Volume 15, Issue 1 January/February 2012 GLOBAL

GOAL 2011 REVIEW GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE Volume 15, Issue 1 January/February 2012 january/february 2012 the New Year’s Resolution #1... global aquaculture The Global Magazine for Farmed Seafood January/February 2009 DEPARTMENTS From The President From The Editor GOAL 2011 Review GAA Activities Fishy Business Industry News Advocate Advertisers 28 From The Shrimp Book Shrimp Pond Soil And Water Quality Management Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D.; Christopher A. Boyd, Ph.D.; Suwanit Chainark, Ph.D. 32 Shrimp Genetic Improvement In Ecuador – Localized Mass Selection, New Family Breeding Format João L. Rocha, Ph.D.; Rafael Verduga; Holger Martinez; Hugo Mario Armijos; Pedro Conforme 36 New Aquaculture Drugs Under FDA Review – Products Include Antibiotics, Oxidizing Agents, Sedative James D. Bowker, Mark P. Gaikowski 2 3 5 24 26 82 88 On the cover: New underwater camera technology is assisting salmon farmers in monitoring feeding and overall fish health at a Marine Harvest facility in Chile. 40 Early Mortality Syndrome Affects Shrimp In Asia Donald V. Lightner, Ph.D.; R.M. Redman; C. R. Pantoja, Ph.D.; B. L. Noble; Loc Tran 42 Probiotics, Prebiotics In Aquatic Animals Dr. Daniel L. Merrifield 44 Sustainable Aquaculture Practices Groundwater Quality In Aquaculture Meet Extraordinary EXPERIENCE THE PFS DIFFERENCE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE Over twenty years of cold chain experience working with world renowned seafood and frozen food companies. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY PFS has established a competitive advantage through the aggressive use of engineering and technology. We employ the most sophisticated hardware and software systems; constantly improving our service offerings to you. FIERCE AFFECTION FOR OUR CUSTOMERS Relentless passion to deliver service beyond your expectations ensuring long-lasting relationships and customer loyalty. BUILDING DESIGN Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D. 46 Blue Catfish Outproduce Channel Catfish Under Low-D.O. Conditions Les Torrans, Ph.D. 48 The Bottom Line PPI: New Metric For Measuring Productivity, Predicting Profitability Thomas R. Zeigler, Ph.D.; Scott Snyder, Ph.D. We design state-of-the-art temperature controlled warehouses allowing us to provide flexible customer solutions. 52 ASAIM Addresses Challenges To Growth Of Marine Fish Farming In Southeast Asia GLOBAL REACH 56 Aquaculture Of Amazon Fish In Latin America PFS is recognized as the fourth largest temperature controlled warehouse company in the world with expansion in North America and Asia. END TO END LOGISTICS Our expertise and systems deliver the quickest, most accurate, and cost-effective fulfillment and delivery experience for every customer. Providing peace-of-mind through dependable service on time, every time... We Get It Done! TM For more information about PFS, please contact: Daniel DiDonato - VP Sales One Main Street, 3rd Floor Chatham, New Jersey 07928 ddidonato@preferredfreezer.com Phone: 973-820-4070 www.PreferredFreezer.com Page 40 New Shrimp Syndrome Hits Asia Early mortality syndrome appears within 30 days of stocking and causes lethargy, soft shells and high mortaility. The cause for EMS is still under investigation. Lukas Manomaitis João Lorena Campos, M.S.; Eduardo Ono, M.S.; Fernando Kubitza, Ph.D. 60 Price Consciousness Affects Seafood Purchase Intentions Dr. Håvard Hansen 64 Food Safety And Technology By-Product Utilization For Increased Profitability Part II: Gelatin George J. Flick, Jr., Ph.D. 66 U.S. Seafood Markets Shrimp Imports From Thailand Decline Sharply, Market Outlook Mixed For 2012 Whole Salmon Steady, Fillets Flow From Chile Whole Tilapia Imports Flat; Fresh, Frozen Fillets Decline Channel Catfish Imports Jump, Pangasius Soars Paul Brown, Jr.; Janice Brown; Angel Rubio Page 70 Aquaponics Integrate Agriculture, Aquaculture The economic and environmental benefits of combining aquaculture with saline agriculture could overcome the higher initial investment costs for land operations. 74 Microalgae Provide Food, Feed, Fuel – New Uses Await Keith Filer, Ph.D., M.S. 76 Polychaete-Assisted Sand Filters Show Potential In Treating Effluents Paul J. Palmer 78 Study Tests Disinfectant Alternatives To Formalin 70 Integrated Marine Aquaculture-Agriculture: Sea Farming Out Of The Sea Edoardo Pantanella, M.S. Lars-Flemming Pedersen, Niels Henrik Henriksen 80 Protein Isolates Recovered From Processing Could Yield Nutraceutical Seafood Products Jacek Jaczynski, Ph.D. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 1 from the president GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ALLIANCE The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international non-profit, non-governmental association whose mission is to further envi ronmentally responsible aquaculture to meet world food needs. Our members are producers, processors, marketers and retailers of seafood products worldwide. All aquaculturists in all sectors are welcome in the organization. OFFICERS George Chamberlain, President Bill Herzig, Vice President Ole Norgaard, Secretary Lee Bloom, Treasurer Jim Heerin, Assistant Treasurer Wally Stevens, Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bert Bachmann Lee Bloom Rittirong Boonmechote George Chamberlain Shah Faiez Jeff Fort John Galiher Jim Heerin Bill Herzig Ray Jones Alex Ko Jordan Mazzetta Rafael Bru Sergio Nates Ole Norgaard John Peppel John Schramm Iain Shone Wally Stevens EDITOR DARRYL JORY editorgaadvocate@aol.com PRODUCTION STAFF MAgazine manager JANET VOGEL janetv@gaalliance.org ASSISTANT EDITOR DAVID WOLFE davidw@gaalliance.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER LORRAINE JENNEMANN lorrainej@gaalliance.org HOME OFFICE 5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA Telephone: +1-314-293-5500 FAX: +1-314-293-5525 E-mail: homeoffice@gaalliance.org Website: http://www.gaalliance.org All contents copyright © 2012 Global Aquaculture Alliance. Global Aquaculture Advocate is printed in the USA. ISSN 1540-8906 2 January/February 2012 Milestones Propel GAA Into 15th Year The history of families, organizations, countries and even the human race is punctuated by milestones – critical events which mark important turning points. Think of how dramatically the world changed after Columbus’ discovery of the Americas, George W. the industrial revolution which harnessed the power Chamberlain, Ph.D. of machines, Edison’s invention of the electric light President and the Wright brothers’ first motorized flight! Global Aquaculture Alliance As we enter the 15th year of the Global Aquageorgec@gaalliance.org culture Alliance, we look back on some of the key milestones in its development. After GAA’s formation in 1997, Codes of Conduct for Responsible Shrimp Farming was published in 1999. The annual leadership meeting now known as Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership or GOAL was introduced in 2001. The Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards for shrimp farms were initiated in 2002, the first farm was certified in 2003, and BAP products were adopted by Wal-Mart and Darden Restaurants in 2005. These events launched a BAP program that grew incrementally over the next six years to include a full range of warmwater aquaculture species: shrimp, tilapia, catfish and Pangasius. In 2008, GAA began to strengthen the BAP program by moving to ISO-certified inspection bodies, benchmarking to the Global Food Safety Initiative and shifting control of the standards development process to the Standards Oversight Committee (SOC), a balanced group whose members represent non-governmental organizations, academics and the aquaculture industry. In 2009, the SOC approved Dr. John Forster as chairman of the Salmon Farm Technical Committee and then approved a diverse group of professionals to serve under him. The technical committee was tasked with developing consensus standards, despite numerous issues that had stymied other well-intended groups. After more than two years of deliberations, meetings and preliminary drafts, Forster’s committee presented salmon farm standards for public comment in early 2011. By mid-2011, the draft was revised to reflect public comments, and the final version was approved by the SOC and adopted by the board of GAA. Successful completion of BAP salmon standards was a key milestone that set the stage for GOAL 2011, a November 6-9 meeting in Santiago, Chile, that was co-hosted with SalmonChile and the Chilean Undersecretariat for Fisheries and strongly supported by retail and foodservice buyers. As reported in this issue of the Advocate, GOAL 2011 surpassed expectations in terms of information shared, networks broadened and new initiatives in disease management and investment analysis. GOAL also confirmed the trend of growing seafood demand from Asia. More importantly, it ushered in a warm new relationship with the Chilean aquaculture sector and the salmon-farming industry in general, which is leading to ever-growing collaboration. GOAL 2011 was quickly followed by the exciting news of Mainstream Canada achieving the distinction of being the first salmon farm to be BAP certified. In the coming weeks, other salmon farms and processing plants are expected to join the ranks of BAP facilities. This will help satisfy the growing market demand for BAP-certified seafood at retail and foodservice outlets around the world. GAA is proud to enter its 15th year of service to the aquaculture industry. The milestones that have shaped our development could not have been achieved without your support. Now, as we face the rising challenge of increasing seafood demand, let us work together toward our ultimate milestone of feeding the world through responsible aquaculture. Sincerely, George W. Chamberlain global aquaculture advocate from the editor Efficiency Key For Sustainability, Profitability FOUNDING MEMBERS As we start another year, the Global Aquaculture Alliance is determined to continue to improve the Advocate’s coverage of the dynamic farmed seafood Darryl E. Jory, Ph.D. industry. With the continued support of our advertisEditor, Development Manager ers, subscribers and editorial contributors, we shall Global Aquaculture Advocate meet this challenge and look forward with optimism editorgaadvocate@aol.com to another challenging year. I would like to also reaffirm a message in my last column: The world needs much more seafood, and we can only produce it through responsible, sustainable aquaculture. We certainly have a clear goal, but do we have clear strategies to achieve this objective? Changing global economic conditions continue to present us with many challenges – some old, some new – including price volatility, rising production costs, competition and protectionism. Such issues as seafood safety, traceability and certification combine with various environmental and social concerns. We also face the need to improve biosecurity, domestication, animal welfare and production efficiency. Aquaculture is trending toward integration, diversification and consolidation. Are new technology packages attractive enough to bring additional investors to our industry? At GAA’s recent GOAL 2011 conference in Santiago, Chile, GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens discussed in his welcoming remarks the five major challenges between us and our objective of responsibly doubling production in a decade: disease management, feed supply, environmental impact, funding and market acceptance. These challenges were resolvedly addressed by the conference speakers, and I believe all participants went away with new insight that can lead to better short- and long-term business strategies. Despite its varied issues, aquaculture remains the fastest-growing food-producing sector globally. Responsibility, sustainability and profitability are fundamental in meeting industry challenges, because sustainable and profitable companies must be environmentally and socially responsible, efficient to maintain their productivity and utility, and commercially competitive. Increased efficiency is key for industry sustainability and profitability, and there are incredible advances occurring in many areas: genetic improvement and seedstock production, nutrition and aquafeeds, health management, production systems, product quality and safety, marketing and various others. Without long-term profitability, our industry cannot be sustained, and if our industry is not sustainable, it cannot be profitable. We hope you continue to find the Global Aquaculture Advocate content informative and interesting. As always, we encourage your suggestions for topics you would like us to cover, as well as your contributions of short (1,000 words) articles that are aligned with our aquaculture-focused content. Please contact me at your convenience for details on article guidelines. Your critical comments have significantly improved our magazine from its inception, and I urge you to continue sending us your comments on how we can best represent and serve our industry. Sincerely, Darryl E. Jory Agribrands International Inc. Agromarina de Panama, S.A. Alicorp S.A. – Nicovita Aqualma – Unima Group Aquatec/Camanor Asociación Nacional de Acuicultores de Colombia Asociación Nacional de Acuicultores de Honduras Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Camarão Bangladesh Chapter – Global Aquaculture Alliance Belize Aquaculture, Ltd. Delta Blue Aquaculture Bluepoints Co., Inc. Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura Camaronera de Cocle, S.A. Cargill Animal Nutrition Continental Grain Co. C.P. Aquaculture Business Group Darden Restaurants Deli Group, Ecuador Deli Group, Honduras Diamante del Mar S.A. Eastern Fish Co. El Rosario, S.A. Empacadora Nacional, C.A. Empress International, Ltd. Expack Seafood, Inc. Expalsa – Exportadora de Almientos S.A. FCE Agricultural Research and Management, Inc. Fishery Products International India Chapter – Global Aquaculture Alliance Indian Ocean Aquaculture Group INVE Aquaculture, N.V. King & Prince Seafood Corp. Long John Silver’s, Inc. Lu-Mar Lobster & Shrimp Co. Lyons Seafoods Ltd. Maritech S.A. de C.V. Meridian Aquatic Technology Systems, LLC Monsanto Morrison International, S.A. National Food Institute National Prawn Co. Ocean Garden Products, Inc. Overseas Seafood Operations, SAM Preferred Freezer Services Productora Semillal, S.A. Promarisco, S.A. Red Chamber Co. Rich-SeaPak Corp. Sahlman Seafoods of Nicaragua, S.A. Sanders Brine Shrimp Co., L.C. Sea Farms Group Seprofin Mexico Shrimp News International Sociedad Nacional de Galapagos Standard Seafood de Venezuela C.A. Super Shrimp Group Tampa Maid Foods, Inc. U.S. Foodservice Zeigler Brothers, Inc. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 3 GOAL 2011 Defines Demand, Addresses Challenges 4 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Capture 180 160 Total 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 2030 0 2026 An underlying premise of GOAL 2011 was that seafood demand is increasing. James Anderson, leader of the World Bank’s Global Program on Fisheries and Aquaculture, discussed the basis of this premise. He said the World Bank re-engaged in fisheries in 2005 and in 2011 expanded its commitment to include aquaculture in its mission to create sustainable wealth and reduce poverty. A World Bank analysis indicated that open-access capture fisheries lose an estimated U.S. $50 billion annually due to poor governance. Rights-based systems are a better approach, because they generate higher-quality fish at lower cost. This means more sustainable and profitable fisheries, but not necessarily more fish. The 200 2022 Fish To 2030 Projects Seafood Demand 220 2018 ASSOCIATION MEMBERS American Feed Industry Association APCC-All China Federation of Industry and Commerce Aquatic Production Chamber of Commerce Associação Brasileira de Criadoresde Camarão Australian Prawn Farmers Association Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Association Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Inc. Indiana Soybean Alliance International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation Malaysian Shrimp Industry Association National Fisheries Institute National Renderers Association Oceanic Institute Prince Edward Island Seafood Processors Association SalmonChile Salmon of the Americas Seafood Importers and Processors Alliance U.S. Soybean Export Council World Aquaculture Society Universidad Austral de Chile World Renderers Organization 2014 SUSTAINING MEMBERS Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Alltech Aqua Star Aquatec Industrial Pecuaria Ltd. Blue Ridge Aquaculture Camanchaca Contessa Food Products, Inc. Cooke Aquaculture Inc. Cumbrian Seafoods Ltd. DevCorp International Diversified Business Communications DSM Nutritional Products Fega Marikultura P.T. Findus Group Fortune Fish Co. H & N Foods International, Inc. Harbor Seafood, Inc. Harvest Select Inland Seafood International Marketing Specialists Ipswich Shellfish Co., Inc. Maritime Products International Mirasco Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon North Coast Seafood North Star Ice Equipment Co. Novozymes Orca Bay Seafoods Pacific Supreme Co. PanaPesca USA Corp. PFS Logistics ProFish International Santa Monica Seafood Sealord Group Ltd. Seattle Fish Co. Seattle Fish Co. of N.M. Slade Gorton & Co., Inc. Solae, LLC SouthFresh Aquaculture Starfish Foods Stavis Seafoods, Inc. The Fishin’ Company Trident Seafoods United Seafood Enterprises, L.P. Western Edge Inc. 2010 Urner Barry Publications, Inc. Zeigler Bros., Inc. 2006 ABC Research Corp. AIS Aqua Foods, Inc. Alfesca H.F. Al Fulk National Co., Ltd. Alicorp S.A. – Nicovita Ammon International Aqua Bounty Technologies Blue Archipelago Capitol Risk Concepts, Ltd. Cargill Chang International Inc. Chicken of the Sea/ Empress International Darden Restaurants Delta Blue Aquaculture Eastern Fish Co. Fenway Partners LLC Grobest USA Inc. High Liner Foods/FPI Imaex Trading Co. Integrated Aquaculture International INVE BV King & Prince Seafood Corp. Lyons Seafoods Ltd. Maloney Seafood Corp. Mazzetta Co., LLC Morey’s Seafood International National Fish and Seafood, Inc. Novus International Pescanova USA Preferred Freezer Services QVD Red Chamber Co. Rich Product Corp. Sahlman Seafoods of Nicaragua, S.A. Sea Port Products Corp. Seafood Exchange of Florida Seafood Solutions Seajoy Thai Union Group Trace Register Tropical Aquaculture Products, Inc. 2002 GOVERNING MEMBERS The recent GOAL 2011 conference in Santiago, Chile, confirmed the pressing need for aquaculture to increase seafood production and identified key challenges such expansion will face. “How can we, as an industry, work together to responsibly increase aquaculture production, despite rising population and diminishing resources?” Global Aquaculture Alliance Executive Director Wally Stevens asked. “GOAL 2011 was designed to help us begin establishing strategies that will carry aquaculture forward by embracing the opportunities and proactively answering the challenges that await.” The Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership (GOAL) event was organized by the Global Aquaculture Alliance with assistance from co-hosts the Undersecretariat for Fisheries of Chile and SalmonChile. Over 350 seafood producers, marketers and service providers attended to discuss key aquaculture production and market trends for a future with much higher seafood demand. For aquaculture to achieve the needed growth, Camanchaca CEO and keynote speaker Ricardo Garcia said, it must address risks related to finances, animal health and the environment, feed ingredients, markets and other factors. Details of Garcia’s presentation will appear in future articles in this magazine. Anderson stressed that results from the newly completed Fish to 2030 model are preliminary, but indicated that aquaculture will grow 75 to 85% from 2010 to 2030. By 2030, aquaculture is projected to supply around 60% of the fish for human consumption, as compared to 50% in 2010 (Figure 1). The model forecasts that Southeast Asia, China, South Asia, Latin America and North America will experience more than 20% growth in seafood production. Less than 20% growth is expected in the other regions. Production increases of more than 50% are expected for freshwater and diadromous fish, salmon and shrimp, while increases of less than 20% are expected for all other species groups. According to the model, consumption will rise more than 20% in China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Africa, and less in the other defined areas. After accounting for inflation, price increases are likely for fishmeal and fish oil. Marginal or no real price increases are expected for shrimp or species dominated by wild-caught fish, such as tuna, lobster, crabs, pelagics and demersals. Real price declines are likely for freshwater fish and salmon. 1998 Feeding the World Through Responsible Aquaculture St. Louis, Missouri, USA – www.gaalliance.org – +1-314-293-5500 Preliminary Forecasts 1994 Global Aquaculture Alliance 1990 Varied presentations at GOAL 2011 addressed the ongoing growth of the aquaculture industry forecasted by a World Bank model. 1986 Annual dues start at U.S. $150 and include a subscription to the Global Aquaculture Advocate magazine, GAA e-newsletters, event discounts and other benefits. Visit www.gaalliance.org or contact the GAA office for details. 1982 Access science-based information on efficient aquaculture management. Connect with other responsible companies and reach your social responsibility goals. Improve sales by adopting GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices certification for aquaculture facilities. 1978 Aquaculture is the future of the world’s seafood supply. Be part of it by joining the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for farmed seafood. 1974 global aquaculture 1970 ® bank recognizes aquaculture will dominate future fish supplies. To quantify future seafood demand, Anderson presented preliminary results from the newly completed Fish to 2030 project. This is a simulation model developed in cooperation with the International Food Policy Research Institute, University of Arkansas and Food and Agriculture Organization using IFPRI’s global IMPACT model. It considers eight regions: China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Other East Asia, Latin America, North America, Europe and Sub-Sahara Africa. At the country level, the model maintains a balance among supply, demand and trade. Production systems are classified into 15 levels on the supply side. Demand is defined in terms of eight commodity seafood groups: shrimp, other crustaceans, mollusks, salmon and trout, tuna, freshwater fish, demersals, pelagics and other marine fish. The model also considers fishmeal production and its linkage to feed demand from protein-intensive aquaculture. Production (mmt) Join the world’s leading aquaculture organization goal 2011 review Figure 1. Projected global seafood production. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 5 goal 2011 review Thank You To Our GOAL 2011 Sponsors PLATINUM S P O N S O R S November 6-9, 20ll Santiago, Chile ® GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS R global aquaculture ® 6 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Goal Presentations, Videos Available At www.gaalliance.org/ GOAL2011NEW/ global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 7 goal 2011 review 0.4 0.2 0 China 2005 Thailand Vietnam Indonesia India Bangladesh 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 80 60 40 20 0 Ecuador 2005 Mexico Brazil 2006 2007 2008 Colombia Honduras Nicaragua 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Sources: FAO, 2005-2009; GOAL Survey, 2010-2013. China data include marine and freshwater production of L. vannamei. Sources: FAO, 2005-2009; GOAL Survey, 2010-2013. Figure 1. Production of farm-raised shrimp in major farming nations in Asia. Figure 2. Production of farm-raised shrimp in major farming nations in Latin America. 8 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Pangasius Pangasius production is the geographically most concentrated of the major species covered by the GAA survey, as much of it occurs around the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. However, production is growing in other Asian countries not well covered by the survey. Pangasius production in Vietnam seemed to reach a temporary plateau at around 1 mmt after a period of impressive growth 8 3,500 7 3,000 6 2,500 5 2,000 4 1,500 3 1,000 2 500 1 0 0 2009 2010E 2011E 2012E 0.6 100 4,000 2008 0.8 from 2000 to 2008. The Vietnamese Pangasius production for 2010 to 2011 shown in Figure 2, which reflects an average of our sources, was expected to decline by 9.0% to 1.05 mmt. In 2012, it is forecasted to grow by 10.5% to 1.16 mmt. 2007 1.0 180 160 140 120 As with shrimp, the pace of production growth for tilapia and other species has slowed. 2006 1.2 200 Tilapia production is important because it represents around 45% of the total production volume for the surveyed species. It is the most geographically diversified species in terms of producer countries, so global production is less susceptible to diseases or other shocks that tend to be geographically concentrated. As shown in Figure 1, tilapia production grew rapidly until 2009, when volumes reached 3.14 mmt. Since then, growth has been much more modest. The period of high growth was accompanied by a substantial decline in real, inflation-adjusted prices. The global market for tilapia, as for most other aquaculture species, is competitive, implying that prices over time tend to follow the development of production costs. Hence, the price decline observed was probably associated with a similar drop in production costs driven by productivity growth. From 2007, real prices inched upwards. This is a symptom of demand growth outpacing the sector’s ability to increase supply without increasing production costs. It may also be a symptom of inability to innovate at a sufficient rate on the production side. From 2010 to 2011, global tilapia production is estimated to increase around 4% to 3.23 mmt. In 2012, production is forecasted to increase by 3% to 3.34 mmt. 2004 2005 1.4 The GOAL survey also collects information on trends in size categories and product forms. One of the most notable results Tilapia 2003 1.6 Product Trends The Global Aquaculture Alliance has monitored global aquaculture production of major internationally traded finfish species since 2006. This period has seen a substantial growth in production for those species. Since 2008, however, the pace of production growth has slowed. Import Price (U.S./kg) Shrimp Production (mmt) The Global Aquaculture Alliance conducts every year a survey of production trends in shrimp farming in preparation for its annual GOAL conference. The survey elicits information from shrimp producers and industry observers around the world on present and projected production volumes for major farming nations as well as perceptions on the major issues and challenges facing the industry. The 2011 survey polled 28 respondents from Asia/Australia and 15 respondents from North and Latin America. Figure 1 summarizes the production estimates for the major producing Ragnar Tveterås, Ph.D. University of Stavanger Stavanger, Norway 2002 James L. Anderson, Ph.D. World Bank Washington, D.C., USA PRODUCTION: Global Fish Review 1999 2000 2001 Diego Valderrama, Ph.D. Food and Resource Economics Department University of Florida Gainesville, Florida, USA Shrimp Production (1,000 mt) Although growth in shrimp production slowed in 2010-2011, it should increase signifiicantly into 2012 and2013 Shrimp production increased substantially in these countries during 2005-2009, with average annual growth rates exceeding 7%. However, production was expected to decline in 2010 and 2011 due to the combined effects of diseases and weather-related factors such as floods. These problems seemed to be more acute in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. For example, total production in China was estimated to have declined by 7.5% in 2010 relative to 2009, with a similar percentage decline expected in 2011. Nevertheless, Asian respondents felt confident most of these problems could be overcome, and production should increase significantly by 2012 and 2013. Figure 2 presents estimates for the major producing nations in Latin America. The 2010-2011 industry estimates for Ecuador and Mexico are significantly lower than the FAO statistics, which seems to indicate disagreement about actual production levels in these countries. FAO periodically revises its statistics based on new information provided by national governments. Survey respondents from Latin America also reported significant production increases for 2012 and 2013. According to FAO, global production of farm-raised shrimp reached 3.5 mmt in 2009. The GOAL survey estimated that production decreased by 3.0% in 2010 to 3.39 mmt and was expected to decline another 3.0% in 2011. As explained before, diseases and floods in Asia were the major factors driving these declines in world production. Nevertheless, production is expected to rebound strongly to 3.8 mmt in 2012 and 4.0 mmt in 2013. The bulk of production – nearly 85% – will continue to come from Asian countries. 1998 Production Trends The impact of diseases was identified by the survey respondents as the most important challenge faced by the industry. Feed costs and international market prices were ranked as the second and third most important issues, respectively. These perceptions have changed remarkably over the last five years, particularly in Asia. In the 2007 survey, Asian respondents identified feed costs, international market prices and trade barriers as the most important issues. Four years later, disease issues have moved to the forefront. Regarding the impacts of global economic conditions on the shrimp market, respondents from Asia tended to have a more positive outlook than Latin American respondents. 1997 nations in Asia. The data through 2009 correspond to official United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics, while data for 2010 through 2013 are averages of the figures provided by the survey participants. Disease Impacts Production (1,000 mt) PRODUCTION: Global Shrimp Review has been the apparent decline in cooked and breaded product forms relative to green and peeled shrimp in Asian countries over the last five years. Cooked and breaded shrimp accounted for 40% of production in the 2007 survey but only 30% in the current survey. These changes seem to reflect the growing importance of the domestic Chinese market, which may have a preference for green and peeled shrimp over the processed forms. In fact, cooked and breaded shrimp accounted for 49% of Chinese production in the 2007 survey, but fell to 33% by 2011. Production in Latin America continues to be oriented towards green (head-on and headless) shrimp. Nevertheless, the 2011 survey revealed relative increases in the production of peeled shrimp and green head-on shrimp at the expense of headless green product, which may reflect increased shipments to European and Asian markets. Figure 1. Global production of tilapia and inflation-adjusted U.S. import prices. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 9 Figure 2. Vietnamese production of Pangasius and inflationadjusted export prices. Global Picture Global production of the surveyed species increased rapidly from 2005 to 2008 – from around 5 mmt to around 7 mmt. But thereafter, production has been largely stagnant. From 2010 to 2011, production of the surveyed species was PRODUCTION: Global Salmon Review Ragnar Nysltoyl Kontali Analyse A.S. Kristiansund, Norway Following two years of decline in the global harvest of farmed salmon and trout, growth returned in 2011, with global volumes expected to end some 10% above 2010 levels. 2011 was also expected to be the first year that combined volumes of oceanfarmed salmonid species surpassed 2 million mt round weight. Prices Up, Prices Down The Chilean “comeback” with Atlantic salmon was the major contributor to this growth, but Norway also added volume during the second half of the year. The first and second halves of 2011 told different stories, from a salmon perspective. From the first months of the year, when high salmon prices broke new records, sharp declines in prices really turned things around – with price levels dropping down to or even below break-even during some weeks of autumn. This reflected the development seen on the supply side, where the first quarter of 2011 ended with a volume reduction of 1% in the fifth consecutive quarter with declining supply of Atlantic salmon. But then, in only a short period, this shifted to a 20% volume increase during the third quarter. In combination with reduced marketing activity, campaigns and program sales, this naturally also reduced consumers’ demand for salmon. Nevertheless, the volume growth during the third quarter was impressive: 70,000 additional tons in three months, which corresponded to some 2.5 million extra salmon meals every day. The volumes have since been absorbed by an interesting mix of markets. The European Union took a third of the global growth, still representing “only” 13% more than in the third quarter of 2010. The United States and Russia have seen market volume grow 23 and 31%, respectively, while Brazil and the rest of Latin America topped the rankings with 80 and 60% growth, respectively. 10 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate The salmon industry is not only Atlantic salmon, especially for the Chilean industry, where the majority of salmonids harvested in 2011 will be trout and Coho. The prices for these species have remained higher and not seen the same decline as for Atlantic salmon – a development that is partly the result of strong Japanese demand and the need for increasing imports of seafood – following the destruction and disruption caused by the March tsunami. 3 1,000 800 2 600 400 1 2000 0 Import Price (euros/kg) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2007 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 1999 2000 2001 1998 0 1997 200 4 1,200 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 400 The financial crisis in 2008 triggered stagnation and recession in many important markets. However, important determinants also occurred on the supply side. Aquaculture relies heavily on innovations related to feed and feed ingredients, diseases, environmental externalities, etc. Innovations are necessary to increase productivity and reduce impacts on the environment and other user interests. Many of the innovations aquaculture needs rely on investments in research and development. One may ask if private and public sectors invest enough in R & D to sustain the innovations and thus the growth the global aquaculture sector is expected to deliver. 