Aquabyte completes $25 million financing round

Aquabyte recently announced the completion of its series B financing of US$25 million, led by SoftBank Ventures Asia. Aquabyte, which uses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to give fish farms insight into the health and growth of their fish, says that the funding will be used to continue its mission of transforming aquaculture to meeting growing global demand for sustainable protein.

By 2050, it is estimated that there will be a 50 percent protein gap worldwide, and farmed fish is the most sustainable and efficient protein source to fill that gap. Aquabyte has built international, cross-disciplinary teams working in fish welfare, AI and engineering, using practices drawn from salmon farms in Norway.

"Before Aquabyte, it was virtually impossible for fish farms to monitor the health of their underwater fish," explains Bryton Shang, Founder and CEO of Aquabyte. "Our engineering team solved that problem with a smart underwater camera that can accurately detect lice, monitor other welfare indicators, and identify and weigh individual fish without removing them from the water."

"Our fish welfare biologists work with our AI teams to transform those images and underwater signals into real-time data … Farms can take immediate action to improve the health and growth of their fish with less waste and fewer treatments," Mr Shang adds.

Sherman Li, Partner at SoftBank Ventures Asia, expressed that he was "proud" to be supporting Aquabyte in their journey. "By combining machine learning and computer vision with fish welfare insights, Aquabyte is leading a transformation in the aquaculture and food industry," he says.

The Nature Conservancy and Westerly Wind also joined the round as new investors.

"We firmly believe embracing technology is the solution for a more sustainable future," explains Karim Abdel-Ghaffar Plaza, Managing Partner at Westerly Winds. "Aquabyte in our opinion is a clear leader, enabling the path towards a healthier aquaculture industry needed to feed the growing world population. We're tremendously excited to be backing the team and business in the years to come."

Original investors New Enterprise Associates, Costanoa Ventures, ArcTern Ventures, Struck Capital and Alliance Venture participated in the round as they pointed out Aquabyte's achievements since its Series A funding in 2019.

Since the funding, the company now has hundreds of systems installed worldwide monitoring salmon and trout, established offices in the US, Norway and Chile, has processed over 300 million fish images, and was the first to receive approval for automatic sea lice counting by the Norwegian Food Safety Authorities.

"Mass market appeal and the potential for positive global impact make for very exciting investment opportunities – Aquabyte has both," says Greg Papadopoulos, Venture Partner at NEA. "We're thrilled to continue partnering with the Aquabyte team to go through this next phase of growth."

With this Series B round of funding, Aquabyte has raised a total of US$46 million since its founding in 2017. It will use the financing to scale its business, to monitor more species in more countries and help fish farms sustainably feed the world.

"It turns out that when you improve fish welfare and sustainability, you solve problems in efficiency as well," concludes Mr Shang.

For more information on Aquabyte visit their website, HERE.

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Engineering, Scientific and Aquaculture entrepreneurs join forces at BIM Aquatech Community Day

Engineering, scientific and aquaculture entrepreneurs gathered for the annual Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Aquatech Community Day at Dogpatch Labs in Dublin's CHQ Building on Tuesday, July 26.

The event, now in its fifth year, is the culmination of a month-long Innovation Studio where ten business start-ups from different disciplines took part in an intensive programme to help fast-track their business ideas for commercial viability in the Irish and global aquaculture industry.

To date 46 start-ups have participated in BIM's Innovation Studio, supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and run in partnership with global aquaculture accelerator Hatch. The initiative has seen more than €13 million invested and g130+ new jobs generated in aquatech in Ireland.

Sound technology that monitors oyster welfare and sensor technology for nitrates
Lee Hunter, a young Donegal oyster farmer was among the start-ups taking part in this year's programme. His business, The Oyster Pitch, uses sound technology to monitor oyster welfare and to reduce mortality.

Another 2022 Innovation Studio participant included Aquamontrix, a continuous real-time sensor technology to monitor nitrate and nitrite levels in sea water.

Fostering aquaculture discipline and attracting other skillsets

Giving the opening address at the event, BIM CEO Jim O'Toole spoke about food security and the long-term strategy to develop and foster local aquaculture talent. This involves attracting other crucial disciplines like engineering, analytics and finance to help them develop Irish aquaculture businesses with a global reach.

'Investing in aquatech is specifically targeted in the Government's Food Vision 2030 strategy and is something BIM is intent on delivering. Our ambition is to position Ireland as a global centre for aquaculture innovation and to support companies to grow and develop in this sector in collaboration with other agencies.'

