01/12/2014: IMV Technologies acquires Genotop

December 1, 2014, 8:19 am

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On November 24th, IMV Technologies, leader in reproductive biotechnologies, acquired the aquaculture genetics company Genotop.

In response to rapid technical progress in the aquaculture sector, these companies have decided to offer a whole new approach combining genetics services with reproductive management products.

IMV Technologies represents half a century of history in assisted reproduction. This French company designs, manufactures and distributes technical and material solutions to help breeders improve their stock. In aquaculture, IMV is well-known for innovations in the preservation, activation and cryopreservation of aquatic species semen. IMV products have now become a standard for aquaculture cryobanking including for French national breeding programs.

Founded in France in 2013, Genotop helps hatcheries implement their breeding programs (growth, yields, resistance to disease etc). From the design to the indexation of breeding values, the company provides audits, training and consultancy in 45 countries and for 15 species.

Gilles de Robert de Lafregeyre, CEO of IMV Technologies said, “We saw that access to genetics was more of a challenge in aquaculture than with terrestrial species. However, the potential for genetic improvement in aquatic species is high. We want to unlock this potential and transfer our knowledge in reproduction together with an integrated support in genetic management.”

Richard Le Boucher, founder of Genotop and now Aquaculture Manager at IMV, agreed: “The challenges of genetics are a major issue for aquaculture hatcheries. However a good reproductive management system is often an underestimated lever. IMV’s experience combined with Genotop’s vision and approach will undoubtedly boost the productivity of the sector."

Read more HERE.

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1/12/2014: Capture a screen shot of our 500,000th reader and win a annual subscription

December 1, 2014, 3:34 pm

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The Aquaculturists is closing in on half a million viewers!

That target could be achieved any day soon. If you happen to be reading the blog and the number of visitors shows as 500,000 then take a screen shot. We will give the first 100 viewers who email us a screen shot of that unique number a year's free subscription to the International Aquafeed magazine, mailed to their address free-of-charge.

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02/12/2014: Sydney Rock oyster producers welcome new Chinese markets, but not Pacific oysters

December 2, 2014, 2:20 am

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Farmers of the iconic Sydney Rock oyster say they are sticking with their niche markets, rather than chasing a larger trade to China with the faster growing Pacific oyster, ABC News reports.

The oyster industry is seen as a potential winner following the signing of the China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). But while growers in New South Wales are keen to exploit the potential of the FTA, they are wary that the rush to export may compromise production of the iconic Sydney Rock oyster. They suggest trade opportunities could lead to the faster growing Pacific oyster being allowed in waters presently only open to Sydney Rocks.

"The Sydney Rock oyster is always going to be a smaller niche market," says Andy Baker who farms at Pambula Lake on the south coast of NSW.

"There is the need to find more discreet and discretionary importers rather than pursuing the bulk oyster production that other countries are better than us at doing.”

Mr Baker has operated on Pambula Lake for 20 years where around ten farmers harvest the Sydney Rock oyster. They have so far have resisted moves to give the Pacific species a trial.

Supporters of the bigger Pacific Oyster say it is faster to grow, is more economical as a result and is already familiar to Asian customers. Pacific oysters can be ready for market in 12 months compared to three to four years for its slower growing Sydney counterpart. Critics of the Pacific oyster suggest it takes over waterways, and out-competes the Sydney Rock.

"I can understand it from a bottom-line point of view. But what about tomorrow and what about next week? I am not sure that the economic bottom line should be the only measure of what we grow," Mr Baker argues.

"The estuaries in New South Wales are completely unique to this country and we have a native oyster that has grown here for many millions of years. You can grow Pacifics anywhere but you can't do that with a Sydney Rock," Mr Baker argues.

"While the Sydney Rock is in demand, then some of these estuaries ought to be native oyster only.”

Mr Baker says his oyster shed, which looks out over Pambula Lake, was one of the first granted an license to export direct without going through agents. He has sold his Sydney Rock oysters to the Middle East and parts of Asia such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

"Finding people who knew about the Sydney oyster and were happy to import it was easy. The more difficult part is finding people willing to pay you consistently.”

Gary Rodley farms on Nelson Lake near Tathra and has also developed a niche Australian market for his Sydney Rock oysters.They are keenly sought after by many of Australia's top chefs. While he sees advantages to selling overseas, he is not yet ready to abandon his present market.

"It's certainly exciting times in the oyster industry and it is going to be interesting to see what the impact of the Free Trade Agreement will be," he said.

"The other guys will have the opportunity to place their oysters overseas into markets such as China, to cash in on the wealthy Chinese. But we are only small producers. We are pushing to produce half a million oysters this year and we can readily place them in the domestic market.”

Like Andy Baker, Mr Rodley is also unwilling to see Pacific oysters grown in Nelson Lake.

"Its easier to grow a Pacific, and it is faster. To grow Sydney Rock oysters you have to be driven. Hopefully there will always be the passionate oyster farmer that wants to grow Sydney Rock oysters because of the understanding that it is the best oyster in the world." Mr Rodley explained.

Read the article HERE.

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02/12/2014: Scottish Mackerel May Never Make it Back to Russia

December 2, 2014, 5:06 am

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Ongoing trade restrictions between Moscow and Brussels may leave the Scottish mackerel without a chance of returning to Russian stores, Sputnik reports.

This may sound insignificant to some – until they realise this little fish is worth a whopping 16 million pounds. Russia’s forced counter-sanctions on the EU have disrupted the decades-long relations between Scottish fishermen and Russian seafood lovers.

The latest ban on importing certain edible items to Russia disrupted a fifth of Scottish mackerel sales worth around £16 million a year. This loss dropped mackerel prices and forced the industry watchdog to allow fishermen to bank up to 25 percent of this year’s fishing quota for 2015.

“Hopefully we won’t need to use this option, but it is vital that the banking facility is in place as we don’t want to be in a situation where cold stores are full and our boats are catching excellent quality fish that ends up for fishmeal,” said Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association.