1,400 2007 600 Demand Factors 5 1,600 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 800 1,800 1999 2000 2001 1,000 6 2,000 1998 1,200 expected to increase by 2.3% to 7.1 mmt. For 2012, production is forecasted to increase by 6.0% to 7.6 mmt. In the years before the financial crisis in 2008, typical annual growth rates were well above 10.0%. 1997 1,400 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Production (1,000 mt) 1,600 Import Price (U.S./kg) Production (1,000 mt) goal 2011 review 0 Figure 1. Production of Atlantic salmon and real European Union import prices. have always contributed to bringing the industry forward in their own peculiar ways. The changes may be tough, and further industry consolidation may result. Yet periodic oversupply of salmon, with cheap salmon in abundance, has broadened the platform of users and buyers – and thus been the basis for future growth and market building. During 2012, it appears there will be a lot of good market building. And although the industry’s earnings are heading toward a “bumpy road” for the next year or so, the long-term prospects for the industry are still bright as ever. Near-Term Supply Both the European and American salmon producers saw growth in 2011 production, easily illustrated by increased feed sales. In Europe, the YTD sales by the end of September were up 11%, reflecting an estimated live salmon and trout stock nearly 90,000 tons higher than that of last year. The corresponding growth in the Americas was nearly 30%, driven by strong Chilean growth and more stable North American development. There are definitively more fish in the water, setting the stage for growth in supply to come. From 2009 to 2011, the smolt release of Atlantic salmon increased by more than 50 million, while the corresponding figure in the Americas was more than 60 million. However, this trend will likely change into 2012. The global growth of Atlantic salmon production is projected at 13 to 14% for next year, but with a much more marginal growth of trout and Coho. Again, Chile and Norway will drive this supply growth, with a slight increase from the Faroe Islands and a stable to marginally declining trend for the United Kingdom, North America and other, smaller salmon-producing regions. The additional tonnage next year will without doubt pressure prices down to levels where they may not cover costs for a time. One can question the responsibility of such growth, but cyclical fluctuations have always been a characteristic of the industry. Changes Coming A world-class company has emerged in Chile Ph: (56 2) 782 5400 / www.blumar.com We may be seeing the signs of a market crisis, but such crises !"#$%&'()*+,&-./#011&&&2 global aquaculture advocate January/February 23425422&&&26733 2012 11 goal 2011 review CHALLENGE: Health Management Collaboration Key For Sustainability ISA spread, SalmonChile quickly took drastic measures. Some had results and others did not. A number of the measures from SalmonChile’s proposed health program, the so-called 44 Voluntary Sanitary Measures, were incorporated into regulations. The health policy involved public-private cooperation in modifying farming practices. Measures included the establishment of fallow periods, expanded disinfection measures and the implementation of “all in, all out” production within sanitary management areas called “barrios.” The quality of salmon smolts, including their sanitary conditions, improved. Adolfo Alvial moderated the GOAL panel on health management, which presented solutions to disease problems in Chile that could potentially be applied elsewhere. Adolfo Alvial Adolfo Alvial Consultancies Puerto Varas, Chile The health management sessions at GOAL 2011 shared lessons learned from the ways Chile’s salmon-farming industry responded to an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) that may help prevent similar events in other industries. Speakers agreed that ongoing coordination among producers, scientists, governments and other stakeholders will yield the most effective solutions. ISA Crisis At the GOAL event in Santiago, Chile, an expert panel indicated Chile’s industry expansion previous to the 2007 outbreak was not accompanied by suitable studies, monitoring and regulations to avoid biological risks. The concentration of farms in some areas led to the rapid spread of the disease. However, coordination among public and private agencies quickly established contingency and control plans, monitoring and investigation of the pathogen to mitigate the effects of the virus. Long-term efforts by authorities, industry and banks allowed companies to remain viable, and new regulations have formed the basis for a revived industry. Local Solutions Fred Kibenge, chairman of pathology and microbiology at the University of Prince Edward’s Atlantic Veterinary College, spoke on the dissemination of the ISA virus in Chilean aquaculture. Previous outbreaks have occurred elsewhere, he said. Regarding the situation in Chile, experts believe the virus was present before the outbreak, and initial mortalities were not recognized as the effect of ISA. Kibenge said local solutions and regulations, as well as more research focused on biological systems, are essential. The seafood industry – incorporating the entire value chain including marine environments – should be willing to invest in more research that would allow the identification of any pathogenic agents present. Health Policies Rolando Ibarra of Intesal de SalmonChile S.A. said that as 12 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Research Key Jose Miguel Burgos, head of the Aquacualture Department of the Undersecretariat for Fisheries of Chile emphasized the need to concentrate on crucial elements during disease crises. During the ISA virus crisis, there was a series of measures, but it was necessary to determine what was most important. Scientific research was key, for in Chile, essential facts such as how long the virus remained viable in water were not initially known. This is why research on epidemiology, diseases and the environment must continue, for it is the base for informed decision making. Burgos said personnel must be adequately prepared to detect new diseases as well as deal with existing ones, since it is better to address problems before they get out of control. Coordinated Response Aquaculture consultant John Forster summarized the institutional responses during the ISA crisis. Once the problem was acknowledged, he said, industry group SalmonChile coordinated with the Chilean government, represented by Sernapesca and Subpesca, and banks to take the right steps. SalmonChile organized the salmon operations into common agreements and developed a new health policy for its members, with 44 health measures for compliance. These efforts helped the dialogue between industry and government, and the latter reacted quickly and efficiently, developing and implementing new health regulations. Greater understanding of the situation allowed the banks to change their perspective. They did not panic, but instead consolidated the debt from bankruptcies and lawsuits, and renegotiated it. They took this path because they were well advised and because the industry and government showed capacity and discipline in solving the problem. Collaboration Ron Bergevoet of Wageningen University and Research Centre discussed carrying capacity in the Chilean salmon industry from the physical, ecological, production and social perspectives. Among the conclusions reached at a recent workshop involving participants from industry and science were that interdisciplinary research adds value and that collaboration among stakeholders is vital for a sustainable salmon industry. Other keys for success include integrated disease control, updated contin- CHALLENGE: Aquaculture Investment Speakers Confirm Investor Interest Jeff Fort Global Aquaculture Alliance St. Louis, Missouri USA All the presenters in GOAL 2011’s new program sessions on global aquaculture investment were clear in their assessment that the aquaculture industry is primed and very attractive to new investment. The conference challenge of doubling aquaculture production in a decade prompted interesting evaluations of how such growth might unfold and the issues that must be solved along the way. Opportunities, Challenges The GOAL investment program, which featured global bankers, industry analysts and private equity investors, considered industry opportunities and challenges from the viewpoint of investors. Many of the opportunities focused on expanding markets and consumers’ growing preference for higher-quality proteins such as seafood. Further, the surging middle class in Asia and its associated income shift will continue to drive consumption of aquaculture products. Other positives mentioned included relatively good profit margins, good investment portfolio diversification potential and a fragmented production base that is ripe for consolidation. Drew Tarlow of Pegasus Capital Advisors was also clear in identifying the fact that the massive size of the industry makes it an attractive area for investment. On the challenges side, speakers identified issues such as disease control and weather risks, increasing feed and fuel costs, and general environmental concerns. Mitchell Presser, a founding partner of Paine and Partners, highlighted the significant amount of capital the industry requires, while keynote speaker Gorjan Nikolik of Rabobank International underscored the asset-heavy nature of the sector. Other challenges emphasized by Tarlow and Nikolik were the relatively young state of the industry and the need for specialized expertise and management. Financing, Debt Coordinated changes have led Chile’s salmon industry to a recovery from ISA. gency plans and insurance programs. Randall Brummett, a senior aquaculture specialist at the World Bank, discussed the topic of lesson sharing for aquatic animal health. He encouraged further collaborative efforts among stakeholders such as the Global Aquaculture Alliance and other trade associations, producer groups, universities and governments. Brummett also briefly discussed the importance of government engagement to attract investors and manage risk. As explained at the outset of the session, the massive ripple effect that will result from rapid aquaculture growth will require additional expansion of many related businesses, such as feed production, packaging, logistics and distribution. Rough calculations of the total capital required for doubled aquaculture output are estimated at U.S. $25 billion to $75 billion. The audience was presented with an excellent overview of the types of financing vehicles that can bring new capital into aquaculture. These included various forms of debt, including bank debt, bonds and private debt. Most speakers indicated debt was not always the best fit for aquaculture projects due to the high degree of variability in cash flow that can result from uncontrollable factors such as commodity market prices and disease outbreaks. Equity-based capital investment can come from venture capital, and private and public equity markets. Presser and Tarlow spoke at length about their firm’s private equity experiences. Victor Hugo Puchi’s talk on AquaChile was especially relevant, as this company has had exposure in almost all forms of financing, ranging from bank debt through public equity. Foundations For Success Session coordinator Jeff Fort explained that aquaculture could look to traditional agriculture and terrestrial protein production as a guide, since these industries are more mature and financially sophisticated. Jose Mujica’s experience in reworking bank debt in the Chilean salmon industry highlighted the conclusion that investors must have quantitative models and reporting tools to measure operating results against projections. Tarlow and Presser underscored how partnerships and open dialogue among business operators and equity investors would create the foundations for future growth and success. Both also said that emerging technologies would provide attractive synergies and development potential. Tarlow stressed the importance of expanding a strong initial platform with best-in-class operators and infrastructure. Nikolik articulated several models for growth, including mergers and acquisitions among industry peers, vertical integration along the supply chain and cooperative models. He also suggested there were opportunities for wild-catch fishery companies, protein processors and terrestrial protein producers to expand into the aquaculture segment. On To GOAL 2012 As detailed at GOAL 2011, the investor segment has demonstrated significant interest in supplying at least a portion of the capital aquaculture will need. The next step is to continue to encourage dialogue and innovative thinking as we bring the money together with the opportunities, creating healthy, sustainable food sources and generating profits for those who undertake the effort and risk. To that end, the Global Aquaculture Alliance will continue to explore investment themes at the GOAL meeting in 2012. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 13 goal 2011 review CHALLENGE: Environmental Perspectives NGO, Industry Outlooks Dawn Purchase: Financial sustainability relies upon ecological sustainability. Daniel Lee Global Aquaculture Alliance St. Louis, Missouri, USA Despite the different perspectives of the presenters in GOAL 2011’s session on environmental perspectives, they expressed a general consensus about the nature of the challenges ahead and the need for industry to respond proactively with improved management practices and technological advances. Dawn Purchase, aquaculture policy director for the Marine Conservation Society, represented a small but influential non-governmental organization based in the United Kingdom. Alf Helge Aarskog, CEO of Marine Harvest, represented a multinational salmon-farming company. Both panelists urged the conference not to underestimate the magnitude of the environmental challenges that may await, but they still retained a positive outlook for aquaculture. Above all, it was clear that the growing world population, set to reach 9 billion by 2050, needs aquaculture to expand in a sustainable manner so it can be a key part of the solution to creating a healthier planet. NGO Outlook To illustrate how a growing population places increasing demands on the planet, Purchase compared the status quo with the situation 50 years ago, when Earth supported half as many people. At that time, we were less wealthy and ate less meat, required less water for food production and took just a third of the water from rivers that we do today. The overall environmental pressure was much lower back then. Times change. In today’s world, Purchase said, financial sustainability relies upon ecological sustainability, and that terrestrial land constraints actually point to aquaculture as an increasingly important part of the solution to global food production. Purchase addressed environmental challenges under seven headings: shortage of space/sites, constraints related to feed and marine resources, limits to carrying capacity, the need for disease/para- Changing the way fish, and the industry, view protein. Empyreal ® 75 is the first and only protein concentrate made from corn. This high-energy, naturally pure protein source provides the nutrition fish need in a highly digestible ingredient. With superior functionality, Empyreal 75 provides even, consistent expansion in extruded feeds and extraordinary binding capacity in pelleted diet 14 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate applications. And industry experts are drawn to the fact that Empyreal 75 is manufactured in the U.S., bringing with it superior supply assurance beyond any specialized protein ingredient available to the industry. To learn more, visit e75aqua.com. And be prepared for a whole new perspective on protein. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 15 goal 2011 review CHALLENGE: Feed Requirements Reach the Leaders Sustainability Spurs New Ingredient Options Advertise In The Global Aquaculture Advocate GAA corporate members save 15-30%! Contact Marketing Manager, Janet Vogel +1-314-293-5500 • janetv@gaalliance.org Aarskog: Industry must drive toward responsibility with a proactive focus. site control, protecting biodiversity and limiting habitat impacts, climate change and limits to freshwater availability. Without minimizing the nature of the current and future challenges, she pointed to the essential role that innovative products and practices will have to play. Overall, she concluded that environmental sustainability is not a barrier to industry growth, stating “A growing population of increasingly environmentally aware seafood consumers creates the opportunity for the development of innovative, healthy seafood products in an environmentally, and therefore financially, sustainable aquaculture industry.” Industry Outlook Aarskog provided a comprehensive account of how Marine Harvest addresses the need for sustainability, and gave a robust defense of aquaculture based on the fact that it is more efficient than its alternatives. He pointed out that, according to Rohana Subasinghe of the FAO, projected population growth will require at least an additional 40 mmt of aquacultured food by 2030. Aarskog identified the need to develop new markets and products, and to seek alternatives for established marine raw materials in feed to enable growth from a finite resource of forage fish and preserve wild stocks. He also focused on fish health and interactions between wild and farmed fish, and the importance of effective management of diseases and sea lice. Overall, Aarskog called for greater transparency and improved dialogue so the salmon industry can, as he eloquently put it, “move out of the trenches.” He said polarized debate does not foster sustainable development, and that the industry must drive toward responsibility with a proactive focus on the long term, decency and solutions via stakeholder dialogue. 16 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate The GOAL feed panel – which included John Peppel (left), Gustavo Cannavina and Jonathan Shepherd – provided updates on feed ingredients and innovations. The GOAL 2011 session on feed evaluated the availability of feed ingredients to meet the projected demands of the rapidly growing aquaculture sector. John Peppel, senior vice president of Cargill Animal Nutrition, moderated. Grain, Oilseed Trends In addressing grain and oilseed trends, Gustavo Cannavina, origination and trading manager of Cargill Americas Inc., said the volatility of prices for grain, rice and major oilseeds has increased markedly over the last 25 years due to diminishing inventory levels. World stocks of grains have been relatively stable around 350 mmt, but the ratio of grains in stock to grains in use (an indicator of inventory) has declined from greater than 25% from 1985 to 2002 to about 15% since 2003. With little buffer in supply, prices are reacting dramatically to relatively modest swings in production. Cannavina explained that the increasing demand for grains and oilseeds is driven by the trend for increasing consumption of vegetable oils, meats and sugar seen with rising per-capita income. In addition, biofuel production has dramatically increased since 2000. This is now diverting 8% of world grain production for ethanol and 14% of world vegetable oil production for biodiesel. Cannavina said the increasing production of grains and oilseeds has mainly been accomplished through improved crop yields, not greater farming area (Figure 1). Crop yields are increasing through intensification of farming practices, increased irrigation and fertilization, and improved genetics. Although additional farming area is available for expansion in North and South America, Eastern Europe and Africa, this area is limited, and major investment would be required to develop infrastructure in new farming regions. In summary, there is scope to increase production of grains and oilseeds to meet global demand, but limited inventory implies little margin for error and continuing price volatility. Animal-Based Ingredients David Kaluzny, chairman of the World Renderers Organization, discussed the supply of animal protein meals and fats as aquafeed ingredients. These products include meat and bone meal, poultry by-product meal, feather meal, blood meal, tallow and lard. The total global production of processed animal protein meals is estimated at over 13 mmt. The main producers are the United States, representing 31% of the total production, South America and the European Union (30% each) and Australia (6%). The total global production of animal fats is over 10 mmt. The top producers reflect those for animal proteins. China’s overall use of protein meals (expressed as soy meal equivalent) is rapidly increasing, while usage in the E.U. and U.S. is relatively stable. The main global importers of processed animal protein meals during 2005-2010 were Indonesia (79% change in these five years), Thailand (511%), Vietnam (208% ), China (177%), Bangladesh (155%), Mexico (-21%), Philippines (854%), Russia (105%), U.S. (-18%), Taiwan (27%) and Egypt (99%). These countries were responsible for over 1.8 mmt of exports of processed animal protein meal products – a global increase in exports of 75% for the five-year period covered. Marine Ingredients Jonathan Shepherd, director general of the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO), reviewed the status of fishmeal and fish oil use in aquafeeds. Fishmeal and fish oil contain highly digestible amino acids and fatty acids that are essential for aquaculture organisms, but the global annual supply of fishmeal is limited to 5 or 6 mmt and fish oil to 1 mmt. As the demand for these ingredients grows and their prices increase accordingly, their use is being focused more in aquafeeds for critical life stages such as reproduction and larval development. Their usage in growout feeds is gradually diminishing due to substitution by more-available and less-expensive vegetable proteins and animal by-products. Over the last decade, Shepherd said, the volume of global aquaculture that relies on feeds has grown 97%, while marine ingredient use grew only 23%. Shepherd discussed efforts by IFFO to assure the whole fish used for fishmeal and oil production come from well-managed fisheries and that resulting products are safe and pure. IFFO has introduced the Responsible Supply (R.S.) certification program for fishmeal and oil factories, which includes responsible sourcing of wild fish and by-product raw materials, production and custody. With standards developed by a multistakeholder committee and third-party audits, the business-to-business R.S. program is recognized in the BAP feed mill certification standards. Shepherd reported that 73 factories in six producing countries have achieved R.S. certification, with nine more pending. That amounts to 50% of IFFO member production capacity for fishmeal and fish oil, and over 25% of total world capacity. While the R.S. program is growing strongly in the Americas and Europe, it will be more of a challenge in Asia, where fisheries management data are often lacking. Soy Alternatives During a luncheon extension of the GOAL feeds session, Michael Cremer, aquaculture utilization director for the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC), discussed innovations global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 17 goal 2011 review omega-3 fatty acid with important heart benefits. Promising advances are also being achieved in stacking high-value carotenoid genes such as astaxantin and beta-carotene into soybeans. Increase, Indexed to 1975 (%) in the use of soy as an economically viable and sustainable alternative to fishmeal and fish oil in aquafeeds. Soybeans are used to produce soybean meal, soy protein concentrates (SPCs), soy oil and lecithin. Cremer reported that 30 mmt of freshwater fish are now produced using all-plant-protein diets. Much of the expansion of aquaculture growth is forecasted to occur in the marine sector. Cremer reported that many marine fish and crustacean species are unable to tolerate all-plant protein feeds, but perform well on SPCs processed to remove allergens and anti-nutritional factors. USSEC trials showed that cobia performed as well on a diet with 3% fishmeal, 30% soybean meal and 40% SPC as on a diet with 64% fishmeal. Advances in soybean research are yielding promising results that could make soy an even more viable option for sustainable aquafeeds. The complete soybean genome released in 2008 has revealed thousands of genetic markers for potentially important qualities in soybeans. High-protein genetic lines of non-GMO soybeans are now becoming available with low levels of allergens and anti-nutritional factors, which allow greater inclusion levels without the expense of SPC. Cremer also described research on reducing the fish oil requirement in aquafeeds without compromising important health benefits. Part of this research has focused on alternative feeding regimes using vegetable oils for most of the production cycle followed by a finishing diet with fish oil to allow accumulation of long-chain omega-three fatty-acids in the final product. Other research has evaluated soybean oils genetically modified to include stearidonic acid, a precursor to EPA, an essential 200 MARKET: Commitment To Responsibility suppliers, producers and farmers in the audience to do their part to ensure they were wholly engaged in the practices of responsible sourcing. Many buyers made it clear they are only purchasing responsibly produced aquaculture products, and that business partners without responsible policies could face a barrier going forward. Production 190 Yield 180 Area 170 Keynotes 160 150 140 130 120 The panel discussions were designed to give a full supply chain view of aquaculture seafood and its current market issues. 110 100 90 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Figure 1. Genetic improvements and fertilizer intensification have driven the supply expansion of grains and oilseeds – not increases in farming area. The three panels at the core of the marketing sessions at GOAL 2011 addressed subjects that ranged from the challenges of sourcing enough product to feed the growing world population, to feed issues and genetically modified organisms as they provided viewpoints from the perspective of the “end users” of aquaculture. Engaging Panels The format of the panel discussions was designed to give a full marketplace supply chain view of seafood and the issues that surround the sourcing of seafood in today’s markets. The retailers, foodservice operators and suppliers on the market panels were very diverse, representing large and smaller retail chains, club stores, traditional retail, buyers and sustainability personnel. The depth of knowledge of the panelists was impressive, and their participation revealed their personal involvement with emerging issues. Those on the panels, for example, were quick to challenge the On either side of the panel schedule were keynote presentations. Dr. Albert Zeufack of the World Bank gave an excellent presentation that challenged the marketplace to look at alternate markets for the development of aquaculture supply in the future. Referencing the growing world population and the need for more and more seafood, Zeufack encouraged buyers to seek out non-traditional markets, such as Africa. He noted that the benefits of retailers working with investors and host countries could provide an innovative, yet very workable model for the coming years. Such a model could also be the key to unlocking development in emerging and developing countries. Preferred Freezer Services CEO John Galiher provided a passionate and thoroughly engaging view of the domestic Chinese seafood marketplace. Before discussing China, Galiher emphasized that retailers and seafood distributors should not be concerned about price premiums for sustainable fish, because non-sustainable fish should not be provided as a choice. Galiher’s Chinese marketplace “101” speech covered many points, including the retail landscape, the growing (and shifting) population base, where to geographically target a business launch and, importantly, the need to have realistic expectations. Galiher repeatedly made the claim that China is a marketplace where, businesswise, you can’t “put a toe in the water to test the temperature.” It takes a totally dedicated, “all in” approach to be successful. Shepherd Receives GAA Achievement Award Kontali Analyse: Your source to production & market updates! Kontali has become one of the world's leading providers of business intelligence for the aquaculture and fisheries industry, based on:  Market and production forecast models for salmon, trout, cod, sea bass, sea bream etc.  Team of experts covering all commercially significant aquaculture segments.  One of the world’s most comprehensive databases of aquaculture figures and statistics. We offer:  Regular publications  Research services and tailor made reports  Consulting services  Presentations and workshops Contact us at tel (+47) 71 68 33 00 18 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Learn more: www.kontali.com Jonathan Shepherd, who recently retired as director general of the International Fishmeal and Oil Organisation (IFFO), received the prestigious GAA Lifetime Achievement Award at GOAL 2011 for his achievements in science, business and association leadership. Shepherd received bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in veterinary science at Liverpool University Veterinary School and Stirling University. His achievements in science included co-founding the Aquaculture Institute, bringing fish health into the veterinary ambit, and writing two books and various papers on aquaculture. Shepherd’s achievements in business were diverse. In 1976, Shepherd founded and directed Fish Farm Development International. In 1984, he joined Unilever to analyze the new business development strategy for formation of Marine Harvest. From 1984 to 1987, he assisted P.H. Pharmaceuticals in developing products for aquaculture. From 1987 to 1990, Shepherd helped Prodemar set up in Spain the largest turbot farm in the world. Until 2004, he served as Biomar’s group manager for factories in Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Chile. Shepherd’s achievements in association leadership reflected his accomplishments as director general of IFFO from 2004 to 2011. He was responsible for modernizing the not-for-profit trade association and shifting its focus toward the overall value chain. Jonathan Shepherd (right) was recognized for his varied achievements in science and business, as well as his recent work with IFFO’s responsible feed supply standards. Through his leadership, IFFO launched the global industry standard for Responsible Supply, which is incorporated in the Best Aquaculture Practices feed mill certification standards. This has allowed the industry to proactively assume a more responsible and sustainable position with external stakeholders. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 19 goal 2011 review SOC Considers Revised BAP Standards, Guidelines fication to the supply chain, but BAP Director William More indicated fees will be affordable. For shrimp, the cost of BAP certification works out to about U.S. $0.25/lb, which compares favorably with comparable certifications. BAP Standards Coordinator Dan Lee insisted the BAP salmon standards will prove to be rigorous, workable and affordable. At the end of the salmon discussions, meeting participants seeking more details were invited to a BAP seminar in Puerto Montt the following week. The program is growing and, prior to the recent flooding in Thailand, BAP farms received a price premium for their shrimp. The IOM model is now applied in India and to catfish farms in the United States. Greater definition in the requirement for internal quality management systems may be needed in the future. Strategic questions regarding the potential equivalence of Thai Code of Conduct or GlobalGAP certificates also remain. Traceability Hatchery Standards, ISA Study Jeff Peterson said BAP’s integrated operating module program for smaller farms is expanding to new areas. Key points from the BAP Standards Oversight Committee (SOC) meeting held during GOAL 2011 included discussions on the salmon farm standards, integrated operating modules and restructured hatchery standards. New SOC member Dr. Alejandro Buschmann, head of i-mar Research Center, was welcomed to the group at the meeting in Santiago, Chile. Salmon Standards Feedback received on pilot audits utilizing the BAP salmon standards indicated more clarity may be required regarding carbon:nitrogen ratios and methodology, and details of area management agreements. BAP’s requirements for inventory precision and reductions in releases of anti-foulants were considered very strict. Pilot audits revealed fish in:fish out ratios of 1.16 to 1.22, which were well below the BAP maximum of 2.00 and five-year target of 1.50. However, better documentation is needed on Wildlife Interaction Plans. The salmon database was also discussed at the meeting in Chile. A study of audit data by New England Aquarium was identified as a possible model for future work on a system that manages data with a required level of anonymity. IOM Expansion Jeff Peterson provided an update on BAP’s integrated operating module (IOM) option that allows small and medium-sized producers to work cooperatively toward certification. The IOM concept was initially tailored to conditions in Thailand, where only 10 of 178 BAP-certified farms are not part of IOMs. Dr. John Forster, head of the BAP Salmon Farm Technical Committee, is leading the process of converting the existing shrimp hatchery standards into a generic set of standards that could also be applied to fish and mollusks. It was considered that a proper review process would entail the use of an expert panel covering genetics and biodiversity, as well as species-specific hatchery management. Forster also outlined a pilot review of a case study on Chile’s crisis with infectious salmon anemia. It was determined that the close geographic concentration of the industry likely exceeded the area’s carrying capacity and led to the ISA crisis. The SalmonChile group introduced sanitary measures to combat the disease, but ISA is now endemic. Increased biosecurity and private/public coordination are essential for the industry’s future. Auditor Guidelines It was agreed that auditor guidelines must be generated with input from the BAP technical committees whenever there is a need to clarify the intent of a standard. Pilot audits of salmon farms in Canada and Chile are yielding feedback for such guidelines. It was felt the auditor guidance should be made available online as well as supplied to auditors. BAP Program Update BAP officers Jim Heerin and William More said the integration of Aquaculture Certification Council as BAP Management, a division of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, is nearly complete. Since BAP Management is entirely divorced from the certification bodies that perform certification audits, it can assist farms in preparing for BAP audits. Its remaining assets will transfer to the non-profit Responsible Aquaculture Foundation, whose mission addresses education, training and research. BAP program fees, most of which come from certified processing plants, are paid to GAA. A new fee structure may be needed for salmon facilities because of the 2- to 3-year cycle involved in salmon production. About 700,000 mt of farmed seafood is now produced by BAP-certified facilities annually. BAP Meetings Focus On Salmon Standards The GOAL 2011 conference in Santiago, Chile, provided another great opportunity for the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program to seek input from stakeholders engaged at different levels of the seafood value chain. Feedback obtained at the series of open BAP meetings will be used to refine the BAP standards. For example, the BAP salmon farm standards were due to be reviewed at the end of 20 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate 2012 to make sure they function well in practice with regard to “auditability” and consistency of interpretation. Salmon Standards Given the importance of salmon farming in Chile and the recent launch of the BAP salmon standards, plenty of time was devoted to salmon discussions among the experienced auditors GOAL 2011 provided an opportunity for the BAP program to seek stakeholder input from different sectors of the seafood value chain. and BAP representatives in attendance. John Forster, chairman of the BAP Salmon Farm Technical Committee, gave a brief history of the development of the salmon standards and joined in discussions related to the results of a series of pilot audits in Ireland and New Brunswick and British Columbia, Canada. It was announced that another pilot audit will be conducted in Chile for Camanchaca. Issues of particular interest were the fish inventory standard, which at ± 3% was considered a challenging requirement because the industry norm is ± 3 to 5%. The requirement for annual reductions of 20% in the release of copper anti-foulants was also considered an objective that would require significant innovation to achieve. It was pointed out that in-situ net cleaning, which is often proposed as an alternative to the use of anti-foulants, is not allowed in certain jurisdictions because it can also have negative environmental impacts due to the accumulation of detritus on the seabed. Another topic that came up for discussion was the importance of withdrawal periods for sea lice treatments. Some participants expressed concerns about the cost of certi- Lisa Goché, newly appointed vice president of BAP, gave an account of the recently modified BAP requirements for traceability. Previously, online or full-chain traceability was required, but more flexibility is now permitted. In-house systems that robustly assure a minimum of “1 up, 1 down” traceability are also acceptable, provided they can deliver the required level of rigor. Mussel Standards The BAP mussel farm standards are of interest in Chile because this species is produced there in large quantities. The Mussel Technical Committee, which includes two Chilean representatives, was expected to complete an initial draft of BAP standards for mussel farms before the end of 2011. As filterfeeding bivalves, mussels are relatively benign in environmental terms, but mussel standards need to be particularly robust with regard to food safety risks. Other Standards Discussions of other BAP standards focused mainly on shrimp, tilapia and Pangasius. One tilapia producer expressed concerns regarding a lack of momentum for BAP in the retail community and that his support for BAP was not translating into a clear market advantage, as hoped. Jeff Peterson of BAP Management described the ongoing process to realign the existing farm standards into a core set of standards applicable to all species with a series of species-specific appendices. At the same time, the old scored audits will be replaced by the newer conformity audits, which are favored because they are considered more objective and give facilities a more clearly defined set of requirements. Best Aquaculture Practices Auditor Course February 6-12, 2012 Bangkok, Thailand – Anantara Bangkok Sathorn Hotel • Registration Deadline: January 16, 2012 ®® Open to any qualified potential auditor candidate or anyone wishing to learn more or update their knowledge of the various BAP standards. • Auditor Candidates: U.S. $1,800 • Upgrading Farm Auditors: U.S. $900 • Returning Auditors: U.S. $200 • Observers: U.S. $500 Visit www.bestaquaculturepractices.org for registration forms and more info. Course applicants must demonstrate competence and experience in aquaculture and seafood. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 21 goal 2011 review GAA Board Reviews Programs, Plans Future • Robin Bessier-Downey (Owner/vice president of Discovery Bay Shellfish, Inc., USA) • James Wilson (Private sector grower, United Kingdom) • Eugenio Raul Yokota Beuret (General manager of Granja Marina Chauquear Ltda, Chile) • John Bonardelli (Shellfish Solutions, Norway) • José-Miguel Fuentes González (Scientist at Centro de Investigacións Mariñas, Spain) • David L. Jarrad (Director of Shellfish Association of Great Britain, United Kingdom) • Pappurajam Laxmilatha (Scientist at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, India) • Fang Jian-guang (Director of Mariculture Department at Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, China) Members of the GAA board discussed BAP and a range of other topics at the meeting in Chile. On November 6, the Global Aquaculture Alliance board of directors met in Santiago, Chile, prior to the GOAL 2011 meeting. After introductions, GAA President George Chamberlain briefly reviewed the busy agenda of GAA activities that occurred since the March 2011 board meeting in Boston. Minutes from the Boston meeting were approved, as was the 2012 budget, which indicated a solid financial position for the coming year. BAP Standards Advance Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Standards Coordinator Dan Lee provided an update on BAP standards development. He indicated Dr. Alejandro Buschmann had joined the BAP Standards Oversight Committee (SOC). Buschmann is head of i-mar Research Center and former director of research and graduate school at the Universidad de Los Lagos in Puerto Montt, Chile. Buschmann replaced Dr. Charles Santerre, professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University. Board members congratulated Dr. John Forster, chairman of the BAP Salmon Farm Technical Committee, for overseeing the completion of the BAP salmon farm standards. Continuous improvement of the standards is already under way through trial audits of salmon farms in Chile. Ongoing issues for the standards may include inventory accuracy, clarifications on chemical and drug use, and use of marine-based feed ingredients. Early indications are that some Chilean salmon-processing plants may require additional effluent treatment to comply with BAP effluent standards. Lee indicated that the mussel standards committee nominations have been confirmed by the SOC, and draft standards are in preparation. The committee consists of: • Andrea C. Alfaro, Chair (Researcher at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand) • Cyr Couturier (Research scientist at Memorial University, Canada) • Denis Minihane (Managing director at Bantry Bay America, USA) • Fiona J. de Koning (Acadia Aqua Farms, USA) 22 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate BAP Certification Management BAP Executive Director Jim Heerin provided an update on the administration of the BAP certification program. Integration of the former Aquaculture Certification Council into the BAP division is essentially complete. Lisa Goché, BAP vice president, said the re-benchmarking process is under way for version 6 guidelines of the Global Food Safety Initiative. She also discussed the new policy for offering either online traceability or chain-of-custody audits as traceability options for BAP facilities. BAP Marketplace Vice President of BAP Development Peter Redmond summarized the growing marketplace adoption of BAP standards. He introduced Emil Avalon, Roy Palmer (not present at meeting) and Molly Metcalf, who have been hired to assist as BAP business development managers for Europe, Australasia and North America, respectively. GOAL Program GAA Assistant Director Sally Krueger provided a preview of the upcoming GOAL meeting in terms of registration, sponsors and logistics. Chamberlain recapped the planned highlights of the GOAL conference, whose varied sessions were related to the conference theme of “Double in a Decade – Responsibly.” The program schedule included a new segment on aquaculture investment, a review of the Fish 2030 economic model, updates on Chile’s recovery from ISA and ancillary meetings on aquaculture-related business innovations. The GAA board continued to weigh the benefits of different venues for GOAL 2012. Asia will be the general region for the event. Thailand is currently a strong contender, but the final decision will be made later in 2012. Investor Interface John Galiher presented a prototype website interface for investors that will allow investors and aquaculture projects to link according to preferred region, species and scale of project. Plans are to launch this website in the spring. George Chamberlain recapped GAA’s busy 2011, which included advances in BAP certification and other areas. replace his seat are being accepted by election committee members Bill Herzig, Iain Shone and Sergio Nates. Names will be accepted until January 11. To be considered for the GAA board, candidates must represent a current GAA Governing or Association Member. The election will take place at the March board meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Difference Study GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens discussed the early results of the “making a difference” study led by Michael Tlusty of the New England Aquarium, who is a member of the BAP Standards Oversight Committee. Tlusty is surveying BAP-certified facilities to determine the ways that BAP certification affects their operations. For the 60 farms surveyed to date, BAP has made a clear difference in improving practices for at least 30% of the farms. Nutritionists know plant- based sources of omega-3 and protein can never measure up to the most natural feed source—menhaden. Menhaden fish oil and fishmeal provide the essential nutrients to improve feed conversion, optimize growth, and produce healthier fish. More nutritional benefits. More results. Omega Protein has the products, resources and expertise to help you create a better feed. Answering Fraud Stevens invited John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), to address the question of genetic fraud in seafood. Connelly said NFI has determined that most instances of species misrepresentation are “restaurant fraud” and not “seafood fraud.” NFI has offered to work with GAA to reach beyond the U.S. to importing shores to alert foreign governments for assistance in addressing this issue. ® More than ingredients. Ingenuity. www.OmegaNutrient.com 877.866.3423 Election Coming GAA Director Ole Norgaard has announced he will retire and leave the board in March. Suggestions for candidates to global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 23 gaa activities Puerto Montt Seminar Features BAP Jeffrey Peterson told his audience that BAP certification has gained a high profile in the seafood community. A November 2011 seminar on the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program attracted 40 participants to the Universidad de Los Lagos in Puerto Montt, Chile. Director of Quality Jeffrey Peterson explained that the BAP standards, developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance, have had an environmental focus since they began to take shape in 1999. Now expanded to also address social responsibility and food safety, BAP certification has gained a high profile around the world. BAP certification is available for farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills. It covers shrimp, tilapia, catfish and Pangasius, and is beginning to certify its first salmon farms. Peterson said BAP audits are performed in two to three days. They include reviews of the physical plant, collection of effluent and product samples and a review of management procedures and documents. BAP’s farm standards place special emphasis on the sustainability of feed ingredients, especially fishmeal and fish oil. Facilities must safeguard the safety of their employees, Peterson said. In addition, facilities must comply with local and national laws, and maintain good relations with local communities. Several salmon-producing companies in Chile have begun the process of BAP certification. Seminar organizer Adolfo Alvial of Adolfo Alvial Consulting is assisting in their preparation. He helped provide copies of the BAP standards for salmon farms, processing plants and feed mills in Spanish. Best Aquaculture Practices Program Certifies First Salmon Farm Best Aquaculture Practices has further advanced as the leading international certification program for aquaculture by certifying its first salmon farm. Mainstream Canada’s Brent Island farm near Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada, was audited in October and received its formal BAP certification notification December 12. “The Global Aquaculture Alliance proudly congratulates Mainstream Canada for leading the industry in achieving the first BAP salmon farm certification,” Global Aquaculture Alliance President George Chamberlain said. “This prestigious accomplishment culminates a three-year development process for the standards that involved dedicated NGOs, academics and industry representatives working together to develop consensus-based salmon standards that benefit the community, the environment and consumers.” “By meeting the BAP standards, we are proving our commitment to find ways to constantly improve our operations as part of our sustainability principles,” Mainstream Canada Managing Director Fernando Villarroel said. “Our vision as part of the Cermaq Group is to be a global leader in the aquaculture industry, and we are committed to creating value through sustainable aquaculture.” Mainstream Canada is one of the largest salmon-farming operations in British Columbia, Canada. The company currently operates three sites near Campbell River, including the Brent Island site. It also has eight sites near Port McNeill and 14 sites near Tofino in Ahousaht First Nation territory under a comprehensive protocol agreement. The company produces approximately 25,000 metric tons of Atlantic salmon annually. BAP certification is based on the international Best Aquaculture Practices standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance. For salmon and other major farmed species, BAP requires effective management of animal health, feed inputs, water quality and food safety. In a process that includes site inspections and in-depth audits, social responsibility and traceability are additional requirements. GAA Establishes New Innovator Award To promote innovative ideas that surpass the requirements of the Best Aquaculture Practices standards, the Global Aquaculture Alliance has established a new Responsible Innovator of the Year award. Beginning in 2012, the award will be presented annually to BAP-certified facilities to reward unique practices that overcome or mitigate production challenges and negative environmental and social impacts. The winners will receive a plaque, sponsored attendance at GAA’s GOAL conference and an online profile in the BAP section of the GAA website. 24 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate An award committee will review the ways applicants address such areas as biodiversity, pollution reduction, regional cooperation, energy efficiency and waste minimization. Initially conceived as an “umbrella” award for the entire BAP program, the Responsible Innovator may be expanded into categories for each levels of BAP certification: hatchery, farm, feed mill and processor. New Certified Facilities Join BAP Program A new round of aquaculture farms, hatcheries and processing plants recently joined the growing list of global facilities certified to the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards. As reported in a separate article, British Columbia-based Mainstream Canada became the first BAP-certified salmon farm in December 2011. The company produces approximately 25,000 mt of Atlantic salmon annually at its 25 farm sites. The West Coast Frozen Foods Private Ltd. facility in Kodinar, Gujarat, India, became the newest BAP-certified shrimp hatchery in December. West Coast, the only integrated Indian aquaculture venture, offers quality black tiger shrimp to Indian as well as global markets year round. Its quality program encompasses everything from seed to final packaging, with guaranteed traceability. The Phatthana Seafood Co., Ltd. plant in Amphur Muang, Songkhla, Thailand, is the latest facility to be certified under the BAP three-star banner of Rubicon Resources, a leading importer and distributor of sustainable seafood in North America. Founded Imaex Trading Rejoins GAA GAA welcomes the return of Imaex Trading Co. as a Governing Member. Since 1994, Imaex Trading has been producing, importing and distributing frozen seafood products sourced from around the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, it delivers a product mix that includes shrimp, tilapia, squid, surimi, mussels, crabs, salmon and tuna. Imaex Trading works closely with seafood-producing companies in Asia, Central and South America. in 1999, Rubicon Resources is a vertically integrated group that has nine BAP-certified plants, some 30 certified farms and four certified hatcheries in Thailand. In late November 2011, certification of the Jiatan Reservoir Tilapia Cage Farm and Hainan Eternal Spring Fisheries Co. Ltd. in Chengmai, Hainan, China, established BAP two-star status for the companies. Their main products are frozen and breaded tilapia fillets, whole tilapia, and gutted and scaled tilapia. Zhanjiang East Sea Kelon Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China, was certified to process shrimp and tilapia. Operating under Aquafreezer Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong-based enterprise, it conforms to European and American sanitation standards and has a projected annual production capacity of 20,000 mt. Several new facilities in Vietnam and Thailand were also certified in November. NTSF Seafoods JSC – Tan Loc Farm in Can Tho, Vietnam, became the BAP program’s third farm certified to produce Pangasius. It is one of several farm facilities that operate within the NTSF Seafoods integrated group. The Siam Union Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. plant in Muang, Samutsakorn, Thailand, was certified for shrimp production. Established in 1986, the company delivers quality shrimp by monitoring production from peeling and packaging to delivery, with each shipment tested for antibiotics and microorganisms before shipping. Food Safety Kits Roy Palmer To Represent BAP In Australasia Roy Palmer has joined the Best Aquaculture Practices international marketing team as BAP’s new business development manager for Australasia. Palmer will help manage relationships with seafood suppliers, buyers, retailers and foodservice outlets on the Australian continent. “Australian and New Zealand retail and foodservice operators are realizing the Roy Palmer important role they play in this global industry,” BAP Vice President of Development Peter Redmond said. “Roy Palmer’s appointment will be pivotal in helping drive the initiative forward in these markets.” Palmer is a seafood professional who has been involved in all facets of the post-harvest industry since the early 1970s. He has operated import-export-trading businesses and for 13 years ran a successful chain of seafood retail establishments in Melbourne, Australia. Palmer is a qualified seafood trainer who has represented the Australian seafood industry in various areas. He is a past president of the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society and is currently involved in Aquaculture Without Frontiers and the Global Initiative for Life & Leadership Through Seafood. Offering kits and instruments that test aquaculture products for residues of importance for import and export agencies, corporations, governments, producers, farmers and consumers around the globe. • Trifluralin ELISA • Benzo(a) pyrene ELISA (petroleum contamination monitoring) • Chloramphenicol (CAP) ELISA • Nitrofurantoin (AHD) ELISA • Nitrofurazone (SEM) ELISA • Furaltadone (AMOZ) ELISA • Furazolidone (AOZ) ELISA • Crystal Violet/LCV ELISA • Malachite Green/LMG ELISA www.biooscientific.com Phone - 512-707-8993 Fax - 512-707-8122 support@biooscientific.com 3913 Todd Lane, Suite 312 Austin, Texas 78744 USA Seeking distributors to supplement their product line with high quality, cost effective food safety kits. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 25 fishy business Nicovita Symposium Confirms Importance Of Technology Give Credit To The FushyPeople There has always been great rivalry between Australia and New Zealand, and the Aussies always have a tendency to look down on their neighbors. Come sporting contests between the two countries, debate rages. New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup, but Australia won the Rugby League World Cup and currently holds sway with the other biggie, Netball. On the seafood front, in many ways, the two countries complement each other. New Zealand has good in-shore and off-shore fisheries, and Australia has a wealth of crustaceans. There are some similarities, of course, but in the main, there is more a sense of each area adding value to the other. Australia has the world’s third-largest Exclusive Economic Zone, and New Zealand (N.Z.) has the fourth-largest. New Zealand’s total annual harvest is around 625,000 mt, whereas Australia produces in the region of 240,000 mt. When it comes to exports, N.Z. reaps around $1.4 billion and Australia $1.2 billion. The N.Z. dollar is worth about 30% less than the Australian dollar, which is hovering around par with the U.S. dollar. Seafood Differences In the middle of doing regional workshops around Australia, I had the opportunity to present at the New Zealand Aquaculture Conference. I must say it was an eye opener at which you could clearly perceive some major differences with Australia. Three things really stood out for N.Z.: unity in the seafood industry, a very supportive government and a commitment to training and workforce development. The prime minister, John Key, opened the conference in Nelson, and the fisheries and aquaculture minister, Phil Heatley, gave a major presentation along with three of the five heads from the trade and enterprise, foreign affairs, and fisheries and aquaculture departments. I was mesmerized, and the difference between Australia and New Zealand at the political level was plain to see. wild species. In addition, suitable supply chains with logistics, sales and distribution are already in place. Technical Developments Roy D. Palmer, FAICD FishyBusiness 2312/80 Clarendon Street Southbank VIC 3006 Australia palmerroy@hotmail.com Success Through Cooperation In N.Z., stakeholders clearly want their industry to grow, be prosperous and earn income for New Zealanders from their investment in seafood. The N.Z. seafood industry learned long ago that it needs to work cooperatively to take the harvests of the tiny country with a population of 4 million to the world. While nothing is ever perfect, New Zealand has forged strong relationships, enabled its fishing and aquaculture councils with funding through levies and empowered them to work on the strategies to which all players agree. As a result, N.Z. has created excellent platforms from which individual businesses can grow. It is doing a tremendous job in aquaculture, with its main items green shell mussels, Chinook salmon and oysters, and plans for other species in the pipeline. Training, All Out Finally, you have to hand it to the hierarchy on training and workforce development. These opportunities do not come without commitment from the top, and they are extremely important to the future of the industry. In N.Z., over 4,000 people are involved in training. Compare that to Australia, where the figure hovers around 400. In New Zealand, the Kiwis don’t go half pie, they go all out. And while New Zealanders have a tendency to say “fush” and not “fish,” they have their foot firmly on the accelerator when it comes to seafood business. All credit to them, eh? GAA Development Manager Darryl Jory was the keynote speaker at the symposium. He also closed the event with a summary session. Nicovita, the leading Peruvian aquafeed manufacturer, held its fifth annual symposium November 22-24 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, under the theme of “The Boom of Technology Innovation in the Aquaculture Industry.” The overall conclusion for the event was that only with innovative technology can the global aquaculture industry grow and sustainably increase production to satisfy the significantly larger demand for seafood forecasted for the coming decades. Population Pressure Feeds Aquaculture Expansion Markets The meeting opened with a discussion about how our growing world population is forcing all industries – including aquaculture – to innovate and adapt. There are already more than 7 billion people on the planet, and there will be a growing need for more food production to feed this increasing population. Because wild fisheries are already fully utilized, sustainable aquaculture is the only way to produce more seafood. However, to become more sustainable, aquaculture needs improvements in many areas, including increased production efficiency, improved risk management and use of space and resources, wider market development and product education. The aquaculture industry needs to grow, and there was significant discussion regarding where this can happen: coastal areas, nearshore, offshore and inland. Each area has distinct advantages and disadvantages. Much emphasis was given to land-based, recirculating systems, as these provide greater control over operations. Also discussed was an innovative cage culture system for tilapia based on technology developed for the salmon industry in Chile and adapted to Brazilian freshwater bodies. Several new species were discussed as candidates for commercial production. However, complete technology packages would be required to make their culture attractive to major investors. The case was made for cobia, pacu and paiche, native species that present new opportunities for the Latin American aquaculture industry. Such fish can achieve scale, are compatible with the environment, produce marketable portions and could substitute for more common 26 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Various technical areas were discussed, including genetic improvement and the urgent need for more research to develop production lines specifically adapted to local growing conditions and technology. Since diseases continue to seriously affect the industry globally, speakers called for better specific pathogen-free and pathogen-resistant lines and effective biosecurity protocols. Current methods used in Asia to control diseases were discussed, including a thermal treatment for animals before pond stocking and elaborate water filtration protocols that exclude pathogens like white spot syndrome virus. Documentation identified a new shrimp disease that emerged in China and Vietnam in 2010 and 2011. The disease, which causes almost total mortality in affected animals, occurs within 40 days after stocking. No specific causal agent has been identified. An overview of the shrimp aquaculture industry in Thailand presented applications farmers elsewhere could use, including details on the use of mechanical aeration, feeding practices, closed and semi-closed systems, low-salinity culture, and recent trends using automatic feeders and polyculture. Interesting case studies were presented by production managers from shrimp farms in Ecuador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Comprehensive presentations on global trends in aquaculture and feed production addressed innovative trends in feed formulation, processing and delivery. Global compound aquafeed production has been growing over 10.7% annually since 1995, with output increasing from 7.61 to 35.0 mmt in 2010 and expected to top 70.0 mmt by 2020. Aquaculture is continuing to see increases in the inclusion of land-produced ingredients (plant and animal meals, and microbial ingredients) over marine ingredients. We need to be able to use all of these options, particularly those that can be sustainably produced and keep pace with the growth of the aquaculture sector. Imports make up 91% of the U.S. shrimp supply. With over 40 countries involved, Thailand is the leading supplier at 201,768 mt, followed by Ecuador with 64,906 mt. Presenters said as time progresses, don’t count out the U.S. market, but seek new markets in South America, Asia and Europe as avenues for growth. Demand will be strong, but price competition will continue. Keep driving costs out of production, and look for consolidation and integration opportunities. Several new species were discussed as candidates for commercial production. However, complete technology packages would be required to make their culture attractive to major investors. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 27 production food before stocking postlarvae. Liming From The Shrimp Book Shrimp Pond Soil And Water Quality Management Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D. Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures Auburn University Alabama 36849 USA boydce1@auburn.edu Christopher A. Boyd, Ph.D. Mississippi State University Coastal Resource and Extension Center Biloxi, Mississippi, USA Suwanit Chainark, Ph.D. Phuket Rajabhat University Amphor Muang, Phuket, Thailand Improper construction techniques can lead to erosion of pond and canal banks. Summary: Proper site selection, consideration of soil properties and careful earthwork construction at shrimp farms are essential. Prevention of erosion protects farm infrastructure and reduces sediment accumulation in ponds. Pond bottoms should be inspected, dried and tilled after each crop, with excessive sediment removed. Bottoms of acidic ponds should be treated with agricultural limestone. After refilling, ponds should be fertilized to promote natural food before stocking postlarvae. This chapter of The Shrimp Book presents a practical discussion of the main issues related to the three main aspects of shrimp pond soil and water management: suitability of site soil and source water, bottom soil condition and water quality during growout, and prevention of pollution by farm discharge. Some areas should be avoided as shrimp farm sites because of general ecological or edaphic features. These include mangrove areas and other sensitive wetlands, sites with organic soils and localities with potential acid-sulfate soils or highly polluted water. Moreover, topography, soil features and source water quality at all prospective sites should be carefully evaluated for the presence of limitations that are not apparent from visual inspection. 28 January/February 2012 If limitations are identified, methods for mitigating them should be assessed for technical and economic feasibility. If mitigation of one or more serious limitations is not possible, a site usually should be abandoned. Proper Construction Failure to consider soil properties in canal and pond design, and lack of attention to proper techniques in constructing earthwork at shrimp farms are widespread problems. Side slopes of embankments often are too steep and not compacted sufficiently. Side slopes of canals also may be too steep. Both steep sides and poor compaction favor erosion that degrades earthwork and leads to sediment accumulation in global aquaculture advocate canals and ponds. In addition, there often is no effort to protect erosion-sensitive areas with grass cover, plastic linings or stone, or to minimize erosion by aeratorinduced water currents through better aerator placement. The best way of assuring proper construction is to employ a competent engineer and contractor – ones with previous experience in shrimp farm construction. Prevention of erosion protects farm infrastructure and reduces sediment accumulation in ponds. Nevertheless, farms with highly turbid water supplies should construct an area for treatment of intake water by sedimentation to avoid sediment accumulation in canals and ponds. Liming deserves special consideration. A shrimp pond bottom can have soil of naturally basic pH that does not need to be limed. Soil pH should be measured in a 1:1 mixture of dry soil and distilled water with the aid of a glass electrode. It is wise to note that soil pH probes that read pH directly in pond bottoms are notoriously inaccurate. Rates for agricultural limestone applications – note that agricultural limestone, not lime, is recommended for neutralizing bottom soil acidity – are selected according to pH. Recommended applications for agricultural limestone are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Recommended application rates for agricultural limestone. Soil pH Agricultural Limestone Dose (kg/ha) Over 7.5 7.0-7.5 6.5-6.9 6.0-6.4 5.5-5.9 5.0-5.4 Below 5.0 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 Finely ground agricultural limestone should be spread uniformly over the pond bottom. There is no reason to choose dolomitic limestone over calcitic limestone, provided the two products are of similar neutralizing value and ground to similar fineness. Tilling is useful for mixing agricultural lime throughout the soil mass. Lime can be applied to areas in pond bottoms that do not dry out between crops as a means of destroying unwanted organisms – including vectors of disease – that survive in wet soil. The treatment rate with lime should be 200 g/m2 or higher to assure a pH high enough for disinfection. Most shrimp farmers do not apply enough lime to provide a beneficial effect. Fertilization, Pond Treatments During the growout period, ponds should be fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus until nutrients from feed inputs are adequate to maintain phytoplankton blooms. Mechanical aeration allows shrimp production to be greatly increased and permits water exchange to be lessened or stopped. Aeration usually should be applied at about 1 hp/ha for each 400 kg/ha of anticipated production. The Definitive Reference On Shrimp Farming The Shrimp Book combines the best of aquaculture science and industry applications in a comprehensive, 920-page volume that addresses all elements of shrimp aquaculture: • Shrimp physiology and genetics • Shrimp health management and biosecurity • Production systems and nutrition • Best practices and certification • Post-harvest issues, too! Pond Bottom Management Pond bottom soil management is rather simple. Ponds should be operated to minimize inputs of suspended soil particles via the water supply and avoid erosion of earthwork. Sediment over 10 cm in depth often interferes with pond management, so pond bottoms should be inspected after each crop and excessive sediment removed. However, it seldom is necessary to remove sediment from entire pond bottoms or after each crop, as is often done in Asia. Pond bottoms should be dried and tilled with a disk harrow, which pulverizes the soil to allow better contact with the air and promote drying and oxidation. Bottoms of acidic ponds should be treated with agricultural limestone. Remaining wet areas should be treated with lime, and after refilling, ponds should be fertilized to promote natural The appplication of lime to pond bottoms destroys disease vectors in wet soil. Special Offer! Save £40 (U.S. $62) at www.nup.com/ product-details.aspx?p=281. Enter code GAASHRIMP. ISBN 978-1-904761-59-1 Over 60 global experts clearly explain the latest shrimp production concepts and state-of-the-art techniques in this single hard-bound publication. Great gift! Give The Shrimp Book to valued customers and colleagues. Contact Nottingham University Press for details on custom dust covers featuring your logo and company information. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 29 Nevertheless, dissolved oxygen should be monitored to assure that aeration is sufficient to prevent concentrations below 3 mg/L. Many of the products applied to ponds to improve soil and water quality – bacterial cultures, oxidizing agents, enzyme preparations, zeolite and other substances for removing ammonia – are probably ineffective. In highly intensive shrimp culture, and especially in lined ponds without water exchange, acidity from nitrification in which ammonia from feeding wastes is oxidized to nitrate often causes alkalinity and pH to decline. Alkalinity should remain near 100 mg/L, and liming material should be applied if alkalinity declines. The amount of liming material needed increases with feed input. The potential lime requirement of feed is 0.4-0.5 kg calcium carbonate/kg feed. Traditional liming materials are not quickly soluble, so some farmers use sodium bicarbonate because it dissolves immediately. The chapter also discusses compliance with governmental effluent regulations and ecolabel certification standards. Best management practices for complying with effluent standards are also presented. The Shrimp Book, published in 2010 by Nottingham University Press (ISBN 978-1-904761-59-4), brings together experts from around the world to fill the critical need for a central reference source on the state of shrimp production practices. With chapters by 67 authors representing the spectrum of shrimp biology and aquaculture – many of whom have contributed to this magazine – the book is addressed to a diverse readership at every step of the shrimp-farming value chain. The editor is well-known shrimp pathologist Victoria Alday-Sanz, DVM, M.S., Ph.D. Overall, the comprehensive book represents an extraordinary effort by many of the most prominent researchers involved in penaeid shrimp studies. With the permission of the publisher, the Global Aquaculture Advocate is presenting a series of summary articles that highlight chapters from The Shrimp Book. These summaries are meant to provide a glimpse into the vast knowledge available in the book, and by no means can replace actual reading of this excellent publication. 30 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 31 production The large scale of shrimp maturation operations in Ecuador supports ongoing research on alternative breeding methods. Shrimp Genetic Improvement In Ecuador Localized Mass Selection, New Family Breeding Format Summary: The authors are exploring alternative models for shrimp breeding that address genotype-environment interactions with solutions that could advance breeding in South and Central America. The crux of the program is the development of shrimp lines that match the needs and conditions of individual farms or areas, such as the regions’ extensive culture practices with limited management. Simple but well-controlled procedures that provide high selection intensities can lead to greater confidence in selection and further progress. In comparison to the very successful livestock and plant-breeding efforts executed over nearly a century, the genetic improvement of penaeid shrimp has been carving its history in only the last two decades, with significant accomplishments but also a long road ahead. These accomplishments with shrimp include the development of specific pathogen-free shrimp lines, establishment of now-classic family programs relying on elastomer tagging, definition of experimental protocols for specific disease challenges and successful selection for disease resistance. Commercial lines of shrimp with enhanced reproduction and growth traits enabled the boom of intensive Litopenaeus vannamei culture systems in Asia. For the extensive South and Central 32 January/February 2012 American shrimp production systems, however, with their large earthen ponds, low stocking densities and limited management, genetic improvement contributions have been more modest. Latin American Production There has been a reluctance to work with specific pathogen-free (SPF) or even High Health animals in South and Central America, and to adopt formats and protocols that have been successful elsewhere. The genetic improvement models attempted have yet to really keep pace with the unique and distinctive features of the regions’ production models in providing significant and sustainable contributions to the production output. Some argue that without a major overhaul of the main production system features, genetic improvement could be a doomed and useless proposition. Others emphasize negative correlations between growth and the disease resistance or tolerance attributes that are so essential in the regions. But all would perhaps agree that at the heart of the matter the issue of genotype-environment (GxE) interactions is one of, if not the main cause for the modest successes obtained so far. The wide array of environments to be considered and the limitations of a family-breeding program format that relies on elastomer tagging or genetic markers certainly limit the number of relevant commercial field tests that can be conducted. The authors are currently exploring two alternative breeding models that face the GxE issue with solutions that could advance breeding. global aquaculture advocate João L. Rocha, Ph.D. Iowa Genetics and Texcumar Km. 2.5 Via San Pablo Monteverde, Santa Elena, Ecuador Rafael Verduga Holger Martinez Hugo Mario Armijos Pedro Conforme Texcumar Mass Selection Of Local Lines Ecuador, where the first commercial shrimp growout facilities in the world were established in the late 1960s, now has over 150,000 ha of shrimp farms. The country is justly proud of its rich history and traditions in shrimp production. One of its peculiar features is the fragmented nature of the industry, with very large maturation operations that solely focus on the production of nauplii. Texcumar is one of the largest maturation facilities in Ecuador, with a total of 10 maturation rooms, 100 maturation tanks and the capacity to produce over 50 million nauplii daily. The large scale opens the door to new concepts and alternative formats in shrimp breeding. In December 2010, Texcumar partnered with six large producers representing over 7,000 ha of shrimp ponds with the objective of shaping a genetic program focused on the improvement of growth rates. The idea was to start with somewhat modest objectives and means, establish ways to objectively measure outcomes, gain confidence in the power of genetics and, if successful, venture into a global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 33 Table 1. Realized selection differentials and expected genetic gains for mass selections from commercial ponds. Average Realized Selection Differentials Dispatching nauplii. Farm Harvests Harvest Weight (g) Weekly Growth Rate (g) 1 2 3 4 5 3 3 3 4 2 4.1 1.9 3.0 3.3 4.3 0.21 0.08 0.21 0.21 0.11 Average Expected Genetic Gains* Days to Constant Harvest Weight -18 -10 -13 -17 -35 Harvest Weight (g) Weekly Growth Rate (g) Days to Constant Harvest Weight 1.23 0.57 0.90 0.98 1.28 0.064 0.024 0.063 0.063 0.033 -5.5 -3 -4 -5 -11 * Under a simplified set of assumptions, heritability of 0.3 and no GxE interactions with season. more sophisticated program a few years down the road. The crux of the program is the development of separate shrimp lines for each of the six producers with each line designed to match their localized needs. The starting point was an inventory of the genetic variability available, relying on the utilization of sets of genetic markers to characterize the different lines and enable the shaping of a framework that would allow effective long-term inbreeding management. From each associate farm, high-intensity selections are made from commercial ponds under commercial conditions at relevant target harvest weights. Two to four selections are accomplished from each farm every three months, with individual random samplings conducted immediately prior to the commercial harvests. Selected animals are taken to Texcumar, where their further growth is managed to reproductive competence. Females are later screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus, and only IHHNV-negative females are finally stocked in the maturation room for each associate farm. Larviculture is conducted separately from each maturation room, with a traceability framework that ensures the return to each farm of only postlarvae derived from the broodstock selected from that farm. Data Analysis Historic data were collected from the farms for the three years preceding the program. All new stockings are followed throughout growout, and harvest data are collected to establish statistical analyses and valid comparisons for the outcomes of the program. With nearly 11 months completed, 34 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate 10 shrimp/m2. The commercial realm is beyond the framework and basic structure of the family format, for we cannot stock entire ponds with single families. Because of that, we need an identification system like elastomer or genetic markers that for some reason impose severe limitations on the efficacy of the genetic program. the first commercial harvests are now taking place. Initial evaluations of the growth trends after this first-generation mass selection should be available within a few months. Simple, Effective Selection As simple and low cost as it is, this multiple-line mass-selection genetic system has the potential to be effective due to the high selection intensities applied and adequate addressing of genotypeenvironment interactions. It could deliver somewhat rapid results, enabling confidence in the power of genetic improvement and opening the door to more significant investments and commitments in subsequent years. It can only be implemented when the production system operates under a framework that does not recognize merit in the utilization of SPF or High Health animals and even further, believes in a production path based on the gradual build-up of disease resistance or tolerance in animals that survived and are bred from endemically contaminated environments. Furthermore, a multiple-line mass-selection genetic system like this can only be implemented when large maturation facilities are available. The selection differentials effectively accomplished by the program in this first year of execution and some theoretical estimates of the selection responses that could be expected under a number of simplified assumptions are provided in Table 1. New Family Program Format This involves a change from sib tests in experimental ponds to progeny tests in commercial ponds, unifying commercial and genetic evaluation systems into a single and joint framework, a modified dairy cattle model for shrimp breeding. System Shift New breeding formats could do away with the requirement for tagging thousands of shrimp. Classic family programs adopted for shrimp breeding are adequate when there are no important GxE interactions in the target production system. But when these interactions are present – as is the case in South and Central America – and when the family identification systems that are possible prevent many good field performance tests under real commercial conditions, the classical family format becomes very limited in its capability to deliver effective genetic improvement for the target commercial environments. Alternative shrimp-breeding family program formats that can capture all the relevant commercial data needed for effective family genetic selections are in demand. Mass-selection schemes can be accepted for some short-term limited objectives, but should be considered transient steps toward more sustainable breeding goals and strategies. Why is the classical family format unable to capture sufficient commercial data? Because one family is just a single spawn of 60,000 postlarvae at the most, which can only stock one 0.6-ha pond at How can we overcome this? Change the mindset from testing sibs to testing offspring. If we stock a commercial maturation tank with females from family A and males from family B, and have two or three replicate maturation tanks per specific family cross, we can obtain 4 million nauplii/day during 60 to 90 days. With 2 million PL10 of any given specific family cross available, we can stock 20 ha/day at 10 shrimp/m2. With the operational flexibility and infrastructure to stock larvae five or six days every month, and if broodstock are kept in production for three months, this yields the capacity to stock 360 ha of ponds with progeny from a specific family cross. A commercial maturation operation with 120 tanks in Ecuador can keep in production at any given time 40 specific family crosses with three replicate maturation tanks per family cross. If each family is represented in three crosses, that could mean over 1,000 ha of commercial ponds stocked with half-sib progeny from a single family. Of course we need to remember the obvious: We only need special systems for family identification when we cannot stock entire ponds to a single family. With the system proposed, we can do exactly that, therefore discarding any need for elastomer tagging or genetic markers and shaping a breeding program whose genetic evaluation framework reflects and even derives from real commercial data. There would be no artifacts or proxies, with no tank effects, covering all growout periods from stocking to harvest, without the need for problematic sampling schemes and without the influence of nuisance effects that can hinder the accuracy of the genetic evaluations, as is the case with elastomer tagging or genetic markers. Perspectives The breeding system described here is basically the one so successfully adopted for dairy cattle breeding for over 50 years. It is a progeny-testing scheme, while the classical family format for shrimp breeding is a sib-testing scheme. There are no doubt issues and limitations in this system being proposed, but the effort to overcome them would be more than compensated for by the invaluable genetic benefit of having thousands of hectares of real commercial data effectively structuring genetic evaluation and breeding programs. Large commercial maturation facilities are needed, but these already exist in Ecuador. Some operational and equipment adjustments need to be made in the commercial larviculture systems, and one generation would be lost in a system shift, but the current genetic improvement system is not effective. The new program introduces variability to the commercial system. Especially in the first generations, some families will have poor commercial results, but again, when the current genetic system is not very effective, that should not be a major issue. A small subset of broodstock from the tested families needs to be kept reproductively competent for a long period of time, awaiting the commercial results before the next generation crosses can be made from the selected families. This will likely be a major bottleneck. Also, growout cycles longer than 120 days will likely not be accommodated by this system, but there are ways to remedy this limitation. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 35 production tality caused by bacterial kidney disease in Chinook salmon, as well as the option to administer the drug to fish at either 10 or 15 mg/kg/day for 10 days. New Aquaculture Drugs Under FDA Review Hydrogen Peroxide: Oxidizing Agent Products Include Antibiotics, Oxidizing Agents, Sedative James D. Bowker U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program 4050 Bridger Canyon Road Bozeman, Montana 59715 USA jim_bowker@fws.gov Mark P. Gaikowski U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA Miranda Dotson (USFWS) performs a skin scrape on an adult rainbow trout used in a study to evaluate the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide to control infestations of Gyrodactylus salmonis. Summary: Only eight active pharmaceutical ingredients available in 18 drug products have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in aquaculture. The approval process can be lengthy and expensive, but several new drugs and label claims are under review. Progress has been made on approvals for Halamid (chloramine-T), Aquaflor (florfenicol) and 35% PeroxAid (hydrogen peroxide) as therapeutic drugs. Data are also being generated for AQUI-S 20E, a fish sedative. The process to gain approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of drugs on fish is long, arduous and expensive. Due to this regulatory process, as well as the relatively small size of the aquaculture industry in the U.S., no drug sponsor is willing 36 January/February 2012 to try to get it’s drug approved for the aquaculture market without extensive help from public data-generating partners (PDGPs), a small core group of federal, state and university researchers. Approval of a drug for use on fish is a huge milestone. However, the finish line hasn’t been crossed until end users are made aware of the new approval and how the drug can be used. Approved Active Ingredients Although aquaculture drug approvals occurred as early as 1964, only eight active ingredients (sold as 18 drug products) are currently approved as aquaculture drugs. These are florfenicol, formalin, human chorionic gonadotropin, hydrogen peroxide, oxytetracycline dihydrate, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, sulfadimethoxine + ormetoprim, and tricaine methanesulfonate. This may seem a paltry list, but aquaculture drug approval progress is difficult to measure, particularly when the number of approved drugs and their specific uses (referred to as claims) are the only metrics global aquaculture advocate used. What’s not widely known is the huge quantity of high-quality data that is continuously generated and accepted by the FDA to put drug sponsors one step closer to a new approval. Substantial progress has been made to gain initial approval for chloramine-T and expand current approvals for florfenicol and hydrogen peroxide as therapeutic drugs. In addition, a plan has been developed and some data generated to support an initial approval of AQUI-S 20E (10% eugenol) as a fish sedative. Data to support the approvals and label expansions were generated primarily by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program and the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, in collaboration with investigators from multiple federal, state and academic entities. The main author nets hybrid striped bass for a study to evaluate the effectiveness of florfenicol in controlling mortality caused by streptococcal disease. this product will be expanded to include claims for controlling mortality due to streptococcal disease or systemic columnaris disease in warmwater fish and mor- 35% PeroxAid (Eka Chemicals, Inc.) contains 35% hydrogen peroxide by weight and is a non-selective oxidizing agent currently approved by FDA to control mortality of freshwater-reared finfish eggs caused by saprolegniasis, mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids caused by bacterial gill disease and mortality in coolwater fish and channel catfish caused by external columnaris. Based on work done by PDGPs, it is likely the label for this product will be expanded to include the following uses: to control mortality caused by external columnaris in cool- and warmwater fish, mortality in all freshwater fish caused by saprolegniasis and the infestation density of Gyrodactylus salmonis on freshwaterreared salmonids. One issue identified during work by the PDGP to support the approval of hydrogen peroxide to control external parasites was that the typical U.S. drug approval process results in a claim to control a specific pathogen. All studies completed with hydrogen peroxide to control parasites have thus far only evaluated the response of G. salmonis, one of several hundred gyrodactylid species in North America. Further complicating is that very few individuals are capable of identifying parasites to species. If there were differences in the responses of gyrodactylids to hydrogen peroxide, users might not be able to determine when or if treatment was justified. To better understand the different Gyrodactylus species infesting freshwater fish, specimens were taken by hatcheries across the U.S. and provided to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service La Crosse Fish Health Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, for speciation. To date, all specimens taken from infested salmonids have been identified as G. salmonis. This information, combined with other available data, may allow the sponsor and PDPG to attain an all-Gyrodactylus claim for freshwaterreared salmonids. Regardless of how hydrogen peroxide is approved as a parasiticide, there should be three new claims for this product coming down the pipe. Chloramine-T: Oxidizing Agent Efforts have been under way for many years to gain an initial approval for Halamid (Axcentive SARL). Halamid It’s Not Fast Food — It’s Great Food Fast! Aquaflor: Antibiotic Aquaflor (Merck Animal Health) contains the broad-spectrum antibiotic florfenicol (50% by weight), which has activity against gram-negative and -positive bacteria through bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal properties. It is currently approved by FDA as a veterinary feed directive drug to be administered daily at 10 mg florfenicol/kg fish body weight for 10 days (standard dosage) to control mortality in channel catfish caused by enteric septicemia and mortality in freshwater salmonids caused by coldwater disease or furunculosis. Based on work done by the sponsor and some PDGPs, it is likely the label for When you order feed, you want it fast — without sacrificing quality. You can be certain that when you order your custom diet from Rangen, your shipment will be delivered promptly and to your exact specifications. At Rangen, we formulate custom diets for all species — cold water, warm water, floating feeds, or sinking feeds. There’s no cutting corners, so you’ll never have to worry about getting fast food... just great food fast. TM Aquaculture Feeds Division www.rangen.com (800) 657-6446 Idaho (208) 543-4698 Fax global aquaculture advocate (800) 272-6436 Texas (979) 849-6943 Fax January/February 2012 37 Feeding the World with Extraordinary Seafood Products. As the leading Chilean aquaculture and seafood company, Camanchaca is committed to the “GAA” vision of “Feeding the World through responsible Aquaculture”. With uncompromisingly high standards in all aspects of its operations, Camanchaca nurtures, processes and markets its superior quality products globally, under the Brand Names “Camanchaca Gourmet” and “Pier 33 Gourmet”. Camanchaca – the trusted name for quality seafood programs. (chloramine-T) is another non-selective oxidizing agent that is of great interest to aquaculture. Data generated by the PDGP are available to support a claim to control mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids caused by bacterial gill disease and to control mortality in warmwater fish and walleye caused by external columnaris. Axcentive SARL still has a bit of work to do in order to satisfy FDA requirements before an approval will be granted. Approval of chloramine-T will put one more tool in the medicine chest for fish culturists and other fisheries professionals. However, many fisheries researchers routinely sedate fish in field studies in which retaining them for the duration of the withdrawal period is impractical or impossible. Therefore, an effort was made to identify drugs with the potential for approval as an immediate-release sedative and solicit sponsors of these products to pursue U.S. approvals. Next, a group of fishery biologists directly involved in the aquaculture drug approval process were asked to delineate data requirements for each candidate sedative and gauge the interest of the sponsor to gain FDA approval. Several candidates were identified, Fish Sedatives but for a variety of reasons, the group of Fisheries professionals are in desperfishery biologists tasked with narrowing ate need of a safe and effective fish sedathe field decided that AQUI-S 20E (10% tive that allows fish to be released or eugenol, AQUI-S New Zealand, Ltd.) slaughtered immediately after sedation. was the candidate with the greatest Sedative products containing tricaine chance of gaining FDA approval in the methanesulfonate currently approved for shortest period of time. use on fish in the U.S. require a 21-day It’s a long way to the finish line on the withdrawal period before sedated fish can road to a drug approval, and any excitement be harvested or released into the wild. is often tempered with this reality. As with Although this withdrawal period poses any approval process, unforeseen circumfewer problems for cultured fish that remain stances could challenge the process, but the in the hatchery for the duration of this sponsor is actively engaged in the process period or small fish that will not reach legal and a solid strategy has been developed to harvestable/catchable size for three weeks. pursue an approval1:31 for the AlliancecGlobalAqua-bilingual:7.5x4.875 2011/11/24 PMproduct. Page In 1 addi- Protect Our Aquatic Animals New Aquatic Animal Import Requirements As of December 10, 2011, all imported finfish, molluscs and crustaceans, as well as their products, must be declared at the Canadian border. SALMON All aquatic animals listed in Schedule III of the Health of Animals Regulations must have an import permit from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). An export health certificate from the country of origin may also be needed, which reflects recommended international standards as prescribed in the import permit. MUSSELS These shipments may be refused entry if they do not have the proper permit or if they fail to meet its requirements. The CFIA is responsible for preventing the introduction and spread in Canada of aquatic animal diseases of finfish, molluscs and crustaceans through importations. For more information on the National Aquatic Animal Health Program, call 1-800-442-2342 or visit www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic. LANGOSTINOS SCALLOPS ABALONE Camanchaca Inc. • 7200 N.W. 19th Street • Suite 410 • Miami, FL USA 33126 • 800.335.7553 • www.camanchacainc.com Pesquera Camanchaca S.A. • El Golf 99-Piso 11 • Las Condes, Santiago, Chile • www.camanchaca.cl 38 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate tion, FDA has indicated that data requirements for a sedative that would allow fish, particularly those caught in the wild and not likely to be harvested immediately upon release, to be sedated once in their lifetimes should be different from those for standard microbicidal drugs. Currently, the plan is to have one lab conduct studies to demonstrate safety and effectiveness, while another lab conducts studies to support acute risk exposure and residue depletion. The sponsor is conducting studies to fulfill the product chemistry, toxicology and environmental safety of AQUI-S 20E. Once things get under way, an initial approval may take only three to five years. global aquaculture ® Join the world’s leading aquaculture organization. Protégeons nos animaux aquatiques Nouvelles exigences concernant les importations d’animaux aquatiques Depuis le 10 décembre 2011, tous les poissons, mollusques et crustacés importés, ainsi que les produits qui en sont dérivés, doivent être déclarés à la frontière canadienne. Tous les animaux aquatiques figurant sur la liste de l’annexe III du Règlement sur la santé des animaux doivent être accompagnés d’un permis d’importation délivré par l’Agence canadienne d’inspection des aliments (ACIA). Un certificat sanitaire d’exportation provenant du pays d’origine peut également être exigé, ce qui correspond aux normes internationales recommandées selon les exigences du permis d’importation. Il se peut que des envois ne puissent entrer au Canada s’ils ne sont pas accompagnés du permis demandé ou s’ils ne répondent pas aux exigences stipulées dans le permis. L’ACIA est chargée de prévenir l’introduction et la propagation au Canada des maladies touchant les animaux aquatiques lors d’importations de poissons, de mollusques et de crustacés. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements sur le Programme national de santé des animaux aquatiques, veuillez appeler au numéro 1-800-442-2342 ou consulter la page Web www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatique. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 39 production Early Mortality Syndrome Affects Shrimp In Asia Donald V. Lightner, Ph.D. OIE Reference Laboratory for Shrimp Diseases Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA dvl@email.arizona.edu R. M. Redman C. R. Pantoja, Ph.D. B. L. Noble Loc Tran Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology University of Arizona Summary: Early mortality syndrome is a new disease that has been detected at shrimp farms in Asia. It appears within 30 days of stocking and causes symptoms that include lethargy; soft, darkened shells and mottling of the carapace. The physiological effects of EMS appear to be limited to the hepatopancreas. In the terminal stages of the highly fatal disease, secondary bacterial infection further damages the hepatopancreas. The cause of EMS is under investigation. A new disease appeared in shrimp farms located in southern China and Hainan Island in 2010. By early 2011, “early mortality syndrome” (EMS) was also detected in Vietnam and Malaysia. The disease appears within 20 to 30 days of stocking ponds with postlarvae. Both black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, and Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, are affected by the disease. Mortalities can approach 100% in severely affected ponds, where diseased shrimp become lethargic and anorexic. Upon simple dissection, the hepatopancreas organs of the shrimp may appear atrophied and whitish with black streaks. Other signs include a soft, generally darker shell and mottling of the carapace. Pathology Both P. monodon and L. vannamei with EMS present the same pathology. Samples of shrimp preserved for histology have shown the effects of EMS appear to be limited to the hepatopancreas (H.P.). Progressive dysfunction of the H.P. results from lesions that reflect degeneration and dysfunction of the tubule epithelial cells that progress from proximal to distal. The first changes observed in the hepatopancreases of affected shrimp is a marked reduction of fat storage cell vesicles and loss of oil/fat droplets, as well as a decrease in the activity of secretory cells. As the disease progresses, fat, basophilic 40 January/February 2012 and secretory cells degenerate and begin to round up, detach from the H.P. tubule basement membrane and slough into the H.P. tubule lumen. Concomitant with the degeneration of these cells in the more proximal regions of the H.P. tubules, the number of mitotically active E cells declines, and the marked inflammatory response is dominated by hemocyte infiltration and encapsulation of the affected H.P. tubules. As the tubule epithelial cells degenerate, their nuclei become variably hypertrophic, and the nuclei of most nuclei become enlarged. In the terminal stages of the disease, a severe secondary infection likely caused by opportunistic Vibrio bacteria occurs in the sloughed masses of epithelial cells in the H.P. tubule lumens. Affected shrimp die from H.P. dysfunction and the terminal vibrio infection. Etiology This degenerative pathology of the hepatopancreas is highly suggestive of a toxic etiology. Similar lesions have been reported in the H.P.s of shrimp exposed to aflatoxin B1 and the mitosis inhibitor benomyl, which supports this theory. Studies to determine the etiology of EMS run at the University of Arizona Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory have not been successful. The laboratory has tested commercial feeds collected at shrimp farms with EMS, and frozen samples of shrimp with EMS from affected global aquaculture advocate F B B R This 40x micrograph of a histological section of hepatopancreas shows normal secretory (B), fat storage (R) and highly basophilic (F) cells. E cells, many in mitosis, are seen in the inset (20x). In this 40x photomicrograph, hepatopancreas tissue from P. monodon is severely in the early stages of EMS. The distal tubule tips (with E cells) remain intact, but the more proximal portions of the H.P. tubules show necrosis and sloughing of tubule epithelial cells. L. vannamei hepatopancreas in the terminal phase of EMS. Among the sloughed H.P. tubule epithelial cells are masses of bacteria stained bluish (4x). farms were used in infectivity studies. A crustacide commonly used in the region to kill vectors of white spot syndrome prior to stocking has also been tested. To date, the University of Arizona lab has not experimentally induced lesions of the hepatopancreas consistent with those observed in shrimp with EMS. Sustainable - It’s just the right thing to do. Fully Integrated Shrimp and Tilapia Grobest Global Service Inc. 2125 Wright Avenue C-5, La Verne CA 91750 global aquaculture advocate TEL: (909) 596-9990, E-mail: mail@grobestusa.com January/February 2012 41 production Probiotics, Prebiotics In Aquatic Animals Probiotic Replicates 40% Dr. Daniel L. Merrifield Aquatic Animal Nutrition and Health Research Group School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences University of Plymouth A406 Portland Square Drake Circus Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA United Kingdom daniel.merrifield@plymouth.ac.uk Control Replicates Probiotic This microbial profile of the intestine of a tilapia after feeding on probiotic P. acidilactici reveals clear changes in the microbial communities, characterized by lower microbial diversity and the high presence of the probiotic in fish fed the product. 