that his catch rate was the same as he would expect with his standard trawl doors, but the doors also had practically zero ground contact (99.9% off the bottom) and this has implications for fuel consumption. This is very relevant for the Scottish fleet, and we are expecting to scale down these doors to smaller sizes that are suitable for medium-sized whitefish trawlers,” MLD’s Torben Søndergaard said.
Steerable doors are the future, in terms of economy and fuel consumption, and also in providing a tool that makes more sustainable fishing a real option
Torben Søndergaard, MLD ‘‘
“This provides opportunities for bottom-friendly fishing that’s gentler on the gear, as well as savings in fuel consumption. Steerable doors are the future, in terms of economy and fuel consumption, and also in providing a tool that makes more sustainable fishing a real option, and ahead of governments stepping in to take steps to minimise seabed contact. The technology is there, and it works,” he said, commenting that there are now around thirty pelagic vessels using MLD doors, mostly in the North Atlantic, although US trawler Ocean Rover has been using a pair to fish for Alaska pollock this year.
“The experience we have built up now totals around 5,000 fishing days. We also have a Danish user now, which took a while. Asbjørn is now using our doors, and we keep adding new customers. The two new pelagic vessels for Faroe Islands, Finnur Friði and Høgaberg, have both ordered doors from MLD. We also have a pair on Svend C in Greenland that they are using mainly for catching their mackerel quota – and the skipper told us that after using these he would never go back to regular doors. Steerable doors are clearly what the fishing industry wants,” he said.
“In Scotland we have doors on the new Altaire, which they are looking forward to making full use of on the mackerel fishery this year when the fish are high in the water, and we supplied pair of doors to Grateful last year, which they started using in the autumn.”
The fact that the doors are adjustable during a tow allows them to be optimised for the gear and fishing conditions, although this doesn’t mean that MLD’s doors are an off-the-shelf product. There’s a process of matching each set of doors to the fishing vessel, taking into account
the size, towing power and the fishing gear, and each set is adapted to fit the stern section of the trawler using them.
There are standardised components and structures, and this enables MLD to customise doors around this basic framework, which means doors can be delivered within just four weeks, and this comes with all the guidance a new user needs.
Although innovative tech company Marelec has expanded in recent years into sophisticated weighing and processing systems, the company’s roots lie in deck and winch systems for fishing vessels – and it hasn’t forgotten where it started out
At the end of last year, Marelec trialled AI Catch, a system of filtering catches as they enter the cod-end of a trawl, sorting fish to be released from those to be retained during a tow.
Trials were carried out in collaboration with research body ILVO OOstende over three days onboard research vessel Simon Steven, with five tows on the Westhinder and Middelkerke banks in the North Sea, to depths of around 35 metres, and with the gear deployed for approximately 36 hours.
The system includes a sonar scanner ring in the net and a gateway that closes in the event of undersized fish or by-catch making their way down the tunnel, and returning them to open water. This ensures the survival of undersized fish and fauna by automatically redirecting them back to safety. The system is linked to the vessel via a cable through a specially controlled winch. The skipper can monitor the operation of the system in real time on a screen in the bridge.
“Following the implementation of some practical improvements, further field trials are now anticipated,” a Marelec representative commented. “This system could prove to be a milestone in efforts to reduce the by-catch of undersized fish and increase the sustainability of the fishing industry.”
Marelec set out to develop an innovative solution to release bycatch directly and alive, which resulted in AI Catch, which employs advanced technologies to scan fish swimming in the net and then sort them underwater based on commercial value.
One of the challenges in beam trawling is limited visibility underwater, making traditional camera systems ineffective. Marelec has overcome this by using internally developed ultrasonic sonar sensors to detect fish in the net. Through advanced imaging technology, the length of the fish is accurately determined, after which intelligent software
decides whether the fish should be captured or directed to an escape route via a valve just before the cod end.
