Cermaq new Alarga partner

Cermaq will be Alarga's first partner within the aquaculture sector. Alarga is engaged in enhancing the competitive advantages of Norwegian businesses through increasing companies' intercultural competence. In Cermaq we see an increasing need to attract talents with a diversified approach in terms of languages, cultural understanding and insight in international business.

We are excited about the cooperation with Alarga, says CEO of Cermaq, Geir Isaksen. General manager of Alarga, Dilek Ayhan, says there is no coincidence in Cermaq being the first company within aquaculture on the list of influential business communities to cooperate with Alarga. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Bacterial coldwater disease: Review And Current Status

Bacterial coldwater disease (BCWD) was first noted in the United States in 1941. The bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum was identified and proven to be the cause of outbreaks. Outbreaks occurred in salmonids at low water temperatures (43-50°F) and the disease gained the common name of bacterial coldwater disease or low-temperature disease. It was also called peduncle disease due to characteristic fraying and erosion of the caudal fin and caudal peduncle.

The disease was only found in North American salmonids until the 1980s, when it was found in Germany, France and other European countries, and is now found worldwide. In Europe, the disease is called rainbow trout fry syndrome or fry mortality syndrome. The disease has subsequently been found in non-salmonid hosts, including ayu, common and Crucian carp, European eels, forktongue and lake gobies, Japanese dace, pale chubs, perch, roach and tench. The bacteria are ubiquitous in freshwater systems and may be part of the normal flora of gills and skin of fish. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

European Union politician admits misplaced criticism of Vietnamese pangasius

Having previously raised concerns over standards in the Vietnamese fish farming sector, Struan Stevenson MEP, Senior Vice President of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, has now acknowledged that EU consumers and aquaculture businesses have little to fear from growing imports.

With imports of Vietnam’s pangasius fish reaching 230,000 tonnes in 2010, Mr Stevenson had raised concerns over standards of hygiene, welfare, feed and fish health at many of the 1600 fish farms in the country’s Mekong Delta.

However, following a visit to the region, Mr Stevenson said that his own attitude to Vietnamese farmed fish imports has changed for the better. He also concluded that increasing demand for these fish presents a huge opportunity for European businesses ready to take part in an exciting growth market. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Bluefin tuna a step closer to sustainability

Hagen Stehr is upbeat. Three months ago, his company Clean Seas Tuna took a crucial step in its long-running, multimillion-dollar trials to breed in captivity southern bluefin tuna, one of the world's most prized eating fish as well as one of the most endangered.

In a world first, Clean Seas transferred fingerlings, each weighing about five grams, bred in its onshore hatchery at South Australia's Arno Bay to grow in its ocean tanks, successfully completing the life cycle. The feat is similar to one the company achieved earlier with its hiramasa kingfish, which is now a viable part of the business. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Excess water killing fish at Grand Coulee Dam

Farm-raised steelhead trout are dying by the thousands below Grand Coulee Dam in Washington because federal operators are releasing so much water. Operators say they're trying to make room for massive water flows yet to come. The Rockies are caked with a dense snow-pack and it's starting to melt. Water spilling from the Grand Coulee Dam traps air as it plunges.

That air is pushed into the water, and brings with it gasses toxic to fish. Pacific Aquaculture operates a fish farm below the dam. It says dissolved nitrogen is forming micro-bubbles in the fish's blood, killing 100,000 fish each day. The company is now asking a federal court to intervene. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Soybean meal and DDGS in crayfish diets

Interest in the production of Australian red claw has increased over the past few years and the species is commercially cultured in several countries including China, Mexico and Australia. Researchers from Kentucky State University, Aquaculture Research Centre look at the use of soybean meal and distiller's dried grains (DDGS) as feed for Australia Red Claw grown in ponds.

Currently, there is little production of red claw in the United States. In Kentucky, red claw has attracted interest as a potential aquaculture species due to the success of growing them at Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Aquaculture Research Centre during the past decade. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Astec: New Aquaculture Business & Science Centre

Astec, a new Aquaculture Business & Science Centre, is now open. Based on the Northumberland coast, the centre aims to be the leader in aquaculture research and business. The company website outlines that Astec aims to be at the heart of a growing aquaculture industry that will play a pivotal role in the 21st Century economy.

