The AlgaEurope conference programme is now available!

AlgaEurope will take place from 13 - 15 December 2022 at the Ergife Palace Hotel in Rome, Italy. During these three days of the conference top speakers will share their knowledge and know-how on science, technology and business in the Algae Biomass sector.

The Conference Program includes presentations from Keynote speakers and more than 15 different sessions. The topics range from Physiology, Food, Feed, Cosmetics up to Bioremediation, Biomaterial, Process and many more. Moreover you have the possibility to check out around 100 poster presentations and chat with the authors about their projects.

In addition there will be a trade show where many interesting companies will present their products and services to you.

Don't miss the unique opportunity to expand your knowledge and network with over 350 key players from more than 45 countries within industry and research.

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

The Aquaculturists

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IFFO Conference 2022: taking part in the discussions that will shape the future

IFFO's 60th Annual Conference held in Lima came to an end after three days of insightful discussions and presentations from thirty speakers. The Key takeaways from each session are available here.

Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

With a strong sense of commitment, through courageous collaborations, certification and Science Based Targets, the marine ingredients industry is taking a leadership role in pre-competitive collaboration as a powerful means to drive improvements globally.

The industry plays a vital part in the discussions that will shape the future: nutrition through blue foods; climate change mitigation; sustainability trade-offs.

It wants to focus on continuous improvement in responsible raw material sourcing, while playing to its strengths: excellent nutrition, low environmental impacts, and resilience, all of these being supported by science.

The 2023 IFFO Conference will take place in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Aquaculturists

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Leap to 'pastures blue' earns fish vet award nomination

Fish vet Alison Brough has been shortlisted as one of three finalists in the prestigious BVA Young Vet of the Year awards, to be announced in November.

Ms Brough, who joined the veterinary team of Scottish Sea Farms, Scotland's second largest salmon farmer, in February this year, faced stiff competition from a total of 105 nominations across the UK, in all fields of the profession.

The BVA (British Veterinary Association) said the judges for the annual awards 'had their work cut out coming to a decision', but felt Ms Brough stood out.

The young vet, who graduated from the University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science in 2017, spent the first few years of her career travelling around the Scottish Borders tending to farm animals.

Looking for a change, she answered a Scottish Sea farms job advert and soon found herself swapping her green wellies and flexothanes for yellow wellies and an orange lifejacket.

In her new role, Ms Brough threw herself into learning about the species and sector, before focusing on delivering veterinary support to the company's farms on Scotland's west coast.

'The more I travelled, the more I came to believe that one of the best ways I could make a positive difference would be to help those working most directly with the fish,' she said.

Ronnie Soutar, Head of Veterinary Services at Scottish Sea Farms, who nominated Mr Brough for the award, said, 'Alison very quickly showed an impressive ability to translate not only her new fish knowledge but also her solid grasp of veterinary basic principles into practical advice to farm staff.

'On her own initiative, Alison has taken over responsibility for fine-tuning and delivering fish health training at farm level, personally delivering training modules on a regular basis.

'She recognises that the most important thing she can do for salmon health and welfare is to ensure that those with direct responsibility for the fish have the highest possible level of knowledge.

'She is an excellent example of a young vet making a very positive impact, mainly through her recognition that the relationship with people is the path to helping animals.'

The BVA Young Vet of the Year award, sponsored by Zoetis, aims to celebrate an exceptional young vet who leads, inspires, and goes above and beyond what is expected of them early on in their career.

Open to all young vets in the first eight years after graduation, and who are on the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) register, the winner must show their work has made a difference. Making it on to the shortlist of three is a 'huge achievement', said the organisers.

Brough said she had seen first-hand the passion of those working in the Scottish farmed salmon sector and their commitment to overcoming fish health challenges.

'To be shortlisted as finalist for the BVA Young Vet of the Year, and help represent that passion and commitment, is an absolute honour, one that I hope will also help raise awareness of aquaculture as a career path for fellow and budding veterinarians,' she said.

The winner of the BVA Young Vet of the Year Award 2022 will be announced at a gala dinner at the London Marriott Hotel in Canary Wharf on Thursday, November 17.

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

The Aquaculturists

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LIMA 2022 - key takeaways from the opening session

IFFO's historic 60th Annual Conference in the fishing powerhouse of Peru started on 24th of October, bringing together over 500 delegates from 35 countries, an all-time record. The detailed agenda can be found here.

The global contribution of marine ingredients
IFFO's President Gonzalo de Romaña opened the event by explaining the vital role of marine ingredients in the global food system. The industry has been supporting the production of food both in terms of quantity and quality, while championing responsible practices. FAO's latest State of the World's aquaculture and Fisheries Report (2022), states that the total production of farmed and wild fish in 2020 was 178 million mt. IFFO estimated that in 2020, 35 percent was tonnage farmed by using compound feed including fishmeal and fish oil. Considering that the average consumption of fish worldwide was reported at 20 kg per capita in 2020, 35 percent of that was produced thanks to fishmeal and fish oil. In other words, 7 kg of the 20 kg fish per capita consumed in 2020 were farmed using fishmeal and fish oil.

