Wednesday, March 31, 2021
VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia postponed to January 2022
Meat Pro Asia, Asia's leading processing and packaging trade fair for egg, poultry, meat, seafood and food products, organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. and VNU Asia Pacific is also postponed to be co-located with VIV Asia.
Two international leading events for the animal protein production business in Asia, under one roof: an unprecedented and remarkable opportunity. VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia will take place on January 12-14, 2022, at the Challenger Halls - IMPACT, Bangkok, Thailand based on the announcement by The Ministry of Tourism and Sports on a new four-phase plan that would see the country fully opened to international visitors by January 2022.
'Our new dates and plan are aligned with the announcement from the Thai Government to fully reopen by January 2022,' says Heiko M. Stutzinger, Director VIV worldwide and Managing Director VNU Asia Pacific and VNU Europe. 'As for VICTAM and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia, the organisers are working on a forward-driven solution in order to synergistically combine the events in Bangkok. All details and implications for partners and customers regarding the new set-up will be communicated in the coming weeks,' adds Mr Stutzinger.
VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia postponement
'The reason for this step into 2022 is our strong commitment to offer our clients a truly international platform in Bangkok. Stakeholders from all over the world should be in the condition to participate and make the three day event a real booster for business. We strongly believe that the new dates will benefit all parties and stakeholders planning to attend VIV Asia,' says Zhenja Antochin, Senior Project Manager VNU Europe.
'Thanks to the good cooperation with our partners, we were able to secure a prime timeslot for VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia in 2022. From this postponement our exhibitors and visitors can expect a fruitful and safe event,' says Panadda Kongma, Director Agribusiness and Operations VNU Asia Pacific.
Digital event heading up to the in-person dates
Prior to the in-person trade shows in January next year, VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia will organise a digital event in September 2021. Offered to both events exhibiting companies as a complimentary business opportunity, the online platform will maximise exposure for exhibitors and provide a convenient sourcing option for buyers from all over Asia during this year. Networking and knowledge sharing sessions will also be facilitated through the platform. More details on the digital dates will follow in due course.
Stay tuned and we will see you next year at VIV Asia and Meat Pro Asia.
For more information visit the VIV Asia website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Blue Aqua launches exclusive ‘Doctor Shrimp Academy’ to educate and inspire others in aquaculture
Doctor Shrimp Academy will accept applications of students for both in-person and online courses, specialising in both intensive and super-intensive shrimp farming.
'This Academy is all about sharing our many years of experience and practical knowledge,' says Dr Farshad Shishehchian, Blue Aqua International's CEO & Founder.
Image credit: Blue Aqua International |
The Academy provides both hands-on and theory education in the five main cultured species of shrimp: Litopenaeus vannamei, Penaeus monodon, Marsupenaeus japonicus, Penaeus indicus, and Litopenaeus stylirostris. At the Academy, accepted students can access a library of knowledge from the industry's most advocated scientists, aquaculturists, and technical experts — along with a community of its thousands of farmers.
'Participants can now be directly involved in a hands-on experience with the best experts in the field,' says Dr Shishehchian. 'This is all about practical training with people working in the field, not just theory and textbooks.'
The Academy draws on Blue Aqua's experience as the industry leader in shrimp farming to educate and inspire students in all facets of both art and science. In partnership with Temasek Polytechnic, the academy's offerings include Fundamentals of Shrimp Farming, Biosecurity and Health management, and Entrepreneurship in Shrimp Farming. An advanced version of the course also gives students hands-on training at Blue Aqua's commercial indoor shrimp farm in Singapore, the facility known for its super-intensive production and sustainable practices.
Accepted students will enroll in courses ranging from seven days to three months and are aimed at shrimp farmers across the globe, investors in aquaculture, and those starting businesses in aquaculture. Each course accepts a maximum of 10 students, to allow for a highly personalised and unique educational experience.
Blue Aqua International works with more than 4,000 farmers globally, using its patented Mixotrophic System, which helps inform and generate first-hand knowledge which is then relayed to other farmers and educational institutions.
As a full-service company, Blue Aqua International provides farmcare products, laboratory services, disease detection and solution, farming and technical training. The company also invests heavily in its own technology and R&D.
Blue Aqua has one of the largest land-based farms in Singapore, which provides shrimp to FairPrice Hypermarkets and FairPrice Finest. Blue Aqua's goal is to maximise its production of seafood to supply to the Singapore's market, to ultimately create a sustainable food future. The objective is in line with Singapore's 30x30 initiative which aims for the city-state to produce 30 percent of its nutritional needs domestically by 2030.