The centre is strategically positioned so that they can pump a constant supply of near tropical temperature, flow-through seawater into their private aqua laboratories, which includes specialist equipment to support a broad range of commercial and research activities. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aquafeed to boost fishing industry in Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea a new locally produced aquafeed is set to boost the country's fishing industry. Not yet available, the feed will mainly benefit farmers who specialise in trout and tilapia farming. The collaborative work of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock has led to the production of the feed, which is created from local ingredients. 



Trialling of the feed under farming conditions in the past five years has resulted in the semi-commercial production of the fish feed.  Alongside the rapid growth of Papua New Guinea's (PNG) fish processing sector, the new feed will be able to meet the increasing demand for aquafeed. Previously, fish feed has been imported into the country. NFA and its partners have been working to address the demand through the establishment of mini-feed mills and research and development to find a locally available, affordable and nutritious fish feed. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

US retailers adopt best aquaculture practices

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has partnered with Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. to assist with the supermarket chain’s aquaculture sustainability program. As well as this the Global Aquaculture Alliance has added another company to the growing list of retailers, food service operators and distributors that have adopted GAA's Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification for farmed seafood.



Reflecting its continued commitment to sustainable aquaculture, Wegmans will work with GAA to develop guidelines for its aquaculture program that require suppliers to source seafood from environmentally responsible sources. The areas of the supply chain to be covered are the processing facility, farm and hatchery. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aquaculture workforce gets financial boost from province

The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association will use CAN$200,633(€144,898) in funding from the province to continue workforce training and skill development. Last year the association, with assistance from the provincial government, co-ordinated a series of courses to improve the proficiency of those employed in the aquaculture sector.

The latest training programs will build on those courses, training new entrants and allow those who have previous training to get a certificate as an aquaculture technician. “This program will ensure employees are receiving the latest training in this highly skilled and continually advancing sector,” said Susan Sullivan, minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. Read more ..

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

The GAA looks at double in a decade: 2011 Goal

The Global Aquaculture Alliance has announced that they will be adding a salmon case study to their GOAL 2011 program. The announcement comes after a study was done on the recovery of the Chilean salmon farming industry from the infectious salmon anemia crisis.

With assistance from Chile's Under secretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture and SalmonChile, an international team of experts are extracting the principle elements that lead to the disease problem as well as those that contributed to their solution so that emerging aquaculture countries can prevent and/ or mitigate similar environmental/ sanitary impacts. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Review of Fisheries in OECD Countries 2009: Policies and Summary Statistics

ISBN: 978-92-64-07974-8

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is made up of governments from 30 nations, who work together to address social, economic and environmental challenges of globalisation and to help governments respond to new challenges and developments such as corporate governance and an ageing population.

In April 2009 the OECD published this Review of Fisheries in OECD Countries after it was approved by the Committee for Fisheries.

This review is in three parts:

Part one is a general survey of 2009, this survey is split into three sections. The first section deals with recent trends in OECD fisheries and aquaculture. The second looks at the four policy issue that are relevant for fisheries governance. Section three gives an outlook and future policy challenges within the fisheries sector.

Part two deals with climate change, adaptation and the fisheries sector covering what can be expected, changes in fish stocks and migrations and shared stocks and high seas fisheries. With conclusions and policy implications.

Part three looks at each of the 30 countries covering recent developments, key characteristics of the sector, legal and institutional framework. Also capture fisheries, aquaculture along with market trends and the future outlook.

This publication is a comprehensive study of fisheries and aquaculture in OECD countries the data was collected during 2005, 2006 and some recent events in 2007. The review is based on material from the OECD member countries as well as other sources of information within and outside the organisation.

This publication describes major developments affecting fisheries in 2005 and 2006 along with some recent events of 2007 and is a book worth reading, I believe this book would be a valuable asset to student and anyone who has a keen interest in fisheries/aquaculture. It would also be useful to government departments in helping them plan and respond to issues and problems as they arise in fisheries and aquaculture. Defiantly one for the bookcase.