Mr Romaña remarked 'This is a tremendous contribution to the production of blue foods and food security in the world at times when it is not only a question of feeding a growing population but nourishing billions with high protein nutrients.'  

The world needs marine ingredients
IFFO's Director General, Petter Martin Johannessen, noted that 'a secure future relies on both nutritious and sustainable foods' and with decades of data, marine ingredients provide a benchmark for aquafeed ingredients for which the performance of other ingredients are measured. The many benefits that these valuable ingredients provide is well known and at IFFO we are extensively exploring their true contribution to the global food security.             

'The role of the blue food sector in delivering nutrition should be better recognised. 70 percent of the world is covered by sea and fish only accounts for only seven percent of all protein - It is time to make the case about blue foods as top performing in both climate and nutrition!'

To feed the world, we need to waste less fish, and with 70 percent of the fish often going to waste, we need to use 100 percent. The marine ingredients sector provides the market in which fish by-products are put to the most efficient use. Today, 30 percent of fishmeal and 51 percent of fish oil are produced from by-products. Indeed, the use of by-products currently represents one of the best bio-circularity stories in terms of capturing the full-value of animal production. 'The increasing availability of sustainable marine ingredients is the only way forward to feed a growing population and more importantly, to nourish it. Quality food requires quality feed.'

Understanding this global economic crisis 
Drawing from his extensive economic expertise, the Economics Editor of the UK's Financial Times presented a sobering overview of many economic challenges facing the world. Reaching across the globe, we can see that inflation is at its highest in 40 years, the covid crisis and then energy crisis. But this situation is different from previous crises. Country's downturns aren't synchronised and contagion between economies isn't happening in the same way. 

Zooming in on China, aside from Covid, another example of a continuing challenge is with shipping, with 12 percent of all shipping in China not moving due to bottlenecks, showing that supply chain problems are still present. Over to the US, 70 percent of economists believe that the US is heading for recession, with a bust after a boom scenario. In the EU, inflation has spread from the gas crisis, but the continent, like the rest of the world, is also being deeply affected by inflated food prices, which is then causing a political crisis. There are however bright spots of growth in India and Latin America, but overall global growth is falling into recession with only a two percent growth expected in 2023. 

But it's not all doom and gloom. Europe's gas struggles and price rises have in turn cut demand, increasing reserves and resulting in a more diversified EU energy plan, it will take time. The recession following this is now unlikely to be as bad as predicted. We also now understand what is happening in the global economy, unliked what happened by in 2008 or with covid, we know that we are in the worst part, and the incoming recessions will likely be mild. The EU is managing the gas crisis and then there is always a risk with global interest rates, but they can be reduced again if gone too far. 

'If I were to come back this time next year, I believe that the outlook will be a lot brighter than it is right now!' he concluded.

Collaboration as a prerequisite for sustainable development of Blue Foods
SeaBOS' Managing Director, Martin Exel noted that fisheries are a shared resources and what one group does directly impact another; adding that with no collaboration, sustainability is not possible. Seafood production needs to be both ecologically sustainable and economically sustainable, while building community trust. Sustainable Blue Food production is about people working together to feed our world in a healthy, sustainable, manner. Balancing the needs of society with the health of our land, ocean, and fisheries, is not for the faint-hearted, but positive action can and has occurred in our industry.  

Taking a structured approach, SeaBOS has identified keystone species and keystone actors to drive change, building a science-industry based collaboration stakeholder map. If you can change what their keystone actors do, then you impact the whole industry. But what is the role of marine ingredients in this? Exel called for the industry to be sustainable, responsible, climate positive, innovative; and equitable and ethical to meet society values and expectations of sustainable aquaculture. 

To aid this, SeaBOS have developed a collaboration plan, including a toolkit to establish strategies and policies, action-driven measures on IUU fishing and labor abuse towards improvement, and monitoring and reporting towards transformation. Trust is the first point to the build a constructive dialogue for further change. Exel concluded by calling on the industry to be courageous and collaborate for the growth of sustainable and ethical feed production. 'The seafood industry cannot thrive on an unsustainable planet, and we will not have a thriving planet with an unsustainable seafood industry.' 

How to achieve truly sustainable aquaculture, fisheries and value chains
Drawing from decades of statistical knowledge, FAO's Stefania Vannuccini outlined a roadmap for the transformation of aquatic food systems. She noted that 'food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.' 

