The Aquaculturists: February 2018

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

28/02/2018: Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2018

The International event Asian Pacific Aquauculture 2018 (APA18) will be hosted at the Taipei International Convention Centre (TICC) from April 23 to 26, 2018, Taiwan

The first plenary speaker will be Dr Ching Fong Chang, President of NTOU and co-chair of APA18. His presentation will be the opportunity to introduce the conference theme “Aquaculture innovation, sustainability and food safety” to all APA18 participants.

Dr Ching Fong Chang
Image credit: WAS

Ching-Fong Chang is a distinguished Professor and the President of the National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU). Under the leadership of the former presidents and through all the faculty and staff members’ efforts, National Taiwan Ocean University strives to be one of the most outstanding universities of Ocean Studies both in Taiwan and in the world. The University has transformed herself into a comprehensive university and is recognised in teaching, research and social services. It was awarded as one of the World Top 400 universities by The Times Higher Education (THE) in 2011.

The second plenary speaker at APA18 is Dr Patrick Sorgeloos, Aquaculture Expert from Belgium. The tile of his presentation is “New insights in microbial management to make intensive aquaculture more sustainable” which is linked to the theme of APA18, Aquaculture innovation, sustainability and food safety”.

Prof Patrick Sorgeloos
Image credit: WAS

Prof. Patrick Sorgeloos is emeritus professor of aquaculture at Ghent University in Belgium and has been involved in fish and shellfish larviculture R&D in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa ever since the mid-seventies. He has more than 40 years’ experience of research in different aspects of the biology and culturing of the brine shrimp Artemia, and the larviculture / aquaculture of fish and shellfish at the Artemia Reference Centre of Ghent University with scientific, technical and administrative staff of 25 persons.

Deadline extension of abstract submission
Please submit your abstract early to get you into the process and allow your submission a better chance of being accepted for your desired presentation. The submission deadline has extended to February 28, 2018.

Travel Award for Women’s Participation at APA18
WAS-APC is providing the opportunity for female aquaculture people to attend Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2018 from 23-26 April 2018. Funding for this opportunity is provided by WAS-APC.

Applications must be made on the official application form, HERE.
The deadline to submit is March 10, 2018

Aquaculture Photo Competition at APA18 by WAS-APC
The completion theme is ‘people and aquaculture’ with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. The competition is open to any individual (no company or commercial entities). Winning photos will be presented on the APC website and will be part of the APC display booth in future WAS symposiums.

For more information on the Aquaculture Photo Competition, HERE.
The deadline to submit is March 5, 2018.

Free Accommodation for Students
The Student Activities Committee of the World Aquaculture Society- Asian Pacific Chapter is accepting entries for a room lottery for WAS-APC Students. These rooms will be available for the duration of the conference!

For more information, click HERE.
The deadline to submit is March 10, 2018.

For Conference management contact John Cooksey, Email: worldaqua@was.com
For Booths and Sponsors, contact Mario Stael, Email: mario@marevent.com

Visit the WAS website, 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

28/02/2018: Fishmeal research with IFFO – Opportunities through AquaFarm

by Dr Neil Auchterlonie

Although I have contributed articles previously, this is my first opportunity to write a column for International Aquafeed, in what will become a regular contribution by invitation of the magazine

I am delighted to accept this kind offer and look forward to discussing current topics in the fish meal and fish oil industry which I hope will be of interest to the readers. I am excited by the opportunity to bring more attention onto fishmeal and fish oil during a time when journalists’ interest seems so focused on the next new novel ingredient that can apparently replace these ingredients. At IFFO we recognise the importance of more volume of ingredients for feed supply, but it should be “as well as, not instead of” fishmeal and fish oil.

For this edition, there is no better place to start than to mention the AquaFarm conference in Fiere Pordenone February 15-16, where I met Roger Gilbert, the Publisher of International Aquafeed, for the first time. For those who have not experienced the event, AquaFarm is the Italian aquaculture industry’s forum for engaging with the sector, which also provides a platform for updates on the latest developments in research and technology.

Roger chaired a session on aquaculture feeds at which I had been invited to present by the organisers of AquaFarm. In the first half of the session, my presentation lined up with those of Dr Niels Alsted (of Biomar, but representing FEFAC), and Dr Umberto Luzzana (representing Skretting). What was most pleasing was to see that both my feed company friends’ presentations aligned perfectly with the key message of my own, without any coordination to that effect.

