The Aquaculturists: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

31/07/2015: Senate report on aquaculture calls for national database and transparency

  Environmental groups are raising concerns about a new federal report on Canada’s $1 billion aquaculture industry, saying the study appears to be focused on ramping up production at the expense of the environment, as reported by Michael Macdonald from the Canadian Press.

A spokeswoman for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, which is opposed to the use of open-net pens in salmon farming, says the Senate report released Thursday calls for more research instead of tougher regulations and enforcement.

“We cannot wait years for research to give us the data and then have changes implemented,” Sue Scott said in an interview from St. Andrews, N.B.

“Research is important but we have known for about 15 years about the impact of (farmed salmon) escapees on wild Atlantic salmon. We’ve been out there with the data and it hasn’t made much of an impact on the government or the industry to improve operations.”

Scott said ocean-based salmon farms require more transparency and less self-regulation.

The Senate’s three-volume report offers 10 recommendations, including a call for a new federal Aquaculture Act and more research on finfish aquaculture and the impact of pesticides used on sea lice.

Photo by ©Julia Manzerova on Flickr

“The science is still lacking on a number of topics,” Sen. Elizabeth Hubley told a news conference in Ottawa.

“This is particularly so in relation to transfer of pathogens from aquacultured to wild salmon.”

The Senate’s standing committee on fisheries, which studied the industry for 18 months, is also calling for a national database that would offer the public access to information about every aquaculture operator in the country.

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: aquaculture-news

31/07/2015: Wild salmon could be off the menu if ministers go ahead with proposed plans to ban coastal netting

Scotland’s salmon netters are nervously waiting to hear if ministers will impose a restriction on killing any salmon outside river estuaries, reports David Ross of the Scotland Herald.

The move is being considered in an attempt to assess wild salmon stocks and ensure European environmental directives are being observed.

After two centuries of netting round Scotland's coasts, those in the industry have expressed concern at the prospect of the move being more than a temporary measure to allow accurate information to be gathered on salmon numbers.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/13507247.Warning_wild_salmon_could_be_off_the_menu_if_netting_ban_goes_ahead/

They also argue it would affect the ability of the public to buy wild salmon as it is illegal to sell any caught by a rod. Farmed salmon would be the only other option.

The company which will be most affected is Scotland’s largest netting operation, the Scottish Wild Salmon Company, also known as Usan Salmon Fisheries of Montrose.

Usan director George Pullar said prohibitions of netting outside river estuaries would effectively end his company’s operation right up the east coast and round to Thurso.

“It will mean that if this comes into force the only way most will be able to pay for wild salmon will be if they pay for a day’s fishing on a river," he said.

"There will still be little netting in estuaries and there will still be activity in England, but there will be very little access to wild salmon for Scottish consumers.”

Angling interests, however, have welcomed the prospect of such a restriction.

Writing in The Herald today, Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, says any prohibition on killing salmon outside river estuaries would only be in force until the true state of wild salmon stock had become clear.

Interested parties have been given 28 days to raise objections to the move and have until August 19 to do so.

Mr Pullar said the reduction in potential access to Scottish wild salmon would come despite the fact that for the past two and a half years the product has been protected by the European Commission, in the same way as Parma ham, Melton Mowbray pork pies and champagne.

The fish was granted protected geographical indication (PGI) status, meaning it has a particular quality attributable to its place of origin. It meant salmon caught in other countries could not be packaged, sold or advertised as Scottish wild salmon.

Mr Pullar said that they had been told that if Mr Lochhead agrees to the prohibition, it would be temporary. There would also be fair compensation given they have the heritable rights to net and are not selling them.

He said: “What can we do? It is about the EU, which seems to protect us with one hand then restricts us with the other. But we very much want to work with the Scottish Government to modernise the legislation.”

Others hope any prohibition will be for a longer term.

Hughie Campbell Adamson, Chairman of Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland), said recently: “The proposed banning of coastal salmon netting is a milestone – indeed the most significant change to the regulations on the exploitation of salmon in the last 200 years.”

One Highland hotelier, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that without the salmon caught by the netters, she would have to take wild salmon off her menu and serve farmed salmon. But added: "Mind you there are other people who catch salmon in nets, but rather unofficially."

