Scottish Sea Farms earn three top work awards thanks to their investment in people

Scottish Sea Farms has won a hat-trick of prestigious Investors in People (IIP) accolades for its sustained investment in jobs, training and employee wellbeing.

Image credit: Scottish Sea Farms

The internationally recognised awards, which require companies to apply for re-accreditation every three years to ensure continual professional development, are seen as the global benchmark in people management.

The We Invest in People Platinum Award, first achieved by Scottish Sea Farms in 2018, has been retained, as has the We Invest in Young People Award at Gold level.

The salmon grower also scored Gold for the first time in the We Invest in Wellbeing category, making it one of just two companies in Scotland to have achieved this level.

Scottish Sea Farms Head of Human Resources Tracy Bryant-Shaw says, 'We have worked hard over the past three years to build on our 2018 performance and reach even higher standards.'

Key has been the introduction of a comprehensive new health and wellbeing strategy; something that was already underway prior to the arrival of Covid-19 but gathered new momentum in the months thereafter. 'During the pandemic, when we couldn't see everyone, we looked at what more we could do for our employees and their families,' says Ms Bryant-Shaw.

'We are now able to offer a really wide-ranging suite of support: from our employee assistance initiative and various training programmes to new innovations such as a dedicated wellbeing app, as well as one-to-one help with employees' physical, mental or financial health.

'We've also added staff wellbeing to our health and safety meetings as a further way of checking that we're doing everything we can to support our people.'

Other initiatives introduced in recent years include: 

• Real Living Wage – independently calculated based on what people need to live on and higher than the government minimum wage and national living wage
• Young People's Council – actively involving younger generations in the decisions that will shape the direction and growth of the business
• Family friendly policies – offering working parents enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Aquaculture Academy and Management Academy – helping nurture and develop existing and potential employees alike
• Move to online learning – making a whole host of training programmes more readily accessible to all, regardless of location.

There have also been new partnerships with the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre to help develop the sector's next generation of leaders; Argyll College UHI to offer Modern Apprenticeships in Aquaculture within the region; and local schools to introduce emerging talent to the sector.

Winning IIP accreditation is a painstaking process, involving a series of surveys and interviews. More than 90 percent of staff responded to the We Invest in Wellbeing questionnaire – 'an incredible level of participation,' says Ms Bryant-Shaw – and 85 percent completed the We Invest in People survey, slightly up on three years ago.

'People clearly felt that their voices were going to be heard and we got great feedback, which has been very useful.'

Following the surveys, more than 70 interviews were conducted with selected employees, across all age ranges, over the phone and in person.

The next challenge for Scottish Sea Farms Human Resources team is to try to improve on an already impressive achievement. But Ms Bryant-Shaw is not complacent, 'We're thrilled to be where we are but there is much more we can do, in terms of employee engagement, management behaviours and skills, and attracting our future workforce, as well as taking into account the feedback received through the surveys and assessor reports.

'And we will soon be integrating Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK into Scottish Sea Farms, aligning their people with the company so they feel equally valued and empowered.'

For more information about Scottish Sea Farms visit their website, HERE.

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Tickets for AquaFarm 2022 are nearly sold out!

The fifth edition of AquaFarm is taking place at the Pordenone Exhibition Centre in Venice, Italy, February 16-17. The event is an international conference and trade show dedicated to aquaculture, algaculture, and sustainable fish farming.

AquaFarm will be the most important meeting point in Italy for 2022 both for demand and supply, as well as in terms of professional updating and networking.

AlgaeFarm, a new section within the AquaFarm fair, is an event dedicated to algae growing which – in the two days of the event – wants to give a greater visibility to the sector of algaculture, already present in previous editions of the show.

AlgaeFarm will present the professionals of the algaculture supply chain with the opportunity for discussion and experience exchange on this constantly growing sector. This is an event that not only offers the opportunity to meet industry operators, but also to participate in conferences and debates on research, development of technologies for the cultivation and application of algae and microalgae.

There is still time to book a space at AquaFarm to get the chance to share your know-how with the many professionals involved within fish farming, processing, and transformation up to distribution and consumption.

For more information visit the AquaFarm website, HERE.

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GEA will design the world’s first krill protein pilot plant as commissioned by Aker BioMarine

On behalf of Aker BioMarine, GEA is to design and deliver the world's first pilot plant for hydrolysing krill protein. The client is a biotechnology company based in Norway that fishes for Antarctic krill – tiny shrimp-like crustaceans – and uses them to develop ingredients for functional foods, aquaculture and animal feed.

Image credit: Aker BioMarine

Slated to come online in late 2022, the new pilot plant will produce a highly concentrated protein isolate destined for food and beverages. The partners signed the engineering, procurement and construction contract valued in the double-digit million-euro range in July 2021.

Sustainable marine biotechnology
'With GEA's expertise in engineering plants for food ingredients, we look forward to starting operations in a highly innovative facility that will also house our research and innovation centre,' says Kees van de Watering, Vice President Process Engineering Aker BioMarine. Through its activities at the new site in Ski Næringspark near Oslo, the company aims to help evolve Norway's marine biotechnology competence cluster.

As a manufacturer of seafood ingredients, Aker BioMarine believes it has a responsibility to improve human health through product innovation and sustainable harvesting technology without compromising the health of our planet and its marine ecosystems. To this end, the company intends to decarbonise both its krill fisheries and production. Aker BioMarine's decision to cooperate with GEA was motivated in part by the systems supplier's consistent pursuit of sustainability together with the reduced carbon footprint its process technology offers. GEA will engineer the pilot plant for krill protein with a view to sustainability. While every component's energy consumption and longevity are checked, major efficiency gains are secured thanks to streamlined process planning and automation.

Functional foods call for creativity from manufacturers and technical experts
GEA has been tasked with designing all technical processes in the krill protein hydrolysis pilot plant as well as supplying and integrating the machinery and components. The plant will utilise the GEA CODEX based automation system. Thanks to a highly flexible design, the facility lends itself to further product development and innovation.

'The functional food – or New Food – market is currently evolving very dynamically. Innovators such as Aker BioMarine are not only unlocking entirely new sources of human nutrition and health but also doing so without compromising the climate and environment. We are thrilled to join Aker BioMarine on their journey into researching and commercializing krill protein,' says Heinz-Jürgen Kroner, Senior Vice President Liquid Technologies at GEA, commenting on the boom in this growth market that also holds strategic importance for GEA. 'Assisting in developing new food sources provides us with an exciting opportunity to showcase our own creativity in process technology.' The pilot plant is to serve as a benchmark for further protein hydrolysis equipment in the future.

Making krill protein fit for human consumption
Having recently been generally recognised as safe (GRAS) by an expert panel, INVI, a sustainably sourced krill protein hydrolysate and the final product from the pilot plant, is now ready to be marketed in the United States. Krill protein has a complete, well-balanced amino acid profile and protein content of over 90 percent. Hydrolysates are known to be well absorbed by the human body as a result of the hydrolysis that takes place in the process and is consequently well suited to use in functional foods.

Following extensive research into protein powder, Aker BioMarine has developed a production process that converts protein flour into high-quality protein hydrolysate powder for human consumption. In commissioning the pilot plant, which will expand production from the current lab-based operation into a scalable, industrial process with a capacity of 120 tons per year, Aker BioMarine will develop and sell commercial products and work with partners to create new market opportunities.

For more information about GEA visit their website, HERE.

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Michael Fischer takes over the position of Chief Operating Officer at Delacon

Michael Fischer has more than 25 years of experience in the food industry and has been part of executive boards for 13 years. Together with the other Delacon C-Suite members, Markus Dedl, CEO, and Stéphane Jolain, CBO, he will guide the organisation in implementing its vision to unlock the plant universe for better lives.

Michael Fischer
Image credit: Delacon

In June 2021, the experienced business leader, Mr Fischer, took over the position of Chief Operating Officer at Delacon. He is located at the company's Hub in Engerwitzdorf, Austria. In his function, Mr Fischer is reporting directly to Delacon's CEO Markus Dedl and oversees the areas of Operations, Finance, Organisational Development, as well as Administration.

'Having consumer demands and beliefs in mind, I see a very bright future for phytogenics, and can highly identify with Delacon's values: make a difference, grow together, impact life', says Mr Fischer, 'Together with the global team and partners, I look forward to growing Delacon's global footprint and make the world a little bit better with our concepts and solutions, every day.'

Mr Dedl adds, 'With joining our C-Suite, we are strengthening our top management as a base for Delacon's future growth and development. Together, we will pursue our mission of making phytogenics for health and nutrition available to all.'

Mr Fischer brings over 20 years of leadership experience in different positions. In leading several business units, he gained broad expertise in finance and controlling, business development and sales, brand and marketing, global expansions and export strategies, production and purchase, organisational changes, and corporate strategy.

Most recently, Fischer worked with the family-owned food company SPITZ as CEO for the bakery division. Before that, for 20 years, he was the CEO for the greatest division of Resch & Frisch, contributing significantly to the enormous growth of the Austrian family company with about 1,100 employees focusing on baked goods. His professional career is founded on his business administration studies at the University of Linz, with a specialisation in Controlling and Marketing. He holds a Magister's as well as an MBA degree.

For more information about Delacon visit their website, HERE.

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Recent evaluation of ADL Diagnostic Chile shows Garware’s V2 Technology to be a success

The copper microparticles incorporated in V2 - used in fish tanks and lobe nets, skirts and ropes - kill the bacteria responsible for Piscirickettsiosis (SRS) and Tenacibaculosis after 24 hours of exposure, and has been found to be 100 percent effective. The V2 technology is located within the epidemiological strategies to face the main sanitary challenges of the Chilean aquaculture sector.

In vitro evaluation of ADL Diagnostic Chile indicates that the Garware STAR V2 network has components that have an active antibacterial effect against Piscirickettsia salmonis and Tenacibaculum dicentrarchi, significantly after a 4-hour exposure and 100 percent effective after 24 hours. 'It is extremely important, since both bacteria are two of the main culprits for fish mortality and the consumption of antibiotics in Chile. P. salmonis is found mainly in Chile, but Tenacibaculum is also in the northern hemisphere. This study rules out that the Garware V2 networks could be a reservoir of bacterial diseases ', comments Francisco Serra, Garware Technical Fibres commercial manager.

Image credit: Garware

Methodology with field strains
The recent investigation was carried out with the agents of T. dicentrarchi and P. salmonis, using a methodology implemented by ADL based on the British Standards Institution protocol for the evaluation of disinfectant products for veterinary use. Garware STAR V2 mesh pieces and HDPE mesh pieces of approximately 1g were obtained, the segments were immersed in a solution of hard water, organic matter and a standard bacterial suspension of P. salmonis (strain PM-15972) and T. dicentrarchi ( strain PM-90951) adjusted to a microbiological procedure -of 0.5 McFarland equivalent to 108 cfu / mL- incubated at 18 ° C for 1, 4, 24 and 48 hours.

'The effectiveness of Garware's V2 technology was amazing. We did not expect such a high efficacy, at four hours we already had a significant effect and at 24 hours we registered 100 percent efficacy. Its effect is undeniable, even more remarkable, if we consider that we were working with a matrix that has copper particles. In sanitary terms, the active antibacterial mesh aims to control the environment, helping to keep bacterial loads low in the farms, with a better sanitary condition of the fish. Although there were evaluations of the V2 technology in other regions, our results validate this and even better, since it was carried out with field strains present in outbreaks of clinical cases in the national environment. We have the evidence with local agents ', says Álvaro Sandoval, head of R&D projects at ADL Diagnostic Chile.

Garware developed the V2 technology, adding metallic copper to various HPDE product lines, after years of research and development and field trials, which began in 2017. A special procedure for V2 that incorporates metallic copper microparticle inlays in the manufacture of HDPE fibre; where the final product can release in a controlled way the elements that will allow the nets to stay clean in the water for a longer time. It uses less copper than in paints and the V2 technology does not flake. It has a positive impact on the environment, due to the reduction of the release of copper and organic residues and the reduction of dirt.

Garware V2 nets have completed production cycles in Norway, Canada, Chile, Australia, Scotland, and have show positive results in delayed fouling and low mortality due to disease.

It should be noted that most of the Tenacibaculosis cases that occurred in Norway and Chile involve topical infections of the epidermis, capable of producing mortality, with environmental consequences and their correlation with endemic diseases such as Piscirickettsiosis. Opportunistic diseases such as Tenacibaculosis could be associated with SRS, either as a predisposing or concomitant. Risk factors for SRS are fouling present in the cages, the density of the centers in the neighborhoods, the presence of sea lions and early matured salmon.

For more information visit the Garware website, HERE.

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The Aquaculture Innovation Summit 2021 takes place this September

The fourth Annual Aquaculture Innovation Summit takes place this September, as a two-day event starting on the 28th. The Summit is a major part of the Animal Health Innovation series, which focuses on showcasing and supporting innovation and sustainability initiatives in three key areas of aquaculture: nutrition, health and digital.
 

Throughout the on-demand and live parts of the agenda, key discussions in 2021 include:

• Digital transformation and how that can optimise aquaculture
• Identifying the next steps to guarantee the future of sustainable and functional feeds
• The hottest areas for investment from investors and big companies
• The future of health and genetics to improve performance and welfare
• Ensuring aquaculture is seen as part of a healthy, sustainable food system
• Deep dive into land-based and open ocean as alternatives to in-shore, cage-based production

At the Summit, you will also have the opportunity to explore investment and partnership opportunities through 1-2-1 virtual networking and interactive roundtable sessions.

Innovation Showcase
The Innovation Showcase is a unique opportunity for start-ups to present their technology to an audience of financial investors and large corporate firms. If you are an emerging company actively looking for investment or partnership, apply for the showcase today.

The following technology areas are of key interest, but other areas will be considered:

• Health & Welfare: diagnostics, humane slaughter, environmental enrichment, transportation and handling
• Nutrition: effective feeding systems
• Digital: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, IoT Integration, monitoring, surveillance, and diagnostics.

To submit an application before the August 20th deadline click the link, HERE.
For more information about the Aquaculture Innovation Summit visit their website, HERE.

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Applications are now open for the Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the year

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), in coordination with Feedstuffs, has opened the application phase for its Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year (FFY) program. The program is open to all AFIA member commercial dry facilities.

'We are excited to have the opportunity to recognise the commercial dry facilities that go above and beyond in keeping their operations running safely and efficiently,' says Gary Huddleston, the AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs. 'The commercial dry category has always had a large participation and we are looking forward to a large participation again this year.'

The AFIA has been recognising excellent feed manufacturing facilities since 1985. In 2016, the AFIA created four distinct manufacturing categories to be more inclusive of our industry facilities. In 2021, the FFY program separated each category into its own individual program: liquid feed, commercial dry, premix and ingredient, and integrator, with each category having its own facility of the year award.

The application phase for the Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year is now open and submissions, with the $100 application fee, are due by September 16. The winning facility will be recognised at the AFIA's Feed Education Program at the International Production & Processing Expo, taking place January 26, 2022, in Atlanta, Ga. The winning plant manager will receive overnight accommodations and a free registration to the expo.

For more information about AFIA visit their website, HERE.

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Aquaculture Stewardship Council fund new initiative to protect vital mangrove forests

The benefits of mangrove forests are increasingly well known, but numerous efforts to protect them have met with limited success. Now a pioneering fund is taking a novel approach by providing economic incentives to local communities in Ecuador in exchange for conserving mangrove forests in a bid to reverse decades of destruction of these vital habitats. The funding has been announced on Monday 26 July to coincide with International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

Image credit: Pat (Cletch) Williams on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

The Coastal Habitat Stewardship Fund is a partnership between the world's leading certification programme for farmed seafood, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), with international NGO Conservation International and the Ecuadorian government's Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition. It is a first for any aquaculture certification body and marks a new chapter in the development of ASC's engagement in proactive environmental projects, which will compliment and run along side its certification work.

Socio Manglar, a conservation incentives programme implemented by Ecuador's government, will oversee the fund's work through financial support to local groups working to enhance mangrove health. Local associations are given regular economic incentives as well as access to mangrove areas in return for voluntarily committing to Sustainable Use and Stewardship Agreements to protect and maintain mangrove areas. To date, there are over 37,000 hectares of mangrove under Socio Manglar incentive agreements. 26 local organisations in three provinces are managing investment plans and 4,000 people have directly benefitted from the programme.

Mangrove forests sequester carbon from the atmosphere, prevent coastal erosion and provide habitat to countless species. Despite these benefits, and growing awareness of them, over a million hectares of mangrove forests were destroyed globally over the past thirty years, including around 30,000 hectares lost in Central America.

Mangroves face threats from multiple human activities and industries. Of these, the clearance of forests for shrimp farming is perhaps the most well-known, though other activities are equally significant such as their use for fuel, construction material and land clearance to make way for hotel development and other tourism activities. Often such activities can further marginalise communities historically dependent on mangroves for their livelihoods.

In many cases, the underlying cause is a lack of economic alternatives for local communities, which this new fund aims to tackle. The fund has been set up as a trust, with further fundraising anticipated, with the intention to support Socio Manglar's work indefinitely.

Chris Ninnes, ASC CEO says, 'ASC has a long-standing commitment to the protection of mangrove forests through the stringent requirements in our Shrimp Standard which prohibits deforestation.

'We are dedicated to ensuring that shrimp farming is done responsibly and in a manner that conserves blue carbon ecosystems and supports the communities' dependent on them. As the leading certification programme for environmentally and socially responsible farmed seafood, we think it is our responsibility to now extend our work to areas complimentary to farm certification and this is the first in a number of projects we will undertake to do so.'

Luis Suárez, Vice President and Executive Director of CI-Ecuador comments, "We believe a bigger impact is possible through innovative partnerships among the private sector, local communities, national authorities, and environmental organisations. The Coastal Habitat Fund is an innovative financial mechanism to bring support from the aquaculture sector to enhance the financial sustainability of the conservation incentives program.'

'Socio Manglar is a program that combines nature conservation with human well-being. Since its creation it has generated multiple benefits for the conservation and restoration of mangroves, and fostered sustainable productive development for local communities who depend on mangroves for their livelihoods,' adds Nancy Serrade, Manager of Socio Bosque Program at the Ministry of Environment.

The Coastal Habitat Stewardship Fund is an incentive-based programme that aims to have both environmental and socio-economic impacts. Efforts have been made around the world to educate local people about the importance of mangrove forests, however when local residents have no alternative means to earn income the areas may be cleared out of economic necessity. In return for voluntarily committing to Socio Manglar's Sustainable Use and Custody Agreements to protect and maintain mangrove forests, local residents are given annual payments as well as access to the forests. The funding from ASC will go towards expanding the scheme and securing its ongoing viability.

Research has established that mature mangrove forests are far more effective carbon sinks than restored areas, a finding that has particular relevance as the world battles climate change. To ensure these areas are not lost to development, the first phase of the project is focused on the protection of intact mangrove areas. As the fund expands over time a greater emphasis will be placed on restoration work to help repair deforested areas.

The programme also includes education and resources for local residents and numerous industries, including those that farm both the land and the coastal waters, on the importance of conserving mangrove forests. Currently, there are 30 ASC certified shrimp farms in Ecuador, all of which have committed to protecting the local ecosystem as a condition of achieving certification.

Shrimp farming is not solely responsible for the loss of mangrove forests, but poor aquaculture practices can contribute to their depletion. The ASC Shrimp Standard bars farms established after 1999 from achieving certification if mangroves were destroyed as a result of their siting and, in some cases, requires the replanting of previously destroyed forests by farms in operations before 1999 as a condition of certification. However, ASC is the only certification scheme that has gone beyond farm level improvements to safeguard the world's remaining mangroves.

Mr Ninnes continues, 'We very much hope that our initial and ongoing commitment to such projects will be a catalyst for other companies engaged with the ASC to also support us in this work. As we all face up to the collective challenge of redressing climate impacts the ASC is committed to developing further initiatives to help everyone involved in aquaculture to play their role in doing this. This is why we are developing a number of tools to calculate sector greenhouse gas emissions so that we can better understand the scale of our impacts and the mitigation needed to be carbon-neutral. The first of these will be piloted later this year.'

For more information about the ASC visit their website, HERE.

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SPAROS is holding a workshop aimed at aquaculture researchers and how to use their app, FEEDNETICS™

SPAROS is organising a workshop for aquaculture researchers, about how to use FEEDNETICS™ web app to assist planning and management of nutrition growth trials, aquafeed formulation and general research about the effects of different diet formulations in fish performance. FEEDNETICS™ is available for the following species: Gilthead seabream, European seabass, Rainbow trout and Nile tilapia.
 

This workshop comprises a virtual event to be held on ZOOM, September 13, to allow a wide participation, and an in-person event to be held at AE2021 Madeira on October 4 to allow those who want to test the web app to have a hand-on session guided by the SPAROS team. The in-person event has limited seats, so book now to secure your presence.

To register for the workshop click, HERE.
For more information about SPAROS visit their website, HERE.

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FishChoice join with Global Aquaculture Alliance in new strategic partnership

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and FishChoice have announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership, combining GAA's industry-leading aquaculture standards and expertise with FishChoice's online platform designed to power progress on seafood sustainability.

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

FishChoice will join over 60 seafood associations and NGOs that are part of GAA's strategic-partnership program, a network of partnerships that seeks to enhance communication and information sharing within the global aquaculture community. By connecting FishChoice with GAA's network and industry knowledge, the collaboration represents a significant advancement in the way both organisations address the needs of the aquaculture community.

Under the partnership agreement, GAA will provide FishChoice with access to exclusive Strategic Partners-only communications and resources as well as GAA's GOAL conference, virtual and in-person gatherings of leaders from across the global seafood value chain to share information related to production, sustainability, innovation, and market trends. FishChoice Partners are also invited to join as free GAA Strategic Partner members and gain access to the above benefits.

'FishChoice.com's contributions to the seafood industry have been immense over the years. The work the organisation does to simplify seafood for the industry and for consumers is vital,' says Maddie Cassidy, Membership Marketing Manager at GAA. 'We are excited to formalise the work that we do with FishChoice.com, as both of our organisations are aligned on our ultimate goals: supporting the seafood industry, and encouraging the consumption of seafood worldwide.'

Prior to this partnership, FishChoice.com Partners could highlight their Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification, managed by GAA, on their profile and applicable product listings. Now, FishChoice.com features information about GAA and allows GAA members to highlight their membership directly on their FishChoice.com Partner Profile. This will make it easier for the thousands of FishChoice.com users to find GAA member businesses prioritising sustainable aquaculture and/or source BAP-certified products.

'The BAP certification scheme has been one of our certification partners on FishChoice.com for seven years. Through the new partnership, we look forward to adding GAA to our expanding list of sustainable seafood collaborators on the site and building on our previous relationship with GAA,' says Tim Mullin, Program Manager at FishChoice. 'Partnering with GAA to share cutting-edge aquaculture information will allow us to further support and amplify businesses that carry sustainable aquaculture products.'

Several companies have already highlighted their GAA memberships on their profiles, including Kvarøy Arctic, Australis Aquaculture, Seattle Fish Company, Beaver Street Fisheries, Mazzetta Company, and Raw Seafoods.

'Communicating the story of a 3rd generation family farm in the Arctic Circle to an American audience has a unique set of challenges. It is vital for Kvarøy Arctic to continue to evolve and find ways to connect to the market. The story of provenance is paramount to our success,' says Jennifer Bushman, Strategic Development Officer with Kvarøy Arctic. 'The Fish Choice-GAA site offers a platform to explain not just what we do but the thoughtful ways in which we do it. This includes having a place where in one snap shot you can find our partnerships, certifications, and recommendations.'

For more information about the Global Aquaculture Alliance visit their website, HERE.

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Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show 2021 has been rescheduled to December 2-4

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation and the Level 3 epidemic alert in Taiwan, as well as in consideration of the health and safety of all visitors and exhibitors and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, the Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show 2021 (TIFSS 2021) has been postponed.

Image credit: Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show

Originally scheduled to be held from September 2 to 4, it has now been moved to December 2 to 4, taking place at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2. A virtual exhibition, TIFSS Online 2021, has also been rescheduled to December 2 to 31 and is perfect for global exhibitors unable to travel to Taiwan during the pandemic.

TIFSS is Taiwan's first tailored exhibition for the fisheries industry. Launched in 2015, TIFSS gathers representatives from the ocean fishery, aquaculture, seafood processing, and fishing tackle industries. With aquatic technology and seafood industry advantages in Taiwan, the show aims to deliver the latest technology, business and networking opportunities for all participants. This year, four major themes will be on show at the exhibition, including Ocean Fishery & Fishing Equipment, Smart Aquaculture & Fish Seeding Technology, Seafood & Value-added Process, and Fishing Tackle & Water Equipment.

TIFSS Online 2021 will feature online services including virtual booth displays, meeting scheduling and messaging, welcoming overseas exhibitors and visitors to explore new business opportunities. Moreover, the organisers will hold a wide range of events including an international forum, one-on-one procurement meetings, and new product launches with livestream broadcasts.

In 2020, TIFSS became one of the few physical B2B fishery trade shows in the world to be held as scheduled. Thanks to the support of key industry players, the show still attracted 90 exhibitors from 11 countries and nearly 5,000 online and offline buyers from over 10 countries.

Both virtual and hybrid (online plus offline) booths for TIFSS 2021 are still available for international exhibitors, with a 10 percent discount available for exhibitors registering before July 31. TAITRA and My Exhibition Co. Ltd, the co-organisers of TIFSS, will extend necessary support to all exhibitors and visitors to facilitate a seamless transition to the new exhibition dates. The organisers wish to thank everybody for their immense support of TIFSS so far, and express their sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by the postponement.

For more information and updates about TIFSS visit the website, HERE.

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Researchers have developed new platforms to detect emerging contaminants in fish and water

New portable sensor and biosensor platforms have been developed by researchers at the Superior Institute of Engineering of Porto (ISEP), allowing detection of emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics; hormones; antidepressants; and anti-inflammatory drugs in water or fish.

Image credit: prilfish on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

The platforms are being developed as part of the CECs (Bio)Sensing project . 'It is urgent to control the quality and safety of fishery products,' one of the researchers in the project explains, as bioaccumulation of contaminants by aquatic organisms is increasingly 'a threat to public health.'

'The common medications that we use in our day-to-day and that are excreted through the urine end up contaminating rivers and seas, without being controlled by methods or technologies to eliminate them', says the institute.

Simone Morais, the project's lead researcher, points out that there are 'no routine analysis methods for most compounds,' as the methodologies are 'very expensive.'

'This project offers high socio-economic and environmental benefits. The fast and reliable resultd, coming from the platforms, support key decisions regarding the management of fish products, resulting in greener and more efficient production processes,' she adds.

The CECs (Bio)Sensing project started in July, 2018, and should be completed by July 2022. ISEP believes the knowledge acquired in this project could be applied to other food sectors too.

The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) and the Federal University of Ceará have partnered with the project. It is also co-financed by the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI) and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

For more information about ISEP visit their website, HERE.

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Online Milling School is set for September return

With the Spring editions of the Online Milling School aqua and livestock feed schools reaching their respective conclusions this month, the time has come to switch our collective focus to the upcoming Autumn editions.

www.onlinemillingschool.com

Organised and delivered with the levels of precision and capability that we have grown to expect from Progressus Agrischools and Milling & Grain and International Aquafeed magazines, each session is introduced and managed by agribusiness executive Yiannis Christodoulou and industry journalist and publisher Roger Gilbert.

Online Milling School - Livestock Feed
Due to start on October 6, 2021, the Autumn edition of the Online Milling School will run until December 22, 2021. Each edition runs for 12 weeks with each session featuring two hours of comprehensive presentations by experienced and reputable industry professionals, followed by extensive question and answer sessions featuring all of the experts that speak on that particular day. 

The weekly sessions are always broadcast twice in order to cater for the world's differing time zones, with the first of the two transmissions are scheduled specifically for the audience in Europe and Asia, with candidates able to join the Wednesday session at 14:00 Bangkok Time/09:00 CET Time. 

The Thursday session, which is timed specifically for candidates from the US and Latin America, can be joined at 10:00 Chicago Time/13:00 Buenos Aires Time.

Online Aquafeed Production School
The Autumn 2021 edition of Online Aquafeed Production School starts on September 14 and will run for twelve weeks, finishing on December 7, 2021. Each session will feature two hours of comprehensive presentations by experienced and well informed industry experts, followed by extensive question and answer sessions that only finish once all questions have been answered.

To accommodate audiences from across the globe, each session is broadcast twice. The first of these transmissions which is scheduled specifically for the audience in Europe and Asia, is broadcast on Tuesdays at 14:00 Bangkok Time/09:00 CET Time. 

The Friday session, which is timed specifically for candidates from the US and Latin America, can be joined at 10:00 Chicago Time/13:00 Buenos Aires Time.

Once the edition reaches its conclusion, all 12 episodes will then be available to re-watch on demand for two weeks. When finished, all candidates who have either watched or attended all 12 sessions will be awarded an industry accredited certificate, and a new piece of information to add to their CV.

You all can also purchase all 12 sessions for your group of 10 people, which will mean that your group will receive ONE log-in account to watch together. You may provide name list of your group so that upon course completion, everyone in your group will receive their certificates. 

For more information visit the Online Milling School website, HERE.

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The 10th International Seaweed Conference will take place in September, 2021

The Seagriculture Conference will stick to a digital format in 2021 and will take place on September 15 and 16. The conference program has already been drafted, to read more about it click, HERE.
 

For 2021 some additional features have been implemented that will contribute a high quality online conference serving the Seaweed industry.

Seagriculture Innovation Awards 2021
Within the framework of Seagriculture 2021, Europe"s largest seaweed conference, the organisers are pleased to announce the Seagriculture Innovation Awards 2021.

A jury incorporating international seaweed experts from academia and industry will select 3 nominees that offer, according to the jury, the most innovative seaweed product, service or invention. In total 3 Innovation Awards will be presented by the jury; Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Furthermore, there will be an audience Award.

The Seagriculture Innovation Awards 2021 is open to all companies, research institutes and other organisations involved in seaweed innovation. The deadline for submission of your innovation has been extended to August 15, 2021. The winners will be announced during the Seagriculture 2021 innovation awards ceremony on day 2 of the conference (September 16).

To register for this event click the link, HERE.

For more information about Seagriculture visit their website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Tejedor Lazaro Group strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set out in 2015

Protecting the planet, fighting poverty and trying to eradicate it with the aim of building a more prosperous, just and sustainable world for future generations, are the objectives that world leaders adopted on September 25, 2015 with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Image credit: Dibaq Aquaculture

Tejedor Lazaro Group, started more than 70 years ago by the hand of their founders, Jose Luis Tejedor and Anastasia Lázaro, with the objectives set today, in the most altruistic way and with the sole purpose of helping their environment and building a better world.

Today, Tejedor Lazaro Group continues with this value inherited from its origins.

The definition says: "Sustainability must be a desire of human society and its activities in relation to nature: it is to make the good that we have or enjoy last and to improve the negative that we create or suffer".

The Group is working continuously to achieve the SDGs and is gradually achieving more goals, thanks also to those who are at their side.

For more information visit the Dibaq Aquaculture website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Aquaculture Africa 2021 (AFRAQ21) is going ahead as a physical event December 11 – 14, 2021

Having assessed the Covid-19 health and safety situation in Egypt, and been approved by government and the convention centre (Alexandrina Bibliotheca), AFRAQ21 will go ahead as planned - as an in-person (physical) event.

WAS and AFRAQ21 Conference Management is cognisant of the need to hold the Conference under Covid-19 health and safety protocols as stipulated by the government of Egypt as well as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, to ensure safety of Conference attendees.

Registration is still open; the deadline for submitting extracts and full papers has been extended to September 30th. All abstracts already submitted are valid and will be processed accordingly.

There are however limited spaces available for interested tradeshow exhibitors, and the event organisers urge you to get vaccinated before arriving to reduce Covid-19 risks.

To register you can visit the link, HERE.
For information about the abstracts and full papers click, HERE.
For more information and regular updates, including the updated brochures, visit the website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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