That message is that fishmeal and fish oil are important constituents of aquafeeds – they provide important nutritional contributions to farmed fish that cannot be entirely sourced from any other individual ingredients. The supply of fishmeal and fish oil, however, is finite, and approximates to five million tonnes of fishmeal and just under one million tonnes of fish oil produced every year, which makes supplying a growing feed industry challenging.

The production of fishmeal and fish oil is unlikely to change too much over time (although there is some interesting data on the possible use of by-product as a raw material, and particularly from a growing aquaculture processing industry). The supply of ingredients to meet the demand of aquafeeds, therefore, will come from other sources.

Read the full article, HERE.

Andritz company profile

ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors.

The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of almost 25,000 employees. ANDRITZ operates over 250 sites worldwide.

Visit the website HERE.

International Aquafeed - February 2018

More International Aquafeed editions

Monday, February 26, 2018

27/02/2018: Registration opens for 8th International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health

Organisers of the 8th International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health (ISAAH 2018), have opened the conference registration and put out a call seeking abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations

The 2018 symposium marks the thirtieth anniversary of the ISAAH, and will be held September 2 – 6, 2018 in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The ISAAH meets every four years and typically attracts 300–400 fish health professionals from around the world. This will be only the second time the Conference has been hosted in Canada; the inaugural conference took place in Vancouver in 1988.

Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing sector for animal food production. And Atlantic Canadian companies are a prime resource in the evolution, growth and research into innovative solutions to challenges facing the global aquaculture industry. There are more than 30 organisations involved in aquaculture research and development throughout Atlantic Canada and several companies and the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island are helping to lead the way.

Delegates attending ISAAH 2018 will be have the opportunity to join other aquatic health professionals from around the world for scientific workshops, business meetings, keynote and research presentations. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Integrating Biotechnology in the Advancement of Aquatic Animal Health”.

Early Bird registration rates are available now and as there are limited spaces for registered delegates to attend the pre-conference scientific workshops, organisers encourage participants to sign up as soon as possible.
ISAAH 2018 is being hosted by the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society, the Atlantic Veterinary College, and the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance.

For more information, visit the ISAAH 2018 website, HERE.

27/02/2018: Feed for thought: Celebrating GMP+ International’s 25th anniversary

by Rhiannon White, International Aquafeed

In November 2017, global leader for feed safety certification, GMP+ International, invited around 100 delegates from around the world to a special conference that celebrated its 25th anniversary

It was fittingly held at The Beurs van Berlage in the centre of Amsterdam, a historic venue of 19th to 20th century corn and grain exchange. Over the two days, rather than grain itself, over 20 experts exchanged their insights about challenges, solutions and future aims for feed safety and sustainability, through a mixture of short presentations and lively debates.

Alongside the conference, delegates were treated to a walk-in exhibition of artist and photographer, Laurent Bellec’s imaginative and unique photography that he has spent the last seven years producing. His photographs capture feed mills in all their glory from around the globe and his publications offer a thought-provoking vision of the future relationship between feed milling and our everyday lives.

In recognition of the interdependent relationship between feed and food safety and security, this report focuses on highlights from three of the presentations given. They discuss the promise of big data, the increasing global demand for protein and the potential approaches towards achieving sustainability within the feed industry, all without compromising feed safety.

The GMP+ International journey
All the way back in 1992, several incidents involving contamination in feed materials in the Netherlands provoked the Dutch feed industry into developing a code for best practices, otherwise known as ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ or GMP. In 2000, the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points was included in the scheme, which made the system more preventive and proactive. Realising however, that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, it was also decided that a GMP+ FSA certificate was to be required from suppliers, which later expanded to include transporters, intermediaries and storage companies.

Introducing the Early Warning System and Tracking & Tracing has further helped companies to react quickly in the case of incidents. Also, since GMP+ certificated businesses can only trade with companies that are certificated as well, corporations of other countries started joining the scheme. Having this independent international standard for safe feed was a crucial step because often national legislations can vary from country to country.

In response to increasing importance of sustainability, in 2014 the Feed Responsibility Assurance was launched as an add-on certificate to GMP+ FSA, as proof of a sustainable and responsible work method. In 2016, an impressive 350 companies received this certificate.