60% infection of G.I. mucosa. These include gastric acidity, the secretion of mucus, the acidic microenvironment of the apical brush border, cellular turnover and peristalsis. Bacteria must also negotiate the mucus layer, which provides an effective antibacterial barrier due to a range of active components that includes antibodThe use of probiotics is a promising method of modulating the gastrointestinal microbial ies, antibacterial peptides, lysozymes, populations of fish. Shown: cultured populations from the intestine of a rainbow trout. complement proteins, lectins and pentraxins, before bacterial-host cell interactions can occur. In turn, bacteria have evolved effective systems and mechanisms to overcome these antibacterial components. Indeed, Summary: many strains are able to adhere to and grow within fish intestinal A probiotic is a live microbial feed supplement that mucus. Before bacteria can colonize the intestinal mucus layer, improves the microbial balance of a host animal. A prehowever, they must survive gastric transit and outcompete combiotic is a non-digestible food ingredient that selectively ponents of the indigenous microbiota. stimulates the activity of bacteria in the intestine and thus The commensal G.I. populations do not merely play a key improves host health. Research has shown that probiotics role in excluding potentially pathogenic visitors by creating a and prebiotics can help mediate stress responses and imnatural defensive barrier. The establishment of the normal prove disease resistance, growth performance, feed utilizamicrobiota and the intimate relationships with the host epithelial tion, carcass composition and other traits by stimulating cells effectively primes regulatory mechanisms and stimulates the animals’ innate immune systems. development of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues. In light of the European Union ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters, environmentally friendly alternatives for disease prevention and growth enhancement of cultured fish must be sought. Methods for controlling microbial populations associated with aquatic animals and their rearing environments to reduce opportunistic pathogenic levels have become a prominent area of research. Gastric Microbiome Of Fish In similar fashion to that of mammals, the gastrointestinal (G.I.) microbiota of fish can be classed as either autochthonous or allochthonous populations. The autochthonous bacteria are those able to colonize the host’s epithelial surface or are associated with the microvilli, which can be considered as potentially resident populations, while allochthonous populations are transient visitors present in the lumen. The G.I. tract is a potential route of entry for many fish pathogens, and it is generally accepted that the indigenous microbial populations provide a defensive barrier. Fish have evolved an effective range of protective mechanisms to hinder pathogenic colonization, translocation and ultimately 42 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Zebrafish Model Much of our understanding of these complex systems in fish is due to ground-breaking work with zebrafish, Danio rerio, which have become perhaps the most important model for our understanding of the genetics underpinning fish development, functionality and disease. For example, gnotobiotic studies with zebrafish have demonstrated that the microbiota stimulates intestinal epithelial proliferation and impacts the expression of over 200 different genes relating to a wide range of biological functions, including metabolism, development, DNA replication and immunity. It is also interesting to note that certain genes are affected independently of the type of bacterial colonizer, yet the expression of other genes appears highly bacteria-specific. This indicates that at least a subset of zebrafish genes are responsive to factors present in only a subset of bacterial groups found within the gut populations. Other studies have reported that in the absence of microbiota, cass composition, gastric morphology, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant enzyme activities, gene expression and larval survival. Prebiotics and probiotics may also reduce malformations, lower blood cholesterol levels, modulate the gastric microbiome and mediate the stress responses of aquatic animals. Indeed, a vast body of data illustrates the potential benefits in regards to stimulating the innate immune system, both at the localized and systemic level. As a result, and likely in combination with microbial modulation, elevated disease resistance against a wide range of aquaculture-relevant pathogens has been observed with salmonids, European seabass, gilthead sea bream, carp, tilapia, African catfish, channel catfish, shrimp and various other aquaculture production species. These results have usually been obtained using experimental aquarium facilities, but some recent studies have begun to illustrate benefits at the industrial farm level. As such, many commercial dietary formulations now routinely include probiotics or prebiotics. In the short- to medium- term future, the full economic implications of these feed additives will become apparent. Future Perspectives the zebrafish gut epithelial mucosa fails to differentiate fully, as characterized by the lack of brush border alkaline phosphatase activity, immature patterns of glycan expression and a distinct reduction of goblet and enteroendocrine cells. The net effect of this is a lack of ability to uptake protein macromolecules. However, reintroduction of microbiota can reverse these phenotypic changes. Probiotics, Prebiotics Among the most promising methods of modulating the G.I. microbial populations of fish is the application of probiotics. The first generally accepted definition of a probiotic is a live microbial feed supplement that beneficially affects the host animal by improving its microbial balance. However, defining probiotics in aquaculture has been somewhat controversial and less clear cut than the definition proposed for terrestrial animals. Because fish are reared in an aqueous medium that supports microbial communities, unlike terrestrial animals, there is debate as to whether bacterial applications provided via rearing water, and whether modulation of the rearing water microbial communities or water parameters/chemistry, falls within the definition of a probiotic. Traditionally, it has been suggested that microbes which antagonize pathogens, but are not found to establish as part of the G.I. microbiome, are biocontrol agents. Microbial applications that improve the rearing water quality through breakdown of waste or pollutants, or other means are termed bioaugmentation or bioremediation. In contrast, defining a prebiotic for aquatic applications remains consistent with the definition put forward for terrestrial applications, which states that a prebiotic is a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and thus improves host health. While more investigations are focusing on prebiotic applications in aquatic animals, considerably less information is available compared to that for probiotics. The application of biotics for fish has garnered much interest, and today a large number of studies have demonstrated their potential benefits to aquatic hosts. However, these studies were generally laboratory based or conducted in small-scale aquarium facilities, and thus efficacy at the industrial farm level needs to be determined. Additionally, as many of the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways are poorly understood – as is the impact on indigenous microbes – the reproducibility of these applications is often problematic. Future studies must rectify these issues using gnotobiotic animals, metagenomics and post-genomic techniques. Pile Up Your Profits! BiOWISH™-AquaFarm is a powerful blend of natural bio-catalysts that improves water quality. Improves • Yield • Survival • Flavor Get Your Free Trial at www.biowishtech.com/aquafarm Aquaculture Benefits The application of probiotics and prebiotics for fish and shellfish is currently the focus of concerted research investigations. Such applications have been shown to improve health status, disease resistance, growth performance, feed utilization, car- Biological Help for the Human Race global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 43 production sustainable aquaculture practices Groundwater Quality In Aquaculture stone, the water attains high calcium and bicarbonate concentrations. Calcium in the aquifer, because it is held more tightly to cation exchange sites, will exchange with sodium in a process called natural softening of groundwater. Water from such aquifers has high alkalinity but low hardness concentration (Table 1, sample C). Saline Groundwater Well water can be routed through a series of screens or other porous media to increase aeration. Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D. Summary: Groundwater is often more concentrated in dissolved substances than in surface water. It also often has low redox potential, fairly low pH and different proportions of major ions than found in normal surface water or seawater. Those interested in using groundwater for aquaculture should perform a thorough chemical analysis of the water. Several problems related to groundwater use in hatcheries and holding or transport vessels can be alleviated by degassing or aeration. Water from wells is sometimes used in aquaculture systems. Rainwater that infiltrates the land surface percolates through soil and deeper geological formations until it reaches an impermeable stratum of rock. Water is trapped in voids of the geological formation above the impermeable, confining stratum. This saturated formation is called an aquifer, and water in it is known as groundwater. The best aquifers for wells are in formations of gravel or sand, but wells also are developed in silt, clay, cavernous limestone and fractured rock. Groundwater Issues Before reaching an aquifer, water percolates through the root zone, where it can become depleted of dissolved oxygen and charged with carbon dioxide because of respiration of soil organisms – especially in 44 January/February 2012 warm weather. Thus, groundwater often has low redox potential because of oxygen depletion and fairly low pH because of high carbon dioxide concentration. In cool climates and in winter, groundwater has high concentrations of gases because of low temperature, and it may not be altered much in gas composition while passing through the root zone. If water temperature is higher in aquifers than in infiltrating water, groundwater may become supersaturated with air. Water in aquifers moves in response to gravity and seeps into streams, lakes and oceans, but aquifers are recharged by infiltration. Nevertheless, a molecule of groundwater resides for months and often for years within voids of geological formations comprising aquifers. Prolonged, contact of water with the geological matrix of an aquifer favors dissolution of minerals, and groundwater often is more concentrated in dissolved substances Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36849 USA boydce1@auburn.edu than is surface water in a particular area. Minerals vary in solubility, and groundwater composition can be highly variable from one aquifer to another. Varied Chemistry Groundwater from gravel or sand formations – particularly in areas where soils are highly leached and bedrock is insoluble – can be weakly mineralized and acidic (Table 1, sample A). Groundwater from limestone formations, on the other hand, is basic in reaction with appreciable alkalinity and hardness (Table 1, sample B). In coastal areas, there can be aquifers in which water of marine origin has been displaced over geological time by freshwater. Cation exchange sites in the geological matrix of such an aquifer remain saturated with sodium. If water percolating into the aquifer passes through lime- In many regions, saline groundwater ranging from slightly brackish to more salty than seawater is rather common (Table 1, sample D). Sources of saline groundwater include intrusion of marine water into aquifers in coastal areas, dissolution of salt deposits of marine origin by infiltrating water or water in aquifers, and aquifers containing connate (or fossil) marine water. Saline groundwater often has different proportions of major ions than found in normal seawater. In particular, it may have lower concentrations of potassium and magnesium than would be expected in water of marine origin with the same salinity. Other Issues Groundwater low in pH and redox potential dissolves iron and manganese compounds that occur in water-bearing formations. It is not uncommon to find iron concentrations of 20-100 mg/L and manganese concentrations up to 20 mg/L in waters from some aquifers. Of course, if appreciable sulfate is present in waters of low redox potential, sulfide resulting from sulfate reduction can precipitate iron as iron sulfide, but the waters may have high sulfide concentration. Other water quality issues sometimes presented by groundwater are high concentrations of phosphate, nitrate or ammonia nitrogen (although seldom in combination), discoloration by humic substances, and elevated concentrations of one or more trace elements. In most areas, there is local knowledge about the suitability of surface water for aquatic life, but such information usually is lacking for groundwater. Those interested in using groundwater from wells for aquaculture purposes usually should have the potential source water subjected to a thorough chemical analysis. Degassing, Aeration Several problems related to groundwater use in hatcheries and holding or transport vessels – gas supersaturation; low dissolved-oxygen concentration; high concentrations of carbon dioxide, ferrous iron, manganous manganese and sulfide; and excess bicarbonate and calcium – can be alleviated by degassing or aeration. Water can be routed to fall through a series of screens or other porous media to increase the area of contact with air. This degases water or add dissolved oxygen – whichever is necessary. Ferrous iron and manganous manganese are oxidized and precipitate, and removal of carbon dioxide from some waters causes calcium and bicarbonate to precipitate as calcium carbonate. These precipitates can remain suspended in water long enough to harm eggs and larvae, and thus should be removed by sedimentation or sand filtration. Groundwater for use in ponds usually does not have to be degassed or aerated, because the rate of inflow into ponds is slow enough for the processes described above to occur naturally without harm to the culture species. Hatchery, Pond Use Acidic water for hatcheries may need to be treated with liming material. Also, in ponds with acidic, low-alkalinity water, liming is necessary to provide a good aquaculture environment. In ponds filled with water of low hardness and high alkalinity, photosynthesis will cause abnormally high pH. This perturbation can be avoided by treating ponds with calcium sulfate or calcium chloride to increase hardness to a concentration approximately equal to alkalinity. The treatment rates can be estimated by multiplying the difference in alkalinity and hardness by 1.72 for calcium sulfate. Marine shrimp can be cultured in inland areas in ponds filled with lowsalinity, 2- to 10-ppt groundwater. Where potassium or magnesium concentration is low, muriate of potash fertilizer or potassium magnesium sulfate can be applied to ponds. It is economically feasible to raise potassium concentration to the level that would occur in seawater diluted to the salinity of the pond water. This concentration can be estimated by multiplying the salinity of the pond water by 10.7. Usually, it is too expensive to increase magnesium concentration by more than 10 or 20 mg/L. A chelating agent can be added to water from hatcheries to chelate heavy metals and render them nontoxic. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment at 5-10 mg/L is often used. Table 1. Quality of water from four wells in Hale County, Alabama, USA. Variable pH Carbon dioxide Dissolved oxygen Total alkalinity Calcium Magnesium Potassium Sodium Chlorine Sulfate Phosphate-phosphorus Iron Total ammonia nitrogen global aquaculture advocate B C D A 8.0 3.1 1.2 171.4 45.2 3.4 4.6 46.8 86.10 4.0 0.104 0.64 0.45 8.4 0 0.4 260.1 1.6 0.2 1.3 105.7 3.85 2.0 0.032 0.04 0.31 7.4 – 0 106.6 185.3 41.3 13.6 1,412.5 3,110.70 6.7 0.004 10.00 0.53 5.7 26.4 2.2 11.0 2.2 1.1 4.9 1.0 3.40 5.0 0.015 0.30 0.01 global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 45 production Blue Catfish Outproduce Channel Catfish Under Low-D.O. Conditions Les Torrans, Ph.D. Summary: Although there is increasing interest in blue catfish, a potential disadvantage of the fish when compared to channel catfish is their reported poorer tolerance of low dissolved-oxygen concentrations. Studies found that gross and net production were both higher for blue catfish than channel cats reared under lower D.O. concentrations. A clear but not statistically significant trend showed blue catfish consumed more feed than channel catfish at D.O. levels down to 1.4 mg/L. Until recently, channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, accounted for nearly all of the commercial catfish food fish production in the United States. However, there is increasing commercial interest in blue catfish, I. furcatus. Blue catfish are used in the production of hybrid catfish (channel catfish female x blue catfish male), which are becoming increasingly popular with commercial catfish producers in the U.S. Production of hybrid catfish fry has increased from approximately 2 million in 2001 to over 110 million fry in 2011. Blue Characteristics While valuable for their contribution 46 January/February 2012 to the hybrid fish, blue catfish have several desirable characteristics that make them of potential interest as a farmed species. Blue catfish are more resistant than channel catfish to several major diseases, including enteric septicemia of catfish, proliferative gill disease and channel catfish virus. Blue catfish also are more resistant than channel catfish to environmental nitrite, a cause of methemoglobinemia or “brown blood disease.” Blue catfish are very easy to seine, likely due to their preference for midwater habitat. A near-total harvest is possible with one seine haul. They normally exhibit uniform growth, and their aggressive feeding nature makes them more desirable for use in pay lakes. When processed, they have a greater whole fish yield (headed, gutted, skinned) than channel catfish. On the down side, blue catfish yield slightly smaller shank fillets and larger nuggets (lower-valued “belly flap” and meat associated with the rib cage) than channel catfish. They also have sharper pectoral spines, and don’t tolerate handling as well, particularly at high water temperatures. They can take five years to reach sexual maturity, compared to two or three years for channel catfish, requiring greater investment in time and space. Dissolved Oxygen Tolerance Perhaps the greatest potential disadvantage of blue catfish when compared to global aquaculture advocate channel catfish is their reported poorer tolerance of low dissolved-oxygen (D.O.) concentrations. While D.O. concentration can be increased with aeration, a higher D.O. requirement would increase production costs and the risk of anoxiarelated mortality. The author’s Catfish Genetics Research Unit conducted several studies to examine the impacts of lower nighttime D.O. concentrations on the feed intake, growth and production of blue catfish, and directly compared their tolerance to that of channel catfish under lowD.O. conditions. Growth, Production The growth and production of an unselected commercial strain of channel catfish were similar to those of a D & B strain of blue catfish when reared under high D.O. conditions in 0.4-ha ponds with minimum D.O. concentrations above 4.3 mg/L. Mean weight gain (0.66 kg), gross production (7,555 kg/ha), net production (6,661 kg/ha), feed intake (15,022 kg/ha) and feed-conversion ratio (2.26) were all similar between species. However, gross production (7,706 and 6,588 kg/ha for blues and channels, respectively) and net production (6,882 and 5,524 kg/ha) were both significantly higher for blue catfish when reared under lower minimum D.O. concentrations – an average minimum D.O. concentration from June through September of 2.45 versus 2.62 mg/L for blues and channels, respectively. Reduced Feed Intake Two additional studies were conducted examining only blue catfish reared under high- and low-D.O. conditions. When the results of these three studies and other Since blue catfish have higher whole fish yield than channel catfish, raising blues for the whole fish market would be profitable for both producers and processors. previously published studies with channel catfish are summarized (Figure 1), there is a consistent pattern of reduced feed intake with lower D.O. concentrations. At mean minimum D.O. concentrations near or above 3.0 ppm, D.O. levels have no significant effect on either blue catfish or channel catfish, with both species showing similar feed intake (shown in chart), growth, production and feed conversion. As the mean minimum D.O. concentration decreases below 3 mg/L, feed intake progressively decreases when compared to controls reared under highD.O. conditions. The overall trend is for channel catfish feed intake to be reduced by 5% when D.O. concentration decreases to 2.5 ppm (approximately 32% mean air saturation), by 13% at 2.0 ppm (27% saturation) and by 36% at 1.5 ppm (19% saturation). There is a clear trend for blue catfish to consume more feed than channel catfish at similar D.O. concentrations down to 1.4 mg/L, although this difference is not statistically significant. Although the author cannot say with certainty that blue catfish perform better than channel catfish at lower D.O. concentrations, it appears they do at least as well. Control Feed Consumption (%) Blue catfish typically exhibit uniform growth and are easy to seine, likely due to their preference for mid-water habitat. Research Fishery Biologist USDA Agricultural Research Service Catfish Genetics Research Unit 141 Experiment Station Road P. O. Box 38 Stoneville, Mississippi 38776 USA les.torrans@ars.usda.gov There may be no clear “better fish” when all other comparative research on the two species is considered. Diets, genetics, climates and culture systems all have impacts, but overall, it appears that blue catfish do well enough in most comparisons to justify commercial production in their own right. Blue Catfish Potential Approximately 10 commercial channel catfish hatcheries in the U.S. offer or plan to offer hybrids. Most hybrids are produced by hand-stripping eggs from female catfish induced to ovulate with hormone injections. Testes must be surgically removed from male catfish to provide sperm, so male blue catfish cannot be used more than once. Most producers breed a crop of blue catfish every year or two to replace the males needed for hybrid production. But since a limited number of breeders are required, farmers tend to have excess blue catfish. When the fish reach market size at 2 years old, the blue males necessary for the hybrid program could be kept, with the remainder of the fish sold to processors that market whole catfish to take advantage of the superior whole fish yield of blue catfish. While not a large volume compared to the catfish industry as a whole, this small-scale food fish production of blue catfish could turn a profit for both producers and processors. 120 100 Figure 1. Feed intake of blue and channel catfish expressed as a percent feed intake of control fish maintained at minimum D.O. concentrations over 4.0 mg/L. 80 60 40 20 0 Channel Catfish Blue Catfish 0 1 2 3 4 5 Mean Minimum D.O. Concentration (mg/L) global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 47 production the bottom line PPI: New Metric For Measuring Productivity, Predicting Profitability www NEW w .inve e aqua bsite cultu re.co m PPI is a productiontype metric that can predict profitability with greater precision than other metrics. Thomas R. Zeigler, Ph.D. Summary: A proposed new metric, the production productivity index (PPI), reports daily production for shrimp postlarvae. The new metric converts production data into relative terms, allowing meaningful comparisons across farms and individual ponds regardless of production days, pond size or stocking density. The index is easy to calculate and can be a very useful tool in measuring the effects of different feeds, feed additives, pond additives and management practices. We are all aware of the often-quoted United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization statistics indicating that aquaculture is the fastest-growing form of animal agriculture, averaging 8.5% annual productivity increases over the last two decades. This growth has occurred in multiple formats, including increased land acreage and number of facilities, increased use of offshore systems and the intensification of existing facilities. In planning for continued growth, determining the point of diminishing returns with regard to the intensification or modification of existing facilities is of particular interest. Currently, however, there is no reliable, practical metric that allows financial institutions, farm owners, farm managers and biologists to determine 48 January/February 2012 the effects of management protocols on the profitability of a facility or make profitability comparisons between facilities. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” is a frequently repeated maxim of effective management. It works well in many cases, but it also implies that we are able to measure the right factors. Since profits are a primary objective in the shrimp-farming industry, we should be measuring production factors that closely correlate with profitability. Yet if one inquires within the industry as to the most important metrics for predicting performance and profitability, a variety of answers are received. Some prefer growth rate per week, others feed-conversion ratio. Survivability and cost of feed are also mentioned on the list. The metric identified most frequently as the best is kilograms of shrimp produced per hectare. Profits, Incentives Vendors who supply goods and services to the industry do so with the expectation that their products will contribute to increased profitability. Since the full economic data of farms is seldom shared with others outside the companies, it is difficult to demonstrate with a high degree of confidence that the goods or services actually do increase profits. Having a production-type metric that can predict profitability with greater precision is an industry need, but what is the best metric? Production managers and farm workers are frequently paid financial incentives global aquaculture advocate Senior Technical Advisor Past President and Chairman Zeigler Bros., Inc. P. O. Box 95 Gardners, Pennsylvania 17324 USA tom.zeigler@zeiglerfeed.com Scott Snyder Ph.D. Animal Nutritionist Zeigler Bros., Inc. based on reaching production or profit improvements, or specific targets. However, farm profitability is dependent upon shrimp markets and selling prices for shrimp – outcomes not under the control of the production teams or individuals. Effective incentive plans should be based on production metrics closely correlated to pond productivity and/or profitability. Again, the question becomes what metrics should be used? According to the law of diminishing returns, it can be expected that incremental improvements in farm productivity may become smaller over time. This requires that the metrics used to measure these differences become more precise and have the ability to detect and interpret smaller and smaller differences. The best balance Artemia has long been aquaculture’s preferred larval feed. Its natural origin, however, implies limitations in its availability. INVE Aquaculture’s premium quality dry diets are part of high performance larval feeding regimes, allowing for the best balance between nature and formulation. Proposed Metric In order to address the questions above, a new metric, the production productivity index (PPI), is proposed for industry consideration. PPI, which reports the daily production for shrimp postlarvae, equalizes all ponds for size, production days and stocking density. PPI can be expressed as follows: global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 49 PPI Test Model In testing the index, researchers at Zeigler Brothers collected complete production and economic data for a single 40 Profits (%) 30 20 10 0 10 12 14 16 -10 -20 Perspectives Production Productivity Index Figure 1. Profitability prediction chart. Table 1. Production and economic data for a single crop at one commercial farm. Value Range Number of Ponds Total area (ha) Pond size (ha) Stocking density (postlarvae/m2) Number of days Weekly temperature (° C) Postlarvae size (g) Date stocked Date harvested 27 77.31 2.86 average 19.2 average 78.7 average 24.7 average 15 average March May, June 2.06-4.81 14.9-25.0 68.0-88.0 20.8-26.8 13-23 Results Harvest weight (g) Survival (%) Feed-conversion ratio Gain/week (g) Yield (kg/ha) Profit/pond (%) Production productivity index 10.68 average 90.4 average 1.19 average 0.95 average 1,809 average 18.8 average 12.0 average 7.75-13.70 68.0-114.0 1.00-1.37 0.80-1.13 1,081-2,574 9.6-34.8 9.4-14.9 Table 2. Correlation to profitability coefficients. Production Metric Pond size Stocking density Survival Feed-conversion ratio Days in pond Harvest size Shrimp value/unit weight Yield (kg/ha) Production productivity index 50 January/February 2012 R2 .001 .004 .010 .090 .200 .390 .460 .590 0.79 global aquaculture advocate concluded that the data represented a good model for testing the PPI. Calculations were first made to test the reliability of typical production metrics to predict profitability by calculating the correlation coefficients (Table 2). The correlation coefficients for pond size, stocking density, survival and feed-conversion ratio were all less than 0.1. Other coefficient values were 0.2 for days in the pond, 0.39 for harvest size and 0.46 for the value of the shrimp at harvest. The production metric with the highest correlation to profitability (0.59) was pond yield, but this would not be considered a reliable predictor of profitability. The data predicting profitability as a function of PPI is expressed in Figure 1. The regression line predicts an increase in profitability of 6.64% for each single unit increase in PPI with a probability of 0.79. Although this correlation is not as high as desired, it is significantly higher than all the other metrics evaluated. At harvest, some of the ponds had larger shrimp that sold at higher prices. Had the shrimp all been sold at the same price, the correlation for PPI would have increased. global aquaculture Total production per unit of pond area is a popular metric used to measure both productivity and profitability, but it is greatly influenced by the length of time the shrimp are grown and the number of shrimp stocked per unit of pond area. Therefore, the total production per unit of pond area is equalized in terms of days and stocking densities. With PPI, the unit of time is one day, and the stocking density is equalized to units of 10 animals/m2. crop at one commercial farm in 2011. The crop statistics and general results are presented in Table 1. The farm contained 27 ponds totaling 77.31 ha. Pond size averaged 2.86 ha and ranged in size from 2.06 to 4.81 ha. Stocking density averaged 19.2 postlarvae/m2 and ranged 14.9 to 25/m2. Production ranged from 68 to 88 days and averaged 78.7 days. There was some variation in the size of the postlarvae stocked and considerable variation in average weekly temperatures during the production period. Not surprisingly, production results varied significantly among the 27 ponds. Since the overall variation experienced was considered representative of most production situations, however, it was PPI is a better predictor of crop profitability and measure of overall pond productivity than the metrics typically used. The index is easy to calculate and recommended for inclusion in weekly pond reports. For semi-intensive farms, values tend to range from 6 to 20 and as high as 24 for indoor recirculating projects. PPI can be a very useful tool in measuring the effects of different feeds, feed additives, pond additives, management practices and other factors that need to be evaluated with greater precision to constantly improve profitability in the industry. In addition, it has the potential to contribute to more effective incentive and bonus programs. Also, the production productivity index can be used very effectively in comparing performance among ponds within the same crop, performance among crops or even performance among farms. The fact that PPI does not take into consideration the value of the shrimp at harvest limits its ability to more closely predict profitability. Also, it was not successful in predicting profitability of a crop that included multiple harvests, where the correlation coefficient was 0.49. Bottom Line: Better metrics lead to higher profits. the PPI = kg/ha/day/10 Pl per m2 ew som n thing NOW... read each issue of the Advocate in electronic form at www.gaalliance.org. It’s informative. It’s easy. And it’s free! global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 51 production ASAIM Addresses Challenges To Growth Of Marine Fish Farming In Southeast Asia Lukas Manomaitis Technical Director, Aquaculture American Soybean Association International Marketing Program Southeast Asian Regional Office 541 Orchard Road #11-03 Liat Towers Singapore 238881 luke@seafoodconsulting.com main Asian landmass and in the island archipelagos of Indonesia and Philippines. Marine aquaculture is already established in SEA with a wide variety of mid- to highvalue marine species produced, from milkfish and Asian sea bass to various species of groupers. ASAIM helped bring staff from marine hatcheries in Southeast Asia to visit and learn from hatchery operations in China. Summary: Southeast Asia offers a favorable environment for increased marine aquaculture production. In its efforts to advance sustainable aquaculture practices and the use of soy-based feeds in the region, the American Soybean Association International Marketing Program has identified several challenges. ASAIM technical experts are recommending changes in techniques and equipment to improve the quality and quantity of marine fingerlings. Hatcheries must address the genetics of their broodstock and improve culture conditions and feeding practices to lessen the effects of disease. As the world’s demand for high-quality seafood products continues to rise, future increases in production are unlikely to come from wild sources, and traditional aquaculture-producing areas will be strained to compensate. In China, for example, seafood demand is increasing, but the country is seeing a decrease in culture areas for marine fish, with desired coastal areas for pond and cage farming being taken away in favor of residential and tourism development. Fortunately, a nearby area has many qualities suitable for marine fish aquaculture production. Geographically, climatically and resource-wise, Southeast Asia (SEA) has a very favorable situation for increasing production. It is situated close to China, a large and growing market, while having strong domestic markets itself. Climatically, much of SEA is in the sub-tropical to tropical zone, which allows year-round culture of marine species. Resource-wise, SEA has long stretches of coastline, both on the 52 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate ASAIM Recently, the American Soybean Association International Marketing (ASAIM) Program, a non-profit, international marketing organization supported by United States soybean farmers and the U.S. government, has been focusing its efforts to advance sustainable aquaculture systems on marine fish aquaculture in cages and ponds in Asia. While developing technological approaches to improve aquaculture production, the program is also helping the aquaculture industry move away from dependence on low-quality inputs, such as powder feeds and so-called “trash fish,” by showing the utility of soy as a primary protein replacement for fishmeal and other marine-based ingredients in formulated feeds. Marine Culture Challenges In its work with varied aquaculture stakeholders in Southeast Asia, ASAIM has identified several challenges to further development in SEA. The first is the sustainable development of the industry using the best technological and production approaches. The focus of the SEA marine fish aquaculture industry should not be to replicate the experience of the Chinese producers. China has seen overuse of common nearshore waters, with both a negative visual situation with thousands of cages filling protected coves and bays, and a negative culture situation with low fish survival. In the opinion of ASAIM, this is a regulatory and education issue that can and should be addressed by those governments and industry groups that are willing to take appropriate action. The ASAIM program is already working with the industry to educate both farmers and governments on better approaches, including work this year on a practical model for use of common water resources for use by regulatory agencies. Other critical issues of importance are the use of trash fish as a food source, identification of appropriate diets for specific marine species, use Dr. Eric Peatman shared practical advice on starting basic genetics programs with hatchery operators and other stakeholders in Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. of formulated feeds, security of cage operations, diseases and developing stable markets, both domestic and international. Seedstock Needed One area overrides most others from the ASAIM standpoint: the need for a base of high-quality, disease-free, genetically fit fingerlings that can be sourced in large volumes to grow the industry. This was the experience of ASAIM in China with freshwater species, where it was critical to develop quality seed for the industry to thrive and expand. In SEA, many government and private hatcheries have been operating for quite some time to provide a variety of marine fish fingerlings to farming operations. In the past 10 years, ASAIM has visited many hatcheries in the region and concluded the hatchery industry needs more focused attention. Technologically, hatcheries in SEA are often run as a complete operation, with broodstock holding, spawning, egg hatching, initial live foods production and sometimes growth into the nursery stage before fingerlings are sold to farmers. This is in contrast to the highly efficient Taiwan model, in which each life stage is typically focused upon by one operation. Initially it was thought that this was a major block to expansion, as many hatcheries were not using the most up-to-date practices at their operations. As a result, ASAIM brought select groups of hatchery staff from SEA to visit and learn from the hatchery operations in Taiwan and China. In addition, ASAIM brought technical experts into SEA hatcheries to physically inspect the production techniques and provide expert advice. In many areas, minor changes in techniques and equipment could result in dramatic improvements for hatcheries and positively impact the industry. Genetics Genetics is a key aspect of hatchery development that will take significant effort to address, for unlike most freshwater fish and shrimp, marine fish take a long time to reach maturity. Development of broodstock is a slow and high-risk process. Hatchery owners may hold and feed a brooder for many years before any possible production of eggs or sperm as a return on their investments. In working with the industry, ASAIM has seen little attention paid to the genetic aspect of marine fish broodstock. Farmers in Thailand, for example, complain that fish don’t perform as well as they did 10 years ago. This same thought has been expressed in the Philippines, Indonesia and elsewhere with marine fish aquaculture industries. At least part of this decline in performance is believed to be caused by simple inbreeding depression, which happens when fish from similar backgrounds are repeatedly bred together. Few hatcheries in SEA pay close attention to the genetics of their broodstock, many of which may have come from a small initial population without further effort to bring in new, outside stock. The desire to select fast growers for broodstock development often leads to close family siblings being bred together. ASAIM has started to bring in experts to help with this issue. In 2010, Dr. Morten Rye discussed fish genetic issues with a regional audience at the ASAIM Aquaculture Meeting in the Philippines. In 2011, ASAIM brought Dr. Eric Peatman to hatchery operations and stakeholder groups in Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. Both experts highlighted the importance of genetics to the marine fish industry. Peatman particularly shared practical advice on starting a basic genetics program. Disease Issues Diseases have also played an important role in the lack of quantity and quality of fingerlings. Broodstock are difficult to acquire and develop, so hatchery managers desire to keep them as long as possible and give them the best foods possible to promote rapid development and optimal spawning. Initial broodstock are often sourced from the wild or existing aquaculture operations. While in the hatchery system, broodstock are usually fed a variety of unprocessed or lightly processed fresh fish or other seafood products, sometimes with extra vitamins, minerals or other additives. But obtaining fish from the wild and using fresh feeds are causes of concern as possible vectors for disease. While most parasites and bacterial infections can be effec- No matter the size or scope of your project, Aquatic Eco-Systems can help bring your ideas to life with equipment, supplies and complete system packages. And free expert advice is always in stock. Phone: +1 407 886 3939 • Online: AquaticEco.com • global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 53 Global Aquaculture Alliance has partnered with Mulligan Printing Co. to promote programs for Sustainable Forestry & Cleaner Air. GoinG Green with MulliGAn inCludeS our: Pure Power cleaner air program utilizing AmerenUE’s renewable energy. 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Mulligan just purchased an 8-pocket inserter to give the added flexibility needed to machine insert several items into one envelope. To compliment our Mailing Service we have added a new Digital department by purchasing the Ricoh C-900 Digital Press plus an off line UV coater. Let’s get personal – Mulligan can now offer PURLS using Variable Data Processing. A Personalized URL (PURL) is a web address that incorporates personal information like the recipient’s name into the address, allowing the page to be automatically customized for each person that visits. The PURL is unique to each mail piece. This multi-media, multi touch approach provides immediate personalized on-line access to your products, information and services. All of the above is produced with our Union Production Staff. It’s time for you to partner with Mulligan on your next Marketing Project. Mark is waiting for your call. Direct: 314-336-9242 • Fax: 314-621-7585 E-Mail: mark.gabauer@weprint.com 54 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate tively treated, viral diseases are not treatable. Logically, broodstock that are infected with untreatable viral illnesses that can be passed to their offspring should be killed. However, this is not the typical approach seen in the industry. Broodstock are rarely quarantined and tested for viral or other infections before being brought into the general broodstock population. Because they are often fed wet feeds made from other seafood, brooders are repeatedly exposed to potential sources for infection by parasites, bacteria or viruses. Testing existing broodstock for possible viral infections is also uncommon. What this leads to is potential subclinical infections of both the brooders and their progeny. During stressful events, valuable brooders may be lost when disease expresses itself. Growout farmers may be surprised when the fingerlings they assumed were of good quality suddenly die during a stressful event – a possible sign of an initially subclinical infection that started in the hatchery. Even when fish are protected from infection during growout with formulated feeds and good culture practices, not much can be done if fish are already infected with a viral disease. Benefits From New Approach In recent ASAIM work with the marine fish hatchery industry, it appears many hatcheries are still not paying attention to these issues, but some are realizing the benefits of changing their approaches. In this coming year, ASAIM is continuing work with several government and private hatcheries that have expressed interest in learning how to better manage their hatcheries, broodstock feed approaches and futures. By highlighting issues and working with industry, including other companies and organizations with an interest in marine fish, ASAIM hopes to help the Southeast Asia marine fish aquaculture industry rapidly improve and expand. Even when fish are protected from infection during growout with formulated feeds and good culture practices, not much can be done if fish are already infected with a viral disease. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 55 production Aquaculture Of Amazon Fish In Latin America The Amazon basin presents the largest fish diversity in the world, and many of the local species have great potential for aquaculture. This biodiversity comes from the great differences in water quality, soils, topography, vegetation and microclimates that exist within the largest river basin in the world, which spans over 7 million km2 in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Most aquaculture of Amazon fish is done in ponds or small reservoirs with fingerlings acquired from private or governmental institutions. Production usually uses formulated fish feeds and little agriculture or local by-products. Brazil is responsible for almost 80% of the production of Amazon fish species in South America (Table 1.). Colombia is the second-biggest producer with almost 16%. There is little doubt that a significant part of the production in Latin America is unreported. Fish are usually sold at local or regional markets, with limited international commerce due to the small production scale, high local value, logistical restrictions and low recognition of the species in the international market. Due to their freshness, cultured fish are usually well regarded by consumers. Surubim are carnivorous catfish with high-quality, boneless filets that attract high market prices. mt. The fish are usually grouped together and called “round fish” due to their disc-shaped body form and similarities in biology and culture requirements. Most of the production of these species is done in ponds or reservoirs with fingerlings acquired mostly from private producers. Fingerling production represents no challenges. Feeding is usually done with formulated fish feeds that contain 28% crude protein. For reference, in Brazil, the fish are usually sold at local or regional markets for prices of U.S. $2.50-3.50/kg at the producer level. These species have also been introduced to Asia, where production is reported in China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia. Brycon Species Several Brycon species are grown in the Amazon region. The most important is Brycon amazonicus, which has a large geographic distribution in South America. The fish are omnivores and very voracious eaters. Usually fed 28%-crude protein pellets, they reach 0.7 to 1.5 kg in a production cycle of six to 10 months. Pseudoplatystoma There are hundreds of species of catfish in the Amazon basin, but only fish from the Pseudoplatystoma genus have been cultured until now. The Pseudoplatystoma are carnivorous catfish that yield high-quality, mild-tasting, boneless fillets that attract high market prices. The official annual production for 2009 was estimated at slightly over 3,200 mt, mainly in Brazil. The actual production numbers were likely significantly higher. Of the many species of Pseudoplatystoma in the Amazon basin, only P. reticulatum, a species also known as surubim in Brazil (among other regional names), has been cultured. P. corruscans from the Paraná River basin are also raised, usually in a cross with P. reticulatum. Surubim are grown mostly in earthern ponds, but there is also some cage production. Fingerlings stocked at 15 g in ponds reach market size of around 1.5 to 2.0 kg in a year. Surubim are typically fed extruded floating pellets with 40 to 42% crude protein and 6 to 10% lipid content, and achieve feed-conversion ratios around 2:1. The fish accept protein of plant origin fairly well, but usually about 25% of the protein in their feed comes from animal by-products to improve palatability. Fingerling production is a significant hurdle due to the small hatching size below 3 mm and their carnivorous habit. The fish have to be trained to accept commercial fish feeds, but several fingerling producers have been able to supply large quantities to fish farmers. The surubim are frequently crossed within the species of the Colossoma, Piaractus Tambaqui is the main fish farmed in the Amazon. The hardy species has an adaptive lip that allows it to gather oxygen-rich surface water. João Lorena Campos, M.S. Acqua Imagem Serviços em Aquicultura Ltda. R. Mirassol, 275 Jd. do Lago 13203-621 Jundiaí, S.P. – Brazil joaocampos@acquaimagem.com.br Eduardo Ono, M.S. Fernando Kubitza, Ph.D. Acqua Imagem Serviços em Aquicultura Ltda. Summary: Many fish species that live in the Amazon basin have great potential for aquaculture. The main species currently cultured in the region is tambaqui, a fast-growing, omnivorous fish that tolerates poor water quality. Carnivorous surubim catfish yield high-quality, boneless fillets on diets that include plant protein. As fingerling production improves, culture of the huge pirarucu is expected to rise. Most of the Amazon fish are sold in local markets, but exports are being sought. 56 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate The main species cultured in the region is tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum, which is also known as cachama or gamitana. About 52,450 mt of the fish were produced in 2008, according to official statistics. The Amazon native tambaqui is a fast-growing, omnivorous and hardy fish that tolerates poor water quality conditions well, particularly low oxygen levels. It has an adaptive lip that allows it to gather the oxygen-rich surface water. In equatorial climates where temperatures are always above 26° C, tambaqui can grow over 3 kg yearly, achieving standing crops of 5,000-8,000 kg/ha with little water exchange and no aeration. Following in production volume are the hybrids of tambaqui with pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, from the Paraná basin in south-central Brazil, and pirapitinga, P. brachypomus. The total annual production volume for these species totals over 27,400 Table 1. Amazon fish production in South America. Source: FAO Fishstat 2009. Country Brazil Colombia Venezuela Peru Bolivia Guyana Total Production (mt) 90,497 18,183 4,002 706 340 87 113,815 global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 57 increase of production is the fingerling stage, since there is little control over what triggers these fish to spawn. Fingerlings have to be trained to accept commercial pellets. A fairly intense research effort is attempting to overcome this hurdle, and a significant increase in fingerling production efficiency is expected over the next years, with a concurrent immediate increase in the production numbers. Aquaculture of pirarucu, the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world, is in its early stages. The fish can achieve weights over 150 kg. genus. Recently, a cross with Leiarius marmoratus, a less-piscivorous catfish, has become popular since it better accepts commercial feeds and has less cannibalism problems in the early fingerling stages. Most fish are sold in the Brazilian market for prices around U.S. $4.20-5.00/kg at the producer level. Several companies are successfully exporting fillets to Europe. Arapaima gigas Arapaima gigas, known in Brazil as pirarucu, are the biggest scaled freshwater fish in the world, achieving weights over 150 kg. They have several highly desired traits for an aquaculture species, such as fast growth that can average over 10 kg/year, air breathing, good tolerance of handling and excellent meat quality – light-colored, mild-tasting, boneless fillets. However, the carnivorous fish demand high-quality feeds with protein content above 38% for the growout phase. There is some commercial production of pirarucu in South America, but it is still incipient. The biggest bottleneck for the Perspectives There are many challenges for the expansion of Amazon fish culture, including limited knowledge of specific nutritional requirements, local diseases and parasites, and the low reproductive efficiency achieved so far for some species. Most of the Amazon region also has significant logistics bottlenecks that lead to difficulties for the purchase of inputs. Production has nonetheless been growing and will continue to grow, with sales mainly concentrated in local and regional markets. An increase in international commerce of these species should be expected as production scales increase. Fish that yield boneless filets such as the Pseudoplatystoma catfish and Arapaima gigas have the greatest potential for export, but the tambaqui, with their unique “ribs,” also have great potential. A smoked tambaqui rib product recently won the Seafood Prix d’Elite as the best new food service product during the European Seafood Exposition. Fish that yield boneless fillets have the greatest potential for export, but the tambaqui, with their unique “ribs,” also have great potential. global aquaculture sustaining member Prepared fresh at your Coconut Nobashi Shrimp kitchen by the pond 19300 S. Hamilton Ave., #292, Gardena, CA 90248 • Tel: 310.508.4296 • Fax: 310.347.4393 • Contact Person: Steve Kao • skao@PSEseafoods.com 58 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 59 marketplace RESPONSIBILITY Marketing messages tailored to high-knowledge consumers benefit from containing information that impedes inference making and offers clear representations of price level. Product Knowledge Activates Price Consciousness For Seafood Consumers Dr. Håvard Hansen Professor of Marketing UiS Business School University of Stavanger N-4036 Stavanger, Norway havard.hansen@uis.no Summary: When the price for a newly introduced seafood product was unknown to consumers, a study found, price consciousness affected purchase intentions among consumers with high levels of general product category knowledge. In addition, both perceived risk and perceived value were significant drivers of purchase intentions. To increase purchases of new food products, marketers should acquire psychological profiles of the target segments to devise more tailored marketing messages. The price consumers pay for a food product can be perceived in different ways. For example, when price is solely seen as a cost element, it is usually judged from a negative point of view and considered purely as a sacrifice. On the contrary, when price 60 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate operates as a quality indicator, it may be seen with more positive eyes and as a diagnostic piece of product information. However, how consumers evaluate and use price information when purchasing necessity products like food largely depends on how the individuals perceive and react to price information in general. One psychological phenomenon that significantly influences consumer reactions to price information is price consciousness – an individual trait that differentiates consumers based on the weight they give to price when evaluating or purchasing products. Stated differently, this trait is the degree to which consumers focus solely on paying low prices. If the information consumers receive about a product enables them to make inferences about price levels, price consciousness can affect purchase intentions even though consumers have no clear picture of the actual price. Information about product attributes (short versus long warranties, cognac versus brandy), country of origin (Japanese versus German cars) and brand profile (cheap versus luxurious) can instigate price consciousness. If the information consumers receive about a product enables them to make inferences about price levels, price consciousness can affect purchase intentions even though consumers have no clear picture of the actual price. EASTERN FISH COMPAN Y At Eastern Fish Company, we know that maintaining a healthy aquatic environment is the basis of a healthy food supply. We support a wide range of efforts aimed at keeping our oceans thriving while finding better ways to manage and harvest the bounty of our seas. Now more than ever, it is important to choose your suppliers and marketing partners based on their commitment not just to our industry, but to the environment as well. We partner with suppliers that implement and maintain BAP standards to assure industry stewardship. Where BAP standards do not apply, we work to source our product from only well managed or certified fisheries. Sustainability, certification and traceability are the cornerstones of our everyday process. Being part of a global community means displaying social responsibilities that make a difference. Eastern Fish Company Glenpointe Centre East, Suite 30 300 Frank W. Burr Blvd., Teaneck, NJ 07666 1-800-526-9066 easternfish.com global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 61 However, there is reason to believe this depends on the level of product category knowledge held by the consumer, since this kind of knowledge enables the consumer to make price inferences based on other attributes than price. For a French or Belgian consumer not very familiar with fish in general, and imported fish in particular, a fresh loin of Norwegian Atlantic salmon may be perceived just as luxurious and expensive as a loin from a Norwegian Sterling white halibut. However, consumers more experienced in purchasing imported fish know these two products are in different areas of the price scale. Product Considerations Anecdotal evidence suggests that consumers often reject a new food product because they believe it is more expensive than it really is. Or they employ a reversed price-quality judgment to make inferences about price: “This is obviously a quality cognac, so it must be expensive.” As previously mentioned, such inferences can not be made without a minimum level of product knowledge. However, as most consumers face food-related product decisions on a daily basis, product category knowledge for food may generally be higher across consumers than similar knowledge of other product groups, like gas stoves or outboard engines. Consumer Study In a study, the authors examined how price consciousness affects consumer purchase intentions when the price for a newly introduced food product is unknown, and how this effect is moderated by product category knowledge. Respondents were asked to answer a number of questions unrelated to this study, but with product category knowledge and price consciousness items placed in the midst of them. Next, participants read a story about a new fish product expected to hit the market in the near future. The story was presented as a magazine article that contained an objective description of frozen Pangasius fillets. At the time, frozen Pangasius had just recently been introduced in the largest supermarkets and was not a product known to the majority of consumers. The sample consisted of randomly recruited individuals who were initially screened with regards to their knowledge of Pangasius. Those familiar with the product were dismissed, leaving a net sample of 186 respondents. After reading the cover story, respondents were asked to complete a new survey covering the remaining variables under study. Control Variables Basic marketing and consumer behavior literature suggest that both perceived risk and perceived value play important roles when a consumer evaluates new products. First, the basic assumption is that adoption rates decrease as risk levels increase. While consumers’ perceptions of risk can take many forms and influence consumers in different ways, economic, physical, social and functional aspects are the ones consumers usually find risky in relation to new products. Hence, the premise on which the study was based was that consumers’ positivity toward new food products depends on the level of risk they associate with them. More specifically, purchase intentions were expected to be negatively affected by risk perceptions. Second, contemporary marketing is all about delivering value to customers, and customer-perceived value is widely accepted as an important feature when customers choose among products and services. The value of a product is commonly referred to as the total sum of benefits received by the customer divided by the resources sacrificed to acquire them. 62 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Consumers’ positivity toward new food products depends on the level of risk they associate with them. As economic transactions like buying food are inevitably based on some cost-benefit evaluations of varying complexity, the assumption as to the effect of perceived value was that purchase intentions increase with increased value levels. Hence, perceived risk and perceived value are included as control variables. The direct effects of price consciousness, perceived risk and perceived value on purchase intentions were tested within a multiple regression. To test the moderating effect of product category knowledge, the authors employed a standard two-group procedure. Findings, Implications The major findings of the study were that when the price for a newly introduced food product is unknown to consumers, price consciousness has an effect on purchase intentions, but this effect only occurs among consumers with high levels of product category knowledge. In addition, both perceived risk and perceived value are significant drivers of purchase intentions. Perceptions of low risk and high value increase purchase intentions. However, for high-knowledge consumers, price consciousness has a negative effect on purchase intentions when price for a new product is unknown. This suggests that high-knowledge consumers make price inferences based on the information they receive on other product attributes, and these attributes serve as secondary sources of pricerelated information. Low-knowledge consumers do not have the necessary memory-based information to arrive at such inferencebased judgments, and thus price consciousness has no effect. Even when the message content marketers send to their target segments does not contain information on specific price or other attributes, consumers often make inferences – often incorrect – about a product based on the information they actually receive. Hence, a practical implication would be to target high- and low-knowledge consumers in different ways, addressing highknowledge consumers with more information that accounts for the effect of price consciousness. Stated differently, messages tailored to high-knowledge sub-segments would benefit from containing information that impedes inference making and offers clear representations of the product’s price level. Following from this, another implication for practitioners applies to segmentation strategies. While most firms have reasonably good pictures of their customers in terms of demographic and geographic aspects, such picture are more infrequently held when it comes to psychographics. Segmentation based on traits like psychological differences is more demanding, but study results suggested that to increase consumer purchase intentions for new food products, marketers should strive to acquire psychological profiles of the target segments, thereby making more fine-tuned and tailored marketing messages possible. A practical implication would be to target high- and low-knowledge consumers in different ways, addressing highknowledge consumers with more information that accounts for the effect of price consciousness. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 63 marketplace food safety and technology By-Product Utilization For Increased Profitability posed. As previously stated, the composition of hydroxyproline in the gelatin may eventually emerge as the preferred standard. George J. Flick, Jr., Ph.D. Fish gelatin powder. Gelatin yields and properties vary by fish species. Summary: In general, fish gelatin is produced by treatment with a mild acid. To increase extractability, some proteases may be employed. The maximum yield of gelatin that can be extracted from fish skin is related to the protein content of the collagen in the skin. Fish gelatin will likely be increasingly produced from catfish in China. Salmon skin has also garnered interest as a raw material for gelatin production. Increasing demand for non-mammalian gelatins for halal, Hindu and kosher foods has revived interest in gelatin produced from raw materials other than beef and pork. Fish gelatin has many industrial applications and can be produced from processing wastes. Gelatin Production There are many different ways to extract gelatin from fish by-products. In general, fish gelatin is produced by treatment with a mild acid that results in a type A gelatin. Acid is used to disrupt the acid-labile cross-links with negligible peptide bond hydrolysis or amino acid degradation. Since collagen cross-links are stable to thermal and acid treatment, a low yield of gelatin is generally obtained with this traditional process. 