The Aquaculturists: May 2018

Thursday, May 31, 2018

NOBA company profile

Image credit: Noba

Noba Vital Lipids is a leading Dutch manufacturer and supplier of high energy fatproducts for the animal feed industries, servicing greater Europe. Our strengths are rooted in more than 60 years of experience alongside our high standards of quality, which are fulfilled at every step of the production process.

NOBA is deeply committed to ensuring meticulous care and product safety during raw-material selection and processing, as well as in the final product. The result is the unbeatable quality found in each and every NOBA product.

Visit the 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

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Evonik company profile

Evonik is one of the world's leading specialty chemicals companies. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of their strategy, which is supported by their owners, RAG-Stiftung (74.99 percent) and funds managed by CVC Capital Partners (25.01 percent).

Their specialty chemicals activities focus on high-growth megatrends—especially health, nutrition, resource efficiency, and globalisation—and their goal is to enter attractive future-oriented markets.

In 2011 Evonik’s roughly 33,000 employees generated sales of €14.5 billion and an operating result (EBITDA) of €2.8 billion. More than 70 percent of sales are generated outside Germany, providing convincing evidence that our business is global.

Visit the website HERE.

31/05/2018: 25th Annual Practical Short Course on Aquaculture Feed Extrusion, Nutrition and Feed Management

A one-week Practical Short Course on Aquaculture Feed Extrusion, Nutrition and Feed Management will be presented on August 26-31, 2018 at Texas A&M University by staff, industry representative and consultants.

This program will cover information on designing new feed mills and selecting conveying, drying, grinding, conditioning and feed mixing equipment. Current practices for preparing full-fat soy meal processing; recycling fisheries by-products, raw material, extrusion of floating, sinking, and high fat feeds; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes, nutritional requirements of warn water fish and shrimp, feed managements and least cost formulation are reviewed.

Practical demonstration of sinking, floating, and high fat aqua feed, are demonstrated on four major types of extruders - (dry, interrupted flights, single and twin screw), using various shaping dies. Other demonstrations include: vacuum coating and lab analysis of the raw material for extrusion.

Reservations are accepted on a first-come basis. For more information, programs and application forms, contact:

Mian N. Riaz, Ph.D, CFS
Director, Process Engineering R& D Center
(Formally, Food Protein R&D Center)

Head - Extrusion Technology Program
Graduate Faculty, Nutrition and Food Science Dept.
2476 TAMU; Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-2476

Tel: 979-845-2774; Fax: 979-845-2744

For more information visit the website, HERE.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

30/05/2018: The path to the future we all want starts with transparency

Global Salmon Initiative members publish fifth year of sustainability data

The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) continues on its pathway to a more sustainable future for aquaculture, today releasing its fifth set of transparent sustainability data via its online reporting platform.

“As GSI members we are acting on our commitment to improve our social and environmental performance, and we know that transparency is an essential element of responsibility and in getting us to where we want to be in the future,” said Gerardo Balbontin, GSI Co-Chair and CEO of Blumar. “Our sustainability reporting is fundamental in building and retaining trust among the people and communities involved in our work, and in holding ourselves accountable to each other.”

The GSI Sustainability Report includes five years’ worth of data presented per company and per region, and covers 14 key sustainability indicators – nine environmental and five social.

Highlights from this report include:

- Farmed salmon continues to be one of the most eco-efficient forms of protein production – with the lowest carbon footprint, and lowest feed conversion ratio

- Over 40 percent of GSI production is now certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification; five years ago there were no farms certified to this high standard – progress has been impressive in all regions

- Due to an increase in the use of non-medicinal approaches and sharing of best-practices in sea lice management, over the five year period GSI members have reduced the use of medicinal sea lice treatments by 40 percent

- By continued innovations in the sourcing and efficiency of feed ingredients, GSI members have reduced their use of fish oil and fishmeal by, respectively, 16 percent and 15 percent (calculated per forage fish dependency ratio)

- Reports from GSI members on a wide variety of community projects which highlight their significant contribution to local and often remote communities

"All aspects of food production come with their challenges,” added Aaron McNevin, WWF´s Global Aquaculture Lead. “It is imperative that we all take the responsibility to bend the curve on biodiversity loss. When it comes to aquaculture, one of the fastest growing methods of producing food in the world, this means further reducing its environmental impacts, in this case, of global salmon farming. The GSI's commitment to transparency is evidence that they are committed to building a sustainable future. With five years of environmental data, it is promising to see positive trends emerging. We look forward to the industry continuing to move forward as well as increasing ASC certification to 100 percent."