Marelec developed all aspects of this internally, including sensors, mechanical valves, motors, electronics and software. This includes imaging, interpretation of sensor data, valve control, and real-time information provision for the skipper.
A new fishing gear production facility in the Danish port of Skagen is expected to be ready for use this summer as the new Cosmos Trawl net loft takes shape.
The 4,800-square metre facility – with 330 square metres of office space – has a quayside location which offers the capacity to spool gear direct from fishing vessels into the production and repair hall. This is outfitted with six large net drums for handling pelagic fishing gear.
With an interior height of nine metres, the new Cosmos Trawl net loft is being outfitted with overhead blocks and cranes, all of which streamlines and optimises the production
and repair of trawls, cod-ends and other fishing gears.
“The new netloft will be larger and better equipped than the old one in Skagen,” said Cosmos Trawl CEO Michael Lassen, commenting that the inauguration of the new net loft marks a milestone for the company as it seeks to increase the scope and capacity of its activities.
“This will provide advantages for our staff and for Cosmos Trawl, allowing us to handle larger trawls and improving efficiency in building new trawls and cod-ends, supporting our growth strategy in Denmark.”
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New Zealand-based Starboard Maritime Intelligence has successfully closed a NZ$5 million seed funding round
Starboard’s focus is on tackling illegal fishing, transnational crime, preventing biosecurity outbreaks, and protecting at-sea assets via its Software as a Service (SaaS) maritime domain awareness platform. This has been developed alongside government and intergovernmental users in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific.
SaaS is a key growth sector for New Zealand’s economy – as a weightless export, this provides significant opportunities for international scaling and SaaS is set to become a major industry in New Zealand.
Starboard’s seed funding includes New Zealand-based investors Altered Capital (lead), Icehouse Ventures, Invest South, Soul Capital, and Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation, as well as US-based SeaAhead.
The investment enables Starboard to strengthen its support for a growing number of analysts in the Pacific region. Alongside this the team is expanding its go-tomarket function.
“Starboard enables days of analysis to be completed
minutes. Analysts gain more valuable information, more quickly leading to better decisions about which vessels to focus on. We are working to take Starboard to analysts globally, to help them collaborate and share insights for the protection of our oceans,” said Starboard CEO Trent Fulcher, commenting that the blue economy is growing rapidly and is estimated to reach over NZ$5 trillion by 2030.
As use of the oceans intensifies for economic development there has been a global rise in maritime security threats, environmental damage, and regulatory pressures.
“The global maritime surveillance market, that Starboard operates in, is predicted to reach NZ$67 billion by 2030 and we are seeing a growing need for greater operational efficiency and collaboration,” said Craig Mawdsley, Partner at Altered Capital.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) estimates that by 2030 the SaaS industry could be worth NZ$14 billion NZD and employ nearly 60,000.
The Spanish tuna fleet is pioneering a new initiative to use more than 1,500 smart buoys to help ensure catch is targeted at species with healthy stock levels.
The SelecTuna project is a collaboration between the Organisation of Associated Producers of Large-scale Freezer Tuna Vessels and tech firm Satlink. It will see the buoys, which can differentiate between tuna species, deployed in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
“The commitment to improving our fishery has sought to have the most cutting-edge mechanisms available to optimise and control our activity and ensure that our catches result from transparent, sustainable and responsible fishing,” OPAGAC Managing Director Julio Morón said.
“This project is a step further in the same direction, integrating the most advanced
solutions for the sustainability of our fishing activity.”
The Selective smart buoy has a unique dual echo-sounder and acoustic technology system that enables it to differentiate between skipjack tuna on the one hand, and yellowfin and bigeye tuna on the other,
n More than 1,500 Satlink smart buoys will be deployed to differentiate between tuna species
allowing the Spanish fleet to focus on its target species.
Data collected during the SelecTuna project will enable Satlink to enhance the technology both for this application and for other developments. SelecTuna will also increase knowledge about the biology, behaviour, and distribution of tropical tuna populations, helping inform decision making.