By 2017, the Feed Fraud Program was launched with the aim of encouraging companies to be alert to the potential risks throughout the production chain and to raise concerns in order to control them.

Read the full article, HERE.

Phileo - Lesaffre company profile

Nothing is more precious than life, and that’s the philosophy that drives Phileo.

As global population continues to increase, the world faces a growing demand for food and greater sustainability challenges.

According to the team at Phileo Lesaffre "Working at the crossroads of nutrition and health, we are committed to delivering future evidence-based solutions that enhance animal health and performance. In each and every country, our team’s progress is led by the most advanced scientific outcomes as well as the field input of experienced farmers".

Visit the website HERE.

Sunday, February 25, 2018

26/02/2018: Price of Norwegian farmed salmon continues to rise

The price of Norwegian farmed salmon is expected to rise further to 64-65 crowns per kilogram for deliveries in Oslo this week, up from about 60-61 crowns last week, industry sources told Reuters on Friday.

Image credit: Thomas Bjorkan on Flickr
(CC BY-SA 2.0)

Prices last week were initially expected to rise five-six crowns to 57-59 crowns, but reached a somewhat higher level in the end.

“Prices next week are rising halfway to 70 crowns. There is less fish and some exporters need more fish to comply with their contracts”, one producer told Reuters who declined to be named.

Salmon prices peaked at around 80 crowns per kilo in early January of 2017 at a time when supply constraints supported prices, but have since fallen as volumes grew.

Production growth from Norway is expected to be around nine percent in 2018, the Norwegian Seafood Council predicted in early January. Later on fish farmers have cut their expectations for growth to somewhat less than that level

26/02/2018: VICTAM Asia 2018, Asia’s largest dedicated feed & grain exhibition is only one month away

VICTAM Asia 2018 will be organised from March 27 - 29, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The exhibition and conferences will be held once again at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

VICTAM Asia is firmly established as the event dedicated to the animal feed processing, grain processing, ingredients & additives, aqua feed and pet food industries within Asia. The last edition in 2016 was sold out.

www.victamasia.com

The VICTAM exhibitions display the latest technology, ingredients and additives available to manufacture and process feed for animals, pets and aquatics, together with a wide range of necessary ancillary equipment – silos, conveyors, bagging, elevators, etc. The exhibitions also showpiece the newest equipment for grain, rice and flour milling.

Co-located with VICTAM Asia are a series of high quality industry conferences: Petfood Forum Asia 2018, Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2018, FIAAP Animal Nutrition Conference Asia 2018, GRAPAS and Global Milling Conference Asia 2018, Proagrica Feed Efficiency Conference 2018, a GMP+ seminar and the World Feed Perspectives Seminar. Exhibitors will also be given the opportunity to present technical seminars.

New features at VICTAM Asia 2018 include a business matchmaking program and the VICTAM newsroom. The matchmaking program focuses on high quality meetings and will consist of a combination of an online tool, which allows exhibitors and visitors to plan their appointments very efficiently and a personal approach by the matchmaking consultants. They will help exhibitors and visitors get the most out of the program and will support in finding their match.

The other new feature is the VICTAM News Room. The VICTAM newsroom will report semi-live from the show floor to allow those that can’t attend to still be part of the action. Furthermore, speakers, visitors and exhibitors will be interviewed about their expertise and the news crew will make running reports about the event through Victam’s social media channels.

VICTAM Asia are proud to have the support of the following organisations:
• The Feedstuff Users Promotion Association
• Thai Feed Mill Association
• The Animal Husbandry Association of Thailand
• Animal Health Products Association
• Department of Fisheries
• Ministry of Industry
• The Thai Chamber of Commerce
• Department of livestock development
• Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau

For detailed information visit the VICTAM Asia website, HERE. Alternatively you can register directly, HERE.

Upcoming events
The next event organised by Victam International BV after VICTAM Asia 2018 is VICTAM International 2019 from June 12 – 14, 2019 in Cologne, Germany.