Wayne Murphy, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Hatch, referred to the risk-taking intrinsic to entrepreneurship and central to the continued innovation and growth within aquatech in Ireland and globally. He referred to the initial approach Hatch made some five years earlier with BIM and how the State seafood development agency had been supportive from the outset.

'Aquatech has entrepreneurship at its core - and entrepreneurship is about risk-taking. BIM were enthusiastic partners when Hatch first approached the agency. Five years on and 46 start-up businesses from a wide range of disciplines have taken the risk, creating more than 130 jobs.'

During a panel discussion with Teresa Morrissey, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) Aquaculture, Carsten Krome, Founder & Partner, Hatch, Martin Dempsey, Founder and CEO, Sealac Ltd. and Richard Donnelly, Shellfish and Salmon Manager, BIM, Richard Donnelly drew parallels with the IFSC's ability to spur investment and innovation following its established three decades earlier.

'It is just 35 years since the IFSC was established. It is remarkable to consider how its establishment was truly visionary at the time, and how many other sectors followed in its path. The aquatech sector in Ireland has the potential to achieve this same effect.'

The global aquaculture industry is the fastest growing food sector today. Its value exceeds €280 billion. The Irish aquaculture industry is currently valued at €175 million with primary production (fin-fish and shellfish farming) at its core.

For more information about BIM visit the website, HERE.

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Alltech company profile

Alltech's mission is to improve the health and performance of people, animals and plants through nutrition and scientific innovation.

They pursue this mission guided by what is called the ACE principle, their promise that in doing business they have a positive impact on the animal, the consumer and the environment.

At Alltech, they help farmers feed the world, raise healthy plants and animals, and protect the environment through nutrition and scientific innovation. 

For more information visit the Alltech marketplace listing on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

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Taste of BC achieves developments in RAS facility

Seafood company Blue Star Foods' wholly owned subsidiary Taste of BC Aquafarms has achieved "recent developments" and "key operating performance metrics", according to the company in a recent press release. These developments are related to the land-based farm Taste of BC is currently operating where it produces steelhead trout.

In the second quarter of 2022 the company hatched its first batch of Chinook Salmon, which are currently performing well in growth trials and demonstrating good food conversion rate (FCR), growth and low mortality. The intention is to raise them to an average size of three kilograms as it evaluates potential species diversification within the Pacific Salmon family.

Over the last six months average fish harvest weight has been 1.94kg, with the target being 2kg for the steelhead salmon it produces. The total harvest downgrade, which measures number of fish at harvest that weren't brought to market at full price in the last lifecycle, was 1.3%.

Construction of the new, state-of-the-art hatchery will be done in the third quarter of this year, which gives the company an opportunity to evaluate performance of next generation designs planned for its large-scale expansion before they are finalised.

Plated steelhead trout.

"The first six months of 2022 have been focused on increasing standing biomass within our pilot facility as we continue to limit test system capabilities," explains Ben Atkinson, the President of Taste of BC. "At the end of Q2-2022, we finished with a standing biomass of 40MT in our facility … without compromising water conditions or fish performance."

"We are extremely pleased with the capabilities of our pilot system which provides a solid foundation upon which we are designing our forthcoming expansion," he concludes.

Blue Star Foods recently began operating its soft-shell crab division in February of this year, having picked HTH Engineering & Equipment as its RAS technology provider for its Atlantic crab farm in South Carolina. You can read more about that and its recent report on RAS operations, HERE.

For more information on Blue Star Foods visit their website, HERE.

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Dr Ram Bhujel to speak at the upcoming Aquatic Asia event

Aquatic Asia is a one-day conference program featuring a variety of industry experts delivering brilliant presentations about the latest updates in both fish and shrimp nutrition. The event is set to take place September 6th, 2022, in Amber 3 Room at IMPACT, Bangkok. The conference will run from 10:00am to 16:00pm, with keynote speakers still to be confirmed. 

One speaker for the event is Dr Ram Bhujel. Dr Bhujel completed his MSc and PhD at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, where he serves as Research Associate Professor and Founding Director of Aqua-Centre.

Dr Bhujel's upcoming talk will focus on the Recent Advances in Aquaculture and the Environment.

For more information about the event visit the website, HERE.

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Several land-based projects in the pipeline, Samherji reports

According to a financial report released by fish farmer Samherji, who is in the process of constructing a land-based fish farm in Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, has reported a total investment of EU€400 million into the project, among other investments.