“SelecTuna is a perfect example of our commitment to developing technology solutions that contribute to the sustainability of the oceans and fisheries management, by promoting resource protection, improving scientific knowledge, and optimising fleet operations,” said Faustino Velasco, president of Satlink.
T H E O R
With confidence and credibility at stake, the demand for responsibly-produced feeds to raise fish and shrimp is in rapid ascendence, writes Jason Holland
With 70% of the aquaculture production being fed, from a sustainability standpoint, feeds are a very complex input into the world’s fastest growing food production sector. It’s widely recognised that the ingredients used in feeds can represent up to 80% of a farm’s carbon footprint, with most of that occurring at the feed ingredient production level through, amongst other things, deforestation, land conversion, agricultural practices and fisheries management. There’s also the risk of forced labour and child labour in certain supply chains.
Ensuring and accessing responsibly-produced feeds and feed ingredients was the focus of a special panel event at this year’s Seafood Expo Global (SEG) in Barcelona. Organised by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), with the theme “Feed Responsibly: Why Responsible Aquaculture Needs Responsible Feed”, key industry players shared how they are adopting the new ASC Feed Standard to drive transparency, social and environmental improvements in feed supply chains.
ASC’s Feed Standard was launched in June 2021 and became effective in January 2023. It requires feed mills to meet strict environmental and social requirements; to source ingredients from socially responsible suppliers; and to use environmentally responsible raw materials. All ingredients above 1% inclusion must undergo a due diligence process. Its aim is to achieve a deforestation- and land conversion-free supply chain for all crops, while also reducing carbon emissions and improving human rights, as well as incentivising best-practice in fisheries.
Mexican-based feed producer Vimifos and the Chilean branch of global operation Skretting were the first operations to achieve the certification at the start of this year. To-date, just nine feed mills in the world are ASCcertified, but more are in the pipeline, with the programme seeing an increasing number of feed companies joining the audit process.
ASC’s Feed Standard Senior Coordinator Alexandra Warrington explained that ASC has always had feed requirement in its farm standards, but now, with the creation of the feed standard, it can look at where the biggest impacts are.
“It’s not an easy task. These impacts are quite wide ranging. Honestly, the feed standard isn’t tackling them all, but we have to start somewhere, “ she said. “I think by not just looking at marine ingredients, and not just soy and palm oil, but by looking at ingredients as a whole, we are starting to make a real difference.”
Fulfilling commitments
From a seafood processor/supplier standpoint, its hugely important to be sourcing responsible feed, insisted New England Seafood International’s (NESI) Head of Sustainability Ruth Hoban.
“What we are trying to understand more about is the traceability and transparency, and there’s a lot more noise
around feed now than there ever has been – going all the way to where it was sourced, how it was sourced, what’s the raw material, and right the way down to that human rights perspective. We want to do is understand the risk areas for feed.”
She added that NESI hopes the standard can be a solution in terms of helping the company on its journey towards responsibly-sourced feed.
Thai Union’s Chief Sustainability Officer Adam Brennan said the ASC Feed Standard is helping the seafood giant de-risk its supply chains and to answer questions from retailers, while also mitigating the company’s impacts and providing commercial opportunities. The company has done a lot of work in the tuna fisheries space over a long period of time, but it has never had a global, group-level commitment for the aquaculture supply chain, he said.
“We wanted to replicate our ambition of what we have on wild-caught on the farm-side. And when we began to create that new strategy, we knew that shrimp (for us) was a particular impact that we had to address, and we know that feed is a key material impact. So whatever commitment we wanted to go out with, feed was always going to be at the heart of it.”
Skretting’s Global Sustainability Manager Jorge Diaz told the event that when he and his colleagues first saw the ASC standard, they thought it was “extremely challenging”, but once it started digging into the obligations and implementing them into its operations, it realised it needed it.
