15/01/2015: Hydrolyzed yeast as a source of nucleotides and digestible nutrients in shrimp nutrition

January 15, 2015, 4:19 am

≫ Next: 15/01/2015: Traditional small-boat Icelandic lumpfish fishery is MSC certified

by Melina Bonato, PhD Research and Development Coordinator, ICC Brazil

Originally published in International Aquafeed November - December 2014

Aquaculture production has greatly increased over the last 20 years. In intensive production methods, decrease of water quality, increase of stress, decrease of food quality, and increased bacterial, viral or parasite infections can suppress the shrimp growth (Yousefian and Amiri, 2009). The high susceptibility to stress and the rapid spread of diseases in water have forced fish farmers to concentrate on maintaining their fish in good health in order to achieve economic performance (Hoffmann, 2008).

http://issuu.com/international_aquafeed/docs/iaf1406_w1/1

For a long time, the most common method for dealing with the occurrence of bacterial infections in aquaculture was the administration of antibiotics. However, aquaculture faces serious problems due to various adverse effects of these drugs such as accumulation in the tissue, environmental microbial flora.

On the other hand, to use antibiotic or vaccines for fish is expensive and in many farms unavailable (Yousefian and Amiri, 2009). However, the use of substances or nutrients incorporated into the feed to improve the survival rate, disease resistance and growth of shrimp has been used more and more and successfully.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast used in the fermentation of sugarcane to obtain ethanol could be an alternative. After fermentation the yeast may undergo a process of separation and washing, and then is stimulated to make an autolysis of its cell membrane, pouring their intracellular contents into the medium. Also its RNA can be "broken" into smaller fractions, for some specific enzymes, resulting in free nucleotides and nucleosides. This product is highly digestible and with free amino acids in its composition.

The cell wall of yeast has a high β-glucans amount, which is an immuno-stimulant to activate the T cells present in the intestine, triggering an activation of the innate immune system. Shrimp are apparently entirely dependent on a non-specific immune mechanism to resist infections (Hertrampf and Mishra, 2006). This stimulation of the immune system can leave it better prepared to face possible infections by pathogens. The cell wall also contains mannanoligosacharides (MOS) that agglutinate pathogenic bacteria.

Another benefit of this hydrolyzed yeast is that the intracellular content is fully available, ie, it offers high amounts of small chain polypeptides and free amino acids together fully functional yeast cell walls. These nutrients are readily available for absorption on the gut and metabolism utilisation. Among these amino acids, there are high levels of glutamic acid (glutamine and glutamate), which gives a large support to gut (as amino acid and energy source), and also has excellent palatability, leading to an increase in feed intake. The nucleosides guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and inosine monophosphate (IMP) also contribute in improving the palatability. Stimulating the feed intake, there is consequently a better resistance to the challenges and also a higher growth rate.

The free nucleotides from yeast can be used by the salvage pathway in cells (by this metabolic pathway the body can synthesise nucleotides with less energy cost as a result of the recycling of free bases and nucleotides from metabolic degradation of nucleic acid from dead cells and / or from the diet), especially in tissues with high cell turnover and limited capacity for synthesis of purine and pyrimidine by via de novo (such as intestinal epithelial cells, hepatopancreas cells, hemolymph cells and immune system), where the requirement of these bases is high.

When endogenous supply is insufficient for normal function, nucleotides become semi-essential nutrients or “conditionally essential” (Carver and Walker, 1995). This is especially the case in certain disease states, periods of limited nutrient intake or rapid growth (juvenile stages). Also dietary nucleotides appear to be important to support optimal growth and metabolically functions, such as lymphocytes and macrophages.

Some studies have been made in recent years to study the effect of the addition of nucleotides in the diet of shrimp, among these, Hertrampf and Mishra (2006) studied the addition of 0.2 percent nucleotides in the diets of Penaeus monodon, which resulted in a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio and decrease in mortality rate (38 percent). The same authors studied shrimp larvae directly fed with nucleotides and then compared with the feeding value of Artemia nauplii. In a two-rearing-cycle experiment in Penaeus monodon larvae, Artemia completely replaced nucleotides. In comparison to the Artemia group, the nucleotide group has an improved survival rate of 7.4 percent in the first cycle and 18.4 percent in the second cycle, respectively. These results show the importance of nucleotide supplementation in shrimp diets, especially in the larval and juvenile stages.

Nucleotides can combine nutritional as well as sanitary benefits when added to feeds. The quality of the product, the proper mixture and administration will determinate the results.

The use of hydrolyzed yeast as a source of free nucleotides and nucleosides besides providing a considerable concentration of these also possess other digestible nutrients to be readily used by the metabolism, and the presence of cell wall with their structural indigestible carbohydrates such as beta-glucans (immunostimulation) and MOS (agglutination of pathogens). This set of functional nutrients is a powerful ally in improving productivity in shrimp farming.

Read the magazine HERE.

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

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news

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15/01/2015: Traditional small-boat Icelandic lumpfish fishery is MSC certified

January 15, 2015, 4:58 am

≫ Next: 16/01/2015: How do sea turtles find the exact beach where they were born?

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Iceland’s lumpfish fishery has been MSC certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. The 330 small boats are the first MSC certified lumpfish fishery in the world.

Lumpfish has been harvested for centuries inside the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone. Male and female lumpfish are easily distinguished both in colour and size - females are larger. The big mesh size gillnets fishery mainly targets the females for their roe, which is exported as a luxury caviar mainly to European countries. There is also a growing Chinese market for the female fish while male lumpfish is less frequently caught, mostly for traditional local consumption.

The lumpfish distributed between Iceland and Norway is one of three genetically distinct stocks of lumpfish in the North Atlantic. Although some other lumpfish stocks have faced challenges, the Icelandic lumpfish fisheries have been relatively stable since 1990.

The lumpfish fishery is controlled by various measures that include restrictions regarding the number of licences and nets, a fishing season of three months only as well as limitations on vessel and mesh sizes.

Icelandic waters contain a wide range of delicate ecosystems, mostly in deep water. The static bottom-set gillnets used in the lumpfish fishery have minimal contact with these ecosystems as the fishery mainly takes place on a rocky sea bed in shallow waters.

The fishery’s main bycatch is the MSC certified cod (Gadus morhua), representing around five percent of the total catch. All bycatches are landed as discarding is prohibited in Iceland.

The client, Vignir G Jónsson hf, was originally a family run business founded in 1970 but is now a subsidiary of the seafood company HBGrandi. The headquarters and main processing site of Vignir are in the town of Akranes, with a staff of about 40, but they also operate in east coast of Iceland.

Vignir CEO, Mr. Eíríkur Vignisson says: “I’m happy that this assessment is now completed. All lumpfish fisheries in N-Atlantic were last year listed as red by many of the eNGO traffic light systems. That was a huge disappointment for the industry but I hope this certification will contribute to the Icelandic lumpfish products falling under the green category. It is important for the industry to be able to demonstrate to overseas buyers that our products originate from a truly sustainable fishery.”

Gisli Gislason, MSC Manager for the North Atlantic said: “Lumpfish roe is an important product for European markets and this is the first lumpfish fishery in the world to get MSC certified. This is the only traditional fishery in Iceland exclusively performed by small vessels. Close cooperation between the authorities and the small boats association is vital to protect the marine environment and ensure lumpfish stocks are stable for the future. MSC certification provides independent reassurance for consumers around the world that the lumpfish roe comes from a sustainable fishery. We hope that this certification will in return be an incentive for other lumpfish fisheries to enter the MSC program.”

Visit the MSC website HERE.

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16/01/2015: How do sea turtles find the exact beach where they were born?

January 16, 2015, 3:30 am

≫ Next: 16/01/2015: West Australia Fisheries denies using scientific tagging data to label ‘serious threat’ sharks

≪ Previous: 15/01/2015: Traditional small-boat Icelandic lumpfish fishery is MSC certified

For loggerhead sea turtles, home is where your (magnetic) heart is, National Geographic reports.

After hatching on beaches around the world, these huge marine reptiles undertake multiyear, epic migrations at sea. Then the turtles return to the exact spot where they were born to mate and lay their own eggs.