64 January/February 2012 To increase the extractability, some proteases may be carefully employed. Pepsin has been reported to cleave peptides in the telopeptide region of native collagen, thus increasing the yield of partially cleaved collagen. Due to the easy availability of fish viscera (especially stomachs), pepsin of fish origin can be recovered and used to increase the extraction efficiency of gelatin. The maximum possible yield of gelatin that can be extracted from fish skin is indirectly related to the protein content of the collagenous material in the skin. The crude protein content of the skin, however, is not a good indicator of the protein content of the gelatin that can be obtained. Of late, the composition of hydroxyproline in the collagenous material has been suggested as a better indicator of the potential yield of gelatin extracted from fish skin. Major Sources Of Gelatin Catfish Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is a major aquatic product commercially cultured in the United States and China. Because of the significant profitability of catfish production in China, the yield is anticipated to rise sharply in coming years. The skin of channel catfish contains a large amount of collagen, so it can be assumed there will be a concomitant increase in the production of fish gelatin in China. In one study, gelatin was extracted global aquaculture advocate from the giant catfish, Pangasianodon gigas, with a yield of 1 g/5 g skin on a wet weight basis. The gelatin had high protein (89 g/100 g) and low fat (0.75 g/100 g) content, and contained a high portion (211 residues/1,000 residues) of the amino acids proline and hydroxyproline. A comparison between gelatin from the giant catfish and gelatin obtained from calf skin showed that the catfish skin gelatin had a slightly different amino acid composition. The 153-g bloom strength of the gelatin gel for the catfish was greater than the 135-g value for calf skin gelatin. The viscosity, foam capacity and foam stability of the catfish gelatin were in general greater than those of the calf skin gelatin. A study was initiated in fish-allergic patients aged 9 to 50 years to determine their reaction to cod gelatin using skin Table 1. Gelatin yield obtained from selected aquatic animal species. Part II: Gelatin Food Science and Technology Department Virginia Tech/Virginia Sea Grant (0418) Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 USA flickg@vt.edu Gelatin Allergies 1 Species Yield (%) Atlantic cod Atlantic salmon Cuttlefish Cuttlefish with enzyme Big eye snapper with enzyme Grass carp Yellowfin tuna Pollock Atlantic salmon, smoked Atlantic cod backbones Channel catfish Nile perch skins, young Nile perch skins, adult Nile perch bones, young Nile perch bones, adult Dover sole 45.01 40.01 2.22 7.82 40.03 20.04 90.05 18.06 86.07 71.0-75.07 19.08 12.09 16.09 1.39 2.49 – Dry matter basis Wet weight of fresh skin 3 Based on hydroxyproline content of gelatin compared with that of the skin prior to extraction 4 Light liquor concentration x liquor volume/weight of sample 5 Based on hydroxyproline content using a conversion factor of 11.42 6 Protein concentration x volume extract/30 g 7 Hydroxyproline content of supernate x volume supernate x hydroxyproline of raw material x weight of raw material 8 Protein concentration x volume extract/weight of wet skins after processing 9 Wet weight basis 2 prick tests and histamine release tests. None of the fish-allergic patients reacted adversely to the ingestion of a 3.6-g cumulative dose of fish gelatin. The study concluded that fish gelatin presents no risk to fish-allergic patients at the doses typically ingested. Statistically, test results indicated a 95% certainty that 90% of fish-allergic consumers will not have a reaction of any kind after ingesting 3.6 g of fish gelatin. Gelatin Properties Mammalian gelatin solutions have the highest gel set temperatures, followed by warmwater fish gelatins and coldwater fish gelatin solutions. Tensile strength, percent elongation and puncture deformation are highest in mammalian gelatin films, followed by warmwater fish gelatin film and coldwater fish gelatin film. Coldwater fish gelatin solutions behave as viscous liquids at room temperature, which could make them desirable for specific applications, such as ice cream, yogurt, dessert gels, confections and imitation margarines. Salmon In Northern Europe and South America, farmed Atlantic salmon has become a significant fish resource. Until recently, salmon skin has not been available in large quantities, since most of the fish have been exported as skin-on products. At present, a market for more processed salmon products without skin is being developed. With the skin accounting for about 5% of the whole fish, salmon skin has garnered some interest as a raw material for gelatin production. Gelatin Yield The yields of gelatin from selected aquatic animal species are contained in Table 1. It should be noted that no standard procedure for stating gelatin yield has been proglobal aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 65 marketplace u.s. seafood markets Shrimp Imports From Thailand Decline Sharply, Market Outlook Mixed For 2012 Paul Brown, Jr. Urner Barry Publications, Inc. P. O. Box 389 Toms River, New Jersey 08754 USA pbrownjr@urnerbarry.com Among other things, demand will be influenced in the U.S. by Chinese New Year and an early Lent beginning on February 22. Another increasingly relevant demand factor, as previously referenced, is the continuing taste for shrimp consumption in both developed and developing economies around the world, especially China. Finally, macro-level worldwide economic conditions will likely impact the market in 2012. Factors such as higher input costs, high unemployment and volatile currency markets appear to have no end in sight. Janice Brown Angel Rubio Urner Barry Publications, Inc. third month in a row that Vietnamese imports were down sharply, which erased what was a strong import year through July. Imports from China were also down for both October and YTD. What accounts for the drop in imports from these countries? The answer is likely a combination of factors – one of which is the growth of competitive markets besides the U.S. in all of Asia, especially China, and the European Union. But another component is that U.S. importers have found value from other production areas, where exports are up sharply. Shrimp imports from Ecuador, Mexico, India and Malaysia were all up sharply in October, and YTD imports were also positive. Imports from Indonesia, up only slightly in October, have also been strong. Headless, shell-on shrimp imports were down 2.1% in October year over year, while YTD imports were even. Here again, imports from Thailand were down sharply and may reflect limited easy-peel shrimp. Peeled shrimp imports, which have been a growing category, continued that growth with October imports up 2.6% and YTD 11.1% higher. Other countries, including Ecuador, are making up for the lower imports from Thailand. Cooked shrimp imports are about even, while breaded imports increased about 5% for October and YTD. So the market appears adequately supplied in all areas. Cooked shrimp imports rose nearly 23% from September to October 2011. Summary: October 2011 imports of shrimp from Thailand and Vietnam were down sharply in the heart of the holiday inventory build-up. Importers are sourcing from other areas. The shrimp market outlook for early 2012 is mixed and may be affected by an increasing white shrimp production. The whole salmon market was very steady during November with YTD imports down about 8%. U.S. imports of fresh salmon fillets from Chile and the Faroe Islands are way up. The market for fresh tilapia fillets has remained steady due to adequate supplies. Lower offering levels for frozen tilapia fillets from China kept imports up. We can expect November data to show an increase in tilapia replacement pricing. Channel catfish imports to the U.S. jumped in (Table 2), October 2011, while Pangasius imports just continued upward in volume. Through October, Vietnam sent 75% more Pangasius to the U.S. this year than last. Shrimp Market Shrimp counts of 16-20 and 21-25 in most forms have recently seen a weak trend, as supplies from all areas have generally been ample. Smaller white shrimp have been mostly full steady, while large black tiger shrimp have seen a firm trend. The outlook for the first quarter of 2012 is mixed. Market conditions will be affected by the amount of (or lack of) retail and, to a lesser extent, foodservice carryover inventory. The amount of shrimp produced in the first quarter, which generally trended lower from most areas, may be affected by an increasing amount of white shrimp production. The big story in U.S. shrimp is that October 2011 imports from Thailand – in the heart of the holiday inventory build-up – were down almost 20%, leaving Thai year-to-date (YTD) imports 6.8% lower. However, overall imports for October were almost even, and YTD imports remained higher at a positive 3.9% (Table 1). Imports from Vietnam were also off sharply in October, down almost 30% and leaving YTD imports about even. This is the Table 1. Snapshot of U.S. shrimp imports, October 2011. Form Shell-on Peeled Cooked Breaded Total October 2011 (1,000 lb) September 2011 (1,000 lb) Change (Month) October 2010 (1,000 lb) Change (Year) YTD 2011 (1,000 lb) YTD 2010 (1,000 lb) Change (Year) 57,144 44,856 24,122 8,352 135,554 54,428 51,521 19,626 7,874 134,443 5.0% -12.9% 22.9% 6.1% 0.8% 58,387 43,712 24,128 7,959 135,130 -2.1% 2.6% 0.0% 4.9% 0.3% 400,196 375,831 165,421 79,286 1,026,860 401,020 338,193 166,522 75,473 987,946 -0.2% 11.1% -0.7% 5.1% 3.9% Sources: U.S. Census, Urner Barry Publications, Inc. 66 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate U.S. imports of fresh salmon fillets come largely from Chile and Norway. Whole Salmon Steady, Fillets Flow From Chile October 2011 YTD imports of salmon to the United States saw an 1.8% increase from a year ago (Table 2). Fresh whole fish imports saw YTD figures decrease 7.2%. Fresh fillets were 13.8% up from 2010 YTD levels. Total month-to-month data showed an increase for October of 9.0% when compared to September of 2011. Whole Fish October 2011 fresh whole fish YTD figures revealed a continued decrease, 7.2% below October 2010 YTD figures. Month-to-month data also showed a slight decrease of 0.1% since September. Comparing October 2011 to October 2010 showed an 8.3% decrease. Canadian imports were 8.2% lower YTD and down 8.5% month to month. The Northeast whole fish market was extremely steady during November and the first part of December. Supplies were adequate for a moderate to fair demand. All sizes remained below their three-year price averages. The West Coast whole fish market was very steady during November, and toward the end of the month trended higher on smaller to mid-sized fish. Supplies were adequate for a moderate demand. All sizes remained below their three-year averages. Fillets Chile continues to be the top source for U.S. imports of fresh salmon fillets. Norway is now a distant number 2. During October 2011, Chile exported 10.1 million lb, and showed YTD 2011 import levels 94.4% higher than for YTD 2010. Overall, October YTD levels were 12.2% higher than year-ago levels. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 67 Month-to-month data comparing October 2011 to September 2011 was 29.5% higher. October imports were 62.9% higher when compared to October 2010. 2011 YTD levels for fillets from Norway were 64.8% lower than 2010 YTD. For Canada, 2011 YTD levels were 31.1% lower than 2010 YTD levels. The Faroe Islands are now third behind Norway in exports to the U.S., with 10.7 million lb imported this year – up 1,632.6% YTD. The market in November remained extremely steady throughout the month. In December, the market began full steady to firm. The undertone remained somewhat unsettled with both higher and lower offerings noted. Overall, supplies were adequate for a moderate to active demand. All sizes were below their threeyear price averages. Fresh whole fish Frozen whole fish Fresh fillets Frozen fillets Total October 2011 September 2011 (lb) (lb) 16,360,160 562,165 15,801,965 12,706,068 45, 430,358 16,384,176 586,545 12,534,861 12,188,231 41,963,813 Change (Month) October 2010 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2011 (lb) YTD 2010 (lb) Change (Year) -0.1% -4.2% 26.1% 4.2% 9.0% 17,845,809 369,028 9,706,571 10,346,500 38,267,908 -8.3% 52.3% 62.8% 22.8% 18.7% 158,279,993 4,995,267 124,586,309 114,478,946 402,340,515 170,533,512 4,736,832 109,442,940 110,375,084 395,088,368 -7.2% 5.5% 13.8% 3.7% 1.8% Sources: U.S. Census, Urner Barry Publications, Inc. Whole Tilapia Imports Flat; Fresh, Frozen Fillets Decline Meanwhile, Costa Rica was down 10% when compared to the same period a year ago. Shipments from Colombia were up almost 20% YTD from 2010. The market has remained steady throughout the past month due to adequate supplies for a moderate to at-times lackluster demand. Frozen Fillets Year-to-date imports of whole tilapia are flat compared to 2010 levels. Frozen Whole Fish Imports of frozen whole tilapia to the United States remained virtually flat from September to October 2011 (Table 3). Interestingly, YTD imports were also virtually on par compared to the previous year, while monthly figures for the past four months surpassed the levels obtained a year ago. Fresh Fillets Estimated U.S. imports of fresh tilapia fillets – adjusted given the continued alleged error from official data – declined almost 2% from the previous month. However, on a YTD basis, imports were up only 3% when compared to a year ago. Honduras, the main supplier of this commodity, was up 12% YTD when compared to last year. Ecuador, the second-largest supplier, was practically flat for the January to October 2011 period when compared to 2010. October imports of frozen fillets declined modestly from the previous month, but still exceeded the 28 million lb mark. This was a direct result of lower offering levels from China that persisted throughout mid-August, according to many importers. Levels through October showed imports 13% below those registered for the same time a year ago. The market held a firm undertone until the last weeks of November, when some importers reported a slight ease in offering price levels from China due to heavy harvests and peak production times as Chinese New Year festivities approach. The U.S. market is relatively steady at current levels, and further buying positions from overseas will develop in the next two months as importers prepare their inventories for the upcoming Lenten season. Although a rise in replacement pricing was expected for October due to rising price offerings in September, data showed that prices in fact declined 1.6% from September. Likely, most prices were negotiated at a lower level at the end of August, precisely when offerings from Chinese packers were reported low. Therefore, we can expect November data to show an increase in replacement pricing if reports from importers of higher replacement costs were accurate. Despite the fears of the collapse of the euro on December 9, the foreign exchange market remained largely unaffected, at least relative to those countries involved in the tilapia, catfish and Pangasius markets. The Chinese yuan appreciated close to 4% has been clearly downward for the past six months, feed prices continue to be reported as the heaviest burden of production costs. Channel Catfish Imports Jump, Pangasius Soars Channel Catfish Table 2. Snapshot of U.S. salmon imports, October 2011. Form against the U.S. dollar in 2011. According to the Central Bank of Chile, export prices for Chilean fishmeal declined again in October. Although the trend Channel catfish imports to the U.S. jumped dramatically in October 2011, as recent harvests in China found a way to the U.S. market (Table 4). However, offerings remained limited, as volume didn’t surpass the 1 million-lb mark, and quotations remain unlisted. Very few importers were offering this product on the spot market. Pangasius For the fifth consecutive month, U.S. imports of Pangasius reached a monthly record high, with volume exceeding 19 million lb. Volume from Vietnam continues to grow dramatically, with imports from this country registering a 75% increase YTD from last year. Overall, this market is 57% above last year’s YTD figures. Pricing in the U.S. has held a firm undertone due to reports of increasing replacement costs and short raw materials. However, pricing was steady to about steady during the first half of December, as supplies proved plentiful. Some importers reported occasional discounts as an incentive to move product despite reports from firming prices overseas. The undertone in the second week of December was somewhat unsettled. Data for October showed another slight decline in replacement pricing from Vietnam. This meant the low prices were negotiated during August and early September with delivery in October. However, these levels only lasted for a short period before reports of rising prices due to the aftermath of the floods that took place in September. Therefore, we can expect to see replacement pricing figures for November going up, if the information reported was accurate. Table 4. Snapshot of U.S. catfish imports, October 2011. Form Pangasius Channel catfish Total October 2011 September 2011 (lb) (lb) 19,088,875 838,277 19,927,152 18,389,660 166,685 18,556,345 Change (Month) October 2010 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2011 (lb) YTD 2010 (lb) Change (Year) 3.80% 402.91% 7.39% 14,622,091 157,788 14,779,879 30.55% 431.27% 34.83% 152,845,717 3,708,283 156,554,000 97,431,684 8,912,124 106,343,808 56.87% -58.39% 47.21% Sources: U.S. Census, Urner Barry Publications, Inc. Table 3. Snapshot of U.S. tilapia imports, October 2011. Form Frozen whole fish Fresh fillets Frozen fillets Total October 2011 September 2011 (lb) (lb) 7,848,978 3,418,101 28,085,336 39,352,415 7,777,037 3,315,674 28,712,091 39,804,802 Change (Month) October 2010 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2011 (lb) YTD 2010 (lb) Change (Year) 0.93% 3.09% -2.18% -1.14% 7,026,127 4,244,814 32,440,106 43,711,047 11.71% -19.48% -13.42% -9.97% 71,265,028 39,634,555 224,849,750 335,749,333 71,922,844 44,617,288 258,961,916 375,502,048 -0.91% -11.17% -13.17% -10.59% Sources: U.S. Census, Urner Barry Publications, Inc. 68 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 69 innovation Integrated Marine Aquaculture-Agriculture: Sea Farming Out Of The Sea Edoardo Pantanella, M.S. Department DAFNE University of Tuscia Faculty of Agricultural Science Viterbo 01100 Italy edpantanella@gmail.com aquaculture could not only be a valid alternative for farmers but would boost saline agriculture, provided that proper levels of nutrients are supplied to plants. Recent studies at the University of Tuscia in Italy unveiled the potential for integrating aquaculture with saline agriculture, whose economic and environmental benefits could easily overcome the higher initial investment costs for land operations. tainable food production. Fish wastes are nutrients for plants, which grow with no external fertilization. At the same time, plant roots act as natural biofilters and absorb metabolites toxic to fish from the water that returns back to aquaculture tanks. Although the levels of nutrients in aquaponics are very low compared to traditional hydroponics, growth is as productive as intensive agricultural systems due to the continuous supply of minerals from the fish and the presence of plant-beneficial microorganisms that live in the systems. Furthermore, research carried out in Italy on production quality between aquaponics and hydroponics found similar quality traits in both systems. Despite their often high-tech appearance, aquaponic systems are quite robust, and management is not as difficult as it may appear. Conversely, the synergies between fish and plants make the production of vegetables more profitable than aquaculture alone. Regardless of the system, a key point of fish-plant integration is the level of nutrients released by animals, which is higher in recirculating water. Flowthrough systems are in general not as productive as closed systems, due to scarce nutrient build-up. In the case of recirculating systems, the low levels of minerals are sufficient to obtain good yields because fish continuously replenish plant uptake. Lessons From Aquaponics Marine Agriculture Plants grown in aquaponics typically outperform those raised via hydroponics. Salsola species are widely grown as salad or fodder. These plants are in a floating aquaponic system. Summary: Recent studies at the University of Tuscia in Italy unveiled the potential for integrating aquaculture with saline agriculture, whose economic and environmental benefits could overcome the higher initial investment costs for land operations. Aquaponic systems are robust, management is not difficult, and the synergies between fish and plants make vegetable production more profitable than aquaculture alone. The lion’s share of marine agriculture involves salt-tolerant halophytic plants used as food or feed, or in energy production. Aquaculture, as well as agriculture, is nowadays looking at integration as a strategy to limit impacts on natural resources. The use of by-products can undoubtedly reduce the need for inputs, abate costs and differentiate farm outputs. However, if on one side freshwater aquaculture can support farmers’ productivity by integrating agricultural systems, on the other side, marine aquaculture is still confined in open water management, which eventually limits its potential. The development of multitrophic aquaculture, which integrates fish with algae and shellfish, is a valid strategy to improve productivity and reuse fish wastes, but it is far from achieving a full recovery of pollutants due to dilution in open water. Land operations for marine 70 January/February 2012 In many countries, aquaponics – soilless/hydroponic plant production using aquaculture wastes – has been used to get rid of fish by-products through the production of high-value vegetables. Aquaponics has many advantages in terms of bioremediation, water recycling and sus- global aquaculture advocate The development of saline agriculture follows different strategies from traditional farming. It is well known that crops cannot grow in full-strength seawater, since plants are not tolerant of salt. Nevertheless, plants and fish can grow under moderate salinity, which favor both plants and High-protein sea asparagus, which can be eaten as well as added to feed formulations, grows on floating or sand beds (right). The presence of substrate boosts plant growth. animals, the latter due to lower energy consumption for osmoregulation. In horticulture, specific agronomic strategies allow tomato farming under moderate salinity at levels compatible with European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, and gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata, production. The addition of salty water is indeed a common horticultural practice used for raising the quality of certain vegetables. The increase of osmotic pressure reduces plant water intake, which eventually brings positive effects on taste, nutritional values and shelf life. On the other hand, the production of certain medicinal plants is favored by saline stress, which enhances the concentrations of the active molecules used by the pharmaceutical industry. Choice Of Plants The lion’s share of marine agriculture involves halophytes, salt-tolerant plants that can be chosen according to available salt and nutrient concentrations. Most halophytes are resistant to drought conditions, which make them suitable in areas where traditional agriculture cannot be developed. Some halophytes have been cultivated for ages for culinary uses, raised as staples for human and animal consumption or used for energy production. Salicornia, also known as sea asparagus or samphire, grows spontaneously in salty marshlands near coastlines. It is consumed fresh or pickled, but also added to feed formulations due to the good protein content of the seeds. High oil-yielding varieties of salicornia are farmed for biodiesel production in tropical climates. In the leaf vegetable market, it is worth mentioning sea beet, a close relative of the common chard that does not significantly differ from commercial varieties. The plant is particularly interesting for its crispy texture and slightly salty taste, which could be an added-value quality for the market. For staple production, pearl millet and quinoa show great potential. Quinoa was the second most-cultivated crop raised by indigenous populations in South America, soon after potatoes but before maize in production. Unfortunately, under modern agriculture, quinoa did not reach the same success as the other two staples, although it has twice the protein of wheat and is very rich in all the essential amino acids. Its drought resistance and limited need of nutrients can boost the interest for integrated systems aiming at food or feed production of superior nutritional values. Research Evidence Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants, but for each species, optimal growth is obtained within certain salinity ranges. Trials carried out in aquaponic systems at the University of Tuscia indicated that the best performances for most plants were obtained under salinity levels up to 10 ppt. Nutrient concentrations and environmental variables also played important roles in productivity, since optimal nitrogen levels, temperature and pH enhanced vegetative growth and maturation in plants. Salsola trials showed maximum yields under salt concentrations of 10 ppt, although the plants performed fairly well up to 20 ppt. Interestingly, productivity from the aquaponic systems – 2.2-3.2 kg/ m2 in four-week crop cycles – was similar global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 71 In this aquaponics system, cherry tomatoes grow along with European seabass. Salt toxicity can be overcome through specific agronomic strategies. or even higher than for chemically fertilized hydroponics. Retail prices of €4.04.5/kg (U.S. $5.35-6.00/kg) make this vegetable an appealing plant for fast paybacks on capital investments. Sea beet showed yields of 2.6 kg/m2 at 10 ppt in four weeks, but contrary to the conditions for salsola, its salinity optimum was identified at lower concentrations. Salicornia showed similar biomass trends from a 90-day crop cycle on sand beds. Best growth was observed under lower salinity and decreased under salt concentrations of 20 ppt. Although salicornia in aquaponics had similar or higher yields than under hydroponics – 5.2-7.4 kg/m2 versus 5.8 kg/m2 – it was observed that rises in nutrient concentrations determined faster plant growth and maturity. Perspectives Large-scale aquaculture operations can benefit from integrated management, provided that appropriate system designs develop cost-effective production. The optimal salinity ranges for halophytes suit most of the aquatic animals’ needs. However, the adoption of advanced management strategies for both plants and fish would open new opportunities for the farming of less salt-tolerant species or traditional horticulture. The adoption of different aquaponic systems, including discontinuous and preenriched open systems, would be more suitable for farming perennial or annual crops and to avoid salt build-up in soil. More research is needed to define precise guidelines for saline systems management. In the future vision of sustainability, the expansion of agriculture in dry or saline areas would be one of few options available to support world food production without destroying forests. In this scenario, aquaculture can be a key factor in achieving food/energy production goals through the simple supplement of water and nutrients from fish. The expansion of land-based aquaculture can provide a range of advantages. Production is pollution-free because there is no dispersion of wastes into seawater. Fish and plants grow under controlled conditions that can be adjusted to meet optimal growth levels. Fish are less prone to parasites from the sea. Farming integration can reduce the production footprint due to full recovery of wastes. Production is greener and can more easily meet market demand for food with carbon dioxide labeling. 72 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 73 innovation products from algae that reflect those derived from yeast. Yeast cells can be divided into multiple cell wall components and yeast extract that each provide a unique nutritional function. In addition, whole yeast cells in themselves provide a nutritional impact. Can a similar approach be used for microalgae? The facility will allow continued work with Alltech’s carbon dioxide-sequestering microalgae strains, as well as strains grown with other carbon sources. The microalgae will then be used for value-added feed products, microalgae-derived biofuel and the production of ethanol. Microalgae Provide Food, Feed, Fuel New Uses Await Keith Filer, Ph.D., M.S. Research Manager Asia Pacific Biosciences Center Project Manager for Aquaculture Research Alltech 3031 Catnip Hill Pike Nicholasvile, Kentucky 40356 USA kfiler@alltech.com New large-scale fermenting equipment with automated controls and monitoring will support microalgae product and process development. Summary: About 30% of the world algae production is used in animal feed, with the largest applications in aquaculture. Microalgae are required for the larval nutrition of several farmed fish and shrimp species. Algae are also marketed to humans in the form of tablets, capsules and liquids, and they are an ingredient in many food products. New applications for algae may include their use in value-added feed products, microalgae-derived biofuel and the production of ethanol. Algae are a diverse group of simple organisms that range from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as giant kelp. They are photosynthetic like plants, but their tissues are not organized into distinct organs like plants. The largest and most complex algae forms are seaweeds. Microalgae refer to the numerous microscopic algae that grow in marine or freshwater. They are primary producers in the oceans that convert water and carbon dioxide to biomass and oxygen in the presence of sunlight. Microalgae are currently being utilized in a variety of applications, including nutrition and biofuel production. Uses The use of microalgae dates back 2,000 years, when they became a source of food during a famine in China. Other microalgae species were a common food source in Chad and Mexico as far back as the 16th century. In 1890, Chlorella vulgaris became the first pure culture of algae grown. In the 1950s, research started on microalgae as a source of food and medicine for humans. The research started in Japan utilizing Chlorella species. The first industrial production utilizing a photobioreactor was constructed and run by IGV Ltd. in Germany to produce 74 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Chlorella as a nutritional supplement for poultry. Currently, heterotrophic microalgae are used in human and animal nutrition. One of the most successful of these products is the production of the long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid. The potential uses for microalgae range from producing biofuels to reducing global hunger. Although a number of these uses may someday become reality, the fact is the commercial uses of algae are much fewer than the proposed uses. About 30% of the world algae production is used for animal feed production, with the largest applications in aquaculture. Microalgae are required in larval nutrition, either fed directly in the case of mollusks and peneid shrimp, or indirectly as live prey food in small fish larvae. Algae are marketed for use in human nutrition in the form of tablets, capsules and liquids. They are incorporated into pastas, snack foods, candy bars and beverages, as well. The commercial applications are dominated by four strains: Arthrospira, Chlorella, Dunaliella salina and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Perspectives Research into the varied applications of algae is assisted by the use of 5-L fermentation vessels such as those pictured above. These vessels allow algae to be produced by a feed batch technique that results in unique nutritional properties. “Algae fermentation presents our latest technological platform, from which we expect incredible opportunities in the areas of food, feed and fuel to arise,” Alltech founder and President Dr. Pearse Lyons said. At least 800,000 different species of algae are thought to exist that have the ability to produce over 15,000 novel compounds. The enormous biodiversity within microalgae is largely untapped. Alltech‘s concept will be to develop a platform of Research has demonstrated that microalgae can be utilized as sources of proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, but other than specific applications in the growth of aquaculture species, algae are not widely used in animal nutrition. In order to utilize microalgae on a wider level, greater understanding of their nutritional value is required. What new nutritional components within algae will become available? Can microalgae influence the immune systems or improve the antioxidant status of animals, or reduce stress and improve feed conversion? These are some of the areas that need to be researched in order to take advantage of the potential benefits of microalgae. At least 800,000 different species of algae are thought to exist that have the ability to produce over 15,000 novel compounds. Production Large-scale production of algae started in the early 1960s in Japan with the cultivation of Chlorella. This was followed in the 1970s by the production of Arthrospira in Lake Texcoco in northwestern Mexico by Sosa Texcoco S.A. By 1980, 1,000 kg of algae were being produced by 46 factories in Asia. In 1986, the use of Dunaliella salina to produce beta-carotene was established as a commercial venture at production facilities in Australia. Commercial facilities have also arisen in Israel, the United States and India, with current annual global production estimated at 10,000 mt. The nutritional composition and biochemical diversity of microalgae have generated an enormous amount of interest in a variety of applications. Microalgae can have high protein content with an amino acid profile that provides essential amino acids. The lipid content can reach 70%, with a high concentration of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Microalgae can be a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, as well. New Microalgae Products? The great potential for microalgae resulted in Alltech purchasing a state-of-the-art algae facility with a fermentation capacity of over 1,000 m3 in September of 2010. One of the main focuses of the facility will be the development of products derived from microalgae. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 75 innovation Polychaete-Assisted Sand Filters Show Potential In Treating Effluents Application of the PASF system at three commercial farms has recently provided excellent wastewater treatment. Agri-Science Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation Bribie Island Research Centre P. O. Box 2066 Woorim, Queensland 4507 Australia paul.palmer@deedi.qld.gov.au Marine sand worms offer an effective aid in filtering aquaculture effluents. Summary: Polychaete-assisted sand filters are proving to be a practical way of treating mariculture effluents that combines the physical attributes of a sand filter and the biological properties of hungry marine sand worms. The valuable by-product, marine worm biomass, is used for bait and feed for fish and shrimp broodstock. Commercial trials have demonstrated the best suspended solids, chlorophyll and macronutrient removal capacities reported for any mariculture wastewater treatment methodology to date. Expansions of the marine prawn- and fish-farming industries in Queensland, Australia, are being limited through stringent wastewater licensing conditions that rightly protect natural environmental values. Such industrial expansions are necessary in the medium to long term for Queensland’s food security, and should also be pursued because of the many social, economic and regional benefits they have demonstrated in the past. 76 January/February 2012 While there is wide recognition that well-managed aquaculture operations can be environmentally benign, the significant intensifications and expansions that are envisaged for this sector will likely require improved wastewater remediation methods that can at least adjust suspended solids and nutrient loads in pond waters back to natural background levels. PASF A presentation at the Australian Prawn and Barramundi Farmers Association Annual Conference in Sydney in August provided encouraging results for the upscaling and industrialization of polychaeteassisted sand filter (PASF) technology as a practical way of treating mariculture effluents. The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation in Queensland has been developing the PASF concept since 2005 and is now looking toward its commercial uptake. In a PASF system, wastewater from marine shrimp and fish farms is passed through a constructed sand bed to remove suspended solids, algae and organic debris. Polychaete worms are cultured in the sand bed to help stop the bed from clogging and to produce a profitable by-product. Perinereis helleri, an intertidal global aquaculture advocate Nereidid worm found locally in Moreton Bay and throughout the Indo-Pacific, became the focus of present investigations after showing better attributes than a range of other species. The worms are harvested at the end of the prawn or fish crop and used for bait or feed for shrimp and fish broodstock. As bait, they represent a sustainable source that avoids the disturbances digging wild worms has on natural populations and environments like seagrass meadows. As broodstock feeds, they provide a reliable, biosecure on-farm source of fatty acids and other nutrients that are essential for high performance of shrimp and fish spawners. Initial Research The initial small-scale trials showed that the presence of these polychaetes in simple down-flow sand filtration beds helped to clear the organic debris that would otherwise block the sand and stop the percolation of water. This meant there was no need to regularly backflush the filters and that larger-scale applications could treat large volumes of water. The polychaetes were shown to lower the amounts of organic matter in the upper layers of the sand filter and increase percolation rates through the filter. Total suspended solids (TSS) and chlorophyll a levels were consistently reduced over 50% by the filtration process, and nutrients were converted into bioavailable dissolved forms. Worm biomass production during a 16-week operational period was on the order of 300-400 g/m2. The worms were used successfully as broodstock feeds at commercial fish and shrimp hatcheries. Max. Removal (%) Paul J. Palmer 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Settlement Ponds Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation over the last 10 years. PASF Perspectives Total Suspended Solids Total Nitrogen Total Phosphorus Figure 1. Comparison of settlement pond and PASF wastewater treatment. Recent Trials Larger-scale application of the PASF system at three commercial fish or shrimp farms has recently provided even better wastewater treatment results. TSS and chlorophyll a were both removed with a high level of efficacy, but in addition, total nitrogen (T.N.) and total phosphorus (T.P.) were also removed from wastewater at significant levels on a continuous basis. Maximum T.N. and T.P. removals in the trial were 48.8% and 67.5%, respectively. Average removals at the three farms ranged from 20.0 to 27.7% for T.N. and from 22.8 to 40.8% for T.P. Collectively, these results demonstrated the best suspended solids, chlorophyll and macronutrient removal capacities reported for any mariculture wastewater treatment methodology to date. Compared with settlement ponds (Figure 1), which are currently implemented in Australia as an industry best practice, the PASF system offers better water treatment that does not rely on lengthy settlement periods, uses a smaller farm area and produces marine worm biomass that can add to the productivity of the farm. It also compares favorably with a range of other biological and mechanical wastewater treatment approaches that have been tested by the The most recent results suggested the PASF method could soon provide a more effective and more productive alternative to settlement ponds in the treatment of pond-based mariculture wastewater. The next step in the development of PASF is to build industrial capacities and support systems to demonstrate its application in treating commercial volumes of wastewater discharge. Compared with settlement ponds the PASF system offers better water treatment that does not rely on lengthy settlement periods, uses a smaller farm area and produces marine worm biomass. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 77 innovation • Hydrogen peroxide levels can easily be monitored according to changes in water oxygen concentrations or by using semiquantitative sticks. • Peroxyacetic acid disappears rapidly in recirculation systems, with a 95% reduction in 20 to 30 minutes. • Variations in actual and expected peroxyacetic acid levels are primarily influenced by organic matter content. • Active peroxyacetic acid content varies substantially among commercial products. • Hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid can be used to improve system hygiene, including surface disinfection and biofilm/biofilter control. • Disinfection demand for hydrogen peroxide depends on the microbial abundance of the water, whereas peracetic acid decay is merely related to chemical oxidation and organic matter content. Study Tests Disinfectant Alternatives To Formalin Lars-Flemming Pedersen, Ph.D. DTU Aqua National Institute of Aquatic Resources Section for Aquaculture Technical University of Denmark Northsea Research Centre 9850 Hirtshals, Denmark lfp@aqua.dtu.dk Article Niels Henrik Henriksen, DVM Danish Aquaculture Organisation Silkeborg, Denmark lating aquaculture systems. Under the latter circumstances, formaldehyde does not impair the nitrification processes. The majority of the active concentrations of formaldehyde can be maintained over a prolonged period of time without affecting fish health. It is hence an efficient agent to eliminate free-living stages of the common ciliate parasite I. multifiliis, which causes white spot disease. For these reasons, formalin is often the first choice as a preventive or curative measure to control water quality. A Danish farmer checks his fish and residual hydrogen peroxide concentrations during water treatment. Summary: Formalin use is a common fish parasite control, but the chemical’s potential work safety and ecological impacts are leading to a search for alternatives. A study in Denmark examined hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid as formaline alternatives due to their antimicrobial effects and rapid breakdown. In recirculating systems, hydrogen peroxide affected a number of parasites and improved biofilter flow and particle flocculation. Both hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid provide surface disinfection and biofilm control. Relatively large amounts of formalin are used to control exoparasites in freshwater aquaculture systems. This practice takes place in traditional flow-through systems as well as semi-recirculation raceways and model farms that produce rainbow trout. Formalin has a number of beneficial attributes, but due to work safety issues and potential negative effects on receiving water bodies, the Danish Aquaculture Organisation (DAO) has launched a strategy to cease the use of formalin by year 2014. Recent applied research by DTU Aqua and DAO with a handful of Danish commercial fish farmers investigated current water disinfection routines and methods to improve them. Formalin Formalin can be applied over a short period of time in flowthrough systems and maintained at low concentrations in recircu- 78 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate Project Goal To replace formalin, new candidate disinfectants should comply with the same set of requirements. In the present study, hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid were chosen due to their reported antimicrobial effects and rapid breakdown. In theory, both disinfectants are potential environmentally friendly candidates to replace formalin, but hands-on experience at commercial fish farms is still limited. A number of controlled batch and pilot-scale lab experiments have been carried out during the last couple of years to test mechanisms of breakdown in order to adapt treatment protocols for fullscale applications. Based on these preliminary investigations, hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid were applied at different types of fish farms. Hydrogen Peroxide Protocols Protocols for raceway systems without biofilters on how to continuously supply hydrogen peroxide and maintain a concentration of about 15 mg/L for a period of three to four hours were developed. These procedures were easily adopted, and the fish farmers quickly learned how to monitor safe and correct levels of hydrogen peroxide. Protocols were also tested for recirculating aquaculture systems with biofilter sections, where different protocols were implemented. One method included backwashing of the biofilter with hydrogen peroxide to allow only transient inhibition of the nitrification processes and biofilm control. Another method included the option of maintaining low-dose peroxide in the rearing units for a period of three hours. The treatments had a significant positive effect on biofilter flow hydraulics and particle flocculation, and increased the visibility of the production water accordingly. The treatments were Submissions Easily degradable peroxyacetic acid residuals require immediate measurements, here with a simple mobile lab. The column set-up on the right is used to assess nitrification performance on biofilter elements exposed to disinfectant residuals. accompanied by veterinarian inspections, which confirmed that prolonged low-dose hydrogen peroxide exposure was able to combat a number of parasites. However Ichthyobodo necator and I. multifillis were not sufficiently controlled by the treatment. Further research will focus on the effects of permanent or repeated lowdose exposure on fish health and parasites. Contact Editor Darryl Jory for author guidelines. E-mail: editorgaadvocate@aol.com Telephone: +1-407-376-1478 Fax: +1-419-844-1638 Peroxyacetic Acid Protocols Peroxyacetic acid was found to rapidly degrade when applied to aquaculture systems, and protocols were accordingly developed on the optimized use of commercial peroxyacetic acid products. Tests were made with eggs, juveniles and growing fish. Effective guidelines for application were difficult to obtain from system to system. Some fish farmers routinely use peroxyacetic acid and have prevented major disease outbreaks. Due to its rapid decay and relatively low dosage levels, environmental concerns are not expected to become an issue. Improved Disinfection Possibilities for improving management performance were identified in all types of aquaculture systems. In some cases, substitution for formalin seemed straightforward – but situations may arise when aquaculturists are forced to change practices with formalin use, as was the case with the previous use of malachite green. The present study has resulted in an increased use of hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid, and a number of farmers now routinely apply both chemicals. However, more research is needed to fully implement the disinfectants and identify the full range of safe applications and antimicrobial effects. Perspectives The chemical fate of the two easily degraded peroxygen compounds varies from system to system. The authors recommend that precautionary step-by-step measures are taken when new chemicals are introduced. Experiences from the project indicated the following. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 79 innovation Table 1. Ingredient levels of seafood nutraceutical product and commercial neutraceutical products. Protein Isolates Recovered From Processing Could Yield Nutraceutical Seafood Products Jacek Jaczynski, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Food Safety Animal and Nutritional Sciences West Virginia University P. O. Box 6108 Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6108 USA jacek.jaczynski@mail.wvu.edu A protein isolate paste recovered from fish by-products can be enhanced with nutraceutical ingredients and formed into seafood products of various shapes. These test shapes allowed texture and color measurements. Summary: Meat recovered from seafood processing by-products could be combined with nutraceutical ingredients to form customizable seafood items. The recovered meat would provide the bulk of the product and properties such as gelation and waterholding capacity, while nutraceutical ingredients could be added in lesser amounts to enhance taste and health benefits. In forming a base protein paste for the products, isoelectric solubilization/precipitation allows high protein recovery yields while significantly reducing fat content in the recovered protein isolates. Functional or nutraceutical food products contain added, technologically developed ingredients with specific, welldocumented health benefits. These foods provide a means to achieve the desired health effects without the ingestion of dietary supplements or medications, or a major change in dietary habits. When raw seafood is processed in commercial settings, significant quantities of by-products are generated. These 80 January/February 2012 processing by-products contain residual meat and that adheres to bones and skin. The by-products typically have to be properly disposed of, often causing processors to incur extra cost. However, if this residual meat were efficiently recovered, it could be used as the main ingredient to develop nutraceutical seafood products. The recovered meat would provide the bulk of the product and properties such as gelation and water-holding capacity, while nutraceutical ingredients that provide omega 3 fatty acids, soluble dietary fiber and salt substitution could be added in lesser amounts to provide the nutraceutical function. ISP Technology Isoelectric solubilization/precipitation (ISP), which has been applied to fish, beef and chicken by-products, is a technology that also allows efficient recovery of the residual meat from seafood processing by-products. ISP allows selective, pH-induced water solubility of muscle proteins with concurrent separation of lipids and removal of materials not intended for human consumption such as bones, scales, skin, etc. ISP allows high protein recovery global aquaculture advocate yields while significantly reducing fat content in the recovered protein isolates. Muscle proteins from fish have thus far been recovered using batch-mode ISP at laboratory and pilot scales. Recovered fish protein isolates retain functional properties and nutritional value, which is critical for the development of nutraceutical seafood products. Due to extreme pH shifts, ISP also results in up to 5-log non-thermal microbial reduction. Ingredient Recommended Intake Nutraceutical Seafood Product Commercial Nutraceutical Products Sodium content 1,500-2,300 mg Below 100 mg Surimi stick, 850-mg sodium Total omega 3 1,500 mg 3,000 mg a-linolenic acid (ALA) – 2,000 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Combined DHA + EPA 250 mg Fiber 25-38 g glutaminase is often used to enhance texture, while titanium dioxide is commonly added to food products at up to 1% as a whitening agent. When uniformly mixed, the paste was stuffed into stainless 1.9-cm-diameter tubes and cooked at 90° C for 15 minutes. The ISP-recovered fish protein isolate retains gel-forming ability and so can be molded or extruded in various shapes, such as sticks, fingers or nuggets. Table 1 lists the content of the nutraceutical ingredients in the cooked nutraceutical 500 mg Soy milk – 32 mg DHA Milk – 50 mg total omega 3 PUFAs Eggs – 200 mg total omega 3 PUFAs Bread – 225 mg ALA Spread – 329 mg ALA Buttery spread – 32 mg EPA + DHA 4g None in seafood 500 mg seafood product in comparison to some current neutraceutical food products on the market and recommended levels for these nutrients. Perspectives Although this prototype supports the possibility of utilizing low-value seafood processing by-products to develop highvalue nutraceutical seafood products, sensory tests and storage stability studies are recommended. To capitalize on the popularity of deep-fried foods, it would be desirable to develop a reduced-fat fried product whose main ingredient would be the ISPrecovered fish protein isolate with the added neutraceutical ingredients. Such a product can likely be developed by dryheat pre-baking the protein paste to create a crust on the outside, followed by deep frying. The crust will likely prevent excessive absorption of oil and moisture loss during frying, but the high temperature will result in rapid heat transfer and consequent crunchy/crispy texture and flavor. The author’s laboratory is currently working on optimization of several parameters for such a reduced-fat, deep-fried seafood product. The ISP-recovered fish protein isolate retains gel-forming ability and so can be molded or extruded in various shapes, such as sticks, fingers or nuggets. Prototype Products Prototype nutraceutical seafood products were developed in a food science laboratory at West Virginia University. The main ingredient was a protein isolate recovered with ISP from whole, gutted striped bass, which retained their heads, bones, skins and scales. The fish were ground and homogenized with water at a 1:6 ratio. Fish muscle proteins were dissolved at pH 11, followed by removal of insoluble bones, skin and scales by centrifugation. The dissolved protein fraction was collected, and its pH was adjusted to pH 5.5, the isoelectric point of fish muscle proteins, at which they precipitate. The precipitated proteins were dewatered by centrifugation, yielding a fish protein isolate. A paste was obtained from the isolate by extracting myofibrillar proteins with a commercial potassium chloride-based salt substitute at a level equivalent to 2% sodium chloride, a typical amount added to restructured meat products, in a universal food processor. A combination of flaxseed oil and fish oil rich in polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acids was added to the paste at a level of 10.0%, along with 4.0% commercial soluble fiber. In addition, 0.5% of a commercial microbial transglutaminase and 0.5% of titanium dioxide were added. Trans- RESOLVING THE BOTTLENECKS IN AQUAFEED through innovation and expertise smart aqua additives for sustainable and cost-efﬁcient aquafeed AQUAGEST® AQUASTIM® Digestibility enhancers Immune-modulators AQUABITE® SANACORE® Attractants and palatability enhancers Natural growth promoters APEX® AQUA NUTRI-BIND AQUA Bio-active herbal extract Low inclusion binders www.nutriad.com NAD0031_AD_Aqua_190x124_01.indd 1 global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 81 22-12-11 10:18 industry news Pitt Study: Eating Fish Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study. “The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least one time Health food. per week had better preservation of gray matter volume in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., said. Brain volume is crucial to brain health. When it remains higher, brain health is being maintained. Decreases in gray matter indicate that brain cells are shrinking. “Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain’s gray matter by making them larger and healthier,” Raji said. “This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain’s resistance to Alzheimer’s disease and lowers risk for the disorder.” The results also demonstrated increased levels of cognition in people who ate fish. “Working memory, which allows people to focus on tasks and commit information to short-term memory, is one of the 82 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate People, Products, Programs Please send short news items and photos for consideration to: Darryl E. Jory 5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA E-mail: editorgaadvocate@aol.com Fax: +1-419-844-1638 Victoria, Australia most important cognitive domains,” Raji added. “We found higher levels of working memory in people who ate baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis, even when accounting for other factors, such as education, age, gender and physical activity.” For additional information, contact Megan Grote Quatrini at +1-412-586-9769. New Website Promotes Benefits Of Soy-Fed Fish The soybean-checkofffunded U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) has launched a revamped website for its global aquaculture program at www.soyaqua.org to communicate the benefits of soy in aquaculture feeds to both consumers and the Visit www.soyaqua.org. global seafood industry. The new website, partially funded by the United Soybean Board, shows how the U.S. soy industry can help make aquaculture more sustainable around the world with soy-based feeds as an alternative to wild-caught fishmeal and fish oil. At www.soyaqua.org, representatives of the global aquaculture sector can find information about soy products available for aquafeeds, feeding demonstration reports, and technical information and research results. The website also serves as a resource for consumers, chefs and retailers to learn why soy-fed fish are a healthful, sustainable and environmentally sound solution to the growing global demand for nutritious seafood. The U.S. Soybean Export Council connects U.S. soybean farmers with opportunities to improve human nutrition, livestock production and aquaculture. This mission is accomplished with a science-based technical foundation and a global network of partnerships. YSI Donation To Freshwater Institute Helps Pioneering Land-Based Farming The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute is benefiting from a donation of technology and expertise from YSI, a developer and manufacturer of water quality-monitoring and testing equipment. Freshwater is using the donation to grow healthy populations of salmon and trout on land. “We have to keep finding new ways to increase the supply ‘ t h e n e x t t e n y e a r s ’ global aquaculture advocate e: sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org.au // m: +61 437 152 234 The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices program is sponsoring the inaugural Australasian Aquaculture Excellence Awards, which will be presented to winners May 2 at “Articulture” night during Australasian Aquaculture 2012 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The new awards will recognize individuals or businesses that apply innovative and sustainable practices that will have lasting impacts on Australasian aquaculture over the next 10 years. Awards will be given in the areas of Aquaculture Science Research, Aquaculture Production and Aquaculture Service Provider. Judging will evaluate the qualities that make candidates “excellent,” such as major accomplishments and specific projects, unique products or services, links to education and projected impacts on aquaculture. Entries must be received by February 6. Entries can be nominated or self-nominated via an electronic submission with documentation that includes, where appropriate, testimonials and photographs. For further information and entry forms, contact SarahJane Day at sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org.au. Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre www.australian-aquacultureportal.com GAA/BAP Sponsor Australasian Aquaculture Excellence Awards – Entry Deadline Feb. 6 1- 4 May 2012 Hosted by Naming Rights Sponsor January/February 2012 Sponsored by 83 global aquaculture Join the Leaders of the Global Aquaculture Industry for: New ISO Traceability Standard To Improve Food Safety News and Technology The use of a new ISO standard on the traceability of finfish products will help improve food safety by supplying stakeholders throughout the seafood supply chain with accurate information about the origin and nature of these products. Finfish constitute an important part of the modern food industry. We consume more and more products coming from the four corners of the globe, and fish, in particular, may be caught thousands of kilometers from their place of consumption. During the past decade, several food crises have seriously affected many countries. Following the outbreaks, the concept of traceability of food products has become a matter of special interest to policy makers and scientists. ISO 12875:2011, “Traceability of finfish products – Specification on the information to be recorded in captured finfish distribution chains,” specifies the information to be recorded in marinecaptured finfish supply chains in order to establish traceability. For more information, visit www.iso.org. The Global Aquaculture Advocate, “The Global Magazine for Farmed Seafood,” delivers the latest on aquaculture technology and seafood issues for the whole seafood value chain. Now available in digital form on the GAA website. Global Production Data, Market Trends, Networking Attend the annual Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership conferences for essential data on global aquaculture production, primary markets and pricing. Network with potential business partners and examine issues of importance to the entire industry. Canadian Salmon Farmers Mark Anniversary Of Aquaculture Regulations Best Aquaculture Practices Certification GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices program is the market-accepted certification for shrimp, tilapia, salmon, catfish and Pangasius facilities. BAP has quantitative standards, oversight by a team of diverse stakeholders and over 400 certified farms, plants and hatcheries. ® www.gaalliance.org GAA has membership options for individuals, groups and businesses of all sizes. Annual dues start at U.S. $150 – see our website for further details. Global Aquaculture Alliance Feeding the World Through Responsible Aquaculture 5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A • St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA Telephone: +1-314-293-5500 • Fax: +1-314-293-5525 Web: www.gaalliance.org • E-mail: homeoffice@gaalliance.org 84 January/February 2012 of healthy seafood,” said Joe Hankins, vice president at The Conservation Fund. “Because we continuously filter and clean the water in our tanks, we’ve never had to use antibiotics or other treatments to keep our fish healthy. With (help) from YSI, we are assuring the best viable alternative to open-water fish farms and protecting wild stocks of salmon and trout.” Finding cleaner, healthier and more economical ways to grow fish on land is a key mission of The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute. For more information, contact Ann Barrett, +1-703-9085809, or Patrick Higgins, +1-937-767-7241, extension 521. global aquaculture advocate Mid-December marked the first anniversary of the Canadian government taking regulatory control of British Columbia’s aquaculture industry – and the region’s salmon farmers are looking forward to a new year that will see the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations more established. “The transition last year was a big one,” said Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA). “We look forward to seeing these regulations settle more into place as we continue to move forward.” In February 2009, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (B.C.) ruled that aquaculture should be under federal rather than provincial regulation. The official transfer date was Dec. 18, 2010. While many requirements for B.C.’s salmon farms stayed the same, changes in staff contacts, reporting procedures and inspection processes were needed. One of the biggest changes in the public eye was quarterly reporting of information about egg imports, sea lice, marine mammal interactions, incidental catch and escapes. BCSFA feels this additional reporting is a good step, though it can be challenging, since the industry is the only food production business providing this level of data publicly. For more information, contact Mary Ellen Walling, 250286-1636, extension 223. global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 85 calendar JANUARY 2012 Send event listings in English to: Event Calendar 5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA homeoffice@gaalliance.org fax: +1-314-293-5525 Texas Aquaculture Association Conference and Trade Show January 25-27, 2012 Bay City, Texas, USA Phone: +1-281-639-8271, +1-979-695-2040 Web: www.texasaquaculture.org/ Conference%202012/Conference-2012.htm Aquaculture America 2012 February 29-March 2, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Phone: +1-760-751-5005 Web: www.was.org/WasMeetings/ meetings/Default.aspx?%2code=WA2011 MARCH FEBRUARY Best Aquaculture Practices Auditor Course February 6-12, 2012 Bangkok, Thailand Phone: +1-352-563-0565 Web: www.bestaquaculturepractices.org Victam Asia 2012 February 15-17, 2012 Bangkok, Thailand Phone: +31-33-246-4404 Web: www.victam.com Subscribe To The World’s Leading Aquaculture Publication Seafood and Aquaculture Events NFI Global Seafood Market Conference January 24-26, 2012 Miami, Florida, USA Phone: +1-703-752-8885 Web: www.cvent.com/d/ycqjb1 Fish International February 12-14, 2011 Bremen, Germany Phone: +49-421-3505-264 Web: www.fishinternational.com Stay Informed International Boston Seafood Show March 11-13, 2012 Boston, Massachusetts, USA Phone: +1-972-943-4726 Web: www.bostonseafood.com MAY Skretting Australasian Aquaculture 2012 May 1-4, 2012 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Phone: +61-437-152-234 Web: www.australianaquacultureportal.com GAA’s Global Aquaculture Advocate, the “Global Magazine for Farmed Seafood,” presents practical information on efficient and responsible aquaculture technology, current seafood issues and updates on GAA activities. Subscribe today at www.gaalliance.org/magazine/. Each issue of the Advocate covers farmed seafood production, innovative technology, the marketplace and aquaculture advocacy. The Advocate’s blend of content makes it a useful resource worth keeping for future reference. Your annual subscription includes Subscriber level membership in the Global Aquaculture Alliance and valuable benefits such as registration discounts to most GAA-sponsored events, discounts on other GAA publications and a subscription to the GAA Update electronic newsletter. International Abalone Symposium May 6-11, 2012 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Phone: +61-3-6231-2999 Web: www.cdesign.com.au/ias2012/ World Fisheries Congress Edinburgh, Scotland May 7-11, 2012 Phone: +44-0-141-331-0123 Web: www.6thwfc2012.com Aquaculture U.K. May 23-24, 2012 Aviemore, Scotland Phone: +44-0-1862-892188 Web: www.aquacultureuk.com Aquaculture Canada 2012 May 27-30, 2012 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada Phone: 506-529-4766 Web: www.aquacultureassociation.ca/ meeting/aquaculture-canada-2012 Step Up Your Support For Responsible Aquaculture Consider Corporate Membership In GAA Help the Global Aquaculture Alliance continue to advocate fish and shellfish farming as a solution to growing food needs by joining GAA. You’ll be joining with hundreds of other individuals, businesses and groups from varied aquaculture and seafood industry sectors that support responsible aquaculture on six continents. Corporate membership is required to serve on GAA’s board of directors Qualify for discounts at GAA’s annual GOAL conferences and save on advertising, too. Visit www.gaalliance. org/about/joingaa.php for more information on corporate dues and global aquaculture benefits. GAA Membership Benefits Achieve greater market and consumer acceptance through Best Aquaculture Practices certification. Over 400 aquaculture facilities around the world are now BAP-certified. Join these farms, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants in demonstrating your commitment to responsible aquaculture – and receive recognition for your effort through the BAP retail mark. Keep aquaculture BAP certification is now available for: sustainable – now and into the future. • Salmon, Shrimp, Tilapia, Channel Catfish, Pangasius Farms January/February 2012 * • Processing Plants • Shrimp Hatcheries • Feed Mills ® Developed by Global Aquaculture Alliance • www.gaalliance.org • +1-314-293-5500 86 Individual Member (U.S. $150/ year) Sustaining Member (U.S. $1,000/ year) Governing Member* (U.S. $1,50015,000/year) Association Member** (U.S. $500/ year) Six issues of Global Aquaculture Advocate X X X X X GAA Update e-newsletter X X X X X GAA publication discount X X X X X Registration discount – World Aquaculture Society, other GAA-sponsored events X X X X X Registration discount – GOAL conference – $100 $300 $600 $200 Sponsorship discount – GOAL conference – – 10% 20% 5% Advertising discount – Global Aquaculture Advocate – – 15% 30% – Eligible for GAA board, officer positions – – – X X Eligible to serve on committees – – X X X Eligible to vote on GAA issues – – X X X Benefit The Responsible Seafood Choice. GO BAP! Subscriber (U.S. $60/ year) global aquaculture advocate Community • Environment • Food Safety • Traceability Governing membership dues are based on annual seafood sales. Association membership is for trade organizations and groups only. Registration discounts apply only to designated representatives of the group. ** Subscribe To The Advocate: www.gaalliance.org/magazine/ Join The Global Aquaculture Alliance: www.gaalliance.org/about/joingaa.php global aquaculture advocate January/February 2012 87 IsIsartemia artemiathrowing throwingyou youfor fora aloop loop? ? advertising AQUA 2012 85 Aquaculture Systems Technologies, LLC 77 Aquatic Eco-Systems 53 Australasian Aquaculture 2012 83 Billund Aquaculture Chilé S.A. 57 Bioo Scientific Corp. 25 BiOWiSH Technologies 43 Blumar Seafoods 11 Cablevey Feeding Systems 45 Camanchaca Inc. 38 Canadian Food Inspection Agency 39 Eastern Fish Company 61 Emperor Aquatics 65 Empyreal 75 15 Epicore BioNetworks Inc. 72 Gregor Jonsson Inc. 31 Grobest Global Service, Inc. 41 Guabi Animal Nutrition 55 INVE Aquaculture 49 Kontali Analyse AS 18 LAN Cargo 16 Marine Products Export Development Authority 73 MegaSupply 34 Meridian Products 51 Mulligan 54 Multiexport 33 Nutriad 81 Omega Protein 23 OxyGuard International A/S 26 Pioneer Group/Sun Asia Aeration 71 Preferred Freezer IFC Prilabsa 47 PSC Enterprise LLC 58 Rangen, Inc. 37 Red Chamber Corp. 69 Reef Industries 30 SeafoodDirectory.com OBC SeaJoy 75 Super Salmon 14 The Shrimp Book 29 Trace Register 11 Uni-President 63 Urner Barry 67 USSEC 59 YSI Inc. 79 Zeigler Bros., Inc. 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Gardners, PA 17324 Zeigler Bros.,USA Inc. 717-677-6181 Gardners, PA 17324 USA advocate global aquaculture www.zeiglerfeed.com 717-677-6181 www.zeiglerfeed.com Product of USA89 USA January/February 2012 Product of New Online Directories Free and Easy to Use Buyer Benefits • Freeaccess • Suppliersarepre-screenedandrated • Searchablebygeography,product formandbusinesstype Supplier Benefits • #1Googlesearchranking • Realtimesalesleads Scan For Video • Affordablemarketingtool • Globalreach LobsterSuppliers.com SalmonSuppliers.com CrabSuppliers.com ScallopSuppliers.com ShrimpSuppliers.com GroundfishSuppliers.com Coming Soon: OysterSuppliers.com • ValueAddedSeafoodSuppliers.com • TilapiaSuppliers.com MackerelSuppliers.com • AquacultureFishSuppliers.com • CommercialBaitSuppliers.com 207.602.6250 90 January/February 2012 global aquaculture advocate

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