Transparency has been identified by the GSI as one of its four pathways to a more sustainable future, alongside cooperation, responsibility and innovation; and speaking about today’s publication, Mr Balbontin commented on why the group has chosen transparency as one of its priority channels:

“Our ability to continue operations and pursue growth opportunities depends on long-lasting and mutually respectful relationships with our stakeholders. Transparent reporting across social, economic and environmental performance indicators not only shows our progress, but also provides the opportunity for us to engage with our stakeholders, respond to questions, and further focus our future performance responsibilities. Within GSI we are also committed to using our model of pre-competitive collaboration to accelerate environmental improvements, and to do that we must also be transparent on our performance with each other.”

Visit the GSI Sustainability Report, HERE.

Learn more about the GSI’s Pathways to the Future, HERE.

Visit the GSI website, HERE.

30/05/2018: Salmon, one of the most important species of fish in aquaculture

by Zasha Whiteway-Wilkinson, Production Editor, International Aquafeed

Salmon (salmonids) are one of the most important species of fish in aquaculture

In the US, Chinook salmon and rainbow trout also are most commonly farmed salmonids for recreational and subsistence fishing. In 2007, the aquaculture of salmonids was worth US$10.7 billion globally. The production has grown 10-fold during the 25 years from 1982-2007 and has continued to rise exponentially ever since.

Salmon
Image credit: Scazon on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

A challenge that the industry is working together to overcome at the moment is the problem of sea lice. This month’s ‘Expert topic’ examines the relationship between the most commonly farmed fish and the parasite that is threatening to decimate entire stocks of the fish from farms all over the world from Norway to Chile to Scotland.

The lice attach themselves to the fish and feed on them, similarly to ticks or nits on humans, this action however kills the stock or renders them unsuitable for sale to consumers. The lice can grow to roughly the size of a pea and lay thousands of eggs in their brief lifetime.

When in the wild, diseases and parasites are normally at low levels and kept in check by natural predation. However, in crowed pens they can easily become epidemics. These diseases and parasites also are known to transfer from farmed to wild salmon. According to “It’s all about salmon – Salmon Aquaculture”, by the Seafood Choices Alliance, Spring 2005, described links between the spread of parasitic sea lice from river salmon to wild pink salmon in the same river, the study was performed in British Columbia.

In 2002 the European Commission (2002) concluded, “The reduction of wild salmonid abundance is also linked to other factors but there is more and more scientific evidence establishing a direct link between the number of lice-infested wild fish and the presence of cages in the same estuary. Finally, it has also been reported that wild salmon on the west coast of Canada are being driven to extinction by sea lice from nearby salmon farms (“Declining Wild Salmon Populations in Relation to Parasites from Farm Salmon”). These predictions however were disputed by other scientists and recent harvests have indicated that the predictions were in error. In 2011, Scottish salmon farming introduced the use of farmed wrasse for the purpose of cleaning aquacultured salmon of the ectoparasites.

Read the full article, HERE.

FAMSUN company profile

Muyang Co, Ltd recently announced changing its brand name from Muyang to FAMSUN starting May 2014. This move is prompted by the idea of better illustrating the company’s business and the farm-to-table industry chain it serves. It is consistent with Muyang’s global strategy and its aim of becoming an integrated solution provider in the agro-industry.

FAMSUN originates from “famous, farm, family, sun and union”; it implies Muyang Co, Ltd’s development concept and vision, which is to build a green and healthy supply chain from farm to table together with its customers and to convert traditional agriculture into a modern, profitable and sustainable business with its integrated solutions in feed manufacturing, grain milling, grain handling and storage, food processing, as well as industrial automation.

The creative design of the FAMSUN logo features a beveled letter “F”, a curvy letter “A”, a stretching letter “S” and a friendly letter “U”. It will be the only signage representing Muyang’s business, products, service and solutions. Meanwhile, the company will continue to operate in its current structure, provide follow-up service based on relevant agreement, and its business contacts will remain unchanged.

Visit the website HERE.

29/05/2018: East African aquaculture requires greater investment of resources

According to an article recently published on Business Week, the East African Community, Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko has urged member states to allocate more resources towards the development of aquaculture in the region as the only solution to counteract the declining local fish stocks.

Fish
Image credit: Victoria Reay on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

Mr Mfumukeko noted that despite efforts by riparian countries around lake Victoria to sustainably manage fish resources especially, capture fisheries remained a big challenge with stocks of Nile Perch and Tilapia declining drastically.

“Aquaculture in East Africa has not developed its potential and the region accounts for only seven to eight percent of regional fish consumption. Overall demand for fish in the region is projected to rise substantially in the near future due to high population growth, increasing incomes and urbanisation. Developing aquaculture to meet the increasing demand for fish in East Africa is therefore crucial,” said Mr Mfumukeko.

The Ambassador made the remarks at consultative meeting with the head of European Union at the EAC Headquarters where they were launching a five year fish farming project titled European Union –East African Community True fish programme which targets EAC.