'Our goal is to take our knowledge to help, support and guide other farmers around the world to have increased profitability, sustainability and security in food production,' says Dr Shishehchian.
For more information visit the Blue Aqua International website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Blue Ocean Technology with major sales to the USA
Aquaculture sludge treatment experts, Blue Ocean Technology AS has entered into an agreement for two large sludge treatment plants for American Aquafarms.
The systems will be used in connection with closed pens in the sea and have a capacity of 15,000 tonnes each. The agreement includes a permanent Blue Ocean Technology presence on the American continent.
Image credit: Blue Ocean Technology
'This plant becomes a giant in closed farming, with full control of all emissions and the entire value chain. We will be part of the project, from start to completion - and further into the operational phase," says Jan Henning Legreid from Blue Ocean Technology.
The plant from Blue Ocean Technology will take advantage of nature-based flocculants, and a very high level of purification of all water to be released to sea. Special focus is on nitrogen, ammonium SS and TOC. The purity also makes reusing the water in own processes possible, reducing the pressure on the plant's water supply.
'We have long seen a growing demand for sludge solutions for use in closed facilities in the sea. This often places great demands on energy-efficient and compact facilities - with robust design and high reliability,' Mr Legreid concludes.
American Aquafarms' plant in Maine will be the world's largest full-cycle aquaculture facility based on closed cages in the sea.
Visit the Blue Ocean Technology website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Alltech ONE Ideas Conference returns virtually in 2021 with exclusive access to insights from agri-food experts
Now in its 37th year, Alltech's flagship event continues to be an invaluable industry resource, with unmatched content and innovative ideas, inspiration and motivation from world-class speakers. The virtual platform provides on-demand tracks, streaming keynote presentations and live Q&A chats with select speakers — and this year, it will also offer an interactive networking experience, allowing attendees to connect with their peers from around the world.
ONE brings together industry thought-leaders and changemakers in an exploration of the power of science, sustainability and storytelling. This year's virtual event features tracks that will uncover the challenges and opportunities in the aquaculture, beef, business, crop science, dairy, equine, health and wellness, pet, pig, and poultry sectors.
Each May, the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference typically attracts over 3,500 attendees from more than 70 countries to Lexington, Kentucky, USA. In 2020, ONE transformed into the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience and brought more than 21,500 registrants from 126 countries together online, with continued registration throughout the year and engaging new content released monthly.
Keynote speaker announcements are coming soon, and this year's line-up promises to be as dynamic as ever. Previous ONE keynote speakers include Bear Grylls, Gen. Colin Powell, Steve Wozniak and Beth Comstock.
Registration for the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference is now open on the Alltech website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Monday, March 29, 2021
AB Vista launches online dietary fibre calculator to help nutritionists optimise animal diets
The calculator offers the option of entering up to 28 different raw materials, along with the daily total intake in kg, to show the fibre composition of the feed and the daily fibre intake in either a data or graphic view.
Image credit: AB Vista |
The parameters within the calculator represent the values that are available within AB Vista's new Dietary Fibre analysis service, part of the company's comprehensive NIR offering.
The calculator is accessible, HERE.
Visit the AB Vista website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Anpario reports sales and profits rise in challenging year
Anpario is a leading the independent manufacturer of natural sustainable animal feed additives for animal health, nutrition and biosecurity. Strong trading, especially in the Americas, Europe and China, helped Anpario plc increase sales by five percent to £30.5m and profit before tax by 22 percent to £5.4m in its results for the year ended 31 December 2020.
'I am delighted to report our Group's best operating performance to date, notwithstanding that 2020 was an extremely challenging year because of the Covid-19 pandemic,' says Anpario chief executive Richard Edwards. 'This performance was due to the swift implementation of our Covid-19 response plans and the commitment, flexibility and supreme efforts of our staff. The resilience of our systems and operating procedures have meant that we were able to operate as near normal as possible, ensuring customers did not experience disruption in supply.'
Richard Edwards, Anpario CEO Image credit: Anpario |
Anpario's natural products, such as Orego-Stim®, have seen strong demand not only when legislation such as the banning of antibiotic growth promoters or formaldehyde is implemented, but also to improve animal health. This delivers performance benefits to farmers and meat processors in producing safe and sustainable food for consumers in a biosecure environment.
