21/12/12: EWOS COO steps down; Spanish fish preferences; Nile tilapia in the Philippines

Hello, 

• EWOS Chief Operating Officer (COO) steps down. Mr Kjell Bjordal will retire as COO from February 15, 2013 and will be replaced temporarily by Dr Einar Wathne. Mr Kjell Bjordal will step down when he turns 60 early next year. Revenue has increased more than tenfold and the operating result has developed even stronger during the more than 13 years that Kjell Bjordal had led what is now Cermaq's feed division.

• Spanish consumers prefer home-grown fish according research. The study, published in the Food Quality and Preference journal, asked consumers to analyse factor when buying fish. Origin ranked highest above fished or farmed-raised, price and conservation method.  the Spain is the biggest producer of fish in the EU but in recent years domestic consumption has fallen. Read more...

What is most important when buying fish: the price, the country of origin, whether it is fresh or frozen or whether it is wild or farm-raised? The average Spanish consumer prefers above all that their fish comes from Spain, according to a study published in the 'Food Quality and Preference' journal. Spain is the largest producer of fish in the European Union but in recent years its population has consumed less fish, especially seafood.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-12-spanish-consumers-national-fish.html#jCp

• A project by the WorldFish Center to identify Nile tilapia 'super strains' in the Philippines aims to increase living standards of farmers, create jobs and improve food security. Nile tilapia is the most cultured freshwater fish in the country. The project is about to enter its second year find out more about it..

male Oreochromis niloticus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

20/12/12: ISA at Cooke Aquaculture; new salmon farms in Nova Scotia and Scottish farmers get European funding

Hello,

• A new case of ISA has been detected at a Cooke Aquaculture site in Newfoundland, Canada. According to Nell Halse, the vice-president of communications at Cooke Aquaculture, the site is a medium-sized farm with four cages that contain about 300,000 fish. The salmon are about halfway through their growth cycle and would have been harvested and marketed out in August of 2013. The company is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to deal with the outbreak. Read more...

• The Nova Scotia government has given the go-ahead for two controversial salmon farms in Jordan Bay near Shelburne. Operated by Kelly Cove Salmon, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture, the sites will be home to up to 700,000 fish. The farms faced opposition over concerns that large-scale aquaculture could threaten wild species. Read more...

• Scotland's fishing industry is set to get £5.8 million in European grants. 121 projects from across the country have benefited from the latest round of European Fisheries Fund (EFF) pay outs. The main benefactors are Shetland Aquaculture and Lossie Seafoods in Buckie which both received over £300,000 each. Read more...

English: Atlantic salmon. Salmo salar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Buhler

The focus of Bühler’s aquafeed technology is extrusion and pelleting. The ideal feed for each type of fish and crustacean can be produced leveraging Bühler’s pelleting and extrusion technology to maximize feed digestibility and conversion rates, while increasing the health of the entire fish population. Click on the image to learn more.

18/12/12: Stories on sea cumbers, salmon and why Japanese politicians love big fish

Hello,

• A sea cumber farm in the Philippines has released a sustainability report. Roberts and Rose Mariculture has announced the completion of its sustainability management plan for ethical and restorative sea cucumber farming. Read more... 
• Is land-based salmon farming set to come to Scotland? Fish farming company Fishform certainly hopes so. Read more...
• Odd story of the week: why to Japanese politicians celebrate election victories by holding giant fish? Find out here

17/12/12: We're back

Hello, 

We're back from ISRMAX India. We had a really busy time speaking to loads of international companies. Look out for a full report soon. But for now, here are some news stories.

• Marine Harvest has acquired 48.5 percent of Morpol for NOK 937,614,607.5. Morpol is the world leader in value added processing of smoked and marinated salmon. The company is present in all main markets for salmon with sales offices in a number of countries, including Japan and USA. The company has processing /distribution facilities in Poland, France, UK and Germany. More information...

• China has approved the import of boarfish from Ireland. This year 39 Irish trawlers have caught over 53,000 tonnes of the fish. Although wild caught, the species is used mostly for the production of fishmeal and fish oil. Read more...

• The Jamaican government is to impose a levy on lobster exports, similar to the US$1 charged for every pound of Queen Conch legally harvested and exported from the country. Revenue from the charge will go towards funding development and management projects in fisheries and aquaculture. Read more...