To read the full original article visit the Business Week website, HERE.

Monday, May 28, 2018

29/05/2018: Building relationships between Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and aquaculture

by Thierry Chopin, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada and panelist in Session 3 - Monaco Blue Initiative 2018

In Canada, it is becoming apparent that the wonderful, land-based, National Parks of the 19th and 20th centuries are sometimes not large enough, and are especially lacking buffer and transition zones and corridors for migratory populations.

We need to transfer this management knowledge to the marine environment. A mosaic of little MPAs will not be the solution.

Experiences from several parts of the world involving MAPs and aquaculture were given at the recent Monaco Blue Initiative 2018 held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Panelists in Session 3 on MPAs and Aquaculture touched on the following:

• Paul Tett, Coordinator of the European project AQUASPACE, Scottish Association for Marine Science, mentioned that in Scotland marine spatial planning, zoning and interactions between aquaculture and MPAs are regulated by law and gave the example of Loch Creran where salmon, mussel and oyster farming are taking place along recreational and commercial boating and the designation of a MPA.

• Rory Moore, Project Manager, Blue Marine Foundation, gave the example of Chile, where salmon aquaculture and nature conservation are experiencing difficulties finding common ground, whereas, in the Caspian Sea, aquaculture has been crucial for the protection of sturgeon.

• Kitty Brayne, United Kingdom Conservation Programme Manager of Blue Ventures, reported on two beneficial cases for both the ecosystems and local populations: the cultivation of seaweeds in Indonesia and of sea cucumbers in Madagascar.

• Iain Pollard, Standards Coordinator, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, reported on the successful certification of salmon aquaculture operations in southern Ireland, which, by controlling the quantity and the quality of the feed used, were having an acceptable environmental impact.

No to ‘no touch zones’
As the Scientific Director of the Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network, and having just returned from a trip to Brazil to establish a cooperation with Janaina Mitsue Kimpara - who was a panelist during the 7th MBI in São Paulo in 2016 – I was struck by the fact that MPAs in the western world are still largely based on a principle that excludes other activities and are pretty much “no touch zones”.

In Brazil, and other developing countries, there is more an adoption of the IUCN approach with seven types of reserves, of which types V and VI allow some activities; they are the Reserva Extrativista Marinha.

Read the full article, HERE.

Biomin company profile

BIOMIN are dedicated to finding innovative, trend-setting solutions that empower their customers to master existing and future challenges in animal nutrition– the natural way. The application of their scientific know-how and expertise, based on an in-depth understanding of their customer’s needs and concerns, enables them to deliver solutions that support animal health, optimise performance and production efficiency.

Research and development is one of the cornerstones of BIOMIN. Their strong in-house research and development, and global cooperation with leading institutions and organisations form the basis by which innovative solutions are developed for their customers.

Through joint projects with renowned universities and research institutes, BIOMIN is constantly in touch with the latest scientific know-how, from which novel feed additives are developed and produced. Their global network of collaborating institutions has grown to over 100.

One of the cornerstones of BIOMIN’s success is the ongoing improvement of their inhouse quality standards. In 1997, BIOMIN introduced the international ISO 9001 standard. The HACCP system, introduced subsequently at BIOMIN’s production sites, provides the quality assurance our customers seek from them. In addition, the feed quality standards QS and GMP+ guarantee the utmost degree of control and quality for their products – from raw material inputs right through to the final product.

Concerns over climate change and the role of greenhouse gases continue to rise. In September 2011, BIOMIN was internationally recognised through the award of ISO 14040 ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ certification. By optimising feed use and improving animal performance, it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations.Through innovative production technologies and advanced, scientific know-how, BIOMIN has pioneered several trend-setting solutions for a range of animal nutrition products, all of which utilise fully natural processes and ingredients.

An in-depth understanding of what the customer’s needs and concerns are has enabled BIOMIN to create and deliver solutions in-line with performance and efficiency goals.

Visit the BIOMIN website, HERE.

28/05/2018: 34th National Shellfish Marine Cultures Exhibition, France

Innovation, a driver for sustainable economic development

On October 17-18th 2018, the only national pre-season professional tradeshow devoted to shellfish professionals and conducive to commercial exchanges will be held at Chorus Parc des Expositions in Vannes, France.

A unique organising committee in France
Chorus - Parc des Expositions de Vannes, a subsidiary of GL Events, has formed a steering committee comprised of the main partners: the South Brittany Regional Shellfish Growers' Committee, the Morbihan Departmental Council, the Brittany Regional Council, the Caisse Regionale Credit Maritime Atlantique, the Coopérative Maritime, Nautil Cer France, le Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique and FranceAgrimer.

2017 was a good year with quality and conviviality on the menu
2017 closed its doors on a positive and dynamic outcome and business climate, welcomed by visitors, exhibitors, partners and journalists.

