The Aquaculturists: July 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

31/07/2014: Book Review - ‘The Coastal Chef’ launched

In a world unduly fixated on nutrient-poor processed foods, the rising incidence of serious chronic diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes means it has never been more important for us to make responsible and principled food choices.

Just recently a unique cookbook, with educational information on the health benefits of habitual consumption of seaweed and algae, was launched at the annual Congress of the International Society for Applied Phycology.

The book, The Coastal Chef, features close to 50 recipes using 28 different types of seaweed and algae from 20 innovative Australian chefs and magic South Coast Australia scenery.

Taking seaweed use beyond the global sushi roll, this book is promoted as ‘a must have for all who want to eat clean, sustainable wholefoods that taste sensational and have maximum health benefits.’

There is much evidence that dried seaweed was a major staple in the diet of humans back in the 13^th century and was especially given to replenish the body after long journeys. The Australian chefs from the South Coast region worked alongside Mollymook-based marine scientist Dr Pia Winberg, aiming to create a mouth-watering case for the consumption of this innovative and versatile food of the future.

http://www.harbourpublishing.com.au/products/books/coastal-chef

A strong advocate for seaweed’s health benefits, Dr Winberg sourced a selection of seaweed and algae from around the world and gave each participating chef a mystery box to work with.

Each chef was asked to come up with innovative ways to use the seaweed and algae by creating an entree, main, dessert or even a beverage and document the process for the book.

Dr Winberg said “Local chefs have made the most of the ingredients they were given. Many of us, when we think of seaweed, immediately think of sushi, but these chefs have created an amazing collection of recipes for those that want to eat clean, sustainable food that tastes great.”

Pia added. “The book will form one part of the overall strategic vision to establish the Shoalhaven as a global biotechnology hub and leader in algal applications.”

Editor and project manager Claudine Tinellis said “This is an exciting and innovative project aimed at inspiring people to eat seaweed and algae and to promote the exceptional culinary talent of new and established chefs with links to the Shoalhaven. The whole point was to demonstrate new and innovative ways to use this versatile ingredient in a way that was visually appealing as well as tasty.”

“Some of the dishes we’ve seen to date have been truly spectacular. We have seen seaweed and algae incorporated into bread, featured as mayonnaise, ice-cream, ganache, pasta, salad and soup as well as a good old Aussie meat pie.”

“My understanding is that many of the chefs have used seaweed and algae in their food before, however some of the seaweed and algae samples provided were completely new to the chefs and they faced challenges in understanding the unique flavour profiles or molecular characteristics of some of the more unfamiliar species.”

“There are many amazing ways that we can use this ingredient in a way that is practical and incredibly tasty.”

Ms Tinellis said seaweed and algae were “foods of the future” with benefits to human health, medicine and Australia’s economy.

“Australia is beginning to upscale its commercial production of seaweed and algae and is looking to be a leader in algal applications.”

Buy the book HERE. Read more HERE.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquacutlure-news

31/07/2014: Higher prices for shrimp reflected in US prices

Various US importers/distributors are highlighting that farm gate prices for whole shrimp are rising fast in specifically in Ecuador and Thailand.

Ecuador buyers have come back strongly especially from China. Many other countries are also sourcing from Ecuador and thi is impacting the demand.

In Ecuador, processors are paying farmers US$7.20 for 40/50-count-per-kilogram, whole shrimp, compared to US$6.90 and US$6.60 earlier in the spring and summer. Farm-gate prices for 30/40-count-per-kilogram, whole shrimp are up to US$8.80 from US$7.30 last month.

Thailand, where recovery from early mortality syndrome (EMS) is very slow likely means that total production of 250,000 metric tons is the likely scenario for 2014 according to Thai Government sources. Interestingly large sizes are just not on offer from Thailand indicating that farmers are keen to move their stocks rather than take risk of disease.Additionally Chinese domestic production seems to be weak and buyers are definitely in market.

In India there seems to issues in some areas relating to SPF seed stock (Penaeus vannamei). It is reported that the growth of this seed stock was extremely limited, and all the farmers that purchased it reported similar results.

The report sates "Despite implementing expert management techniques, we found that we could not stretch the growth of the post larvae beyond 15 grams in 120+ days. Farmers were not allowed to check the post larvae before shipment, and there were huge variations in production from the post larvae.

"With the increasing demand for SPF broodstock (Penaeus vannamei) and the high cost of importing it, we believe that hatcheries are using third and fourth generation broodstock from their original broodstock purchases, resulting in slow growth and small harvests."

This current situation obviously poses major challenges for the industry and some are calling for intervention from authorities to make it a mandate for hatcheries to show post larvae to the farmer at the time of purchase and not to use third and fourth generation broodstock, or post larvae from a single brooder. Additionally there is strong suggestion that seeds of different stages or quality should not be mixed.

Read more HERE.

31/07/2014: Sarufutsu River 'jumping' with Itou Salmon

by Peter S. Rand, Senior Conservation Biologist
Chair, IUCN Salmonid Specialist Group

In the field of conservation, we are often faced with the question “Is a certain species or population secure?” As I mentioned in my earlier blog this year, it is not an easy question to answer, particularly for river fishes that are elusive by nature.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/31/sarufutsu-river-jumping-with-itou-salmon-researchers-report/

However, I am happy to report we are making substantial progress on answering that very question through our field studies of itou “ee-toe”, a mysterious member of the great salmon family found in east Asia.

I just recently returned back from a Fulbright fellowship in Japan and have had some time to summarize this year’s findings and reflect back on our project. We had another successful field season and I am eager to report the news.

Soon after submitting my blog to National Geographic “Water Currents” in late April, the itou arrived at our study site. Like many populations of returning salmon, it started with a few early “pioneers”, but quickly grew to a dramatic peak. Indeed, we broke our record for daily passage by our site, with 146 of these giants passing our site in a single day!

Read more HERE.

31/07/2014: Clusters of a jelly-fish like colony is blown ashore on US west coast

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/us-west-coast-jellyfish-velella

The west coast of the United States from Southern California to Washington is experiencing an invasion of jellyfish-like creatures that have washed up on beaches during July, coating the beaches in a purple tinge coupled with a unacceptable smell. Although not poisonous, visitors to the beaches should avoid them as their venom can cause stinging to eyes and mouth.

Known as Velella velella, or more commonly as “by-the-wind sailors,” these creatures regularly cluster offshore in spring, but not with so many coming ashore so late in the year.

Although appearing like jelly-fish, they are in fact colonies of much smaller creatures known as hydrozoans.

Read more HERE.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

30/07/2014: Best catch in Cuba

Aquafarming in Camagüey province shows an auspicious outcome regarding its annual catch plan, when reporting 3256 tonnes, the largest catch in Cuba.

Mostly to be allocated for national consumption and a portion of it to be exported, the production by PESCACAM – a Cuban State-run fishing company - represents an increase of eight percent if compared to plans, PESCACAM director Jesús García briefed the press.

Although there are plenty of carp, catfish and, to a lesser extent, tilapias, catches are less intense due to limited inputs or due to limitations in the fish processing industry.

Read more HERE.

30/07/2014: Blood river - water pollution spreads in China

River pollution is becoming an eye-sight as well as a nasal irritant in some parts of China and no more so than for the residents of residents of Wenzhou, China, and for many in the rapidly expanding industrialising zones, cities and towns.

Yixiu Wu of Greenpeace says,“I think the water-pollution problem, it’s no longer a remote problem, only in the countryside. It’s affecting everyone. Even people in the cities.”

A man looks at a contaminated river in Cangnan county of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, July 24, 2014

Read more HERE.

30/07/2014: Dolphin's first word was "sargassum" - a type of seaweed

For the first time ever, a device has enabled people to translate a dolphin whistle in real time.

The dolphin's first word was "sargassum," a type of seaweed.

http://www.popsci.com/article/dolphin-squeak-english-translator-works-real-time?dom=tw&src=SOC

"I was like whoa! We have a match. I was stunned," researcher Denise Herzing told New Scientist. At the time, in August of last year, she was wearing a prototype dolphin translator called Cetacean Hearing and Telemetry (CHAT).

The device is encased in a waterproof shell and contains hydrophones that detect dolphin whistles, which can be up to 10 times higher than the highest pitch a human can make out. The whistle was one that she and others had taught the dolphins and trained them to associate with seaweed.

Herzing is quick to point out that the observation has limitations, since it hasn't been repeated. But is a significant moment, other researchers said, and along with improvements in information-processing abilities signals of a new era for understanding--and even possibly participating in--animal communication.

Herzing and Georgia Tech researcher Thad Starner are using pattern-discovery algorithms that are designed to analyze dolphin whistles and extract meaningful features that a person might not catch or know to look for. They are listening for invented whistles they taught the animals, and are trying to understand the dolphin's natural language as well.

Read more HERE.

30/07/2014: Giant deep-sea 'shrimp' filmed

The world's largest amphipod has been caught on film for the first time – and even if you love shrimp, this behemoth critter may give you nightmares

Read more HERE.

30/07/2014: Oily fish helps reduce your carbon footprint - slightly

Mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies are amongst the most energy efficient in protein production, according to a research paper published in the journal Fish and Fisheries.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/07/29/336301714/want-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-choose-mackerel-over-shrimp

The energy the researchers refer to is the fuel used to operate fishing boats. They point out that it takes on average just five gallons of diesel to catch a tonne of these fish while to catch an equivalent weight of lobster or shrimp takes five times as much.

The work by Robert Parker a PhD student from Nova Scotia and Peter Tyedmers, director of School for Resources and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, also suggest that the inefficiency of protein production for human food consumption is compounded when we feed these oily fish to livestock and in aquatic feeds.

However, they do recognise that asking consumers to eat more of these fish just because they can be produced at little cost in terms of diesel usage is not easy, although pickled herring is a delicious dish for many, they say.

While the study does highlight some important issues for capture fisheries in terms of costs and energy usage, the study might have given a different comparison if the oily fish catch was compared to farmed shrimp energy costs, which is proving a more realistic way of meeting the growing demand for quality fish products in world where the population is continuing to rise rapidly.

Read more HERE.

The Aquaculturists

This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquacutlure-news

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

29/07/2014: Short film about collecting plastic to make a chair on a fishing boat

Since the discovery of the Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997, which is predicted to measure twice the size of Texas, five more have been found across the world’s oceans with the Atlantic gyre predicted to be even larger.

Sea Chair from Studio Swine on Vimeo.

This plastic takes thousands of years to degrade, remaining in the environment to be broken up into ever smaller fragments by ocean currents.

The gyre stretches from the coastlines of California to the shores of Japan. Recent studies have estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer of the world’s oceans. The number of plastic pieces in the Pacific Ocean has tripled in the last ten years and the size of the accumulation is set to double in the next ten.

Sea Chair is made entirely from plastic recovered from our oceans. Together with local fishermen, Studio Swine collects and processes the marine plastic into a stool at sea.

Credits
Concept & Design : Alexander Groves & Azusa Murakami
Film : Juriaan Booij
Music : Elisa Luu / 22 Marz
Links : juriaanbooij.com

This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquacutlure-news

Monday, July 28, 2014

28/07/2014: Global aquaculture market to expand dramatically

The global market for aquaculture is expected to reach US$202.96 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc.

Aquaculture includes farming of aquatic organisms such as mollusks, fish, crustaceans and other aquatic flora and fauna.

Increasing consumer awareness of health benefits associated with seafood and growing consumption serves as a key driver for development of the market.

In addition, the market demand is expected to be further fuelled by the lack of naturally available varieties owing to extensive fishing. Rice-fish culture is expected to serve as key growth opportunity for this market over the next six years.

Read more HERE.

28/07/2014: An 'octopus' robot for the depths

For years, roboticists have yearned to develop a flexible machine that can explore tight spaces, repair dangerous equipment and potentially even conform to the human body.

PoseiDrone's soft arms can help it to navigate rocky, uneven surfaces. The robot can also propel itself by expelling water from its flexible body. M. Brega/The Age of Robots

That is being achieved in a small seaside laboratory, where researchers have been tinkering away on a prototype of a multi-armed robot they call PoseiDrone for the sea god Poseidon.

It's an octopus, because octopuses can swim, crawl and manipulate objects, they make “the ideal underwater robot,” said Francesco Giorgio-Serchi, a scientist at the Research Center on Sea Technologies and Marine Robotics in Livorno, Italy, who is working on the project.

Read more HERE.

28/07/2014: Webcam catches baby sea turtles hatching

Baby loggerhead sea turtles hatched from their eggs and began their march to the sea on Friday night, July 25, around 21:00.

Using infrared lighting, a live-streaming, high-definition turtle webcam – positioned on a beach in the Florida Keys – recorded the hatch and march to the sea of about 100 baby loggerhead sea turtles.

See more HERE.

28/07/2014: An Aquafeed interview with Onur Emre Solak of Pharmaq of Turkey

Onur Emre Solak is the Country Manager of Pharmaq in Turkey. Pharmaq are best known as one of the biggest fish health and vaccine solution providers and is best known as one of the biggest fish health and vaccine solution providers.

It provides environmentally sound, safe and efficacious health products to the global aquaculture industry through targeted research.

Pharmaq’s vaccines are manufactured in a state-of-the-art production facility in Overhalla, Norway. Administration and Research and Development activities are based in Oslo, Norway. With subsidiaries in Chile, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Turkey, Pharmaq has around 165 employees. Our products are marketed in Europe, North and South America and Asia through an extensive network of distributors and wholesalers.

When did you begin with Pharmaq and when did Pharmaq begin in Turkish aquaculture?

I have been with Pharmaq since 2011’s establishment of the company. Pharmaq achieved its first license to operate in Turkey in November 2013 and then brought the first product of Alpha Ject 2000 to the Turkish market in January 2013. Since December 2013 another product came to market and we are working on others also. I work closely with Donald Campbell, Sales and Business Manager for the Mediterranean region and Norwegian colleagues as well.

Which regions do you serve, and how much of the market do you serve?

For the marine species , 30 percent of our customers are in the Izmir region and 70 percent are in the Bodrum region in Turkey. From June to November, we call it the ‘vaccination season’ and so we travel and meet with customers all around the region.
How does the operation work in Turkey? What species are most common to vaccinate?
Seabass, seabream and trout are the main species. The operations are well-rounded in that these are quality products for farmers, along with education, guidance and follow up visits from Turkish staff.

However, there are several farms in Iran located along one river which we count as our customers. We are trying to improve the bio-security problems learnt in Chile and its sea-lice problems and prevent them from taking place here.

Where is Turkey compared to Europe on aquaculture disease management? What are the current challenges?

The general trend in Turkey has been of developing resistance to health problems and this is now done through vaccination rounds. Comparing Turkey with Norway shows that Turkey is at the early 1990s stage with the use of antibiotics compared to vaccinations. The general trend has been to use antibiotics in the past. A proactive approach has been taken in Turkey to prevent diseases. As antibiotics are phased out and replaced by vaccination the level of disease is expected to drop dramatically in future.

What after-sales support does Pharmaq offer?

Pharmaq visits customers on their fish farms for follow-up support of all kinds. Both local and the Norwegian Pharmaq personnel visit regularly to develop the products for the regional challenges.

In simple terms, what is the overall plan for Pharmaq’s development in Turkey?

We will build to a point where our Mediterranean team acts as a hub for the region through Turkey for the Turkish Republics and the Middle East.

How is Turkish aquaculture working with European, middle Eastern or Asian fish farmers from your point-of-view in the development of health in fish? And where is assistance mainly coming from for the growing Turkish fish farming market - is it through know-how, academic research, training and education, investments, technology and equipment?

Currently, there is not much of a serious study for fish health in Turkey, but since our market is global most of the farm investments are importing all kind of technology from the pioneer countries in aquaculture.

For health management, we are doing the best we can by following up new diseases and current situations. We are also working in a close relationship with authorities and some universities but I can say that academically Turkey still has some miles to cover in disease management, especially with regard to bio-security at farms.

Off-shore fish farming was a good step taken also for the health management combined with other necessities such as water flow and depth. Turkey does not have separate guidelines for fish health other than for farmed animals. But considering the new regulations launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, such as pharmaq-vigilance, we believe soon we will have a upper-scale system for monitoring and controlling aquaculture health system nationwide.

Friday, July 25, 2014

25/07/2014: Great white spotted

Passengers and crew aboard a whale watching boat saw a Great White Shark near St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Local/2014-07-23/article-3810906/Great-White-Shark-sighting-on-NB-side-of-Bay-of-Fundy/1

A picture is worth 1000 words - the sight of a large Great White

The Quoddy Link Marine was just outside St. Andrews harbour and heading for the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay to view whales and other marine life for their afternoon sailing earlier this week, reports

Just five or 10 minutes outside of the harbour, crew member and naturalist Nick Hawkins, who was on the upper deck, saw something thrashing in the water behind the boat.

“We saw the dorsal and tail fin come out of the water and that’s a sure sign it’s a shark,” he said. “We don’t normally turn around for sharks because typically you see them once and then they’re gone.”

Hawkins says the size of the fish, however, made them turn around and they were able to come up behind it as it swam along near the surface. In all, they watched the shark for 15 minutes.

“It was amazing,” he said. “It shakes you up a bit. It’s amazing the things you can see in your own backyard that people don’t really know are there.”
Hawkins assumes the shark was hunting a seal or porpoise when they first saw it as it was thrashing and doubling back and forth.

Read more HERE.

25/07/2014: The next Tuna you eat could have a mackerel momma

A marine scientist plans to use mackerel as surrogate parents for Pacific bluefin tuna!

If you're not worried about a future without toro sushi or rare tuna steaks, you probably should be, report Popular Science.

Five of the eight species of this tasty marine predator are endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, source of the Red List of threatened species. In January 2013 an international group of fisheries researchers told the world (PDF) that Pacific bluefin tuna had been fished to their lowest levels in history, with the population near to collapsing as a commercial stock.

This is a problem for natural ecosystems as well as for people who like to eat tuna (it is among the world's most important commercial fish), and marine biologist Goro Yoshizaki is looking for a way around it.

Nikkei Asian Review reports that the Tokyo University-based scientist is working to implant germ cells from young tuna into mackerel, and then use the mackerel to breed tuna:

To produce tuna using mackerel, reproductive cells are removed from tuna and transplanted into mackerel. Male mackerel possessing tuna sperm then fertilize tuna eggs held by female mackerel. Yoshizaki's study is now at the stage where he has selected the type of mackerel suitable for producing tuna. He said he aims to finish developing the technology in five years and commercialize it in 10 years.

Read more HERE.

25/07/2014: Loosening the constraints of red tape down-under

New aquaculture 'development areas' could be set up in central and northern Queensland if a report by the state's competition authority is adopted, reports ABC Rural.

The draft report recommends reforming regulation in the Aus$80 million industry to better reach its potential and attract more investment.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-23/queensland-aquaculture-report/5617596

But prawn farmers say there's still a lot of work to be done.

For the past 10 years, tight regulations and environmental concerns have stifled Queensland’s aquaculture industry.

But the State Government has asked the Queensland Competition Authority to investigate reforms to help boost investment. The QCA has recommended offering investors more certainty by earmarking development areas for land-based aquaculture spanning 450 hectares.

Each would have its own government-developed regulatory code. That would require all three levels of government to work together to streamline red tape, which Queensland Agriculture Minister John McVeigh says his government is prepared to do.

"It's in line with our overall objective of reducing regulation in agriculture in general. We've been focused on that from a planning perspective already."

Read more HERE.

25/07/2014: Scottish seas set for 30 new Marine Protected Areas after historic announcement

Calum Duncan, MCS Scotland Programme Manager and Convenor of Scottish Environment LINK’s marine task force says the Scottish Government's announcement to more than double the size of an emerging network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is welcome news for country's hidden underwater wonderlands and a great step forward in the right direction.

Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead gave the go-ahead yesterday for 30 new MPAs which will protect a further 12 percent of Scotland’s seas.

The announcement will pave the way for urgent new measures to protect struggling populations of seabirds, whales and dolphins.

Last year 2,510 MCS supporters were among 14,000 people who backed proposals for new MPAs during an extensive public consultation.

Calum Duncan says there has been a consensus among our marine scientists that the health of Scotland’s seas has suffered in recent decades and that threats from human activities must be better managed.

"By setting up these MPAs the Government has wisely placed its confidence in that verdict. The work does not stop here – for the time-being these MPAs are just lines on maps, so careful management will be needed to ensure they actively help recover our sealife. MCS has been a major influence in this process and our members and supporters should be justly pleased."

Fisheries management measures for all of the sites will be developed during an intensive two years process.

Read more HERE.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

24/07/2014: Most detailed study yet of where whales go

Blue whales cluster for long periods in the busy shipping lanes off the California coast, according to a new study that raises concern about collisions between vessels and the endangered animals.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-whales-shipping-lanes-20140723-story.html

Shipping lanes cross whales densest food supply areas

“It’s an unhappy coincidence,” said Ladd Irvine, a marine mammal ecologist at Oregon State University who led the study published Wednesday in the journal Plos One.

“The blue whales need to find the densest food supply. There’s a limited number of those dense places, and it seems as though two of the main regular spots are crossed by the shipping lanes.”

Irvine and his colleagues used satellites to track 171 tagged blue whales over 15 years.

They produced the most-detailed maps to date of the feeding zones of the giant whales, which are protected from hunting under international regulations.

The biggest overlap between blue whales and ships occurs from July to October near the western Channel Islands off Santa Barbara, the researchers reported. They also found somewhat smaller overlaps near the Gulf of the Farallones off San Francisco, and at the northern edge of Cape Mendocino.

The study's conclusions are at odds with previous research that suggested that shifts in shipping lanes would not help the whales because they are too widely dispersed. That research was based on whale sightings, which are more rudimentary than the tracking method used in the new study.

With the tags and satellites, Irvine’s group recorded individual whales over longer periods of time — an average of two to three months. One whale remained tagged for nearly a year and a half.

“This is far and away the most-detailed look that we’ve gotten on where these whales go,” Irvine said.

Read more HERE.

24/07/2014: News Brief - Norway, FAO

News Brief:

NORWAY
The Norwegian Seafood Council reports that “a fantastic winter fishing season has resulted in record exports of cod during the first six months of the year. The value of exports of Norwegian cod, including clipfish, salted fish and dry fish, during the first six months of the year totaled NOK 5.82 billion. This is an increase of NOK 582 million (20%) compared with the first half of 2013.”

Barents sea cod prices are now reported to be stable after they started increasing again in March this year. At the moment, the market is putting pressure on prices of small size fillets because of a lack of fish.

On the European market, the market for wet-salted cod fillets from frozen raw material (Gadus Macrocephalus) is stable.

Consumption of wet-salted cod fillets from fresh raw material (Gadus Morhua) in Italy and Spain is low but is expected to increase again in September as is usual for the season.

Read more HERE.

FAO
The website below includes a great workable chart which will allow you can compare countries based on their production, consumption, etc, of food and which now includes fish/seafood.

The report brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations and input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets.

Demand for agricultural products is expected to remain firm although expanding at slower rates compared with the past decade. Cereals are still at the core of human diets, but growing incomes, urbanization and changes in eating habits contribute to the transition of diets that are higher in protein, fats and sugar.

There is a special feature on India, prepared in collaboration with analysts associated with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India and the FAO Representation in India.

Read more HERE.

24/07/2014: Editor Professor Simon Davies outlines latest edition of IAF

It is now high summer in England and the heat wave is on! I have been on some limited travel lately but mainly within the UK. It is somewhat surprising how much of the United Kingdom still remains outside of my experience. There are so many regions and cities to explore, and when I do eventually retire from academia I won’t be short of activities within Great Britain.

http://issuu.com/international_aquafeed/docs/iaf1404_w1

Read all about the photo competition

I visited Lincoln last month, one of England’ s most beautiful cathedral cities with an aspiring university and interesting specialist teaching and research in animal welfare and production but not as yet fish. Close by there are several tilapia farms based on closed system technologies and making waves for the expansion of an English Aquaculture Industry. There are plans afoot for more expansion of various species beyond shellfish to include a number of important commercial fish of high value and the British Government should be seriously addressing this issue with respect to increased fish consumption and our dependency on importation of farmed fish.

Turning to our current issue, we have a topical report on tilapia farming in China and a review article on the status of fish farming in the Ukraine covering many interesting developments and potential despite the unfortunate political events in this troubled region of the world.

We may need to forecast and better plan our aquaculture activities in future given the threat of global climate change and the need for risk assessment. An invaluable critique is presented towards this aim with an emphasis on El Nino events.

We explore the salmon industry further within our exert topic feature that focuses on salmon production in the USA, Chile and even New Zealand for the farming of Chinook Pacific salmon. In this regard, we are concerned about biomass control and more attention should be paid to the inventory of fish weight and density in intensive rearing of salmon.

Our regular interview feature in this issue is with Onur Emre Solak the Manager of Pharmaq Turkey who speaks about his companies’ commitment to the growing aquaculture sector in this part of the Mediterranean. Indeed I have hosted an ERASMUS exchange student from Turkey for the last 6 months who has been examining the incidence of deformities in hatchery produced sea bass fry with special techniques for bone density measurements. I am impressed by the quality and training of Turkish students in this area.

Of course we have a comprehensive list on news from the industry and are pleased to include a report on the Monaco Blue Initiative attended by His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco held in Santiago, Chile recently. Many aspects of food security via aquaculture and the global health of our oceans were at the heart of the agenda. This forum has highlighted very many issues of relevance to the industry and offering a platform for dialogue, technical exchange and governance.

This latest issue is excellent reading and I trust you will find it most informative- please enjoy and keep the articles coming. Our trade magazine stands on the shoulders of the giants in the field and reflects this increasingly.

Read more HERE.

24/07/2014: Sea grass losses offset by regreneration investments

Seagrass provides many ecosystem services that are of considerable value to humans, including the provision of nursery habitat for commercial fish stock.

Yet few studies have sought to quantify these benefits.

Seagrass is suffering a high rate of loss globally

As seagrass habitat continues to suffer a high rate of loss globally and with the growing emphasis on compensatory restoration, valuation of the ecosystem services associated with seagrass habitat is increasingly important.

This study undertakes a meta-analysis of juvenile fish abundance at seagrass and control sites to derive a quantitative estimate of the enhancement of juvenile fish by seagrass habitats in southern Australia.

Thirteen fish of commercial importance were identified as being recruitment enhanced in seagrass habitat, twelve of which were associated with sufficient life history data to allow for estimation of total biomass enhancement.

Seagrass restoration has a five year payback period

The values represent the stock enhancement where all fish species are present, as opposed to realised catches.

Having accounted for the time lag between fish recruiting to a seagrass site and entering the fishery and for a three percent annual discount rate, we find that seagrass restoration efforts costing Aus$10,000ha−1 have a potential payback time of less than five years, and that restoration costing Aus$629,000ha−1 can be justified on the basis of enhanced commercial fish recruitment where these twelve fish species are present.

Read more HERE.

24/07/2014: Another successful edition of Future Fish Eurasia in Turkey

Event Review: Future Fish Eurasia, the 7th International Fair for Fish Imports/Exports, Processing, Aquaculture and Fisheries was organised by Eurasia Trade Fairs at the Izmir International Fair Centre between June 5-7, 2014.

Products and services of 252 companies were on display this year. Exhibitor breakdown is as follows; 34 direct international exhibitors from 14 countries (Greece, India, Norway, France, USA, China, Iceland, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, South Korea and the UK), 97 represented international exhibitors from 29 countries (Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Russia, Korea, Portugal, Australia, Israel, Sweden, Poland, Slovenia, Japan, Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, India, Norway, France, the USA, China, Iceland, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, South Korea and the UK) and 121 Turkish exhibitors. Future Fish Eurasia 2014 covered all aspects of aquaculture from A to Z, project management and processing machinery and the main fish products on offer were fresh or processed seabass, seabream and trout.

Future Fish Eurasia 2014 drew a total of 6,169 trade visitors, of which 5,111 were local and 1,058 foreign visitors from 25 countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Italy, Israel, Thailand, Egypt, Belgium, Denmark, Bulgaria, Algeria, Ghana, Lebanon, Ukraine, Georgia, Tunisia, Greece, France, Germany, the UK, Iran, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Armenia, Azerbayjan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan).

Future Fish Eurasia was 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 and the media partner: International Aquafeed.

FutureFish Eurasia 2014

Pages

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014

When did you begin with Pharmaq and when did Pharmaq begin in Turkish aquaculture?

Which regions do you serve, and how much of the market do you serve?

Where is Turkey compared to Europe on aquaculture disease management? What are the current challenges?

What after-sales support does Pharmaq offer?

In simple terms, what is the overall plan for Pharmaq’s development in Turkey?

Friday, July 25, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014