Fisheries and the aquaculture sector have a key role in food security, providing nutritious food, employment, income and livelihood. As a superfood with an essential top nutritional source, fish provide highly bioavailable proteins and micronutrients. While the large biodiversity of fish allows for better climate adaptation options. 

Production has grown to 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals, with growth in capture fisheries due to the success of fisheries management, with 'assessed stocks' improving and rebuilding; and unassessed stocks declining. Fisheries provide 59 million people with employment, with 600 million people depending on the sector. But challenges remain, both with resources and environment, and with socioeconomic and governance. Climate change is an increasing challenge with the maximum catch potential projected to decrease by up to 12 percent by 2050. 

Aquatic foods are increasingly seen as part of the solution for global food security and consumption. However, growth needs to be both sustainable and equitable. The way that we produce more food cannot be at the expense of the planet. Aquaculture and capture fisheries are expected to grow, driven by both population growth and consumers choosing seafood for health. The use of fishmeal and fish oil in feed is expected to slightly decline, but they will continue to be used as strategic ingredients to improve the overall quality of the aquatic species. 

Blue transformation is now under FAO's strategic framework 2022 -2031, which will recognise successes in the sector since the 1995 Code of Conduct in combatting poverty and hunger and go on to identified priority areas to further transform aquatic foods, to develop a new vision for the sector in the 21st century. 

Three objectives have been identified for a blue food transformation:

• Sustainable aquaculture intensification and expansion satisfies global demand for aquatic foods and distributes benefits equitably
• Effective management of all fisheries delivers healthy stocks and secures equitable livelihoods
• Upgraded value chains ensure the social, economic and environmental viability of aquatic food systems

Echoing early calls, collaboration was noted as key to this plan's success, with the aim to achieve efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable aquatic food systems by 2030. 

A prosperous and sustainable future for shrimp
Moving to the shrimp sector, VitaPro's Allan Cooper opened by showing the domination of shrimp and salmon in driving seafood supply growth, recently driven especially by the US market. But it is Ecuador that Cooper noted has been an unexpected success story in the shrimp sector. In 2017 Ecuador was only producing 12 percent of the global shrimp market, but now produces 24 percent, increasing by 29 percent in just the last year. This growth has been driven by a technological revolution, with farmers moving to automatic feeders and integrated production to packaging plants. The goal is to grow sustainably, with marine ingredients playing a critical role in this objective. This industry is also taking off in other countries, again driven by technology. 

With traditional feed costs increasing, more affordable options are needed, but alternative ingredients are not yet cost competitive, but this could be reduced through economies of scale. Key focus areas for the industry are to ensure sustainable practices, validate commitment and invest in traceability technologies. And again, the key to all of this is radical collaboration for systemic change towards sustainability.

Salmon: low emission, land efficient and nutritious food source  
Moving to another dominant sector, that of salmon, Camanchaca's CEO Ricardo García Holtz discussed the sector's trends, opportunities, and challenges. The world has greatly changed in the last 40 years since salmon farming started, with the sector now providing the most nutritious farmed protein. With population growth, we already use 50 percent of the habitable land on the planet for agriculture and there is no more, unless we want to cut down the remaining forests and convert them to agricultural land. Simply put, 93 percent of food is produced in 10 percent of planet's surface. With unhealthy lifestyles increasing mortality, seafood and salmon offer a unique range of health benefits. 

Salmon is a low emission food source, requiring less surface area and is more protein efficient than other proteins. The salmon sector has generated socio-economic development in areas where there wasn't previously industry, with 150,000+ people employment relating to the sector in Chile. Recent trends impacting the sector include consumer changes to eating at home, and sustainable practices increasing financing. Camanchaca was the first company in Chile to have a sustainably linked loan: there is a huge opportunity here to drive sustainable growth. But growth in salmon farming is now flattening, the growth rate is now close to zero, there is demand but with lower production prices are increasing with which have consequences if not changed. 

Challenges facing the sector include the global economic slowdown, feed costs, regulations and climate change. Climate change has made ocean conditions unpredictable, increasing costs by seven percent. On top of this, feed costs have increased massively, energy costs have increased and regulations remain helpful to the sector.  

Panel Discussion: Marine Ingredients' Role in Global Food Security
The panel was moderated by John Evans (Intrafish) and featured the sessions speakers. Discussions first opened up with China and Chris Giles noting that while the zero covid policy continues, the economy is relying on covid rates remaining low, markets will become unstable with more large lockdowns. Much of the global stress from covid was caused by a shift from services to goods, this has slowly reversed which should increase stability. With food security, the long-term situation given the demographics are reasonable, but this will depend on climate change and farming practices. Demographic projections are getting a lot smaller as fertility rates are falling, making hunger rates more manageable. The difficulty however is distribution, especially to sub-Saharan Africa. For the seafood industry, sustainability is attractive, especially in the long term. The trend is upward, but a lot is relying on finding global agreements, which is a slow process.  