The company's strategy to set up local subsidiaries and sales teams has seen success. The strongest growth has come through these channels which have been able to fully support end customers throughout the pandemic. Anpario has also invested in an automated pallet delivery system which has increased production capacity and streamlined the output processes at the Manton Wood production plant.
The company anticipates keeping most of its Covid-19 response measures in place for the foreseeable future given the prevalence of the second wave of infections across the world but expects that as the vaccination programs are implemented then business development initiatives, which require a more personal touch, will resume. The Company has not made use of any of the UK Government's financial support measures available in relation to Covid-19.
Anpario's Board is recommending a final dividend of 6.25 pence per share and (2019: 5.5 pence) making a total of 9.0 pence per share for the year (2019: 8.0 pence), an increase of 12.5 percent.
International round up
Americas
US growth accelerated in the second half driven by an increase in sales of the liquid version of Orego-Stim® and supplying smaller customers and orders through its relationship with the leading US animal health distribution company. Further trial work is being undertaken to support the marketing of Orego-Stim® as a natural coccidiostat to prevent the incidence of coccidiosis in poultry.
Anpario's high strength acid-based eubiotic, pHorce®, showed excellent results in a trial undertaken by Pipestone Applied Research to evaluate the ability of feed additives to mitigate the risk of virus-contaminated feed. The company is now starting to capture swine business in the US following an investment in sales resource and a turnaround in the market there.
Latin America performance was supported with key contributions from Brazil, Argentina and Peru. Brazil continued to benefit from growth in Orego-Stim® and Prefect® with a strong sales performance of 34 percent growth. Brazil also benefited from supplying China as its production recovers from African Swine Fever and the switch away from US supply of meat protein as result of the US-China trade tensions. Other countries including Chile, Mexico and Bolivia were however badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A focus on aquaculture in the region is starting to mature with products such as Orego-Stim®, Prefect® and Mastercube®, a natural pellet binder, used to improve production performance and replace commonly used antibiotics.
Asia
China delivered a strong recovery in sales in the second half ending the year 50 percent ahead. The country's quick recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the rebuilding of pig herds by farmers, helped drive volumes of Orego-Stim® and Prefect®. Anpario is seeing the emergence of larger farms with enhanced biosecurity and the industry taking the opportunity to modernise its approach.
Another key driver of growth in China has been the ban on antibiotic growth promoters in feed as essential oil products, like Orego-Stim®, are viewed as a natural replacement.
South East Asia had a strong first half but slowed during the rest of the year. The region was significantly impacted by reduced protein consumption and excess poultry production in Thailand which affected producer prices across the region. There was also an element of forward ordering by some distributors to reduce the chance of disruption to supply during the pandemic.
Anpario's wholly owned subsidiaries showed strong performances with Indonesia and Thailand delivering sales growth of 67 percent and 14 percent respectively. South Korea also performed well with growth of 16 percent. However, Bangladesh and Taiwan experienced the most severe sales declines with certain parts of the region experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections with a consequential reduction on meat protein consumption.
Anpario is targeting opportunities in aquaculture in the region where it hopes to capitalise on successful trials work in tilapia and shrimp in Latin America. It is also looking to set up a subsidiary in Vietnam which is a key market in both agriculture and aquaculture.
The Middle East and Africa
After last year's strong performance, the region saw a decline in sales of 38 percent. The region has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as cancelled religious celebrations and pilgrimages, a fall in tourism and foreign workers returning home reduced meat protein consumption. There were some positive performances in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan but offset by declines in Turkey, Egypt and Iraq. Anpario expects the region to remain challenging although business development initiatives should see an improvement in performance over last year.
Europe showed strong sales up 27 percent. The UK delivered a very strong performance through greater demand for raw materials and feed hygiene products which are benefiting from the ban in the use of formaldehyde. Russia, Belarus and Lithuania also saw double digit sales increases, as did Austria.
Sales and visits to the Anpario Direct online platform continued to grow monthly with the average order size being £85. The company has agreed a deal with Provita Eurotech, a main brand manufacturer of animal health products for cattle and sheep, to stock a focused range of their key lambing and calving products including colostrum, vitamin and mineral drenches and hoof-care treatments. Anpario hopes that stocking the UK's leading brand manufacturer will attract new customers to the Anpario online channel, which offers 100 percent availability and next day nationwide delivery.
