AquaMaof announces start of construction of Proximar’s RAS facility in Japan

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AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies Ltd, world leader in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology for intelligent land-based aquaculture, is embarking on construction of a RAS facility in Japan for the production of Atlantic Salmon.

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In a project commissioned by Proximar Seafood and located close to the iconic Mount Fuji, the facility is less than two hours trucking distance from Tokyo and Yokohama; the two largest cities in Japan. 

The first harvest is expected in 2024.

The new Proximar facility will integrate the very latest advancements in AquaMaof’s RAS technology, and will include a hatchery, nursery, and full grow-out areas, as well as management, operational and processing zones. Construction follows the successful completion of the design stage, in which AquaMaof worked closely with the Proximar team since 2016. 

“We would like to congratulate the Proximar team on a successful IPO,” says David Hazut, CEO of AquaMaof. “We are pleased and honored to kick-off the construction stage and to continue to support the Proximar team on their visionary mission.” 

“We are excited with the commencement of the construction stage of our facility in Japan, together with AquaMaof as our technology partner for this project,” says Joachim Nielsen, CEO of Proximar. 

“We appreciate their continued support and are confident that this stage will be carried out at the same level of proficiency that characterised the design stage.” 

AquaMaof’s RAS technology provides an end-to-end solution for responsibly-farmed and harvested aquaculture, for various species. These industrial land-based aquaculture facilities enable the production of fresh, natural, high-quality fish and shellfish at competitive prices. 

AquaMaof’s technology also promotes sustainable practices. It’s proprietary water-recycling techniques produce minimum discharge and require low power consumption. With no antibiotics or chemicals used in the farming process, AquaMaof’s Integrated RAS technology enables year-round harvest.

The Proximar project is the latest of several projects currently under development by AquaMaof in Canada, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Chile, US and more, with a combined capacity of more than 65,000 ton. 

For more information, visit the AquaMaof website, HERE

 

The Aquaculturists

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The four policies promoting 'fish as food" that can help to fight world hunger

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Policies that recognise the value of sustainable fish as a source of nutrition, not just a source of livelihoods, could strengthen global food security and help take a big bite out of world hunger, a new analysis shows.

“Fish have been an important source of food for humans for millennia, but seafood production and fisheries management are inexplicably still not viewed as key parts of global policies to fight hunger and promote food security,” says John Virdin, director of the Oceans and Coastal Policy Program at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

“This needs to change, especially as food systems worldwide face increasing threats from climate change and the global development community falls further behind in meeting its goals.”

According to an article recently published online by Futurity, The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates the number of malnourished people worldwide will increase from 678 million in 2018 to 841 million in 2030 if current trends continue.

Fish, which already account for 17 percent of the animal protein consumed globally, could help meet this growing need, yet current food policies and funding priorities show little recognition of this, that's according to the authors of the new paper in the journal Ambio.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #2, “Zero Hunger,” doesn’t even mention fisheries or aquaculture, and both are also largely absent from the funding priorities of the World Bank and other international development organisations.

“This is a huge oversight, as fish offer a critical source of nutrition unparalleled by any other type of food, and often are the only source of key nutrients for vulnerable populations around the world,” says Kristin Kleisner, lead senior scientist for the Environmental Defence Fund’s Oceans program.

Reframing fisheries and aquaculture as important but under-utilised sources of high-quality nutrition could spur increased investment in them by governments and funding agencies, says Xavier Basurto, associate professor of sustainability science at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

It could also shift fisheries management priorities “from producing maximum sustainable yields to managing for optimal nutritional yield,” he says. The new paper identifies four actions that will be required in order to drive this transition:

1. Improve metrics: There currently is a paucity of metrics to assess and communicate the contributions of fish to food and nutrition security. 
2. Promote nutrition-sensitive fish food systems: Current management regimes emphasise the maximum sustainable yield for a given fishery. 
3. Govern distribution. Although fish is one of the most traded food commodities in the world, there’s limited information about its distribution and links to nutrition security - filling these gaps is essential.
4. Situate fish in a food systems framework: policymakers need the tools to conceptualise fishing and aquaculture as components of the food systems framework. 

A “fish as food” framing requires a better understanding of the connections among fish production and distribution, terrestrial agriculture, and planetary health.

For further information, visit the original study's website HERE

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FAO: Pandemic triggers ‘widespread upheaval’ in global fisheries and aquaculture

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As containment restraints continue to affect supply and demand, further interference may impact the sector throughout the year. 

That's according to FAO’s The impact of COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture food systems report. 

fao.org

“Production has been disrupted, supply chains have been interrupted and consumer spending restricted by various lockdowns”, said Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

The brunt of lockdown  

While containment restrictions are expected to have pushed fish supply, consumption and trade revenues for 2020 into decline, the report noted that global aquaculture production – the cultivation of all organisms including plants, and other saltwater or freshwater organisms - may also have recorded its first drop in years. 

“Containment measures have provoked far-reaching changes, many of which are likely to persist in the long term”, says Ms Semedo. 

The report stressed every stage of the fisheries and aquaculture supply chain is susceptible to being disrupted or stopped by these restrictions. 

The Fish Price Index is down for most traded species and restaurant and hotel closures in many countries have prompted falling demand for fresh fish.  

“The impact has been significant in developing countries, especially those with large informal sectors, where small-scale and artisanal workers and communities depend on fisheries for their food security, livelihoods”, says the deputy FAO chief.  

“They have borne the brunt of restrictions”. 

The FAO report indicated that unsold aquaculture products would increase live fish stocks, creating higher costs for feeding and more fish mortalities.  

Frozen over fresh 

And COVID19-related restrictions on crews along with market conditions have reduced fishing, leaving a slight decline in global wild catches last year. 

Coronavirus has also caused consumer preferences to shift as households stock up on non-perishable foods, replacing the demand for fresh fish with a preference for packaged and frozen products. 

Meanwhile, before the pandemic, the sector was trending upwards, with fish consumption growing significantly over the last decade to an average of more than 20 kilos per person. 

Moving forward 

While FAO pressed for disruptive border restriction measures on food production to be minimised for food security, the report called for sectoral and regional organisations to manage fisheries and aquaculture together during the pandemic. 

Read more HERE

The Aquaculturists

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