Monday, March 31, 2014

31/03/14: Cermaq ASA : Cermaq to be granted five green licenses in group B - solid basis for sustainable growth in Norway

Cermaq ASA : Cermaq to be granted five green licenses in group B - solid basis for sustainable growth in Norway.

Friday 28 March 2014 the Directorate of Fisheries announced that Cermaq was awarded five of the fifteen new green licenses in group B. There were in total 72 bids in this category and the fifteen highest bids had a value between NOK 55 mill and NOK 66 mill. Cermaq's bid prices were NOK 63 mill for three licenses and NOK 55 mill for two licenses.

- We are very pleased with the outcome of this first round of allocation of green licenses, and are convinced that we will develop these licenses in a positive way for Cermaq and its shareholders, says CEO Jon Hindar.

Cermaq will provide information as to where the new licenses will be located, total investment and the timing of the expected increase in production when the outcome of the remaining allocation of licenses in groups A and C have been announced and Cermaq has concluded it final investment plan.

About Cermaq

Cermaq is one of the world's leading companies in farming of salmon and trout, with operations in Norway, Chile and Canada. In 2013 the farming business had sales of NOK 5.1 billion, and a total harvested volume of 142.3 thousand tonnes. Cermaq's feed business unit EWOS was sold in 2013. Cermaq is listed on the Oslo stock exchange with ticker code CEQ. www.cermaq.com



English: (Green) Norway. (Grey) Europe. (Light...
English: (Green) Norway. (Grey) Europe. (Light-grey) The surrounding region. See also: Category:SVG locator maps of countries of Europe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)





31/03/14: Offshore Mariculture 2014

http://www.mercatormedia.com/http://www.offshoremariculture.com/

The 5th Offshore Mariculture Conference will benefit fish farmers who are either growing their offshore fish farming business or are looking to move their businesses offshore. Delegates from more than 18 countries have already signed up to the two day technical conference and organisers can now confirm that delegates will have the opportunity to visit the Piscicoltura del Golfo di Gaeta (P2G) offshore fish farm on the third and final day of the conference.

The P2G fish farm is located within the Gulf of Gaeta and consists of 72 floating cages, including 10 cages of 28m diameter, 34 cages of 22m diameter and 28 cages of 16m diameter. The annual output is approximately 1,980 tons, including a guaranteed 165 tons of sea bass and sea bream per month.

Delegates will enjoy a full day excursion where they will have the opportunity to board a boat to visit the offshore cages and view the farms operations. A buffet lunch will be served followed by a question and answer session with the farming managers.

The 2014 conference will be chaired by Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Officer, FAO, and the final conference programme is available to view online at www.offshoremariculture.com.

Highlights include:

  • The what, where and how much of offshore mariculture: global development opportunities from a spatial perspective
  • Legal issues effecting offshore aquaculture development
  • Investment in offshore mariculture today
  • Technological innovations for offshore mariculture – cage and nets
  • Offshore mariculture past and present – moving on from 2012 
  • Fish nutrition and feed management
  • Integrating offshore mariculture with renewable energy
  •  Stock management

The 5th Offshore Mariculture Conference will take place from the 9-11 April 2014 at the Hotel Plaza Caserta, Naples and is supported by The Italian Fish Farmer Association (API), the European Aquaculture Society, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, the Global Aquaculture Alliance as well as the European Technology and Innovation Platform, the “Bundesverband Aquakultur” (German Aquaculture Association) and L’Armatore.  


*Delegates will also receive a copy of the latest Aquafeed Magazine*

 The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.

Norel

Norel makes a range of products for aquaculture species including pellet binders, organic acids, organic minerals and flavours. Click on the image to visit the Norel website.