For more information about these events visit the VICTAM website, HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

26/02/2018: Monaco Blue Initiative: marine protected areas can benefit from aquaculture provided

Monaco Blue Initiative is a platform for discussion on ocean management and conservation which bring together all sectors involved in the marine environment - from government policy makers, international organisations and those working in and around the oceans and includes fishing and aquaculture, science, the private sector and civil society itself

Launched in 2010 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, this initiative is being co-organised jointly by his Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute. Members of the MBI meet annually to discuss interactions and synergies between marine conservation and socio-economic development and its 2017 meeting took the debate further with regard to aquaculture and its future alongside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

The 2018 meeting which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland from April 8-9 will follow-up the 2017 wide-ranging discussion and presentations with more focused networking involving invited representatives only. The MBI is located in Monaco but every second year is held outside the Principality. In 2016 the meeting was held in San Paulo, Brazil.

Participants of the Monaco Blue Initiative
Image credit: Monaco Blue Initiative

Wide ranging discussions
The 2017 one-day conference was broken into five sessions with aquaculture featuring strongly in two and having a mention in others.

‘Aquaculture and Marine Protected Areas’ was a session chaired by Doris Soto a senior scientist with the Inter-Disciplinary Centre for Research on Aquaculture in Chile. This was the session that focused most closely on how the future management of aquaculture might benefit MPAs.

On her panel were four presenters: Francois Simard, the deputy director of Global Marine and Polar Programme IUCN; Thierry. Chopin the scientific director of the Canadian IMTA Network; John White the development director for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Kitty Brayne the programmes manager for UK Conservation ‘Blue Ventures’.

Aquaculture’s contribution
The scene was set when the group jointly recognized that aquaculture while responding to the world’s growing demand for fish at a time of depleted wild stocks, also threatens marine eco-systems when practiced irresponsibly.

MPAs are one of the most effective means of preserving ocean eco-systems, the panel believe.

It discussed ways of how aquaculture could be conducted in a ‘sustainable way’ alongside or within MPAs themselves and that in some ways could even contribute to restoring marine environments.

Ms Soto explained that pressure from aquaculture on MPAs is often unavoidable as people have no alternative livelihood to that of aquaculture. Today, aquaculture makes up half of all fish consumed worldwide, and is growing rapidly, she explained.

“The challenge is to develop aquaculture in ways that assist MPAs while providing crucial protein sources and livelihoods.”

Read the full article, HERE.

Wynveen International company profile

Wynveen International B.V. is a leading Dutch company, specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of complete mills for the animal feed industry.

With a knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic team, the company focuses on the development and construction of high-quality innovative equipment and installations for animal feed, aqua feed and pet food manufacture.

In addition to turnkey projects, their core products are hammer mills, ribbon and paddle mixers, double-shaft paddle mixers, rotary sifters and coaters for liquids (vacuum and atmospheric).

Approximately 80 percent of their products are exported. In order to guarantee its high quality standards, Wynveen assembles and tests all its key equipment in-house.

Wynveen always aims to fully understand customer requirements, working in partnership with customers and using all their accumulated knowledge and experience to deliver the optimum, often highly innovative, technological solution.

That’s why their company motto is: ‘Versatility in feed processing’.

Visit the company website, HERE.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

23/02/2018: Nutriad expands aqua innovation team

Multinational feed additives manufacturer Nutriad, leader in species specific aquaculture solutions for health and digestion, continues to invest in innovation as it announced the appointment of Dr Waldo Nuez Ortin as Lead Scientist Aquaculture.

The Belgium headquartered company is fully committed to grow in the dynamic aqua markets across the world and therefore consistently hires top professional that bring value to their customers.

Dr Waldo Nuez Ortin
Image credit: Nutriad

“Specialised feed additives are playing an increasingly important role in aquaculture feed formulations and profitability of fish and shrimp farmers. Health promotors in functional feeds have proven to be an essential component of prevention strategies to reduce the impact of diseases and parasites. Digestive and metabolic enhancers improve the efficiency for carnivorous species of new types of formulations based on less marine proteins and fats, and maximise feed cost efficiency in omnivorous species. Our continued research programs on different specialty additives for different aquaculture species increases the need for innovation and specialised product development,” says Dr Peter Coutteau, Business Unit Director Aquaculture for Nutriad.

Nutriad CEO Erik Visser added, “Nutriad has consistently been investing in species specific solutions for the aqua market, which has helped us to create a leadership position in the industry that recognises us for how we convert science into practical solutions, which build on a deep understanding of the challenges producers around the world face. The recent acquisition of Nutriad by Adisseo will help us accelerate our solution offering to the market, as it will allow us to combine technical knowledge across various platforms, combine portfolios and tap into a rich R&D pipeline.”

Dr Waldo Nuez has more than 10 years of academic and industry experience in aquaculture research and project management. Graduated a veterinarian at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), he obtained his MSc in Animal nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan (Canada), and completed a PhD on fish nutrition at the University of Tasmania and CSIRO (Australia). In between his MSc and PhD studies, he worked as an aquaculture technical manager in the feed additive industry. After his PhD, he continued as lecturer/researcher at James Cook University (Australia), where he actively collaborated with industry and academic partners in the evaluation and development of novel feed ingredients and additives.

“I am excited to join the Nutriad team and hope to contribute to with my academic and practical knowledge of aquaculture research, biotechnological tools and experimental design to support the high need for innovation in aquaculture specialty additives”, says Dr Nuez

Find out more on the Nutriad website, HERE.

23/02/2018: Minimising emissions in water through putting a value on ‘sludge’ in the aquaculture industry

Sorbwater Technology has developed a suite of completely biodegradable solutions for industrial, high-performance water-treatment applications. The solutions are particularly suitable for the oil and gas industry as well as aquaculture.

Through using the Sorbwater technology, utilising natural alginates, total particle emissions from aquaculture facilities are significantly reduced. Used in combination with Blue Ocean Technology’s organic filter, the combined heavy metal and particle content in the sludge is reduced by up to 90 percent.

Consequently, the nutritious aquaculture biomass waste (food leftover and excrements/faeces) may be transformed to fertiliser. Unlike various thermic solutions, Blue Ocean Technology enables turning aquaculture sludge into a resource.

Floating solids in wastewater are captured by Sorbwater’s green flocculation chemical – Sorbfloc – and other filters. The wastewater is filtered through lamella plates and then through a special type of dried peat moss imported from Canada. Blue Ocean Technology chief executive Jan Henning Legreid said the moss took 30 days to absorb water, compared to 24 hours for other mosses, a quality that benefited the process.

He added that use of the lamella plates to capture much of the sludge meant the moss only needed to be changed every fourth week, rather than twice a week.

International perspective
Svein Egil Steen, CEO, Sorbwater Technology remarked, “We are delighted to have been chosen as Blue Ocean’s partner. It further strengthens our position as a supplier of green technology into this segment. The deal will also help to put us on the map in the fast-growing global fish-farming and aquaculture markets” He continued, “We will provide our green flocculation chemical – Sorbfloc – and separation technology to Blue Ocean Technology, for use in the global aquaculture market.”

Norwegian Innovation in key aquaculture markets
Jan Henning Legreid explained, Aquaculture and fish farming are increasingly vital industries for Norway, indeed the world, moving forward. We are extremely happy to be working with our trusted and valued partner Sorbwater Technology in such an exciting area, bringing Norwegian innovation to these important markets.”

He summarised, “Our technologies and know-how combined truly show that green solutions can be profitable solutions. And in addition to turning waste into a resource, it enables the production of larger biomasses – as the restricting factor tends to be the waste emission quota.”

Although currently based in Norway, Mr Henning said that his company had plans to promote the technology in Scotland, Canada and Chile.

Read the full article, HERE.

Extru-Tech Inc company profile

Founded in 1985, Extru-Tech® has installed numerous extrusion systems worldwide designed for the production of human food, pet food, aquatic feed and animal feed products.

Extru-Tech® also maintains the reputation of supplying the extrusion industry with superior quality replacement parts.

Extru-Tech® currently produces and markets one of the industry's most complete lines of extrusion processing systems.

In addition, they offer a full line of ancillary equipment and customised equipment solutions for specialised processes.

Visit the website HERE

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

22/02/2018: ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference will explore the transformative power of ideas that can change aquaculture

Breakout sessions to focus on offshore and onshore salmon farms, fillet quality and genetic potential

ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE18), held May 20 - 22 in Lexington, Kentucky, will provide aqua producers with a unique opportunity to participate in a global conversation about the innovations, challenges and solutions facing their industry. Focus sessions designed to educate and inspire will allow producers to gather insights from leading aqua experts and exchange ideas with peers from around the globe.

Explore how nutritional solutions can help protect fish fillets, maximise genetic potential and much more. ONE18 will offer fish producers an opportunity to explore topics specific to their industry and participate in a global exchange of ideas for the future.
Image credit: One18

ONE18 aqua topics

- A Trip up the Amazon: Equatorial Aquaculture
Out of the 30,000 fish species in existence, selecting those suitable for aquaculture is challenging, as is the development of feed that meets their specific nutritional demands. Which fish species are being evaluated, and what is their potential? How do arapaima, cobia, yellowtail kingfish and pacu measure up?

- First-Rate Fillets: Consistent Quality for Premium Products
When it comes to fillet quality, consumers want to ensure they’re spending their money on a premium product. Getting it right every time, and doing so sustainably, requires expertise and innovation. How can you use nutritional solutions to protect fish fillets for a consistently premium product?

- Fish and Chips: Feeding Genetic Potential
Do you know what the gene chip means for your fish? It could unlock their genetic potential for maximum performance and productivity. How? Join us as we explore nutrigenomics.

- No Fish Makes Great Fish
As the aquaculture industry strives to manage finite fish meal supplies and fish oil resources, can we still produce a high-quality product? The solutions are out there. Learn how innovative ideas in feed development are helping aqua farmers convert to a zero fish in: fish out ratio. Come hear about Neo Green, a revolutionary trout diet from Coppens International.

- Pooling Resources for a Perfect Fish Environment
Intensive recirculation systems provide opportunities for growth in the aquaculture industry, where feeding the fish is not the only challenge. We must also maintain a complete and healthy ecosystem. From sturgeon to salmon and catfish to eels, the growth potential of this sector is enormous. Is this the future of aquaculture? Can we feed the world and maintain profitability?

- Offshore and Onshore: Wading Into the Future of the Salmon Industry
Can we provide the engineering solutions necessary for the harsh environment of the open ocean? Can we realistically produce five kilograms of salmon onshore in closed systems? Join Leif Rune Pederson of Norway's Erko Seafood as he dives into industry challenges and solutions.

*Topics subject to change as the schedule evolves.

Now in its 34th year, Alltech’s conference is attended annually by nearly 4,000 people from over 70 countries. Whether producers are navigating a fundamental change within the aqua industry or just need a little inspiration, they’ll learn about real-world opportunities and solutions at ONE18.

Learn more and register on the event website, HERE.

Register before March 31st and save $400.

Join the conversation with #ONE18 on Twitter, and follow the ONE18 Facebook event page for updates.

22/02/2018: Research shows organic acids as viable feed hygiene alternative for formaldehyde

Towards the end of 2017, the European Union denied the authorisation of formaldehyde as a preservative and hygiene condition enhancer

Foreseeing this decision, Swedish organic acid producer and feed additives manufacturer Perstorp has been researching the mode of action and effectiveness of organic acids against Salmonella for years.

Salmonella continues to be one of the biggest threats for animal production professionals. Blends of propionic and formic acid with specifically selected essential oils prove to be a potent solution to combat this pathogen.
Image credit: Shutterstock, via Perstorp

New data brought to light that propionic acid reduces the motility of Salmonella, and that specifically selected essential oils have a synergetic effect with organic acids. A new range of ProPhorce™ SA products puts these new insights to optimal use.

Formic acid is well known for its antibacterial properties and has been used to combat pathogens for years. In a new development, research at the faculty of veterinary medicine at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands (Burt et.al. 2016) shows that propionic acid also has an antibacterial effect that works synergistically to that of formic acid.

Where earlier trials have shown that some essential oils can allow formic acid to pass the cell wall and neutralise Salmonella, researchers now found that propionic acid effects on the motility of bacteria by stripping them of their flagella. This takes away the mobility of the pathogen and as such renders it harmless.

The trials executed at the University of Utrecht also show a clear synergy between all of these components where the efficacy of the combination is much higher than the sum of its parts or of other organic acid solutions that were tested.

“After the announcement of the EU about formaldehyde, we saw an immediate uptake in requests for alternatives from all corners of Europe” states Marc Kinjet, Portfolio Director Preservation for Perstorp Feed & Food. “Feed compounders absolutely need to actively eliminate Salmonella in their factories as it can lead to the closure of a plant when found. These combinations of formic and propionic acid with essential oils have the highest efficacy of any alternative to formaldehyde that we have seen”, he continues.

The tested products are marketed by Perstorp as the ProPhorce™ SA product range. All products are labelled non-ADR.

ProPhorce ™ is the property of the Perstorp Group.

For more information on this research including a downloadable copy of the peer-reviewed article (Burt et.al. 2016) visit the Perstorp Group website, HERE.

22/02/2018: Improving salmon production in fish farms using light

by Kristoffer Lindback Larsen, Evolys, Norway

Light as an element is equally important and foundational for life on earth, as for example air and water. However, in our eyes, light is the most important of these crucial elements that we replace and produce with artificial human technology

Evolys is a Norwegian company, working to understand how light affects the salmon photoreceptive cells and biology, and how light can be used to improve production of salmon in fish farms. This work is done in cooperation with the leading Norwegian fish farmers and research institutes.

Our goal is to use this science and knowledge to develop, manufacture and supply science-based products and solutions for optimal fish farming and production of salmon.

We see a robust and clear line between relevant literature, research projects, practical trials and the result of our solutions being used by several of the larger Norwegian fish farmers.

We have also learned that every project has its unique parameters, which will also affect the light technical requirements, for an optimal result. This also meaning that results we manage to achieve through light in one project, will not necessarily be possible to transfer to another project, without understanding these parameters and making the changes that are needed.

Evolys is also build on strong idealistic and humanitarian values, which has its foundation in the core of the company strategy. Our commercial goal is to use science to create the best possible solutions and products, with optimal performance, and also making these available for as many users as possible, through a decent and fair profit margin on the material and production cost of the luminaires. After our experience, we are succeeding with this, also with our products being produced in Norway, through an innovative and cost efficient business model.

As a case study and example of our work, we have recently through the most robust and controlled environment practical trial so far, in a modern land based post smolt fish farm in Norway, seen a linear improvement in growth and feed factor, by changing important light technical parameters. As we moved closer and closer against these given parameters, we could see a linear improvement, reaching as an average in the three rounds these trials were repeated, more than five percent increased growth and more than 10 percent improved feeding factor. The most positive with this project was also that we could find the results in line with our hypothesis every time individually, minimising the chance of other and unknown parameters causing or affecting the results.

Read the full article, HERE.

Amandus Kahl company profile

More than 130 years of experience in plant and machine manufacture have made Amandus Kahl a respected manufacturer and supplier of extruders, compound feed presses, wood pelleting plants or granulate coolers, for example.

The company’s motivation has always been to develop an even better product for their customers. For this reason they cooperate with research institutes and universities. You can always be sure that they will supply you an optimally customised wood pelleting plant, grain cooking plant, waste-tyre recycling plant etc.

Their scope of services also comprises maintenance and repair of the compacting machines, compound feed presses, extruders and wood pelleting plants as well as all other products they offer in their company.

Visit the website HERE.

21/02/2018: Visit Faivre at Aquaculture America now

Faivre is a french company, and one of the world leaders in the conception, manufacture and production of aquaculture machines.

They employ more than 30 people. Since 1958, thanks to their knowledge of the market and their strong experience in aquaculture, Faivre company has developed high quality products to satisfy all of your needs, from one product to the full installation.

Strength, effectiveness and simplicity are qualities of their productions! Let them realize your projects.

Find them at booth 309-311 in Las Vegas, Aquaculture America.

Visit their website here.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

21/02/2018: SmartFish Trade and Development Forum

Some 120 stakeholders from the small-scale sector (fish traders, processors, buyers, authorities & Others) from over 20 countries in Africa and the Indian Ocean Region will converge on Mauritius from the 15th to 17th March to participate in the largest Fish Trade & Development Forum for the small scale marine fisheries sector yet organised

The theme of the event is ‘Making money through sustainable fisheries’. The exhibition will showcase equipment, machinery, products from SmartFish beneficiaries, new technologies, potential for innovations, servicing the small-scale sector for processing, value addition, drying, packaging, labelling etc. Value chains for the octopus fisheries, shrimp fisheries, tuna fisheries, crab & sea cucumber fisheries etc., will be showcased.

This forum will target new avenues for market and trade development by promoting adapted technologies and investment opportunities.

The fisheries sector in Africa employs 12.3 million people. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the global fish trade is growing at a rate of five percent annually. The SmartFish Programme is the largest EU-funded fisheries programme in Africa, implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission.

For more information contact Erik on erik.hempel@hempelco.com or call +47 9084 1124

21/02/2018: Jérôme Le Friec appointed General Manager at the head of Diana Aqua

Since January 2018, Jérôme Le Friec has been appointed at the head of Diana Aqua, a global strategic growth segment for DIANA and the Symrise Group

Jérôme Le Friec's mission will be to define and implement the Aqua business strategy by developing, coordinating and managing the Aqua activity in accordance with Diana’s objectives.

Jérôme Le Friec
Image credit: Diana Aqua

He will lead the growth and profitability increase of Diana Aqua, coordinating the different departments involved in the activity, through the development of functional solutions dedicated to the aquaculture market. He will explore and develop external strategic partnerships.

Jérôme has 24 years of international experience in animal nutrition industry and feed additives. He began his career with Timab, Roullier group where he spent 17 years. He then joined Olmix where he was a Managing Director for 6 years before taking the position of Deputy General Manager at Mixcience (Avril group) in 2016.

About Diana Aqua
Diana Aqua develops and delivers advanced natural and sustainable solutions for the aquaculture feed industry, enhancing the nutrition and health of farmed fish and shrimp and, indirectly, the consumers’ well-being. Valorising marine co-products, Diana Aqua acts as a responsible and trustworthy partner contributing to the sustainable growth of aquaculture industry, providing advanced functionalities to the aqua feed players while enhancing aqua farms performance. Diana Aqua is part of Diana, a division of Symrise AG and relies on a unique global network of scientific and technological experts, a team of 140 passionate employees and five industrial sites all over the world.

Visit the Diana Aqua website, HERE.

21/02/2018: Ground-breaking fish stunning technology

by Ace Aquatec

Innovation award winners Ace Aquatec revealed their incredible new technology at this year’s Aqua Nor 2017 event in Norway.

The technology renders fish unconscious before they even leave the water, decreasing fish stress levels and therefore offering a more human alternative to traditional mechanical stunners.

Image credit: Ace Aquatec

A fish out of water
In traditional stunning systems there is a literal fish out of water problem. After taking the fish out of the water that they live and thrive in, they get pumped out of the water and then stunned by pneumatic, percussive or electric devices, often mechanical ones.

This can present many drawbacks, including;
• There are problems with fish that differ in size – some are not properly stunned.
• The fish is stressed, triggering cortisol to release into their body – which is turn lowers the quality of the filet.
• There is a significant limit to how many fish it is possible to stun in a given time – often one at a time.
• The systems are often mechanical – requiring spare parts and repairs.
• Mechanical systems are also prone to downtime.

Ace Aquatec has claimed that with their innovation they have found the solution to all of these problems. The company’s focus is no being directed onto fish welfare and the humane stunning and killing of the fish with the presentation of this new technology.

An unwanted compromise
Nathan Pyne-Carter, Executive Managing Director of Aquatec, who accepted the Innovation Award at AquaNor explains, “We saw that fish farmers had to compromise between efficiency and humane stunning. Our system stuns 100 percent of the fish every time. It also stuns them in the seawater – so they are not stressed before they are rendered unconscious. Some methods of slaughter cause fish to die over long periods of time – we wanted to improve this process for aquaculture and wild fishing vessels, for all species including crustaceans.”

What “no one else can offer”
There are other ‘stunning’ technologies on the market. However, as of yet, no one else can offer stunning before the fish is transported through the pump towards the processing line.

Typically electric stunners are used after the fish is already on a dry conveyor belt – on their way to be bled. By this time they have both suffered and been stressed.

It has taken the engineers at Ace Aquatec close to 10 years to perfect the electric current. Too much, and you damage the flesh. If you stun side to side you can create a current that transfers from fish to fish. Too low and the fish is not properly stunned.

Ace Aquatec can now show independent research studies that document both that there is no damage to the fish flesh or skin, and that the fish is 100 percent unconscious before bleeding and slaughtering.

Mr Pyne-Carter remarked, “We’re not worried about being copied for quite some time. This is precision work and finding the right settings and equipment is extremely hard.”

Read the full article, HERE.

Pages