“It’s helping us have a better understanding and giving traceability for all the risks that we have,” he said.
ASC has advised that certified farms have until October 2025 to switch to sourcing compliant feed produced under the ASC Feed Standard. Feed mills that become certified in 2024 will not have to pay licence fees on the volume of compliant feed they produce this calendar year.
Probiotics offer untapped potential for fish and shrimp farmers to keep aquaculture systems in balance through nature-based technology that can be used to improve conditions in and around aquatic species, writes Julie Holmquist of Cortec Corporation and Tonya Decterov of Bionetix
Densely populated fish farms are a breeding ground for disease, which can incur significant costs through fish die-off or simply the preventative measures that need to be taken. In the past, antibiotics were heavily relied on, but, due to concerns about negative impacts, they have given way to more reliance on vaccines instead.
A third option is probiotics, first explored for human use and health benefits in 1908 and applied to animal feed in the 1970s. These beneficial microorganisms feed on organics such as fats, proteins and starches, creating enzymes to aid in their digestion. When located in the intestines of aquatic species, these enzymes can theoretically help fish and shrimp digest their food better to maximise the nutritional value received.
Improved digestion and nutrition can, in turn, lead to healthier weight gain and more efficient feeding for a better feed conversion ratio. This can make it easier for fish farmers to avoid overfeeding, which is one source of water quality problems due to excessive nutrient and organic loading.
GI hotel: “No vacancy”
In addition to promoting healthier digestion and weight gain to help fish better withstand the effects of stress, probiotic feed additives have other inherent qualities that can help species resist disease. For instance, probiotics leave less space for pathogenic microorganisms to occupy.
The GI (gastrointestinal) tract is the largest of three entry points for pathogens. However, because probiotics attach themselves to intestinal walls, they leave fewer “vacancies,” so to speak, for pathogens to take advantage of, meanwhile competing for nutrients and leaving less “food” for pathogens to survive on. A variety of research also indicates that probiotics may promote a better immune response. Such beneficial results have led researchers to believe that probiotics could be a good supplement or alternative to antibiotics and vaccines.
Taking advantage of commercial feed additives While more research needs to be done to understand the
exact mechanisms by which probiotics encourage better fish health, this does not prevent fish farmers from trying commercially available probiotics firsthand to see if they improve their own aquaculture results.
One excellent option is AQUA-FEED, a feed additive from Bionetix International that contains a rich combination of seven non-pathogenic microorganisms, including several Bacillus strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is also rich in β-glucans, mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), and additional enzymes.
In addition to promoting a healthy GI tract, a side benefit of AQUA-FEED is that it can also improve water clarity by breaking down excess feed waste that could otherwise create cloudy, nutrient-polluted water or add to sludge buildup. Since probiotics are ingested into fish destined to become part of the world’s food supply, they typically must be certified in the country where they will be used. With AQUA-FEED, this is usually done on a case-by-case basis as clients and countries are added.
Bionetix has received certification in two South American countries, is currently working on the process in Canada (which should lead to renewal in Vietnam) and is ready to assist clients who want to advance the use of probiotics in aquaculture in other regions.
While adding probiotics to fish feed is a promising means for supporting species’ internal health, external factors also influence the ability of aquaculture to flourish. Key to this is water quality. Clearer water promotes better oxygen exchange for the health of the fish. In aquaculture, the delicate ecosystem balance is more difficult to maintain in cultivated fishponds than in the wild. For example, while some algae can have a symbiotic relationship with pond life
by taking up excess nutrients and producing oxygen, too much algae can cause serious problems such as robbing oxygen and releasing damaging levels of ammonia during a sudden algae die-off event.
Unfortunately, fish farms are an excellent place for excess algae to flourish as abundant fish and feed waste contribute to nutrient-rich waters.