31/03/14: Award for NZ Fish Oil

 SeaDragon, a Nelson, New Zealand fish oil company, has been recognised for its export successes and has won the DHL Global Forwarding Exporter of the Year at the Natural Products NZ industry awards last week.
Chief executive Ross Keeley said he was thrilled with the award that was a tribute to the passion of the company's staff. Recognising the use of what could have been a waste product the judges cited the innovative ability to commercialise resources that would otherwise be disposed of, and its 40 per cent growth in 2013.
The listed company refines and blends fish-derived oils. Its expansion plans this year include a new $4 million refinery in Richmond that will produce oil rich in Omega-3, primarily from Hoki.

Read more here ...

31/03/14: Shucking Record Falls

 ''I'm just glad it's over,'' was what Angela Fredericks had to say shortly after putting down her shucking knife and setting a new world record for shucking 100 mussels in under two minutes. The contest was held at the Havelock Mussel Festival.
The previous world record, set by Kannah Keo at the same festival in 2007, stood at two minutes 11 seconds. Ms Fredericks took the challenge in her stride and launched into the task with amazing speed and she finished in an astonishing time of one and minute 59 seconds, a full 12 seconds ahead of the record and 35 seconds faster than her best.
Ratification is awaited through official notification from Guinness World Records.

Read more here ...

31/03/14: Scampi Plans

A new hatchery has been built at Cawthron Aquaculture Park near Nelson to improve understanding of New Zealand scampi and establish the world’s first captive breeding program for the species.
The project is led by Cawthron Institute in collaboration with Waikawa Fishing Company, University of Auckland and Zebra-Tech. They hope to refocus the New Zealand scampi industry from frozen commodity production, to live export trade to realise its estimated $200 million annual export potential. Current annual New Zealand export earnings from scampi are $21m but the team believe the potential for the sector is far greater.
The initiative is part of a Government-funded six-year research project to develop more sustainable, commercially attractive harvesting methods for New Zealand scampi, and establish land-based aquaculture systems for domestication.

Read similar stories here ...

Friday, March 28, 2014

Andritz

The Andritz Group is a global market leader in the supply of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors, the steel industry, as well as for the production of animal feed and biomass pellets. Click on the image to visit the Andritz website.

28/03/2014: Salmon sales from Scotland up significantly

The UK's widely read newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, reported in its Business Section that Scottish salmon sales have pushed the UK's overall food exports up by a significant five percent in the past year to a record UK£12.8 billion (US$21.2 billion).


Photo - Courtesy Wikipedia

But what does that mean in terms of salmon exports?

The paper reports that sales to the USA, for example, rose to UK£199 million, an increase of UK£43 million over the previous year and sales to China were just short of doubling at UK£50 million.

Read more ...

28/03/14: Feature: Expert Topic - Shrimp

EXPERT TOPIC - SHRIMP by International Aquafeed magazine

Read more of our features here!

28/03/14: MHG - Agreement to divest UK farming assets

Marine Harvest is pleased to announce an agreement to divest its integrated farming operations on the Shetland and Orkney Islands to Cooke Aquaculture Inc. The operations have a combined harvest volume of 17.4 thousand GWT estimated for 2014. The agreed Enterprise Value (EV) is GBP 122.5 million, which corresponds to an EV/kg of approximately NOK 70. Closing of the transaction is expected in the second quarter.

The divestment is a consequence of the remedies set forth by the EU Commission for the approval of the Morpol transaction in September 2013. The EU Commission required Marine Harvest to divest farming capacity on the Shetland and Orkney Islands. The agreement is conditional on the EU Commission approving that the purchaser and the transaction as well as the sales terms satisfy these remedies.