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers
 

Canadian mussel exports to US increase

Canadian fresh blue cultured mussel exports to the United States grew by 10 percent in 2010. This figure is based on import data recently provided by the United States National Marine Fisheries Service, and lists Canadian mussels as the most imported variety of mussels - overtaking New Zealand mussels for the first time ever.



"Surpassing New Zealand in mussels exported to the US market is an important milestone for us," said Terry Ennis, President of the Mussel Industry Council of North America.  "For many years New Zealand has led in sales, importing frozen cooked mussels on the half shell. What we're seeing now is the market respond to our product that is eco-friendly and available live and fresh all year round." Read more ...


This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Flooding river adds to catfish industry’s pain

With all eyes focused on the Mississippi River’s epic flood waters, catfish producers contemplate its potential impact on their already stressed industry. Jimmy Avery, aquaculture leader with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said if the river crests as high as predicted, several catfish farms in the South Delta, particularly those in Sharkey, Issaquena and Yazoo counties may be affected.

“There is a possibility that five or six catfish farms may have at least some of their levees topped by backwater flooding,” Avery said. “One processor in the area is planning to close due to projected floodwaters entering the facility.” For those businesses, the losses could be costly. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Lake rejuvenation helps fish farming in Bidar India

The rejuvenation of lakes by the Jala Samvardhana Yojana Sangha (JSYS) is leading to a revolution in fisheries development in Bidar district. Lakes that were unable to sustain any marine life due to silt, or shallow water levels were developed to support large scale fish farming.

Inland fisheries has a huge potential in the district as the temperature inside the tanks is between 32-38 degree Celsius. The abundant growth of plankton and other plants also supports forming of fish in these tanks, says Anil Kumar, a fish expert at JSYS. Thirty-six tanks in three taluks have been developed this way. Heavy monsoon rains last year ensured that all these tanks were overflowing. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Court upholds right of First Nations to sell fish taken in commercial fishery

The British Columbia Court of Appeal has upheld the right of aboriginal groups to take part in the commercial fishery and sell what they catch, except for a specialised commercial clam fishery. The case involves a group of bands on the West Coast of Vancouver Island collectively known as the Nuu-chah-nulth, who argued they had a right to harvest and sell fish based on the practices of their ancestors.

The federal government claimed there was no evidence of a commercial fish trade by the First Nations' ancestors. However, a BC Supreme Court judge ruled that expert testimony and historic records showed the bands had a right to fish within their territories and to sell the fish. The federal government appealed that ruling but in a decision released Wednesday, the appeal court rejected the appeal, except for the geoduck clam fishery.

The court said because that fishery is a high-tech venture that has only been operational for about 35 years, the First Nations ancestors could not have taken part in such a commercial enterprise. According to an affidavit provided during the trial by the Fisheries Department, the geoduck commercial fishery requires divers to wear specialised gear as they extract geoducks, which live about a metre below the ocean floor. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Mexico sea cucumber fishery regulation plans

The sea cucumber fishery regulation facilitates the sustainable utilisation of this resource, which represents a direct benefit to both the species and the fishermen in the region of Campeche and Yucatán. This is what the head of the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), Ramon Corral Avila, pointed out to publicise the progress made with the sea cucumber management program in the two Mexican states.

After meeting with over 60 representatives of fishery organisations and licence holders, naval and local authorities, traders and representatives of the media, the officer recalled that the sea cucumber fishery was closed on 14 May. He also reported that between the day after the closure and January 31, 2012, there will be a ban for the capture of the resource. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aquaculture production falling for the first time in 25 years

The Business Association of Marine Aquaculture Producers (Apromar) reported that between January and December 2010, the marine aquaculture industry produced 43,888 tonnes of fish in Spain, 9.4 percent less than in 2009, when 48,441 tonnes were produced. Moreover, the value of the aquaculture production last year was EUR 220 million, representing a decrease of 1.7 percent over 2009 (€224 million) (US$315 million).

These declines occurred in Spain despite global aquaculture growing year-over-year rates of over six percent. The drop in the aquaculture production in 2010 is the first in 25 years of activity, as Apromar indicated in its annual report.