An area for growth in aquatic foods, is the use of by-products while also reducing waste. Martin Exel noted that collaboration was needed to aid developing regions with this. FAO is working extensively here, but government and industry need to work hard to better utilise resources noted Stefania Vannuccini. There is huge waste with the consumer and more education is needed, and marine ingredients can also go directly to the consumer. 

Allan Cooper highlighted work with MarinTrust to help drive improvement with small scale producer, encouraging traceability and improving best practices along the whole supply chain. The use of marine ingredients in shrimp is sustainable, but we must keep improving and help the small companies grow sustainably, he said.

For more information visit the IFFO website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Forsea attracts USD5.2M to expand cultivated seafood, without harming sea life

Forsea Foods, Ltd., a FoodTech start-up, is the first company to use organoid technology for culturing seafood products. With a goal of redressing the destruction of marine life due to overfishing, Forsea embarked on a mission to cultivate seafood—initially eel meat—without harming sea life. The eel has become an endangered species, while the demand for its meat keeps increasing in markets such as Europe and Asia.

Toward this effort, Forsea has raised USD5.2M in a seed round led by Berlin-based Target Global. Also invested in the round were The Kitchen FoodTech Hub; PeakBridge VC; Zora Ventures; FoodHack, and Milk & Honey Ventures. The new funding will initially go towards growing cultivated eel meat, high in demand for kabayaki and sushi. Target Global's contribution to this round marks one of its first investments in the foodTech industry.

Founded a year ago with the support of The Kitchen FoodTech Hub part of The Strauss-Group, Forsea is dedicated to preserving the fish population by creating a viable alternative to wild-caught seafood and leaving the fragile marine ecosystem completely untouched.

Organoid platform vs scaffolding cultivated seafood
Forsea utilises a non-GMO organoid platform in which the eel meat is grown ex vivo as a three-dimensional tissue structure in the same manner it would grow in a living fish.

This technology bypasses the scaffolding stage and requires fewer bioreactors, a process that is much simpler and more cost-effective than traditional cell culturing. It also dramatically reduces the amount of expensive growth factors required, making the final product more affordable. Iftach Nachman, PhD, co-founder of Forsea, developed the organoid technology to solve the bottleneck of the eel meat industry.

'We are eager to take part in Forsea's quest to create sustainable, better-for-you seafood products that do not disrupt the biodiversity of the oceans,' says Shmuel Chafets, Executive Chairman and founder of Target Global. 'Forsea is poised to make a dramatic impact on the seafood ecosystem. Its pillar platform solves a bottleneck in the cultivated meat industry by creating affordable, ethical, cultivated seafood products that can replace vulnerable fish species.'

Future plans
Forsea will inaugurate its pilot plant during 2023. The plant will allow the company to create a preliminary design for a large-scale alpha production system, and to launch the company's first products. The start-up will invest the newly raised capital to accelerate R&D for both growing eel meat and developing the process for other fish species. Forsea also will improve and expand its core technology to enable organoid growth in large-scale bioreactors, while developing methods to increase production yield and profitability at a lower cost. These include perfecting a continuous feeding strategy and nutritional support. Recently Forsea expanded its R&D team and activities to Rehovot, in the heart of Israel's FoodTech valley.

'We are very excited to announce the completion of this funding round,' states Roee Nir, CEO, a biotechnology engineer and co-founder of Forsea. 'Our investors express their trust in our game-changing technology for producing seafood with a minimal footprint on the environment. The patented organoid technology allows us to contribute to a safe and more resilient food system consumers demand.'

'We are extremely pleased to invest in Forsea and welcome the company into our growing portfolio,' comments Yoni Glickman, Managing Partner of FoodSparks by PeakBridge. 'Forsea has demonstrated breakthrough technology, having recruited an experienced team to solve a significant problem in the food system caused by overfishing and habitat loss.'

'Depletion of world fisheries is a major threat to our food security,' adds Amir Zaidman, Chief Business Officer of The Kitchen Hub. 'For this reason we teamed up with Nir and the founding team and backed Forsea from its inception at The Kitchen. We are proud to continue our support and to participate in the seed round of Forsea as it continues to attain its goals.'

'We can produce a product identical in flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional values to real eel,' emphasises Mr Nir. 'Organoid platform allows us to design the fish fillet exactly as it grows in the fish, that is, in a 3-dimensional structure, without growing the fat and muscle tissues separately.'

For more information about Forsea visit the website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Krill improves larvae seabream survival, according to a new study

According to a new study, by supplementing with seven percent of krill phospholipids in a seabream diet, larvae exhibited enhanced growth and survival, along with significantly less lipid (or fat) deposits in the intestine and liver, as compared to fish consuming the soybean lecithin diet.