The majority of the assets included in the transaction have been booked as assets held for sale and Marine Harvest's volumes guidance will not be affected by the transaction. Based on the year end 2013 balance sheet, anticipated gain on the sale is approximately NOK 300 million. Final gain is to be determined upon completion of the transaction.
A completion of the sale is likely to increase the potential dividend capacity for Q1. The final Q1 dividend will be decided by the Board in connection with the Q1 result announcement planned for April 30

Arctic Securities has acted as financial advisor and Wiersholm and Brodies have acted as legal advisors in the transaction.
For queries please contact:
Ivan Vindheim, CFO +47 958 71 310

Thursday, March 27, 2014

27/03/14: Feature: SAFETY FIRST Chain approach in feed safety control is crucial

Liptosa

http://www.aquafeed.co.uk/Liptosa

Lípidos Toledo S.A. began in 1996 as a family business and under the guidance of a group of professionals with extensive experience in the Animal Nutrition field. From the outset, the company's mission has been to provide its clients with personalised service and efficient, natural products that are able to meet the demands of the sector.
Our facilities






27/03/14: Shrimp Standard Handed Over to the ASC

The Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue has handed over the shrimp standard to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), following seven years of development. Now the standard is finalised, this marks a major milestone for the ASC and a step towards promoting more responsible shrimp aquaculture.

The Dialogue members have created a standard that sets out a series of robust requirements to address the key impacts of the industry. Over the years ahead, as farms meet these requirements they will be reducing these impacts helping to move the sector towards sustainability.

Chris Ninnes, ASC's CEO, said: "I have to applaud the individuals on the Dialogue – around 400 people worked tirelessly, including NGOs, industry, scientists and others. It’s no mean feat to bring such varied views and expertise together to create this important document. I’m anticipating early interest in ASC certification from shrimp farms and look forward to them entering the programme and committing to significant improvement in the sustainability of their operations.”

The majority of shrimp aquaculture takes place in China, followed by Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador and Bangladesh. Many large and small scale shrimp farms in Central America, Southeast Asia and elsewhere are working towards producing shrimp responsibly.

“These standards are a breakthrough for sustainable shrimp production,” said Jason Clay, WWF’s senior vice president of market transformation. “Shrimp is the most valuable traded marine product in the world today, with the farmed shrimp industry growing at a rate of 10 per cent annually. These standards will help ensure this growth occurs sustainably and in a way that benefits producers, consumers and the environment. We’re now one big step closer to sustainable shrimp making its way to seafood counters around the world.”

Shrimp is the seventh standard to join ASC’s global programme for responsible aquaculture. It follows the successful introduction of standards for farmed tilapia, pangasius, bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters, scallops), abalone, freshwater trout and salmon.

Minimising the environmental and social footprint of shrimp farming

On average, after being farmed for three to six months, shrimp is harvested to be sold, so two to three harvests per year are possible. However, shrimp farming can have quite considerable unintended negative impacts, therefore, minimising the associated environmental and social footprint is crucial.

The stakeholders involved in the Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue produced a global standard that focusses on addressing seven key areas of adverse impact. Detailed auditing guidelines for onsite assessments are also available to guide certifiers and farms through the audit.

“It is very rewarding to watch how many people with broad and diverse backgrounds associated with shrimp farming came together over difficult issues and developed measurable standards that address reducing impacts in a real and relevant manner,” said Jose Villalon, one of the 14 members of the Global Steering Committee which was responsible for guiding the Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue over the past seven years.

Through ASC certification shrimp farms aim to measurably reduce adverse impacts on the environment and local communities by preserving wetlands and mangroves; addressing the transfer of viruses and reducing disease; bringing cleaner water and ensuring the sustainable use of water; ensuring the responsible use of feed; and addressing biodiversity issues.
In addition, the standard defines guidelines covering the rights of employees and local communities, ensuring ASC certified shrimp is produced in a responsible social setting.

Certifier training

Before certifiers can conduct farm audits their staff must be trained on how to carry out assessments against the standard. Their companies must also successfully complete the third party accreditation process administered through Accreditation Services International.

The first ASC certifier training for shrimp took place in Bangkok, Thailand, 2-4 December. Farms can now contract auditors and enter assessment. It is expected that the first farm audits will take place from May 2014 and the first ASC certified shrimp products are expected to be available around the end of 2014.

IDH and WWF support


ASC is actively working with its cofounders, WWF and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), to help drive improvements in shrimp aquaculture.