The association attributed this decline to several factors:   

• External issues, such as the general crisis of food consumption in Spain;
• Difficulty in obtaining credit;
• Complications to achieve licensing for new farms;
• An inappropriate administrative framework, which is complex and slow;
• Lack of equal opportunities against the import of similar products that undermines the competitiveness of local enterprises. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Alliance bid to head off major new salmon farm

A Major new salmon farm is being proposed for  Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve in British Columbia. The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR)  is calling on the provincial government  to veto  the plan and place a moratorium on net cage tenures in BC.

The CAAR say Mainstream Canada has submitted a tenure application to the provincial government for a new open net-cage salmon farm located in Fortune Channel on the east side of Meares Island.

The Alliance add that if approved, and then licensed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the site would add about another 600,000 farmed salmon to a “core aquatic protected area” of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Scottish aquaculture development potential program launched

A new program tailored to the needs of the Scottish aquaculture industry has been launched. In conjunction with Levercliff, the program has been designed to provide companies from the Scottish aquaculture industry with support to fully exploit areas of potential development with the aim of securing incremental sales and sustainable profitability.

The program includes: five workshops (with guest speakers from the industry); a London study tour (an intensive and informative day exploring everything about the UK seafood consumer. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aberdeen processor scales back Grimsby operations

An Aberdeen fish processor which opened a new factory in Grimsby just over two years ago has decided to close down a large part of its operations in the port. When Andrew Christie Junior expanded in March 2009, creating more than 20 new jobs, it was widely anticipated that it would lead to stronger links between Scotland and Grimsby.

However, the fall in fish landings, particularly from Iceland, has created more than a few problems for processors. Despite several attempts to contact Andrew Christie Junior, no-one from the company was prepared to comment publicly on the closure. But it is known that the primary reason is the availability of fish and higher charges in the port. At least a dozen jobs will be lost in the closure. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

China's farm produce prices up

Prices for Chinese farm produce went up slightly, while prices for production materials declined, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Tuesday, 17 May. Due to higher costs for aquatic products transportation in summer, wholesale prices of eight aquatic products went up 1.5 percent over the previous week. The growth rate was 0.3 percent a point higher, week on week. 



The prices of meat were mixed with declines in mutton by 0.3 percent and beef by 0.1 percent. Pork prices, however, went up 1.2 percent and chicken prices gained 0.1 percent. 
Egg prices were up 0.8 percent due to declining output in summer.  Food prices have key weightings in the calculation of China's consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, which hit 5.3 percent in April. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Algae in Berlin: 5th International Algae Congress

The city of Berlin is to host the 5th International Algae Congress. This years congress, where algae and science are brought together, is combined with an informational market. The Congress, titled “Micro Algae & Aquatic Biomass”, is to take place December 1- 2, 2011.

The potential of micro and aquatic biomass is enormous. The developments follow each other in quick succession. The sessions addressed at the congress are fully compatible to these developments and focus on: Micro algae, aquatic biomass & biofuels, Production systems, Biorefinery, Innovative applications, Genetic engineering and sustainable aquatic cycles. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Vietnam Seafood exporter aims at Europe

Vietnam plans to boost its seafood exports to Europe a promising market with a huge demand for tra fish (Pangasius), according to an industry insider. Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Huu Dung, confirmed Vietnam's export intentions while receiving European Parliament Member Struan Stevenson, who highlighted the achievements of Vietnam's tra fish industry during the past decade, in Ha Noi on Monday.

Vietnam has focused on improving the quality of its seafood products while prioritising the sustainable development of the tra fish sector, Dung said. Tra fish processors have adopted international hygienic safety and environmentally friendly standards in order to receive Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Pharmaceuticals in fish: We aren't keeping them out

The congressional watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), has just published a new report comparing the way the Food and Drug Administration deals with inspections of imported foods to methods used by the European methods. The title says it all: "FDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Imported Seafood and Better Leverage Limited Resources." GAO says:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) program is generally limited to enforcing the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point the internationally recognised food safety management system by conducting inspections of foreign seafood processors and importers each year.

These inspections involve FDA inspectors reviewing records to ensure the processors and importers considered significant hazards, including those resulting from drug residues if the seafood they receive are from fish farms.

The inspectors generally do not visit the farms to evaluate drug use or the capabilities, competence, and quality control of laboratories that analyse the seafood. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aquaculture damage over 100 billion yen

The Japanese aquaculture industry suffered more than 100 billion yen (US$1.2243 billion) in damage, or a quarter of its annual output, from the March 11, earthquake and tsunami, a survey by the fisheries ministry released Wednesday said.

In tsunami-ravaged Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, the damage was particularly severe for oyster and "wakame" (brown seaweed) farming, the survey by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

New Zealand Aquaculture Amendment Bill (no. 3) has second reading

The second reading of the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) brings legislation to promote investment, reduce costs and uncertainty and ensure managed growth within environmental limits one step closer, says Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Phil Heatley.

"Following a decade of roadblocks and missed opportunities this Bill is set to reform aquaculture legislation," says Mr Heatley. "Once enacted it will provide an efficient legislative framework to enable the aquaculture industry to reach its goal of $NZ1 billion (UK£ 488 million) in earnings by 2025."

The Select Committee reported the Bill back to the House on 9 May 2011 and recommended it proceed with some amendments. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Doubts surface over desal plant's marine impact

South Australia's fishing and aquaculture industries say they will do their own research into the details of the supplementary environmental impact statement for the proposed Olympic Dam mine expansion. BHP Billiton has reaffirmed its belief that Point Lowly is the best place for the mine's desalination plant.

Barry Evans from the Keep the Gulf Clean campaign says it wants to know how BHP would address the potential long-term impacts of the plant on marine life. He says previous scientific assessments have shown pumping large amounts of brine into Spencer Gulf could have a heavy impact on the breeding cycle of native species like prawns.

"It's an inverse estuary and that water on the top part of the Gulf takes a long long time to flush out into the ocean and we believe that the damage that this salt will do will be irreparable if it continues," he said. Associate Professor Jochen Kaempf from Flinders University says the marine habitat is too fragile for any industrialisation. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Taiwan to share aquaculture experience with Palau

What can two island nations in the Pacific have in common? Fish farming. President Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that Taiwan is willing to share aquaculture experience with Palau.

Ma said that when he visited Palau in March 2010, Palau President Johnson Toribiong expressed the hope that Taiwan could cooperate with his country on aquaculture. Taiwan indeed has experience in fish breeding, including grouper and milkfish, and would like to share it with other countries, the president said. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

AgriMarine expands reach into Norway

AgriMarine Holdings Inc has announced that it has launched the commercialisation of its floating solid wall closed containment technology for fish rearing into Norway. The company has set up a joint venture company under the name AgriMarine Norway AS (AgriNor), with ZED Financial Partners of Toronto and Midos AS of Oslo (collectively the Norwegian JV Partners). AgriMarine will license its technology and know-how to AgriNor and provide technical and financial support.

With commercial scale technology and production established in Benxi, China, the company says it has has proven that its production costs are comparable with industry standards for net cage operators. Under the terms of the agreement, the Norwegian JV Partners will apply for concessions earmarked for closed containment fish farming in Norway, with the aim of establishing a closed containment demonstration facility for the rearing of salmon. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

USDA announce meetings on catfish inspection

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that it will be holding two public meetings to hear public comments on the proposed regulation for a mandatory inspection program of catfish and catfish products.

The proposed ruling would mean that all catfish and catfish products imported to the US would have to come from countries which the FSIS deem as being up to standards in terms of complying with similar FSIS inspections. When entering the US the products would them be checked again. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

A Press Release from Worldwatch Institute

Fishing for Sustainable Practices to Conserve Fisheries

New analysis highlights need to sustainably manage global fisheries to secure livelihoods and protect ecosystems. Global fish production has reached an all time high, according to research done by Nourishing the Planet (www.NourishingthePlanet.org) for the Worldwatch Institute's Vital Signs Online publication. Aquaculture, or fish farming once a minor contributor to total fish harvest increased 50-fold between the 1950s and 2008 and now contributes nearly half of all fish produced worldwide.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 53 percent of fisheries are considered fully exploited harvested to their maximum sustainable levels with no room for expansion in production. Population growth and a higher demand for dietary protein are putting increasing pressure on depleted stocks and threatened ecosystems. Mainstream approaches to fisheries management have focused narrowly on short-term profit and boosting production. Worldwatch's analysis states that practices will need to shift to more sustainable strategies to meet demand and support fishing communities. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) holds workshop on sustainable aquaculture

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) and the United Soybean Board have teamed up with local hosts to sponsor an important one-day workshop, “The Four P’s of a Safe and Sustainable Aquaculture Industry: Practices, Presentation, Promotion and the Press” at eight locations across the US.