Scottish fish marketers are currently diversifying trade roots to Africa and Asia but their niche in Russia has already been taken by Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, who were not affected by any trade countermeasures from Russia. But many fear that even when sanctions are lifted, the market segment – which existed for decades with trade flourishing even during the Cold War – may already be forever lost to the Scots.

In August Moscow imposed a one-year ban on importing food items from European Union members as well as the US, Canada, Norway and Australia in response to sanctions from these countries following the Crimea’s West-opposed reunion with Russia.

While it’s clear that the politicians involved have much bigger fish to fry, the Scots making their living off mackerel exports are clearly in deep water.

Read the original article HERE.

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02/12/2014: Mass fish deaths in Australia river spark probe

December 2, 2014, 5:35 am

≫ Next: 02/12/2014: Algae in ornamental fish feeding

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Residents have been warned to avoid a creek near a school in Cairns, Australia while health authorities probe the discovery of hundreds of dead fish, Yahoo 7 News reports.

Director of Tropical Public Health Services Dr Richard Gair says reports children are jumping into Saltwater Creek near Edge Hill State School to catch the dead or dying fish are concerning.

"Until we know what we are dealing with, it is important that people exercise caution and my advice is to avoid contact with Saltwater Creek and fish in Saltwater Creek," he said in a statement.

He says no one should remove or consume the fish.The discovery of the fish floating in the creek at the weekend sparked an investigation by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

Local farmer Andrew Herrington said the fish deaths may be caused by vehicle run-off washed into the creek during recent rain after a long dry spell in the far north.

"The rubber compounds from the tyres, all the oil that drips off people's dirty old cars and so on, washes off into the creeks so you have that oil-slick type rainbow on top of the water," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Read more HERE.

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02/12/2014: Algae in ornamental fish feeding

December 2, 2014, 8:01 am

≫ Next: 03/12/2014: Catch increase for South Australian sardine fishers

≪ Previous: 02/12/2014: Mass fish deaths in Australia river spark probe

by Dr Aleksandra Kwasniak-Placheta, Tropical, Opolska str. 25, 41-507 Chorzow, Poland
and Prof. Dr Leszek Moscicki, Lublin University of Life Sciences, Doswiadczalna str. 44, 20-280 Lublin, Poland in November-December 2014 International Aquafeed (IAF1406)

The development of aquafeed production is followed by the growing interest in raw materials which are to be interesting, attractive and valuable, not only in terms of their properties.

There is no doubt that algae are one of them. Feeds with the addition of algae are perceived as premium products. This can result from the fact that algae evoke certain associations with healthy food for humans. Animal food with algae must then trigger the same positive associations. Moreover, specially processed algae or feeds with the addition of algae offered by the producers allowed for keeping popular algae-eating freshwater and marine fish.

Algae used in the production of aquafeed for ornamental fish
It is virtually impossible to provide ornamental fish with algae from their natural environment so aquafeed manufacturers use cultivated algae or algae taken from the wild on an industrial scale. The most popular microalga used for aquafeed production is spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). Its content in aquafeed usually ranges from several to even tens of percent. Its properties are well known among aquarium fish keepers when compared with other species such as Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Laminaria, Ascophyllum, Undaria, Ulva etc “Super Spirulina Forte”, Tropical’s food with 36 per cent share of Arthrospira platensis, has been one of the best-selling fish foods on the market for many years. The changing ornamental fish market and new emerging species of fish and invertebrates made it necessary for us to develop and introduce new foods.

Thus the offer of products for herbivorous and algae-eating fish has been enriched with a new food based on three species of algae: Chlorella vulgaris, Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata, the last two referred to as kelp algae. It is available as flakes, granules, adhesive and sinking tablets. It is intended for everyday feeding of herbivorous freshwater and marine fish, for which algae is a valuable dietary component, and as a supplementary food for omnivorous species.

Algae as a source of protein
In farm fish feeding algae are mostly used as an alternative source of protein. In case of aquarium fish they are so much more than the source of protein. They provide other valuable ingredients such as unsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids and dietary fibre, which offer benefits such as health, good overall condition, resistance to diseases and colouration improvement. Algae share in aquafeed can be high as a great number of freshwater and marine fish kept in popular aquaria eat algae in the wild. Alga is a difficult dietary component to be substituted without risk to fish’s health. Despite the fact that various species of algae differ in the content of protein and its composition, it seems that they generally contain all amino acids necessary for fish (Dawczyński et al., 2007). This makes algae an even more valuable component of fish foods compared with other plant materials used as the source of protein.

The nutritional value of protein is determined by two main factors: the quantity of essential amino acids in a given protein together with their relative proportions, and digestibility of the protein ‒ the extent to which amino acids are released and absorbed during digestive processes taking place in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the content of digestive protein that informs us about the quality of a given raw material. Why is the nutritional value of protein so important? To fully exploit the genetic potential of fish of all ages, especially farm-raised. Only an adequate content of highly nutritional protein can ensure proper growth in fish and enables their reproduction. Using poor quality animal protein or replacing animal protein with plant protein such as soya makes it necessary to enrich the feeds with synthetic amino acids, first of all with cysteine, methionine and lysine.

It should be noted, however, that our knowledge on the ornamental fish’s demand for essential amino acids is really poor. Dietary research carried out on farm-raised fish proved that the demand for essential amino acids can vary from one species to another. Hence, for the purpose of ornamental fish feeding it seems important to use high quality protein which provides all essential amino acids. This way one can fulfil dietary needs of a large number of species kept in aquaria (see Table: 1).

Table 1: Average content of protein in algae used for the production of feeds for ornamental fish

Table 2: Chemical analysis of popular species of kelp algae used for ornamental fish feeding

http://issuu.com/international_aquafeed/docs/iaf1406_w1/18

Arthrospira platensis
Organisms belonging to Arthrospira genus can be found in numerous environments. They have been identified in fresh, salty and brackish waters as well as in soil, sand and even in hot springs. Due to the specific conditions of water bodies from which spirulina are collected, it has also become a dietary component of people living in the vicinity of Lake Chad and Texcoco. Green mats collected and then dried contained almost exclusively cells of Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima. The formation of these monocultures has been strictly correlated with chemical parameters of water (high salinity and pH level ‒ about 10 pH). These are perfect conditions for the development of spirulina and inhibition of other blue-green algae, which can be dangerous to health and life of humans and animals.

In the beginning the main reason why spirulina gained such interest was its exceptionally high content of protein, which ranged from 62 to 68 per cent. This is an impressive value when compared to meat (15-25 per cent) or soya (35 per cent). Moreover, protein from spirulina turned out to be more valuable than protein from plants, even legumes and only slightly worse than milk or egg protein.

Further tests conducted on spirulina continued to reveal an even greater number of outstanding qualities. It turned out that these tiny, twisted cells are rich in assimilation pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins. Spirulina is a leading source of chlorophyll (1.7 per cent DW) (Chronakis et al., 2000). The bacteriostatic properties of this green pigment and its favourable effects on the human body have been used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Spirulina contains about 0.5 per cent of carotenoids (DW), mostly beta-carotene and xanthophylls. The carotenoids are an essential component of fish food, not only for their colour-enhancing properties. Carotenoids play a number of other important roles in fish’s bodies. They stimulate immune system, protect valuable cell components (such as nucleic and fatty acids) from the harmful activity of free radicals, some are the source of Vitamin A, which is beneficial for fish’s growth, they promote maturation and reproduction, and finally protect skin and eggs from UV radiation.

Spirulina also contains other beneficial pigments such as phycobilins. These include blue phycocyanobilin, allophycocyanobilin, and red phycoerythrin. Similar to carotenoids, they are antioxidants. They effectively protect fatty acids and other valuable substances against free radicals.

Apart from these pigments, spirulina contains other active substances such as amino-acids, nucleic acids and linoleic acid Its content of iron, magnesium, calcium, copper, phosphorus, and selenium is also significantly high.

Chlorella vulgaris
Unicellular algae belonging to green algae (Chlorophyta). The most popular species is Chlorella vulgaris, which can be found in fresh waters and moist habitats. Similar to spirulina, Chlorella firstly owed its popularity to the high content of protein, which could be used for human and livestock consumption. Chlorella may contain from 45 to 57 per cent of protein rich in essential amino acids (DW). Moreover, chlorella contains large amounts of provitamin A (just like spirulina), folic acid and iron (Tang and Suter, 2011).

Chlorella is also said to have health-promoting properties owed to natural immune stimulator ‒ beta-1.3-glucan and high concentration of chlorophyll present in its cells. Adding beta-1.3-glucan (responsible for the activation of macrophages) to fish foods increases fish’s natural specific and non-specific immune response (Yaakob et al., 2014). The concentration of chlorophyll in chlorella cells reaches in average about 2 per cent of dry weight, however one may achieve higher concentration of this green pigment by adjusting growing conditions. Chlorophyll facilitates digestion, reduces the number of decay bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, acts as an antioxidant, helps to detoxicate and when used externally as a bath it supports treating injuries and skin infections (as aquarists claim). Apart from that, it facilitates the regeneration of cells and increases the concentration level of haemoglobin in the blood (Yaakob et al., 2014).

Chlorella vulgaris, similarly to spirulina, is a very rich source of carotenoids. In its dry weight one will find about 0.4 per cent of these pigments, 80 per cent of them in red shades (Gupta et al., 2007). The concentration of carotenoids in chlorella cells can be increased by a strict control of growing conditions. Chlorella is effectively used for the coloration enhancement in koi and goldfish (Gouveia et al., 2003; Gouveia and Rema, 2005).

The role of carotenoids in fish’s bodies is complex and the demand for these pigments is ongoing. Fish cannot synthesise carotenoids de novo, hence one must provide them in food. Colourful species of ornamental fish are particularly demanding. The minimum carotenoid level in fish’s diet ranges from species to species. Coloration improvement in tetras, cichlids, gourami, goldfish and danio has been observed when 30 mg of astaxanthin has been added to one kilo of formulated feed In clownfish (Amphriprion ocellaris, Premnas biaculeatus) coloration enhancement has been visible after a week of providing food with 100 mg/kg astaxanthin. At the same time growth acceleration has been noted (Lorenz and Cysewski, 2000).

Chlorella added to feed for Plecoglossus altivelis reduced the excessive accumulation of fat in tissues. The fats were better utilised, which is probably the result of chlorella affecting the hormone system (lipolytic hormones stimulation) (Gholam et al., 1987). Similar conclusions were reached by Tartiel et al. (2008), who fed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with chlorella. The content of chlorella (not exceeding 50 per cent) accelerated the growth in tilapia, reduced fat in tissues and increased the concentration of protein. These properties of chlorella seem particularly important in case of aquarium fish, who often suffer from fatty degeneration of internal organs caused by overfeeding or poorly balanced feeds for ornamental fish.

Kelp algae
Kelp algae are a mixture of seaweed belonging to green-blue algae, which are rich in minerals, including easily assimilable organic iodine compounds, vitamins, dietary fibre and pigments such as fucoxanthin and chlorophyll. Their addition to the food facilitates digestion and enhances overall condition of fish. Dietary fibre in seaweed may even reach 33 up to 50 per cent of dry weight. It’s far more than in higher plants. Table 2 presents chemical analysis of popular kelp algae used for aqua feed.

There are two types of dietary fibre in the seaweed: insoluble (cellulose, mannan, xylan) and soluble such as alginic acid, fucoidin and laminarin. Dietary fibre performs many physiological functions, for instance it increases intestinal transit time, facilitates the development of valuable intestinal microbial flora, binds bacterial toxins and heavy metal ions. This group of polysaccharides added to aquafeed allows for better food utilization and growth. It also supports detoxication. Even a small addition of Ascophyllum nodosum (5 per cent) improves nutritional value of the food (Yone et al., 1986). However, it should be noted that too high polysaccharide concentration in the diet can deteriorate assimilability of the nutrients. Numerous research proved anti-bacterial and antiviral properties of algin acid, fucoidin and laminarin and their positive effect on immunity (Kraan, 2012).

Macroalgae contain an average of 1-3 per cent of fat, which is relatively small in comparison to microalgae, which can contain even up to 40 per cent. Despite its small amount, the fat from macroalgae is very valuable thanks to Omega-3 acids. The demand for Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is partly fulfilled by the fish themselves, as they can produce it from HUFAs provided in the food. However, the ability of carnivorous and marine fish to transform HUFAs into Omega-3 and Omega-6 is relatively small, hence one must supplement them additionally with formulated fatty acids.

Seaweed is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B9, C and E, macronutrients and trace elements (iodine, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, selenium and phosphorus), most of which is in the form of easily assimilable organic compounds. Laminaria digitata contains on average about 4 g of iodine per kg DW. This form of iodine is highly stable. A small L. digitata addition of 0,8 per cent (providing 32 mg iodine/kg of food) into the fish food is enough for the concentration of iodine in fish’s tissues to increase 4 times (Schmid et al., 2003).

Similarly to chlorella, Laminaria digitata facilitated using fat as a source of energy, when added to the diet of Spondyliosoma cantharus and Seriola quinqueradiata, which indicates that one of the seaweed components affects fat metabolism (Nakagawa et al., 1997).

Conclusive remarks
In feeding of ornamental fish microalgae are first of all the sources of easily digestible protein, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and natural pigments. Numerous research indicate that the best results are reached when microalgae are added to food, rather than used separately (Sommer et al., 1990). Macroalgae provide primarily macronutrients, trace elements and dietary fibre.

The beneficial effect on the ornamental fish is the result of the combined action of all the ingredients. Alga is not just another interesting and eagerly eaten by the fish ingredient of formulated feeds. Most of all, it is an effective agent to improve fish’s condition. Regular using of feeds with algae ensures intense and bright colours and protects delicate, herbivorous species against digestive disorders.

References
Available on request

Read the issue HERE.

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03/12/2014: Catch increase for South Australian sardine fishers

December 3, 2014, 2:49 am

≫ Next: 03/12/2014: New Board of Directors in Cermaq Group AS

≪ Previous: 02/12/2014: Algae in ornamental fish feeding

Sardines might be one of the smallest fish caught, but the industry is the largest single species commercial fishery by volume in Australia, and it's getting bigger, ABC News reports.

The South Australian industry has launched a new management plan to keep the AUS$20 million fishery sustainable, which includes catching more fish. 95 percent of the sardine catch is fed to Port Lincoln's southern blue fin tuna farms, but the industry wants to harness the human consumption potential by increasing demand both domestically and in India and China.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-26/sardine-catch-increase-for-south-australia/5919496#.VH2U4xUFwyQ.email

South Australia Sardine Industry Association executive officer Paul Watson says the quota has been increased from 34,000 to 38,000 tonnes.

"The spawning biomass estimate seems like the highest egg count that we've seen in the fishery in the time that the daily egg production model surveys have been conducted. That's really encouraging.”

Mr Watson says pelagic fisheries do a have a history of fluctuating up and down with stock numbers. In 2004-2005, it had a peak catch of 57,000 tonnes.

"To date, it's been quite stable and with this management plan Industry and Government are confident that the harvest strategy and harvest rates are sufficiently conservative to ensure the long-term sustainability of the stock.”

The industry has already come a long way. When it started in 1991, the catch was 1000 tonnes. South Australia Fisheries Minister Leon Bignell says the management plan includes harvest strategies, stock assessment, compliance and regulations for the next five years.

"Reduced catches and a fall in the price of sardines have impacted on the industry during the past few years. However, with co-operation between Primary Industries and Regions SA and the industry the development of this new management plan is set to deliver sustainable growth for the our sardine fishers."

Read the original article HERE.

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03/12/2014: New Board of Directors in Cermaq Group AS

December 3, 2014, 3:19 am

≫ Next: 03/12/2014: Kenyan farmers trained to take advantage of soaring demand for fish

≪ Previous: 03/12/2014: Catch increase for South Australian sardine fishers

The general meeting has approved a new composition of the Board of Directors of the company. The general meeting also decided to change the parent company's name from Cermaq ASA to Cermaq Group AS.

http://www.cermaq.com/wps/wcm/connect/cermaqen/home/homepage

Åse Aulie Michelet, Rebekka Glasser Herlofsen, Benedicte Heidenreich Fossum og John Giverholt resign from the board. The Cermaq Group AS board now comprises the following directors:
Yu Sato, Chair of the Board
Yutaka Kyoya
Helge Midttun
Jon Hindar
Ketil Olsen (employee elected director)
Lise C. Mortensen (employee elected director)
Jan Robert Røli-Gjervik (employee elected director)

A presentation of each member of the Board of Directors can be found on the company's web site here. Following the acquisition by Mitsubishi Corporation, the Cermaq share is no longer listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company has been transformed to a private company, and the company has changed name from Cermaq ASA to Cermaq Group AS effective from 24 November 2014.

Further information - please contact:
Jon Hindar, CEO, phone: + 47 23 68 50 10, mobile: +47 977 48 829
Lise Bergan, Corporate Affairs Director +47 2368 50 30, mobile +47 932 51 114

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 142,000 tonnes. Sustainable aquaculture is the mission that underlies all of Cermaq's operations. Cermaq is a fully owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Read more HERE.

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03/12/2014: Kenyan farmers trained to take advantage of soaring demand for fish

December 3, 2014, 3:58 am

≫ Next: 03/12/2014: Have you got one of these?

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Fish is a vital source of protein and nutrition in western Kenya with some 60 percent of households dependent on fish for their livelihoods from nearby Lake Victoria. But in recent years the lake’s stocks have dwindled due to over-fishing and pollution, leaving families in the region without an important source of income as well as one of the most important components of their diet, The East Anglian Daily Times reports.

The Kenyan Government has responded to the problem by building fish ponds across the area, giving a much-needed boost to fish farming in the process.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/video_gallery_kenyan_farmers_trained_to_take_advantage_of_soaring_demand_for_fish_1_3862453

Farm Africa is underpinning the Kenyan Government’s drive to improve food security by training local entrepreneurs to set up a network of one-stop aqua shops.Local farmers are able to access everything they need from the shops, from training in fish cultivation to products like fertilisers, feeds and nets. They can also buy fish to eat at the shops too.

Since 2011, 38 entrepreneurs have been trained, each setting up their own aqua shop. The shops are having a huge impact, providing thousands of fish farmers with the expertise and resources to set up and maintain healthy productive fish ponds.

Cassim is one of the 38 entrepreneurs trained by Farm Africa and who has now set up ‘Mumias Aqua Shop’ which to date has supported over 200 fish farmers including Ali.

Cassim has taught Ali the importance of feeding fish the right food, the optimal number of fingerlings to put in his pond, how to test water quality and spot signs of fish illness.In the past Ali harvested around 320 small fish but thanks to the scheme, his first harvest produced around 1000 large fish and a profit of 30,000 Kenyan Shillings (£211).

“I am hoping to extend and have more ponds - perhaps two or three more,” he said.

Since 2010 the charity has trained 12 aqua shop entrepreneurs to invest in the fish farming sector and is now supporting 4000 fish farmers, increasing yields by up to 215 percent and doubling income for many farmers.

View the original article and video HERE.

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03/12/2014: Have you got one of these?

December 3, 2014, 4:01 am

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Close - but not close enough!

If you screen shot our counter when it reaches 500,000 views we will give you one year's free subscription to the print edition of International Aquafeed magazine in celebration of this milestone. First 100 received only. Get ready - it will happen sometime this afternoon!

Send your screen shot and address details HERE.

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Mohn Aqua company profile

December 3, 2014, 4:29 am

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Mohn Aqua Group was formed early in 2011 after the aquaculture division of Bennex was purchased by two Norwegian companies - offshore ROV and diving services provider Mohn Drilling AS and ROV manufacturer Argus Remote Systems AS. Both these companies bring a wealth of very valuable technological expertise to Mohn Aqua.
The Group consists of 3 companies at present - Mohn Aqua Group AS and Mohn Aqua (Norge) AS in Norway and Mohn Aqua (Uk) Ltd in the UK. Our bases are in Bergen, Norway and Forres, Scotland. We operate in Chile and other key markets through carefully selected sales and service partners.

Read the article HERE.

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03/12/2014: We've made it to 500,000 readers

December 3, 2014, 5:04 am

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A milestone has been achieved here at The Aquaculturists!

500,000 views (based on google's statistics counter which we placed on our site on day one) have been received from visitors to our blog over the past three years since we started in earnest in November 2010. Some in the office said blogging would never work.

However, our commitment to finding and distributing news, writing and sourcing our own stories, publishing features from our magazine and working to promote those advertisers that support our magazine, has seen us grow to a peak of over 16,000 unique views per month.

If you've captured one of these images (see below), then send it to me and I'll gladly put you on our annual subscription list for free to the leading magazine globally on aquatic nutrition and technology - International Aquafeed. This offer is limited to the first 100 replies.

To all those who are just amazed that there are so many people with a growing interest in fish feeding and nutrition, and who read us regularly, we say 'thank you'. You've made a contribution to our success and that gives us the motivation to go on to do better things in return.

Send your screen shot and address HERE.

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04/12/2014: Indian Government approves new fish-farm in Goa

December 4, 2014, 1:59 am

≫ Next: 04/12/2014: Committee of MEPs votes to undermine discard ban

≪ Previous: 03/12/2014: We've made it to 500,000 readers

Encouraged by the outcome of an open sea caged aquaculture project rearing sea bass and cobia in Canacona, the Indian Government has decided to press ahead with a similar project worth over US$2 million in Goa, The Times of India reports.

There are at present 25 cages in the open sea off the coast of Canacona taluka; this month the Fisheries Department intends to double that.

A further project has also been approved for North Goa: 25 open sea cages, 50 river cages and 48 cages in reservoirs, at an estimated total cost of about US$2.3 million. Help will be provided to Goa state by a Central Government financial assistance scheme.

The plan involves the creation of fully-trained and equipped autonomous groups to run the fish farms. Precise locations for the cages have not been decided, and the finances have yet to be released, but the project is expected to commence in the new financial year.

Read more HERE.

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04/12/2014: Committee of MEPs votes to undermine discard ban

December 4, 2014, 3:57 am

≫ Next: 04/12/2014: Young Tasmanians lead by example at AwF event

≪ Previous: 04/12/2014: Indian Government approves new fish-farm in Goa

Yesterday the European Parliament "ignored the voice of the public" and stepped back from the sustainable fishing reform agreed last year, the Marine Conservation Society reports on its website.

"In voting to weaken the discard ban, the fisheries committee have muddied the waters for industry and regulators trying to make the changes we desperately need to protect our oceans.”

Among other damaging changes, EU parliamentarians voted to:

Weaken penalties for illegally discarding fish, which will delay the recovery of EU fisheries and undermine efforts by fishers who follow the rules
Increase uncertainty by partially delaying decisions until next year, leaving industry and regulators in limbo
Make it harder to set sustainable fishing levels by watering down crucial requirements to collect data on fish that is caught.

The amendments passed with 20 in favour, four against and one abstention. This vote will be the basis for implementation of the landing obligation.

MCS Fisheries Officer Samuel Stone says, “This is a real set back to achieving a sustainable future for our shared fisheries. The discard ban represented a radical change in European fisheries management and was a key element of the newly reformed Common Fisheries Policy.

"It is extremely disappointing to not just see it undermined like this, but to see changes to its enabling regulation that may very well encourage overfishing. Thanks to the public and those UK MEPs who did vote against these damaging amendments, and to our partner NGO Client Earth for tirelessly working on the issue.”

The rules will enter into force in April 2015, following agreement with the European Council and adoption by the European Parliament. However, industry and regulators are ready to follow the agreement between Alain Cadec, Chair of the European Committee on Fisheries, and the Council as soon as the landing obligation kicks in January 2015.

Read more HERE.

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04/12/2014: Young Tasmanians lead by example at AwF event

December 4, 2014, 7:30 am

≫ Next: 05/12/2014: VIDEO - Electric eels 'remotely control their prey'

≪ Previous: 04/12/2014: Committee of MEPs votes to undermine discard ban

The evening of the 22nd of October will go down in the history of Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) as the starting point of its Australian organisation, thanks heavily to the students and staff at the Huon Valley Trade Training Centre (HVTTC) in Tasmania, especially Steve Harrison.

A full complement of fifty people attending the event were treated to a fabulous range of Tasmanian seafood and beverages all donated generously by an array of companies – the 'Who’s Who' of Tasmanian food and drink. We thank them all most sincerely.

From the outset this was going to be all about the students and they left no stone unturned in their efforts to ensure that the catering was top notch (under the watchful eye of first class local chefs) and that the main event of making people aware of AwF and its activities ran like clockwork.

Shannon Phillips and Stacey Tomkinson (Cert 1 Aqua students) spoke about AwF, its mission, projects and the significance of the most important period in anyone’s life - the 1000 days from time of conception until their 2nd birthday.

AwF Australia Director Dos O’Sullivan was representing the organisation at the event but he ensured that Jennifer Cobcroft (IMAS) did the majority of presenting on AwF as she had only just recently returned from working for AwF in Myanmar. Jennifer congratulated HVTTC Year 9 Cert 1 girls on being able to use equipment like photometers to test water quality and highlighted that university students in Myanmar had very limited opportunity to do that due to lack of resources. AwF are close to finishing a much needed aquaculture library at the Myanmar Fisheries Federation in Yangon, Myanmar hopefully opening this early in the New Year.

Steve Harrison, who had started plotting the event some months before, was excited to see that all the three major Salmon companies (Tassal, Huon and Petuna) not only contributed to the food but also united at the event to support the dinner, along with representatives of the feed company Skretting. Like AwF, he was grateful to the other seafood sponsors - Dover Bay Mussels, Van Dieman Oysters and Abtas - and organisations - Willie Smith’s Cider, Frank’s Cider, Pagan Cider, St Imre Vineyard, Home Hill Winery and Kermandie Hotel - who had supported the event with beverages. The attendees were an array of people from aquaculture and hospitality, educators and members of the community.

However, the stars were the students of the HVTTC who are enjoying the opportunity of starting off their careers in the aquaculture industry. Based on their efforts on behalf of AwF a bright future lies ahead of them and Tasmanian aquaculture. They proudly raised AUS$2900 for the cause and feedback indicated that many people were interested in finding out more about AwF.

Read the magazine HERE.

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05/12/2014: VIDEO - Electric eels 'remotely control their prey'

December 5, 2014, 4:55 am

≫ Next: 05/12/2014: Plans for English fish farm scrapped

≪ Previous: 04/12/2014: Young Tasmanians lead by example at AwF event

A jolt from an electric eel does more than stun its prey, scientists say. A study reported in the journal Science has now shown that eels can use their electric organs to remotely control the fish they hunt, the BBC reports.

A researcher from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, USA found that the electric discharges from eels made the muscles of their prey twitch. This makes the fish easier to capture either by immobilising it or making it 'jump' to show where it's hiding.

Kenneth Catania, who led the study, set up small aquatic arenas to test the eels' hunting abilities - putting an eel and an unfortunate fish into the same tank. When they spotted their prey the eels released pulses of electricity that appeared to immobilise the fish. Further study revealed that the eels' electric pulses directly activated the nerves that controlled their prey's muscles.

"When the eel's pulses slow down - when the eel gets tired at the end of its attack - you see individual fish twitches, with one twitch from every pulse," said Dr Catania.

"That tells us that the eel is reaching in to the prey's nervous system, controlling its muscles.”

In further observations of the eels' hunting strategies Dr Catania noticed that the hungry creatures would emit pairs of pulses when their potential meal was out of view.

"People had known since the 1970s that eels give off these pairs of pulses - or doublets - as they explore looking for food," he said.

"Usually when they're excited and they know that food is around but can't find it. It actually turns out that this generates very rapid and strong [muscle] contraction.”

This essentially makes the fish "jump" and reveal their whereabouts.

"So the eels have an efficient way to induce a massive twitch in their prey. You and I couldn't activate every muscle in our bodies at once, but the eels can do that [remotely] in their prey. They can completely immobilise prey or they can make prey move, depending on what they would like to do.”

Dr Catania thinks they are "just fascinating animals in their own right”.

"It's amazing in the first place that they can give off electricity," he said.

"To use that to control their prey's nervous system is incredible."

See the video HERE.

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05/12/2014: Plans for English fish farm scrapped

December 5, 2014, 6:58 am

≫ Next: 05/12/2014: Northampton Grand Union Canal fish moved for £100,000 lock repairs

≪ Previous: 05/12/2014: VIDEO - Electric eels 'remotely control their prey'

Plans for a fish farm off the coast of Cornwall, England have been scrapped after widespread criticism by anglers and fisheries organisations, Fish and Fly reports.

The idea, championed by the UK Government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, had been to rear rainbow trout in an open net cage, rather like those used by salmon farmers off the west coast and Scottish Isles.

Much opposition to such farms stems from the damage they are believed to cause to wild fish stocks by acting as breeding grounds for serious parasites such as fish lice and also due to the depletion of the natural gene pool caused by interbreeding between escapees and wild fish. And of course, there are fears that any such damage done to local fish stocks would have a knock-on effect on the local economy.

Neither England nor Wales currently has any offshore fish farms, and fisheries organisations are keen to keep things that way. Opponents to the scheme included the Institute of Fisheries Management, the Cornish Federation of Sea Anglers, the Salmon and Trout Association, the South West Rivers Association, the Angling Trust, the Atlantic Salmon Trust, the Wild Trout Trust and the Rivers Trust.

Mark Lloyd of the Angling Trust said he was happy the “bizarre” idea had been dropped.

“Farming fish in the wild has had disastrous impacts in Scottish lochs, and it is hard to see how these risks couldn’t be much worse in seas that get battered by Atlantic storms on a regular basis.”

The scheme’s opponents maintain that any future salmon or trout farms must be in closed containment units as a guarantee against disease, parasites, pollution and escapees.

Read more HERE.

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05/12/2014: Northampton Grand Union Canal fish moved for £100,000 lock repairs

December 5, 2014, 10:25 am

≫ Next: 05/12/2014: Can Asian freshwater aqua feeds rise to the challenge?

≪ Previous: 05/12/2014: Plans for English fish farm scrapped

Thousands of fish have been taken out of the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal ahead of a £100,000 restoration of lock gates, reports the BBC online.

The Canal and River Trust is carrying out the work and said about 5,000 fish have been removed from the water over the past four days.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-30331148

Species including bream, perch, pike and roach have been put back in another stretch of the canal.

The fish needed to be moved so the lock could be drained for the repairs

A small electrical current was put into the water to temporarily stop them swimming before they were caught in nets and put into large buckets.

The gates to locks numbers 2 and 13 are being replaced with new ones, which weigh one-and-a-half tonnes.

Mark Barkas, a waterways supervisor with the trust, said: "They've reached the end of their lifespan, which roughly is about 25 years.

"We could leave ourselves issues for the summer - we could have gate failures which would mean our customers would be getting stuck, we could have a lot of water leakage.

"We lower the water levels right down so you can see the fish and it makes it easier for us to get to them at which point we remove the fish and take them away to another section of the canal."

The repairs are expected to finish on 19 December.

Read more HERE.

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05/12/2014: Can Asian freshwater aqua feeds rise to the challenge?

December 5, 2014, 10:56 am

≫ Next: 08/12/2014: Zimbabwean fish farm shows amazing growth

≪ Previous: 05/12/2014: Northampton Grand Union Canal fish moved for £100,000 lock repairs

by Pedro Encarnação, Biomin

The Asian region is responsible for more than 91 percent of total global aquaculture production, most of it in freshwater, with China alone contributing to about 60 of global aqua production.

Freshwater fish production is dominated by the production of carp (Cyprinidae) at 71.1 percent. Other important freshwater fish species are Tilapia and recently the dramatic growth in the production of Tra catfish in Viet Nam has made this a very important species. China is by far the biggest fresh water fish producer (mainly carp) with a production of around 23 million tons a year (FAO 2012).

India is the second biggest fish producer with 3.8 millions tons of fish produced every year with major focus on Rohu. The fast development of the pangasius industry in Vietnam made this country the third biggest producer of fresh water fish in the world with a production close to two million tonnes.

This growth in fresh water fish production was triggered by the intensification of the farming process and successful farming of new species, but most of all by the improvements in feed technology and the rapid increase in the use of extruded feeds. These improved floating feeds, with better water stability, nutrient availability and control of feed intake allowed farmers to move to higher production densities and resulted in improved fish performance and better revenues, prompting rapid growth in the sector.

However, frequently the development of these commercial feeds has been done without major knowledge of the nutritional requirements and nutrient utilisation of the different target fish species. In many cases the feed formulations do not reflect the nutrient requirement of the fish, but are mainly based on assumptions from other species or follow ingredient availability and cost constraints.

In addition, this fast growth in feed production leads to more pressure on raw material availability. Which in turn makes access to quality feed ingredients a major constraint for the development of the industry. Feed formulations, feed quality and feeding practices used for the production of fresh water species around Asia reflect the use of low cost ingredients (rice bran, rice polish, cassava flour, ground nut meal, etc) with poor nutrient profiles which result in under optimal performance by the fish.

It is important for the industry to realise that growth performance and biomass gain by a fish depends firstly on the composition of the feed used.

Feed must provide all required nutrients in a balanced way to maximise biomass gain. The role of feed manufacturers is to select a combination of ingredients to produce a formula that will contain sufficient levels of essential nutrients needed for the targeted animal species. This selection is done on the basis of chemical composition, nutritional value and cost of the different feed ingredients.

At the end a compromise between the cost of the feed and its nutritional value for the animal must be achieved. Variable quality, inconsistent nutritional content and possible contamination or adulteration of the raw material is a huge challenge for the development of consistent nutritional feeds in Asia. Strong efforts must go on understanding characteristics and limitations of feed ingredients.

Digestibility of protein and amino acids is variable and can dictate the level that each ingredient can be used. Maximum levels of inclusion of certain ingredients in the formulation should be defined to prevent harmful levels of anti-nutritional factors that can affect fish performance (mycotoxins, phytate, glucosinolates, etc).

With the increase in reliance on less costly protein sources and low nutrient dense diets, we are most likely increasing the levels of raw materials with lower protein digestibility and higher amino acid imbalance, higher carbohydrate and fibre content.

This will lead to an inefficient utilisation of the nutrients in the feed resulting in an increase in feed usage, poor animal performance and increased costs to produce one kg of lean fish. This way we will not only be feeding the fish but also feeding the pond, which can be beneficial in terms of increasing natural food production in the pond, but still resulting in a less efficient process.

A closer look at nutritional composition of freshwater feeds across Asia and the reported nutrient requirements published in the latest NRC book on the requirements of fish and shrimp (NRC 2011) often shows a gap between available information on fish requirements and the levels present in the feeds (Table 1 and 2). It is true that there is still a need to better establish the nutrient requirements for some of the more relevant species farmed in the Asia region, and to fully characterise and evaluate available feed ingredients for application in aqua feeds.

A better understanding of nutrient and energy utilisation may allow fish nutritionists and feed manufacturers to produce more cost effective feeds. Priority should be given to the establishment of fundamental nutritional information such as energy, protein and essential amino acid requirements and the protein: energy ratio for major farmed species.

In addition, studies on nutritional profiles and digestibility values for most feed ingredients will make it possible to do more accurate feed formulations. Focus should be given to the complete characterisation of available local feed ingredients for optimising their utilisation and make full use of local resources.

When presented with more accurate nutrient and energy utilisation data the aquaculture industry in Asia may reconsider, for example, the use of low nutrient and energy density feeds (low cost feeds but not necessarily cost effective feed) for the rearing of warm water omnivorous fish (catfish, tilapia, carp). Ultimately the development of nutritional models will allow the adjustment of feed formulas to different production conditions and different production stages in fresh water species, following practices and processes well established in the salmon industry.

Based on current knowledge on nutrient requirement and nutrient utilisation, it appears that the use of deficient diets with low nutrient and energy density feeds are the main reason for the very poor feed conversion ratio (feed/gain, between 1.5 and 3) seen in most aquaculture operations.

Production cost with such feeds may not be advantageous as often perceived, when we finally take into account cost for manufacturing (e.g. extrusion), transport costs and a poor FCR often observed. The potential negative impact on the productive capacity of the rearing environment related to the high organic waste output associated with feeding low digestible nutrient density feed should also be considered.

Farmer education regarding feed and feeding practices is also a major point for the success of established improved feed formulas in the industry. Farmers need to understand that there are many ways to produce one kg of fish, and that the amount of feed required by a fish to achieve one kg weight depends primarily on the composition of the feed used. In general, a greater amount of a lower nutrient density feed will be required when compared to a higher nutrient density feed to achieve the same performance level, assuming that the two feeds are similarly balanced.

The cost of the feed ($/kg feed) will definitely be lower with lower digestible nutrients compared to higher nutrient density feeds because grains and other carbohydrate-rich feedstuffs are often cheaper than higher protein and fat feedstuffs.

However, total feed cost ($/kg fish produced) may be greater with the cheaper feed since a greater amount of that feed will be needed to achieve the same level of performance. Thus, it is important that farmers understand the benefits of using feed targeting performance and not costs.

The use of suitable diets in aquaculture operations can significantly increase profitability by reducing feed costs, improving animal performance, maintaining water quality and minimising nutrient loads to the environment. The manufacture and use of feeds based on high quality and digestible feedstuffs is highly recommended for the aquaculture industry as long as the use of such feeds is profitable and compatible with the environment.

Read more HERE.

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08/12/2014: Zimbabwean fish farm shows amazing growth

December 8, 2014, 12:43 am

≫ Next: 08/12/2014: Seychelles marine protected areas not enough, fish researcher says

≪ Previous: 05/12/2014: Can Asian freshwater aqua feeds rise to the challenge?

A Zimbabwean fish farming project that began life in 1999 producing less than 2500 tonnes of tilapia per year has grown to become one of Southern Africa's principal fish producers and a model for sustainable development, according to The Africa Report.

With a staff of some 800 people the Lake Harvest Aquaculture project on the eastern shores of Lake Kariba is now the largest sustainable fish farm in Africa and has rapidly become a crucial lynchpin of the local economy.

The facility spans more than 1000 hectares including areas dedicated to fish rearing, feeding and processing, and there are plans to expand the site to around 1200 hectares by 2015.

The project is owned by African Century Group, an investment company based in Mauritius that works predominantly in the food, property and financial services sectors.

Its ownership structure has led to concerns that the company may fall foul of indigenisation regulations – these stipulate that all foreign-owned firms must cede at least 51 percent of their shareholding to Zimbabweans.

Staff from the Lake Harvest Aquaculture project declined to make a formal comment to The Africa Report.

Located to the east of the Kariba Dam wall, the project, which began on a small scale, took off after being granted an Z$8m loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2011.

The capital injection allowed the company to grow rapidly. It now produces some 10,000 tonnes of fish per year, while it is projected to contribute around Z$33m in government revenue by 2023, according to the AfDB.

Around 37 percent of annual production goes to the Zimbabwean market, with around 50 percent exported to the region: Zambia, Malawi, Angola, South Africa and DRC.

Around 13 percent goes to Europe, providing much-needed foreign exchange revenue.

According to the AfDB, the total potential demand for tilapia in regional markets is 100,000 tonnes per year, suggesting there is plenty of growth potential for the industry.

Soaring demand has driven the firm to expand beyond Kariba, reported a manager at the farm on the condition of anonymity.

"We have now set up a depot in Harare, and we are also exporting to other countries as the demand for our product is growing every day, in and outside Zimbabwe," he explained.

The project is the AfDB's first such private-sector investment in Zimbabwe and is part of the bank's tentative re-engagement with the country after decades of soaring inflation and debt arrears cooled investors' appetites.

The project received Z$12m in additional investment from a host of other international development finance institutions.

The project is also praised for the gender balance of employees.

Some 42 percent of the administration and fish-processing staff are women, according to 2011 data from the AfDB.

The fish farm is due to employ 900 people by next year.

In addition to the direct employment the project has generated, there is also a thriving industry of tertiary services such as fuel suppliers, feed transporters and logistics companies that has sprung up around Kariba, a town of some 20,000 people.

However, the need to comply with international food standard regulations that enable profitable exports has driven up the price of fish beyond the reach of many locals.

There is a lucrative trade in illegally procured fish.

"We are left with no choice but to concentrate on kapenta fish harvesting and any other fish that is not tilapia.

"We do it illegally because it does not make any business sense to get fishing licences and compete with established companies like Lake Harvest that have huge financial backing," says Lloyd Farai Gumbo, a fisherman.

Read more HERE.

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