ASC works closely with WWF country offices as they assist in engaging the local aquaculture industry. WWF also continues to bring about change through its global Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIPs), which assist fish farmers to comply with ASC’s standards and link responsible producers with new markets.

IDH has established a Farmers in Transition (FIT) fund to stimulate and support the production of responsibly farmed shrimp. The programme partners with retail, food service and supply chain companies to encourage producers to improve their farming practice and actively engages governments, industry and other stakeholders in the countries of production.

Shrimp farmers who would like to achieve ASC certification can apply for FIT co-funding from IDH.
For more information please contact Flavio Corsin corsin@idhsustainabletrade.com

ASC collaboration with other certification programmes

ASC is not alone in promoting improved performance from shrimp farmers. ASC is working with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and GLOBALG.A.P. to make certification more accessible for farmers. While these programmes cover different content (e.g. food safety, animal welfare etc.) and levels of environmental and social requirements, there are overlaps. The three organisations recognise that efficiencies can be created by working together to identify overlaps and by developing mechanisms for auditors to conduct a single audit against more than one programme. A key driver for this initiative is the ability to benefit more farmers and reduce environmental and social impacts more quickly.


http://www.aquafeed.co.uk/amanduskahl

27/03/14: The Time For Oyster Promotion

Working on oysters at Belon, Brittany, France
Working on oysters at Belon, Brittany, France (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Folate/Folic acid is essential for numerous bodily functions – a slight deficiency can lead to lots of health problems.

Humans cannot do not create their own folate/folic acid; so, folate has to be supplied through the diet to meet daily requirements. Humans need folate to synthesize DNA, repair DNA, and methylate DNA and it is especially important in aiding rapid cell division and growth, such as in infancy and pregnancy. Children and adults both require folate to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia.


Folate occurs naturally in many foods, and you will always hear about its connections with dark green leafy vegetables but rarely will it be explained that one of the best foods for natural folate are Oysters (other molluscs also rate highly). The medical profession and the industry are far too defensive to promote but maybe now is the time!

As this report highlights the UK Government is being urged to press ahead with mandatory fortification of bread and flour with folic acid in a bid to reduce neural tube defects in foetuses. Perhaps a mollusc promotion would not only be good for the industry but also be great for the health of the nation.

Read more here ...

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

26/03/14: Feature: Microalgae: an indispensible feed for bivalves

26/03/14: Connections between Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition


https://www.was.org/meetings/
Hunger and poverty are words we often hear, but for most of us, we have little — if any — personal experience of either here in Australia. Yet for a large proportion of the world, it is part of the daily struggle for life, and an estimated 1 billion people still go to bed hungry each day*.

So that there can be greater understanding of the very direct connections between hunger, poverty and nutrition, and the role aquaculture can play in alleviating these issues, two specific sessions are being held at the World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014 Conference, which will take place at the Adelaide Convention Centre in Adelaide, South Australia, from 7 to 11 June 2014.

Journalist, author and keynote speaker at the conference, Martin Bowerman, will lead a strong group of local and international speakers at the event, which is expected to attract around 3000 delegates from across the globe.  Mr Bowerman is the author of the recently published ‘Lean Forever’ book, which gives a very personal account of his success in staying lean and healthy, added to his wealth of knowledge on seafood and health issues.

The Seafood and Health (GILLS) session on 9 June, co-chaired by Barbara Montwill, Consumer Safety Officer-Aquaculture Specialist from the United States Food and Drug Authority, will consider the importance of seafood and health in human nutrition.

The Development, Welfare and Poverty Alleviation session on 11 June, co-chaired by Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) Board Member and Brazilian Professor, Dr Patricia Contente Moraes-Valenti, will deal with issues promoted by AwF, a registered charity affiliated with the World Aquaculture Society.

“One in eight people in the world (around 850 million), are currently estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger and regularly not getting enough food to conduct an active life,” according to Professor Moraes-Valenti.

“Almost all of them live in developing countries, but even in developed countries, there are pockets of people stuck in a poverty cycle. In developed countries, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations puts the number of undernourished people in 2012 at 16 million”, she added.