English: Strombus gigas = Eustrombus gigas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Event: Invitation to attend the 4th BioMarine Business Convention

Halifax, Canada welcomes the 4th BioMarine Business Convention from September 9 - 12, 2013. This unique four-day international business convention is co-organised by BioTopics SAS and the National ResearchCouncil of Canada (NRC). 

Dedicated to marine bio resources, marine ingredients, aquafeed and aquaculture, macro and micro algae, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, marine biotechnology for health and environment, bio materials, biofuels, renewable marine energies (tidal and offshore wind), green shipping, ports and environmentals, spatial planning, law of the sea.

The BioMarine Business Convention brings together international participants from business, science and civil society communities to discover and share innovative solutions for advancing sustainable ocean development.

More information...

IAI Aquaculture Expo

IAI AquaCulture Expo 2012 is a global exhibition and conference on aquaculture and fishing industry. IAI Aquaculture Expo invites exhibitors from all over the world to launch, exhibit, promote new products and services from aquaculture and fishing industry.

International Aquafeed magazine will have its own stand which we have the pleasure of sharing with some of the world's leading aquaculture companies.

On the international Aquafeed stand:

Lallemande

Ge-Pro

Jaekering

Ewos

LFA Lesaffre

More information...

English: Aquaculture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

11/12/12: Stories on seafood growth in China, shellfish in Scotland and GMO salmon

Hello, 

• To feed its people, China needs to look to the sea says the Nation newspaper. Although China has seen nine years of consecutive growth in grain production, the gap between supply and demand  continues to widen. Now the country is exploring ways to exploit the sea for food production. Read more...

• Scottish shellfish processing plant could close. The GlenIsla factory at Corpach, near Fort William faces the chop due to the global recession and difficult trading conditions for shellfish. Operations at the plant, which employs 27 people, could be transferred to Buckie in Moray. Read more...

• Genetically modified salmon with the potential to grow twice as fast as normal could make it to market if the company, Aquabounty receives FDA approval. Aquabounty 's GMO fish was classified as safe to eat by the FDA in 2010 but is yet to get official backing from the authority.  Read more...

Shellfish Opened Up (Photo credit: Augapfel)

BioMar

BioMar's Larviva is a complete
atchery feed range covering all the nutritional needs for fish larvae and shrimp securing rapid growth and healthy fry. The product range is divided into two product groups: Larviva for fish and Larviva for shrimp.
Click on the image to learn more.

Event: IAI AquaCulture Expo 2012

ISRMAX India

December 13-15, 2012

IARI Ground, PUSA, New Delhi, India

This December the IARI Grounds, PUSA, New Delhi will play host to eight concurrent trade shows over three days.

Perendale Publishers Ltd, the publisher of International Aquafeed magazine, is working in association with Pixie Consulting Solution Limited to put on what promises to be an action-packed series of events. The shows will focus on the Indian agriculture industries providing visitors with plenty of opportunities learn amore about agriculture, aquaculture and rice and grain production.

One of the trade shows, the IAI AquaCulture Expo 2012, is dedicated to all things fishy. It is an exhibition and conference on the aquaculture and fishing industries with a global emphasis. Exhibitors from all over the world will launch, exhibit and promote new products and services from both industries. Visitors will be able to get the lowdown on the latest developments from the fields of aquaculture technology, fish feed, fish health and equipment.

Why India?

India has an impressive international ranking.  It is second in the world for farm output and also the world’s second largest producer of wheat and rice. In addition, the country is within the top five producers of over 80 agricultural products.

At 1.2 billion, India is home to 16 percent of the world’s population and boasts the world’s fourth largest economy.

Annual growth is eight percent so the demand for and opportunities within agriculture and aquaculture are growing every day.

Indian aquaculture

With a coastline of 8,129 km, 2 million sq km of exclusive economic zone and 1.2 million hectares of brackish bodies of water, India offers a vast potential for development of seafood production.

Indian seafood exports account for around 10 percent of total production, more than 80 percent of which is made up of shrimp, cuttlefish and squid.

Fresh water fish farming is booming at the moment and is expected to grow annually at 8 percent.