Scientists have long known that the turtles, like many animals, navigate at sea by sensing the invisible lines of the magnetic field, similar to how sailors use latitude and longitude. But they didn't know how the turtles were able to return to the very spot where they were born.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150115-loggerheads-sea-turtles-navigation-magnetic-field-science/?sf6952005=1

Now a new study has the answer: The turtles also rely on Earth's magnetic field to find their way home. That's because each part of the coastline has its own magnetic signature, which the animals remember and later use as an internal compass.

It's not an easy commute, though—the magnetic field changes slowly, and loggerheads have to shift their nesting sites in response, according to the study, published January 15 in Current Biology.

"It's pretty fascinating how these creatures can find their way through this vast expanse of nothing," said study co-author J Roger Brothers, a biology graduate student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Loggerhead turtles, which weigh about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), have an enormous range that encompasses all but the most frigid waters of the world's oceans.

Though they travel hundreds of miles out to sea, the carnivores seem to prefer coastal habitats, and are the most abundant of all marine turtle species in US waters.

Every year, thousands of volunteers walk along Florida's sandy beaches to count loggerhead nesting sites, which provides scientists with a rich population data set.

At the same time, researchers have been tracking subtle shifts in Earth's magnetic field along Florida's coasts, using compasses to measure how the field's strength and other properties change over time.

So if the loggerhead sea turtles really use Earth's magnetic field to return to the beaches where they were born, then shifts in the field should lead to corresponding shifts in loggerhead turtle nesting sites.

Brothers and colleagues combined the citizen-science data on turtle nests and official data about the magnetic field to create a dynamic map, which showed how each variable changed over time.

Their results supported their hypothesis: The loggerhead sea turtle nests moved in tandem with the shifts in the magnetic field.

"The important thing about this paper is that it uses a different measure of the importance of magnetic navigation by looking at the movement of turtles. That hasn't been done before, and it's really great work," said Peter Meylan, a marine biologist at Eckerd College in Florida who wasn't involved in the study.

Nathan Putman, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Southeast Fisheries Science Centre, added, "It's really creative work, the type that makes you think, 'Why didn't I think of that?'"

The results could also influence conservation strategies for these endangered reptiles, said Brothers. The animals have declined due to pollution, shrimp trawling, and development in their nesting areas, among other factors.

For instance, many conservationists surround loggerhead nests with wire cages. Since these cages are usually metallic, the practice could interfere with the turtles' ability to find their way home.

Read the article HERE.

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16/01/2015: West Australia Fisheries denies using scientific tagging data to label ‘serious threat’ sharks

January 16, 2015, 3:41 am

≫ Next: 16/01/2015: Ocean life faces mass extinction, broad study says

≪ Previous: 16/01/2015: How do sea turtles find the exact beach where they were born?

The Western Australian government has denied it uses scientific tagging data to label sharks as a ‘serious threat’ after a private shark researcher said he was considering withholding information about sharks he had tagged to prevent them getting caught in a cull, The Guardian reports.

Andrew Fox, who tags great white sharks in South Australia for the Fox Shark Research Foundation, told Guardian Australia on Wednesday he was reconsidering sharing data that would allow the WA Department of Fisheries to track sharks he had tagged after a kill order was issued for a tagged shark in December.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/15/wa-fisheries-denies-using-scientific-tagging-data-to-label-serious-threat-sharks

But the department’s executive director of research, Dr Rick Fletcher, told Guardian Australia it was “misinformed” to suggest that scientific tagging data would be used to make culling decisions.

“The government’s serious threat policy is very clear about the circumstances under which an order to take a shark will be issued, including a rigorous assessment process and a number of factors to be considered,” he said. “Claims that detections of tagged sharks will be used as a sole trigger to capture sharks are misinformed.”

The WA Greens MP Lynn MacLaren said Fletcher’s comments contradict an order he gave in December to catch and kill a female great white shark at Warnbro Sound, 55km south of Perth.

“Dr Fletcher has ignored the fact that before Christmas he ordered a hunt-to-kill of a tagged female white shark whose presence was only known about because she had been detected multiple times by Fisheries’ acoustic receiver in Warnbro Sound,” MacLaren said.

“At no point was there any suggestion that any member of the public had even seen the tagged shark, let alone there being any evidence that she was posing a threat to humans.

“It is well-established by Dr Fletcher’s own department that snapper spawn in Cockburn and Warnbro sound at this time of year and it is most likely that natural food source was the reason why the shark remained in the area over a matter of weeks.”

In a statement about the capture order, issued by Fisheries on19 December, Fletcher said capture gear was deployed in response to, “an increase in the number of day-time detections on consecutive during the leadup to Christmas”.

A second statement, on 20 December, said: “Department of Fisheries acting director general Dr Rick Fletcher said the shark has been detected again this morning close to beaches at Warnbro and capture gear will therefore be set this morning.”

The serious threat policy says, “A capture order can be issued following a shark attack or, in the absence of an attack having taken place, multiple confirmed sightings or detections of a high hazard shark/s or sharks, in a location over a number of days, may still be considered to pose a serious threat in circumstances where there is considered to be a high risk.”

High-risk situations are described as the shark being within 1km of the coast and near well-used beaches. The policy also requires Fisheries to take environmental factors that may attract sharks into account.

MacLaren said she had referred the serious threat policy, which she described as a broadening of the previous imminent threat policy, to the Environmental Protection Authority for assessment. She said the policy was “light on detail” and had been “freely cited to justify killing, or attempting to kill, tagged sharks”.

“It is clear that far more individuals of south-western Australia’s white shark population could be killed under the new policy than the three-year drumline program proposed by the Barnett government last year, which was ultimately rejected by both the EPA and CSIRO on the grounds it was likely to endanger the white shark population.”

Guardian Australia asked Fisheries to clarify whether there had been any sightings of the Warnbro Sound shark. Bruno Mezzatesta, executive director of regional services, provided this response: “The decision on this occasion was based on multiple detections over several days and other factors as outlined in the department’s media alert issued on 19 December, noting numerous mitigation strategies were implemented in an attempt to negate the threat before the decision was made.

“A detection is a highly verifiable indication of the presence of a high hazard shark in high risk circumstances.”

Read the article HERE.

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16/01/2015: Ocean life faces mass extinction, broad study says

January 16, 2015, 3:58 am

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A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them, The New York Times reports.

“We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event,” said Douglas J McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an author of the new research, which was published on Thursday in the journal Science.

But there is still time to avert catastrophe, Dr McCauley and his colleagues also found. Compared with the continents, the oceans are mostly intact, still wild enough to bounce back to ecological health.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/science/earth/study-raises-alarm-for-health-of-ocean-life.html?_r=1

“We’re lucky in many ways,” said Malin L Pinsky, a marine biologist at Rutgers University and another author of the new report.

“The impacts are accelerating, but they’re not so bad we can’t reverse them.”

Scientific assessments of the oceans’ health are dogged by uncertainty: It’s much harder for researchers to judge the well-being of a species living underwater, over thousands of miles, than to track the health of a species on land. And changes that scientists observe in particular ocean ecosystems may not reflect trends across the planet.

Dr Pinsky, Dr McCauley and their colleagues sought a clearer picture of the oceans’ health by pulling together data from an enormous range of sources, from discoveries in the fossil record to statistics on modern container shipping, fish catches and seabed mining. While many of the findings already existed, they had never been juxtaposed in such a way.

A number of experts said the result was a remarkable synthesis, along with a nuanced and encouraging prognosis.

“I see this as a call for action to close the gap between conservation on land and in the sea,” said Loren McClenachan of Colby College, who was not involved in the study.

There are clear signs already that humans are harming the oceans to a remarkable degree, the scientists found. Some ocean species are certainly overharvested, but even greater damage results from large-scale habitat loss, which is likely to accelerate as technology advances the human footprint, the scientists reported.

Coral reefs, for example, have declined by 40 percent worldwide, partly as a result of climate-change-driven warming.

Some fish are migrating to cooler waters already. Black sea bass, once most common off the coast of Virginia, have moved up to New Jersey. Less fortunate species may not be able to find new ranges. At the same time, carbon emissions are altering the chemistry of seawater, making it more acidic.

“If you cranked up the aquarium heater and dumped some acid in the water, your fish would not be very happy,” Dr Pinsky said. “In effect, that’s what we’re doing to the oceans.”

Fragile ecosystems like mangroves are being replaced by fish farms, which are projected to provide most of the fish we consume within 20 years. Bottom trawlers scraping large nets across the sea floor have already affected 20 million square miles of ocean, turning parts of the continental shelf to rubble. Whales may no longer be widely hunted, the analysis noted, but they are now colliding more often as the number of container ships rises.