Having just returned from the FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Fish Trade meeting in Norway, AwF Executive Director Roy Palmer, said: “Governments are keen to talk about preventative health, but backing up those words is difficult, because it requires a new paradigm in thinking and understanding.”

English: Emblem of the United Nations. Color i...
English: Emblem of the United Nations. Color is #d69d36 from the image at http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/flag.htm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Issues about human nutrition are now clearly on the agenda at United Nations and FAO, so discussions relating to advisory positions are now in the open, thus it is important for the aquaculture industry and others involved to consider steps to support the great advantage that the health marketing angle gives seafood,” he said.

“Increasing seafood consumption is an essential imperative for better human health, but changing habits is difficult.”

Background:
• GILLS was created from the Seafood & Health Conference which took place in Melbourne in 2010, and has continued to nurture, grow and communicate the importance of seafood and health in human nutrition ever since.
• Aquaculture Without Frontiers (AwF), created at a World Aquaculture Society event, has been nurturing activities to tackle food security issues by helping communities and individuals to set up their own hatcheries and fish farms to alleviate hunger and to provide a much needed income so they can grow.  AwF Founder and Patron, Michael New OBE, has been engaged in the Steering Committee of this Conference. 

South Australia is proud to be hosting World Aquaculture for the first time in this continent since 1999. This annual event organized by the World Aquaculture Society incorporates the biennial Australasian Aquaculture Conference and Trade Show (theme ‘Create, Nurture, Grow’) in a joint arrangement with National Aquaculture Council. Note that Early Bird registration closes on 1 April 2014.

*The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, United Nations

South Australia is proud to be hosting World Aquaculture for the first time in this continent since 1999. This annual event organized by the World Aquaculture Society incorporates the biennial Australasian Aquaculture Conference and Trade Show (theme ‘Create, Nurture, Grow’) in a joint arrangement with National Aquaculture Council. Note that Early Bird registration closes on 1 April 2014.

26/03/14: A Career in Auditing

Paperwork
Paperwork (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
All around the world as certification increases the demand for qualified auditors increases. Getting the credentials to be an auditor is no mean task but the rewards of regular employment and travel are creating excellent opportunities for many people.

With so many certification schemes and increasing aquaculture quantities the prospects are good. Many schemes run training either for new auditors or refresher courses for returning auditors.
One such opportunity is currently being offered by The Global Aquaculture Alliance with their Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Auditor Training Course in Adelaide, Australia, from June 1 to 7, 2014. This course is for new auditor candidates, returning auditors requiring refresher training, producers, government officials and other industry observers.

The course will cover the BAP seafood processing plant standards, finfish and crustacean farm standards (including land-based ponds and fresh/brackish water cage culture), salmon and marine-cage farm standards, mussel farm standards, shrimp hatchery standards and feed mill standards. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as participants are admitted on a space-available basis.

For detailed information about how to apply, competency requirements, fees and more, please visit the BAP website (http://www.aquaculturecertification.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=4) or see http://www.aquaculturecertification.org/images/PDF_files/au_auditor_course_2014.pdf.

26/03/14: Encyclopedia of Life

Cells stained for keratin and DNA: such parts ...
Cells stained for keratin and DNA: such parts of life exist because of the whole, but also to sustain it (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Yes this exists – increasing the awareness and understanding of living nature through an Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) that gathers, generates, and shares knowledge in an open, freely accessible and trusted digital resource is a massive resource.

Our knowledge of the many life-forms on Earth - of animals, plants, fungi, protists and bacteria - is scattered around the world in books, journals, databases, websites, specimen collections, and in the minds of people everywhere. The group of people and organisations behind EoL are continuing to gather this information together and make available to everyone – anywhere – at a moment’s notice.

Just recently they have launched TraitBank, which is a searchable, comprehensive, open digital repository for organism traits, measurements, interactions and other facts for all taxa across the tree of life. TraitBank currently features over 3 million records related to more than 250 attributes for 272,720 taxa obtained from 32 data sources.

Read more here ...

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

25/03/14: Feature: X-ray microtomography: a new tool in assessing the properties of aquatic feed

25/03/14: More Confirmation on Algae

Algae bloom in Puget Sound near Edmonds
Algae bloom in Puget Sound near Edmonds (Photo credit: EcologyWA)
 It has been said many times that Algae are organisms useful in many ways in the transition towards a bio-economy and a report from Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) adds value to this.
The reports finds even in a cool climate as in Finland, algae might be used to produce bio-chemicals and biofuels, besides use in capture of industrial carbon dioxide emissions. Algae are not yet profitably cultivated for energy production purposes but many countries are working on this as they see value in the research.
The cultivation is challenging especially in cool climate where there is little daylight in winter as Algae need warmth to grow. In the Finnish climate it makes sense to link algae cultivation to industrial operations where residual heat is available to heat algae cultivation ponds or reactors. Energy is also needed for harvesting and water extraction. In the program ‘SWEET’, VTT collaborated with Kemira to develop chemical means for enhancing the harvesting and drying stage.

Read more here...

Friday, March 21, 2014

21/03/14: World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014 - "Aquaculture Digital Photography Competition"


Photographers of all levels are invited to
submit digital photographic work on the
theme of Aquaculture and, in particular,
the tag line of ‘Create, Nurture, Grow’.
Submissions accepted from 5 April – 1 May 2014.

Submit your entries HERE.

Terms & Conditions:
Entry fee: Free
Eligibility: Open to all photographers, amateur to pro, worldwide.
Categories: There are two categories -
1. Students (under 18 years of age as a

t 30 April 2013).
Students must provide proof of their student status
(Student ID or verification by an advisor/teacher/
parent) and student ID.
2. Open (any age)


PRIZES:
OPEN DIVISION: 1st PRIZE – AU $1000
2nd Prize – AU$750
3rd Prize – AU $500
STUDENTs: 1st Prize – AU $750
2nd Prize – AU $500
3rd Prize – AU $250
Winning photographs in each category will be printed as
posters and showcased at the WAA14 conference



Bottlenose dolphin of the NMMP on mineclearanc...
Bottlenose dolphin of the NMMP on mineclearance operations, with locator beacon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Judges and Selection Process:
Initial judging will be carried out by a committee panel, the final 20 works will be viewed by a Judges Panel comprised of:
Our 3 judges will be looking for images that illustrate the Aquaculture theme in interesting ways that engage the viewer; originality and creativity, image quality, and
overall artistic merit. If your entry is judged in the top three in your division by the Selection and Judges Panel you will be awarded one of three major cash prizes.

Use Rights:
Each artist retains all copyrights to their own images BUT it is a condition of entry that the contestants grant Perendale Publishers Limited the full rights to use the winning images for the purpose of promoting aquaculture in published articles and in social media and web sites. With any use of images Perendale Publishers Limited will acknowledge the artists however this will be without further contact or compensation. Winning photographs will also be on display at the WAA14 conference venue.

Submission Specifications, Format & Reproduction:

  • All entries must be submitted online to photocomp@aquafeed.co.uk by midnight, Australian Eastern Standard Time, 1 May 2014.
  • Each artist may submit a maximum of 2 photos.
  • Work may be colour or black & white in portrait or landscape format
  • Your photos should be of a 2 x 3 ratio, 300 dpi RGB JPG or JPEG file. Photos outside these specifications will be accepted, but may be cropped and adjusted to comply with these specifications.
  • Works will be enlarged and reproduced to the scale of approximately 20” x 30”. Therefore, the submitted work must be of sufficiently high quality (eg. sharp, clear, good contrast, well-exposed images) for the reproduction and printing process.
*Acceptance notice: Everyone who submits an entry will receive an email notification of receipt. Following the judging process a second email will be sent notifying you of the outcome.*