'The high survival rates and greater growth in the larvae fed seven percent krill oil phospholipids shows that inclusion of krill in the feed ensures more of the important fatty acids are being absorbed and utilized by the fish. This is in line with previous research that shows that the phospholipid source is important, and krill oil phospholipids are consistently more effective in terms of health, growth and overall survival in fish,' said Reda Saleh Azam, Senior Scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.

Key study findings:

• The supplementation of dietary krill oil phospholipids 'significantly improved' the larval survival and growth as compared to the larvae fed the soybean lecithin and control diets.
• The overall omega-3 fatty acid composition in the body was highest in the larvae fed 7% and 9% krill oil phospholipids.
• The larvae fed the soybean lecithin and control diets exhibited significantly higher presence of large vacuoles of lipid droplets in the liver and intestine, indicating poor utilization of the dietary lipids.
• The inclusion of just 7% krill oil phospholipids resulted in a significant decrease in intestinal and hepatic steatosis, leading to better larval performance in terms of survival and length.
   

Dr Reda Saleh, Senior Scientist at KAUST, Saudi Arabia, with researchers from the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling University, Scotland, and Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, led this study with the goal of analyzing the effects of krill oil- and soybean lecithin-based microdiets on the intestine and liver in seabream larvae. The larvae received one of the five formulated test diets during the one-month experiment, after which they were evaluated for performance related to survival and growth rates.

'The researchers found that by including just seven percent krill oil phospholipids in the seabream diet, the larvae exhibited enhanced growth and survival, along with significantly less lipid (or fat) deposits in the intestine and liver, as compared to fish consuming the soybean lecithin diet,' said Andras Ziener, VP Business Development, Animal Health & Nutrition, Aker BioMarine.

Phospholipids are an important energy source for fish development
Both krill oil and soybean lecithin are dietary sources of phospholipids, which is an important source of energy in fish, particularly during embryonic and early larval development. Phospholipids possess a high content of omega-3 fatty acids that are easier to absorb and digest, in addition to its feed attractant properties that support better diet quality in fish. Previous studies have also show that phospholipids provide inositol and choline, which are important for increasing the absorption of nutrients.

About the experiment
The experimental diets used in the study contained increasing phospholipid contents (from seven to nine percent) derived from either krill phospholipids, provided by Aker BioMarine, or soybean lecithin. The diets were manually delivered to the fish 14 times per day over the course of one month. The larval sampling, to measure the effects of the five microdiets, was conducted on day 45 of the experiment.

About the study
The study, titled 'Different phosphatidylcholine and n-3 HUFA contents in microdiets for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae: effects on histological changes in intestine and liver', was authored Reda Saleh, Monica Betancor, Asaad Hassan Mohamed, Tamer El-Sayed Ali and Marisol Izquierdo. It was published in the Aquaculture International in its entirety, and it is available upon request.

For more information about Aker BioMarine visit the website, HERE, or for information about QRILL Aqua visit the site, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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SAIC unlocks new funding to encourage innovation amid economic uncertainty

The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) has opened a new funding call for collaborative innovation projects, helping the sector to continue with vital research and development as cost-of-living pressures rise.

More than £500,000 will be split between successful project proposals designed to future-proof Scottish aquaculture and support sustainable growth while minimising its environmental impact. Collaborative research teams involving experts from across the sector, along with Scottish Higher Education Institutions are invited to submit their applications before the 7th December deadline.

SAIC said that ongoing discussions across its network and members point towards a strong pipeline of opportunities that could progress into funded projects, highlighting the importance of research for building resilience against challenges such as the current economic pressures.

In each proposal, research teams must demonstrate meaningful and measurable impact for the sector. They should also align with SAIC's three priority innovation areas: addressing environmental and health challenges, unlocking additional capacity in the sector through new technology or processes to secure sustainable growth, or a focus on shellfish and other non-finfish species. Projects should be ready to begin next spring and must be completed by July 2024.

Recent SAIC-backed collaborations – including three projects valued at a combined £1.1m – involve efforts to use artificial intelligence and imaging technology to support environmental monitoring, as well as research to boost the use of cleaner fish as an effective, sustainable treatment for sea lice.

Heather Jones, CEO of SAIC, said: 'Particularly during challenging times, it is important to continue supporting innovation that will help to shape the future of aquaculture. Collaborative research and knowledge sharing is helping to drive the whole sector forward, making it more efficient and more sustainable so that it can continue to fulfil the rising demand for high-quality protein for years to come.

'We look forward to receiving a range of proposals representing all parts of the sector, including initiatives that address the impact of climate change on farming conditions, as well as projects closely linked to the aims of the Farmed Fish Health Framework - a collaboration between the sector and the Scottish Government.

'Scotland has a wealth of expertise and experience in aquaculture to draw upon and we are keen to support initiatives that reflect that, unlocking opportunities that support rural communities, small businesses and a global supply chain.'

For more information and to complete an application form, visit: HERE

The Aquaculturists

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For the first time ever, a fishery and its associated fishmeal and fish oil production sites have gained approval and certification following their journey on the MarinTrust Improver Programme

Several years after the Panama small pelagics fishery was accepted onto the MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP), the fishmeal and fish oil production plants sourcing from it have demonstrated full compliance and just gained MarinTrust certification.

Better managed fisheries lead to better socio-economic impacts and opportunities
Some of the main improvements made in this fishery include a new management plan and the setting of Total Allowable Catches. An onboard observer programme was also initiated which enabled the collection of information on the size and maturity of the target species and the ecosystem impacts on endangered species. As a result of the findings of the observers' programme, fishermen are regularly trained to release vulnerable species alive.

'Back in the 2010s, the Panama small pelagics fishery was data poor, with inadequate records of effort or landings, and nothing known about its impacts on the ecosystem. The market had started demanding third party proof of sustainability, so something needed to be done,' explains Ernesto Godelman, Executive director of CeDePesca, the non-profit organisation which initiated the project.

A thorough process
The process leading to the certification being granted involves the fishery passing the full MarinTrust fishery assessment and the site passing a third-party audit by a certification body. 'This thorough process ensures not only that marine ingredients come from non-IUU fisheries that are managed in accordance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries but also that production is carried out to high standards of safety and quality, with sufficient care given to the environment, workforce, and local community,' says Nicola Clark, Impacts Manager at MarinTrust.

While marine ingredients produced using accepted Fishery Improvement Project raw material may be sold as a MarinTrust Improver Programme product, plants producing certified products can claim the MarinTrust certification and use the MarinTrust logo. Once certified, sites are required to have annual surveillance audits as part of the 3-year certification cycle and must undergo a recertification audit every three years in order to maintain certification status. The fisheries assessment component of the standard includes an annual surveillance audit and full re-assessment every three years.

Animalfeeds has been involved in marketing Panamanian fishmeal and fish oil since 1965. Brian Murtagh, Managing Director, and also leader of the Fishery Improvement Project, explains, 'The fishery mainly targets Pacific anchovy and Pacific thread herring. Today, Europe buys the majority of the fish oil for use in the salmon feed industry, while China, North America and countries neighbouring Panama are the main market for fishmeal, which is used in swine, aquaculture and petfood diets.'

FIP history
The Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) for the Panama small pelagics fishery was started in 2011 as an initiative of CeDePesca, a non-profit organisation founded in 1997, to help Latin American fisheries become sustainable, along with Promarina SA, the most important local producer. It is now run in conjunction with Procesadora Bayano SA (Probasa). It was the first FIP to be accepted onto the MarinTrust Improver Programme.

Flor Torrijos, General Administrator at Panama's ARAP (Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos y Pesqueros- Fishery and Aquatic Resources Authority) concludes, 'This recognition is the result of more than seven years of hard work in the fishing sector and an indication that our nation guarantees good practices in the industry, consolidating investments that focus their strengths on consistent improvements, in the short and medium term, aligned with the interests of conscientious consumers committed to nature around the world. This achievement that we obtain today goes hand in hand with the regulations that promote the protection of marine species, in balance with sustainable fishing activity that generates wealth, employment and a secure source of food. Panama demonstrates that it adapts to the demands of the 21st century's society, adopts legislation that promotes the protection of marine resources and ensures compliance.'

Ceremony
A ceremony took place on Thursday 20th October 2022 at Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Panama. MarinTrust Executive Chair Libby Woodhatch, thanked all the individuals and companies who dedicated time and efforts to make this happen: "Autoridad de los Recursos Acutáicos de Panaman (ARAP), CeDePesca (Ernesto Godelman and his team), Promarina SA, Procesadora Bayano SA (Probasa). And of course, to Brian Murtagh from Animalfeeds Inc who co-ordinated the MarinTrust Improver Programme for the fishery." 

For more information about Panama small pelagics visit the website, HERE.
Or for information about MarinTrust visit the website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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5th Algae World Europe reschedules to 28 Feb -1 Mar 2023 in Rotterdam

5th Algae World Europe conference will now take place on the new dates: 28 February – 1 March 2023 in Rotterdam, ending with an optional site visit to AlgaePARC.

Image credit: oliver.dodd on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

The conference will be sponsored by Synoxis and will focus on discussions surrounding the theme 'Unlocking the power of algae for EU's biobased economy'.

This conference brings together the relevant sectors and the different players that interact with algae - including academia, retail & food services channels, algae technology suppliers, labs, nutritionists, regulatory officials, trade organisations, consumers, business investors and start-ups.

Here is the list of confirmed speakers

• Maris Stulgis, Directorate General, European Commission - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
• Andrew Spicer, Chief Executive and Founder, Algenuity
• Orri Bjornsson, CEO, Algalif
• Eugene Wang, Co-Founder & CEO, Sophie's BioNutrients
• Jacob Thundil, Founder, Sozye
• Hannah Lester, CEO/Principal Consultant, Amgen Consulting
• Julie Encausse, Founder and Director, Marea
• Esben Christiansen, Founder, Pure Algae
• Anne Boermans, Founder, Seaweed Yarns
• Dr. Toby Boatman, Research Director, Brilliant Planet
• Prof. Dr. R.H. (René) Wijffels, Head, Bioprocess Engineering Group, Food and Bio-based Products Research - Wageningen University & Research Centre (WFBR)
• Simon Ferniot, CEO / Co-founder, Seafood Reboot
• Roman Laus, CEO, Mewery
• Paul Goudeau, Technical Manager, Synoxis Algae
• Oran Ayalon, Founder & CTO, AlgaHealth
• Gabriele Cipri, Business Devt Director, Livegreen Biotech Company

Places reserved for the original October dates can be rolled over to 28 February – 1 March 2023, and additional places can be obtained by contacting Hafizah Adam.

For more information visit the website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Dean Tretheway appointed as Managing Director for Akvafuture

Akvafuture, which operates 'sustainable and environmentally-friendly fish farms at three locations in Vevelstad and Bronnoy municipalities,' has appointed Dean Trethewey as Managing Director.

Mr Trethewey states, 'I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Managing Director at Akvafuture.'

Mr Trethewey has many years of experience in the industry, having worked as the Production Manager of Marine Harvest Group (now Mowi) from 2001-2016 before later becoming the Production Director of Greig Seafood in British Columbia.

Akvafuture's technology used a closed cage system to improve fish wellbeing and welfare. The company's system allows for salmon to live in clean, deep sea water that prevents the risk of sea lice infestations, while the cage used means the fish are subjected to minimum handling, which promotes high levels of growth.

Fish feed is securely held within the closed cases used to prevent wild fish from accessing it, reducing wastage, and the risk of escapes is low due to the use of a double protection system.

For more information about Akvafuture visit the website, HERE. 

The Aquaculturists

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New study shows FeedKind® enhances health, growth and survival rate in largemouth bass

Largemouth bass enjoy increased growth, better survival and improved gut health when fed Calysta's FeedKind® Aqua protein, a new study has shown.

The 10-week growth study carried out by the Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing compared the performance of FeedKind-fed bass with a control group using a fishmeal-based feed. Other observed benefits included better digestibility of dry matter and nutrients, better antioxidant capacity and better microbial diversity.

While noting that a diet high in fishmeal content was not the best choice for largemouth bass, the report published in MDPI found that containing 3-6 percent FeedKind in a low fishmeal and high plant protein diet provided optimal benefit.

Allan LeBlanc, Calysta's Head of Animal Feed, says, 'Largemouth bass production in China is rapidly growing and the results of this study show how a diet comprising FeedKind can deliver tangible benefits not just to the fish themselves, but to the farmer.'

The results come as Calysta works with Adisseo to commission the world's first industrial scale FeedKind plant via Calysseo, their 50/50 joint venture to produce FeedKind for China and the wider Asian aquaculture market.

Mr LeBlanc adds, 'This news comes at an important time for the Asian aquaculture sector, with the first commercial quantities of FeedKind set to come from the new Calysseo plant by the end of the year.'

Calysseo is building its maiden plant in Chongqing, China, which has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year of FeedKind protein from the first phase of the project, with further expansion planned in future to cope with demand.

FeedKind Aqua is a natural, sustainable and traceable feed ingredient for aquaculture, produced by fermentation. FeedKind has been validated via extensive trials across popular aquaculture species, including shrimp, seabass, and salmon.

Research previously demonstrated distinct benefits for shrimp, concluding that FeedKind promotes strong, healthy growth, while also helping activate shrimp's immune response to Vibrio, the causative agent of Early Mortality Syndrome.

For more information, visit the FeeKind website, HERE, or the Calysta website, HERE.  

The Aquaculturists

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Kingfish Company's sales up for third quarter

'The third quarter of 2022 was another solid quarter for The Kingfish Company, where we have stabilised at full capacity run-rate for phase 1. We are now ready to launch capacity for phase 2, which is nearing completion. We are pleased to report another quarter with strong sales growth, significant sales price increases, particularly for large fish, while achieving robust steady production and consistently high productivity,' says Ohad Maiman, CEO of The Kingfish Company. 