Mining operations, too, are poised to transform the ocean. Contracts for seabed mining now cover 460,000 square miles underwater, the researchers found, up from zero in 2000. Seabed mining has the potential to tear up unique ecosystems and introduce pollution into the deep sea.

The oceans are so vast that their ecosystems may seem impervious to change. But Dr McClenachan warned that the fossil record shows that global disasters have wrecked the seas before.

“Marine species are not immune to extinction on a large scale,” she said.

Until now, the seas largely have been spared the carnage visited on terrestrial species, the new analysis also found.

The fossil record indicates that a number of large animal species became extinct as humans arrived on continents and islands. For example, the moa, a giant bird that once lived on New Zealand, was wiped out by arriving Polynesians in the 1300s, probably within a century.

But it was only after 1800, with the Industrial Revolution, that extinctions on land really accelerated.

Humans began to alter the habitat that wildlife depended on, wiping out forests for timber, ploughing under prairie for farmland, and laying down roads and railroads across continents.

Species began going extinct at a much faster pace. Over the past five centuries, researchers have recorded 514 animal extinctions on land. But the authors of the new study found that documented extinctions are far rarer in the ocean.

Before 1500, a few species of seabirds are known to have vanished. Since then, scientists have documented only 15 ocean extinctions, including animals such as the Caribbean monk seal and Steller’s sea cow.

While these figures are likely underestimates, Dr McCauley said that the difference was nonetheless revealing.

“Fundamentally, we’re a terrestrial predator,” he said. “It’s hard for an ape to drive something in the ocean extinct.”

Many marine species that have become extinct or are endangered depend on land — seabirds that nest on cliffs, for example, or sea turtles that lay eggs on beaches.

Still, there is time for humans to halt the damage, Dr McCauley said, with effective programs limiting the exploitation of the oceans. The tiger may not be salvageable in the wild — but the tiger shark may well be, he said.

“There are a lot of tools we can use,” he said. “We better pick them up and use them seriously.”

Dr McCauley and his colleagues argue that limiting the industrialization of the oceans to some regions could allow threatened species to recover in other ones. “I fervently believe that our best partner in saving the ocean is the ocean itself,” said Stephen R Palumbi of Stanford University, an author of the new study.

The scientists also argued that these reserves had to be designed with climate change in mind, so that species escaping high temperatures or low pH would be able to find refuge.

“It’s creating a hopscotch pattern up and down the coasts to help these species adapt,” Dr Pinsky said.

Ultimately, Dr Palumbi warned, slowing extinctions in the oceans will mean cutting back on carbon emissions, not just adapting to them.

“If by the end of the century we’re not off the business-as-usual curve we are now, I honestly feel there’s not much hope for normal ecosystems in the ocean,” he said. “But in the meantime, we do have a chance to do what we can. We have a couple decades more than we thought we had, so let’s please not waste it.”

Read the article HERE.

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Zhengchang company profile

January 16, 2015, 4:39 am

≫ Next: 16/01/2015: Biomin’s World Nutrition Forum

≪ Previous: 16/01/2015: Ocean life faces mass extinction, broad study says

Established in 1918, Zhengchang has made constant innovations in feed machinery industry and accumulated a wealth of experience in tackling the various challenges facing feed companies and, more importantly, is able to offer a range of comprehensive solutions. ZCME has now evolved into China’s largest manufacture of feed machinery and has 16 branches in China with over 1300 staff and more than thirty offices all over the world.

Zhengchang to date has successfully constructed more than 2000 turnkey projects around the world, covering the fields of poultry and livestock feed, aquatic feed, pet food, premix feed, sawdust pellets, fertilizer, silo storage, pasture, electrical control and garbage treatment etc. ZCME projects are designed to deliver to the client higher feed quality, higher overall capacity and greater profits.

Zhengchang have overcome many challenges for our customers and accumulated rich experience over the past 90 years. We are now making great endeavors to apply our latest achievements to feed, pasture, environment protection, fertiliser, and sawdust shaping industries.

Zhengchang is more than a professional partner who can provide advanced machinery, technology and management ideas. It is also a true problem solver who knows you well enough to oversee your development.

Zhengchang is with you every step of the way.

Compared with its traditional pellet mill, the SZLH528 optimizes its paddle’s structure and distribution, which can make materials fully mixed while providing a sufficiently long conditioning time, with improved cooking and mixing effects. It adopts a gear-type driving system and achieves a production output 15 percent more efficient than belt conveyors.

The innovative design of the gear box and driving system make the transmission more stable and reliable. Chute structure and automatic discharging system have also been improved. Features such as outer oil lubrication, anti-blockage die holes and pneumatic outer discharge of material ensure the equipment works safely and tightly attaining high levels of hygiene and free of leaks. The main shaft temperature alarm system improves the stability of the main drive.

The gears use top quality steel, giving them a life of more than 30,000 hours. The SPHS218F produces a variety of high-grade extruded aquaculture feeds, pet foods and sinking fish feed. It is widely used in the following areas: extruding of bullfrog feed, weever feed, shrimp feed and crab feed. It uses a high-precision inverter, feeds more evenly than regular feeders, has high capacity, better stability and easy access.

Employing a user-friendly design for steam and water injection, it can detect flow on-line and add liquid accordingly. The special design of mixing shaft and blade effectively improves maturity level and mixing evenness. It can add up to 30 percent water and steam which can be evenly mixed. High hardness, wear-resistant alloy screws and bushing greatly improve the service life of the parts subjected to the greatest wear.

As a professional supplier of pellet mills and a machine manufacturer, we try to supply our customers with the most up-to-date machines and most effective and careful after-sale services.

Visit the website HERE.

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16/01/2015: Biomin’s World Nutrition Forum

January 16, 2015, 4:57 am

≫ Next: 19/01/2015: Taste of Summer: Eel season in south-west Victoria, Australia

≪ Previous: Zhengchang company profile

Originally published in International Aquafeed November - December 2014

"You have in front of you a depressed man with a smiling face," Professor Jorgen Randers of BI Norwegian Business School told the 800-plus delegates attending this year's Biomin World Nutrition Conference in Munich, Germany this morning in his keynote address.

Dr Randers as professor of climate strategy addressed the question of '2052 - A global forecast for the next 40 years' went on to say, "I have spent the last 40 years working for sustainable development, working for a sustainable world and I have failed.

"The world is less sustainable today than I started my hard labours on sustainable development 40 years ago. The simplest way of indicating this is by the climate situation.

"The simplest way to demonstrate this is that every year humanity is producing twice as much CO2 as is being absorbed by the earth. The remainder stays in the atmosphere with a half-life of more than 100 years and as this concentration goes up the temperature goes up. This will continue until we stop emitting CO2 into the atmosphere.

"A highly unsustainable situation where dramatic change is needed if we want to move in the direction of sustainability.

With a projected world population of eight billion by 2040, he pointed to three factors that will impact the development of the world as it progresses over the next 40 years would see world populations increases being to decline as the trend by women to have less children continue below the 1.8 in both the developed and developing world.

The second major impact on countries will be the overall decline in GDP which will slow down as populations progressively move from the land to factories and then into health care - or caring for the elderly.

"Economic development is shifting towards health care as clearly shown in the USA, Switzerland and other developed countries."

He said 17 percent of the USA's working population is already in the health care sector and probably more were needed.

"Productively increases based on output per person is lower in these areas."

Professor Randers says that the GDP growth rate in these countries will probably be zero percent over the next 40 years while poorer countries will see growth in primary and secondary employment as they continue to go through the steps from farm to factory to health care eventually. He sees China following the path both Japan and Korea have taken.

He also sees developed countries spending resources not only on health care but also overcoming new problems associated with pollution, climate change, etc.

"We will have to spend labour and capital to combat these things."

Other observations included solar and wind power squeezing out fossil fuel use long before reserves of these energy sources are depleted; CO2 emissions will peak in 2030; temperatures will increase by two degrees by 2050 but will not bring about catastrophic climate collapse before 2050; world food is enough to satisfy demand up to 2050 but significant starvation will remain as is currently the case and was in 1970; food will not be in short supply but rather people will not have sufficient income to pay for it.

"Starvation will not be caused by physical limitations, but by income constraints. Food production will flow as demand grows and not as the need for food grows."

"How can you be sure I'm right?" he asked his audience.