Fish and feed waste are also sources of ammonia, which can be toxic to fish life. According to a publication by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC), total ammonia is higher in the fall and winter, and levels of toxic ammonia rise with higher temperatures. SRAC points out that fish can die off quickly when levels of toxic un-ionized ammonia reach 0.6 mg/L (ppm), although species’ health can be impacted at only 0.06 mg/L (ppm).
It recommends avoiding overfeeding as an important means of preventing excess ammonia problems, a good reminder of the potential benefits of probiotic feed.
Removing nutrient pollution and ammonia
Another strategic way to improve water quality is to add probiotics directly to the aquaculture tank or pond. Bionetix BCP54, a probiotic wastewater treatment designed to accelerate the breakdown of organic waste and other toxins, is well-suited to this. The microorganisms of BCP54 fight nutrient pollution by consuming excess nitrogen and phosphorus, two key drivers of dense algae growth. Without the nutrient overload, algae have less reason to proliferate excessively.
The microorganisms of BCP54 also reduce ammonia, sludge, and (indirectly) H2S levels, helping prevent fish offflavours and improve the pond cleanout process. At the same time, BCP54 does not take away from the oxygen in the pond because it contains its own oxygen source.
Another helpful way to deal with excess ammonia is to use a bio-converter. Typically, nitrification is a two-step process that relies on nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. The next step is nitrogen removal by denitrification, the conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas.
A bio-converter such as BCP655 can enhance the ammonia and nitrogen removal process by performing denitrification and removing excess BOD (which is toxic to nitrifying bacteria). In addition, the bacteria strains in BCP655 use nitrogen for growth without having to convert these nitrogen-containing substances into another form first. Some strains in BCP655 can also be involved in nitrification.
Probiotic field trial
The practical effects of probiotic treatments – both internal and external – for fish are seen in a trial performed several years ago at an industrial fish farm in Brazil. Some of the common challenges are sludge buildup and water contamination, requiring cleaning and water replacement at the end of the growing cycle. Rain can also cause pond stratification problems, lowering dissolved oxygen and increasing stress on fish.
At this farm, Pintado fish were being raised in highdensity ponds. The trial therefore involved placing 6,300 young fish into each of two 7,000 square-metre side by side ponds. One pond was treated with BCP54 before adding the fish and throughout the one-year treatment cycle. AQUA-FEED was added to the fish food, and an oxygen regulator was applied eight months after start-up to counteract low oxygen levels from the rainy season.
The control pond cycle was 330 days and the treated
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pond cycle was 400 days to allow more time for the oxygen booster to work. At the end of the period, the farmer found that the control pond showed a relatively normal yield of 10,500 kg, while the treated pond had a 42% higher yield than typical production levels, weighing in at 15,143 kg.
The size of fish in the treated pond was much more uniform than the control pond, where about one-fourth of the fish fell short of weight requirements and could not be included in the final production count. Another benefit in the treated pond was excellent odour control without the need to drain and replace contaminated water at the end of the cycle (an important factor when considering the high water demand of aquaculture). Better still, the fish stayed healthy without medication.
Consumers deserve more natural solutions
Aquaculture is a growing industry that needs to explore more natural solutions for healthy fish and shrimp production. Probiotics offer one pathway to promising results by supporting species health and water quality as an alternate route to traditional antibiotics, vaccines, and harsh chemicals. While these may be needed on occasion, the industry owes it to consumers (and itself) to explore the more natural solutions of probiotic treatment for the world’s aquatic food supply.
Julie Holmquist is a content writer at Cortec Corporation, a global leader in corrosion solutions for industries involving metal. Tonya Decterov is a product manager at Bionetix International, a supplier of probiotic solutions for aquaculture enhancement and soil and wastewater cleanup.
The net for technology-driven fish farming
KikkoNet is made of UV stabilised, extremely strong and lightweight Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) monofilaments, woven into a double twisted hexagonal mesh.
Mayank Batra and Marco Montagnoli Tel: 0060 126 883 709 info@kikkonet.com
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and
Netwax E4 Grenline Netrex AF Netpolish
Beck Pack Systems A/S DK-3700, Roenne, Denmark Tel: +45 56 95 25 22 info@beck-liner.com
Beck Pack Systems, Inc. Seattle, WA, USA Tel: +1 425 222 9515
ISO-9001, ISO-22000, FSSC 22000 cer ti ed manufacturer and supplier of block liners, folding car tons, and freezer frames for the international food processing industr y. To nd the agent in your region visit: www.beck-liner.com
Skovdalvej 30, 8300 Odder, Denmark
Tel: +45 86784099 Fax: +45 86784060 Email cartolit@cartolit.dk Website www.cartolit.dk
A Poutada
Riveira – A Coruña – Spain
Tel.: +34 981 87 60 08
Tel.: +34 686 930 025
Fax: +34 981 87 43 48
Email: correo@apoutada.com
Website: www.apoutada.com
Manufacturer of fishing hooks since 1985. Steels and internationally proven designs and best warranty. Specialized supplier of a wide range of material for longline fleet.
Rua da Cerfil (Cap. Gramaxo) P.O. Box 1029, 4471-909 Maia PORTUGAL
Tel: +351 22 961 9200
Fax: +351 22 960 5757
Email: sales@lankhorsteuronete.com www.euronete.com
Contact: Mafalda Gramaxo Salvador Castro
Producer of the recognized brands: Netting: Euroline®, Eurocross®, Premium®, Premium Plus, Lankoforce® Wire Ropes: Eurowire® and Europact® Fibre Ropes: Lankoforce®, Eurosteel®, Tipto® Super 12 net twines. Recently Launched! Euroline Tipto® / Eurostone® TRUSTED BY
VMK pelagic processing solutons combines high performance machines with small square meter usage and cost e.cient maintenance.
VMK solutions combines high performance small square meter usage and cost efficient maintenance.
Fornandergatan 1, 392 33 Kalmar, SWEDEN +46 (0) 480 945 00 vmk@arenco.com
Fornandergatan 1, 392 33 Kalmar, SWEDEN +46 (0) 480 945 12 vmk@arenco.com www.vmkfish.com
ASANO is a supplier and manufacturer of high-quality stainless steel fishing gears sales@asano-global.com https://asano-global.com/ ALL STAINLESS STEEL PRODUCTS DESIGNED IN JAPAN
SICOR
INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Gore Cross Business Park Bridport Dorset DT6 3UX
Tel: 01308 428 224
Fax: 01308 428 228
Email: sales@sicor-int.com
Website: www.sicor-int.com
Contact: Toby Eeles
SICOR
INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Unit 3
Murcar Trading Estate, Denmore Road, Bridge of Don Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Tel: 01224 707560
Fax: 01224 707561
Email: aberdeen@sicor-int.com
Contact: Gary Mitchell
Manufacturers
Fish Processing Machines - FPM - for smaller fish
SEAC FPM-400 Nobbing and Filleting machine now also with Automatic Feeder
SEAC AB Industrigatan 8 386 32 ISLAND OF ÖLAND SWEDEN
Langerbruggekaai 15
9000 • Gent • Belgium
Tel: +32 9 376 95 95
Fax: +32 9 376 95 96 info@cretel.com www.cretel.com
Cretel is manufacturing in Belgium
FISH SKINNERS
FISH SCALERS
VACUUM PACKAGING MACHINES
INDUSTRIAL WASHING AND DRYING EQUIPMENT
+4648535200 +46704391454 info@seac.se
Consult us and take advantage of our worldwide experience and expertise.
Supplying the fish and seafood industry for decades Cabinplant’s solutions for the fish and seafood industry include solutions for reception of raw material, sorting, grading, cleaning, filleting, cooking, cooling, weighing and packing.
www.cabinplant.com
FREEZE SMARTER, FREEZE BETTTER WITH
RÆVEVEJ 22 - DK-7800 SKIVE
Phone: +45 9752 2099
Fax: +45 9752 0572
Web: www.kroma.dk
E-mail: kroma@kroma.dk
Cochin Food Tech Pvt Ltd (India) sales@cftech.in www.cftech.in
Kroma A/S is a supplier of high quality de-scaling, gutting and filleting machines for all kind of fish species. Specialist in handling of roe, and filleting of soft fish species like mackerel.
At Brimmond we specialise in mechanical, hydraulic or electrical solutions. Our highly qualified engineers can design, manufacture, service and repair a vast range of equipment to meet any client’s needs.
■ Brimmond Tofthill Avenue, Midmill Business Park, Kintore, Aberdeenshire, AB51 0QP
Tel: +44 1467 633 805
IRAS A/S
Gammelby Mollevej 3 DK-6700 Esbjerg, Denmark
Tel: +45 7611 4949
Email: iras@iras.dkWeb: www.iras.dk
IRAS is supplying the modern fishing and aquaculture industry with innovative solutions within: Pumping, Classification, Weighing, Ice handling, Storage, Transport and Distribution systems. IRAS offers single products or complete systems for raw material handling.
Based on decades of experience, IRAS KNOW HOW to handle fish
Fishing
E-mail: ericdu@dnsnetting.com www.fishingnetchina.com Tel:++86
Fishing nets, aquaculture nets, agriculture nets, sports nets, all types of ropes and twines.
Forever Industries Co., Ltd.
No.88, Di An Truong Tre St., Di An Town, Binh Duong, Vietnam Tel: (+84) 916 225 068 (+84) 251 378 9125 sales@forevernetco.com www.forevernetco.com
+44 (0) 1779 400590 office@ptguk.com www.ptguk.com
World’s leading supplier of Fishing nets (our globally trusted brands are SNG, Sapphire and Olivene), assembled trawls, Purse Seines, Aquaculture cages and anti-predator nets for aquaculture industry, ropes for the fishing, aquaculture and shipping industry. Our products are exported to over 60 countries globally.
Garware Technical Fibres
Plot No 11, Block D-1, MIDC, Chinchwad, Pune, India Web: www.garwarefibres.com Tel: (+91)2027990381
Contact: Vivek Kumar Email: vkumar@garwarefibres.com Mobile: +917767802806
SÁ
Rua do Outeiro, 906, 4470-150
Gemunde I Portugal
Tel: +351 22 943 49 00
Fax: +351 22 943 49 49
Email: salvadorcastro@wireco.com
Contact: Miguel Oliveira Sá / Salvador Castro
Oliveira SÁ manufactures a full range of products for fishing applications: Steel Wire Ropes: Green Strand®, Super Yellow Fin®, Super Atlantic®, Zincal® Compact and several other constructions also with possibility of a plastic core impregnation. Combination Ropes: we produce combination ropes, both in 4 and 6 strands. Synthetic Ropes: Braided/Twisted and Double Braided ropes with recognized brands such as Astra Line®, Libra Line® and X Trema Line®
1-2 Shing Nung Road, Tungkang, Pingtung,Taiwan
Tel: 886-8-8331100 9 Fax: 886-8-8327022
E-mail: export@chingfa.com.tw
Website: www.chingfa.com.tw
Specialized manufacturer & exporter of: Hi-tech 7 tuna purse seine nets, Super 20 aquaculture knotless nets (Raschel type), nylon longline & its spare parts, nylon fishing line, nylon mono & multi-mono nets, nylon twisted and braided nets, PE trawl nets, ropes, twines, floats and etc
AS Fiskenett is the only company in Norway to design, manufacture, maintain and repair commercial fishing nets for both offshore and coastal fishing fleets.
Contact Hugo Ulvatn, MD, to learn how we can help you.