Other events at ISRMAX

The ISRMAX Rice & Grain Expo 2012 looks at the complete value chain, providing a space for interested parties across the industry to meet.

The IAI Expo Poultry & Meat Expo 2012 focuses on the Indian meat and poultry industry. The country has potential to increase the consumption of meat and meat products in domestic and international markets. Despite this, there is a lack of advanced technology, particularly at the farm level, which is a constraint in enabling this sector to take a quantum jump in production and productivity.  The event aims to provide a platform for all stakeholders to share knowledge and technology.

MoreInformation...

India Gate Delhi India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Big DNA Ltd awarded part of €6 million European project to develop new fish vaccines

Leading Scottish life sciences firm Big DNA, located at the Roslin BioCentre, Edinburgh, announced today that it is part of a European –wide consortium that has been awarded European Union funding under the €6 million ‘Targetfish’ project.  This major project is aimed at developing new aquaculture vaccines, of which Big DNA’s proprietary phage M13 based chimeric vaccine technology, will be part.
 
The Framework 7 Targetfish Project, which lasts for five years, includes 30 collaborators, both industrial and academic, across 10 EU countries, and aims to develop affordable and effective vaccines against a range of economically important fish diseases, including those affecting salmon, trout and sea bass, amongst others.

Scotland is particularly well represented in the project which involves four Scottish-based commercial companies and research institutes, of which Big DNA Ltd is one, and, which lays testament to the expertise available in the country for commercial aquaculture.

Dr John March, CEO of Big DNA commented, “We are delighted to be part of this significant European initiative, which recognises the potential of our chimeric M13 phage-based vaccine technology for use in applications such as aquaculture.  This further expands the utility of our platform technology in addition to our core interest in developing human healthcare products.”

Rhona Alison, senior director of life sciences, Scottish Enterprise, said: "This news is very exciting for both Scottish Life Sciences and Big DNA. The level of Scottish participation as a whole in this European programme underlines the strength of the aquaculture sector here and builds on Scotland's increasing reputation as a leading international hub of life sciences expertise."
 
Big DNA has developed fish vaccines which are able to be administered through immersing the fish in tanks of water containing the vaccines, thus eliminating the need for use of needles which can damage the fish.

More information...

Image via CrunchBase

10/12/12: Stories on scallop farming, slamon freshness, BAP certification and more...

Hello,

• Marine Harvest becomes the first British Columbia site to receive two-star Best Aquaculture Practices certification. Mainstream Canada’s Pacific National processing plant in Tofino, British Columbia achieved the certification. “We are very proud of this achievement. It shows our commitment to leading the way in sustainable aquaculture practices on our farms and in our processing facilities,” said Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada’s managing director. “This new processing plant certification shows we are committed to the highest standards in producing salmon for our customers that is fresh, food safe and nutritious.” Read more...

• The Salmon Preservation Association is pushing for land-based aquaculture following a possible outbreak of Infectious salmon anemia in Newfoundland. Read more...

• Scallop fishing in Tasmania has come to a premature halt due to a toxic algae bloom. The scallop fishery was closed five weeks ago when the outbreak occurred. Read more... 

• Research conducted at Nofima, Norway has found that light can show salmon freshness. Spectroscopic analyses can be used to determine freshness and shelf life. This is achieved by illuminating the salmon fillet and then studying how the light spectrum changes. The methods are non-destructive or, in other words, the fish may be used afterwards. Read more...

Tofino, British Columbia Location (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Video: National Lobster Hatchery

I have been researching an article on lobsters for International Aquafeed magazine and found this video very useful. Carly Daniels of the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, UK looks at the use of probiotics and prebiotics in lobster cultures.

07/12/12: Sex change prawns, seafood flavour wheels and Seafood in Alaska

Hello,
I was in London yesterday collecting a visa for India and making arrangements for the IAI Aquaculture Expo. It's all very exciting and I can't quite believe the event is just under a week away. But for now, here's the news...

• Ben-Gurion University, Israel has developed an advanced gene-silencing biotechnology for aquaculture that changes the sex of prawns and yields faster growing all male populations, resulting in greater output and farmer income. “The technology is sustainable because it doesn’t use any chemicals or hormones and does not create genetically modified organisms,” said BGU’s Prof. Amir Sagi. “This is made possible through the unique monosex culture of prawns, which we can obtain by using our original discovery of a naturally occurring, androgenic hormone that influences their gender.  Since males are faster growers, this discovery could help farmers increase their income.” Read more...
  

• I have often heard salmon tasting described in similar terms to wine tasting but the Australian Seafood Industry has taken this analogy one step further by creating the Seafood Flavour Wheel. The wheel categories 12 species into different aromas and flavours. According to the tasting notes, a fillet of pan-fried King George whiting is simailar to roasted nuts, egg white and mushy peas. What do you think?  Read more...

• Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation (PWSAC) has released the results of a study on the impact of its programmess on the economy, Alaska's seafood industry, sport, subsistence and personal use fisheries. Significant benefits to the state and regional economy were outlined, along with ways in which the programs could be expanded to produce greater economic benefit. The study covered direct and indirect job creation and earnings. The study also examined market conditions for salmon species.  Read more...
  

Shoup Glacier near Valdez Alaska, Prince William Sound. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Aqua Nor

Aqua Nor has been an important international venue for the aquaculture industry through a period of over 30 years.The next event will be held August 13-16, 2013. Click on the image to learn more.

05/12/12: Stories on lobster larvae, Nutreco, new NOAA staff and more...

Hello,

• Threatened species of lobster received some good news this week. Researchers in Norway have   doubled survival rates among lobster larvae under farmed conditions. This could boost populations of a species threatened in the wild. Read more...

• Nutreco has completed the sale of its Hungarian business to Nuscience Group. Nutreco and Nuscience Group announced on October 12, 2012 their agreement on the sale of Trouw Nutrition Környe Kft's business to Nuscience Group, the premix and specialty division of the Dutch cooperative Royal Agrifirm Group. The completion of the transaction depended on gaining regulatory approval from the Hungarian competition authority. This approval was received on November 26, 2012 and the official change of ownership took place on December 3, 2012. More information...

• NOAA has named Jason Link, PhD, as its first-ever Senior Scientist for Ecosystem Management. In this new role, Dr Link will be the agency’s senior-most authority on ecosystem science, conducting research and coordinating activities of NOAA Fisheries’ science support for effective ecosystem-based management. His priorities will be to lead approaches and models to support development of ecosystem-based management plans throughout the agency. A key element of Jason’s work will be the development of the tools and approaches that will allow us to deal with the impacts of climate change on our marine trust species. Read more...

• Aquaculture firm Maui Fresh Fresh LLC in Hawaii filed for voluntary bankruptcy on November 19, 2012. The company raised opakapaka in ocean cages submerged off Lanai and had built a hatchery but never got a state lease to deploy its 10 cages. More information...  

lobster (Photo credit: tuppus)

New Omega-3 film launched by IFFO

IFFO, the Marine Ingredients Organisation has launched an informative video about Omega-3s, nature’s own health products entitled ‘Marine Omega-3 – The Healthiest Fats’.  The film is a response to growing scientific and consumer interest in the subject and can be viewed below.

The two healthiest Omega-3s are essential long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA which cannot be made by the human body. They can be consumed by eating certain foods - predominantly fish and seafood but particularly oily fish such as anchovy, salmon and mackerel which contain some of the highest concentrations of EPA and DHA.

Globally, cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death and more than 450 million people are suffering from mental disorders world-wide (WHO data). The argument for increasing the consumption of Omega-3 is a convincing one. 

Professor Michael Crawford, Director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at Imperial College, London features in the IFFO video. His research work centres on the health benefits of long-chain fatty acids and the important relationship between nutrition and membranes in the body.

Wellbeing and medical health concerns have helped drive the demand for fish, placing wild fish stocks under pressure. However, farmed seafood is now a major contributor of Omega-3 and can be a sustainable resource. To maintain beneficial levels of EPA and DHA within farmed fish, they must be fed on a diet that’s high in marine products. Without this, beneficial levels of EPA and DHA in the finished seafood reduce significantly. As a result the aquaculture industry is increasingly putting minimum requirements in place for the inclusion of EPA and DHA in fish feed.

The video also demonstrates that the regular intake of omega-3 capsules, favoured by some consumers, is a good way to increase levels of EPA and DHA. However, care has to be taken to ensure that the oil is of marine origin, since vegetable oil from land sources does not contain sufficient levels of these critical fatty acids.

Andrew Jackson, Technical Director at IFFO said ‘We developed the Omega-3 film to highlight the important part the fishmeal and fish oil industry plays in the food chain and in human health. The industry’s responsible approach to sourcing and production under the IFFO RS certified producers scheme offers consumers complete confidence in the products they are purchasing.’

To help buyers looking for responsible sourced fishmeal and fish oil, IFFO provides a Global Standard for Responsible Supply (IFFO RS). This is an independent business-to-business certification programme that enables a compliant factory to demonstrate that it responsibly sources raw material from well-managed fisheries and responsibly converts it into pure and safe products, including fish oil for human consumption.

With the global population growing, sustainable sources of marine oils will be a key factor in being able to provide a healthy future for all. 

04/12/12: Zebrafish, salmon and shrimp get the Aquaculturist blog treatment

Hello,

• Predigetsed protein in feed may help improve salmon health says NIFES. A recent study by the organisation shows that salmon that are fed moderate amounts of predigested fish protein have lower levels of intestinal fat, and that this may have positive effects on their health. For the study groups of salmon were fed diets containing 20 percent fish meal in their feed and the rest of the protein arrived from plant protein., The fishmeal was replaced with 5 to 20 percent predigested (hydrolyzed) fish protein. “This had no effect on feed intake, but growth reduced as the amount of predigested protein increased,” says NIFES research scientist Marit Espe. Read more...

• Another NIFES story caught my attention today - research has shown that zebrafish feed needs to be standardised to produce good medical and nutritional research results. “If zebrafish are to be a good research model, and if we want to compare the results, we will have to develop a standard diet for these fish,” says NIFES Mari Moren, head of research. Zebrafish fans should look out for the January/February 2013 issue of International Aquafeed in which editor Prof Simon J Davies will report on diets for the species. Read more...
  

• Shrimp is big business so any product which claims to improve digestion will be of interest to farmers and scientists alike. This article explores the impact of Spurulina diets on gut health. Read more...
  
  

  

  Danio rerio, better known as the zebrafish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Event: Aquaculture 2013

AQUACULTURE 2013 will be held on February 21-25, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the Triennial meeting of the Fish Culture Section, American Fisheries Society, World Aquaculture Society and National Shellfisheries Association. Also, holding their Annual Meetings at AQUACULTURE 2013 are the National Aquaculture Association, U.S. Aquaculture Society and the Aquaculture Suppliers Association, American Tilapia Association, Striped Bass Growers Association, U.S. Trout Farmers Association, Zebrafish Husbandry Association, Aquacultural Engineering Society, International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management.

AQUACULTURE 2013 will have 15 concurrent sessions for four days covering all aspects of aquaculture. In addition, there will be many workshops and meetings happening in Nashville.  There will also be one of the largest aquaculture trade shows in the world. Combine that with all of the social functions and the limitless entertainment possibilities in Nashville and there way you should miss this event!

More information... 

A steamed tail-on shrimp. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Buhler

The focus of Buhler's aquafeed technology is extrusion and pelleting. The ideal feed for each type of fish and crustacean can be produced leveraging Bühler’s pelleting and extrusion technology to maximize feed digestibility and conversion rates, while increasing the health of the entire fish population. Click on the image to learn more.

03/11/12: EU adopts maritime strategy for Adriatic and Ioninan Seas; Scottish maritime protection plans; using sea anemone venom in insecticides

Hello,

• The European Commission has adopted a maritime strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas that will boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the region. The strategy has four strands: a stronger blue economy, a healthier marine environment, a safer maritime space, and responsible fishing activities. Read more...
  

• A marine protection system for Scotland could be worth £10 billion according to a new report. MPAs would help protect against extreme weather impacts, boost fisheries and secure Scotland's tourism appeal. The Scottish government will publish proposals for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the next few weeks. Read more...

• A team of scientists from Leuven, Belgium have harnessed the power of sea anemone venom to make insecticides.The toxins found in the sea creature are environmentally friendly and avoid resistance by the insects. Read more...

  

  English: Various examples of sea anemones (1893 print). Français : Différents exemples d'anémones de mer (document de 1893). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)