The variety of exhibitors, targeted regional, national and international visitors and topical workshops contributed to the quality and visitor numbers to the show.

Professionalisation of the show was combined with the convivial atmosphere, in the aisles, at the exhibitor gala evening and at the restaurant/bar. Everyone was delighted to meet, chat, exchange and gather information and make the most of the professional area available to exhibitors for appointments, meetings and demonstrations.

A national position with a complete offer and a pertinent communications plan
- The increasing attendance of exhibitors, partners and visitors helped the profession to see the perspectives and future of the shellfish sector at a national level. Everyone participated in sharing information and in the meetings and exchanges for and with professionals.

- Almost 90 exhibitors presented their products and services to over 2,100 visitors in 17 business sectors, including Transports and Fish Farming with us for the first time. The Environment and Waste Management sectors, and Water Treatment saw stronger representation in 2017.

- Shared, cross-disciplinary communication brought visitors from Western France, coastal areas and abroad:
- targeted communication in the national specialist media (paper and web)
- regional daily press covering all shellfish growing business areas in France
- supports (web, sites, newsletters) of our partners, professional networks and exhibitors
- paper and digital invitations to the show and its dedicated website

Stronger international presence and exchange
- A guest country of honour every year: Japan in 2012, Australia in 2014, the United States and Canada in 2016 and Mexico in 2017. This year, a delegation from the Western Coast of the United States (Pacific Shellfish Growers Association - PCSGA and Alaska Shellfish Growers Association - ASGA), represented by 22 professionals and scientists will be our 2018 guest of honour.

- A range of products and services increasingly aimed at international visitors: An increase in the number of international visitors from Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Russia, the United States, Belgium, Iran, Senegal… thanks to the attractive and diverse offering from Breton, French and international exhibitors.

- A website and supports translated by our participating translation partner Amanda Grey, present during the show and available to visitors and exhibitors.

Innovation, a vector for sustainable economic development for the aquaculture and marine culture sector
- Economic development of companies and the sector as a whole in a controlled environment with a dual objective:
- Make the show more professional
- Help to raise new questions within the profession (innovation, marketing, organisation, ecology, energy saving, diversification …)

- An innovation area led by Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique to highlight numerous products and services developed within the various sectors present at the show, and current or completed approved projects.

- Promotion of exhibiting companies presenting their latest innovations.

- The show supports activities linked with sustainable development and welcomes the sectors of solar and wind energy production, waste recovery, use of non-polluting materials and products, renewable energies, protection of coastal waters… adapted to the scale of the projects.

A programme of workshops and conferences to answer the concerns of professionals and compare and discuss the challenges, topical issues and perspectives for the shellfish sector

Planned Themes (subject to change):
- Algaculture
- Fish farming
- Risk management: Methods, support and assistance such as tax measures to help professionals integrate the idea of insurance.
- Feedback from FEAMP, with the participation of Jérôme Lafon from FranceAgrimer
- Health protection with the Breton health protection group GDS
- International conference with the participation of the delegation from the West Coast of the United States

Animations will be arranged, visitors will be able to win prizes offered by our partners and exhibitors

For more information contact:

Sylvie Masse
02 97 46 29 61
sylvie.masse@lechorus.com

Fédorah Saint
02 97 46 29 67
stagiaire.Chorus@lechorus.com

Sunday, May 27, 2018

28/05/2018: 25th Annual Practical Short Course on Aquaculture Feed Extrusion, Nutrition and Feed Management

This program will cover information on designing new feed mills and selecting conveying, drying, grinding, conditioning and feed mixing equipment. Current practices for preparing full-fat soy meal processing; recycling fisheries by-products, raw material, extrusion of floating, sinking, and high fat feeds; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes, nutritional requirements of warn water fish and shrimp, feed managements and least cost formulation are reviewed.

Practical demonstration of sinking, floating, and high fat aqua feed, are demonstrated on four major types of extruders - (dry, interrupted flights, single and twin screw), using various shaping dies. Other demonstrations include: vacuum coating and lab analysis of the raw material for extrusion.

Reservations are accepted on a first-come basis. For more information, programs and application forms, contact:

Mian N. Riaz, Ph.D, CFS
Director, Process Engineering R& D Center
(Formally, Food Protein R&D Center)

Head - Extrusion Technology Program
Graduate Faculty, Nutrition and Food Science Dept.

2476 TAMU; Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-2476

Tel: 979-845-2774; Fax: 979-845-2744

For more information visit the website, HERE.

28/05/2018: Protecting marine resources

by Roger Gilbert, Publisher, International Aquafeed

Seeking a shared vision, a collaborative framework and finding synergies

Edinburgh’s elite in terms of its experts in climate change, marine sciences, geo-science and conservation turned out on a warmish early-April Sunday evening in the heart of the city to welcome HSH Prince Albert I of Monaco and the ninth Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI).

Addressing delegates at an opening reception at the National Museum of Scotland, prior to the one-day conference, were Bernard Fautrier and Robert Calcagno, the vice-president of the Price Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the CEO of the Oceanographic Institute respectively.

In ‘Icebreaker’ comments, Robert Calcagno, the CEO of the Oceanographic Institute, noted that “on one side is aquaculture, the fastest growing marine activity worldwide” and which inevitably is a cause of pollution for the sea while on the other side, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are proving to be “the main framework to organise our activities for the sea while giving marine life central attention.”

He explained that 100 centuries after humans turned from hunting and gathering to growing and breeding animals on land we have turned our attention to marine species and the seas.

“When aquaculture happens in an ocean already under high pressure the challenges are really high.

“To meet this challenge tomorrow we must recognise how lucky we are to have an outstanding panel of highly experienced and talented people,” attending this year’s MBI in Scotland he added.

He made special note of how critical it is to add a new generation of postgraduate students and young professionals to the meeting and he thanked them for their participation.

“Transferring and fostering a passion for the sea is of utmost importance.

“The purpose of the MBI is to bring together various generations, backgrounds and disciplines to build a shared vision and a collective framework for action,” he added.

From father to great, great grandson
Professor Peter Mathieson, the principle and vice-chancellor of the University, who has been in post for just two months, was “thrilled and honoured” that the University had been chosen to host the ninth edition of the MBI and which “brings us together in friendship and cooperation” with regard to marine sciences.

Edinburgh and its university has a long and distinguished relationship with Monaco and the Monaco Oceanographic Institute and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Read the full article, HERE.

Nutriad company profile

The Nutriad story
The global population increases 50 percent in the next four decades. Livestock production and aquaculture has never been more challenging. Limited availability and changing quality of raw materials challenges intake, growth and performance.

Growing customer awareness and governmental regulations, especially related to health and safety, challenge your business. As manufacturer of state-of-the-art feed additives for more than 50 years they know the agricultural market. Still every day they are passionate about theirwork.

Their ambition is to be their customers’ first choice in palatability, mycotoxin management and digestive performance. Every day their people work on finding ways to improve your production.

Being active in more than 80 countries, they understand the global issues thoroughly. The experience of their dedicated local product specialists is available for you. In direct contact with you, Nutriad create the best practical solutions for today and tomorrow.

Nutriad's people
At Nutriad they believe that their people are our most valuable assets. People whose passion and personal values drive the company’s performance all over the world. Meet some of their team members that help shape Nutriad across the world.

Visit the company website HERE.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

25/05/2018: Stop taking the oceans for granted

The University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences hosted the ninth Monaco Blue Initiative.

Here, International Aquafeed reports a slightly abridged opening presentation by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Prince of Monaco. The one-day conference drew 100-plus invited delegates from 15 countries and was held in the University’s Old College ‘Playfair Library’ in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland.

“The Monaco Blue Initiative aims to help change our approach to the oceans by prioritizing specific, collective operational solutions. In this respect the Initiative was created as a result of an observation, a requirement and an aim.

“There is great complexity of the subjects related to the conservation of our oceans, which require different levels of action, technical expertise and complementary aims.

“We need to act in line with multiple rational taking into account sometimes contradictory requirements, reconciling the needs of man with those of nature as well as current crises and our duties to the future.

“But we need to act swiftly, because the requirement is to progress rapidly in the face of the dangers we face each year becoming increasingly specific and increasingly alarming.

“Whilst there is still time we must do everything we can to avoid irreversible tragedy; tragedies that we can already see looming on the horizon with the deterioration of our precious, fragile eco systems, the spread of plastic pollution, the daily disappearance of different plants and animal species.

“In order to reverse the cycle of this decline, we must adopt a new approach that is respectful.

“We must stop taking the ocean for granted and believing that it is permanent that we can take from it and that we can pour into it anything and everything without consequences.”

Acting together
“Our aim is to bring together the skills and means that are all too often dispersed, to encourage dialogue between experts and to mobile concerted action.

“We must act together otherwise we will not be able to progress in the right direction. Acting alone we will run out of ideas; acting alone we will run out of means; acting alone we will run out of determination and acting alone we would find we would be less efficient.

“We must never forget the multiple demands and their complexity which must be addressed in order to make a real difference. We must never forget the reality of the situation. As David Hume one of Scotland’s finest son once wrote, 'Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.'

“Indeed, being a man is precisely looking at different aspects of a problem and trying to reconcile them. That is why we need to work altogether.