Image credit: TheAnimalDay.org on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

Driven by continued strong demand for high value kingfish in Europe and the US, sales grew by 90 percent to €5.4 million in Q3'22 and 69 percent in whole fish equivalent (WFE) tonnage to 392 tons. Sales prices have significantly increased in Q3'22, particularly for large fish (+25% YoY) reaching an average price per kg WFE of €17.1, and for small fish (+14% YoY) at €12.1 per kg WFE. Demand continues to outpace their production capacity.

The Kingfish Company produced 374 tons of net growth of high value Yellowtail Kingfish in Q3'22, compared to 334 tons of net growth in the same quarter of last year (first quarter at full run-rate of current installed capacity). This has resulted in a robust productivity index performance of 0.73 (net biomass growth per cubic metre capacity per day), representing an improvement of 11 percent compared to Q3'21.

Phase 2 expansion fully financed
Despite difficult market conditions, The Kingfish Company is raising €35 million through an equity raise, which is fully subscribed and guaranteed for all three tranches. The equity raise together with the remaining net amount on the PCP facility, a new revolving credit facility of EUR 5 million, a new lease facility with a EUR 3.5 million framework, and available cash is estimated to fully finance the Phase 2 capex with a buffer. The additional funds would also be available for biomass build up and general corporate purposes. 

While The Kingfish Company has reached full capacity run-rate in phase 1, it has started the production of fingerlings for the pre-stocking of Phase 2. Phase 2 production is set to commence in early Q1'23. The significant volume increase is expected to result in material improvements to unit economics, building on an already strong basis. 

Development of the Company's US operation in Maine has secured all State and Federal permits, with only local town planning board permit remaining and in advanced stages, paving the way toward an 8,500 ton Phase 1 construction. In the third quarter, the company's site in Jonesport received the community support to proceed with its application as town residents overwhelmingly voted down a proposed moratorium on aquaculture projects. In parallel, the Company has shipped 3rd generation fingerlings to its US hatchery, to serve as future brood stock for the US operation.

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

The Aquaculturists

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MSC raises the bar for certified tuna fisheries

New data published today by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) shows continued growth in tuna catch and products certified to its global standards for sustainable fishing.

Image credit: TheAnimalDay.org on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

MSC certified fisheries are now responsible for catching more than two million tonnes of tuna per year, making up close to half (47%) of the global wild commercial tuna harvest. As a result, the number of brands selling tuna with the MSC label now exceeds 430, up from 126 in 2015 as companies make good on commitments to source only certified sustainable tuna.

The data, included in an update to the MSC's Sustainable Tuna Handbook, shows growing momentum behind sustainable tuna certification and sales. Retailer, brand and fisheries commitments, coupled with growing consumer demand and advances in the technologies which allow sustainable fishing, are delivering tangible benefits. In the three years to March 2022, MSC certified tuna fisheries delivered on 38 conditions of certification helping to further safeguard the oceans and fish stocks. 

Challenges remain however in ensuring the long-term sustainability of tuna fisheries. A new briefing, MSC Fisheries Standard version 3.0: Considerations for Tuna Fisheries, also published today, outlines how improvements made to the requirements of MSC certification will impact tuna fisheries. 

Improvements of particular relevance to tuna fisheries include stronger requirements on fish aggregating devices (FADs), shark finning, endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species and effective monitoring, control and surveillance. 

The revised Standard, to be launched in late October, also sets new requirements for harvest strategies for fisheries managed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) including purse seine and long line tuna fisheries. 

Speaking at the MSC's side event at the World Tuna Trade Conference & Exhibition in Bangkok, the MSC's Chief Science & Standards Officer, Dr Rohan Currey said, 'The new MSC Fisheries Standard will ensure that certified fisheries remain world leaders in sustainable fishing. Certified tuna fisheries will now be required to deliver a set of defined milestones aimed at securing agreement between multiple national governments to implement state of the art harvest strategies derived through open and fair negotiations. These requirements represent a significant increase in expectations of fisheries managed by RFMOs and will create a unified and powerful push towards ensuring vital protections are agreed that ensure sustainable management of tuna stocks in perpetuity.'

Already certified fisheries will be given the opportunity to apply the requirements for harvest strategies early, provided there is majority agreement between fisheries targeting the same stock.  Early application is also conditional on fisheries being assessed to version 3.0 of the Standard at their next reassessment, fast-tracking application of wider requirements including those for FADs, ETP species and shark finning. In recognition of the increased expectations, these fisheries will be given five years in which to secure robust harvest strategies which provide the best protection possible for tuna stocks.

For more information visit the MSC website, HERE. 

The Aquaculturists

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