"We know from past experience that people will continue to choose the cheapest solutions - the cheapest and most profitable. This is a fundamental driver with most people not wanting to make a sacrifice today for an advantage in the future."

He said moving just two percent of the world's workforce from 'dirty' jobs to 'clean' jobs in environmental terms and moving just two percent of the world's capital into clean energies will solve the problems we face.

"But that's more expensive than doing nothing. So it won't happen."

Optimists believe the market will solve the problem. This will not work either, given the short-termism of capitalism and the need to be profitable, he explained.

He believes the suggested strategy of businesses aligning itself with social requirements to help solve these problems will not work either, given that carbon taxes have not worked.

He concluded by saying that companies need to work politically to bring about long term change, especially if we are to improve world hunger and that we as private individuals need to do our fair share "to help turn the ship in time," he concluded.

To circumvent this outcome, Professor Marty Matlock of the University of Akansas in the USA stressed: "If we want to preserve biodiversity and other land-based ecosystems, we must freeze the footprint of agriculture.”

He added that sustain:ability should be about continuous improvement and building resilience in a system through key performance indicators or KPIs.

“We have to freeze the footprint of agriculture if we are to preserve biodiversity and other land-based ecosystem services,” today yet we are challenged with having to increase food production by between 50 or 100 percent to meet the expected population levels by 2050, says Dr Marty Matlock, of the biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas in the USA. He was the second key-note speaker on the opening morning of the World Nutrition Forum.

Global meat will have to more than double to 465 million tonnes by 2050, milk production to double to 1043 million tonnes.

Feed additives and speciality feed ingredients are expected to play a key role in the sustainable future of animal production.

That’s what Didier Jans of FEFANA, the EU’s association of specialty feed and mixtures producers, told delegates attending the Forum.

He pointed out that while the feed industry operates at a local level it has become highly dependent on a complex range of international suppliers for its feed additives and speciality feed ingredients. He suggested that these speciality mixtures were more international than commodities.

“The value of feed additives and speciality feed ingredients allow them to travel,” more so than other components of the feed industry, he says.

It is the regulatory environment that determines whether or not a production unit can take its place in a particular country, he adds.

Regulation can either foster or hinder the development of these production facilities.

Proximity to the market is not the only factor that determines where facilities are established. In fact no region can claim self-sufficiency in feed additives or speciality feed ingredients and “this need for exchange is probably going to further increase as animal production is developed further in more countries.

“The access to feed additives and speciality feed ingredients is becoming a key element of the livestock production sustainability both in intensive production and extensive farming practices,” he adds.

He says the access to these types of ingredients is as important as access to macro feed materials such as soybean and coarse grains.

Projections of population growth and related animal production “legitimately gladdens the industry,” but it will also create enormous challenges to supply all these economies with the appropriate and desired additives, he went on to say.

“One of the cornerstones of this global supply of this global supply is to be able to move and use the product wherever they are needed without cumbersome barriers.”

Dr Jans points to the shortcomings of current legislation in terms of its unsynchronised nature at global level and its wide time-scale differences in adoption in an industry that is global in nature.

He referred to the Codex Alimentarius process for coordinating international food safety issues and noted the work done on the Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding, the Guidelines on Application of Risk Assessment for Feed, the Guidance for Governments in Prioritising Hazard in Feed, but daid they did little for immediate harmonisation especially for the most developed regulatory environments.

“After six years of existence in total the ad hoc Task FGorce on Animal Feed that produced them has now terminated its mandate and feed is back to having no specific home in Codex.”

He went on to explain how industry following the EU’s Feed Hygiene Regulation became proactive to adopt a certification system that while based on regulation but is being used by a wide variety of trading partners around the world.

“The industry initiative was not only showing a path but is now also supporting the implementation in a fully consistent way at global level.”

Dr Jans also says there are several advantages to conceiving something for a global perspective rather than seeking compatibility for items initiated at developed separately.

In the species break-out sessions, speakers from each of the four livestock sectors shared how the use of technology, more efficient feed formulation, healthy profits and environmental issues determined the future sustainability of animal production.

In the Expert Session Aquaculture saw eight presenters contribute including International Aquafeed writers Dominique Bureau, Albert Tacon and Pedro Encarnacao of Biomin.

Other speakers included Ram Bhujel, Peter Bossier, Lisa Elliot and Adel El-Mowafi on topics ranging from Optimisation of the formulation of aquaculture feeds, to Aquaculture: aecuring the future; Recent advances in Asian Aquaculture and sustainability; Host microbial interactions in cultured aquatic larvae; Bacteriophage therapy in aquaculture and NutriEconomics applied to the aquaculture industry

Managing complexity was the theme of the opening address on October 17, 2014.

In a thought-provoking presentation citing varied literature on organisational complexity, Biomin founder Erich Erber shared how organisations could master this trend by fostering a culture of empowerment and trust, leading by KPIs, and creating an environment where honest feedback is encouraged and heeded.

The 6th World Nutrition Forum ended two full days of stimulating sessions with plenty of food-for-thought on issues of sustainability across a range of topics—from the animal sciences to management, economics and philosophy.

Rounding up the theme of sustainability was Tim Jones of Future Agenda, UK who pointed to education, especially of females in developing countries, as the key to unlocking the potential of the planet. Echoing the importance of education, Jason Clay of the WWF stressed that “it’s not about what to think but how to think.”

Such creative knowledge will be necessary for sustainable initiatives and reclaiming back the carrying capacity resource base of the planet, he stressed.

Aquafeed magazine will be reporting on more of the presentations at the 6^th World Nutrition Forum in upcoming editions.

In the meantime this publications passes on its vote of thanks to Biomin for hosting such a intensive and captivating forum that went a long way for our livestock and protein production industries to understand more clearly the hurdles and opportunities which lie ahead over the next four decades.

Read the magazine HERE.

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19/01/2015: Taste of Summer: Eel season in south-west Victoria, Australia

January 19, 2015, 1:25 am

≫ Next: 19/01/2015: Mid East’s First Aquaculture Exhibition Launches As Industry Investment Surpasses US$12 Billion

≪ Previous: 16/01/2015: Biomin’s World Nutrition Forum

Under the Blackwood trees, the rain and wind barely mar the surface of the swollen creek.

Tyson Lovett-Murray, 25, up to his waist in water, feels his way through mud with his bare feet. Something moves. He recoils.

In one hand, the aluminium fishing spear is poised, ready.

Bubbles ooze up. On the bank, a wise crayfish scuttles away and the tall Cumbungi reeds sway.

For Gunditjmara aboriginal people like Mr Lovett-Murray, summer is eel season.

Now is the time to catch the sinuous fish as they wend through the waterways and creeks of the volcanic plains near Portland, in Victoria's south-west, The Age Victoria reports.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/taste-of-summer-its-eel-season-for-the-gunditjmara-people-in-southwest-victoria-20150116-12ques.html

Aboriginal eel trap

Eels have always been prized by the Gunditjmara.

Cured in Mallee gum smoke, for millennia they were traded with indigenous neighbours for valuable razor-sharp flint, says elder Denis Rose, a project manager at the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Today most people hunt eels with spears or rods. But when Mr Rose was young, he fished at the full moon with his uncles using a stocking stuffed with worms and hung in the water.

"I remember uncles flicking them back over their shoulders and kids running around catching them," he says.

Summer is also the time for bush fruit. Mr Rose snacks on the orange-hued Cherry Ballart and the gelatinous Pig Face fruit when he camps at the Fitzroy River to catch bream.

In a few months the adult eels – some more than 25 years old – will gather at the mouth of the Fitzroy.

The shifting tides move the sand from the river's mouth and the eels swim into the sea.

Little is known about the journey to their spawning grounds in the Coral Sea around Vanuatu. The fertilised eggs and baby "glass" eels drift back on the currents to the Victorian coastline and swim up its rivers: the Barwon, the Glenelg, the Fitzroy.

Gunditjmara country sits on a great sweep of ancient lava that flowed from Budj Bim (Mount Eccles), and into the sea, leaving a land blessed with spring-fed creeks that never run dry.

This rich country was the site of one of the world's oldest aquaculture systems, dated at more than 6000 years.

Its residents modified the wetland system into pools, runnels and stone traps to farm and harvest eels and fish.

The foundations of circular stone huts, once home to a permanent village for thousands of Gunditjmara people, can be seen today at Tyrendarra, an indigenous protected area open to the public.

Elder Eileen Alberts threads her way through the stone foundations and picks a long strand of ‘puunyuurt’ reed, traditionally used to make baskets to catch the fish as they moved through the aquaculture system.

She splits it with the edge of a sparkly red nail (she had them done for her son's graduation) and begins a spiralling basket stitch.

Ms Alberts was taught basket weaving by her auntie, Connie Hart, who learned in secret watching her older female relatives.

Gunditjmara who passed on indigenous language or cultural traditions at the Lake Condah Mission were punished, and fear remained long after the mission was closed.

"When Aunty Connie taught me [in the '80s], we had to lock the doors and pull the blinds because she was still scared someone would come to take the kids away," Ms Alberts says.

Dressed in a pair of gumboots emblazoned with the word "Deadly", Tyson Lovett-Murray says his community's native title win and land buybacks mean young people have far more access to their country than the generation before them.

If a Gunditjmara person fancies eel today, young people like Mr Lovett-Murray (a project officer at Gunditj-Mirring) will be called on to stalk the creeks and catch a feed.

"For a lot of mob who face hardship and social inequalities, maintaining cultural practices on-country is the best way to keep you healthy; it's a safe place," he says.

Read the article HERE.

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19/01/2015: Mid East’s First Aquaculture Exhibition Launches As Industry Investment Surpasses US$12 Billion

January 19, 2015, 2:07 am

≫ Next: 19/01/2015: Scientists raise alarm on China's fishy aqua farms

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AquaME, formally a vertical of the AgraME exhibition, will become the regions first standalone platform dedicated to the burgeoning aquaculture and fishing industry.

The show, which will take place on 16-18 March 2015 at the Dubai Exhibition and Convention Centre, has been officially launched in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Water and Nor-Fishing Foundation, and will feature a dedicated conference, the regions first aquaculture awards ceremony and a dedicated business to business buyer programme.

At the official signing of the partnership, His Excellency Abdelrahim Al Hammadi – Assistant Undersecretary of Support Services for the Ministry of Environment and Water said “We are very pleased with this partnership which is a move to consolidate and encourage investment in the aquaculture sector. This falls in line with the UAE’s strategic objectives to promote food security and environmental sustainability contributing to the UAE’s Vision 2021.”

According to the Ministry of Environment and Water, the total current market valuation of investments in to the UAE aquaculture sector stands at US$321 million, with 20 million of that amount being invested in to the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Marine Research Centre. The project, which was launched in February 2013, aims to enhance the country’s natural resources, and contribute to food security through protecting overexploited species and supporting their habitat.

There are currently nine registered farms in the UAE, with five still under development, all of a different scale and integrated culture systems. The UAE aquaculture production in 2012 was 540 tonnes of wet fish, while total production capacity of these farms stands at 4903 tons per year.

“The decision to create the regions first exhibition dedicated to aquaculture was not a tough one. In a nutshell, it is the fastest growing food processing industry in the Middle East, and to put it in to perspective, a recent report by The World Bank projected aquaculture production in MENA is set to rise 75.9 percent by 2030, hitting a production size of approximately 1.9 million tonnes. This incredible growth could simply not be ignored.” said Richard Pavitt, Exhibition Director, AquaME.

Saudi Arabia and Oman round-up the total investment figure. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Agriculture, who are leading the way in terms of investment, will inject an additional US$10.6 billion into aquaculture projects to produce one million tonnes of fish in the next sixteen years. Oman, which has long been at the forefront of aquaculture in the Gulf region, announced that it plans to invest US$1.3 billion in fisheries development leading up to 2020.

“Feedback from the industry was clear. We had a 64 percent increase in visitors to AgraME earlier this year, who attended to specifically source companies from the aquaculture and fishing industry. We have tried to create a holistic approach to this exhibition, integrating the regions first dedicated conference agenda on aquaculture, a buyer’s programme and an industry awards ceremony.” added Pavitt.

Read more HERE.
(IAF 1501)

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19/01/2015: Scientists raise alarm on China's fishy aqua farms

January 19, 2015, 3:06 am

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Fish farmers in China have been increasingly harvesting wild stocks in order to feed their caged varieties, putting new strains on the world's oceans, said new research from scientists at Stanford University, Reuters reports.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of fish, contributing about one third of the global supply.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/16/food-fish-china-idINKBN0KP1TK20150116

Its production has tripled in the last 20 years, with about 75 percent coming from fish farms, according to the study published this week in the journal Science.

If the industry used more waste from caught fish, along with plant proteins like algae or ethanol yeast to feed farmed fish, then aquaculture could become more sustainable, the study said.

"If the country makes proactive reforms to its aquaculture sector, like using fish-processing wastes instead of wild fish, and generally reducing the amount of fishmeal in aquafeeds, it can greatly improve the sustainability of the industry," Ling Cao, of Stanford's Centre on Food Security and the Environment, said in a statement.

"If not, the consequences for the entire global seafood supply chain are going to be really serious."

Globally, fish farming has been growing between 5 and 8 percent annually for the last two decades, said Jogeir Toppe, of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.

He expects the rapid growth to continue as catches of wild fish plateau and demand rises.

"China has been the main driver of this growth," Toppe told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"This is expected to continue."

The fast growth comes with concerns over environmental sustainability and human health, Toppe said, as farmed fish are often fed large amounts of antibiotics and other chemicals.

Aquaculture companies in China have made some progress in reducing the amount of wild fish fed to captured stock by using waste from other processing plants or algae, the study said.

However, farms often use so-called ‘trash fish’ or less valuable, small breeds caught in the wild to feed bigger, more expensive varieties such as carp or tilapia.

Waste by-products from seafood processing plants is often discarded or dumped into nearby waterways. Some firms refine this waste to use as feed for other fish, but scientists said more must be done to create a sustainable industry.

Officials from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, a government body, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Read the article HERE.

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Leiber company profile

January 19, 2015, 5:13 am

≫ Next: 19/01/2015: Marine Harvest ASA to merge Marine Harvest Chile with AquaChile

≪ Previous: 19/01/2015: Scientists raise alarm on China's fishy aqua farms

http://www.leibergmbh.de/index.php?sid=948

Leiber has more than 140 employees. Each is a specialist in his or her domain. A well-proven team in a company following a clear strategy for more than 50 years: Working with values.

What makes us unique? We focus on what we know best. Yeast. Production on the highest level of quality. Latest technology. New findings from science and research. The performance of a team of specialists. This is what defines Leiber´s strategic orientation. This is what makes us truly entrepreneurial.

The markets´ requirements are changing - we are able to follow. This is how we became one of the leading manufacturers of specialised yeast products.

Visit the website HERE.

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19/01/2015: Marine Harvest ASA to merge Marine Harvest Chile with AquaChile

January 19, 2015, 6:31 am

≫ Next: 20/01/2015: Cunning snails drug fish with insulin then eat them

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The Board of Directors of Marine Harvest ASA is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Conditional Transaction Agreement (CTA) with Empresas AquaChile SA (hereinafter AquaChile) to merge Marine Harvest Chile SA with AquaChile. The surviving entity will be AquaChile and AquaChile will continue to be listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange on a stand-alone basis.

Marine Harvest Chile, including recently acquired Acuinova (asset purchase), will be merged into AquaChile with a net interest bearing debt of US$65 million. Upon completion of the merger Marine Harvest ASA will own 42.8 percent of AquaChile.

http://www.marineharvest.com/about/news-and-media/news/marine-harvest-asa-to-merge-marine-harvest-chile-with-aquachile/

In conjunction with the merger, Marine Harvest has agreed on a standstill position of its ownership in AquaChile until 15 June 2016. From 15 June 2016 until 15 June 2017, Marine Harvest will have the option to acquire further shares in AquaChile through a tender offer that at a minimum will give Marine Harvest an ownership interest of 55.0 percent. The price in such a tender offer will be the higher of US$0.8856 per share and the prevailing stock market price at that time.

Inversiones Patagonia (controlled by the Puchi family) and Holding Salmones (controlled by the Fischer family), each controlling approximately 33 percent of AquaChile prior to the merger, have agreed to tender a number of shares that will secure Marine Harvest an ownership interest of a minimum of 55 percent if the aforementioned tender offer is launched. After 15 June 2017, the respective standstill and tender offer obligations of Marine Harvest, Inversiones Patagonia and Holding Salmones expire entirely.

The parties have agreed that the business combination will be executed in a way such as to maximize both companies' competitive advantages and expertise, in order to run sustainable salmonids farming operations with a focus on enhancing complementary areas of competence and experience. The combined entity will be the sole vehicle through which AquaChile and Marine Harvest will develop their aquaculture business in the Americas (with the exception of Canada).

Mr. Victor Hugo Puchi will remain as Chairman of the combined entity and will lead the current management teams through the merger and business combination process.

The merger is, among other things, subject to execution of definitive transaction documentation, due diligence, approvals from relevant competition authorities, together with a final approval by the Board of Directors of Marine Harvest ASA and the Board of Directors and the General Meeting of AquaChile and Marine Harvest Chile SA. The tentative closing date would be in Q3 2015.

AquaChile and Marine Harvest Chile had a combined production of 165 thousand tons GWT of salmon and 19 thousand tons WFE of tilapia in 2014. The merged entity is expected to have a production capacity of approximately 260 thousand tons GWT of salmon and 25 thousand tons WFE of Tilapia.

The combination will be an important part of further improving the sustainability of Chilean salmon production through better risk management control and optimization of logistics which in turn is expected to lead to improved fish health and more efficient production.

In a comment, Marine Harvest Chairman Ole-Eirik Lerøy says:

“The merger between AquaChile and Marine Harvest Chile is in line with Marine Harvest's strategy of forming a world leading integrated protein group. Our already strong position within salmon farming in Chile will be further strengthened and the combination of these excellent companies will form a very efficient Chilean entity that also will benefit the entire Chilean industry from a sustainability point of view. The Board believes that such a strategy will provide significant operational benefits, as well as improving and stabilizing the long term earnings for the Group.”

LarrainVial is acting as financial advisor for Marine Harvest ASA, and Claro & Cia and Advokatfirma Wiersholm AS are acting as legal advisors.

Read more HERE.
(IAF1501)

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20/01/2015: Cunning snails drug fish with insulin then eat them

January 20, 2015, 1:10 am

≫ Next: 20/01/2015: Crews probe cause of Scottish fish factory blaze

≪ Previous: 19/01/2015: Marine Harvest ASA to merge Marine Harvest Chile with AquaChile

It's a murder plot played out both in fiction and real life. But now the first known case of murder using insulin has been seen in the natural world, and in a humble mollusc no less.

Cone snails are master hunters, carrying a cocktail of neurotoxins. Most have a lightning fast venomous dart that snags and paralyses unsuspecting fish, New Scientist reports.

But some use their stretchy mouths to slowly capture and eat fish whole (see video above). Given how much quicker a fish is, you might wonder how the snails manage to do this.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26820-cunning-snails-drug-fish-with-insulin-then-eat-them.html%23.VL2LCbaQGK0#.VL4WPkjPGNN

It now seems the fish don't put up a fight against the engulfing mouth because they have hypoglycaemic shock. Cone snails that use this technique – Conus geographusand Conus tulipa– spray a cocktail of toxins including an unusual type of insulin into the water to confuse and weaken the fish, letting them eat them whole.

Insulin is a hormone used throughout the animal kingdom to remove excess glucose from blood. But if you have too much insulin, your glucose levels drop and you become disoriented, confused and you can eventually lose consciousness and die.

The cone snails appear to subvert insulin's normal physiological role to use it as an offensive weapon.

Although insulin has been used in dozens of real, and fictional, murders nobody has seen it used as a venom in the natural world.

So when Helena Safavi-Hemami from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and her colleagues found that some cone snails produce insulin in their venom, they were taken aback. "It was very surprising to us since it had never been shown before and people have worked on animal venoms for decades," says Safavi-Hemami.

The team delved further and found genes that produce the insulin are expressed at high levels on the tip of the venom gland. Last year, Richard Lewis from the University in Queensland in Australia showed that part of the gland is used to spray venom into the water.

Safavi-Hemami's team also found that the insulin produced by the cone snails for use on fish is different from the one it uses to manage its own sugar levels. For one thing it's the smallest insulin molecule ever seen. For another, it is much more like insulin used by fish than that seen in molluscs.

When the team injected it into zebrafish, it elicited hypoglycaemic shock. When they added it to water in which the fish swam, the fish immediately became sluggish, moving around much less than normal.

The small size of the weaponised insulin molecule could explain how it works so fast, says Safavi-Hemami.

And if the weaponised insulin is unusually fast-acting or potent, she says, it could help researchers understand how small changes in insulin molecules affect their function, and potentially lead to better treatments for diabetes.

The team is now analysing the genes in the cone snail that code for the insulin to figure out whether the snails developed the weaponised insulin from scratch or evolved it from the mollusc's own insulin.

"It's believed that vertebrate insulins have evolved from ancestral invertebrate genes," says Safavi-Hemami. "Whether this is also true for the insulin we found cannot be answered yet."

Lewis says the work provides good evidence that insulin is used to attack fish.

"Although precisely how it is used for defence and predation requires confirmation with direct experimentation," he says, noting his team is currently doing that work.

Read the article HERE.

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20/01/2015: Crews probe cause of Scottish fish factory blaze

January 20, 2015, 2:08 am

≫ Next: 20/01/2015: Repairs to ancient English fish pass now complete

≪ Previous: 20/01/2015: Cunning snails drug fish with insulin then eat them

Fire investigators are probing the cause of a blaze which destroyed a Peterhead, Scotland fish factory, BBC News reports.

The fire which burned for more than 10 hours at the Northbay Pelagic site was brought under control overnight into Sunday.

Nearby flats were evacuated but no-one was believed to have been in the factory at the time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-30870780

The blaze could be seen for miles

The fire service said the investigation into the cause of the blaze was getting under way on Monday.

A rest centre was set up at Peterhead Academy for people evacuated from their homes in Errol Street and road closures were expected to remain in place for some time.

Three crews remained on scene overnight to damp down the fire before investigators assess the damage and potential cause.

Northbay Pelagic is reported to employ about 300 people in Peterhead, one of Europe's busiest fish landing ports.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Northbay Pelagic is one of the largest fish factories in Scotland and a major employer in Peterhead.

"As we start the new mackerel season the Scottish government stands ready to assist in the aftermath of this fire in any way we can.

"We are asking public agencies to work with the local authority and the business to see what support can be offered as a matter of urgency."

Earlier on Saturday, clouds of smoke could be seen billowing across the harbour area and there were reports of loud bangs from inside the building.

One eyewitness described it as looking like a "volcano" erupting.

At its peak 10 fire units and several specialist crews tackled the flames.

The building involved was formerly the Fresh Catch fish factory. The firm was taken over in a "joint venture" by new company Northbay Pelagic Ltd in 2013.

The smoke clouds were visible from Peterhead FC's Balmoor Stadium. The club were playing Stirling Albion at home on Saturday afternoon.

Read the article, and see the pictures HERE.

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20/01/2015: Repairs to ancient English fish pass now complete

January 20, 2015, 2:23 am

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Work has finished to repair an ancient fish pass that was damaged in last winter's storms, The Northern Echo reports.

The Environment Agency has carried out the work at the Roman Steps near Skinningrove, east Cleveland, which is the largest in North-East England.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11734900.Repairs_to_ancient_fish_pass_now_complete/

The work, which incorporates the historic site was completed in late December and will allow fish to migrate to the headwaters to spawn this year.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Allowing the fish to move freely up stream is crucial to find the best places to feed, shelter, spawn and grow. This fish pass will help meet Government Water Framework Directive targets to improve the quality of watercourses in the UK.

“The local area has a long history of angling and the Environment Agency is committed to creating healthy and sustainable fish populations throughout the North-East.”

The pass has cost UK£50,000 as part of a UK£350,000 scheme to repair damage resulting from last winter’s storms.

The fish pass enables the current fish populations of brown trout, sea trout, salmon and minnow to enter the upper watercourse improving the local environment.

Read the article HERE.

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Extru-Tech® company profile

January 20, 2015, 2:30 am

≫ Next: 20/01/2015: Securing the Future

≪ Previous: 20/01/2015: Repairs to ancient English fish pass now complete

Founded in 1985, Extru-Tech® has installed numerous extrusion systems worldwide designed for the production of human food, pet food, aquatic feed and animal feed products.

Extru-Tech® also maintains the reputation of supplying the extrusion industry with superior quality replacement parts.

Extru-Tech® currently produces and markets one of the industry's most complete lines of extrusion processing systems.

In addition, they offer a full line of ancillary equipment and customized equipment solutions for specialized processes.

Visit the website HERE.

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20/01/2015: Securing the Future

January 20, 2015, 3:42 am

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Aquaculture growth and role in global food production

by Albert GJ Tacon of Aquatic Farms Ltd, Kaneohe, HI, USA and Marc Metian of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco, Principality of Monaco

First published in International Aquafeed November - December 2014

Aquaculture has been the world’s most rapidly growing food sector for over a quarter of century, with total global production (includes all farmed aquatic plants and animals) increasing nine-fold from 10.2 million tonnes in 1984 to a new record high of 90.4 million tonnes in 2012 (Figure 1, FAO, 2014a).

Valued at over US$144 billion, global aquaculture production has been growing at an average annual rate of 8.1 percent per year since 1984, compared with 0.6 percent per year for total capture fisheries landings and 2.6 percent per year for terrestrial meat production over the same period (Figure 2, FAO, 2014b).

Moreover, with over 94.7 percent of total global aquaculture production being produced within developing countries (FAO, 2014b; Figure 3), aquaculture is viewed as an important weapon in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition as a much needed provider of high quality food and essential dietary nutrients (Tacon and Metian, 2013).

Notwithstanding the above, and the fact that over 70 percent of the world’s surface is covered with water, aquatic food production (whether captured or farmed) are still dwarfed by terrestrial agricultural food production systems.

Thus, whereas the total food supply of aquatic animal and plant products was estimated at 144 million tonnes in 2011, total food supply from agriculture was over 27-fold greater at 3982 million tonnes (Table 1); captured and farmed aquatic food products contributing less than 3.6 percent of total global agricultural food supply, 1.2 percent of total calorie supply, 1.5 percent of our total fat supply, and 6.7 percent of total protein supply (FAO, 2014b).

Although the current contribution of aquatic food products to global food supply may appear to be small in global terms (Table 1), this is not the case on a regional, country or primary food commodity basis, as follows:

· At a global level aquatic animal food products accounted for 16.7 percent of the total food supply of animal protein in 2011, with aquatic animal foods providing more than three billion people with almost 20 percentof their average per capita animal protein intake;

· Aquatic food products represent the major food source of animal protein supply in more than 14 countries within the Asian region, including the Maldives (73.8 percent of their animal protein supply), Cambodia (64.9 percent), Sri Lanka (57.2 percent), Bangladesh (56.0 percent), Indonesia (53.7 percent), Myanmar (41.2 percent), Philippines (40.8 percent), Malaysia (39.3 percent), Korea Rep. (38.9 percent), Japan (38.4 percent), Lao PDR (37.6 percent), Thailand (34.5 percent), Vietnam (29.8 percent), and Korea DPR (27.0 percent);

· Aquatic food products represent the major source of animal protein supply over in 17 countries within sub-Saharan Africa, including: Sierra Leone (69.7 percent), Comoros (54.4 percent), Ghana (51.2 percent), Sao Tome and Principe (50.9 percent), Gambia (49.3 percent), Equatorial Guinea (48.2 percent), Cameroon (38.5 percent), Congo DPR (38.4 percent), Senegal (43.8 percent), Cote d’Ivoire (39.9 percent), Nigeria (37.9 percent), Mozambique (35.5 percent), Benin (34.8 percent), Uganda (32.1 percent), Guinea (29.5 percent), Congo Republic (28.1 percent) and Malawi (27.0 percent);

· Over 94.7 percent of total global aquaculture production was produced within developing countries in 2012 (85.66 million tonnes in 2012), with the Asian region accounting for 91.2 percent of total global production, and China alone accounting for 53.9 million tonnes or 59.6 percent of total global aquaculture production in 2012 (Figure 2);

· Aquatic meat production from aquaculture has been the fastest growing meat producing sector since 1970, with global production increasing at an average rate of 8.4 percent per year compared with 2.6 percentper year for terrestrial livestock meat production (for the period 1970 to 2012), with farmed aquatic meat production in China representing the second most produced meat after pork in 2012 (pork at 50.0 million tonnes, farmed aquatic meat 24.7 million tonnes, and chicken meat at 13.2 million tonnes in 2012, respectively; FAO, 2014a, 2014b);

· Whereas per capita supply of aquatic meat from capture fisheries has been steadily decreasing after reaching a high of 9.0 kg in 1986, per capita aquatic meat supply from aquaculture has been increasing at an average annual rate of 6.8 percent since 1970, and global production is expected to equal capture fisheries production by 2015 (Tacon and Metian, 2013).

Rapid growth of compound feed-dependent fish and crustacean species

In contrast to aquatic plants and molluscs (43 percent of total aquaculture production in 2012; Figure 2), where production is largely based upon the absorption and utilization of dissolved nutrients and/or plankton naturally present within the culture environment (often referred to as extractive aquaculture), the production of farmed fish and crustaceans (56 percent of total aquaculture production in 2012) is dependent upon the external provision and supply of feed inputs.

Feed inputs vary depending upon the feeding habit and market value of the cultured species, with the bulk of farmed fish and crustaceans being fed industrially compounded complete feeds (ca. 70 percent of total fish and crustacean production in 2012), followed by farm-made supplementary feeds (ca. 25 percent of total production, fed mainly to lower-value herbivorous filter feeding freshwater fish species within fertilized ponds and reservoirs) and whole/frozen fresh feed items such as lower value fish species (ca. five percent of total finfish and crustacean production, fed mainly to higher-value marine carnivorous fish species).

In contrast to industrially compounded aquafeeds, the total global production of farm-made aquaculture feeds and lower value fish species as feed is still largely undocumented, and it has been estimated that global production is between 15 to 30 million tonnes and three to six million tonnes, respectively (Hasan et al., 2007; Hasan and Halwart, 2008; Tacon et al., 2011).

In terms of industrially compounded aquafeeds, it is estimated that approximately 35.7 million tonnes of farmed fish and crustaceans (39.5 percent of the total global aquaculture production) was dependent upon the use and supply of industrially compounded aquafeeds in 2012 (Figure 4), with the total production of compound aquafeed estimated at approximately 39.6 million tonnes (Figure 5), with feed production growing at an average annual rate of 10.3 percent per year (Figure 6).

The major industrially fed species, in order of species group production in 2012 (FAO, 2014a).

In addition to the above species, it is important to mention that over 11.8 million tonnes of predominantly filter-feeding finfish species (includes Silver carp, Bighead carp, Catla, Rohu, and Mrigal carp) were also produced in 2012; these species representing 26.7 percent of total finfish aquaculture production in 2012 (FAO, 2014a).

As mentioned previously, these lower value species (from a marketing perspective) are usually reared together as a polyculture (Silver carp and Bighead carp in China, and Catla, Rohu and Mrigal carp in India and Bangladesh) at low stocking densities within fertilized ponds and freshwater bodies, with little or no external feed inputs being provided other than the use of occasional supplementary feed mixtures in the case of the Indian major carps (for review see Hasan et al., 2007)

Whilst the aquaculture sector may have been successful in the past in securing dietary feed inputs (aquaculture representing less than four percent of total global compound animal feed production; estimated at ca.1,000 million tonnes in 2013), this may not be the case in the future as the sector grows and matures into a major consumer of feed ingredients.

This is particularly true for those carnivorous fish species with less flexible feeding habits. For example, despite its relatively small size compared with terrestrial animal feed production, the aquaculture sector consumed an estimated 68 percent of the total global fishmeal production and 74 percent of the total global fish oil production in 2012, with the major consumers including higher value shrimp, salmonid and marine fish species in the case of fishmeal, and salmonids and marine fish in the case of fish oil, respectively (IFFO - International Fishmeal and Fishoil Organisation, Andrew Jackson, personal communication)

Conclusion

Clearly, as in terrestrial animals, those aquatic species feeding lower on the aquatic food chain (includes most herbivorous and omnivorous fish and crustacean species) will be less restricted by ingredient selection and supply than carnivorous species; the latter often having a specific requirement for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids only found in animal feeds. However, as the dependence upon lower-cost plant-based ingredients increases, then so the risk of possible mycotoxin contamination increases.

Sadly, there is a paucity of practical information concerning the toxicity and dietary effects of long term exposure of the myriad of different mycotoxins on farmed fish and crustaceans, or concerning the potential health implications of these toxins on human health and food safety (Tacon and Metian, 2008).

It is hoped that this paper will help is raising awareness to this important issue and that increased research effort be focused on mycotoxin toxicity within the major farmed fed fish and crustacean species.

21/01/2015: The key to safer rare earth element production is... salmon sperm?

January 21, 2015, 3:49 am

≫ Next: 21/01/2015: R-Biopharm Rhône testing fish, cautions on food safety as Scotland celebrates Year of Food and Drink

≪ Previous: 20/01/2015: Securing the Future

Researchers in Japan have come up with a more environmentally friendly solution for refining and recycling rare earth elements, so we can continue having smartphones and hard drives - salmon sperm, Science Alert reports.

As crucial components of everything from smartphones and television screens to wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars, rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are becoming increasingly in demand by the world’s most massive manufacturing companies. And while they’re being used to support the burgeoning renewable energy industry, the way we extract them and refine them is anything but environmentally friendly.

http://www.sciencealert.com/salmon-sperm-could-be-the-key-to-safer-rare-earth-element-production

China is by far the biggest producer of rare earth elements. According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, their refining processes leave behind huge amounts of liquid and solid waste. To refine one tonne of rare earth elements, they need to produce around 75 cubic metres of acidic waste water and one tonne of radioactive waste residue.

“Production yields very large amounts of waste - 1.2 billion to 1.6 billion cubic metres of waste gases per year, and 9.8 million cubic meters of acidic waste water,” says the MIT terrascope group.

Not only that, but the range of metals contained by rare earth element ores, including aluminium, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc, are separated from the ores during both the refining and extracting processes, and turn up in the surrounding air, water, and soil. The ability to contaminate all three environmental mediums is of great concern, says the MIT research group, because these metals are almost impossible to destroy, and will remain and accumulate for years to come, threatening the heath of local ecosystems.

We need a better way of producing rare earth elements, because let’s face it, we don’t have anything to replace them with. So a team of Japanese researchers led by Yoshio Takahashi of Hiroshima University tried to find a more environmentally friendly solution, and stumbled onto quite possibly the last thing you’d expect - salmon sperm, or 'milt'.

The team discovered that a number of rare earth elements formed tight bonds with special molecules found on the surface of bacterial cells. These cells contain phosphate, so the team thought, you know what else contains a whole bunch of phosphate? DNA contained by sperm, and the Japanese fishing industry is producing thousands of tonnes of salmon sperm every year as waste, so… maybe?

Douglas Main explains the discovery at Newsweek:
"They found that the metals contained in neodymium magnets (including neodymium, dysprosium and trivalent iron) and several other rare earth elements bound strongly to DNA within dried and powdered salmon sperm. The metals were then recovered by adding acid to the solution and separating the various substances using a centrifuge, according to the PLOS ONE study, where the team described their work."

Of course, there are some limitations to the idea, according to rare earth element expert, Jean-Claude Bünzli, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

"The idea of relying on cheap salmon milt to absorb and separate rare earth elements from iron in scrap magnets is quite interesting and, although the proposed protocol does not suppress dissolving the magnets in strong acid, it deserves attention," he told James Urquhart at Chemistry World.

Figuring out how to scale the process way up to where it needs to be to feasibly tackle China’s rare earth element problem is going to be the next big step, Bünzli added, but said he could see the salmon sperm process proving useful in the removal of rare earth elements contained by discarded electronic circuits, mobile phones and hard disk drives, so they can be reused.

Read the article HERE.

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21/01/2015: R-Biopharm Rhône testing fish, cautions on food safety as Scotland celebrates Year of Food and Drink

January 21, 2015, 4:07 am

≫ Next: 21/01/2015: Aquaculture for healthy people, planet and profit

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As Scotland embarks on a year-long programme of events for the Year of Food and Drink, a Scottish-based company at the forefront of food testing has warned of the importance of food safety to one of the country's most vital economic sectors.

R-Biopharm Rhône, the manufacturer and Scotland's biggest exporter of diagnostic test kits, was a key food safety player in the horsemeat scandal of 2012 and has been closely involved in a number of other safety issues.

The aim of the Year of Food and Drink in 2015 - backed by the Scottish Government in partnership with Event Scotland, Visit Scotland and Scotland Food & Drink - is to spotlight, celebrate and promote Scotland's natural larder and quality produce.

Nearly 50 percent of people visiting Scotland want to try local food and two-thirds of Scotland's visitors think that quality food is an important factor when deciding where to go on holiday.

The sector employs more than 113,000 people and has a turnover in excess of UK£13 billion. Export sales have surged in recent years and sales of Scotch Whisky, in particular, have rocketed in foreign markets.

Simon Bevis, Managing Director of R-Biopharm Rhône, said: "The Year of Food and Drink is a very welcome initiative and it is incumbent on all participants to be absolutely sure that produce is of the highest quality and that its provenance is traceable and transparent.

"Food safety is vitally important and recent events have illustrated how any lapse in standards can have a disproportionate effect on a sector and wreak enormous reputational damage."

R-Biopharm Rhône earlier this year welcomed the Government's plan to set up a food crime unit - with measures including better intelligence gathering, unannounced audits, improved lab testing capacity and a more investigative approach by the food industry into its supply chain.

The company was in the front line of the UK's defences against food contamination during the horsemeat scandal two years ago, when the Food Standards Agency found beef burgers containing equine DNA, leading to tens of millions of burgers being taken off the shelves by major retailers.

The company is now spearheading investigatory testing as concerns mount about cheap fish being substituted for expensive fish without the consumer knowing.

Carol Donnelly, Marketing Manager at R-Biopharm Rhône, said: "It is of the utmost importance that consumers in the UK can have confidence in the provenance of their food and be assured that the product is actually what it is labelled as."

R-Biopharm Rhône, which is based in the West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow, now employs 50 people, including 15 research and development scientists and is actively recruiting more production staff.

Visit the website HERE.
(IAF1501)

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21/01/2015: Aquaculture for healthy people, planet and profit

January 21, 2015, 5:05 am

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The theme for World Aquaculture 2015 in Jeju is ‘Aquaculture for Healthy People, Planet and Profit’ and is very relevant for an area which has a strong aquaculture industry, a population which has a high seafood consumption and is home to a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Plenary speakers for the event have been chosen specifically to cover the theme in their presentations.

Dr Kang-sen Mai (麦康森), Professor of aquaculture nutrition, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China hardly needs an introduction. He currently focuses on fish species native to China and as a member of theChinese Academy of Engineering plays a major role in shaping the country’s aquaculture policy. Additionally he is Vice chairman of the China Society of Fisheries and committee member of International Fish Nutrition and Feeding.

Kang-sen’s current research topics are mainly on the nutritional physiology and nutrient quantitative requirements of the representative mariculture species in China, such as turbot, yellow croaker, sea-bass, and groupers. He is particularly interested in the comparative studies on the protein metabolism among carnivorous, omnivorous and herbivorous fish, and the replacement of fishmeal by alternative protein sources in their feeds.

He has produced more than 200 publications and 30 authorized national invention patents in aquaculture nutrition and feeds and will also be chairing the ‘Aquaculture in China’ session at WA2015.

Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted is Senior Nutrition Adviser at WorldFish Centre in Bangladesh and has a background with the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her broad area of research and expertise is food-based strategies for improved food and nutrition security in low-income countries. She has carried out work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, West Bengal and Nepal, together with government institutions, universities and NGOs, focusing on the potential of nutrient-dense small fish in combating and preventing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, in particular, vitamin A, iron, zinc and calcium, especially in women and children. At the WorldFish Centre, she has been developing and implementing the CGIAR Mega Program 4: Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health.

The final plenary speaker will be the President of Korea’s National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), whose anticipated appointment will be in February. The NFRDI headquartered in Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, northern Busan, is a scientific body operated by the South Korean government, under the authority of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It was first established in 1921 and subsidiary institutes operate in each of the major Korean fisheries/aquaculture.

Interestingly the first stop on the Industrial Tour (click HERE) on 31 May will be the Future Aquaculture Research Centre which highlights the importance that is placed on the aquaculture industry in Korea.

For delegates travelling to Jeju for the first time some of the overseas steering committee members have produced a ‘Getting To Jeju’ blog which can be seen HEREand should be of some help.

Visit theWorld Aquaculture site HERE.
(IAF1501)

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