“Today I would like to extend a welcome to Peter Thompson, the United Nation Special Envoy of the Oceans. Through his work he embodies a collective commitment by the nations of the world to the oceans and their importance to humanity.

“His appointment shows a new awareness by the international community which like him is equipped with remarkable skills and new means.

Read the full article, HERE.

25/05/2018: Aker BioMarine named Europe’s most innovative company

Aker BioMarine was named the most innovate company after a year-long journey in Europe's biggest and most prestigious business competition, the European Business Awards.

Aker BioMarine was one of 13 winners following a final live judging session, after the competition began last year with over 112,000 businesses from 34 countries initially considered.

“For us, innovation is a high priority and something that requires dedication every day. This prize is a recognition of our employees who are working for constant improvement and innovation in Aker BioMarine,” says Matts Johansen, CEO, Aker BioMarine.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards says, "Our winners are the gold standard for business excellence. They are also powerful examples of the growth potential for European business in today’s highly competitive global marketplace."

Over 450 successful business leaders from across Europe came together at the two day event with politicians, ambassadors and academics to the European Business Awards that sets out to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

In 2017, Aker BioMarine won the award as Norway's most innovative company. In recent years, Aker BioMarine has made significant investments in researching and developing new products.

"Over the past decade, we have been driven by our mission to improve human and planetary health. Innovation and people are the cornerstones of our success; we are explorers who think outside the ordinary while keeping our feet firmly on the ground,” says Mr Johansen.

Through extensive innovation and research projects in cooperation with major educational institutions, Aker BioMarine contributes to the development of skills and value creation in Norway. Eco-Harvesting technology and research on krill in fish feed are examples of this. Research and innovation are the cornerstones of the company, from the development of the company's harvesting and production technology to product development, commercialisation, and marketing.

For further information about the European Business Awards visit the website, HERE.

Visit the Aker Biomarine website, HERE.
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Jefo company profile

Jefo is a world leader in the field of non-medicated performance feed additives for the poultry, swine, ruminant and aquaculture sectors. Founded in Canada in 1982, today Jefo has offices on 5 continents, and specialises in the design, manufacturing, warehousing and JIT-distribution of an array of animal nutrition specialty products.

Jefo is a pioneer in the green revolution taking place in animal nutrition.

According to their website: "Our commitment is to providing effective alternatives for optimal performances in animal nutrition".

The Europe / Africa division of Jefo was created in 1998 and is headquartered in Nantes, France. We market a line of original products including vitamins, enzymes, organic acids and essential oils.

Visit the website HERE.

25/05/2018: The Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2018

LACQUA18 to be held with the VIII Colombian Congress of Aquaculture - VIII CCA in Bogotá, Colombia at the Ágora Convention Centre brings more and more surprises.

Magistral speakers
We are pleased to announce the confirmation of the participation of Drs Alejandro Flores and Sara Patricia Bonilla in the opening plenary of the Congress.

Dr Alejandro Flores
Image credit: WAS

Dr Flores is an Aquaculture Engineer from the Mar Technological Institute of Veracruz, Mexico with a Master's degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries Administration from the Institute of Aquaculture of the University of Stirling in Scotland, where he also completed his PhD in Aquaculture Sciences, oriented to the limnobiological characterisation of epicontinental water bodies for aquaculture and sectoral development planning. During his time in the academy, he generated more than 65 scientific articles and books and trained human resources, currently represented by independent researchers in various areas of knowledge that affect aquaculture. He worked as an international consultant in aquaculture, in the Program to Support the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Central American Isthmus (PRADEPESCA) of the European Union; He has also been an expert of the International Cooperation of Mexico in countries of Central America and Cuba.

He joined the United Nations Organisation for Food and Agriculture (FAO) in 2009, where he has been Coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Team for South America, as well as FAO representative in Argentina and Chile. He currently serves as Senior Officer of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Latin America and the Caribbean. In this work he has conducted processes such as the formulation of National Plans and Policies for the Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries in Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. In FAO, he has led regional processes such as the creation of the Aquaculture Network of the Americas and the Forum of Parliamentarians of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean, mechanisms to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture and fisheries; It has also conducted a regional program to strengthen the capacities of aquaculturists with limited resources, for their self-sustainability and inclusion in markets beyond their communities.

Dr Sara Patricia Bonilla
image credit: WAS

Dr Sara Patricia Bonilla is a Business Administrator of the Universidad Pontificia Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, specialising in Innovation, Technological Development and Transfer of International Technologies in Germany and Master in International Relations at the Universidad Pontificia Javeriana in Colombia. Since 2004 his professional career has been developed in the area of aquaculture. She was Executive Vice President of Acuanal, a guild of shrimp producers in Colombia. She worked in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as National Technical Secretary of the Aquaculture Chain, while serving as advisor to the Colombian Federation of Aquaculture, FEDEACUA, a guild of which she is the Executive Director since 2012.

As Executive Director, she leads the most important Quality Program in the Aquaculture sector in Colombia, which aims to implement Good Practices in Aquaculture, which has had favorable results for the Colombian fish industry, reflected in the increase in Colombian exports, positioning the country as the second supplier of fresh tilapia fillet in the United States. Likewise, he leads the research group AQUASOST, recognised by Colciencias and a new formalisation challenge for small Colombian fish producers.

Just as the participation of these two personalities is confirmed for the inauguration of LACQUA18 we are pleased to confirm the agreement reached with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation - UNIDO. With this agreement, the participation of UNIDO, on October 25, with the special session Regional Project for the "Improvement of productivity and competitiveness of the value chains of fisheries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region" is specified. The coordinator of the session will be Mr Alejandro Rivera Rojas, Program Officer of the Latin American and Caribbean Division of UNIDO. This session will present the regional action plan, results by country and continuity proposals, as well as the presentation of the Technical Guide on the application of resource efficiency and cleaner production in the shrimp farming sector. Special guests are expected from various entities such as the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and FEDEACUA, among others.

Aquaculture in Colombia
LACQUA18 has the support of the Colombian Federation of Aquaculture - FEDEACUA, an entity that represents Colombian fish producers, which guarantees the participation of the Colombian productive sector in this important event. Likewise, it is expected that FEDEACUA, from the hand of government entities such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Productive Transformation Program - PTP of the Ministry of Commerce, will present to the public the results of several works that have been done together to improve the productivity and quality of Colombian fish farming, which has been reflected in the increase in exports.

Colombia represents one of the prominent markets in the aquaculture sector, demonstrated by the growth of 10.2% in 2017 compared to 2016 in continental fish farming, with a total of 120,230 tonnes. In the last decade it grew at an average annual rate of 8.54%. For this reason, we are happy to announce that the trade fair in LACQUA18, which has 72 commercial stands, will be a success. National and foreign companies that belong to all the links of the aquaculture chain have already confirmed their participation, among which are Xpertsea, Jefo, Faivre, Fisanet, Darling, TGV, Acqua & Co, Prilabsa, Haxada - Nutreco, Italcol, MSD, Andritz, Tecnoaqua, Xylem, Pharvet, Wenger, Kaeser Compressors, Artkom, USSEC, Aker Biomarine and Quimtia, among others.

Tours to production systems
Within the framework of the event, the possibility of two visits to aquaculture production systems will be offered:
Option 1: visit to the production company of rainbow trout and vegetables in aquaponic system.
Option 2: visit to a production system of red tilapia in biofloc, with a subsequent trip to the company producing ornamental fish such as scalars and dancers as well as production of aquatic plants.

The two tours will be held on Tuesday, October 23 and Saturday, October 27, so that you can attend a tour every day. Take advantage of this opportunity to know alternative and successful systems in Colombian conditions.

Submission of abstracts
The academic component of LACQUA18 has opened its call for the submission of works on various topics among which are the most cultivated aquatic species in Colombia and in countries of the LACC area, with special focus on tilapia, trout, native South American fish and shrimp, as well as diverse topics such as production systems, sustainable aquaculture, health and diseases, physiology and genetics, nutrition and food, processing and economics, and aquaculture socioeconomy. Oral presentations and posters, as well as summaries, may be developed in Spanish, Portuguese or English.

Abstract submission can be made until August 1, 2018 on the event page, HERE.

Information on ways to participate as an assistant or sponsor can be consulted at the link, HERE.

For more information contact Carolina Amézquita Móvil on carolina@was.org or by calling +57 3184669122

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

24/05/2018: Global winners of Alltech Young Scientist program revealed

Announcement made during exciting exploration of ideas and innovation at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE18)

Now in its 13th year, the Alltech Young Scientist program returned to reward university students for their innovative scientific research. The world’s largest agriscience program of its kind culminated at ONE18, where eight finalists — four graduate students and four undergraduate students — presented their research to a panel of international judges.

Dr Mark Lyons addresses the audience at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference 2018
Image credit: Alltech

The undergraduate winner of $5,000 and a fully funded Ph.D. program at the university of her choice is Leesa-Joy Flanagan, representing the University of Adelaide in Australia. Her work focused on the effects of different sources of undegradable dietary protein on lamb growth, daily weight gain and voluntary feed intake.

The graduate winner of $10,000 and a fully funded postdoctoral position is Saheed Salami, representing the University of Catania in Italy. His research investigated cardoon meal as a novel feed and its effect on lamb performance, rumen function and meat quality.

The newly added Impact Award recognised a project with the potential to make a significant impact on agriculture. The winner of the $1,000 prize is Moisés Poli from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil. His research focused on Pacific white shrimp and Nile tilapia integration in a biofloc system under different fish stocking densities.

“We reviewed projects representing 86 universities,” said Dr Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech. “These young scientists demonstrate that the future of scientific discovery is bright.”

On its closing day, ONE18 highlighted the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across all sectors of business and agriculture. Reflecting that spirit, The Pearse Lyons Accelerator returned for the second year, bringing eight startups to the conference’s mainstage. The next generation of ag-tech ideas were pitched to a global audience of thousands, including international press and potential investors. The unique opportunity for startups is a collaborative project between Alltech and Dogpatch Labs, Ireland’s leading startup hub.

Eight participants in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator presented their ag-tech startup companies on the mainstage at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference 2018
Image credit: Alltech

The 2018 Pearse Lyons Accelerator participants include:
• ENTOCYCLE
From the United Kingdom, the world's first environmentally controlled, fully automated system to produce industrial levels of Black Soldier Fly protein.

• SMARTBOW
From Austria, a SMART eartag sensor to monitor the activity and position of each animal. Provides farmers with information to make reliable decisions.

• eggXYT
From Israel, technology that allows hatcheries and chicken breeders to detect the gender of chicken embryos.

• VENCE
From the United States, virtual fencing and autonomous animal control. Vence enables management and monitoring of livestock via smartphones.

• PEN/POINT
From the United States, a combination of real-time data and nutritional breakthroughs to tackle Bovine Respiratory Disease for healthier cattle and a safer beef supply.

• adentro
From the United States, technology that naturally activates bio-immunity in plants by switching on its defense genes.

• truly
From the United States, personalised supplement programs backed by nutrigenomics research. Designed to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and to meet daily nutrient needs.

• Alltech SMART dairy
From Canada, a program designed to deploy Alltech's nutrition and ag-tech breakthroughs to farms via nutritionists.

“Six of the 10 participants last year were listed as top 100 agri-tech companies in the world,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer at Alltech. “That is indicative of the companies applying.”

Connolly noted that last year’s participants in The Pearse Lyons Accelerator were able to access 28 new markets and generate a total of $50 million in qualified leads.

Tuesday’s keynote lineup included Beth Comstock, who served as vice chair of General Electric and president of integrated media at NBCUniversal. She urged the audience to rediscover the power of imagination without fear of failure. “We can no longer fail to imagine,” she said.

“We can no longer fail to fail. What are you going to give yourself permission to try?”

The ONE18 mainstage also welcomed David E. Bell, professor of agriculture and business at Harvard Business School, and Robert Wolcott, clinical professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

More than 3,600 attendees from 76 countries convened at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, from May 20–22 to explore innovative ideas in science, agriculture and business.

The 34th annual conference demonstrated the forward-focused energy of Alltech as the company continues the mission of its visionary founder, Dr Pearse Lyons, who passed away March 8.

“Together we can work toward a planet of plenty,” said Dr Mark Lyons, president of Alltech. “What is your ONE big idea? Share it and make it happen.”

ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference will be back in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, May 19–21, 2019.

Visit the website to learn more and to experience the highlights from ONE18, HERE.

24/05/2018: The Athens of the North: Monaco Blue Initiative comes to Edinburgh

As told by Professor David Munro, Former Director of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

The reason why delegates gathered in Edinburgh to attend the 2018 Monaco Blue oceans conference can be traced back to a chance encounter during the last week of July 1898 when two ships coincidentally set anchor side-by-side in the port of Tromsø in northern Norway.

The first ship to arrive was the Princess Alice II, the research vessel of the ‘sailor prince’ HSH Prince Albert I of Monaco, who was making his first voyage northwards into Arctic waters to undertake oceanographical research. The second ship, owned by the thread-making magnate Andrew Coats from Paisley in Scotland, was the private yacht Blencathra, heading southwards after a sporting voyage to Novaya Zemlaya.

On board this ship was the Scottish naturalist, oceanographer and polar explorer William Speirs Bruce who had been offered the opportunity to undertake air and sea observations on this his third voyage into polar waters.

Bruce could not believe his good fortune when the Prince invited him to join his northern cruise to Svalbard.

This, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, but not only that, it was the beginning of a fruitful scientific collaboration that was to last the rest of their lives. They made several subsequent visits to Svalbard together and the Prince supported Bruce’s 1902-04 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition by supplying scientific instruments to assist with oceanographical studies in the South Atlantic.

Attracted to Edinburgh as a student in 1887 by the opportunity to study at the marine laboratory on the Firth of Forth and to work on the scientific data brought back to Edinburgh by the Challenger Expedition (1872-75), Bruce was eventually to establish his Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh, a facility that was officially opened by Prince Albert I in January 1907.

Read the full article in the International Aquafeed online edition, HERE.

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