Brexit
In anticipation of Brexit, Anpario put a number of measures in place, including building up raw material and finished stock levels and incorporating German and Irish companies. Raw material supplies, which are mostly sourced from Europe, have not experienced any disruption, and the company has been able to transport products to our customers into the European Union by resolving the challenges presented.
However, Anpario feels the new trading relationship with the EU is settling down and has set up a European stockholding hub in the Netherlands using a third-party warehousing and logistics provider. This dedicated hub will enable the company to grow direct to end-user business and offer quick delivery and high levels of service to European customers.
Visit the Anpario website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Zinpro celebrates 50th anniversary with performance-driven focus for the future
'For the past 50 years, customers have relied on Zinpro to continually develop trace mineral products to help improve animal health and performance,' says Rob Sheffer, president and CEO of Zinpro. 'With a new brand identity that reflects our comprehensive, solutions-based approach, Zinpro is determined to remain the industry leader for the next 50 years. We are a performance company working side-by-side with our customers and partners to achieve better outcomes for animals and people.'
Image credit: Zinpro |
'Fifty years is a remarkable achievement,' adds Mr Sheffer. 'From humble beginnings, Zinpro has grown into the company we are today through scientific discovery to develop our products and continually advance our industry. This commitment to proven, tested solutions has helped us build trust with customers across the globe.'
Today, the family-owned company employs a team of world class animal scientists, has 11 regional offices worldwide and sells its products in more than 70 countries across the globe.
Zinpro's team of experts helps producers with everyday animal health challenges including lameness prevention and inflammation management, while improving lifetime performance and productivity. And now, Zinpro is bringing this same approach to trace mineral nutrition for people through Mend + Defend®, its line of premium nutritional supplements designed for people looking for gut health and immunity solutions.
A key differentiator, Zinpro's performance minerals utilize a unique pathway for absorption – the amino acid transporter – allowing for exceptional uptake. This discovery – and subsequent peer-reviewed research across species – was foundational to the company's hard-fought success and continues to create new, innovative solutions.
To learn more about Zinpro's animal nutrition solutions and how Zinpro is more than minerals, visit the Zinpro website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Monday, March 22, 2021
Victoria Parr joins Veramaris® to drive sustainable seafood growth from farm to fork
Ms Parr's seafood credentials are exemplary and include director roles at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), and AquaChile with a focus on their premium brand, Verlasso.
Victoria Parr Image credit: Leslie Gabaldón |
Ms Parr plans to work closely with seafood wholesalers, retailers and foodservice professionals to help them understand how a scaleable algae source of EPA & DHA Omega-3 in the fish diet results in a healthy, delicious, sustainable choice on the plate.
In turn, Ms Parr will reach out to producers to help them understand the advantages like enhanced disease resistance, growth, and stress resilience that including marine algal oil provides for their businesses.
This past year has certainly been exciting for Veramaris, whose Omega-3 rich algae oil has been making waves not just in the aquaculture industry but in the pet food arena as well.
Recent developments have included Veramaris becoming the first microalgae oil producer to receive joint certification by ASC-MSC; the launch of Veramaris® Pets, swiftly followed by GRAS authorisation as a dog and cat food ingredient; and the on-boarding of pet food expert Jeff Alix and ex-Cargill comms lead Nathalie Gross.
Adding Ms Parr to the team further boosts the company's US efforts and puts Veramaris firmly on track to achieve its business growth goals.
'Success in this new role' says Ms Parr, 'means supporting aquaculture as it continues to scale-up, sustainably. When customers choose our natural, marine algae oil – grown in our Nebraska USA, zero-waste facility - they are relieving pressure on the ocean's vulnerable forage fish populations while increasing their product quality and nutritional value, improving animal welfare, human health, and the health of the planet. It's a dream job.
'I have been fortunate to work with inspiring people and brands in my career. I am my grateful to the industry, especially to a core group who have supported me. We have the opportunity now to break away from the status quo. Demand for seafood is rising, and now is the time to be innovative – even bold – in how we add value and reduce friction all along the supply chain to the fork.'
Veramaris is a globally oriented scale-up organisation that leads the ongoing revolution in new, sustainable feed ingredients for aquaculture and pet foods. Salmon, cats and dogs can now grow up on EPA & DHA Omega-3 from natural marine algae, reducing wild-caught fish in the feed. Veramaris supports the continued sustainable growth of aquaculture and pet foods.