The NAA commented in a recent press release that the workshop aims to provide fish and shellfish producers with the knowledge and skills to market their products more successfully, grow their businesses, help shape the public’s perception of aquaculture at a local level and work with government decision-makers. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

FDA must improve imported farmed fish testing

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has admitted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s fish safety program for imported farmed fish is “limited”. Around half of the seafood imported into the US comes from farmed fish (aquaculture). Fish grown in this environment can often have bacterial infections, which may require farmers to use drugs like antibiotics. The residues of some of these drugs can cause cancer and antibiotic resistance.

When comparing the FDA inspection program to the EU's equivalent, the GAO found that most inspections consist of reviewing paperwork and health and safety checks rather than actually visiting the fish farms or sampling the actual fish. Some drugs which have been approved for aquaculture in the EU are still banned in the US and therefore without the adequate testing, residues of these drugs may still be entering the US market. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Global standards for responsible salmon aquaculture process entering final stage

In Washington DC the final step in the process of creating global standards for salmon farming began today when the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue kicked off the last public comment period for the draft standards. The final standards will address the key negative environmental and social impacts associated with salmon farming and allow for the economic viability of the industry, which produces more than 60 percent of salmon eaten globally today.

Impacts addressed through the standards include water pollution, sourcing of feed ingredients, disease transmission between farmed and wild salmon and labor issues on farms. “Continued transparency and involvement from a broad spectrum of salmon aquaculture industry stakeholders, including retailers, farmers and scientists is needed to ensure the final standards are strong,” said Petter Arnesen of Marine Harvest, who is a member of the Dialogue’s steering committee. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Indian seafood exports soars

Indian seafood exports reached US$2.7 billion (€1.905 billion) in 2010-2011 compared to US$2.1 billion (€1.482 billion) in the previous fiscal year, officials said. Europe is the leading market for Indian seafood products followed by US, China and Japan. The seafood industry of India is growing and will grow by leaps and bounds, recession or no recession,' Leena Nair, chairperson of the Marine Products Export Development Authority of India, told EuAsiaNews in Brussels where she attended the European Seafood fair.

The 19th Annual European Seafood Exposition (ESE) and 13th Annual Seafood Processing Europe (SPE) were held in Brussels between May 3 - 5. Sixteen Indian companies participated. 'They did a very good business, almost everybody. Business opportunities have been wonderful. We have increased our business,' said Nair. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

CPF Focuses On India, Vietnam, Russia & Philippines

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has identified India, Vietnam, Russia and the Philippines as its top priorities for market expansion in the next five years. According to The Nation, they have been selected for factors such as potential growth in population, variety of consumption, low numbers of competitors and lack of farm technology.

Adirek Sripratak, president and chief executive officer of the company, explained: "We plan to access the market where we believe we can win."  The company's investment budget this year will be eight to 10 billion baht (THB) (US$264 million to US$330 million). Of that, 60 percent will be spent overseas, with heavy investment in the four countries mentioned. The aim is to increase overseas sales from 26 percent to 40 percent by 2015. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Scottish farmed salmon is the best

Scottish salmon has been named 'best farmed salmon in the world' in a poll of international seafood buyers from leading retail and food service companies. Seafood International asked 20 buyers from 10 countries to pick the best farmed salmon producing country based on superior taste, quality and appearance.

Scottish salmon topped the poll with seven votes, Norway was second with six and Canada was third with two. The results of the survey were announced at the world's largest seafood show, European Seafood Exposition (May 3-5 ). John Fiorillo, Editor of Seafood International, said: "The survey results are significant because these are some of the biggest and most influential seafood buyers in the world. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Fish growers advised to try skip-feeding

After the success of increasing the rice yield for the first quarter of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now gearing towards the improvement of fish production in the country. In a report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento advised tilapia growers to try skip-feeding their fish in order to cut on production costs.

Sarmiento claimed the impending food crises and rising costs of consumer goods should be a sign for fish growers to follow proper fish cage management practices for them to be able to benefit more from their fish farming venture. Through skip-feeding, fish farmers would be able to cut by half the cost of feeds which would be beneficial to them, their consumers, and the environment. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Land-based aquaculture in early stages

It is true that a farm in Washington state grows salmon to market size on land, but this is not "large" scale as the writer states. About 100 tonnes of salmon are grown annually at that farm. We farm about 800 times as much in British Columbia

British Columbia salmon farmers know land-based aquaculture well. For one-third of a farmed salmon's life, it is grown in recirculating aquaculture systems before being moved to the ocean for continued growth. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Success for New Zealands salmon at global taste awards

New Zealand King Salmon continues to impress in the highly competitive world of international culinary taste awards. All six of the Nelson-based company’s products submitted for the annual International Tastes & Quality Institute (iTQi) Superior Taste Awards have gained either the top three-star or two-star rating.

The company farms salmon in the Marlborough Sounds and in an email from the organisers of the prestigious awards has been congratulated for its excellent evaluation results. It’s the second year in a row that New Zealand King Salmon has achieved outstanding results at the Brussels event. Last year its products received three three-star awards and three two-star awards. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Combatting sea lice with genetics

Tests on three age groups of farmed Atlantic salmon point to the same conclusion, that there is a huge variation in how well various salmon families tackle salmon lice. A breeding company is now putting Nofima’s research results into practice and offering eggs that are more resistant to lice.

Nofima has also found a high genetic correlation between the numbers of sessile and motile adult lice on the salmon. When fewer lice attach to the fish, there are also fewer sexually mature lice. Consequently, testing of various families’ resistance to lice can now be limited to the number of sessile lice per fish, in controlled challenge experiments. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

US$5.5 Million to develop new Algae-Based feeds

Kona-based Cellana LLC, a leading developer of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts, has received a three-year US$5.5 million (€3.896 million) grant to develop a protein supplement from algae as a byproduct of algal biofuels production and to demonstrate its nutritional and economic value in livestock feeds.

Funding is provided through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s Biomass Program through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative and will help increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and biobased products to diversify the nation's energy resources. The award was made through a competitive selection process. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

The success of tilapia may pose threats to health and ecology

A common Bible story says Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, which scholars surmise were tilapia. But at the Aquafinca fish farm here, a modern miracle takes place daily: Tens of thousands of beefy, flapping tilapia are hauled out of teeming cages on Lake Yojoa, converted to fillets in a cold slaughterhouse and rushed onto planes bound for the United States, where some will appear on plates within 12 hours.

Americans ate 215 million kilograms of tilapia last year, four times the amount a decade ago, making this once obscure African native the most popular farmed fish in the United States. Although wild fish predominate in most species, a vast majority of the tilapia consumed is "harvested" from pens or cages in Latin America and Asia. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

New Zealand: Malaysian researcher wins fish technology award

Ms Clara Bah

Ms Clara Bah, a researcher at the Department of Food Science, University of Otago in New Zealand has won the first ever Peter Howgate Award for young fish technologists. Ms Bah received a prize of €500 (CAN$683.085) which will help her to attend the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) conference in Rotorua, New Zealand at the end of June 2011, at which she will present her MSc research findings on the bioactivity of fish roes from five commercial New Zealand fish species.

She hopes her paper will help to publicise how the extraction of useful bioactive compounds from parts of fish which are often discarded can help to improve the commercial value of fishery products.  Ms Bah, who has a B.Eng in Chemical-Bioprocess Engineering from the Technological University of Malaysia, arrived in New Zealand in 2008, and obtained her MSc from the University of Otago at the end 2010. She hopes that her ongoing research will lead to a PhD in future. Her supervisor, Dr Alaa el-Din Bekhit, praised her penchant for hard work and learning, and her commitment to developing new approaches to improving utilisation of undervalued fishery resources. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Sustainable small-scale catfish farming

William Wurts from Kentucky State University looks at sustainable small-scale catfish farming. Costs of energy, especially crude oil, have skyrocketed causing dramatic cost increases for intensive, commercial channel catfish farming. High energy prices have led to increased costs for distribution (processed fish and feed), electric aeration and on-farm practices relying on fossil fuels.

High crude oil prices caused a shift in corn and soybean production from foodstuffs to biofuels. Channel catfish feeds are formulated with roughly 50 percent soybean and 30 percent corn. The costs of feeds and feeding for catfish farming have soared. Fuel prices have not yet matched their previous highs. But because global population growth and fossil fuel consumption have increased exponentially over the past 40 years, and continue to do so, energy costs will likely reach new highs in the near future. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Shell crucial for suitability of krill in fish feed

Deshelled krill meal in salmon feed gave a better growth rate and digestibility of nutrients in salmon compared to whole krill. Deshelling also result in lower content of fluoride and will thereby make krill more suitable in salmon feed. These are some of the findings in the PhD thesis of Jon Øvrum Hansen at the Aquaculture Protein Centre (APC-CoE), who defends his thesis 29th April at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB).

The total biomass of Antarchtic krill is probably the world's largest of one single species, and is promising as ingredient in fish feed. Krill has a balanced amino acid profile and the fat of krill is rich in phospholipids, with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Krill is also a suitable attractant in fish feed. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Scottish salmon: facts and figures

China's dispute with Norway over the awarding of the Nobel prize to dissident Liu Xiaobo has provided a chance for Scottish salmon farmers to break into the Asian market. Here, we reveal some facts and figures about the Scottish salmon market

• Scottish farmed salmon has held the French Government's top quality award, Label Rouge, for the past 19 years. It was the first non-French food to receive this accolade
• Scottish farmed salmon has been awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission, setting it alongside Champagne, Arbroath Smokies and Parma Ham
• 1m fresh salmon meals are eaten in the UK every day
• 1m smoked salmon meals are eaten in the UK every week
• Additional 40m servings of fresh salmon were consumed in UK households between 2006 and 2008. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Novus expands Arkansas feed supplement facility

A number of dignitaries, including the Governor of Arkansas, helped cut the ribbon Tuesday on a newly expanded and LEED Silver Certified manufacturing facility in Little Rock for Novus International animal feed supplements. The Novus Arkansas site was developed in 2006 to manufacture MHA® feed supplement, a source of methionine, an essential amino acid in premixes and farm feed mills which provides benefits to laying hens and other livestock and companion animals.

The new expansion features a 45,000 square foot manufacturing facility for MINTREX®, Novus’ chelated trace mineral products for aquaculture, poultry, pork, beef, dairy and pet nutrition. In keeping with the commitment Novus has to sustainability, the expanded facility earned Silver LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The company headquarters in St. Charles, Missouri has earned Platinum LEED Certification. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Certification endorses fish farming done in a manner respectful to First Nations

Mainstream Canada is the first salmon farming company in Canada to be certified under a new third-party standard which ensures that sustainable management of aquaculture includes First Nations values and interests.

An independent audit in March determined that Mainstream Canada’s practices at their Clayoquot Sound sites within the traditional territory of the Ahousaht First Nation meet the requirements of the Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture (APSA) standard, established by the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association (AAA). Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Aquaculture development viable in the Amazon, according to BNDES

A study by the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) determined that fishing and fish farming in the Amazon region of Brazil are activities with social and economic viability "Fishing is attracting a strong and competitive sector besides including small producers.

It generates employment and income, and it is an efficient activity," expressed the coordinator of the Department of Government Relations of BNDES, Victor Alexander Contarato Burns. With the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) and representatives of nine Brazilian states, the Bank authorities discussed a project to increase fish farming in the Amazon region. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

AquaChile aims to become a global aquaculture producer

The Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros (SVS) authorised AquaChile to open 30 percent of its property on the Santiago Stock Exchange on May 19. Meanwhile, the Chilean company is planning to explore alternative goods to be produced in Brazil and possibly in Vietnamese territory. There is also willingness to expand its presence in Costa Rica in the tilapia business and expand into Panama, the newspaper La Tercera reported.

Thus, the company intends to become a global producer of aquaculture products and improve its strategic position internally. AquaChile expects to raise about US$ 350 million (€243.275 million) with its debut on the stock, of which over two-thirds will be allocated to finance their plans for the next six years, which will require a total of US$ 470 million (€326.684 million). Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers