Dinnissen

Dinnissen has more than six decades of experience in feeding/discharging technologies, specialised machine development, processing, control, automation and engineering. Click on image to visit Dinnissen's website.

31/01/14: Friday video: Closed containment - The future of fish farming

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the costs of large scale fish farming to both society and the environment. This video explores the potential of switching from open-net cages to closed containment technology, a move that could render sea lice infestations, farm waste, disease and escaped fish a thing of the past.

What do you think? Is closed containment technology the future for fish farming? Would you be willing to pay more for fish raised in cleaner, less polluting, closed containment systems?

31/01/14: Bob Geldof announced to present at aqua conference; Bermuda's first aquaculture license; intersex tuna found in the Mediterranean

Irish singer-singwriter and political activist Bob Geldof has been announced as the main speaker at this year's AquaVision conference.

AquaVision is an established, world-class aquaculture conference that attracts a diverse range of stakeholders from across the aquaculture industry to Stavanger, Norway every two years. This year's show takes place from 16-18 June. 

“Sir Bob Geldof is one of the world’s highest ranked and most authoritative corporate speakers and I am therefore delighted he will be one of our main speakers at AquaVision 2014. His presentations are highly provocative, uplifting and inspiring,” says Viggo Halseth, COO of Nutreco Aquaculture.

Full news available here. 

Sandys Secondary Middle School in Bermuda has been issued the island’s first Aquaculture or 'aquafarming' license, reported Trevor Moniz, Bermuda's minister of health and environment yesterday.

"Today I am very proud. as Minister responsible for the environment, to announce an event which we hope will mark a turning point in the diversification of Bermuda’s economy with the birth of commercial aquaculture. It is therefore with much pleasure that I am able to issue Bermuda’s first aquaculture license."

Full news available here.

Scientists at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) have found intersex little tunny specimens (Euthynnus alletteratus) - commonly referred to as 'little tuna' - for the first time in the Mediterranean, reports FIS.

The condition is thought to be the result of hormonal disorders possibly caused by environmental pollutants.

Full news available here. 

Bob Geldof at the Headquarters of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC., USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bühler

Bühler is a specialist and technology partner for plant, equipment, and services for processing basic foods and for manufacturing advanced materials. Click on image to visit Bühler's website.

Aquaculture view: Requirement and digestibility modelling to ensure safe phosphorus intake

Aquaculture view

Aquaculture view is a column in each edition of International Aquafeed magazine (IAF), written by Dominique P Bureau.

Part of the IAF editorial panel, Dom has a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Guelph, Canada.

Today he teaches various undergraduate and graduate courses on animal nutrition and agriculture at the University of Guelph. Between 2007 and 2009, he coordinated the “Paris Semester”, a study abroad program for undergraduate students at the University of Guelph.

He serves on a number of international committees, including the US National Research Council Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp.

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See all of the Aquaculture view columns here.


January - February 2014

Requirement and digestibility modelling to ensure safe phosphorus intake 

One of the major environmental concerns for freshwater fish farming operations is the release of phosphorus waste. This element is the most limiting factor for algae growth in freshwater ecosystems, and even a modest increase can, under certain conditions, set off a chain of undesirable events in the water body including accelerated plant growth and algae blooms. The potential for deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems is high.

On the other hand, phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all animals. There is a need therefore to maintain the supply of the nutrient (in digestible form) to meet the requirements of the farmed organisms while warding off dietary excess, which results in increased waste output and the potentially deleterious environmental impacts. In addition to this, phosphorus is a relatively expensive nutrient. On top of environmental concerns, formulating feeds to higher-than-required phosphorus levels can in some cases reduce their cost-effectiveness.

In order to formulate feeds that provide an adequate level of digestible phosphorus – that are safe for the organism but not excessively high – aquaculture nutritionists and feed formulators need solid information on the phosphorus requirement of the animals as well as the digestibility (or availability) of the phosphorus contained in the different ingredients and/or the final feed mixture.

While the phosphorus requirements and digestibility for fish and crustaceans have been the topics of numerous research projects and publications over the past 50 years (many of them reviewed in NRC, 2011; Prabhu et al., 2013), I feel that the state of the art is not as advanced as it should be. At any rate, we have not invested enough time grasping the relatively complex issues associated with estimating the phosphorus requirement. Estimates of this value in fish derived from different studies often yield significantly different results. Moreover, I feel there is a general lack of appreciation for the factors that affect or determine the digestible phosphorus content of formulated aquaculture feeds.

Estimating the phosphorus requirement
Estimates of dietary phosphorus requirements of fish species generally range from 0.3 to 1.0 percent of diet (NRC, 2011). Digestible phosphorus values as low as 0.3 percent of diet have been reported for some species (e.g. channel catfish). Higher estimates, around 0.5 to 0.6 percent of diet, have been reported for rainbow trout and hybrid striped bass. Somewhat higher digestible phosphorus requirements (greater than 0.7 percent) have been reported for some species, such as Japanese seabass, common carp, silver perch, yellow croaker and haddock.

Some of the variability in estimates of phosphorus requirements across different species (and studies) is likely due to differences in digestibility between species, and with issues associated with making an accurate estimate of phosphorus digestibility in the diets used in quantifying requirements.

However, many other factors are likely playing a role. The live weight of the animal, the response parameters used to estimate requirements, and the composition of the feed are all factors that have been shown to have a significant impact on estimates of the digestible phosphorus requirement in fish. Very limited efforts have been made to study or comprehensively review, or integrate, analyse and model the phosphorus requirements of different fish species as a function of their life stages, dietary composition, growth rates, etc.

A few such knowledge integration and modelling efforts can be found in the recent literature (e.g. Hua et al., 2008; Prabhu et al., 2013), and these publications should, in my opinion, be read by anyone interested in the role of the element in fish nutrition. However, more sustained research and modelling efforts are needed in order to develop a more precise estimate of the phosphorus requirements of different fish species at different life stages or under different dietary regimes.

Accurately estimating digestibility
Formulating feeds to a precise digestible phosphorus content can be a difficult task, as common feed ingredients are highly variable both in phosphorus content and in the digestibility estimates provided by the literature. Not only does the phosphorus content vary greatly between different feed ingredients, but it is also found in varying chemical forms.

These forms can broadly be classified in four groups: organic phosphorus, phytate phosphorus, mineral phosphates and bone phosphorus (hydroxyapatite). Experimental evidence suggests that digestibility of these different chemical forms differs widely in fish. Organic compounds such as phosphorylated protein, creatine, phospholipids and nucleic acids, are apparently highly digestible for fish. Phytate phosphorus, another organic compound, is however not digestible to fish, at least under most conditions.

The digestibility of mineral phosphates, such as dicalcium phosphate and rock phosphate, varies with their degree of solubility but is generally high (assumed to be between 60 and 95 percent digestible depending on forms and species). Digestibility of bone phosphorus is variable between fish species and depends mostly on gastric acid secretion by the animal. For rainbow trout, a fish with a true (acid) stomach, digestibility of bone phosphorus is assumed to be between 40 and 60 percent.
Salmonid model

These broad generalisations are not very precise or helpful, nor do they fully take into account differences such as the various interactions that can occur between different forms of dietary phosphorus, their levels and the fish species to which they are fed. Through a detailed meta-analysis of the published data, Hua and Bureau (2006) developed a model to estimate digestible phosphorus content of salmonid fish feeds. Based on the results of the meta-analysis and subsequent validation work, they concluded that the digestible phosphorus content of salmonid feeds could be reliably estimated with the following equation:

Digestible P = 0.68 bone-P + 0 phytate-P + 0.84 organic P + 0.89 Ca monobasic / Na / K Pi supplement + 0.64 Ca dibasic Pi supplement + 0.51 phytase/phytate – 0.02 (phytase/phytate)2 – 0.03 (bone-P)2 – 0.14 bone-P × Ca monobasic / Na / K Pi supplement
(The units for all variables are g/kg, except for the phytase/phytate ratio, for which the unit is 100 FTU phytase/g phytage.)

Hua and Bureau (2006) demonstrated that this simple equation or model provides a reliable estimate of digestible phosphorus content of salmonid feeds, formulated with a wide variety of ingredients of animal and plant origins. However, they did not initially assess whether this model was applicable to other fish species. The ability to digest different compounds is likely to differ from species to species, due to the anatomical and physiological differences found in the gastrointestinal tracts among different kinds of fish.
 
Other species
The same modelling approach was consequently employed by Hua and Bureau in 2010, to quantify differences in phosphorus digestibility amongst species and develop models as needed that are better suited to different species. Carp species (cyprinids), which lack a true stomach and maintain a neutral pH throughout the digestive tract, and tilapia (warm water fish species with a true stomach that exhibit a low gastric pH of 2–3) were compared to results previously obtained with rainbow trout, a cold water species also with a true stomach and relatively low gastic pH (3–4).

A large meta-analysis was carried out using one dataset for tilapia (92 dietary treatments from 14 studies) and another for carp (101 dietary treatments from 20 studies). Phosphorus digestibility models for tilapia and carp were developed through multiple regression analysis, and validated by comparing model simulations with observations from independent experimental data from digestibility trials conducted with carp and tilapia.

The digestibility model specifically obtained for tilapia through the multiple regression analysis was as follows:

Digestible P = 0.71 bone-P + 0.21 phytate-P + 1.06 organic P + 0.97 Ca monobasic / Na / K Pi supplement + 0.56 Ca dibasic Pi supplement + 0.25 phytase/phytate – 0.02 (phytase/phytate)2 – 0.03 (bone-P)2 – 0.12 bone-P × Ca monobasic / Na / K Pi supplement

Multiple regression analysis of the carp modelling dataset resulted in a different digestibility model:
Digestible P = 0 bone-P + 0 phytate-P + 0.63 organic P + 0.91 Ca monobasic / Na / K Pi supplement + 0.39 Ca dibasic Pi supplement + 0.50 phytase/phytate – 0.04 (phytase/phytate)2

A highly significant (P < 0.0001) linear relationship was observed between predicted digestible phosphorus content and observed values from the independent dataset. Statistical analysis suggested that the prediction were accurate and free from bias.

The three models developed by Hua and Bureau between 2006 and 2010 suggest that significant differences in the apparent digestibility of phosphorus exist among carp (cyprinids), tilapia (cichlids) and salmonids. Carp appear to have a poor ability to digest phosphorus compounds of low solubility. Cyprinids cannot effectively digest phosphorus bound in bone particles (digestibility of bone phosphorus was estimated to be nil), and their ability to digest dibasic calcium phosphates is lower (slightly below 40 percent) in comparison to cichlids and salmonids (in the range of 55–65 percent). This difference is likely attributable to the absence of a true stomach in cyprinids.

Hua and Bureau’s three models provide a simple means of estimating the digestible phosphorus content in the feeds of different fish species (and digestive anatomies), and can be a very useful for fish feed formulators. They may also be helpful for feed formulation or for more objective analysis and interpretation of the various studies on the phosphorus requirements of different fish species.

Amy Novogratz and Mike Velings, managing partners of Aqua-Spark

Amy Novogratz and Mike Velings are managing partners of Aqua-Spark, a Netherlands-based investment fund focusing solely on opportunities in sustainable aquaculture. Having officially launched in November 2013, the group plans to make its first investments in the coming year.

This interview appeared in the January February 2014 edition of International Aquafeed magazine

Tell me about yourselves and how you arrived in aquaculture

Amy: Mike and I met through the 2010 TED Prize Mission Blue Voyage to the Galapagos, led by celebrated oceanographer, explorer and author Sylvia Earle. The voyage convened a hundred scientists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and artists with the purpose of addressing how we could protect the ocean. We came away hugely impacted, and ultimately this was the impetus for Aqua-Spark. On a boat with the world’s foremost ocean and fish experts, it was impossible not to get sucked into the enormity of the challenge – from overfishing to the terrifying fact that our oceans could become virtual deserts in less than 35 years.
Months after the voyage, at a Conservation International Meeting, we heard Dr Stephen Hall of WorldFish give a talk on aquaculture and its potential as a solution for these problems. The conservationists all agreed that we’d need to work together to get this right and do it sustainably. We started a two-year period of learning, researching, building a network of experts, and figuring out the right role for us to play in the expansion of the industry. This past November, we officially launched Aqua-Spark.

Your fund invests in small and medium enterprises. What can these offer investors (and the world) that bigger and safer investments can’t?

Mike: Bigger is not per se safer. And what is defined as small and medium (SMEs) can still be quite sizable and reputable. We believe there is a natural limit to how big an aquaculture company can be – at a certain point you reach the limit of how intensive you can go. The aquaculture industry is also very fragmented, with very few large companies in the space.
So much of the expected growth in production will have to come from SMEs, and part of our mission is to connect these enterprises for potential collaboration, where it will be beneficial.
How can venture capital improve aquaculture practices in China and Southeast Asia?
We believe that if we make investment available to ‘best in class’ companies, this will help set a bar for sustainability and other key practices. If we can help these companies succeed, then others will follow suit. This approach is of course applicable anywhere around the globe, not exclusively in Asia.

What about aquaculture as a way of alleviating poverty?

Amy: One of our partners, WorldFish, has been working on this for decades, mostly in Asia and Africa. They recently launched the WorldFish Incubator, which works with many aquaculture projects globally, such as aquaculture cooperatives in India. They aim to get them investment-ready – basically turning them into a business. As a partner of WorldFish, Aqua-Spark gets the first look at them. We’re looking to receive 10 a year for consideration, and hopefully one of them will develop into an investment.

All aquaculture producers see consumer confidence in farmed fish as a major stumbling block. How do you think this can be turned around?

Amy: Many consumers don’t even know why they think farmed fish is bad; they just heard it somewhere and it stuck. Aquaculture has come a long way in the past decade, whether it’s farming of more sustainable species, reduction in antibiotic usage, or more sustainable feed practices.
We have much more control of how fish are farmed, and we need to educate people on the benefits of aquaculture, such as the ability to monitor what fish have been exposed to, where they were grown, etc. Ultimately we want to arm people with good information so they can make the right choices when purchasing fish.
The replacement or near-replacement of fish-derived ingredients is the big challenge for 21st-centry aquaculture nutrition. Which novel ingredients particularly interest you?
Mike: Insects. They can be farmed in remarkably sustainable ways while also solving the major challenge of food waste.
Amy:  What is needed is technology that can produce material in a volume that will be interesting to feed manufacturers. We’re beginning to see a wave of innovative processes to produce insect-based ingredients, but no one has made that step yet.

What message do you have for the small business owners and ‘ideas people’ among our readership?

Amy: The message is that while we’re the first fund wholly interested in sustainable aquaculture investment, there are more investors out there looking to do the exact same thing. We were recently in a meeting at Stanford University where 80 people presented their projects. There was a really good mix of ideas in the room, but also a good amount of investing power.
Our website has an open form and we encourage anyone to submit their project. Things are only starting right now, but investment in sustainable aquaculture really has begun, and we’re in it for the long term. As the industry continues to expand, we need to continue to improve it and make it as sustainable and transparent as possible.

Amy, you used to lead the prestigious TED Prize. I know many of our readers are interested in it from following their LinkedIn! What are aquaculture’s ‘ideas worth spreading’?

Amy: We want to spread the idea that sustainably farmed fish is the best animal protein available to humankind.
We’ve seen so many global companies with great ideas and technologies that could transform this industry. We are convinced there is a great future for aquaculture, and this is a critical idea worth sharing. Our oceans depend on it, as do billions of people who look to seafood for their protein.

30/01/14: NY high school raises fish; Mexico initiates shark ban; ISA outbreak in Chile

A high school in New York, USA has come up with a novel idea to raise enough fish to feed thousands.

The manmade river in the basement of Food and Finance High School - the location of Cornell University scientist Philson Warner's aquaculture lab - is home to over 10,000 tilapia, swimming against the current just as they would in the wild.
Full news available here.

The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food in (Sagarpa), Mexico recently announced plans to permanently ban the capture of Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in a bid to protect the animals' reproduction in national waters.

The measure - which applies to federal waters of both Mexican coasts - came into force on Tuesday.

Full news available here.

Sernapesca, Chile's national fisheries and aquaculture authority, has confirmed an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) at a salmon farm belonging to seafood firm Invermar in the country's Chiloe region.

Invermar has confrimed the outbreak, specifying the ISA virus has been positive within two cages with 108,078 Atlantic salmon.
Full news available here.

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

29/01/14: Norway's fish filleting project; first aquaculture company listed on NY stock exchange; aquaculture and fisheries website launched

Innovation cooperation Nordic Innovation - in partnership with Marel, Faroe Origin and Norway Seafoods - recently announced news of a new fish filleting machine, a result of a collaborative development project. 

It is hoped the new white fish filleting machine will provide the Norwegian seafood industry with a much-needed boost. Unlike farmed salmon, white fish varies greatly in size and weight and so filleting is a difficult task.

Full news available here. 

Marine Harvest - the world's leading seafood company - is the first aquaculture company to be listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The company rang the opening bell at the NYSE today, marking the beginning of a new era for the salmon farming industry.

"This is a big day for Marine Harvest and the salmon farming industry," said Alf-Helge Aarskog, CEO of Marine Harvest. Together with Chairman Ole Eirik Lerøy, he had the honor of ringing the opening bell at the NYSE today.
Full news available here.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, USA recently revealed its new website  devoted to aquaculture and pond management.

Dr. Todd Sink, AgriLife Extension fisheries specialist, said he and others are currently gathering aquaculture, fisheries and pond management publications and funneling them into one handy location - http://fisheries.tamu.edu/.
Full news available here.

New York Stock Exchange (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 

28/01/14: Aquaculture training in Egypt; environmentally friendly shrimp farming; new director of SPC Fisheries appointed

WorldFish in partnership with the Improving Employment and Incomes through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) delivered training in ‘Best Management Practices’ to more than 1400 fish farmers in 2013.

 

Training covered a wide range of topics including: pond construction to post-harvest handling and social responsibilities.

Full news available here.

 

A new environmentally friendly technique to boost shrimp farming is being rolled out in central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The new technology -  Supra Intensive Indonesia (SII) - will help with the cultivation of the vannamei variety of shrimp and will replace the current intensive farming technique.

Full news available here.

 

International organisation SPC Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME)  recently appointed Moses Amos as its new director. 

 

Amos is currently the director of the Department of Fisheries in Vanuatu, a position he has held over for over 12 years. From January 2007 to March 2010 Mr Amos was also director of Fisheries Management at the Forum Fisheries Agency in Honiara, the Solomon Islands.

Full news available here.

Most shrimp live in fairly shallow waters and use their "walking legs" to perch on the sea bottom.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Biomin



Biomin offers sustainable animal nutrition products such as quality feed additives and premixes, which include solutions for mycotoxin risk management, a groundbreaking natural growth promoting concept as well as other specific solutions which address dietary requirements for swine, poultry, dairy and beef cattle as well as aquaculture. Click on image to visit Biomin's website.

27/01/14: Event: Future Fish Eurasia

Flag of Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With a coastline that runs from the Mediterranean Sea all the way up to the Marmara and the Black sea, as well as rich inland freshwater resources, Turkey boast ideal conditions for aquaculture.

What will Future Fish Eurasia involve?
Now in to its 7th edition, Future
Fish Eurasia is provides a great platform for over 300 local & international companies to display their products and services.

The event will cover a wide range of topics including fish products and aquaculture and fish processing equipment.

Organised with the full support of the Ministry Of Food, Agriculture & Livestock, Aegean Exorters Association, İstanbul Exporters Association, İzmir Fish Producers Assoc., Turkish Seafood Promotion Committee and Eurofish Organisation, the event caters to fish traders, fish farmers & processors.

When/where is Future Fish Eurasia?
Future Fish Eurasia is scheduled to take place from 5 - 7 June 2014 in İzmir Turkey.

Visit the Future Fish Eurasia website here.

27/01/14: Feed approach for farmed salmon; pond research in the catfish industry; aquaculture asset aquisition

Norwegian feed supplier EWOS has developed sophisticated health feeds that support farmed salmon through recovery from inflammatory diseases like pancreas disease (PD), heart skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) and cardio-myopathy syndrome (CMS).

 

Since 2006, EWOS has undertaken an intensive research programme to assess the effects of dietary modulation upon farmed salmon that have been challenged by these viruses.

Full news available here.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently presented research that gives the precise levels of dissolved oxygen needed to keep pond-raised catfish alive and growing.

Prior to this new research, fish farmers relied on daily observations to determine if fish were getting enough oxygen.

Full news available here.

 

USA based Phibro Animal Health Corp. announced last week that it has acquired the aquaculture assets of AquaVet Ltd., a technical consulting and contract research organization focused on the global aquaculture market.

 

Dr. Ra'anan Ariav, founder and chief executive officer of AquaVet, will join Phibro as vice president of Phibro Aquaculture.

Full news available here.

Black bullhead catfish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Andritz

The ANDRITZ GROUP is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors. Click on image to visit Andritz's website.

24/01/14: Friday video: Monster Fish: 600lb Goldfish

The history of aquaculture dates back to 3500 BC in China with the farming of the common carp. In keeping with these roots, today's video follows National Geographic ecologist Zeb Hogan on his hunt hunt for a 600lb goldfish.

24/01/14: Algae operation talks in Australia; fish freeze in Norway; UK aquafeed producer opens research station

For the last three years, Aurora Algae has been running a pilot research and development plant in Karratha, Western Australia, converting algae into biofuel, omega-three for the health food industry and protein for animal feed.

The company originally indicated plans to build a full-scale commercial operation at nearby Mainland, which was flagged to open this year, reported the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) recently.
Full news available here.

A school of herring that strayed too close to the shore in Lovund, Norway froze to death last weekend, reports the Huffington Post.

Aril Slotte, a pelagic fish expert at Norway's Institute of Marine Research, suggested the herring had been herded into the shallows by cormorants, a natural predator, and were unable to flee to deeper water. 
Full news available here.

Aquaculture nutrition firm Skretting recently announced it has opened a new research Station in the Guangdong Province, China. 

With a growing need for sustainable feeds in Asia, the station will act as Skretting's main research facility for shrimp and Asian fish species, ideally positioned to contribute towards the global growth of best-practice aquaculture production.
Full news available here.

Atlantic herring, (Clupea harengus) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Amandus Kahl

With more than 130 years of experience, Amadus Kahl is a leading manufacturer and supplier of extruders, compound feed presses, wood pelleting plants and granulate coolers. Click on image to visit Amandus Kahl's website.

23/01/14: Accessing latest feed products is key to Canada's aquaculture growth

Pamela Parker, executive director
of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

Below is an extract from a column that was featured in the November/December edition of International Aquafeed written by Pamela Parker, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association.

While other countries have seen their aquaculture industries grow significantly, Canada has not.

The growth of Canada's aquaculture industry has flatlined for the past decade. A complex and outdated regulatory system is viewed as the significant reason for this stagnation. Regulatory restraints facing the industry include the inability to access feed ingredients now commonplace in most jurisdictions.

Canada's farmed seafood sector needs access to the most up-to-date technology in feed and fish health products in order to improve the growth, feed utilisation and disease management in fish which is necessary to be competitive in the world market, and to meet the demands of Canadians for seafood.

Canada's $2.1 billion aquaculture industry employs 15,000 people. Seven companies, operating nine aquaculture feed mills, currently produce aquaculture feed in Canada. Mills in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia annually produce an estimated total of 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of aqua feed per year. By comparison, Norway produces over 1.5 million tonnes of aqua feed per year.
Read the full column on page 11 here.  

23/01/14: Event: Livestock Myanmar - not just an agriculture expo

Aquaculture installation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bordered by China and India, Myanmar - with an abundance of natural resources, including oil and gas, and a growing population - is regarded as one of the final frontiers for investment and market growth opportunity, and is described by industry research service Stanton Emms, East Asia as one of the world's "food surplus" countries.

Livestock Myanmar 2014 Expo, organised by United Business Media (UBM), kicked off today at the Tatmadaw Exhibition Hall in Yangon.

As well as the expo, Livestock Myanmar also runs an informative seminar program with renowned speakers covering the latest market developments, trends, issues and opportunities.

The event offers a great opportunity to exchange ideas, as well as the chance to foster valuable partnerships.

As well as new opportunities for the feed, livestock and meat industries, Myanmar's aquaculture sector - already the world's 12th largest in terms of volume - also makes up a large part of the expo.

As a result of recent reductions in export tax codes, Myanmar's aquaculture outlook is promising. Seafood exports are expected to rise this year as a result of the EU's plans to lift restrictions on the country's farmed seafood products.

Keep an eye out for a review of the expo over the next few days!

Visit Livestock Myanmar's website here.

23/01/14: Great lake state next aquaculture leader?; China and Japan address fishing operations; Alaska's largest salmon harvest

The Michigan Aquaculture Association (MAA) held its annual meeting in Tustin, California, USA today.

The meeting focused on the development of Michigan's aquaculture sector, with discussions to assert the state as a contender in national seafood production.

Full news available here. 

A second meeting of a Taiwan-Japan fishery commission was held yesterday in Tokyo to address issues related to the regulation of fishing operations in the overlapping waters in the East China Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Currently, fishermen from both countries are allowed to operate freely in the waters. 
Full news available here. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) recently reported the largest salmon harvest in history, with more than 272 million fish caught.

The 219 million pink salmon comprised more than 80% of 2013's total harvest, surpassing the pre-season forecasts for all five salmon species combined.
Full news available here.

Lake Michigan with frozen surface, as seen from the Chicago shoreline. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

GMP+ International

With over 12000 participating companies in more than 67 countries, GMP+ International is a leading global player in the market of feed safety assurance certification. A GMP+ certificate provides an additional qualitative guarantee for every entrepreneur dealing with the international feed industry. Click on image to visit GMP+ International's website.

22/01/14: Event: 16th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding

A Blue Starfish (Linckia laevigata) resting on hard Acropora coral,  Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 16th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF XVI) is a premier international forum for researchers, academics and industry concerned with the nutrition and feeding of aquatic animals.

Located next to the world's largest coral reef system, researchers, academics and industry professionals have dubbed the event a 'must-attend'.


What will the Symposium include?
ISFNF will be an opportunity to discuss and debate the current and looming issues faced by the fish nutrition sector with an idea of developing innovative and novel ways to overcome them.

Through a combination of formal and informal functions, ISFNF will offer the opportunity to network, socialise and collaborate with other like-minded members of the industry.

A ‘gap day’ has also been planned as part of the structured programme, allowing for greater networking opportunities and the chance to explore the area.

When is the Symposium?
ISFNF will take place from 25 - 30 May 2014 at the Cairns Convention Centre, Australia.

For more information, visit the ISFNF website here...

22/01/14: GM salmon in court; aquaculture farming acquisition; high school aquaculture program

A collection of Canadian environmental groups in has called upon a court to decide if the federal government violated its own law by permitting the manufacture of genetically modified salmon in the country.

The groups say the approval is illegal because it failed to assess whether genetically modified salmon could become invasive, potentially putting ecosystems and species such as wild salmon at risk, reports online newspaper The Vancouver Observer.

Full news available here.

Norweigan manufacturing firm AKVA Group has entered into an agreement with Egersund Group (also of Norway), to acquire 100 percent of the shares in the aquaculture farming services company YesMaritime for a price of NOK17.5 million, reuters reported today. 

Established in 1985, YesMaritime has developed in to one of Norway's largest aquaculture farming services. 

Full news available here.

Merrill High School, Wisconsin, USA is piloting a program to raise fish in a bid increase knowledge of the opportunities available in aquaculture.

The project - known as "Perch in the Classroom"-  was established with the help of Genoa National Fish Hatchery (GNFH).  GNFH was looking to build on the success of its "Sturgeon in the Classroom" project currently focused on middle school students, while creating a program geared toward high school students.

Full news available here. 

Salmon fry hatching. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

21/01/14: Major players in aquaculture production support the European Aquaculture Society

Aquaculture production leaders
support EAS as Premium Sponsors.

The European Aquaculture Society (EAS) recently announced the support of Marine Harvest and Kiliç Deniz as new Premium Sponsors. Major feed producer Skretting is the confirmed sponsor of the EAS Student Group - a group that brings together students and young professionals in aquaculture and related fields.

Two of the undisputed leaders in aquaculture production have recently signed agreements to support EAS as Premium Sponsors. Marine Harvest and Kiliç Deniz join the long-term EAS Premium Sponsor MSD Animal Health in supporting the activities of the Society on a year round basis. 

These include the dissemination and sharing of information on sustainable aquaculture development in Europe, the organisation of conferences, trade events and workshops, the publication of a members’ magazine, a peer-reviewed scientific journal and newsletters and the facilitation of online forums for EAS members.

Furthermore, Skretting has signed a three-year agreement to support the activities of the EAS Student Group – and notably their annual workshop for young persons, organised at the occasion of the Aquaculture Europe events.

“The development of sustainable aquaculture is an important step in providing sufficient healthy and tasty food for the world of tomorrow. By supporting the involvement of young people in the mission of EAS, Skretting is pleased to be enabling future contributors to aquaculture science and industry. We believe that through this experience they can make significant contributions towards this goal”, says Marit Husa, Skretting Group communication manager.

Kjell Maroni, EAS president expressed his happiness with these new agreements saying: “During 2013, the EAS Board recognised the need to partner with major industry players on a year round basis and not just during our conferences. We are extremely grateful to MSD Animal Health for their support of EAS over several years now and also to SINTEF over the last 18 months, but we wanted to increase the number of Premium Sponsors. 

The discussions and new agreements with these two leading players for Premium Sponsorship show clearly that they, like EAS, are committed to bridging the gap between science and industry. We are also extremely grateful to Skretting for their support to students and young persons in aquaculture through our students group”.

“For Marine Harvest it is important to support initiatives that can bring the industry forward also across lines of companies, niches and competition. We all have to pull together to produce more food from the ocean in a sustainable way. The world will need to produce protein more efficiently, and managed in the right way aquaculture is the solution to do this”, says Øyvind Oaland, director global R&D and technical at Marine Harvest ASA.

Dr. Hayri Deniz, director of overseas investments and international relations for Kiliç Seafood Production and Trade commented: “As one of the biggest players and exporters in the Turkish Aquaculture sector, we are pleased to sponsor Europe's leading aquaculture organisation. The events that EAS organises, such as conferences and exhibitions, are invaluable to us, bringing together aquaculture experts from around the world. We receive essential information and assistance through EAS publications, enabling us to meet our social responsibility to support sustainable aquaculture in conjunction with EAS”.

EAS Premium Sponsors show their support for these objectives, while also contributing to offering reductions in membership fees for young persons and individuals and institutes coming from countries with a relatively low Gross National Income.

For further information, contact:

Alistair Lane 

EAS executive director 

a.lane@aquaculture.cc

Visit the European Aquaculture Society's website here. 

21/01/14: New approach to marine resources needed tells FAO; fish farmers advised to keep financial records; new aqua feed market report

José Graziano da Silva director general of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently commented on the issue of global food security, with a focus on how the planet's marine resources need to be managed.

"We cannot keep using marine and aquatic resources as if they were endless. And we cannot keep using our oceans as a waste pool,"  Graziano da Silva remarked at the Blue Economy Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab emirates earlier this week.

Full news available here. 

Davidson Madira, a financial consultant and managing director of Natural Enterprise Development Ltd., recently commented on the need for fish famers and other aquaculture sector players to keep proper records and continuously research in order to access loans to finance their businesses.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor - Uganda's leading independent daily newspaper - Madira stated that while the portfolio of the banking sector is not so much in support of agriculture and aquaculture, fish farmers ought to present proper records of their businesses in order to benefit.
Full news available here.

US market resource Research and Markets recently announced its new report pertaining to the Aqua Feed market. The report is entitled 2013 Report on the International Aqua Feed Market - Trends & Forecasts To 2018.

Fish can obtain their energy and nutrients from natural food in ponds, from feed supplied by the farmers or from a combination of both the sources. Feed is a major expenditure for fish farmers as it accounts for 40% - 50% of the production cost. 
Read the full report here. 

The adaptable tilapia is a commonly farmed fish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

20/01/14: Event: Algae in Andalucia - European Algae Biomass Conference

Clockwise from top: Seville Cathedral and Giralda,

Plaza de España in the Maria Luisa Park,

 Metropol Parasol, the Isabel II ("Triana")

 bridge and the Torre del Oro. Seville, Spain.

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Active Communication International's (ACI) 3rd annual European Algae Biomass Conference will once again bring together senior executives from industry and academia to discuss the latest commercial and technical developments, challenges and research breakthroughs throughout the entire algae value chain.

 

What will the conference involve?

The conference will have a heavy focus on case study examples of latest technologies in operation in the global algae industry and low-cost production of microalgae. 

Discussion will focus on technical challenges faced when optimising the cultivation of algae, the current and future commercial markets for algae products and the challenges faced during the commercialisation process including the views from three different end markets.

Who is the conference for?

The conference attracts a range of industry professionals including:

 - algae cultivation plant owners and operators

 - leading algae/biomass research institutes

 - technology providers for cultivation, harvesting, drying, oil extraction and processing

 - plant engineers and constructors, algae end market users

 - biofuel producers

 - green energy & biotech investors

When/where is the conference?

The European Algae Biomass conference will take place in Seville, Spain  from 6-7 May 2014.

For more information and registration details, visit the conference website here.

 

20/01/14: Salmon plant expansion in Tasmania; new jobs boost Scottish aquaculture industry; Finnish fish feed invention

Australian owned salmon company Huon Aquaculture recently announced plans to start a $10 million expansion of its salmon processing plant at Parramatta Creek in Northern Tasmania. A move which will see more production of value added seafood products.

 

Spaeking to the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), Frances Bender, director of Huon Aquaculture said the extension is a result of the relocation of its processing plant in South Australia.

Full news available here.

 

In a major economy boost, Scottish aquaculture equipment supplier Fusion Marine has created four new full-time positions.

Three jobs have been created in administration and sales, whilst a new factory operative has also been recruited, taking total employment in the company to 16 full-time personnel.

Full news available here.

 

Benemilk Ltd, a joint venture of Raisio and Intellectual Ventures (IV), Finland recently announced it has filed a US patent application for a fish feed invention and is starting the commercialisation of the invention in the USA.

 

Developed by the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute , the patent application centres around the way in which fish oil is used in feed. Fish oil has traditionally been used in fish feed, but this new invention utilises rapeseed oil - a more economical alternative.  

Full news available here.

 

 

 

Field of rapeseeds (Photo credit: Wikipedia)