Call: +47 48009504
Email: sales@fiskenett.no
Info: www.fiskenett.no
Carretera de Catral, 30 03360 Callosa de Segura, Alicante, Spain
Tel: 0034 965 310 408
Tel: 0034 965 310 354
Email: redessalinas@redessalinas.com www.redessalinas.com
Contact: Srta. Carmen Salinas
Manufacturer of special purse seining nets for tuna and horse mackerel, also trawl gear, ropes and twines
MARKUS LIFENET LTD
Breidvangur 30
IS-220 Hafnarfjordur, Iceland
Tel.Iceland: +354 5651375
Tel. UK: 01525 851234
Email: sales@markusnet.com
Contact: Petur Th. Petursson
We specialise in the development and manufacture of man overboard recovery systems suitable for all types of fishing vessels, such as the Markusnet and the Markus MOB Scramble-net/Cradle.
Thyborøn & Poly-Ice Trawldoors for all kinds of pelagic, semi-pelagic and demersal trawling with single, twin- and multipurpose rigging. All doors are “Made in Denmark” according to customer demands and wishes.
8, Sydhalevej, DK-7680 Thyborøn, Denmark mail@thyboron-trawldoor.dk www.trawldoor.dk
PEGUET & Cie 12 Rue Des Buchillons 74105 Annemasse, France
Tel: +33 450 95 54 54 Fax: +33 450 92 22 06
E-mail: info@peguet.fr
Website: www.peguet.fr
Manufacture of Maillon Rapide® quick links for permanent connection in aeronautics, architecture, rigging equipment, industrial supplies, sailing, parachuting & paragliding, professional fishing, tramways facilities, climbing. All product range self-certified. YOUR PARTNER SINCE1941
Estrada de Fortons 23
36812 Redondela (Pontevedra) Spain Tel: +34 986 20 33 12
E-mail: info@grupoeurored.com
Website: www.grupoeurored.com
Hi tech design and production of pelagic and bottom fishing trawl systems. Nets and deck material for tuna purse seiners, inshore fishing and longliners. Everything necessary for fishing activities:
MORGERE trawl doors, COTESI nets, ropes, mooring, BRIDON cable, flotation, CROSBY GROUP naval hardware, longline material, etc. Aquaculture integral supplies and installation of fish farming and Long Line production systems, OFFSHORE facilities.
Eurored Directory.indd 1 30/09/2020 14:32 -we make fishing more profitable
VÓNIN LTD
P.O. Box 19
P.O. Box 19 FO-530 Fuglafjørõur Faroe Islands
FO-530 Fuglafjørður Faroe Islands
Tel: +298 474 200 Fax: +298 474 201
Tel: +298 474 200 Fax: +298 474 201
E-mail: info@vonin.com Web: www.vonin.com
Email: info@vonin.com Web: www.vonin.com
Contact: Bogi Non
Contact: Eystein Elttør
Manufacturer of pelagic trawls, semi-pelagic trawls, shrimp trawls, various bottom trawls, purse seine nets, fish farming nets and sorting grids. Vónin is a major supplier to the North Atlantic/Arctic fishing fleet. We have all accessories in stock.
Vónin is a major supplier to the fishing fleet and aquaculture industry with branches in the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Canada, Denmark and Norway. Vónin manufactures pelagic trawls, semi pelagic trawl, shrimp trawls, bottom trawls, sorting grids, crab pots, net cages, mooring systems and net washing systems.
Bring confidence to your net cleaning job, with the most reliable pump on the market.
NLB’s high-pressure water jet pumps are proven reliable for offshore and onshore net cleaning. Engineered specifically for the aquaculture market, they withstand the harsh conditions of open seas, foul weather, and salt corrosion, all while delivering the same performance and durability NLB has been recognized for since 1971. Our units also offer a compatible interface with the industry’s leading head cleaning systems.
NLB will go the extra mile to make the switch easy for you. Call our UK branch today to discuss your options!
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