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: aquaculture-news

31/07/2015: Alltech to return to aquaculture event Aqua Nor

Global animal health and nutrition leader Alltech has announced that it will be returning to the international Aqua Nor event, August 18-21, 2015, in a press release received today.

As part of the Fiskeriforum Vest (Western Norway) stand, D-338, Alltech will partner with the newly acquired Produs Aqua AS to showcase its latest custom nutritional solutions and services. The Aqua Nor event is held biennially in Trondheim, and attracts between 15,000-20,000 visitors from more than 50 countries around the globe.

“Aqua Nor provides us the opportunity to further establish our presence in Norway following our acquisition of Produs AS and Produs Aqua AS,” said Patrick Charlton, Alltech European vice president.

“Alltech’s new business base in Norway will build on the growth already gained in the market with Produs Aqua. We see tremendous opportunity for ongoing innovation in the farmed fish feed business, and Aqua Nor will provide us with the perfect platform to meet many of Norway’s important aquaculture players.”

The Aqua Nor event is significant for Alltech as it will be the first time whereby Alltech and Produs Aqua will showcase post the acquisition announcement together. Alltech will be represented by Mr Charlton; Jorge Arias, Alltech global aqua director; and Magne Kolstad, managing director, Alltech Norway (formerly Produs AS & Produs Aqua AS) along with a team of global and local scientists and nutritionists. Alltech encourages all interested parties to visit its team of experts at stand D-338.

Aqua Nor 2015 will host an estimated 400 exhibitors representing more than 600 manufacturers and suppliers from across the globe. Current challenges and developments in the fields of aquaculture technology, fish feed, fish health, quality assurance, environmental protection and distribution will be discussed by industry experts at the event, and Alltech will be there to provide solutions and address many of these key topics.

“While there is a sea of opportunities for the aqua industry to grow, we must also stay ahead of challenges such as wild stock overfishing, fish oil shortages and dead zones in the world’s oceans and lakes,” said Becky Timmons, global technical director of Alltech Algae.

Alltech’s solutions for aqua consist of natural, nutritional solutions tailored to address challenges impacting modern aquaculture production and profitability, providing customers with an advantage in the competitive marketplace.

“Aqua Nor is the perfect opportunity for Alltech to continue to actively expand its Norwegian operations in the agriculture and aqua industries. We aim to be the number one choice for Norway’s farmers, whether they are on land or at sea,” said Mr Charlton.

For more information on Alltech read 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: aquaculture-news

Thursday, July 30, 2015

30/07/2015: Cobia: The next big thing? Panama

First published in International Aquafeed, May-June 2015

You cannot mention cobia without involving the name of Brian O’Hanlon.

Some regard Brian O'Hanlon as an overnight success story with his Open Blue cobia from Panama hitting menus in the USA. Typically of such success stories, though, it has taken many long, hard years tackling obstacles head-on to achieve such ‘overnight’ status.

Originally from Long Island, O’Hanlon knew from an early stage in his life that he wanted to be in aquaculture. His father was wholesaling fish, the family had a long history in the industry and the business got into his blood. Even in the early stages of his career he was experimenting with a 2000-gallon tank in his parents' basement, endeavoring to grow red snapper.

http://issuu.com/international_aquafeed/docs/iaf1502_w1_e0f14eef749a20/52

Some 17 years ago O’Hanlon met up with Daniel Benetti from the University of Miami and managed to secure a position on one of Benetti’s courses. This helped focus his intentions, but many years of frustration due to prohibitive US regulations that made growth impossible ensured that he would have to work outside the USA if he was to achieve his dream.

It was not until 2009 that O’Hanlon finally moved to Panama where he acquired Pristine Oceans, another deep-ocean cobia farming venture, and created Open Blue.

Benetti is a believer in cobia in that he has often said that they are as close to a perfect species as he has ever seen. This has been a long quest by Benetti and he has been the reason many people have got excited about this species.

Having finally started production in 2012, offshore cobia producer Open Blue has been ramping up its volumes and promoting and marketing the product since then and has been offering product every week of the year. From small beginnings, production is now very commercial, with one seafood wholesaler in New York reportedly selling fillets direct to the public at US$16.95 per pound.

Over the years O’Hanlon has always been strong about not being caught in the commodity business, so he has invested heavily in ensuring that his fish is getting to high-end markets. Logistically, harvesting is organised to link to air transport and ensuring that the quality is consistent.

To further add value, the group have recently completed a brand new hatchery in Panama and are hoping to expand production through value-adding in their new factory. Additionally, they have secured Global GAP certification, and are now considering ISO 90001 and BRC standards.

Open Blue is ambitious: the fish is farmed eight miles from the coast, in cages of 6,400 cubic meters. The cages are submerged 30 feet under the sea surface, and are each anchored to a submerged mooring grid with 40 anchors of 1.5 metric tons each. The anchors reach 220 feet deep. To alert boats of the cages’ presence, the buoys are fitted with lights and transponders which will alert any approaching ships. Each cage can take 50,000 fish, or 130-150t, creating a pen density of 20 kilos per cubic meter.

Benetti and O’Hanlon are to be congratulated for their work on cobia to date, and both of them would rather that they were able to do this in the USA, but due to regulations and bureaucracy this is not allowed. It is a dilemma facing many so-called developed countries, and whilst many of them talk the talk at various world conventions they have failed to see the opportunity that is being missed. So whilst mining and drilling are seemingly allowed carte blanche, opportunities in the quest for sustainable quality seafood are cast aside.
Benetti and many scientists have argued for the past several years that such open-ocean fish-farming is the environmentally sensitive way of saving the world's seafood demand, because from a food production angle it creates a higher yield with a lower impact.

Feed is an important research element as, like salmon, cobia are predators that need fishmeal in their diet and with cobia being big fish-eating fish there is a need to have a limited impact on the ecosystem. Benetti is experimenting with a fishmeal that is part soy mix part protein. A fact which is often forgotten when people complain about fish feed ratios is that it takes ten pounds of wild fish to produce a pound of large fish in nature, hence aquaculture is many times more sustainable than nature itself.

This is why we are seeing feed organisations like the BioMar Group recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding with leading Chinese feed producer Tongwei Co. Ltd to establish a Joint Venture dedicated to producing and selling high performance feed for aquaculture in China. The product range for the new Joint Venture factory will include starter and grower feeds for marine and fresh water species such as sea bass, sea bream, cobia, turbot, bass, grouper, trout, sturgeon, tilapia, eel, and shrimp.

The simple question that fish farmers will always ask is about the speed of turning their investment from an output of dollars to an input of dollars, and clearly if you were starting a fish farm and you could raise ten-pound fish in one year, or another fish species that takes two years to grow one pound, the decision is obvious.

Marketing is still the key as the fish is not well known but surely it is the dream of any good chef to find something that’s reliably sourced year-round and grows quickly and sustainably and tastes delicious! So hopefully it is just a timing issue before it becomes a staple in all restaurants.

One major word of caution - not every venture is going to be successful. In the USA a freshwater facility in Virginia which was producing farmed cobia had to close. Research efforts were not enough to enhance commercial aquaculture of freshwater cobia and demonstrate its technical and economic feasibility. The fish simply did not grow as fast as it should have and the partnership involved closed down the operations.

Read the magazine HERE.

Tyson company profile

Tyson Animal Nutrition Group is a leading producer of 100 percent chicken-based protein meals, chicken fats and wet pet ingredients. Our experience, knowledge, commitment to quality and strong customer relationships have made us one of the most respected names in animal nutrition.

Tyson's vertically-integrated structure gives us control over all stages of the life cycle of our chickens, from hatching-egg production to distributing the finished product. And because all of our raw materials come from USDA-inspected processing plants, our ingredients are consistent, traceable and to your specifications.

Our sales and support Team Members welcome the opportunity to partner with you and meet your needs for high-quality ingredients. Learn more about our products or speak to one of our sales managers today.

Visit the website HERE.

30/07/2015: School Food Standards prompt 18 percent increase in UK schools serving sustainable fish

One in six UK primary schools are now serving MSC certified sustainable fish to students according to a report published today by the Marine Stewardship Council. Over 500 schools have become MSC certified in the past year, an 18 percent increase in schools offering their pupils demonstrably sustainable fish. The MSC attributes the change to the new School Food Standards which came into force in January this year.

Henry Dimbleby, one of the authors of the School Food Standards said: “This report highlights the impact of the School Food Plan on the sourcing of fish in schools. It shows a strong start, though there is still a long way to go. Thousands more school pupils eating sustainable fish, supporting sustainable fishing and learning how to protect the marine environment: that’s a fantastic legacy to leave our children.“

“The evidence is clear: eating fish, and particularly oily fish, is good for developing brains and bodies. But while feeding children well today, we also need to protect their future. That’s why we recommended sustainably-sourced, MSC certified fish...”

Toby Middleton, regional Program Director at the MSC said: “We’ve seen a significant increase in schools serving MSC certified fish and a renewed interest in oily fish. Under the School Food Standards, schools are required to serve oily fish every three weeks and they recommend MSC certified fish. With the Standards coming into force in January we’ve seen renewed commitments from LEAs and their suppliers coupled with a real shift in attitudes toward sustainable fish sourcing.”

Improvements from 2014
In the first MSC End of Term Report, in 2014, it was clear that there was a wide range in adoption of MSC labelled fish on school menus. The northern and midland LEAs performed particularly well, with the South East lagging behind and the South West performing poorly. In the 2015 report, the South East region has improved significantly adding 209 certified schools while Midlands LEAs have continued their drive for sustainable seafood sourcing with a further 164 schools joining their already high-performing area. The combined effect is a 33 percent increase in sales of MSC certified fish into the education sector suggesting that the increase in MSC certified schools is matched by a further increase in fish consumption.

Schools in Devon have also this year made the first steps towards progress in the South West. Despite being home to three MSC certified fisheries (for hake, sardines and mussels), the South West has had no MSC certified schools until late 2014. The newly certified schools are around Torbay in Devon.

Msc end of term report 2015 final from Marine Stewardship Council

Visit the MSC site HERE.

30/07/2015: Latest Industrial Auctions

11th of August: Online auction inventory (cooling, doors, hygiene equipment) former meat processor Verba Vlees BV in Scherpenzeel (NL)

http://industrial-auctions.com/online-auction-inventory/128/en

Viewing day
10th of August
From 9:00 till 13:00 hrs
Address:
Holleweg 18
3925 LW Scherpenzeel (NL)

18th of August: Online auction food processing machinery, bakery and catering equipment in Oirschot (NL)

http://industrial-auctions.com/online-auction-food-processing/126/en

Viewing day
17th of August
From 9:00 till 17:00 hrs
Address:
De Stad 10
5688 NX Oirschot (NL)

26th of August: Online auction fish and meat processing machinery in Urk (NL)

http://industrial-auctions.com/online-auction-fish-and-meat/129/en

Viewing day
25th of August
From 10:00 till 15:00 hrs
Address:
Hoornse Hop 6
8321 WX Urk (NL)

1st of September: Online auction machinery and inventory former meat processing factory in Gelsenkirchen (DE)

http://industrial-auctions.com/online-auction-machinery-and/127/en

Viewing days
26th of August (From 9:00 till 16:00 hrs)
27th of August (From 9:00 till 13:00 hrs)
Address:
Moorkampstrasse 12
45883 Gelsenkirchen (DE)

23rd of September: Online auction machinery and inventory for the fish processing industry due to outsourcing production Haasnoot Vis in Katwijk ZH (NL)

http://industrial-auctions.com/online-auction-machinery-and/131/en

Viewing day
21st of September
From 9:00 till 15:00 hrs
Address:
Rijnlandkade 1
2222 AE Katwijk ZH (NL)

30/07/2015: DSM Nutritional Products Ltd and Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH to develop algae-based omega-3 fatty acids for animal nutrition

DSM Nutritional Products Ltd and Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH today announced they have entered into a joint development agreement for algae-based omega-3 fatty acid products for animal nutrition, in particular in aquaculture and pet food applications. The aim is to meet the increasing demand for omega-3 fatty acids by harnessing naturally occurring marine algae using sustainable, biotechnological processes based on natural, non-marine resources.

Image: Chris Parfitt

Under the agreement, the companies will jointly work on the development of products and explore opportunities for commercialisation. The competencies that DSM and Evonik bring to the development partnership complement each other: DSM has expertise in the cultivation of marine organisms and longestablished biotechnology capabilities, whilst Evonik’s focus for decades has been on industrial amino acid biotechnology executing large-volume fermentation processes.

The envisioned algae-based omega-3 fatty acid products will be high value, natural and sustainable alternatives to fish oil, whose supply is finite. This will help the animal nutrition industry keep up with increasing demand without endangering fish stocks and will contribute to healthy and sustainable animal nutrition.

Just like humans, animals also need their daily intake of essential, longchain polyunsaturated fatty acids in their diet to ensure healthy growth. Until now, these fatty acids have been added to aquaculture feed almost exclusively from marine sources such as fish oil and fishmeal.

By using algae, DSM and Evonik are looking to contribute to a more sustainable aquaculture industry. DSM and Evonik expect that in Q4 2015 they will be able to report the first results of the algae-based omega-3 fatty acid product development.

Visit the Evonik site HERE.

And the DSM site HERE.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

O&J HØJTRYK A/S company profile

O&J HØJTRYK A/S endeavours to be a powerful, vigorous and energetic company. With our customers needs and the immediate environment as our point of departure, we want to be a trendsetter in our core area of business - Mechanical Engineering - Re-working of Dies and Rollers for the manufacture of Feedstuffs and Biopellets, as well as the sale and delivery of wearing parts in connection with Roller Re-working - as well as to remain open to new initiatives and business opportunities.

Visit the website HERE.

Norel Animal Nutrition company profile

Norel are an innovative company whose business is focused on the development, manufacture and trade of additives and raw materials for animal nutrition.

At Norel their main aim is to meet and satisfy the needs of their customers.

Visit the website HERE.

29/07/2015: European consumers report positive associations with ASC logo

A recent study by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) into recognition of and positive associations with its consumer logo has shown that the organisation is on track with its programme to encourage the public to eat more certified responsibly farmed seafood.
ASC is a leading certification and labelling program for responsibly farmed seafood, that promotes the best environmental and social performance in aquaculture. Its distinctive logo on fresh fish counters and on packs of ASC certified farmed seafood, helps consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, based on reassurance about ethical and responsible methods of production.

http://nieuwsbrief.tisign.nl/t/r-l-flduuky-iuujthutll-k/

The news has been bringing smiles to fish everywhere (Image: Matthew Simantov)

Research was carried out in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, where retailers have embraced the logo for responsibly farmed seafood, and where a total of 1174 ASC certified products are on sale. Dutch retailers currently offer 425 products, German retailers 415 products, and Swiss retailers 334 products. Globally, there are currently 3231 ASC certified products available.

In both the Netherlands and Germany, the level of recognition by fish buying consumers of the ASC logo showed steady growth in 2015, exceeding that of the previous year’s study. The research was carried out for the first time in Switzerland, where almost a third of the sample recognised the logo.

Respondents were also asked if they had positive associations with the ASC logo, and in all three countries, the answer was highly encouraging. In the Netherlands, 43.6 percent of fish buyers replied positively, with German consumers just behind at 39.3 percent. In Switzerland almost half (47.1 percent) of the sample who recognised the logo had a positive association with it.

“As a young organisation, we are very pleased with these results, as our logo has been on packs for less than three years,” said ASC CEO Chris Ninnes.

“We are working hard to play our part in helping transform the world’s seafood markets. Aquaculture already accounts for more than half of all seafood consumed around the globe, and it will increasingly become more important over the next few decades. Our mission is to ensure that it is produced in a responsible manner, and to help consumers purchase seafood that fits this criteria,” he said.

Visit the ASC site HERE.

29/07/2015: Yara expands value-added production capacity in Sluiskil, Netherlands

Yara is investing US$263 million in Sluiskil, Netherlands to increase granulation capacity enabling increased production of granular urea with sulphur, and nitrates.

In 2011, Yara completed the construction of a new world scale urea solution plant in Sluiskil which partly feeds an old prilling unit producing 400,000 tons of urea annually. With this investment, the prilling unit will be replaced by a new urea granulator also designed for production of urea with sulphur, a product that is sold with a premium to regular urea.

Experiencing growth (Image: SuSanA Secretariat)

The new granulator will have an annual capacity of 660,000 tons of urea with sulphur. In parallel with increasing urea production, Sluiskil will reduce UAN (Urea/Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser) production by around 230,000 tons per annum, freeing up nitric acid capacity enabling 130,000 tons per annum of additional CAN (Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) production.

"In Europe and gradually also in other regions of the world, agricultural soils are lacking sulphur, which is an essential plant nutrient. With this investment we are able to serve a growing demand, helping farmers improve both yield and crop quality while contributing to improved nitrogen efficiency," says Torgeir Kvidal, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara International ASA.

The new plant will be based on technology developed by Yara. Construction will start in 2015, with completion expected in second half 2017.

Visit the Yara site HERE.

29/07/2015: FAMSUN's new Single-Screw Removal Tool Kit

By Jianbo Xie, Meng Zhang, Wei Liu and Liyang Liu

As an essential part of FAMSUN's extruder machinery, the single-screw extruder (for aquafeed, raw materials) is widely used in feed plants. The removal of screws has always been a problem in the operation of extruder machinery. Every manufacturer may have its own removal tool kit, yet few can offer satisfactory solutions.

To develop new efficient removal tool kits, the following three factors should be taken into consideration:

To begin with, during peak production season, the machines have to stay operational as long as possible to cut the costs incurred by downtime. For instance, without an efficient method, removing the screw head can take anywhere between 30 minutes and one or two days with nothing but temporary tools at hand. Considering the time consumed, it is of significant necessity to make improvements in the removal process to meet the production agenda.

Second, to lengthen the service life of the screw head, it is necessary to minimise the damage done to the screw head when it is being taken off.

Third, a high degree of automation is necessary. So far, some of FAMSUN's raw material extruders have been automatised and these machines are more operation-friendly than they used to be. But simpler, faster removal tools are still needed to improve the competitiveness of FAMSUN's machinery.

1. The removal tool kits FAMSUN currently has
Currently, the removal tool kits available are for raw material extruders. For TPH/PHY200, TPH260/PHY260 series extruders, the removal tool kit in use does not deliver satisfactory results. Because of its structure, the tool can only remove the first section of the screw. Besides, specific screw leads are also required by current removal tools. It also takes a lot of effort and time to manually turn the screw lever, especially when some screws haven't been removed for years. For single screw extruders for aquafeed, however, the aforementioned method does not work.

2. The latest removal tool kit for single screws
Compared with earlier versions, the up-to-date removal tool kit can remove single screws of all types (TPH200/260; PHY200/260; SJPS135/165/215/265), not just the first section of certain types of screws. The time needed to remove one section is less than 20 minutes.

Its structure and operating principles are as follows:

(1) Performance:

Time spent in removing one section of screw: ≤20min
Maximum thrust: 30TX2
Ability to remove each section of the screw: yes
Number of operators: two

(2) Structure:

Double jack: to balance the force
Hand pump: easy to handle
Anti-deviation design: to ensure precision
Extension rod: to make it easier to drive the whole screw out
Mounting plate: waist-shaped holes in the plate make it easier to readjust the hold hoops in different positions
Spindle position-limit mechanism: prevents the spindle from shifting position when it is being knocked out by the ejection mechanism (Patent No. 201320370871.3)

(3) Screw ejection mechanism

The pair of jacks can be operated with the hand pump, their stroke synchronised by hand with less effort
The mounting plate facilitates the fixation of the pair of jacks
The waist-shaped holes make it easier to adjust the phase of the hold hoops in different positions
The split locking sleeves are easier to install
The anti-deviation design prevents the unsynchronised jack from getting stuck with the main spindle
There are 20 extension rods included, to help remove the last screws

(4) Position-limiting mechanism
The position-limiting mechanism is used to prevent the spindle from being damaged by friction caused by the spindle in the block and the main spindle (the current structure of the extruder only has a limit screw to bear backward thrust; without a limit screw to counter forward force, the spindle can only take a little forward-pulling force).

The front bezel is composed of two half-type panels fixed in the inner wall of the spindle
The backplate is composed of two quartered pieces fixed in the inner ring of the rear spindle
The front bezel and the backplate are connected by a stopper bolt
There are two M30 lock screws; each of them can bear an axial force of more than 30T

Note: The position-limit device should be locked tight before this removal took kit is used.

Visit the FAMSUN site HERE.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

28/07/2015: Cobia: The next big thing? Australia

First published in International Aquafeed, May-June 2015

In Australia, cobia (previously known as black kingfish) are not often seen in the fish markets but are a prized species for tropical recreational fishermen. They generally can be encountered near reefs and other structures from south-western West Australia, around the north of the country and as far south as the central coast of New South Wales. In the wild they can grow to well over 45-50 kg and are strong fighters.

Information was filtering through to Australia from various studies on the species. The information was exciting. The news was that cobia was a very fast growing species - the maximum age recorded for a 1.6m, 50kg+ cobia in the Gulf of Mexico was only 11 years of age. Juveniles grew to more than 60cm in their first year, and fish a metre long were only around three years old. Females matured in their second year when around 80 to 90cm, while male fish often matured in their first year.

Scientists discovered that cobia spawned between April and September in the northern hemisphere (that region's spring and summer) and in Australia the spawning period occurred September to June. The size at first maturity for 50 percent of male and female cobia in Australia was 78cm, again at about two years of age. Additionally, cobia produce excessive numbers of eggs.

Scientists working in the Gulf of Mexico highlighted that individual cobia spawned a number of times throughout the season. Evidence was that the fish spawned as often as once every five to 12 days. It was not unusual to see larger fish spawning up to 1.5 million eggs per batch, but the average 'batch fecundity' of cobia in Australia was shown to be even higher, at 2.8 million eggs per spawning cycle, with the spawning frequency assessed to be around seven to eight days.

Due to their high energy needs associated with their fast growth, they were not considered prissy feeders. In the wild, dietary studies showed that they are bottom feeders, seemingly enjoying crustaceans, especially crabs.

The Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) created a project on cobia, which aimed to build on previous research by Queensland aquaculture producer Pacific Reef Fisheries and the Department for Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI).

During this research they discovered that the financial potential for fish farmers is very significant, primarily because cobia can grow up to 10 kilograms within their first year - this is double the speed of barramundi and triple the speed of Atlantic salmon.

Although cobia are not fussy eaters in the wild, things are not the same in captivity, and it was important, just like with any new farmed species, to ensure the diet mix is right.

Other problems thwarted Pacific Reef in the early days. Heavy stock losses due to bird predation caused some angst but this was resolved by installing anti-predator cages for the fish to live in as fingerlings. Additional issues were created as the fish were being grown in prawn ponds, which was not ideal due to their shallow depth.

The CRC work also planned on developing reliable and robust controlled spawning methods for cobia, utilising hormonal, social and/or environmental manipulation; production of sufficient fingerlings to enable the on-grow commercial quantities of cobia for market; developing pilot scale cobia fingerling production by the hatchery; formulating diets designed to meet the specific nutritional and energetic requirements of cobia and developing and field testing new farmed cobia product(s) with high market acceptance.

Pacific Reef have shown they have the technical capability and infrastructure to produce cobia for the marketplace and to target the appropriate market sector (high end restaurants and sashimi) for the product. Recently the company won accolades at the 2015 Sydney Royal Show Fine Food – Aquaculture Awards, taking the awards for Champion Fresh Fish (Classes 7 and 8) Sashimi Grade cobia.

“We want to be Australia’s biggest and largest aquaculture facility growing sustainable product for the Australian and the overseas market,” said Maria Mitris, Operations Manager of her family’s business, Pacific Reef Fisheries.

The company, family-owned and funded, is able to control all aspects of their operation from the high tech hatchery at Guthalungra to the farming operation at Ayr. Their main business is the production of approximately 700 tonnes of black tiger prawns per annum.

Read the magazine HERE.

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies company profile

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies designs and builds key process machines, but also offers complete plant solutions for the global animal feed industries. Their business is based on a competitive approach to matching the requirements of successful livestock feed, aquatic feed and pet food companies.

When designing new technologies or customer specific plant solutions, ANDRITZ Feed Technologies has to take account of the demand for reliable processing, cost efficiency, uniform quality, and high-performance animal feed, considering the shifting availability of feed ingredients, the increasing number of environmental standards and hygiene regulations, and the requirement for traceability in the interests of food safety.

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies is a corporate group with worldwide development, production within process technology and after-sales service to the feed and biofuel industries. With branches in 13 countries employing approx. 800 people and a world-wide network of agents and distributors, they are the leading supplier of competitive system and process solutions for the feed and biofuel industry. They design and develop all feed and biofuel key productions processes and design total solutions fitting the customer's needs, thus ensuring the highest standards for the customer.

Visit the website HERE.

28/07/2015: Kenya Government and FAO launch Blue Growth Initiative in Kenya

The Government of Kenya and FAO have launched the Blue Growth Initiative (BGI) to benefit select areas in the coastal region of Kenya. BGI is a FAO flagship initiative promoting more productive, sustainable and socioeconomically responsible fisheries, and aquaculture sectors.

The launch was held in Mombasa, Kenya, led by the acting Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Mr Adan Mohamed and FAO Representative in Kenya Dr Luca Alinovi. In attendance was county leadership from Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and TanaRiver counties.

In his opening remarks, the acting Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Mr Mohamed Adan noted that sustainability of fish supply in our waters requires concerted attention.

‘Improvements targeted across the various aspects of fisheries management, as well as regulatory barriers, difficulty in accessing funding, fragmented research and development, and poor access to markets need to be addressed. Particular attention may be given to empowering the small/rural or artisanal fishermen and fish farmers who contribute consistently to the seafood supply chain, but do not have the capacity to optimise their farming or fish catch.’ he noted.

Image: Anita Ritenour

The inland aquaculture sector continues to grow, but mariculture is lagging behind. While most of the current aquaculture production is based in freshwater fish farming, there exists a lot of potential in mariculture (aquaculture in coastal and marine environments) on the extensive Kenya coast.

‘We can sustainability develop mariculture through improving the governance and management of the aquatic eco-systems, conservation of biodiversity and habitats and most importantly, empower vulnerable communities engaged in small-scale production to act as resource users and stewards’ noted Dr Alinovi.

Implementing BGI through the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA) in Kenya
The EAA is best implemented within a national aquaculture policy with a regulatory framework that promotes the growth of a healthy and competitive aquaculture sector while providing protections from threats such as disease spread, pollution and environmental degradation.

Mr Mohamed reiterated Kenya’s commitment to developing fisheries in Kenya.

"I wish to stress that my ministry is committed to making the fisheries sector one of the key pillars of economic growth in Kenya" he said.

"It is therefore my strong belief that the modest initiative my ministry is starting with FAO and other developing partners through these projects today will culminate in opportunities for major investments, additional livelihoods for the coastal communities and overall well-being for the Kenyan people as envisaged in Kenya’s development Blue Print Vision 2030".

http://www.fao.org/zhc/detail-events/en/c/233765/

Image: Giorgio Montersino

In collaboration with the Government of Kenya, FAO has developed two projects worth a total of USD 1 million from the BGI, namely ‘In Support of Food Security and Nutrition, Poverty Alleviation and Healthy Oceans’ and ‘In support of implementation of mariculture in Kenya within an ecosystems approach’. Both projects aim to increase knowledge of water basin to coral reef ecosystem services supporting food, nutrition and livelihood security so as to guide and improve investment in sustainable coastal mariculture. This includes a better integration of the sector into other activities in the coastal zones so as to increase understanding in conserving and improving coastal ecosystem services.

Elaborating the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture
The BGI is designed around capture fisheries, sustainable aquaculture, livelihoods and food systems, and economic growth from aquatic eco-system services. It is also bringing support and more attention to enhance the implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAF/EAA).

The launch is to be followed by a five day training workshop on implementing the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA). The EAA strives to balance diverse societal objectives, by taking account of the knowledge and uncertainties of biotic, abiotic and human components of ecosystems including their interactions, flows and processes and applying an integrated approach within ecologically and operationally meaningful boundaries.

The general objective of the workshop is to inform and train managers, developers, farmers and other relevant stakeholders on the EAA and how to develop EAA management plans for mariculture areas in Kenya that incorporate other users of the coastal zones.

The workshop will produce better informed stakeholders on the EAA and its potential for aquaculture management at local and national level, and improved understanding of aquaculture for stakeholders outside the agricultural sector. It is expected that one or more draft management plans for piloting in selected aquaculture management areas and recommendations for the national aquaculture strategy in the context of EAA will be realised.

Visit the FAO fisheries site HERE.

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