Visit the Veramaris website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
BioMar announces new division for Asia
Following the announcement of the new partnership with Viet-Uc in Vietnam, BioMar has now made changes in executive management announcing a VP for Asia. This role will set the strategic direction for the region and support the integration and further development of the business units.
Luis García Romero (MD West MED) and Francois Loubere (VP ASIA) Image credit: BioMar |
'The new division for Asia is a milestone on our growth journey. We will, going forward, have a dedicated focus on the region in our executive management. We expect this change to accelerate our development of the business units and enable a broader commercial focus in the region', explains Carlos Diaz, CEO, BioMar.
With more than 30 years of experience in BioMar and the aquaculture industry, Francois Loubere has been a key contributor building up the BioMar business unit in West Med & Africa as well as contributing to several strategic business development projects. Francois Loubere will join the Executive Committee in BioMar Group.
Following this change, the commercial manager in West Med & Africa, Luis García Romero will take over the position as Managing Director for the business unit. With a little less than two years in BioMar Group, he has already proven himself to be a strong commercial profile with a steep learning curve and a very solid business understanding.
Visit the BioMar website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Friday, March 19, 2021
Bühler invites you for second visit to their Virtual World
virtualworld.buhlergroup.com |
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Fully-funded aquaculture MSc scholarships available for 2021 entry at University of St Andrews, UK
The full scholarships, which cover all tuition fees for the two-year distance learning masters in Sustainable Aquaculture are open to students living in certain Commonwealth countries.
The online course starts in September 2021 and applicants must have a degree (2:1 or above) in a scientific subject and live in one of the following Commonwealth countries:
Bangladesh, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Eswatini, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.
"Our courses have attracted students from over 40 countries and more than 90 students have graduated at postgraduate level," says course director, Dr Neil Hazon.
Those interested in the opportunity who are eligible, must first apply to the University of St Andrews to enrol on the Online Sustainable Aquaculture MSc course. Successful applicants can then apply for scholarship funding.
"In particular applicants should demonstrate how they can promote the development of sustainable aquaculture within their country," says Dr Hazon.
The pre-application window is 15 March - 4 April 2021, to allow time to complete the full application process as you must receive an offer from University of St Andrews before you can apply for CSC scholarship funding.
Those interested need to act quickly and complete the pre-application process, HERE.
Details of the course are available, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Register now for the Online Milling School's session on Feed Mill Design and Construction
The session considers the steps involved in design and construction of a new feed mill and/or extension of existing plants. The best process and practices to follow during the design process are review and explained.
Agenda
- Feed mill design and planning
- Designing Energy Efficient Feed Plants
Speakers
Mr. Johannes Wick
CEO Grains and Food, Bühler
Johannes Wick joined Bühler in 2014 and took over the management of Grain Milling, the largest business area. He has led the Bühler Grains & Food business since April 1, 2016. Prior to joining Bühler, he worked for more than 20 years in different management positions in the energy and infrastructure sector at ABB, ABB Alstom Power, Iberdrola, and Alstom.
Mr Wick earned a Master's degree in Engineering at the ETH in Zurich with an exchange at the Technical University in Madrid. He expanded his knowledge with an MBA from IESE in Barcelona with an exchange at Sloan Management School of Business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston.
Ryan Alan S. Celis
Feed Mill Owner and Feed Mill Engineering Consultant
A mechanical engineer by training Ryan started with San Miguel Philippines in 1988 and undertook various positions, including head of Maintenance, Plant Engineer and latterly Manufacturing Manager for the company's feed milling operations based in Manila.
He set up his own engineering and consultancy company in 1998 specializing in project engineering, feed mill construction and fabrication and project management.
He currently runs his own feedmill in southern Philippines contract manufacturing for various feed companies.
Online Milling School's Winter Course 2020-21
Sessions will run every Wednesday (excluding public holidays) through to mid-March 2021. It is broadcast at 2pm Bangkok Time (GMT+7) and will comprise both live and recorded presentations plus host a dynamic Q&A session each week!
Each Session will be re-broadcast again on Thursday each week at 10:00 Chicago Time to reach the industry in North, Central and South America.
The 'Feed Milling Production Management' Certificate
Our Certificate validates your attendance and demonstrates to your company, co-workers and future employers that you have a greater understanding and knowledge of the complete feed milling process.
Following the completion of the first Course in October 2020, on average 45 percent of students completed all 12 Session and obtained the much valued OMS Certificate of Attainment.