According to Samherji's CEO Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, the company has 'faith' in land-based fish farming but expressed the cost of the investments.

"All development in the sector is very costly. Therefore, the company must be financially strong now as before. The consolidated financial statements show that this is the case," Mr Baldvinsson explains.

Once the land-based facility is complete, the company expects for annual production to sit around the 40,000 tonnes mark. The facility will comprise of a hatchery, breeding farm, processing plant and service buildings, all of which have had a total investment of US$340 million.

"The total investment in aquaculture is estimated at around EU€400 million," says Mr Baldvinsson. "The Board of Directors of Samherji hf. has decided to provide funding for the project's first phase in Reykjanes by increasing the share capital … up to EU€50 million."

Image credit: Samherji

Other challenges face operation of their facilities as the price of oil "skyrockets" due to the conflict in Ukraine, and is the second highest cost in fish farming next to employee wages.

"How prices will develop in the future is entirely uncertain and will be affected by many external factors," he remarks.

Also in the company's project pipeline is another land-based facility which will be built in Öxarfjördur, northeast Iceland. Samherji is a main producer of Arctic char, but the facility marks its expansion into salmon production. The site produces 1500 tonnes of salmon annually but is expected to increase to 3000 tonnes when the facility is complete.

"The site in Öxarfjördur can be considerd a 'pilot project' for the development in Reykjanes," explains Mr Baldvinsson. "Next fall, construction will begin for a new hatchery in Stadur in Grindavík. The estimated cost for the project is around EU€6.6 million."

You can read in more detail about the construction of the facilities, HERE.

For more information on Samherji visit their website, HERE.

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Seafood demand to weaken from peak levels in 2H 2022

Weaker seafood demand is expected in 2H 2022 compared to both 2H 2021 and 1H 2022. With softening demand, price corrections, and persistently high production costs, salmon and shrimp farmer profits are likely to decline from recent highs, and farmers may face a challenging 2H. In contrast, fish meal prices are likely to be supported by the high prices of alternatives.

Image credit: Ilee_wu on Flickr
(CC BY-ND 2.0)

A cooling market in 2H 2022
According to Rabobank's latest report on aquaculture, recessionary dynamics have already started in both the EU and the US in the midst of their Covid recoveries. As such, foodservice demand for seafood is expected to cool in both regions, which means another switch back to retail. However, China presents an unpredictable factor for 2H 2022. Potentially, there is considerable upside for both shrimp and salmon, especially in Q4 2022, as long as Covid-related lockdowns and import restrictions are not reintroduced. 

'The US remains a strong demand driver for seafood, but foodservice demand is clearly declining. This could be the beginning of a long challenging period in the US. But China has the potential to be the key driver of demand for shrimp, and possibly salmon, in Q4 2022,' explains Gorjan Nikolik, Senior Global Specialist, Seafood at Rabobank. 'Though we remain optimistic that China will once again become an important driver of shrimp and salmon demand before the end of the year, Covid lockdowns and import restrictions greatly decrease the probability.'

Elevated costs to persist 
Feed, freight, and energy costs are expected to remain high or even increase in 2H 2022. For salmon farmers, a large part of 2021 and 1H 2022 was marked by record profitability, driven entirely by high price levels. Prices are expected to partly normalise but remain high in 2H. However, due to the long production cycle, high feed costs have yet to be fully incorporated into the cost function. These dynamics combine to reduce farmer profitability in 2H, but the industry is still expected to generate healthy positive margins. 

In contrast, if shrimp supply continues to expand as it did in 1H or if demand further declines due to recessionary consumer behavior, we may see prices below breakeven for farmers. In some cases, this has already occurred. 'We remain optimistic about the long-term prospects of the shrimp industry but expect a challenging period in the short term,' notes Mr Nikolik.

Meanwhile, fish meal supply remains relatively stable. However, the record-high prices of vegetable substitutes make marine ingredients relatively competitive in feed formulas, supporting demand and prices.
 

For more information about Rabobank visit the website, HERE.

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Leiber company profile

For more than 60 years, Leiber GmbH has been one of the leading manufacturers of special yeast products “made in Germany”.

With its two locations in Germany, as well as additional production facilities in Poland and Russia, Leiber’s more than 230 dedicated employees produce brewers’ yeast products and yeast extracts at the highest level of quality.

For more information visit the Leiber marketplace listing on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

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New report finds UK salmon stocks reaching crisis

Wild Atlantic salmon stocks are reaching crisis point the Environment Agency (EA) says as the latest stock assessment report estimates they are at their lowest levels on record.

Image credit: Govisity / Tip na Trip / kosice.guide on flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

UK rivers are traditional breeding grounds for Atlantic salmon and are classed as an iconic species in our rivers, however, many factors are impacting on their numbers at freshwater and marine sites. In particular, climate change is leading to rising sea and river temperatures and overfishing are impacting on salmon stocks globally. Water quality in rivers and estuaries can also affect the fish lifecycle as well as barriers stopping salmon travelling upstream.

Through the Salmon Five Point Approach action is being taken by the EA and its partners to remove barriers to migration with 19 fish passes improved in the last year. Work is also taking place to improve water quality and reduce the exploitation of salmon by both net and rod fisheries.

Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment for the Environment Agency says, '[The] assessment for England is of great concern and without urgent action Wild Atlantic Salmon could be lost from our rivers in our lifetimes.

'We have seen some real successes through our work with partners, particularly on the river Don and Tyne, but more much progress is needed.

'As the climate emergency becomes more acute, we need coordinated action between governments, partners and industry to enable stocks to stabilise and recover to sustainable levels.'

The latest stock assessment report, from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, is of significant concern. In 2020, 20 salmon rivers (48%) were thought to be 'at risk' – meaning salmon stock are no longer at sustainable levels - but in the latest report this has now risen to 31 (74%) with rivers in the South West, North West and Wales considered to be the most affected.  

Only one river in England, the River Tyne, remains within the 'not at risk' category and has improved due to better water quality in the estuary and action against barriers to migration. On the River Don, fish pass improvements and habitat restoration initiatives have enabled salmon to return.

EA Action
In 2019, the EA implemented the closure of salmon net fisheries in England, until at least until 2029, and an overall catch and release rate of 95 percent in rod fisheries has been achieved through a combination of both voluntary and mandatory controls. Further options are being considered in England to ensure that all remaining rivers categorised as being 'at risk' implement a 100 per cent catch and release rate.

In the last year, the EA has improved 19 fish passages at weirs or barriers across English rivers giving salmon better access to the Severn, Ribble, Camel, Tyne and Test. A new fish pass at Diglis Weir on the River Severn has also been completed as part of the Unlocking the Severn project, restoring 158 miles of river and to aid migration.

To safeguard river flow and improve water quality, the EA has also identified improvements through the Water Industry National Environment Programme. In 2021, 53 schemes were completed that will bring benefits to salmon. 37 of these were on our main salmon rivers and 16 on recovering salmon rivers. 50 new agricultural officers, funded by Defra, have also been appointed to work with the agricultural community to address diffuse and acute water quality issues.

Ensuring clean and plentiful water is one of the biggest challenges we face and is a priority for the EA and the Government. Earlier in July, the EA published its annual Environmental Performance Assessment on water quality the EA called for tougher fines and prison sentences for those responsible for serious and deliberate pollution affecting water quality.

The EA, Defra and key partner organisations continue to deliver on the Salmon Five Point Approach and NASCO's implementation plan to co-ordinate effort and drive forward actions that will benefit all aspects of the salmon life cycle. To add further weight to this initiative, the EA and NRW have also joined forces to develop the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) salmon management implementation plan to co-ordinate actions to benefit all aspects of the salmon life cycle.

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The Ukraine government has launched the reform of the fishing industry

On July 22, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Improving State Regulation in the Field of Fisheries, Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Bioresources and the Field of Aquaculture."

Image credit: Ryosuke Hosoi on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

"Now it is almost impossible for new business entities to enter the field of industrial fishing, so we are doing everything to make the mechanism of entering the fish farming market as simple and transparent as possible", commented the government draft law, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Vitaly Holovnya.

He also noted that the draft law proposed by the government provides for a transparent auction mechanism for the sale of rights to conclude contracts for the right to special use of aquatic biological resources.

Along with this, for lease agreements, the term of which expires during the period of martial law and during the calendar year after its termination or cancellation, an automatic extension of the term of their validity by one year is provided and cancels the need to obtain the approval of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine, which significantly simplifies the procedure for acquiring water objects for lease for fishing needs.

It is also proposed to streamline legal relations regarding the use of hydrotechnical facilities for aquaculture purposes.

"In addition, the draft Law introduces the concept of the Unified state electronic management system for the fishing industry, as a nationwide automated information and analytical system for providing access to information about the fishing industry of Ukraine and its network, which ensures the creation, collection, receipt, storage, use, distribution, protection, information protection, as well as electronic interaction between natural and legal entities, natural persons - entrepreneurs, entities providing administrative services, entities providing public (electronic public) services for the purpose of obtaining administrative and other public (electronic public) services in the field of fisheries," emphasised the Deputy Minister.

At the same time, the powers of territorial fish protection bodies will be deregulated - they will be stripped of their authorisation functions, and only control ones will remain, which will significantly reduce the corruption component. Permissive procedures will take place through the State Agency of Land Reclamation and Fisheries of Ukraine.

"We hope that people's deputies will support our initiative to reform the fishing industry in Ukraine, and soon the whole country will feel the positive changes included in the draft law," Mr Vitaly Holovnya concluded.

Briefly about the improvement of state regulation in the field of fisheries, preservation and rational use of aquatic biological resources and the field of aquaculture here. (.pdf, 525.36 KB).

The draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Improving State Regulation in the Field of Fisheries, Conservation and Rational Use of Aquatic Biological Resources and the Field of Aquaculture" will be available on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine after its registration.

For more information visit the website, HERE.

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Mørenot in the process of developing system to tackle ocean plastic

Tackling what it calls "one of the most pressing environmental problems of our age," Mørenot is currently involved in a project to develop a 2.5km-long ocean clean-up system to clear the ocean of marine plastic.

Working cooperatively with Dutch non-profit organisation The Ocean Cleanup, they developed a prototype in 2021 that proved to be highly successful and has collected large amounts of plastic in the Pacific Ocean. The Ocean Cleanup develops and scales technologies to clear the world's oceans of plastic. A new, improved version is under development in a project titled 'System 03' for which Mørenot was the chosen supplier.

Following on from the testing of System 002 in harvesting plastic, it has highlighted key areas where System 03 can improve related to overtopping – referring to when plastic rides waves and evades capture – as well as challenging conditions at sea, requiring consideration of timing extractions and choosing where to deploy the system.

According to CEO of Mørenot, Arne Birkeland, the company can lend their expertise in the aquaculture industry to the project.

"With more than a century's experience from the fisheries and aquaculture industry, it's great that we can now use our technology and know-how to help The Ocean Cleanup develop System 03, which is three times as big the previous system," he explains. "We're really enthusiastic about the project and are proud to be a part of it."

A size comparison of System 03 with System 002.

System 03 is three times the size of System 002 and has been specially designed and tailored for the purpose of cleaning up plastic. It measures four metres deep and is designed as a funnel with an opening at the bottom to ensure fish and other marine life aren't trapped when trawling for plastic.

Two offshore vessels will be pulling the net between them. The net will clean up an area the size of a football field every 15 seconds, with potential to be cleaning the equivalent of 6000 football fields a day.

In addition to being three times the size of System 002, it is also capable of capturing much larger quantities of plastic at a lower cost per kilogram on a year-round basis. Costs for The Ocean Cleanup are related to support vessels, so by expanding the size of the system to remove more plastic per vessel and employing a rotating third vessel allows for the company to drive down anticipated cost per kilogram of plastic removed.

"Around one to two million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year, posing an immense threat to all marine life," adds Mr Birkeland. "As part of an industry that depends on the ocean, this project is extremely important to us, and we will always continue to challenge ourselves to do even more to protect the oceans as an important food source for future generations."

The company aims for System 03 to be in operation in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch near the end of summer this year. You can keep up with developments of the project, HERE.

For more information on Mørenot visit their website, HERE.

For more information on The Ocean Cleanup visit their website, HERE.

Image credit: The Ocean Cleanup

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Blue Aqua and Fisheries Development Oman joins hands to develop Oman’s aquaculture sector

Blue Aqua International, a global leader in shrimp farming and aquaculture technology, announced an MoU with Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) to develop and expand the aquaculture sector in the Sultanate starting with a project in the city of Shinas.

The agreement, in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalises the mutual interaction and strengthens the existing relationship between Blue Aqua and FDO.

The collaboration will tap on Blue Aqua's expertise in shrimp farming technology for technical assistance on FDO's existing shrimp farming operations across Oman.

Fisheries Development of Oman (FDO) was established as a joint commitment between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Recourses, and Oman Investment Authority (OIA) to develop a sustainable commercial aquaculture and fishing sector in Oman. As a pioneer investor in aquaculture, FDO acts as a catalytic initiator to develop large scale projects in the sector, including the development of a commercial fishing fleet, and the operation of subsidiaries for marine fin-fish and shrimp farming.

"With a vision 'to be a world-class leader for growth and driving a sustainable fisheries future', we are pleased to collaborate with Blue Aqua International to transfer the best practices in aquaculture and its technology for enabling the growth of this business and attracting investment. This MoU with no doubt will open up a great opportunity to flourish the aquaculture in Oman," says Nabil Salim Al Bimani, Group Chief Executive Officer of FDO.

FDO is also to review an investment offering into Blue Aqua, aligning with its plans to invest in Oman's aquaculture and fisheries sector.

'We look forward to solidifying our efforts in sustainable aquaculture technology with the project in Oman. With FDO's support, I believe we will be able to build a successful and sustainable model for urban farming globally,' says Dr. Farshad Shishehchian, CEO & Founder of Blue Aqua International.

Blue Aqua subsidiaries are in discussion with other prominent funds in Europe and Southeast Asia to join this round of funding.

The group currently operates Singapore's largest land-based shrimp farm using its patented green technology for urban farming, contributing to Singapore's '30 by 30' food security goal.

For more information about Blue Aqua visit the website, HERE.
For information about Fisheries Development Oman visit the website, HERE.

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Fish Farm Feeder company profile

FishFarmFeeder is a company founded in 2008 that manufactures feeding systems for aquaculture with a complete catalog of feeders that cover all stages of the fish's life: hatchery, pre-grower and grow-out, both on land and at sea.

FishFarmFeeder’s mission is to:

• Offer globally specialised solutions only in the field of feed automation for aquaculture.
• Contribute to a sustainable aquaculture helping to optimise production and improving fish welfare.
• Respond to the needs of automation in the feeding of all stages of the fish's life.
• Develope a profitable, reliable, accurate and safe technology.
• Facilitate integration with other existing technologies in aquaculture such as sensors, software.

For more information visit the Fish Farm Feeder marketplace listing on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

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How the humble sea cucumber could transform fish farming

Help to solve one of the world's most pressing dilemmas - how to feed our growing population whilst protecting the planet – may be at hand from a surprising ally – the sea cucumber.

New research led by the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture shows how sea cucumbers – a delicacy in Asia – can flourish by feeding and growing on organic waste released from commercial fish farms in the Mediterranean.

The discovery means adding sea cucumbers can reduce the environmental impacts of marine fish farming whilst providing a high value extra product. Mediterranean sea cucumbers can fetch between €30/kg dried and €120/kg as processed product, where farmed sea bream are currently worth just six euros per kilo.

PhD researcher at the Institute of Aquaculture, Karl Cutajar, says, 'This research shows the feeding connectivity between fish and sea cucumbers under marine commercial fish cages, which means that farming them together in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system is viable.

'Our results show that sea cucumbers take up fish farm waste and how this helps the sea cucumber to grow.

'Something that removes organic waste, which can have a negative impact on the seafloor, whilst being a valuable commercial product, without the need for feed input, is an exciting discovery that presents environmental and economic opportunities.'

In Asia sea cucumbers are highly in demand for food but supply is short, even causing overfishing in some areas. Sea cucumbers also have antibacterial and anticancer properties, and are increasingly being investigated for medicinal and pharmaceutical uses worldwide.

Different varieties of sea cucumber also grow in colder waters such as those around the UK, and research is beginning to explore their value and impact, especially around the processing and use of organic waste from marine aquaculture.

This research, part of the European Union's Horizon 2020-funded project Tools for Assessment and Planning of Aquaculture Sustainability (TAPAS), carried out with AquaBiotech Group and the University of Palermo, combined two analytical techniques to prove the cucumbers were successfully processing the fish waste. Stable isotopes, used to assess diet, showed that the sea cucumbers were using the fish waste as their dominant food source. Fatty acid analysis in sea cucumbers grown near fish cages showed the presence of terrestrial, plant-based ingredients that could only have come from fish feed, showing that these sea cucumbers were using this source of organic waste to grow.

Angus Sharman, of fish farm MFF Ltd in Malta, where the research took place, says, 'As the demand for seafood grows, MFF Ltd strongly believes in the need for the development of sustainable aquaculture, possibly through IMTA systems such as this. The application of this technology across Mediterranean aquaculture now seems very possible.'

Mr Cutajar adds, 'Our research showed that the nutritional benefits of sea cucumbers produced near fish cages may have the potential to create economic value for producers to invest in sustainably farmed products and, as preference for eco-labelled products increases, these findings could encourage product diversification through IMTA.'

Professor Trevor Telfer of the Institute of Aquaculture, who oversaw the research, says, 'There is increasing interest in IMTA systems in aquaculture, as there is in circular economy systems in other industries, as a way to find sustainable solutions to future challenges in seafood production. We are very excited by these findings.'

For more information about the University of Stirling visit the website, HERE.

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Collaboration between Regal Springs and Ace Aquatec for stunning solutions

Tilapia producer Regal Springs is collaborating with aquaculture technology provider Ace Aquatec, to introduce stunning solutions to their main processing facilities following on from successful trials in Mexico.

The collaboration comes after the producer was looking for a stunning solution to harvest their tilapia, one that would address growing demands for responsibly sourced foods. According to research conducted by OpenText, nine in ten consumers prioritise buying from companies with ethical sourcing strategies in place, and 83 percent willing to spend more on a product if it meets certain criteria.

The project, which took place in Mexico, has been two years in the making and began after Ace Aquatec was given UK£1 million in funding from the Humane Slaughter Association to provide stunning equipment to farms with no humane harvesting in place for finfish.

The company then approached Regal Springs, collaborated with Nautilus Collaboration and The Centre for Responsible Seafood (TCRS) to provide full EEG results to certification bodies to validate unconsciousness of fish and provide regulators with evidence to advocate for welfare improvements in the supply chain.

"This is a huge step forward from thermal stunning to a more humane and controlled stunning process, and with this towards better fish welfare," comments Emily McGregor, sustainability manager at Regal Springs. "As a side effect also process and quality parameters improved: reduced bruising, better quality of the fillets, better working conditions for staff. This supported Regal Spring's decision to move from pilot trials to immediate uptake of the equipment, and proliferation across their business."

Image credit: Regal Springs

Nathan Pyne-Cater, the CEO of Ace Aquatec called the project a "unique challenge", and one that provided them with a "general acceleration" for fish farming.

"We are now working with Barramundi farms in Australia, prawn farms in Europe and the trout sector in Canada as consumers and regulators insist upon more humane farming processes," he adds.

Using the pilot Humane Stunner Universal System (HSU) enabled Regal Springs to experience the huge improvements high welfare in-water stunning of fish brings.

"Sustainability has been at the heart of our Regal Springs business since the beginning over 30 years ago and in the spirit of continuous improvement we stand proud of pioneering new ways here with fish welfare," says Petra Weigl, Managing Director for Europe at Regal Springs. "Of course, retailers can be confident in accessing the very best in tilapia fish protein made viable through the way we raise and now harvest the fish – our ASC certification being testament to the quality we offer."

Ace Aquatec's HSU technology continues to be supplied to and used by fish farmers globally. In June of this year, smolt farmers Sævareid Fiskeanlegg signed an agreement with Ace Aquatec for their first in-water smolt stunner, and back in May Fresh by Design became Ace Aquatec's first distributor in the APAC region.

You can read about the smolt farmers story HERE and the supplier story HERE.

For more information on Regal Springs visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Ace Aquatec visit their website, HERE.

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SPAROS to organise training course on the FEEDNETICS software

SPAROS is organising a face-to-face workshop in Portugal, taking place October 12-13, 2022. The objective of this workshop is to promote AquaIMPACT results with an impact for the aquaculture sector, in particular key personnel from fish farming and aquafeed companies can learn how to evaluate the impact of different feeds and feeding strategies on fish performance, using FEEDNETICS, a prediction tool developed by SPAROS.

Target participants for this training course are Mediterranean bream and bass and Salmonid industry & acadamia, from:

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  Fish farming companies, e.g. Site and Feeding Managers, R&D managers and Production Managers.

• Aquafeed and feed additive companies, e.g. Product Development and Managers, R&D managers, Key Account Managers. 

• Academia, e.g. Aquaculture researchers. 

This workshop will be presential at Olhão (Algarve, Portugal), and limited to 30 participants. Each participant should bring their own laptop for the hands-on part of the workshop. For more information contact feednetics at feednetics@sparos.pt.

For more information visit the website, HERE.
To register for the workshop visit the website, HERE. 

The Aquaculturists

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Garware launches new net which can be painted with antifouling paints

As one of the leading textile suppliers in aquaculture, Garware has launched a new, high-density polyethylene net, which can be painted with water-based antifouling paints. The Star V4 polyethylene nets are the latest product of the company's and currently only net on the market that can be 100 percent painted with traditional, water-based antifouling paints.

"Before this technology, HDPE was not paintable," explains Marcos Jofré, Business Associate Garware Chile. "With its development, the nature of the fibre surface is modified, allowing traditional paint to be perfectly fixed with complete compatability."

"Today over 50 percent of salmon companies are conducting tests or permanently using the Star V4 nets, yielding good results, both in impregnation and antifouling," Mr Jofré adds. "And not only have they been impregnated, but in several cases, they have been re-impregnated, surpassing the second cycle of impregnation. For this reason, we ensure that Garware's V4 technology impregnates HDPE with traditional water-based antifouling paints, confirming its effectiveness."

On top of this, the Star V4 nets have all the characteristics of the orgiianl raschel nets as they are knotless even after 10 years of use after aggressive in situ cleaning conditions. Loss of tensile strength is 15 percent after four years, compared with nylon which loses 40 percent or more.

Other characteristics listed by the company include the net's ability to not elongate, high resistance to abrasion in humid conditions, incorporates anti-UV additives and has the highest manufacturing standards worldwide.

"Polyethylene with antifouling does not lose resistance over time, which provides great flexibility in the strategic process of cleaning the nets, since it is possible to migrate from impregnation to cleaning in situ or vice versa, with ease to deliver the better conditions for salmonids complying with the new regulations required by the sectoral authority," says Mr Jofré.

Paints for polyethylene can technically paint any nets but the cost is higher and there are no more than three brands in Chile.

In situ cleaning in Chile is still a complex process in aquaculture, due to logistics – distance from farms, availability of services, cost – meaning the majority of aquaculture companies operating in Chile prefer to use nets with antifouling, compared with other countries where in situ cleaning reduces the use of antifouling. 

For more information on Garware visit their 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 five 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. Their 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. They market a line of original products including vitamins, enzymes, organic acids and essential oils.

For more information visit the Jefo marketplace listing on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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New sustainable aquaculture investment for Stirling

An ambitious new aquaculture research and innovation facility at the University of Stirling has received a further one million pounds of investment.

The National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH), which will build on the University's internationally renowned Institute of Aquaculture, has been awarded a Wolfson Foundation grant to support research to improve modern aquaculture practice with a focus on sustainability, and increase the economic, social and environmental benefits of aquaculture.

Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for experimental science, NATIH, funded through £17 million of UK Government investment as part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, will allow researchers to tackle the major challenges facing aquaculture producers, such as fish welfare and managing environmental impacts, working with local and international partners.

The Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal is a £90.2m investment from the UK Government and Scottish Government in innovation and infrastructure that will drive inclusive economic growth throughout the region. Regional partners, including Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, and the University of Stirling, will invest up to £123.8m, resulting in a Deal worth more than £214m, to be delivered over the next 10 to 15 years.

Professor Simon MacKenzie, Head of the Institute of Aquaculture, says, 'The call from the Wolfson Foundation was for high quality research with clear impact, and we're delighted the judges recognised NATIH's potential to support sustainable, resilient and secure aquatic food systems that enable health and prosperity for people and for the planet.

'Building on the initial investment by the UK Government and the Institute of Aquaculture's global network, NATIH will enable us to build an innovation community in Stirling and Clackmannanshire that nurtures jobs and skills, turning scientific research into practical, applied solutions that support economic development in communities from rural Scotland to South America, Africa and the Middle East. We welcome further investment and partnerships.'

Chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, Paul Ramsbottom, says, 'The Wolfson Foundation aims to support civil society by investing in research and education - surely ever more crucial during this challenging period.

'Our latest round of awards demonstrates the importance of capital funding for communities across the UK. The new buildings, refurbishments and equipment funded by the Foundation will support learning, enhance wellbeing and advance scientific research. While many and varied, the projects have one thing in common: they are places for people to connect, and they support imaginative and excellent work.'

NATIH, due to open in 2024, will bring together experimental aquatic facilities, including a new tropical aquarium, with state-of-the-art laboratories, and space dedicated to business incubation and acceleration.

Aquaculture - the cultivation of fish, crustaceans, aquatic plants, algae and shellfish in water environments - is one of the world's fasting growing sectors, with an estimated global growth rate of eight percent.

UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, says, "Scotland has a global reputation for its aquaculture expertise that underpins the prosperity of many rural and coastal communities.

"I am glad that UK Government's £17m support for the aquaculture innovation hub has already helped to unlock further investment that will secure a sustainable future for the industry.

"This is part of more than £2 billion of regional investment by the UK Government for levelling up right across Scotland."

For more information about the University of Stirling visit the website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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