The Winter 2020-21 Course in detail
There are 12 individual 2-hour Sessions that make up The Feed Milling Production Management Course. This Course has been restructured to follow the production process more closely from start-to-finish and has an additional number of presenters.
There will be an opportunity at the end of the course to catch up on any courses missed for those who have signed up for the full 12 sessions. We have invited those who have completed several of the 2020 first course to attend the courses they have missed in this the Winter Course if they wish to complete and achieve the Certificate of Attainment.
For more information and to register visit the Online Milling School website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Monday, March 15, 2021
Novus announces Texas methionine plant production resumes
In the weeks since winter storms Uri and Viola hit hard the southern central US in mid-February, Novus's team in Texas has been diligently working to make repairs and restore operations to its facility that manufactures ALIMET® feed supplement.
Image credit: Bruce Kirchoff on Flickr (CC BY 2.0) |
'We have to commend our team in Texas for their ongoing extraordinary efforts since the middle of February,' says Dan Meagher, Novus president and CEO. 'They have worked around the clock to get us this far. Their dedication, and that of our support teams around the world, are a true testament to our commitment to our customers.'
The on-site team safely started production lines the week of 8 March and maintained production without disruption while continuing efforts to ramp up to full operations. While pleased with the progress made, Novus cautions more time is needed to return to full production capacity and rebuild its global methionine inventory. Additionally, Novus has been working closely with raw material suppliers since the storms' impacts. The suppliers have made great strides in restoring their own operations, and, similar to Novus, additional time is needed to return operations to full output.
Visit the Novus website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
Fish welfare core to Scottish-built boat
Launched on March 15 by Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) and on long-term lease to Scottish Sea Farms from Mull-based Inverlussa Marine Services, the £6M Kallista Helen is a multi-purpose service vessel that will be fitted with a £2.5M next generation Thermolicer.
Kallista Knight who the boat was named after and is the niece of Inverlussa Marine Service's MD Ben Wilson Image credit: SSF |
Designed by Macduff Ship Design in partnership with Inverlussa and Scottish Sea Farms, the new vessel will enable the salmon producer to intervene earlier with regards to sea lice control, helping safeguard farmed fish health.
'I welcome this partnership which is using innovative technology to address key challenges faced by the sector. Aquaculture is a vital sector for Scotland's economy, creating many highly paid, highly skilled jobs across the country, many of which are in rural and remote communities. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of Scottish aquaculture and its wider supply chain,' comments Fergus Ewing, Rural Economy Secretary.
Ben Wilson, Managing Director of Inverlussa, said the Kallista Helen, named after his niece, was built with fish health and welfare front of mind. 'From the outset, Scottish Sea Farms was looking to minimise fish handling and maximise fish welfare, designing the boat around those. The result is so much better when you start with the fish then consider the boat, rather than the other way round.'
Central to the vessel's bespoke design is the Thermolicer itself, designed and engineered by ScaleAQ in Norway in partnership with ScaleAQ UK.
The first of its kind to be constructed in Scotland, the system includes:
- A simpler, straighter pipe layout creating a gentler experience for the fish
- A wider than standard pipe of 600mm diameter to ensure a smoother journey through the system
- Increased capacity of up to 120 tonnes per hour
- 150-micron filtration to separate and collect the dislodged sea lice for removal from the marine environment.
In another first, the service vessel has been custom-built to house this delousing technology internally within a dedicated sheltered deck to protect it from the elements; the advantages being better operational efficiency, improved seaworthiness and safer working conditions for the crew.
It also frees up more space on the vessel's top deck for equipment, including three cranes which means the vessel will be less dependent on other workboats during treatments.
Meanwhile, down in the engine room, there is a heat recovery system to draw heat from the engines and transfer it to the delousing system, saving on both fuel usage and carbon emissions.
'Not only is the Kallista Helen another important step forward in our drive to ensure the best growing conditions for our fish, it's also a great example of Scottish business supporting Scottish business from drawing board through to final deployment,' comments Jim Gallagher, Scottish Sea Farms Managing Director.
'Events outside everyone's control have caused delays but we've stuck together throughout, stayed focused on the end goal and now we're back on course.'
The Kallista Helen is expected to arrive in Shetland in early May where it will be fitted out by Scale AQ's Scottish team and Ocean Kinetics of Lerwick.
Once works are complete, the vessel will operate with two five-strong crews – one from Scottish Sea Farms, the other from Inverlussa – each working three week on/off shift patterns.
Visit the Scottish Sea Farms website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists