Volume 17, Issue 6 November/December 2014 GOAL 2014 REVIEW
GOAL 2014 REVIEW GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE Volume 17, Issue 6 November/December 2014 New Jersey #8... november/december 2014 January/February 2009 DEPARTMENTS From The Director From The Editor GOAL 2014 Review GAA Activities Industry News GAA Calendar Advocate Advertisers 26 Low-Salinity Culture Water Controls Vibrios In Shrimp Postlarvae Dr. Carlos A. Ching, Ing. Juan Portal, Ing. Alfredo Salinas 28 CENIACUA Develops WSSV-Resistant Shrimp In Colombia L. F. Aranguren, Ph.D.; J. H. Cock; T. Gitterle, Ph.D.; L. Vasquez; C. A. Suarez; G. Parra; M. Salazar 30 Energy Use In Shrimp Farming – Study In Australia Keys On Aeration, Pumping Demands Brian Paterson, Sarah Miller 2 3 5 20 84 86 88 On the cover: GOAL 2014 featured a tour of the Stapimex shrimp farm and processing plant in Vietnam’s Soc Trong province. Photo by Gail Hannagan. 34 Waste Management From A Broader Perspective – Lessons Learned From Japan’s Experiences Junko Edahiro Page 28 36 Sustainable Aquaculture Practices Light Penetration In Water WSSV-Resistant Shrimp Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D. Ongoing work in selective breeding by CENIACUA in Colombia has achieved resistance to white spot syndrome in shrimp populations. 40 PCR: How Useful Is It? Ready to Store in the Spring (we don’t hibernate) EXPERIENCE THE PFS DIFFERENCE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE Twenty-five 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 for delivering service beyond your expectations to ensure long-lasting relationships and customer loyalty. BUILDING DESIGN We design state-of-the-art temperature-controlled warehouses allowing us to provide flexible customer solutions. GLOBAL REACH PFS is recognized as the fourth largest temperature-controlled warehouse company in the world with expansion in North America and Asia. Our expertise and systems deliver the quickest, most accurate, and most cost-effective fulfillment and delivery experience for every customer. Daniel Benetti, Ph.D. 45 Saturated Fatty Acid-Rich Soybean Oil Spares Fish Oil In Seabass Feed Jesse Trushenski, Ph.D.; Bonnie Mulligan; David Jirsa; Mark Drawbridge 48 Utilization Of Ulva Lactuca Studied In White Shrimp Diets Susan Laramore, Ph.D.; Bryan Gordon; Richard Baptiste; Paul Wills, Ph.D.; Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D. 51 O.I. Advances Yellow Tang Culture Chatham K. Callan, Ph.D.; Emma C. Forbes; M. Dean Kline; Shelby E. Allen; David J. Hoy 53 Selling Farmed Fish In A Wild Market Rebecca Priebe Page 42 New Venture: Grouper A new venture in the Bahamas will expand established infrastructure to include the culture of highvalue grouper and other marine fish. TM For more information about PFS, please contact: Daniel DiDonato - Executive VP, Sales One Main Street, 3rd Floor Chatham, New Jersey 07928 ddidonato@preferredfreezer.com Phone: 973-820-4070 www.PreferredFreezer.com global aquaculture advocate 56 Seafood Marketing Market, Trade Flows Of Frozen Tilapia In E.U. José Fernández Polanco, Ph.D.; Ignacio Llorente, Ph.D.; We Get It Done! November/December 2014 42 Marine Fish Farming New Venture In Bahamas Focuses On Grouper, Other High-Value Marine Fish END TO END LOGISTICS Providing peace-of-mind through dependable service on time, every time... ii Stephen G. Newman, Ph.D. María Odriozola 58 Seafood and Health Fish Oil, Paleo And A Solution Roy D. Palmer, FAICD 60 Food Safety And Technology Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria – Part I. Importance In Aquaculture Production George J. Flick, Jr., Ph.D.; David D. Kuhn, Ph.D. 64 U.S. Seafood Markets Paul Brown, Jr.; Janice Brown; Angel Rubio 71 Aquaculture Engineering Geotextile Bag, Flocculant Technology Capture RAS Waste 73 Pangasius Culture In Western Hemisphere – Stong Market Support Could Aid Expansion In Region Nagaraj Chatakondi, Ph.D. Michael V. McGee, Ph.D. 76 New-Generation Diets Omit Rotifer Enrichment, Improve Water Quality Philippe Dhert 78 Plant Lipid, Protein Use in Cod, Salmonid Diets Christopher Parrish, Ph.D.; Stefanie Hixson, Ph.D.; 68 Holding Gravid Catfish In Mesh Bags Reduces Stress, Improves Reproduction Thomas M. Losordo, Ph.D.; Todd C. Guerdat, Ph.D. Manjusri Wijekoon, Ph.D.; Derek Anderson, Ph.D. 81 Shrimp Soluble Extract – Novel Feed Attractant For Aquaculture Prof. Le Thanh Hung global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 1 from the director 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 Lee Bloom, Secretary Jim Heerin, Treasurer Iain Shone, Assistant Treasurer Jeff Fort, Chief Financial Officer 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 Robins McIntosh Sergio Nates John Peppel César Real John Schramm Jeff Sedacca Iain Shone Wally Stevens RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Sally Krueger sallyk@gaalliance.org EDITOR Darryl Jory editorgaadvocate@aol.com PRODUCTION STAFF Assistant Editor David Wolfe davidw@gaalliance.org Graphic Designer Lorraine Jennemann lorrainej@gaalliance.org HOME OFFICE 4111 Telegraph Road, Suite 302 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 2 Embracing Consumer Education In my opening remarks at the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I asked more than 400 seafood Wally Stevens professionals, via the conference’s audience response Executive Director system, “What is the number 1 challenge limiting Global Aquaculture Alliance aquaculture’s growth?” wallys@gaalliance.org To no surprise, given early mortality syndrome’s devastating effects on global shrimp production, health and disease management garnered nearly half of the audience’s vote. Somewhat surprisingly, 13% of the audience selected “consumer education” as the top challenge facing aquaculture, outscoring environmental and social responsibility at 11%, feed and investment capital at 9% each, leadership at 6% and market support at 4%. Interestingly, just moments before I posed the question, I added “consumer education” as the seventh major challenge facing aquaculture. Yet the audience’s response to such a poignant question was proof that the industry still has a lot of work to do to familiarize consumers with farmed seafood. One of the more intriguing observations at GOAL 2014 came from Scott Williams, vice president of quality assurance and environmental stewardship for B.J.’s Wholesale Club. He said Millennials or Generation Y (those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s) will expect that the products they buy are produced in a responsible manner – 100% of the time – and it’s critical that the industry reach out to this age bracket. “In five or 10 years,” he said, “we’re not going to get credit for [sustainability]. It will be an expectation.” Aquaculture has a story to tell, and we’re not doing a good enough job of telling it. We need to work together to accomplish this, as aquaculture is the only sustainable means of growing the world’s seafood supply and feeding the 9 billion people that are projected to inhabit Earth by 2050. In telling aquaculture’s story, we need to take the bad with the good. Health and disease management are clearly limiting aquaculture’s growth. But GAA is taking the issue head on, establishing a Zone Management Technical Committee to initiate the process of drafting Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards for zone management and potentially establishing a fifth BAP star. Zone management, which drew a lot of interest at GOAL 2014, may very well be key to effective disease management. It’s also a vehicle by which to move small-scale farmers closer to third-party certification, which would enhance the likelihood of smallscale farmers receiving insurance coverage, attract investment and help educate all in a particular region on the advantages of responsible aquaculture practices. In a sense, GAA’s decision to hold GOAL 2015 in Vancouver is telling of our organization’s commitment to consumer education. Western Canada’s thriving salmonfarming industry is a model of responsible aquaculture. Yet British Columbia is a hotbed of aquaculture misinformation propagated by agenda-driven environmental non-governmental organizations. Let’s embrace this opportunity to turn the tide on aquaculture misinformation by collectively making a statement in Vancouver. “The prize for all of us is the consumer,” I told the audience at GOAL 2014. “Collectively, that’s the prize we need to strive for.” All contents copyright © 2014 Global Aquaculture Alliance. Global Aquaculture Advocate is printed in the USA. ISSN 1540-8906 Sincerely, November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Wally Stevens from the editor Year-End Challenge FOUNDING MEMBERS With this issue, we close yet another successful year for GAA and our magazine. I would like to take this opportunity to first express gratitude to our advertisers, contributors and readers, because without their most valuable support, what we do would not Darryl E. Jory, Ph.D. be possible. I also would like to again share with you Editor, Development Manager my recurring end-of-year message: We must produce Global Aquaculture Advocate more seafood, and we can only accomplish this by editorgaadvocate@aol.com further developing our aquaculture industry in a responsible, efficient and profitable manner. This is again a good time to ask ourselves some simple questions. Where are we now? Where are we going? And how do we get there? If we look at available data for aquaculture production and current trends for most major species – including the data recently presented at GOAL 2014 for shrimp and selected finfish species – we can see that production is generally growing, but significant improvements are needed if we are to meet the challenge of supplying the growing human population with more seafood. We need to increase industry growth if we are to double production in a decade. Where are we going? Several authors have proImproving the jected an additional seafood demand of up to double our current annual production of around 70 mmt in efficiency of aquathe next decades. culture production How do we get there? I believe improving the is the major strategy efficiency of aquaculture production is the major strategy with the potentially largest impact. Ours is already with the potentially a relatively efficient industry when compared to terlargest impact. restrial livestock production, but more is needed. Increasing sustainable production will require more output from established species, as well as the development of production for new species. It will take expansion into new inland, near- and offshore areas, and improved domestication and genetic selection. We’ll need better aquafeeds with new alternative ingredients, improved health management and new production technologies with increased control and better risk management. We also must get better at attracting professional investors and accelerate the consolidation of the Being “responsible” industry. And we cannot avoid considering the marwill be assumed by ket, which will increasingly require more efficiency, the market, no quality control and traceability through the entire production chain. In other words, we need to longer as a selling become “industrialized” like other major meat-propoint, but an ducing industries have done. And being “responsible” implied requirement. will be assumed by the market, no longer as a selling point, but an implied requirement. At GOAL 2014 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens added consumer education as the seventh major challenge to industry growth. Our industry truly has a great story to tell and a major role to play in feeding the growing global population – we need to better tell that story to consumers and potential investors. We encourage your suggestions for topics to cover, as well as contributions of short articles. Please contact me at your convenience for details about our article submission guidelines, and let us know how we can best represent and serve our industry. Sincerely, Darryl E. Jory Agribrands International Inc. Agromarina de Panamá, S.A. Alicorp SAA – 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. Bluepoints Co., Inc. Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura Camaronera de Coclé, S.A. Cargill Animal Nutrition Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods Continental Grain Co. C.P. Aquaculture Business Group Darden Restaurants Deli Group, Ecuador Deli Group, Honduras Delta Blue Aquaculture Diamante del Mar S.A. Eastern Fish Co. El Rosario, S.A. Empacadora Nacional, C.A. Expack Seafood, Inc. Expalsa – Exportadora de Alimentos S.A. FCE Agricultural Research and Management, Inc. High Liner Foods India Chapter – Global Aquaculture Alliance Indian Ocean Aquaculture Group INVE Aquaculture, N.V. King & Prince Seafood Corp. Long John Silver’s, Inc. Lyons Seafoods Ltd. Maritech S.A. de C.V. Meridian Aquatic Technology Systems, LLC Monsanto Morrison International, S.A. National Fish & Seafood Co./ Lu-Mar Lobster & Shrimp Co. National Food Institute National Prawn Co. Ocean Garden Products, Inc. Overseas Seafood Operations, SAM Pescanova USA Preferred Freezer Services Productora Semillal, 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 Galápagos Standard Seafood de Venezuela C.A. Super Shrimp Group Tampa Maid Foods, Inc. U.S. Foodservice Zeigler Brothers, Inc. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 3 goal 2014 review Join the world’s leading aquaculture organization 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. Access science-based information on efficient aquaculture management. Connect with other responsible companies and reach your social responsibility goals. GOAL 2014 Addresses Array Of Issues Some To Return At GOAL 2015 Improve sales by adopting GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices certification for aquaculture facilities. 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. Global Aquaculture Alliance Feeding the World Through Responsible Aquaculture – www.gaalliance.org – +1-314-293-5500 GOVERNING MEMBERS Alicorp S.A. – Nicovita Alltech Aqua Bounty Technologies Beaver Street Fisheries Blue Archipelago Berhad Capitol Risk Concepts, Ltd. Cargill Animal Nutrition Chang International Inc Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL Darden Restaurants Dataj Aquafarm Inc. Delta Blue Aquaculture LLC Diversified Business Communications Eastern Fish Co., Inc. Ever Nexus Sdn. Bhd. Grobest USA, Inc. High Liner Foods H.J. Baker & Brothers, Inc. Integrated Aquaculture International International Associates Corp. INVE B.V. King & Prince Seafood Corp. Lyons Seafood Ltd. Maloney Seafood Corp. Marine Technologies Mazzetta Co. LLC Megasupply Morey’s Seafood International National Fish & Seafood Inc. Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems Pescanova USA Preferred Freezer Services Red Chamber Co. Rich Products Corp. Sahlman Seafoods of Nicaragua, S.A. Sea Port Products Corp. Seafood Exchange of Florida Seajoy SeaVina Joint Stock Co. Thai Union Group Tropical Aquaculture Products, Inc. Urner Barry Publications, Inc. Wuhan Lanesync Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Zeigler Brothers, Inc. 4 November/December 2014 SUSTAINING MEMBERS Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld Ammon International, Inc. Anova Food Inc. Apex Frozen Foods Aqua Star Aquatec Aquacultura Ltda. A.Z. Gems Inc. BioMar Group Blue Ridge Aquaculture Camanchaca Inc. Channel Fish Processing Co., Inc. Direct Source Seafood DNI Group, LLC DSM Nutritional Products Fega Marikultura P.T. Fortune Fish Co. Gorton’s Seafood Great American Seafood Imports Co. H & N Foods International, Inc./Expack H & T Seafood, Inc. Hai Yang International, LLC Harbor Seafood, Inc. Harvest Select International Marketing Specialists iPura Food Distribution Co. Long John Silver’s, LLC Mahalo Seafood LLC Maritime Products International Merck Animal Health Mirasco, Inc. North Coast Seafoods Odyssey Enterprises, Inc. Orca Bay Seafoods Ore-Cal Corp. Pacific Supreme Co. Quirch Foods Rubicon Resources Seacore Seafood, Inc. Seafood Industry Development Corp. Seattle Fish Co. Seattle Fish Co. of New Mexico Seattle Shrimp & Seafood Co., Inc. Slade Gorton & Co., Inc. Solae, LLC Star Agro Marine Exports Ltd. Tampa Bay Fisheries, Inc. Tampa Maid Foods The Fishin’ Co. global aquaculture advocate The Great Fish Co. Trident Seafoods United Seafood Enterprises, L.P. Over 400 attendees participated in a GOAL 2014 program that addressed health and disease management, sustainability, smallholder engagement and marketplace accessibility. ASSOCIATION MEMBERS All China Federation of Industry and Commerce Aquatic Production Chamber of Commerce American Feed Industry Association Asociación Latino Americana de Plantas de Rendimiento Associação Brasileira de Criadores de 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 Indonesian Aquaculture Society International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation Malaysian Shrimp Industry Association Marine Products Export Development Authority National Fisheries Institute National Renderers Association Oceanic Institute Prince Edward Island Seafood Processors Association SalmonChile Salmon of the Americas Seafood Importers Association of Australasia Seafood Importers and Processors Alliance Soy Aquaculture Alliance Thai Frozen Foods Association Universidad Austral de Chile U.S. Soybean Export Council Washington Fish Growers Association Washington State China Relations Council World Aquaculture Society World Renderers Organization With a successful GOAL 2014 in the rearview mirror, the Global Aquaculture Alliance is gearing up for a productive GOAL 2015 in Vancouver, Canada – the first time in six years that the GOAL conference is being held in North America. This year’s conference program featured 50-plus speakers and more than 425 attendees. As usual, attendees spanned the seafood supply chain. According to the conference’s automatic response system, buyers represented slightly more than 40% of attendees, followed by producers at 13%, suppliers at 8%, government/institution at 6% and “other” (finance, academics, NGO) at 32%. The four-day conference program reflected the diversity of attendees, with an array of topics relevant to all. The major topics addressed at GOAL 2014 were health and disease management (particularly early morality syndrome in shrimp), zone management, aquafeed sustainability, smallholder engagement and marketplace accessibility, food safety, and aquaculture insurance and risk management. Also, individual presentations touched on China’s marketplace, the aquaculture landscapes of Indonesia and Vietnam, and engagement of the investment community. Evolving Themes Next year’s conference program is already in development. At least four themes will likely carry over from Vietnam to Canada. Health and disease management is a fixture of the day 1 program, and GOAL 2015 will be no exception. At GOAL 2014, GAA President George Chamberlain was the bearer of good news and bad news. “The battle against early mortality syndrome is shifting from guessing what to do to implementing what works,” he said. However, new diseases are already appearing in shrimp in Asia – diseases that will surely be explored at GOAL 2015. Zone management is also shaping up to be a theme of GOAL 2015. Zone management – a key to effective disease management – created a buzz at GOAL 2014. Peter Marshall of R.S. Standards, who chairs the Best Aquaculture Practices Zone Manage- ment Technical Committee, expressed that zone management can be a vehicle by which to move small-scale farmers closer to thirdparty certification and help attract investment. Aquafeed is sure to return as a theme at GOAL 2015. An entire day of the GOAL 2014 program was dedicated to aquafeed sustainability. The seminar – which featured 16 speakers and a robust question-and-answer session – drew more than 150 attendees and centered on the environmental and social concerns related to aquafeed production. GOAL 2015 will offer an update on the work being done to improve the social components and other aspects of reduction and by-catch fisheries. Finally, the need to better involve small-scale farmers in the sustainable seafood movement is destined to carry into GOAL 2015, given the attention it garnered at GOAL 2014. GAA and others are advocating a stepped approach to smallholder engagement, because the majority of small-scale farmers are not ready to pursue third-party certification. GOAL 2015 will offer an update on initiatives to engage smallholders. New Topics Other themes will be relatively new next year, particularly consumer education. At GOAL 2014, GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens added consumer education as the seventh major challenge facing aquaculture. Vancouver is an ideal place to dive into the topic. It is an environmentally conscious city with sophisticated seafood consumers. It is also a breeding ground for aquaculture misinformation, so GOAL 2015 presents an opportunity to set the record straight. Given its prevalence on Canada’s west coast, salmon aquaculture will also be prominent next year. Canada’s salmon aquaculture leaders – and those from other salmon-farming countries like Chile – are being invited to speak at GOAL 2015 about leadership and the future of their industry. VANCOUVER, CANADA 2015 GOAL 2015 To Land In Canada GAA’s GOAL conference is docking in Vancouver, Canada, in 2015. The dates and venue will be announced in November. Registration will open with special rates for delegates who register early. Check GAA’s website and e-newsletter regularly for more information on GOAL 2015. To submit a proposal to present at GOAL 2015, please contact GAA Communications Manager Steven Hedlund at steven.hedlund@gaalliance.org. To view full GOAL 2014 program information, visit www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2014. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 5 goal 2014 review Thank You To... Our GOAL 2014 Sponsors ® 6 November/DecemberPhotos 2014 courtesy global aquaculture advocatePreferred Freezer Services. of Gail Hannagan, global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 To view full GOAL 2014 program information, visit www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2014. 7 goal 2014 review Global Finfish, Mussel Production Review Salmonids 0 8 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate 4,717,000 25,743,000 2,278,000 168,000 280,000 590,000 1,188,000 3,148,000 341,000 41,000 9,000 2,000 79,000 5,000 39,000 50,000 1,302,000 Figure 2. Global Pangasius production, main producing countries. 2013-2014 2014-2015 (Projected) Average 20052014 2.3 3.4 8.0 -26.0 -7.0 2.3 -8.8 5.2 0.4 2.5 -4.1 25.8 2.6 -22.1 15.3 4.7 9.6 4.8 3.0 3.2 26.4 -1.8 5.5 5.2 3.6 1.2 1.2 9.7 -15.4 7.5 -20.0 8.9 3.3 5.5 9.8 5.8 6.1 4.1 3.5 4.7 18.9 14.6 8.5 3.2 5.9 14.3 11.0 13.5 2.9 8.6 8.2 3.0 2.5 Large Rainbow Trout Figure 3. 2.0 Coho Salmon 1.5 Atlantic Salmon 1.0 0.5 0 Global production of Atlantic salmon, coho salmon and large rainbow trout. 2015 4,500,000 24,999,000 2,207,000 133,000 285,000 559,000 1,129,000 3,038,000 337,000 41,000 8,000 2,000 74,000 6,000 36,000 49,000 1,234,000 2015 0.5 2014 4,400,000 24,178,000 2,043,000 180,000 306,000 546,000 1,238,000 2,889,000 335,000 40,000 9,000 2,000 72,000 8,000 31,000 47,000 1,126,000 2014 1.0 2013 4,507,000 20,838,000 1,999,000 171,000 372,000 534,000 1,240,000 2,948,000 320,000 40,000 13,000 2,000 70,000 10,000 30,000 44,000 941,000 Malaysia Bangladesh Indonesia India Vietnam 1.5 2012 Tilapia Carp, selected countries Atlantic salmon Coho salmon Large rainbow trout Small trout Pangasius, Vietnam Catfish, selected countries Seabass and seabream, Mediterranean Olive flounder, Korea Turbot, excluding China Atlantic halibut Barramundi, selected countries Atlantic cod Bluefin tuna Grouper, selected countries Milkfish, selected countries 2013 2.0 2011 2013 2012 2.5 2010 2012 Figure 1. Global tilapia production and U.S. import prices for frozen fillets. Sources: VASEP, Others Growth Rate (%) 2015 (Projected) 2011 0 2010 0 2009 1 Price Sources: 2008-2012 – FAO, 2013-2015 – Kevin Fitzsimmons, Prices – NMFS Production (mmt) Species, Region 2014 (Projected) 2 1 Table 1. Production and rates of sector growth for surveyed species. Production (mt) 3 2 Production 2015 Tilapia, the most geographically diversified of species, has continued to add production over time, as seen in Figure 1. The 4 3 2014 We are struggling with data coverage for catfish. Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh are among the largest producers. Total annual production in those countries reached 3 mmt in 2014, up 5% from the previous year. Production is expected to increase by 4% next year. 5 4 2009 Tilapia Catfish 6 2008 Estimated production figures processed by Drs. Ragnar Nystoyl, Ragnar Tveterås and Darryl Jory on major farmed fish species were presented at the GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The estimates were based on a global survey coordinated by Jory of the Global Aquaculture Alliance and estimates from Kontali. Production figures until 2012 were based largely on the Fishstat database of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The Norwegian Seafood Council and National Marine Fisheries Service provided price data for several species. Table 1 provides a summary of finfish production volumes. 5 2008 Prof. Ragnar Tveterås University of Stavanger Pangasius is a species with a broad market base and geographically diverse production, as seen in Figure 2. The total production from the reporting countries is around 2.1 mmt for 2014, a 9% drop from 2013. The production is predicted to increase slightly in 2015 to 2.2 mmt. Vietnam is estimated to experience a drop in production of about 9% from 1.2 to 1.1 mmt from 2013 to 2014. Production is expected to increase slightly next year. After an initial rapid growth, annual production since 2008 established itself at a plateau of 1.0 to 1.2 mmt. From 2007, Pangasius has faced declining prices in Europe and the United States. This may help explain the stagnation in production we have seen. 7 2013 Pangasius 6 Real Price (U.S. $/kg) The global tilapia sector continues to expand, with production expected to reach 4.5 mmt in 2014, a 4.8% growth from 2013. Pangasius production is expected to increase slightly next year. Production (mmt) sector is expected to produce 4.5 mmt in 2014, a 4.8% growth from 2013. Next year, its volume is expected to grow by 4.8% to 4.7 mmt. This is still significantly lower than the average growth rate over the 2003-2013 period, which was 9.8%. The representative price shown in Figure 1, the U.S. import price for frozen fillets, indicates real prices have been U.S. $4 to $5/kg since 2008, but increasing the last two years. In general, the production increase from 2008 has not been sustained by higher prices. China is the leading tilapia producer, followed by Indonesia and Egypt. There is agreement from different sources that Chinese production will be around 1.5 mmt in 2014 and 2015. Production (mmt) Growth Continues, But Slowing For Main Species The development of salmonid production is shown in Figure 3. Atlantic salmon production is expected to reach 2.2 mmt this year, up 8% from the 2013 volume. Still, prices also increased, reflecting the global scarcity of salmon. Next year, the sector is expected to grow by 3%. Norway continues to dominate as the leading producer, but Chile has made a strong recovery from the 2010 low. Coho production is expected to decline by as much 26% to 133,000 mt in 2014. This decline was accompanied by a significant increase in the export price of frozen Chilean coho, from U.S. $4.00/kg to $5.80/kg. Next year, however, production is expected to recover to 168,000 mt – almost the 2013 level. Chile, by far the dominant producer, is driving the ups and downs of production. Sources: FAO, Kontali Farming of rainbow trout in marine waters – still on a path of decline from peak 2012 levels – is expected to decline 7% in 2014 to 285,000 mt. Next year, production is predicted to For marine fish like cobia, the production outlook is mixed, with some species increasing output and others fading due to production issues. decline a further 2%. Chile is again the main driver of the volatility in production. Data was also collected on other diadromous species – small trout, barramundi and milkfish. Production figures are shown in Table 1. The smaller trout, primarily farmed in freshwater, show a slight upward trend. Production is increasing by 2% to around 560,000 mt this year. Next year, production is expected to increase 6% to 590,000 mt. Barramundi is a sector for which coverage varies from year to year. According to FAO figures, production increased substantially since 2000, to over 70,000 mt in 2012. Total production for the countries covered – Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam – is around 73,000 mt in 2014, up 3% from the previous year. Next year’s production is expected to increase by 8%. Milkfish production in Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan is expected to reach 1.2 mmt in 2014, up 9% from 2013. It is predicted to increase a further 6% to 1.3 mmt in 2015. Marine Species Seabass and sea bream production in the Mediterranean will be more or less stable at 340,000 mt this year. Next year, production is expected to increase by only 1%. Prices have not provided much incentive for growth, as they have been more or less stable since 2004. Production volumes and growth rates for turbot, Atlantic halibut, cobia, Atlantic cod and bluefin tuna are shown in Table 1. According to FAO, China is the dominant producer of turbot, but further data has not been available on that sector. For the countries reported, production totals 8,000 to 9,000 mt this and next year. Atlantic halibut is a high-value species produced in small quantities, primarily in Norway. Annual production of halibut is only around 1,500 mt. Flatfish in general have fairly long production cycles and tie up a lot of capital. Even though they obtain relatively high prices, production economics may not allow dramatic expansion of this sector, particularly in Europe. Cobia is one of the species that is hard to follow because country data coverage varies from year to year. This year’s data on Chinese production indicated around 40,000 mt and increasing. Atlantic cod is continuing its implosion of production to a level of only 6,000 mt this year, with further declining expected next year. The industry has faced declining prices and failed to solve technological bottlenecks. (Continued on page 11.) global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 9 goal 2014 review Global Shrimp Production Review Production (mmt) Industry Projects Steady Recovery Following Disease Impacts 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 China ThailandVietnamIndonesia India Bangladesh 20092010201120122013201420152016 Shrimp production is projected to rise an average 8% annually through 2016. Production (mt) James L. Anderson, Ph.D. The World Bank University of Florida Diego Valderrama, Ph.D. University of Florida Darryl Jory, Ph.D. Global Aquaculture Alliance 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 Expected at 4% Growth Other Middle East/ Northern Africa 2.5 Americas 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 India China 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Southeast Asia 2006 Production (mmt) The 2014 Global Aquaculture Alliance survey of production trends in shrimp farming polled 33 respondents from Asia/Oceania, 22 from Latin America and two from Africa. Figure 1 summarizes the production estimates for global production. Data through 2012 were obtained from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while the 2013 to 2016 data are averages of the estimates provided by the survey participants. According to FAO data, global production of farm-raised shrimp reached 4.0 mmt in 2012, down 4% from the 2011 volume. The GOAL survey estimated that world production fell 19.3% in 2013 to 3.3 mmt, but should start increasing again in 2014. If production had grown at a conservative annual rate of 4.0% after 2012, it can be inferred that 2013 production was Figure 1. Shrimp production by region. Blue area is difference between 4% growth and GOAL estimates. Sources: FAO (20092012) and GOAL survey (2013-2016). 10 Figure 2. Shrimp aquaculture production in major farming nations in Asia. Sources: FAO (2009-2012) and GOAL survey (2013-2016). November/December 2014 400,000 360,000 320,000 280,000 240,000 200,000 160,000 120,000 80,000 40,000 0 Latin America Figure 3 presents estimates for the major producing nations in Latin America. Mexico was also heavily impacted by EMS in 2013, with respondents reporting a 48% decline in production from 100,000 mt in 2012 to 52,000 mt. A partial recovery is expected to begin in 2014. However, output in 2016 is expected to reach only 86,000 mt – 34% below the record production achieved in 2008. The outlook for most other Latin American nations is more positive, with Ecuador and Brazil reaching 356,000 and 106,000 mt, respectively, by 2016. Strong growth is predicted for Ecuador in particular, where the annual average growth rate between 2013 and 2016 is expected to be around 8.5%. This growth assumes an increased presence of Ecuadorian shrimp in European and Asian markets in addition to the traditional U.S. market. Assuming no major impact from EMS, steady increases in production through 2016 are forecasted for most countries in Latin America, with the exception of Colombia, where the industry is expected to contract by nearly 60% between 2012 and 2016. Product Form Trends Ecuador Mexico Brazil HondurasNicaragua Peru 2009 2010 201120122013201420152016 Figure 3. Shrimp aquaculture production in major farming nations in Latin America. Sources: FAO (2009-2012) and GOAL survey (2013-2016). around 22.0% below the level that could have been expected if the most recent disease crisis involving early mortality syndrome had been averted. Global shrimp production is nevertheless expected to recover and grow at an average rate of about 8% during 2014, 2015 and 2016. Volume should recover close to 2011 levels by 2016. Asia Production Shrimp production grew steadily in Asia through 2011, averaging a 7% annual growth rate from 2006 to 2011 (Figure 2). Production in 2012 declined to 3.4 mmt (down 5% from 2011) due to the impacts of early mortality syndrome (EMS) or acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome in China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. According to the survey respondents, production in Asia fell 21% in 2013 to around 2.7 mmt, with the most substantial declines taking place in China and Thailand. Although production in China is expected to recover in 2014 from 1.1 to 1.2 mmt, output in Thailand is expected to decline even further to 200,000 mt, with an eventual partial recovery in 2015. Production in Vietnam, Indonesia and India is expected to increase steadily between 2013 and 2016, with Vietnam and India achieving double-digit growth rates. By 2016, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh are expected to reach production of 590,000; 450,000; 395,000 and 107,000 mt, respectively. Thailand could drop from second to fifth place in the region, producing 328,000 mt in 2016. Output global aquaculture advocate in China is expected to reach 1.3 mmt in 2016, 16% below the record quantities achieved in 2011. These forecasts assume that impacts from diseases are reduced to manageable levels. The GOAL survey also collects information on trends in size categories and product forms. A notable trend in Asia in recent years was the increase of green shrimp relative to other product forms, such as cooked and breaded. While head-on and head-off green shrimp accounted for only an estimated 30% of production in the 2007 survey, they accounted for 48% in the most recent poll. These changes seem to reflect the growing importance of the domestic Chinese market, which may have a preference for green shrimp over other processed forms. Production in Latin America continues to be oriented toward green shrimp. Head-off shrimp seem to be losing market share relative to head-on and peeled shrimp. Green head-off shrimp accounted for 41% of production in 2006, but only 24% in 2013. Increased shipments of Ecuadorian shrimp to European and Asian markets were an important factor driving this trend. Respondents in Asia reported a move toward production of smaller shrimp sizes since 2010. The share of small shrimp increased from 27% to 42% between 2010 and 2013. The shift to smaller shrimp seemed to have been driven by narrowing price margins between the small sizes and larger counts. Early harvests caused by EMS also help explain this trend. Disease Impacts “Diseases” was once again identified by survey respondents as the most important challenge faced by the industry. Other disease-related issues, such as seedstock quality and availability, and access to disease-free broodstock, were also ranked high – in the second and fourth positions, respectively. International market prices and feed costs were ranked as the third and fifth mostimportant issues. These perceptions have changed remarkably over the last seven years. In the 2007 survey, diseases were not mentioned among the top three challenges for Asian producers, who used to be more concerned about feed costs, international market prices and trade barriers. Disease issues have moved to the forefront in the most recent years. In Latin America, access to credit has emerged recently as an important challenge for the industry. Most Asian and Latin American respondents expected global economic conditions to improve and the global shrimp market to strengthen in 2015 relative to 2014. The upward pressure on feed prices is nevertheless expected to continue in 2015. Green shrimp have become an increasingly important product form globally. Finfish Review (Continued from page 9.) Bluefin tuna output is expected to increase to around 35,000 mt this year and reach 39,000 mt next year. Production has increased substantially since its low in 2011, approaching peak levels seen almost 10 years ago. Mussels The GOAL survey included information for Mediterranean mussels, blue mussels, Chilean mussels, cholga mussels and green mussels. Global mussel production is expected to be around 1.8 mt this year, up from 1.6 mt in 2013. Next year, production is expected to increase to over 1.9 mt. Species Groups Freshwater fish represent the main bulk of global fish production. In 2014, the freshwater sectors are predicted to produce 33.7 mmt, diadromous sectors 4.5 mmt and marine sectors 0.5 mmt. When carps are excluded, the freshwater sector production drops to 8.7 mmt, but is still much bigger than the diadromous and marine sectors. For 2013 to 2014, the freshwater sector, including carps, had the highest average growth rate with 7.0%. Marine sectors grew on average by 6.9%, while diadromous species increased an average 6.1%. Excluding carps, the freshwater sector growth rates shift up to 12.3%. Double In A Decade? For the species and countries covered by the surveys, production has increased from 17.0 mt in 2002 to almost 39.0 mt in 2014. Excluding carps, however, total production is expected to reach only about 13.6 mt in 2014. Doubling production in a decade requires 7.2% annual growth. Average growth rates for species outside the carps dropped from 16% in 2012 to 0 in 2013, and are expected to be 3% to 4% in 2014 and 2015. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 11 goal 2014 review Integrated Approach Required To Manage Health Chamberlain: ‘Battle Against EMS Is Shifting’ sented at GOAL by Brendan Cowled, who analyzed the early results on behalf of GAA. There were 1,350 survey respondents, many of whom were encouraged to participate by Grobest Group salespeople in the field. An encouraging trend is occurring in Mexico, Cowled said, where some farmers reported good results using an EMS-resistant strain of shrimp. “Resistant shrimp may be proactive,” he said. When the audience was asked via the conference’s automatic response system to define the best tool for managing EMS, farm management topped the poll at 37%, followed by genetic resistance at 30%, hatchery management at 18%, diagnostics at 13% and feed additives at 3%. George Chamberlain predicted that further improvements in technology will enable shrimp producers to overcome EMS. Steven Hedlund Global Aquaculture Alliance The tide is turning on early mortality syndrome (EMS). That was the number 1 takeaway for the day 1 program at the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. On October 8, GAA President George Chamberlain led a panel on health and disease management featuring Tim Flegel of the Thai National Science and Technology Development Agency, Loc Tran of Minh Phu Aquamekong ShrimpVet Lab at Vietnam’s Nong Lam University, Peter Marshall of R.S. Standards and Brendan Cowled of AusVet Animal Health Services. In his 30-minute presentation on EMS, Chamberlain was the bearer of good news and bad news. First, the bad news. In the wake of EMS, new diseases are already appearing in shrimp in Asia – microsporidian parasites and a new nodavirus called covert mortality nodavirus. Now, the good news. “The battle against EMS is shifting from guessing what to do to implementing what works,” Chamberlain said. There is no “silver bullet,” a single cure or disease prevention method, he explained. But global shrimp production is set to rebound thanks to a combination of better diagnostics and breeding, in addition to better practices at the farm, hatchery and feed production levels. Shrimp production will not grow without comprehensive disease management protocols, Chamberlain said. But these protocols are beginning to be employed. For example, deeper ponds with high yields – like the ones used in Pangasius farming in Vietnam – are being used in shrimp farming in China. Additionally, the industry is working more collaboratively that it ever has. Zone Management The next step, Chamberlain said, is zone management, which is key to effective disease management. Zone management has multiple advantages, particularly the ability to control proximity among farms and to stay within the carrying capacity of the receiving water body. GAA has established a Zone Management Technical Committee to initiate the process of drafting Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification standards for zone management, which could potentially result in a fifth BAP star. Zone management coupled with improvements in technology will enable global shrimp production to overcome EMS and double in a decade, Chamberlain predicted. That would take annual shrimp production to around 8 mmt. Taste Impressions Every Chef’s Secret Begins with Ingredients Start with the Best SAIL® Brand Shrimp sweet, succulent, surpassed by none. EMS Impact In his 45-minute presentation following the panel on health and disease management, the World Bank’s Jim Anderson laid out just how impactful EMS has been on global shrimp production. He called EMS a “multi-billion-dollar problem.” Anderson presented a graph that illustrated where shrimp production would have been by 2016, if EMS had not existed and growth continued at an average annual rate of 4.4% between 2006 and 2012. Instead, production dropped 19.0% in 2013, and shrimp production is projected to total around 4.0 mmt in 2016. It would have totaled close to 4.5 mmt, had EMS not existed. Glenpointe Centre East 300 Frank W. Burr Blvd. Suite 30 Teaneck, NJ 07666 1-800-526-9066 Survey Points The preliminary results of GAA’s global EMS survey were preTo view full GOAL 2014 program information, visit www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2014. 12 November/December 2014 Tim Flegel joined fellow panelists in an afternoon breakout that followed up on the main health management session. global aquaculture advocate ©2014 Eastern Fish Company global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 13 goal 2014 review EMS, Social Welfare, Consumer Education Dominate Market Roundtable Discussions Huw Thomas of Morrisons said consumers are returning to farmed shrimp as prices ease. Twenty-five speakers, five roundtables, two days. Many of the world’s leading seafood retailers, foodservice operators and suppliers descended on Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to participate in GOAL 2014’s market roundtables, a fixture of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s GOAL conference. As in years past, Peter Redmond, vice president of market development for GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices division, moderated the roundtables on the final two days of GOAL 2014. The panelists weighed in on almost every topic broached at GOAL 2014, particularly early mortality syndrome (EMS) in shrimp, social responsibility, smallholder engagement, consumer education and China’s influence on the production and marketing of seafood. EMS Impacts Obviously, the impacts of EMS on shrimp sourcing have been significant for retailers and foodservice operators, but the effects on consumer purchasing have been minimal. “There have been price increases [at the retail level], and [consumers] switched out of shrimp into other species,” said Huw Thomas of Morrisons. “We saw a switch to coldwater prawns, in particular, but they’re coming back [to warmwater prawns] now that prices are falling.” Carl Salamone of Wegmans Food Markets had perhaps the most interesting comment on EMS. After attending GOAL 2013, he shared the outlook on EMS and shrimp sourcing with Wegmans’ public affairs officer, who, in turn, wrote a blog on the U.S. retailer’s website about EMS and its effects on shrimp prices. “It was our second most-read blog ever – customers were thanking us for explaining the situation,” Salamone said. “Governments have an important role to play,” Laky Zeraduchi of Seafood Direct said. “We have to be able to get through to the governments of those countries [where the incidents occurred] to express our despair and tell them that these issues can’t go on.” Added Jeff Sedacca of National Fish & Seafood: “The problem is fragmentation in the supply chain and transparency. We need to develop mechanisms to look back down the supply chain. The first step is to develop that transparency.” Sedacca, a GAA board member, applauded the Best Aquaculture Practices third-party certification program for its recognition of social responsibility and other industry issues. In a separate roundtable, Jackie Healing of Coles, an Australian supermarket company, mirrored Sedacca’s sentiment. “The first and most important thing is to be aware of the situation that you’re facing,” she said. “And then you need to take a whole chain approach. You need to be as honest and open as you can without fear of retribution. Understanding the situation is 80% of the solution.” Engaging Smallholders The panelists also chimed in on smallholder engagement and the need to bring more small-scale family farmers closer to third-party certification so they can access export markets in North America and Europe. Often, small-scale farmers feel excluded from the sustainable seafood movement. “We have seen developments,” said Mike Berthet of M & J Seafood Ltd./Brakes Group, when asked about engaging smallscale farmers. “Unfortunately, some industries in some countries have not been able to move at the same pace that the market wants them to move, despite us working with the governments. If they don’t comply with some third-party audit, eventually we will have to move away from those countries.” “The key is organization of the supply chain,” added Ally Dingwall of Sainsbury’s. “Farmers can come together if there’s a structure in place. There’s a market willingness to move forward on this.” Consumer Education The topic of consumer education – which GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens identified as the seventh major challenge 14 November/December 2014 facing aquaculture in his opening remarks at GOAL 2014 – also popped up. Scott Williams of B.J.’s Wholesale Club, a U.S. club store chain, talked about the importance of reaching Generation Y, those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, and their expectation that all the products they buy are produced responsibly. “In five or 10 years, we’re not going to get credit for that. It will be an expectation,” Williams said. “Consumers expect retailers to be good stewards on their behalf,” added Dawn Purchase of the Marine Conservation Society. Reaching China What do China and its 1.3 billion consumers really want? That’s one of the questions Zhu Changliang, chief executive officer of Wuhan Lanesync Supply Chain Management Co. Ltd., posed in his keynote address on day 3. To no surprise, food safety is number 1. “The consumers have to understand that your product is safe,” Zhu said through a translator. Chinese consumers also want trustworthy brands, excellent communication and customer services, research and new product development, and stable supplies and prices, he said. In terms of strategies for development, Zhu recommended that foreign suppliers define a long-term plan for the Chinese market, emphasize branding, understand the cultural differences within China and find the right partner to accelerate growth in the Chinese market. Other Panelists The roundtables also featured Julian Mahieu of Delhaize Group, Josanna Busby of Delhaize America, Robert Fields of Sam’s Club, Charlotte Maddocks of Tesco, Wendy Norden of Monterey Bay Aquarium, Maisie Ganzler of Bon Appetit Management Co./Compass Group, David Wier of Meijer, Kathleen Mullen-Ley of FishWise, Bill DiMento of High Liner Foods, Marie Zhang of Long John Silver’s, Rich Castle of Giant Eagle, Anton Immink of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, JeanLouis Meuric of Davigel/Nestlé, Patrick Blow of Marks and Spencer, Estelle Brennan of Lyons Seafood Ltd. and Joe Zhou of Red Lobster Seafood Co. Social Welfare The topic of social welfare – particularly accusations of forced labor in so-called trash fisheries in Southeast Asia that the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper brought to light in June – came up again and again. It’s a gray area, and the panelists talked about various ways to prevent human trafficking in fisheries and aquaculture. Wendy Norden of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (left) joined Charlotte Maddocks of Tesco PLC and Josanna Busby of Delhaize America for the final roundtable on October 10. Audience members questioned the panelists regarding a variety of market-related issues. global aquaculture advocate To view full GOAL 2014 program information, visit www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2014. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 15 goal 2014 review GAA Recognizes Aquaculture Achievers “I haven’t farmed any fish,” Dzung said in his light-hearted acceptance speech. “My only direct association with aquaculture is eating a lot of fish. … This award is not for me. It’s for Vietnam.” Dzung’s career in seafood spans more than four decades. He is best known for his work with the Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. He became general secretary of VASEP upon its establishment in 1998 and is the organization’s current vice president. Last year, the country exported U.S. $6.72 billion of seafood, with shrimp and Pangasius exported to 91 and 148 countries, respectively. Aquaculture’s growing role in the diversification of Vietnam’s economy is a testament to Dzung’s foresight, Stevens said. Innovation and Leadership Award Dr. Nguyen Huu Dzung received GAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-running efforts toward expanding aquaculture in Vietnam. The Global Aquaculture Alliance recognized two individuals for their outstanding achievements at its GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in early October. Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Nguyen Huu Dzung accepted GAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award on October 8 in front of an audience of about 400 delegates at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers. “No country, to my knowledge, has such a devoted ‘salesperson,’” GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens said in introducing Dzung. “He’s a truly special man.” Also recognized at GOAL 2014 was Rodrigo Prado, a civil engineer and director of USONIC Ltda. in Puerto Montt, Chile, who won GAA’s Preferred Freezer Services Global Aquaculture Innovation and Leadership Award. USONIC’s innovation involves the use of ultrasound to control infestations of Chilean sea lice, Caligus rogercresseyi. In numerous trials, the company showed that application of ultrasound under water in fish pens has a lethal effect on juvenile stages of sea lice. The application of ultrasound has no affect on salmon or marine mammals due to the low power and frequencies used. The technology and its specific applications are in the process of being patented in Chile and other countries. Constanza Alvial accepted the award and gave a presentation on Prado’s behalf. Alvial was introduced by Dan Didonato, vice president of sales and marketing at Preferred Freezer Services. GAA President George Chamberlain presented Alvial with a plaque and a U.S. $1,000 cash prize. GOAL Celebrates Vietnamese Leadership The event celebrated the achievements of leaders in Vietnam’s aquaculture industry. The “Celebrating Leadership in Vietnam’s Aquaculture Industry” program held concurrently with the GOAL 2014 conference on October 9 was devoted to celebrating the achievements of leaders in Vietnam’s aquaculture industry and building awareness of the need to improve responsible aquaculture practices to facilitate market access for small and medium-scale Pangasius and shrimp farmers. Organized by Carson Roper, Best Aquaculture Practices international business development manager, and Peter Red- 16 November/December 2014 mond, BAP vice president of market development, the free event attracted about 150 interested stakeholders. The program featured Dr. Pham Anh Tuan of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Loc H. Tran of Minh Phu AquaMekong ShrimpVet Laboratory, Dr. Le Luu of the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability, Dang Cong Buu of the Integrated Coastal Management Programme/GIZ Vietnam, Dr. Flavio Corsin of IDH and Ngo Tien Chuong of World Wildlife Fund Vietnam. Thi Thanh Binh of Best Aquaculture Practices, Nguyen Hoai Nam of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and Vo Thi Thu Huong of the Vietnam Pangasius Association also presented. A number of retailers chimed in from the audience. GAA presented Thuan Phuoc Seafood and Trading Corp. with a Commitment to Excellence Award for achieving four-star Best Aquaculture Practices certification. It is the fifth Vietnamese company and the tenth overall to achieve four-star BAP status. Lan To Thi Tuong, vice secretary general of VASEP, accepted the award on Thuan Phuoc’s behalf. The event’s sponsors – National Fish and Seafood, Grobest, Minh Phu Seafood Corp., GIZ, Australian Aid, Farmers in Transition Fund and IDH – were also recognized at the event. global aquaculture advocate Aquafeed Seminar Centers On Environment, Social Concerns For the first time, the Global Aquaculture Alliance dedicated an entire day of its conference program to a particular topic at GOAL 2014. The October 7 Aquafeed Workshop drew more than 150 delegates, whose interests represented a cross-section of the aquafeed sector. With 16 speakers and a robust questionand-answer component, the program encouraged participants to share potential solutions to the major problems facing aquafeed production. Andrew Mallison of IFFO applauded the audience for its interest. “It’s impressive to see so many people in the room,” he said. “Feed was always so far removed from the sustainability discussion, particularly with the marketplace. By the faces I see in the room, it shows how different things are today.” Environmental Issues Andrew Mallison recognized more work needs to be done with the social elements of employment in fisheries. Dawn Purchase of the Marine Conservation Society kicked off the event by laying out the environmental concerns related to aquaculture production. She challenged the audience to be part of the solution. “There is nowhere left to go,” she said. “We need to ensure the sustainable management of wild fisheries to ensure [the growth of aquaculture]. I would urge everyone in the supply chain to act responsibility by contributing in whatever way you can.” Social Concerns Anton Immink, who provided an update on the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s work with fishery improvement projects (FIPs) in feed fish fisheries, also talked a lot about environmental concerns. Referencing the social concerns associated with reduction and by-catch fisheries, Immink said the industry is at least five years away from certification at the fisheries level, although all sectors are actively working on a solution. In a presentation on fishmeal and fish oil production, Mallison also recognized more work needs to be done with the social elements of employment in fisheries, where labor abuse is a major concern. There is not enough synergy between environmental and social third-party audits, he acknowledged. Two speakers specifically addressed the social concerns linked to aquafeed production. “This issue is already in the public consciousness,” Katrina Nakamura of Labor Screen Safe said. “It’s a worldwide problem.” Global standards are therefore needed, Libby Woodhatch of Seafish’s United Kingdom-based Responsible Fishing Scheme said. “The key will be whether a country will use its existing compliance or whether its compliance will need to be benchmarked,” Woodhatch said. The first vessels in the U.K. are expected to be certified in March 2015. Alternative Proteins The discussion then shifted to alternative protein sources. “Soy is no longer an alternative,” Steven Hart of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance said, as soy is the no. 1 protein source in aquafeeds today. Hart’s presentation focused on soy-based research for better aquafeeds. Meanwhile, Lukas Manomaitis of the U.S. Soybean Export Council talked about the need for an aquafeed formulation database. USSEC is trying to commission the first such feed formulation database globally. After Richard Smullen of Ridley Aqua-Feed and the World Renderers Organization, gave a presentation on processed animal products, the discussion transitioned to up-and-coming protein sources, including worm meal and insect meal. Ari Jadwin of Aquafude, which is based in Chengdu, China, gave a presentation on the potential of insect meal as a feed ingredient and the production of trout and sturgeon. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 17 advertorial National Fish Builds On GOAL Momentum National Fish & Seafood is working with GAA to set up clusters of small shrimp farms that will collectively improve practices and achieve greater market access. As co-host of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, National Fish & Seafood set out to extend awareness of its work benefitting small-scale farmers and driving improvements in environmental protection, biosecurity and traceability. The company accomplished just that, laying the groundwork for its newly coined slogan, “Investing Today For Seafood Tomorrow,” which made its official debut at GOAL 2014. National Fish & Seafood’s work garnered a lot of attention and stimulated discussions with the marketplace, especially regarding its work involving small-scale family farmers. The need to better engage difficult-to-reach smallholders was one of the major themes of GOAL 2014. Jeff Sedacca, president of the shrimp division at National Fish & Seafood, participated in a three-person panel addressing smallholder engagement. The panel emphasized that a stepped approach is necessary, because the majority of small-scale farmers are not ready to pur- sue third-party certification. National Fish & Seafood is working with GAA and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) on a pilot project to bring small-scale shrimp farmers closer to Best Aquaculture Practices certification. Some 70 to 80% of farmed shrimp is produced by small-scale farmers. With support from GAA, National Fish & Seafood is setting up five shrimp-farming clusters in Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Thailand, and launching Aquaculture Improvement Projects through SFP to document improvements in farming practices. Clustering farmers reduces the cost of pursuing certification and incentivizes farmers with short-term economic benefits without losing sight of long-term sustainability objectives. Consequently, small-scale farmers don’t lose access to their markets and don’t lose their incomes. Rather, they gain the opportunity to be part of the sustainable seafood movement, from which they often feel disenfranchised. Now National Fish & Seafood is building on the momentum of GOAL 2014 by striving to provide marketplace access for dozens of small-scale shrimp farmers, not only through its pilot project with GAA and SFP, but also through the concept of Network Integration™ and the implementation of Farmforce. The Network Integration™ concept is different from vertical integration in that National Fish & Seafood can own the product, not the facility, thereby minimizing risks of supply chain disruptions that result from localized disease outbreaks such as early mortality syndrome and other natural disasters. Additionally, National Fish & Seafood is working with Farmforce to make traceability, sustainability and social compliance integral parts of small-scale farm production through the development of a cloud-based platform specifically developed to manage smallholder farms for safe, steady production. Finally, National Fish & Seafood is taking on zone management, which would impact not only individual farmers, but also entire regions. The topic, which drew a lot of interest at GOAL 2014, is extremely complex but could revolutionize the global aquaculture industry. Zone management, or spatial planning, encompasses measuring the collective impacts of aquaculture at the ecosystem level. In addition to protecting the ecosystem, zone management is intended to reduce the risk of disease. CoNNeCtING THE FARM to the supermarket Reap The Benefits Of Responsible Aquaculture global aquaculture advocate www.gaalliance.org • +1-314-293-5500 E R V IC E S NS Feed Mill L C E R I F I C AT T 12072 For more on BAP Standards, contact: Global Aquaculture Alliance BA IO governing member O November/December 2014 CM GL 18 INVESTING TODAY FOR SEAFOOD TOMORROW. SIL L I K E R Through the development of its third-party certification program, the Global Aquaculture Alliance is carrying out its mission of responsible aquaculture every day. Encompassing environmental and social responsibility, food safety, animal welfare and traceability, the Best Aquaculture Practices program is the world’s most comprehensive certification system for aquaculture facilities. Currently, more than 600 farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills are BAP certified. The facilities are audited annually by independent, ISOaccredited certification bodies, and training courses are conducted regularly to ensure auditors are well informed of the latest improvements to the BAP standards. Additionally, GAA’s market development works with retailers, foodservice operators and suppliers worldwide to promote the BAP program and responsible aquaculture in the marketplace. N AT I O N A L F I S H A N D S E A F O O D , I N C . 1 1 - 1 5 P a r k e r S t r e e t , G l o u c e s t e r, M A 0 1 9 3 0 , U S A T 978.282.7880 F 978.282.7882 2014 To l l F r e e 8 0 0 . 2 2 9 . 1 7 5 0 w wglobal w. n a t i oaquaculture n a l f i s h . c o m advocate w w w. m a t lNovember/December aws.com 19 gaa activities New BAP Hatchery Standards Completed The new multi-species hatchery standards will allow many more aquaculture operations to achieve four-star BAP certification. The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program has expanded its coverage with the completion of new BAP hatchery and nursery standards for finfish, crustaceans and mollusks. The addition of the hatchery standards represents a key advance for the BAP program, as they allow companies to pursue four-star designation for all species covered by BAP certification. “This now enables our partners to become four-star certified across the aquaculture sector,” said Peter Redmond, BAP vice president of market development. “It’s a massive enhancement to the program, while delivering true and meaningful change throughout the seafood supply chain.” The new hatchery standards for finfish, crustaceans and mollusks replace the earlier standards for shrimp hatcheries. For currently certified shrimp hatcheries or those in the process of certification as of September 17, compliance with the new standards will be mandatory for recertification beginning March 17, 2015. The standards apply to all aquaculture facilities that produce eggs and/or juvenile aquatic animals for live transfer to other aquaculture facilities. Production systems can include land-based ponds or tanks, as well as rafts or cages floating in bodies of water. The technical content of the hatchery standards was developed by a technical committee led by John Forster of Forster Consulting Inc. in Port Angeles, Washington, USA. The BAP Standards Oversight Committee – whose members represent a balance of stakeholders from industry, NGOs and academia – recommended refinements to the draft standards before approving them for release. Input received during the 60-day publiccomment period, which ended on March 31, was also integrated into the final standards. SOC Shows Leadership On Emerging Issues Much of the discussion during the SOC meeting focused on broadening participation in BAP certification. The October 5 meeting of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Standards Oversight Committee (SOC) held prior to GOAL 2014 was extended to allow more time to formulate overall strategies as well as address individual BAP issues. The strategy session was aimed at broadening the acceptance of the BAP program and ensuring that greater numbers of farms achieve certification. With regard to competing programs, BAP needs to build market recognition for its unique strengths, particularly its comprehensive scope and ability to evolve, committee members said. The issues of greatest concern in aquaculture supply chains appear to be shifting toward social welfare, particularly as this relates to the production of aquafeed, and the BAP program is able to respond to this. The SOC urged the BAP program to develop a stronger communications strategy to reach buyers, retailers and the foodservice sector more effectively. The BAP feed mill standards and ethical sourcing were discussed at length to identify the best approach to improving labor conditions on the fishing vessels that supply marine ingredients for aquafeeds. Members of the SOC recommended that the BAP program, which already supports fishery improvement projects, should require these projects to include social components that exclude trafficked and bonded labor. The new BAP zone management standards were given careful consideration, and the launch of this new project was welcomed by the SOC. It was agreed that a focus on the management of disease risk was appropriate and would help ensure the program is relevant to industry needs and likely to stimulate voluntary uptake. The BAP salmon standards were reviewed by the SOC. The topic of antibiotic usage generated much debate, and a special session on the subject was proposed for when the SOC next meets in February or March of 2015. GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens discussed how the Responsible Aquaculture Foundation is evolving to support the BAP program by, for example, providing training on food safety and support for smallholders. GAA Collaborates On Responsible Seafood The Global Aquaculture Alliance has aligned with the Vietnam Pangasius Association (VPA) to advance the responsbile Pangasius production through Best Aquaculture Practices certification. “We are very glad to begin this new relationship with VPA,” said Peter Redmond, BAP vice president of market development. “Working closely with VPA will help ensure responsible growth of the Pangasius industry while providing further acceptance of the species in various markets internationally.” VPA represents farmers, processors, exporters and other organizations supporting the Pangasius sector. The fast-growing organization has 300 members, most of which are located in the Mekong Delta. Social Responsibility Statement The Global Aquaculture Alliance joined IFFO, Lyons Seafoods Co. and Wm. Morrison Supermarkets on October 10 in signing a position statement addressing social concerns related to aquafeed production. “It is essential that robust, comprehensive and socially responsible standards are implemented within aquaculture and its supply industries, and that human rights are protected,” it says. The signing parties commit to influence aquaculture supply chains to promote good labor practices by supporting Fishery Improvement Projects that incorporate social standards based on the International Labour Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention and Seafish’s Responsible Fishing Scheme. RAF To Offer Online Seafood Safety Training Helping hatcheries, producers and processors better understand the best practices addressed in certification standards is essential to sustainable aquaculture development. The Responsible Aquaculture Foundation (RAF) has therefore partnered with the World Bank’s Global Food Safety Partnership to develop an online platform for training in responsible aquaculture. RAF’s initial effort will focus on training in food safety as an essential foundation for aquaculture development and commerce. Based on potential developments, Malaysia was selected for launching project activities. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Department of Fisheries, the project will expand on existing materials on food handling. The online training materials will be built around topic-based 20 November/December 2014 modules using a new “Storyline” format with region-specific images and text on a variety of culture species. They will include interactive self-check lists as well as links to related resources. The objective will be to equip trainers and participants to identify system issues and risks, measure existing practices and understand the changes needed to achieve best practice procedures. Training sections will address the main food safety problems that have compromised aquaculture operations while explaining the required controls. This approach includes all activities from farming through processing and product distribution. With standardized formats suitable for delivery via online courses or classroom settings, the materials will effectively provide on-the-job training suitable for regulatory authorities, farmers and processors. global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 21 Lee Talks Sustainability At U.K. Summit Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Standards Coordinator Dan Lee spoke on “Moving from Responsible to Sustainable Aquaculture” at the mid-September Humber Seafood Summit in Grimsby, United Kingdom, the hub of the U.K. seafood-processing industry. Lee said that aquaculture can only claim to be unambiguously sustainable once all elements of a supply chain are independently verified as operating sustainably. He linked this vision with the evolving BAP program, which is now addressing issues such as disease outbreaks and cumulative impacts via new zone management standards. “The BAP program enjoys widespread support within the U.K. retail and foodservice sectors, and is recognized as a means of spreading best practices,” Lee said. Lee was to follow up with presentations at the Waitrose Fish Conference and at the World Seafood Congress to be held in Grimsby in 2015. Lee linked BAP’s evolving coverage to sustainability. GAA’s Goché Participates In GFSI Focus Day Lisa Goché discussed BAP in a panel session. Photo courtesy of GFSI. Lisa Goché, vice president of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division, participated in a panel session on certification at the September 9 Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Focus Day conference in Mexico City, Mexico. Goché joined representatives of the British Retail Consortium and Safe Quality Food Institute in discussions on topics that included the value of third-party certification, the certification process, solutions for small-scale producers and auditor competency. The GFSI Focus Day, the first in Mexico, was set up to raise awareness of the benefits of GFSI in the region. It included a range of presentations and discussions on food safety and sustainability across the supply chain. The event was attended by more than 400 stakeholders, from producers and retailers to government and NGO staffers. In May 2013, the BAP seafood-processing plant standards were successfully benchmarked against the GFSI food safety requirements, aligning with GFSI Guidance Document, Sixth Edition. The BAP standards were originally benchmarked against GFSI guidelines in 2010. Jory Reviews Challenges In Honduras Talk Darryl Jory said aquaculture needs to further improve production efficiency, as well as embrace new species. Dr. Darryl Jory, Global Aquaculture Alliance editor and development manager, told participants at the National Aquaculture Association of Honduras’ Central American Aquaculture Sympo- 22 November/December 2014 sium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, that a lack of investment remains a challenge to expansion of the global aquaculture industry. In his keynote presentation to open the late-August event, Jory said aquaculture will need to produce 130 mmt of seafood – almost twice the 2012 output – to meet demand from the growing global population in 2050. Although aquaculture has great potential, it is currently dealing with disease issues, environmental concerns and price fluctuations. Such factors do not attract investors. In addition to greater access to ready capital, Jory said, aquaculture needs to expand to include new species and improve methods to raise more of the current species. This will require higher efficiency, better feeds and greater quality management. With limited land resources, more aquaculture facilities can move inland or establish ocean-based operations. Recirculation and raceway systems can also help improve aquaculture production, he said. global aquaculture advocate Shone New GAA Development Director Board member and longtime supporter Iain Shone will continue with the Global Aquaculture Alliance as a new parttime development director. Shone has been committed to GAA’s mission for 15 years, supporting the development of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program from the outset and guiding the organization’s evolution as a member of GAA’s Executive Committee. Shone represented Lyons Seafoods Ltd. as the United KingIain Shone dom supplier’s director of sourcing until recently stepping down. His knowledge of the seafood supply chain, recognition as an industry statesman and enthusiastic support for the work of GAA will be of great value as GAA moves forward, Executive Director Wally Stevens said. “GAA is a tremendous organization,” Shone said. “It has achieved so much positive change throughout the globe for our industry. It’s an honor to continue to serve and to help contribute to improving and developing responsible seafood production.” New GAA Members The Global Aquaculture Alliance is made up of members from around the world that represent all sectors of the seafood value chain. The most recent members are based in the United States but operate in a global market. Beaver Street Fisheries is a new Governing Member of GAA. Beaver Street is a leading importer, manufacturer and distributor of quality frozen seafood products from the United States and around the world. For more than 60 years, it has provided quality products to the foodservice industry and more recently to the retail market. The Florida, USA-based company – known for its long-running Sea Best retail brand of frozen seafood – offers a wide range of products, from shrimp, lobster tails, Pangasius, tilapia and shellfish to a variety of value-added items. Beaver Street’s repacking facilities are certified under the Best Aquaculture Practices program for shrimp, tilapia and channel catfish. GAA also welcomes H.J. Baker and Brothers, Inc. as a new Governing Member. H.J. Baker, which recently sponsored GOAL 2014, is an international importer, exporter, manufacturer and sales agent mobilizing global resources. Its products improve the availability and quality of food. Whether it is feed efficiency for poultry, swine or aquaculture, or fertilizer tailored for every crop, the result is the same: More people are fed with fewer resources. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, H.J Baker’s strategically located processing plants, offices and warehouses create an efficient pipeline for vital commodities and products. Its fleet of specialized transportation vehicles ensures prompt delivery to meet tight production schedules. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 23 Hong Kong Trip Successful For BAP Team Certified Facilities Grow Under BAP Program The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program now includes over 700 certified facilities across the globe. The latest “crop” of facilities certified to the BAP standards includes farms and processing plants in China that produce primarily tilapia, as well as facilities in Vietnam that raise and process Pangasius, tilapia or shrimp. New BAP-certified plants in Norway and Chile produce tons of salmon and trout. Petuna Aquaculture Pty. Ltd.’s Table Head Atlantic salmon farm site in Davenort, Tasmania, Australia, earned BAP certification on August 29. Petuna is the region’s largest mixed-seafood provider, rearing Atlantic salmon and ocean trout in Macquarie Harbour in western Tasmania. Petuna farms produce approximately 5,000 mt of salmon annually. The company produces whole fish, fillets and smoked fish products, which it sells domestically and exports to Asia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The company said it plans to pursue BAP certification for its Liberty Point ocean trout farm site and Table Head hatchery. “Petuna has always been very strong on environmental and social responsibility,” CEO Mark Porter said. “It’s the cornerstone of our founders’ beliefs. BAP certification formalizes these credentials and provides an accreditation with global recognition.” King Reef Seafoods Pty. Ltd.’s site in Cowley, Queensland, Australia, became in mid-August the world’s second barramundi farm to attain BAP certification. King Reef is Australia’s largest barramundi aquaculture operation. Established in the mid-1990s, King Reef is a fully integrated barramundi breeding, growing and processing enterprise. It was purchased by Sealord Group Ltd. in 2009. The company supplies its barramundi products to seafood wholesalers across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, in addition to retail giants Coles and Woolworths. Recent BAP certifications around the world. Facility Location Country Species Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Co. – IOM Farm Group 1 Donsak, Suratthani Thailand Shrimp Thanh Binh District, Dong Thap Vietnam Pangasius Gain Ocean Food Co., Ltd. – Donghua Aquatic Farm Beihai City, Guangxi China Tilapia Guangxi Zhengwu Marine Industry Co., Ltd. Beihai City, Guangxi China Tilapia Farms Dong Tam Fish Farm Lianjiang Longyingwei Tilapia Farm Priya Aqua Farms Xhanjiang, Guangdong China Tilapia Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh India Shrimp Thanh Binh District, Dong Thap Vietnam Pangasius, Tilapia Carson Roper visited the booth of Santai Eco, a Hong Kong-based company with BAP certification. The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) market development team wrapped up a trip to Asia in mid-September to foster existing relationships and build new ones with companies and organizations vital to the growth of Asia’s seafood marketplace. BAP Holds Farmer Seminar In India The Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division held a seminar on responsible aquaculture in association with the Dhanlakshmipuram Farmers Association in Srikakulam, North Andhra Pradesh, India, in August. Intended to spread awareness of BAP among the region’s shrimp farmers, the seminar provided about 40 farmers information on regulations, social and environmental compliance, food safety, traceability and animal welfare. Murali Krishna Bujji, who led the seminar, said a few of the farmers are already looking to pursue BAP certification. Processing Plants Dong Tam Fisheries Processing Co. Gain Ocean Food Co., Ltd. Beihai, Guangxi China Tilapia Hofseth A.S. Syvde, Vanylven Norway Salmon Huazhou City, Guangdong China Shrimp, Tilapia Puerto Montt Chile Salmon, Trout Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh India Shrimp Ca Mau, Ca Mau Vietnam Shrimp Huazhou Xinhai Aquatic Products Co. Ltd. Intac Procesos SpA M/S Suryamitra Exim (P) Ltd. Seaprimexco Vietnam Thuan Phuoc: 4 Stars VANCOUVER, CANADA 2015 www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2015 24 November/December 2014 Thuan Phuoc Seafood & Trading Group is the fourth Vietnamese company and the eighth overall to achieve four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) status, denoting that the company’s shrimp processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills are BAP-certified. C.P. Vietnam Corp.’s Bau Xeo feed mill, from which Thuan Phuoc sources its feed, earned BAP certification in early August. The company’s Thuan Phuoc Seafood and Trading Corp. processing plant, Truong Son Joint Stock Co. farm and Minh Phu Aquatic Larvae Co. Ltd. hatchery had already attained BAP certification. The addition of the feed mill allows Thuan Phuoc to offer four-star shrimp. Minh Phu Seafood Group, Stapimex Group and UTXI Aquatic Products Processing Group are the other three Vietnamese companies qualified to offer four-star BAP shrimp. global aquaculture advocate Led by Carson Roper, BAP international business development manager, and Jane Bi, market development manager for Asia, the visit began with Seafood Expo Asia in Hong Kong. There, Roper and Bi met with BAP supporters from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Ecuador. Bi and Roper also toured Hong Kong retail outlets, where they were pleased to find BAP-labeled jade perch produced by Santai Eco. Canadian salmon producer Cooke Aquaculture was also among the exposition’s exhibitors. The company’s True North Salmon division is qualified to offer three-star BAP Atlantic salmon, as its processing plant, farms and feed mills are BAPcertified. Bi and Roper explored opportunities in the Asian marketplace with Director of Marketing Andrew Lively and Director of Business Development Adam Kennedy. Roper and Bi wrapped up the Hong Kong trip with a visit to Pacific Andes, where they met with Jacqui Dixon, group corporate social responsibility and sustainability manager, and Duncan Tang, manager of the fine foods unit trade department, to discuss sustainability, responsible aquaculture and the BAP certification program. gaa recognizes that through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood. aquaculture is the only sustainable means of increasing seafood supply to meet the food needs of the world’s growing population. ® global aquaculture advocate learn more at www.gaalliance.org November/December 2014 25 production Low-Salinity Culture Water Controls Vibrios In Shrimp Postlarvae Dr. Carlos A. Ching Aquaculture Manager Nicovita – Vitapro S.A. Av. Argentina 4793 Callao, Lima, Peru cchingm@vitapro.com.pe Ing. Juan Portal Technical Assistance Manager Nicovita – Vitapro S.A. Vibrio Counts (CFU/g) 500,000 Summary: In a survey of Vibrio concentrations in white shrimp postlarvae at two inland farms, hatchery postlarvae were acclimated in water with salinity reduced from 30 and 5 ppt to 2 ppt at the farms. One farm stocked postlarvae in nursery ponds, and the other stocked directly into growout ponds. Vibrio concentrations fell after acclimation, and the bacteria were eradicated from the postlarvae during the first days of culture. Low-salinity shrimp culture in southern Ecuador is done at inland farms using underground water that is pumped into 0.5- to 1.0-ha ponds with liners and plastic greenhouse covers. Paddlewheel aeration is continuous during the whole production cycle, which can yield 7-10 mt/ ha in 90 to 120 days. The hatcheries that supply postlarvae to these farms acclimate the shrimp in water from 30 to 5 ppt salinity before 26 November/December 2014 transportation to the farms (Table 1). Once at the farms, postlarvae are further acclimated to water with 2 ppt salinity in pondside tanks for direct stocking or in nursery ponds before they are finally stocked in growout ponds. Monitoring, Results In research by the authors, the first set of bacteriological analyses consisted of three samples taken from two hatchery tanks containing water at 30 ppt salinity that provided postlarvae to each farm. Macerates of P.L.6 were cultured in agar, and Vibrio counts in colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) were recorded either as yellow (sucrose-positive) or green (sucrose-negative) colonies. A second set of these analyses were performed when P.L.12 postlarvae arrived at each farm in 5-ppt salinity water before they were stocked. The last set of analyses was done either in the nursery pond or in the growout pond during the first days of culture. Green colonies of Vibrio were later identified as V. parahaemolyticus. Postlarvae from the hatchery tank with direct stocking averaged 442,400 yellow CFU/g and 29,933 green CFU/g global aquaculture advocate Early Culture 400,000 350,000 300,000 Perspectives 250,000 45,000 30,000 Zero Green Vibrio 15,000 Hatchery (30 ppt Salinity) Direct Stocking (5 ppt Salinity) Growout, Day 5 (2 ppt Salinity) Growout, Day 10 (2 ppt Salinity) Figure 1. Average concentrations of Vibrio species in shrimp postlarvae from the hatchery until the first days of culture in the farm with direct postlarvae stocking. 450,000 Vibrio Counts (CFU/g) Inland farms in southern Ecuador can produce up to 10 mt/ha of shrimp using underground water with 2- to 3-ppt salinity. (Figure 1), while the postlarvae with a nursery phase had 390,000 yellow CFU/g and 20,933 green CFU/g (Figure 2). On arrival at the farms, an average of three samples of P.L.12 taken randomly from three transportation bags with 5-ppt salinity water indicated that in the farm with direct stocking, yellow Vibrio counts went down to 1,236 CFU/g, and green Vibrio counts went down to less than 100 CFU/g. At the other farm, average counts of yellow colonies went down to 3,000 CFU/g, and green colonies fell to 102 CFU/g. 450,000 Ing. Alfredo Salinas Production Manager Orocam Huaquillas, Ecuador salinity of 3 ppt at harvest. It was noticed that V. parahaemolyticus never appeared again in the samples taken from the hemolymph and hepatopancreas tissues of shrimp, or even from water samples. Yellow Vibrios Green Vibrios Yellow Vibrios Green Vibrios 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 Zero Green Vibrio 100,000 50,000 Vibrios are known as halophytic bacteria, meaning they grow well in highsalinity aquatic environments, and their growth is inhibited when they are exposed to low-salinity water. However, when shrimp postlarvae are infected with pathogenic Vibrio bacteria at very high concentrations in the hatchery, disease can become uncontrollable. There is a good chance that the infection levels determine the fate of these postlarvae at farms, as is the case with early mortality syndrome (EMS) caused by a pathogenic strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Even if infected postlarvae are cultured in freshwater, mortalities may occur during the first days of culture. 0 Hatchery (30 ppt Salinity) Before Nursery Stocking (5 ppt Salinity) Nursery, Day 5 (2 ppt Salinity) Figure 2. Average concentrations of Vibrio species in shrimp postlarvae from the hatchery until the first days in a nursery pond. these two farms may be attributed to the higher minimum oxygen levels in the nursery pond (5.0 mg/L) than in the grow- out pond (4.0 mg/L). Monitoring of the farms continued during the growout period to a final Shrimp postlarvae become free from Vibrio parahaemolyticus in this low-salinity nursery pond in a few days after stocking. Finally, the last monitoring of Vibrio species in postlarvae was carried out during the first days of culture, either in the nursery pond for the two-phase farm or in a growout pond for the direct-stocking farm. In both cases, green colonies of V. parahaemolyticus were eradicated from the postlarvae in five days in the nursery pond and in 10 days in the growout pond. The difference between results for Table 1. Acclimation protocol used by hatcheries that provide shrimp postlarvae to low-salinity inland farms in Ecuador. Salinity Range Acclimation Time 20-30 ppt 2 ppt reduction every 20 minutes 15-20 ppt 2 ppt reduction every 30 minutes 10-15 ppt 1 ppt reduction every 30 minutes 5-10 ppt 1 ppt reduction every hour global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 27 L. F. Aranguren, Ph.D. CENIACUA previously developed shrimp populations for fast growth and resistance to Taura syndrome virus in a selective-breeding program on the Caribbean coast. Summary: The 1999 appearance of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in white shrimp caused high mortality at shrimp farms in Colombia. To combat the disease, Corporación Centro de Investigación de la Acuacultura de Colombia (CENIACUA) initiated a selective-breeding program to develop WSSV resistance in shrimp. After initially poor survival and slow growth in resistant animals, more recent trials involving segregated and mixed populations of selected and non-selected shrimp, CENIACUA achieved populations much more resistant to WSSV than populations not selected for WSSV. White spot syndrome is the most pathogenic of all the serious diseases in the global shrimp industry. The white spot virus (WSSV) was first reported in China in 1992, from where it spread to all of the Asian countries that culture Penaeid shrimp. In 1995, WSSV was reported in the United States in frozen shrimp imported from Asia. By 2000, white spot was established in most of the major shrimp-farming countries in the 28 November/December 2014 Americas, causing major losses for shrimp farmers. On Colombia’s Pacific coast, the appearance of WSSV in Litopenaeus vannamei in 1999 caused mortalities close to 100% at shrimp farms. Breeding For Resistance As a first step to combat the disease in Colombia, Corporación Centro de Investigación de la Acuacultura de Colombia (Colombian Aquaculture Research Center, CENIACUA) initiated a selective-breeding program to develop WSSV resistance. Previous experience with fast-growing lines resistant to Taura syndrome virus (TSV) suggested this would be a viable approach. The original populations were those developed for TSV resistance and high growth rates in a selective-breeding program on the Caribbean coast. Seven batches of about 70 families each were challenged orally with feed containing WSSV. The heritability of WSSV resistance was consistently so low it could not be used effectively to obtain resistant populations reasonably quickly. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between WSSV resistance and growth rate, indicating that gains in resistance would be associated with decreased growth rates. To make matters even worse, there also appeared to be a negative relation between resistance and reproductive ability, which would lead to rapid loss of resistance when, other things being equal, global aquaculture advocate J. H. Cock T. Gitterle, Ph.D. L. Vasquez C. A. Suarez G. Parra Corporación Centro de Investigación de la Acuacultura de Colombia M. Salazar Corporación Centro de Investigación de la Acuacultura de Colombia Carrera 70 F No. 78 A-84 Bogotá, Colombia msalazar@ceniacua.org populations were multiplied in WSSVfree facilities. Unlike the case with TSV several years earlier, survival was extremely low in commercial production. This suggested that animals with potentially useful levels of resistance were extremely rare, and the frequency of resistance genes that confer resistance was also very low. Heavy Selection Pressure Based on this situation, CENIACUA developed a mass-selection strategy based on extremely heavy selection pressure for survival in tanks with large numbers of animals. The very few survivors from commercial WSSV-infected ponds, which often initially held 100,000 animals, were collected and maintained in the CENIACUA branch located on the Pacific. These stocks were raised in rearing tanks, where they very slowly grew to adult size. When they eventually reached adult size, their reproductive performance was poor. To improve reproduction, ablated and matured females were artificially inseminated with one or two spermatophores. Each batch of offspring produced by the survivors was challenged with WSSV at the P.L.40 stage. The mortality rates were high, providing a selection pressure of at least 1:10,000. The survivors from each batch were grown to broodstock size to produce the next generation. After five generations were produced with this scheme, an Breeding Studies In several trials, the authors compared the performance of selected lines with that of unselected lines to demonstrate the effectiveness of the breeding approach. A standard challenge test kept susceptible and resistant lines separate. A second trial challenged a mixed population of susceptible and resistant animals. The first trial was carried out at the University of Arizona Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory. Juvenile shrimp weighing 1 to 2 g each were kept in separate tanks and challenged with WSSV in feed. Three tanks held the CENIACUA line 1 (CNK1), and three tanks held CENIACUA line 2 (CNK2). Three tanks were used for the control group, shrimp from the specific pathogen-free (SPF) Kona line, while three additional tanks were used as negative controls, with one tank for each group. The challenged control populations all died after six days. None of the unchal- lenged animals died in the control tanks. In stark contrast to the SPF lines, the selected line survival after 17 days was 36% for CNK1 and 47% for CNK2 (Figure 1). and 39.0% of the CNK2 shrimp were still alive. The final survival of both selected and unselected lines was 100% in the uninfected tanks (Figure 2). Cohabitation Challenge Confirmation By Pathology Based on these results, how would the CNK stocks perform when mixed with susceptible stock, which is likely to occur in a commercial farming operation? The cohabitation trial was carried out at CENIACUA’s experimental bioassay laboratory. The same CNK1 and CNK2 lines were mixed with High Health (H.H.) stock, which had never been selected for WSSV resistance. The three lines were differentially tagged with fluorescent elastomers, then placed as mixed populations in two similar tanks. There they were challenged with a single feeding of WSSV-infected minced tissue at a rate of 5% body weight. As a negative control, a tank containing an uninfected mixed population was set up. Final survival in the unselected H.H. group was 2.5% by day 13 post-challenge. At the same time, 30.0% of the CNK1 100 90 Cumulative Survival (%) CENIACUA Develops WSSV-Resistant Shrimp In Colombia increase in the final survival was observed in the presence of WSSV. 80 Kona CNK1CNK2 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2345678910 11121314 15 16 Days After Infection Figure 1. Cumulative survival of three populations of Litopenaeus vannamei infected with WSSV (P < 0.001). Cumulative Survival (%) production 100 90 CNK1 CNK2 High Health 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 123456 78 910 1112 13 Days After Infection Figure 2. Cumulative survival in two tanks of Litopenaeus vannamei infected with WSSV (P < 0.001). According to Dr. Don Lightner, a preeminent pathologist of cultured shrimp and finfish at the University of Arizona’s Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, WSSV challenges performed at the University of Arizona typically result in close to 100% mortality. The survival of the CENIACUA selected lines was much higher than in other tests and much greater than that of the unselected lines, which all died. Shrimp that survived in both trials were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histology. All the moribund animals analyzed displayed the intranuclear basophilic inclusion bodies typical of WSS. Also, pleopods from all the moribund shrimp were positive for WSSV. In contrast, the survivors displayed neither the inclusion bodies nor positive results by PCR. This suggested the animals were resistant to WSSV infection, rather than that they survived infection. The final survival of the WSSV-resistant lines was similar in both trials: 41.0% and 34.7%. With cohabitation of resistant and susceptible shrimp in the same experimental unit, the WSSV viral load is likely greater than in tanks with only resistant lines, as susceptible shrimp are better hosts for the virus. In addition, when they die, they add inoculum to the tanks. In a real-life commercial situation, this scenario is the most likely one, because in a given population, only a fraction will posses genetic resistance to a disease pathogen, in this case WSSV. However, even under these conditions, the survival rates were similar to those in separate tanks. Perspectives This work confirmed that the Colombian breeding program has produced shrimp populations that are much more resistant to WSSV than populations unselected for WSSV. The difficulty remains as to whether it is possible to maintain resistance to WSSV without continually exposing shrimp to WSSV. The authors suggest that due to the low reproductive rate of resistant animals and the fact that it has still not been possible to produce populations that are 100% resistant, the resistance of selected shrimp will rapidly decline if they are not systematically exposed to WSSV. This makes it extremely unlikely that it will be possible to produce stocks that are both specific pathogen-free and specific pathogen-resistant. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 29 production Table 2. Examples of pond aeration footprints using historical aeration levels and harvests for Penaeus monodon growing in 1-ha ponds in northern Australia. Brian Paterson Bribie Island Research Centre Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry P. O. Box 2066 Woorim, Queensland 4507 Australia brian.paterson@daff.qld.gov.au Sarah Miller CSIRO Energy Flagship Clayton South, Victoria, Australia these results in a global context reveals how intensification and farming innovation have already triggered large shifts in shrimp farm energy efficiency. Given that aerators are often operated continuously in Australia, aeration is an important area for gaining energy efficiency. Summary: While intensive shrimp farms in Australia and elsewhere are sensitive to rising energy prices, global intensification and farming innovations have led to significant improvements in shrimp farm energy efficiency. Important among the changes was the global switch to zero-exchange production of white shrimp. Black tiger shrimp producers can adopt some features of the model for white shrimp, such as the use of genetically selected, high-health stocks, but it remains to be seen how far down the zero-exchange path they can go. Shrimp aquaculture in Australia began around three decades ago, when farmers followed the model pioneered in Taiwan and then Thailand by largely stocking Penaeus monodon semi-intensively in earthen ponds on coastal land in or near estuaries. After starting down that path, rising production costs and import competition have required the farmers to use more, not less, total energy to further improve their production efficiency. Today, many farms produce 10 mt/ ha/crop of shrimp, when 2 or 3 mt/ha 30 November/December 2014 Sources Of Energy Demand may once have been the norm. Since having more shrimp raises the need for more aeration and water exchange, added energy is not wasted, it simply scales to the larger size of modern crops. Under these circumstances, rising energy costs are addressed by closer scrutiny of energy use during production, as well as attention to the origin of the electricity. The authors studied six intensive shrimp farms in Australia to better understand their energy needs and examined how they might improve consumption and energy efficiency as well as approach alternative energy generation on the farms. This work was supported by the Australian Prawn Farmers Association and the Australian government’s Farm Ready program. While the findings are of most relevance to Australia, placing Energy consumption on Australian farms was dominated by electricity, although obviously some liquid petroleum gas or diesel fuel was used for heating in hatcheries or processing. The average farm electricity footprint was scaled to production at 6.5 MWh/mt shrimp. Aeration dominated the direct energy budget for a shrimp farm in Australia (Table 1), but the lack of pandemic shrimp pathogens in Australia, coupled with careful regulation of farm discharges, means that pumping for seawater exchange to a level specific to each location continues. As farms in Australia also tend to be large – up to 70 ha in pond area – they also typically process product on site. Green Energy A 50-ha intensive shrimp farm in Australia demands a supply of about 1 Table 1. Estimated contribution of production functions to overall energy footprint of Penaeus monodon farming in northern Australia. Demand Energy Footprint (MWh/mt) Aeration ~ 4-5 Comments Peaking at ~ 15 kW/ha 1.5 kW – Paddlewheels 1.5 kW – Aspirators Pumping ~1 Scaled to farm size ≥ 5 kW/ha Processing ~1 Freezing, chilling, ice making and air-conditioning global aquaculture advocate Production Year Average Crop Aeration (kW/ha ) Electricity Demand (kWh) Crop Harvested (mt/ha) Electricity Footprint (kWh/mt) 2000 2010 130 130 4.6 10.0 14,263 31,200 3.8 8.0 3,753 3,900 MW of electricity from the distribution grid. Farms typically use emergency diesel generators to supply this demand during weather-related blackouts, but perhaps they can divert money from future rising power bills into “green” energy on farm. Even with today’s technology, a nearby 1-MW biomass-fueled power station could probably compete successfully with grid electricity. But can enough fuel – sugar cane trash, for example – be diverted from nearby agriculture? Otherwise, an intensive farm’s need for constant aeration is not a natural fit with solar photovoltaic or wind power. Ironically, large users like shrimp farms with a relatively steady demand may be among the last to cut the umbilical connection to the grid. Green energy comes into contention far sooner for small users, like households that already pay higher tariffs because their demand often fluctuates a great deal through the day. Aeration, Pumping Aeration remains an important area where efficiencies may be gained. Given that aerators operate continuously for long periods, it is possible to calculate electricity 90 use simply using the total length of the crop and the average number of kilowatts used per hectare. The value for the total harvest can be converted to an electricity footprint (Table 2). As seen in the table, the average aeration footprint for farms in Australia over the last decade has been sitting just below 4 MWh/mt. To reduce this would take a significant improvement in aerator efficiency. A pressing problem in Australia is that pumping spikes that coincide with high tide incur steep cost penalties from electricity providers. So while pumping is generally a small fraction of the electricity use, under some circumstances, it can represent up to half of the annual electricity bill. Overseas experience has shown that stopping pumping to maintain biosecurity certainly improves the energy efficiency of intensive Litopeneaus vannamei production, but can the practice become routine for farming Penaeus monodon? Energy Use At P. monodon Farms Growing a 10-mt crop of black tiger Aerated Ponds Zero-Exchange 80 2b 70 60 5 Higher Intensity/ Survival 50 40 6 30 20 10 Shorter Growout Better Aerators Pump Less Study In Australia Keys On Aeration, Pumping Demands Duration (days) Energy Use (MWh) Energy Use In Shrimp Farming 1 2a 3 4 4 0 0 5 101520 Harvest (mt) Figure 1. Scaling direct energy use, cumulative “growing energy” (MWh), in semi-intensive and intensive shrimp farms in relation to yield per hectare. 1 = L. vannamei, Colombia (1994) 4 = L. vannamei, China (2011) 2a = P. monodon, Thailand (2010) 5 = P. monodon, Taiwan (1989) 2b = L. vannamei, Thailand (2010 6 = L. vannamei, Belize (2002) 3 = L. vannamei, Mexico (2001) shrimp, P. monodon, in Australia requires about 40 MWh of aeration. This value is close to average in terms of published data on energy use for shrimp production in other countries (Figure 1). This graph shows, as one would expect, that a highly intensive crop in a 1-ha pond needs more energy than a less-intensive crop. How- JOIN GAA The World’s Leading Aquaculture Organization 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. Access 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. Visit www.gaalliance.org or contact the GAA office for membership details. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 31 ever, the overall fitted slope is not the most interesting feature. The variation shows that the energy footprint for growing a given tonnage of shrimp in a 1-ha area has fallen 10 to 20 MWh in the last three decades. This even occurs in the semi-intensive part of the curve, where historically the size of the crop had little bearing on the energy use. Even though global shrimp production has been rising, the industry is using energy more frugally. The near-mandatory switch to zero-exchange production of L. vannamei for biosecurity contributed to the overall improvement in efficiency. While the shrimp biomass: aeration ratio is quite favorable for L. vannamei, the reduced pumping energy accompanies shorter crop times and (ideally) reliable survival from high-health postlarvae. Reading the figure, if yield falls unexpectedly – due to disease, for example – in a pond at a fixed level of aeration, then the MWh/mt value will deteriorate (shift left). Importantly, the reverse holds true to a point if yield can be increased under a fixed amount of aeration, say through higher stocking levels or survival. Of course, unless better aerators with superior standard aeration efficiency are adopted, this last point was only possible because the broader demands of circulation and mixing in lightly stocked ponds meant that aeration sometimes exceeded the needs of the intended shrimp biomass. There was “room” to squeeze more shrimp into the pond. UV STERILIZERS. BUILT FOR AQUACULTURE. Because some threats are easier to see than others. EMPEROR SAFEGUARD UV SYSTEMS™ CLP & CLS SERIES KEY FEATURES Just because you can’t see a potentially deadly pathogen doesn’t mean they’re not threatening your fish stock. SafeGUARD UV Systems give you the power to "see" pathogens and eliminate them before they strike. Engineered to ensure proper mixing inside the UV vessel, the CLP and CLS sterilizers efficiently distribute UV light intensity for maximum results. Featuring either schedule-80 PVC or 316L stainless construction, designs are available to treat up to 5,000 GPM/18,925 LPM. In other words, there’s a model to fit any system. • Industry-leading UV-C output and useful lamp life • Optional PLC package delivers advanced control/monitoring • Choice of inlet/outlet styles for system layout flexibility • 50 and 60Hz compatibility • Single-end UV lamp and quartz sleeve access for easy servicing • American-made lamps offer up to 12,000 hours of continuous operation • Thermal shutdown sensor prevents damage above 120°F The Future There may be limits to how far energy use at P. monodon farms can be pushed down into “vannamei” territory. The fortunate lack of pandemic shrimp diseases in Australia has reduced the biosecurity imperative for zero-exchange farming. Yet the price signal from electricity companies is telling farmers to find alternatives to high-volume pumping, or at least find a cheaper way to continue using exchange pumps. While black tiger shrimp culture may not benefit as much from biofloc production in terms of aeration and energy use as L. vannamei farming does, partial implementation of floc principles is already showing promise for P. monodon. In the meantime, energy use will at least keep moving in the right direction if new feeds and genetic selection can keep yield high and crop duration as short as possible. ORDER NOW: Pentairaes.com +1 407.866.3939 © 2014 Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 32 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate FILTRATION WATER MOVEMENT STORAGE WATER QUALITY FEEDING ENGINEERING & SYSTEMS DESIGN, CONSULTING, SALES & TECH SUPPORT, SEMINARS, CATALOG global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 33 production period at about 30 million people. The city of Edo (now Tokyo) had a population of about 1 million people, and it was self-sufficient in everything. It was a time of peace. The economy and culture flourished. A truly sustainable society existed. Specialized businesses would purchase waste paper, used clothes and used pails. There were even businesses that bought the wax drippings from candles to make new candles to sell. Other businesses would buy the ash left from burning wood fuel and sell it to farmers as fertilizer. Human waste from the richer neighborhoods apparently went for the highest prices because it had the highest nutrient content! Waste Management From A Broader Perspective Lessons Learned From Japan’s Experiences Junko Edahiro Japan For Sustainability c/o e’s Inc. Funabashi 1-11-12 Sanko Building 3F Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0055 Japan info@japanfs.org Perspectives produced. But they piled up in the stockyards of recyclers. The loop was not closed! In order to close the loop, we need manufacturers to use raw materials that came from recycling their products. We also need consumers to buy products made of recycled materials. This work will be more effective when people, organizations and sectors beyond a narrow definition of waste management are involved. Developing countries can learn from the environmental mistakes made by developed countries to create more sustainable societies. Summary: In March, the author addressed waste managers representing the governments of various Asian nations at the “Inception and Capacity-Building Workshop on National and City-Level Waste Management Strategies” in Osaka, Japan. Her presentation, which focused on a series of lessons learned from Japan’s experiences with rising amounts of waste, recommended taking holistic views, focusing “upstream” and using waste management interventions to foster social capital. We sometimes get trapped by “isolated optimization” and lose sight of the whole picture. Too often this applies to managers and persons in charge of specific divisions in regional and national government. To regain perspective, “get out of your silo” and take holistic viewsand approaches. All environmental problems are interconnected, and in many cases, drivevicious feedback loops, worsening the situ- 34 November/December 2014 ation. This involves waste, of course, but also water, climate change, biodiversity loss, shrinking forests and coral reefs, and all kinds of pollution. Such interlinked problems cannot be solved by an individual division or a single sector. Ultimately there are only two kinds of environmental problems. One type comes from the “source side,” pushing the earth to provide us with more and more resources and energy to feed constant economic growth. This pressure has created issues such as shrinking forests, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion. Another kind of environmental problem is on the “sink side,” emitting more garbage, carbon dioxide, ozone-depleting substances and other pollutants than the earth can absorb and detoxify. Needless to say, sources and sinks are also linked. The more we take out of the earth, the more waste we produce. So waste management has a strategic function, not only for doing something with garbage, but also for solving many other issues. In order to recycle properly, waste should be collected, sorted and processed back into raw materials. When we started recycling efforts in Japan many years ago, things stopped too soon. The more recycling we did, the more raw materials were global aquaculture advocate Expect What Growth Brings Many developing countries in Asia and the rest of the world are at a crossroads. They don’t have to repeat the mistakes made by Japan and other countries that developed earlier, but they do have to address the problems they already created during economic development. Developing countries can leapfrog through the process, learning from others. Put recycling and other effective and efficient waste management systems in place early. Creating a system before you face huge piles of waste is much easier and less costly than after you find yourself in a jungle of waste. Focus Upstream Struggling with waste. Recycling. Building waste treatment facilities. Reclaiming coastal land for a landfill waste dump. In addressing such issues, it is better to focus on things upstream rather than running around frantically downstream. Focusing upstream means working with manufacturers, because it is they who Needless to say, sources and sinks are also linked. The more we take out of the earth, the more waste we produce. The multiple facets of reusing raw materials and reducing waste brings people together and fosters social capital in communities. decide how future waste will be produced. Encourage them to “design for the environment.” Improve reusability and recyclability, focusing on the ease of disassembly. Urge manufacturers to consolidate the kinds of materials used. Japan has various ecoproduct awards that motivate companies to advance technological innovation and development. The key is to co-create new business models in which manufacturers and consumers can be better off with sufficient production and sufficient consumption. Focusing upstream also means working with marketers and retailers, because they decide how would-be waste items are promoted and sold. Focusing upstream also means working with consumers, because they ultimately decide how much and what kinds of waste they produce. We have to think about what we can offer consumers other than consumption to meet their needs for identity and a sense of happiness. This challenge applies in developed countries, as well. People consume things not only for physiological and safety needs, but also belonging and self-esteem needs. One alternative approach is to continue letting consumers use what they want for their identity and happiness, but by leasing the physical goods instead of owning them. In other words, people pay only for the utility value of a product, rather than buying the product itself. This approach might lead to less material “needed” and less waste. We have to think about what we can offer consumers other than consumption to meet their needs for identity and a sense of happiness. Foster Social Capital In the Japanese cities of Minamata and Yokohama, officials created opportunities for citizens to gather together, sort their garbage and discuss what they should do to reduce waste. Such waste management interventions targeting citizens have produced dual benefits. One is a higher recycling ratio and less waste to be treated, as expected. Another less noticeable benefit, which was not targeted initially, is fostering social capital in the community. It has stimulated many community activities and initiatives. Local non-governmental organizations have been born and strengthened, and this is very important. In Japan, sharing has become a big boom. It is also good business. Retaining Easier Than Losing And Regaining Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto has an ancient hand-washing basin engraved with this message: “A man who knows that he has enough is rich even when he is poor. A man who doesn’t know that he has enough is poor even when he is rich.” In Asia, we share – or shared – this spirit of sufficiency, a sense that “enough is enough.” But Japan has lost much of this spirit during decades of high economic growth. We need to regain and rebuild this culture again. If your country has important values, culture and mindsets among the people, please make an effort to retain and enhance them. Retaining is much easier and less costly than losing and regaining. Editor’s Note: This article is reproduced in edited form with permission from Issue #143 of the Japan for Sustainability Newsletter. JFS is a non-profit communication platform to disseminate environmental information from Japan to the world with the aim of helping both move onto a sustainable path. GAA on Social Media For up-to-the-second Global Aquaculture Alliance updates and responsible aquaculture news, be one of our more than 2,000 fans on Facebook. During the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), Japan had a closed-door policy that cut off relations with all other countries. It had a stable population throughout the global aquaculture advocate @GAA_Aquaculture November/December 2014 35 production sustainable aquaculture practices Light Penetration In Water The depth of the photic zone, the layer of water receiving 1% or more of incident light, can be estimated with Secchi disk visibility. Summary: Light penetrating water is scattered and absorbed exponentially as it passes downward. The presence of dissolved organic matter and suspended solids further impedes light penetration, and different types of solids absorb different wavelengths. Light penetration into water also is the energy source for photosynthesis by phytoplankton and other aquatic plants. Photons of light absorbed by water warm the water, decreasing with depth. The varying density of the water can create layers of thermal stratification within water bodies. Sunlight consists of the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, which includes gamma, X, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, micro- and radio waves. The major part of solar radiation is in the form of visible and infrared rays that vary in wavelength. Sunlight that strikes the earth’s surface is either absorbed or reflected. The transparency of water surfaces varies. It is greater for clear water, when the water surface is smooth, and between mid-morning and 36 November/December 2014 mid-afternoon, when the sun’s rays are nearest to vertical with the earth’s surface. Latitude and season also affect the angle of the sun’s rays. When the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays is 60° or less, less than 10% of incident sunlight normally is reflected by a water surface. The percentage of incident light reflected by a surface is called the albedo. The annual albedos of water bodies range from 5 to 7% at the Equator to 12 to 13% at 60° latitude. On a monthly basis, the albedo of water varies little with time of year at the Equator, but at 60° latitude, the albedo is around 5% at equinox in March and September, and around 55% at the beginning of winter. Light Penetration Light penetrating a water surface is scattered and absorbed or quenched as it passes downward. Water scatters but does Claude E. Boyd, Ph.D. School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36830 USA boydce1@auburn.edu not absorb ultraviolet light. It absorbs infrared light quickly – little infrared light penetrates more than 2 m. Light is quenched rather quickly even in clear water. Only about 25% of incident light reaches a depth of 10 m in the open ocean, where water is very clear. The visible spectrum consists of wavelengths between 390 and 750 nanometers (nm, Table 1). One nanometer is equivalent to 1 billionth of a meter. The rate of visual light attenuation in water is greatest for red and orange rays, less for violet rays and least for yellow, green and blue rays. The presence of dissolved organic matter and suspended solids further impedes light penetration, and different types of solids preferentially absorb at different wavelengths. Phytoplankton absorb light best within the red and orange part of the spectrum, but they absorb other colors to a lesser degree. Dissolved organic matter absorbs blue, violet and ultraviolet light most strongly. Suspended mineral matter tends to absorb light uniformly across the visible spectrum, while dissolved inorganic substances do not interfere with light absorption by water. Salinity, there- Table 1. Categories of light rays and colors in the electromagnetic spectrum of sunlight. Entire Spectrum Visible Spectrum Ray Type Wavelength Ray Color Wavelength Gamma X Ultraviolet Visible Infrared Micro Less than 0.01 nm 0.01-10.00 nm 10.00-389.00 nm 390.00-750.00 nm 759.00-106 nm 106-109 nm – Violet Blue Green Yellow Orange – 390-450 nm 450-495 nm 495-570 nm 570-590 nm 590-620 nm global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 37 Incident Light 0 18.3% of Incident Depth (m) Photic Zone 2.4% of Incident 1 1.0% of Incident 2 0 500 1,0001,500 Photosynthetically Active Radiation (μM/m2/second) Figure 1. Light penetration in water. fore, does not have a significant impact on underwater light. Stratification When photons of light are absorbed by water, they warm the water. The amount of heat imparted to the water decreases with increasing depth. Of course, water re-radiates long-wave radiation to the atmosphere, and an equilibrium between incoming and outgoing radiation tends to be achieved, placing limits on water temperature changes over a 24-hour or longer period. In many water bodies, heat is gained in the upper layer faster than it can be mixed into deeper water by wind-driven water currents. This results in an upper layer of warm water of lower density overlaying a deeper layer of cooler water of greater density. If the difference in density between the two layers becomes so great that surface water cannot be mixed with deeper water by wind action, thermal stratification occurs. In a thermally stratified water body, the upper layer is called the epilimnion, the lower layer is referred to as the hypolimnion, and the layer across which temperature changes rapidly is known as the thermocline. When the surface layer cools and increases in density, or wind and rain result in stronger mixing, thermal stratification disappears. Depending on the characteristics of water bodies and climate and weather conditions, thermal stratification can develop and collapse on a daily, seasonal or sporadic schedule. 38 November/December 2014 Some lakes in tropical climates stratify for very long periods. Aquaculture ponds usually are shallow, and stratification that develops on warm, calm days does not persist at night, when heat is lost to the overlaying air. Of course, in aerated ponds, aerator-generated water currents keep waters thoroughly mixed. The hypolimnion of a thermally stratified water body often is devoid of dissolved oxygen. Thermal destratification – especially if it is sudden – can cause dissolved oxygen depletion and lead to fish kills. Sudden destratification in lakes containing fish cages is a significant risk. Photosynthesis Light penetration into water also is the energy source for photosynthesis by phytoplankton and other aquatic plants. Plants use red and orange light best, but they also use other parts of the visible spectrum. Wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm are called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and underwater light meters capable of measuring PAR are available. Because photosynthesis is a chemical reaction mediated by energy from photons of light captured by chlorophyll and other light-sensitive pigments in plant cells, photons are treated as if they are molecules in measuring PAR. Photic Zone, Secchi Disk As a general rule, phytoplankton and other aquatic plants cannot survive at global aquaculture advocate light intensities below 1% of light received at the surface – whether measured as total light or PAR. The layer of water receiving 1% or more of incident light is known as the photic or euphotic zone. Because light is quenched exponentially with depth, the percentage of incident PAR decreases rapidly (Figure 1). Incidentally, the depth profile for attenuation of total light would be almost identical to that for PAR. The underwater light profile illustrated in Figure 1 is for noon on a clear day in a tropical aquaculture pond with a phytoplankton bloom. Light penetration to different depths was estimated with the Lambert’s law equation. Less than 20% of incident light reaches 0.50 m, a little over 2% reaches 1.00 m, and the photic zone is only 1.35 m thick – a fairly typical situation in an aquaculture pond. In ponds with aeration, induced water circulation continually brings phytoplankton from deeper water into the photic zone and vice versa. This phenomenon has basically the same effect as increasing the thickness of the photic zone – it increases the amount of photosynthesis per unit surface area in a water body. In lakes, the depth of the photic zone typically corresponds to the depth at which thermal stratification occurs. There is no photosynthesis in the hypolimnion to provide dissolved oxygen. Lakes in which hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen depletion occurs are classified as eutrophic – meaning rich in nutrients – as opposed to oligotrophic lakes that are nutrient-poor. The depth of the photic zone can be estimated with Secchi disk visibility. The value 1.7 divided by the Secchi disk visibility in meters has been reported by several researchers to provide a good estimate of the light extinction coefficient (K) for use in the Lambert’s law equation. Using this method for obtaining K and solving the Lambert’s law equation for depth of 1% light penetration suggests that the thickness of the photic zone is about 2.7 times the Secchi disk visibility. The depth of the photic zone has been variously reported as two to three times the Secchi disk visibility based on studies of plant growth, but the value of 2.7 is a good one for general purposes. Turbidity created by phytoplankton growth in ponds often is a means to avoid growth of underwater macrophytes. At a typical Secchi disk visibility of 40 to 50 cm in aquaculture ponds, a minimum depth of 110 cm is necessary to avoid enough illumination at the bottom for plant growth. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 39 production PCR: How Useful Is It? Stephen G. Newman, Ph.D. President and CEO AquaInTech Inc. 6722 162nd Place Southwest Lynnwood, Washington 98037-2716 USA sgnewm@aqua-in-tech.com The mere presence of a pathogen in a culture system at the low levels that can be identified by PCR does not, in itself, result in disease. Summary: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is a powerful tool that can detect very low levels of pathogens, but its ability to screen and produce results that represent the population is often oversimplified. Screening of the wrong tissues or too few animals can lead to incorrect conclusions. Also, the mere presence of a pathogen does not necessarily result in disease. Factors such as the presence of disease symptoms and the history of the population must also be considered. give exacting information about the causative agent. Sometimes the etiologic agents are not characterized, while at other times, the changes could be due to any number of potential pathogens. The discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), and the subsequent invention of the technology that underlies polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing yielded a very powerful tool that can, when properly used, detect very low levels of a given pathogen. However, as with all technologies, there are practical limitations. Defined Procedures? The American Fisheries Society’s Fish Health Section publishes the Blue Book, Suggested Procedures for the Detection and Identification of Certain Finfish and Reflecting on how disease diagnosis Shellfish Pathogens. This outlines the prohas evolved over the last 100 years or so, cedures one should follow for diagnosing one sees a gradual progression in specificdisease in fish and, by extension, shellfish ity and sensitivity. Today, nucleic acidsuch as shrimp. The manual also details a based detection technologies are currently statistical basis for population sampling at the forefront. based on assumed prevalence levels to Pathologists can look at how tissues ensure high levels of confidence that spechange as a result of disease processes and cific pathogens are or are not present in describe what they believe to be the cause populations. of a given problem based on these Screening for the presence of pathochanges. However, this does not always gens is an essential step in limiting their 40 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate potential impacts. The mere presence of a pathogen in a culture system at the low levels that can be identified by PCR does not, in itself, result in disease. The sampling protocols as outlined in the Blue Book are based on a number of assumptions. The first is that the technology used to look for pathogens is 100% accurate and will always detect them, if present. The second is that random samples can be taken. Finally, the technology is accepted as specific for a given pathogen and will not react with similar pathogens. These requirements are theoretical and rarely, if ever, achievable in the real world. Thus, the ability of DNA detection technologies to screen for the presence of a pathogen with a high degree of confidence and that the results represent the population is in fact oversimplified. The current challenges with early mortality syndrome (EMS) in shrimp serve to highlight this. Meaningful Accuracy The etiologic agent(s) of EMS, more accurately described as acute hepatopancreatic necrosis, are strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that carry toxin-producing genes on plasmids that allow these strains to produce the characteristic pathology. PCR probes that are specific for these genes have been devised, but the problem of sensitivity is an issue. Ultimately, the focus is on the minimum assumed prevalence level. When Theoretically, the more sensitive the tool is – and PCR can be extremely sensitive – the greater the utility. However, this can lead to a false sense of security. one is concerned that even a very low level of prevalence can potentially be problematic, then one must screen the population in a manner that is consistent with finding the very few animals that are carrying the pathogen. The Blue Book states that to have a 98% level of confidence that a given pathogen is not present, 150 animals must be tested for populations that are greater than 100,000 animals. This 98% figure is based on random sampling and 100% test sensitivity. Random sampling is not straightforward, and the ability of any given test to provide definitive and utile results should never actually be based on a single series of test results. The presence of disease symptoms is important, as is the history of the population. All of these factors must be considered in concert to ensure that the conclusions reached from PCRbased screening are as close to valid as the tools can give. Although it remains to be proven, the bacterial strains that cause EMS are likely ubiquitous once they become established in marine environments. The genes are readily spread among bacteria. As part of a responsible screening program, where the goal is to avoid introduction of the pathogen to clean environments, screening of broodstock, postlarvae and even potential vectors in incoming water supplies and pond environments is suggested. If broodstock sampled in a maturation facility are found negative, one can only be confident they are, in fact, not carriers if the history of the facility is consistent with ensuring that infection cannot take place. An example of this would be a nuclear breeding facility that has been closed to external factors for generations. This facility is much less likely to carry the bacteria than one where the animals have not been held indoors in highly controlled production systems for years. Screening of the wrong tissues, too few animals, etc. can lead to conclusions that a population is free of the bacteria when it is not. In theory, for a meaningful level of biosecurity, each adult should be screened in those facilities where there are real risks of contamination. This is costly, stressful and therefore usually not done. Screening postlarvae in hatcheries is also potentially problematic. First of all, getting a random sample from a tank is challenging if not impossible. Secondly, when bacteria are present at very low levels, there is a risk of false negatives. To maximize the ability of the Screening of the wrong tissues, too few animals, etc. can lead to conclusions that a population is free of the bacteria when it is not. PCR to detect very low levels of prevalence, it is smart to enrich. Considered the global standard for the detection of Salmonella and Escherichia coli, enrichment entails using selective media to encourage the growth of the organism of interest so that it can be detected. Yet there are many circumstances in which PCR results are negative when, in fact, bacteria are present. Perspectives Many questions remain unanswered about EMS, although it appears stressors are important in impacting susceptibility, a common component of many shrimp diseases. Also, the mere presence of the pathogen itself does not necessarily result in disease. Similarly, the fact that PCR is negative should not be taken as a universal affirmation that pathogens are not present. Nonetheless, it is in producers’ best interests to ensure that stocking infected animals does not occur. PCR is a powerful tool, but not a total solution. Many other factors must be considered to ensure that results are real and not a result of limitations in the technology. PCR is not a total testing solution. Other factors must also be considered in evaluating disease. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 41 production marine fish farming tively, high stocking densities are believed to reduce cannibalism in many fish species during metamorphosis and early juvenile stages. Nonetheless, commercial-scale hatcheries of groupers in Southeast Asia routinely report survival rates above 20% from eggs to fingerlings. The commercial viability of grouper aquaculture has been shown in a number of Asian countries, including Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines and Singapore, as well as in some Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Grouper production through aquaculture amounts to an average of 75,000 mt annually in the Asia-Pacific region alone. New Venture In Bahamas Focuses On Grouper, Other High-Value Marine Fish Daniel Benetti, Ph.D. University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Aquaculture Program 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149 USA dbenetti@rsmas.miami.edu In an important early phase of project development, Tropic Seafood is conditioning the world’s only broodstock population of Nassau grouper in the Bahamas. Summary: Groupers are regarded as highquality fish with high demand and high market prices. Now protected in the wild, several grouper species have been raised commercially in many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. A new venture under development in the Bahamas will capitalize on Tropic Seafood’s established logistics and infrastructure to diversify its operations from processing and selling wild fisheries products to include the culture of grouper and other marine fish. 42 November/December 2014 Groupers of the family Serranidae occur throughout most tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. They are invariably regarded as highquality fish with high demand and high market prices. Several species of grouper have been raised commercially in many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. Most grouper species are also popular game fish heavily sought by commercial and recreational fishermen throughout their distribution range. In the wild, during reproduction season, many species concentrate in enormous aggregations for spawning, making them even more vulnerable to fishers. For this reason, stocks of commercially important species in the Western Hemisphere are now under protected status. global aquaculture advocate The best-known remaining substantial Nassau grouper aggregations in the Caribbean Sea are found in the Bahamas. Several species of groupers are popular food fish throughout the world. Their positive aquaculture performance attributes, high consumer demand and everincreasing harvest restrictions make these species appealing candidates for aquaculture development. Seedstock Production Hatchery technology of groupers has been mastered in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and much success has been achieved in growing several species from egg to market. Some species of groupers spawn naturally, whereas others need to be hormonally induced with injections or implants of hormones. Larval-rearing techniques have been improving over time. Even though most species are very sensitive during early developmental stages, and survival rates from eggs to juveniles still remain in the single digits, their high fecundity compensates for the low survival attained during larval rearing. Juveniles and adults are hardy fish that can withstand limitations in both the environmental and nutritional conditions under which they are raised. Most grouper Jon Chaiton, aquaculture project manager at Tropic Seafood (left), and the author sample Nassau grouper broodstock to determine sex and gonadal development. growout operations are in floating cages in protected bays. The fish exhibit relatively slow growth rates compared to pelagic species, but are resilient and can be sold at relatively smaller weights of 400 to 800 g. Depending on the species, annual growth rates vary from 250 g to 1 kg. Fish culturists agree that, given adequate water quality and well-formulated, nutritionally complete diets with quality ingredients of high digestibility, the species can thrive during the nursery and growout stages. Early Development The early developmental stages of most grouper species present biological and managerial challenges to hatchery operators. Effective aeration, water exchange and feeding are crucial. Grouper larvae are generally raised in greenwater, using live microalgae such as Nannochloropsis and Isochrysis species. This practice is believed to assist in maintaining good water quality and adequate nutrition of live prey such as rotifers and Artemia. Live feeds must be cleaned, disinfected and enriched. Using probiotics is also strongly recommended. Some groupers have very small mouth gapes and require small strains of rotifers, such as Brachionus rotundiformis and the minuscule monogonont rotifer Proales similis, as well as trocophores (the early larvae of oysters and/or clams), copepods or copepodittes at first feeding. Furthermore, cannibalism during early juvenile stages is another potential problem that must be properly managed. Counterintui- Grouper Culture In Bahamas Despite its vast amount of potential land-based and offshore aquaculture sites, currently there is no commercial aquaculture production in the Bahamas. After a number of frail past attempts by various entities to establish aquaculture in the region, Tropic Seafood Ltd., the largest lobster tail and seafood processor in the Bahamas, is expanding its seafood business by developing marine fish aquaculture. Integrated aquaculture development will allow Tropic Seafood to capitalize on its available logistics and infrastructure and diversify its operations from processing and selling wild fisheries products. The company, owned by Beaver Street Fisheries in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, currently sells lobster tails, stone crab claws, conch, grouper and snapper throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Its state-of-the-art seafood-processing plant in Nassau meets and exceeds all HACCP and European Union standards, and is currently the only seafood plant in the entire Caribbean to be British Retail Consortium-certified. The Bahama government recognizes the potential to utilize its natural resources to generate socioeconomic benefits and seafood security, and has prioritized aquaculture development in the country. Therefore, as the largest employer in the seafood business in the Bahamas, Tropic Seafood also has strong support from the government. Although the local market for fresh and live marine fish continues to expand due to the large number of high-end resorts and cruise ships in the Bahamas, the developers have a long-term vision and are looking at the export market. Looking forward, Tropic Seafood has been discussing potential partnerships with experienced groups from Turkey, China, South Korea and the United States. Grouper, Other Species Considering the available technology, as well as biological and marketing criteria, the company decided to focus on producing the Nassau grouper; yellowtail jack, Seriola rivoliana; mahi-mahi, Coryphaena hippurus; and Lutjanus species snappers. For the land-based facilities, Tropic Seafood is contemplating a growout operation for flatfish in tanks and raceways in shaded greenhouses. It would utilize seawater well at 20 to 22° C, a temperature range ideal for certain species of high-end flounder. Other species with considerable potential are the Florida pompano, Trachinotus species; and cobia, Rachycentron canadum. Currently, the company is conditioning the world’s only broodstock population of Nassau grouper. Forty-eight adult Nassau grouper ranging from 3 to 10 kg were captured in traps off New Providence Island in the Bahamas and brought to holding facilities in Nassau. The fish were quarantined, acclimated, sampled and stocked in four, 20-ton maturation tanks with flowthrough ambient water exchange and constant aeration. Artificial substrates are provided for the 12 male and female groupers stocked in each tank. Furthermore, “cleaning stations” were built and stocked with neon gobies, Gobiosoma oceanops, to create a symbiotic relationship between the fish. The neon gobies are routinely observed “cleaning” the gills and skin of the groupers, keeping them naturally free of parasites and diseases. Such symbiotic behavior naturally occurs in the reefs, and this technique has proven successful for other species in captivity. The broodstock Nassau grouper are well adapted to captivity and feed very well. Tagged individuals are sexually mature, exhibiting oocytes at various stages of development, as well as motile sperm cells. They are stocked in the maturation systems with controlled temperature, light and diets, while being conditioned to spawn volitionally beginning in the winter period of December 2014 to January 2015, which corresponds to the natural reproduction cycle of this species in the wild. Development Plan Spawning and larval rearing of Nassau grouper are imminent, and the right technology is at hand to produce juveniles at the Nassau facility. The facility plan includes an expanded land-based hatchery, nursery, and growout and offshore cage farm planned for either of two sites off New Providence Island or Andros. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 43 Fish culturists agree that, given adequate water quality and well-formulated diets, grouper can thrive during the nursery and growout stages. Thorough site surveys including monitoring of water currents, temperatures and dissolved-oxygen levels are currently being conducted to determine the most suitable site to develop the first phase of the proposed cage operation. Data gathered thus far indicate the water quality and physical and chemical parameters are within ideal ranges for the culture of Nassau grouper and other high-value native species. Tentatively, the company is planning on a grid with moorings for 10 globe-shaped net cages for phase one of the operation in 2015. Weather Issues The occurrence of hurricanes and tropical storms in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico must be taken seriously. Indeed, both hurri- canes and the presence of predators such as sharks present serious potential risks that must be carefully assessed. However, they are no longer show stoppers, as advanced anti-predator containment systems have clearly opened the path for the development of marine cage aquaculture in storm-prone regions. Robust submerged and gravity cages fitted with anti-predator nets are now available to protect valuable and otherwise vulnerable crops. To that end, in collaboration with an international consulting group, Tropic Seafood prepared a hurricane protocol tailored to an exposed cage farm to anticipate and deal with impacts. An additional level of confidence is provided by comparing historical hurricane frequency and paths in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico region to those of typhoons in Asia. Clearly, typhoons have not prevented Japan, Taiwan and other Asian countries to become the world’s largest producers of highvalue marine fish in cages – and should not prevent properly managed cage aquaculture with advanced containment technologies from developing successfully in the Caribbean. production Saturated Fatty Acid-Rich Soybean Oil Spares Fish Oil In Seabass Feed Jesse Trushenski, Ph.D. Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences Department of Zoology Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, Illinois 62901 USA saluski@siu.edu Bonnie Mulligan Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences Department of Zoology Southern Illinois University Carbondale David Jirsa Mark Drawbridge Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute San Diego, California, USA this context. For these species, complete or near-complete fish oil replacement generally impairs growth performance and dramatically alters the fatty acid composition of the tissues. Recent studies have suggested that the use of lipids rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) instead of those rich in C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (C18 PUFAs) may be advantageous in maintaining tissue levels of LC-PUFAs. SFA-rich lipids may also offer a strategic advantage in terms of meeting the LC-PUFA requirements of marine carnivores while minimizing dietary fish oil inclusion. Test data suggested that the LC-PUFA requirements of white seabass could be effectively reduced by feeding SFA-rich alternative lipids like hydrogenated soybean oil. Summary: Fish oil sparing has proven difficult for fish species that require the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) abundant in fish oil but lacking in most alternative fats and oils used in aquafeeds. Trials with seabass, a carnivorous species, suggested its LC-PUFA requirements could be reduced by feeding saturated fatty acid-rich lipids like hydrogenated soybean oil, allowing a greater level of fish oil sparing without growth impairment or tissue profile modification than is possible with C18 PUFA-rich lipids. Initial Feeding Trial Accordingly, the authors assessed the performance and tissue fatty acid composition of juvenile white seabass initially weighing 3.8 + 0.2 g fed diets containing fish oil, graded levels of C18 PUFA-rich standard soy oil or SFA-rich hydrogenated soy oil (replacing 25, 50, 75, or 100% of dietary fish oil) for eight weeks. Feed conversion, weight gain and specific growth rates were not impaired by partial or complete replacement of dietary fish oil with hydrogenated soy oil. However, fish oil sparing with standard soy oil was associated with declining performance. Tissue fatty acid profiles of fish fed the SFA-rich, hydrogenated soy oil-based diets were very similar to those fed the fish oil-based feed, but the C18 PUFA-rich standard soy oil-based feeds resulted in concomitant loss of n-3 and LC-PUFAs (Figure 1). These data suggested a limitation, potentially related to LCPUFA deficiency, associated with replacing fish oil with standard soybean oil but not with hydrogenated soybean oil. Follow-Up Trial 44 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate In a subsequent feeding trial, the authors tested whether the Fish oil sparing has proven particularly difficult for fish spelimitations associated with feeding standard soybean oil to white cies that require one or more of the long-chain polyunsaturated seabass could be attenuated by the addition of an algal source of fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), which are abundant in fish oil, but docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3, DHA). This experiment lacking in most of the alternative fats and oils commonly used in assessed the performance and tissue fatty acid compositions of aquafeeds. Carnivorous fish, especially marine carnivores like the juvenile white seabass weighing 4.1 g fed diets containing fish white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, are particularly demanding in global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 45 14:0 LC-PUFA Line of Equality 25% STD SOY 16:0 C18PUFA 18:0 n-3 50% STD SOY SFA 75% STD SOY 22:6n-3 16:1n-7 22:5n-3 18:1n-7 100% STD SOY 18:1n-9 20:5n-3 MUFA 18:3n-3 n-6 LC-PUFA 20:4n-6 14:0 18:2n-6 Line of Equality 25% SFA SOY 16:0 18:0 C18PUFA 50% SFA SOY SFA n-3 75% SFA SOY 22:6n-3 16:1n-7 22:5n-3 18:1n-7 100% SFA SOY 18:1n-9 20:5n-3 18:3n-3 20:4n-6 oil, C18 PUFA-rich standard soy oil or SFA-rich hydrogenated soy oil as a complete fish oil replacement, with or without DHA supplementation for eight weeks. Once again, the use of C18 PUFA-rich standard soybean oil-based feed resulted in impaired growth fish and feed-conversion ratios. Although amending the diet with DHA did improve the performance of fish fed standard soybean oil-based feed, growth was still superior among the fish fed hydrogenated soybean oilbased feeds, regardless of DHA supplementation. Perspectives Collectively, the data suggested that the LC-PUFA requirements of white seabass could be effectively reduced by feeding SFA-rich alternative lipids like hydrogenated soybean oil, allowing for a greater level of fish oil sparing without growth impairment or tissue profile modification than is possible with C18 PUFA-rich lipids. To fully validate these results and the value of hydrogenated soybean oil-based white seabass feed, a commercial-scale growout trial is currently being conducted by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in cooperation with researchers at Southern Illinois University and Iowa State University. Editor’s Note: This article was based largely on research by the authors reported in “Sparing Fish Oil With Soybean Oil in Feeds for White Seabass: Effects of Inclusion Rate and Soybean Oil Composition,” an article published in the April 2013 North American Journal of Aquaculture. MUFA n-6 Figure 1. Fatty acid composition of fillet total lipid from white seabass fed diets containing graded levels of C18 PUFA-rich, standard soybean oil (STD SOY) or SFA-rich, hydrogenated soybean oil (SFA SOY) expressed as a fraction of fatty acid composition observed in fish fed the LC-PUFA-rich, menhaden fish oil-based control diet. A value of 1 represents equality between tissue profiles. Only fatty acids or fatty acid groupings representing over 2% of total fatty acid methyl esters quantified are shown. 18:2n-6 Join the world’s leading aquaculture organization 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. 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. 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. Global Aquaculture Alliance Feeding the World Through Responsible Aquaculture – www.gaalliance.org – +1-314-293-5500 46 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Camanchaca Inc. • 7200 N.W. 19th Street • Suite 410 • Miami, FL USA 33126 • 800.335.7553 • www.camanchacainc.com aquaculture advocate Pesquera Camanchaca S.A. • El Golf 99-Pisoglobal 11 • Las Condes, Santiago, Chile •November/December www.camanchaca.cl2014 47 production Utilization Of Ulva Lactuca Studied In White Shrimp Diets Susan Laramore, Ph.D. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University 5600 U.S. 1 North Fort Pierce, Florida 34946 USA slaramo1@fau.edu Bryan Gordon Richard Baptiste Paul Wills, Ph.D. Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University floc. Macroalgae are considered a good source of vitamins, minerals and proteins, and have been used as a dietary supplement in the culture of seabass, snakehead and shrimp. Seaweed polyculture has been Shrimp fed readily on Ulva algae, but showed preference for pelleted feed during reported to increase growth and decrease the experiment. feed-conversion ratios in addition to assimilating nutrients from culture water, resulting in improved water quality. In addition to performing an assimilative function, U. lactuca has potential economic value as a food source. The productivity of U. lactuca cultured in the HBOI-FAU Summary: system is 20 g dry weight/m2/day. Proximate analysis of the U. Research conducted by the authors studied whether lactuca determined it had 34% protein on a dry-weight basis. fresh U. lactuca harvested weekly from a land-based inteDue to the high protein content, as well as the observation that grated multi-trophic aquaculture system could be utishrimp in the system found it a palatable addition to a pelleted lized as a nutritional supplement or partial replacement diet, a study was conducted examining the potential utilization for pelleted feeds in the production of Litopenaeus vanof fresh U. lactuca harvested from the system as a supplement or namei. The study concluded that supplemental feeding partial replacement of the pelleted diet, thereby adding economic of U. lactuca did not enhance growth, survival or feedvalue to the system by decreasing feed costs. conversion ratios. Partial replacement of pelleted feed with U. lactuca resulted in decreased growth, but did not Experimental Design affect survival or feed conversion. The study was carried out in a clearwater recirculating aquaculture system within a climate-controlled greenhouse at HBOIResearchers at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute FAU in Fort Pierce, Florida, USA. The system incorporated a at Florida Atlantic University (HBOI-FAU) have designed a sand filter, bead biofilter and ultraviolet sterilization with 20, 80-L unique type of land-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture circular fiberglass tanks. system that uses a centralized filtration system to deliver controlled volumes of selected pretreated waste streams to each sysTable 1. Mean production performance of shrimp tem component. Fed components in this system include Florida fed a pelleted diet supplemented with or partially pompano, Trachinotus carolinus, and Pacific white shrimp, Litoreplaced by fresh Ulva lactuca. penaeus vannamei. The macroalga Ulva lactuca is used to manage Feedthe nitrogenous waste produced in the system. The pompano are Initial Final Conreared in a clearwater system, and the shrimp are cultured in a Survival Weight Weight version Treatment (%) (g) (g) Ratio heterotrophic system maintained by inputs of biofloc from an a external bioreactor. 100:0 82 1.23 ± 0.16 5.14 ± 0.46 2.69 ± 0.96 100:25 81 1.10 ± 0.07 5.19 ± 0.46a 2.50 ± 0.30 During the course of trials with the system, it was noted that 75:25 81 1.19 ± 0.08 4.44 ± 0.40b 2.44 ± 0.75 the fed shrimp grazed on small pieces of U. lactuca contained in 50:50 81 1.16 ± 0.11 3.73 ± 0.62b 2.26 ± 0.24 the solids generated by the system, as well as on the produced bio- 48 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 49 production The four experimental treatments groups consisted of a 100% pelleted feed control (100:0), pelleted feed plus a 25% algae supplement (100:25), pelleted feed with 25% algae replacement (75:25) and pelleted feed with 50% algae replacement (50:50). The pelleted diet contained 45% protein and 11.5% fats. The Ulva contained 34% protein and 2% fats on a dry-weight basis. Thirty juvenile shrimp weighing 1.17 ± 0.12 g each were stocked into each tank following a random block design with six replicates each. The shrimp were fed the pelleted diet at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and received U. lactuca daily at 11 a.m. Temperature, salinity and dissolved-oxygen levels were maintained at 25.0 to 27.7° C, 30.8-33.8 g/L and 85.7 to 105.9%, respectively. Total ammonium nitrogen, nitrite and alkalinity levels averaged 0.084 mg/L, 0.093 mg/L and 185.200 mg/L, respectively. Twenty percent of the population of each tank was randomly weighed on a weekly basis. At the end of the trial, all shrimp were harvested, and tanks were batch weighed to determine final production characteristics for survival, growth and feed conversion (Table 1, Figure 1). O.I. Advances Yellow Tang Culture Conserving Reef Fisheries Under Heavy Market Demand Chatham K. Callan, Ph.D. Finfish Program Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway Waimanalo, Hawaii 96795 USA ccallan@hpu.edu Emma C. Forbes M. Dean Kline Shelby E. Allen David J. Hoy Results At 81 to 82%, there was no significant difference in survival rates among the four treatment groups. Differences in growth rates, however, were apparent by week three (Figure 1). There was no significant difference in growth between the control and the Ulva supplemental treatments, but growth was significantly lower in both groups in which a portion of the diet was replaced with Ulva. There was no statistical difference in feed-conversion ratios among the various treatments on a dry-weight basis. Perspectives This study indicated that supplemental feeding of fresh U. lactuca at levels used in this experiment did not increase growth or enhance the survival of L. vannamei over that of shrimp fed a HELP SEASHARE Put More Seafood on More Dinner Tables IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT 1 IN 6 AMERICANS NEEDS HELP T O P R O V I D E E N O U G H F O O D F O R T H E FA M I LY. Finfish Program Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University Outdoor production of Ulva at HBOI-FAU. high-protein pelleted diet. Replacing a portion of the pelleted diet with fresh U. lactuca did not affect survival, but did result in decreased growth rates, indicating it is not a nutritionally complete substitute for pelleted feed. It was noted that shrimp in the 50:50 treatment did not consume all of the fed macroalgae, while shrimp in the supplemental and 75:25 treatment group did, indicating a threshold for U. lactuca addition in a culture situation. In addition, shrimp consuming macroalgae would abandon the macroalgae when shrimp pellets were added to the tank, indicating a preference for the pelleted diet. Whether the results obtained would be different for shrimp fed a lower-protein diet or for shrimp offered other species of macroalgae is an area for further exploration. 6 a Weight Gain (g) 5 a 4 3 2 aba ab abb b b b bbc b b 1 0 01234 567 Week 206-842-3609 50 w w w. s e a s h a r e . o r g November/December 2014 The need for nutritious food has never been greater. Contact SeaShare with your donation today. 100:25 100:0 75:2550:50 Figure 1. Weekly weight gain in L. vannamei treatment groups fed a pelleted diet supplemented with or partially replaced by fresh Ulva lactuca. global aquaculture advocate Summary: Although the collection of aquarium species from reefs is regulated in Hawaii, USA, the sustainability of the practice is questioned by the local community. The Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University has therefore been working to develop methods to culture yellow tang, a top species collected for the aquarium trade. The institute has not reached its goal of achieving settled yellow tang in its rearing tanks, but the fish under culture are living longer as practices are tuned for the species. aa a b a ab Yellow tang broodstock held at the Oceanic Institute for over 10 years spawn each month for several days around the full moon, producing tens of thousands of eggs for use in larval-rearing trials. One of the premier visitor attractions in the U.S. state of Hawaii is its coral reefs, with over three million people coming to the state each year to experience them. In addition to their importance in recreation, Hawaii’s reefs are a source of livelihood for local fishermen. The aquarium fish trade is one of the most valuable nearshore fisheries in Hawaii. Yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens, make up more than 80% of the local aquarium fishery, with hundreds of thousands harvested annually to satisfy an ever-growing aquarium market. Currently, the sustainability of the collection of aquarium species, although regulated by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, is being questioned by the local community. This is particularly evident on the west coast of Hawaii Island, which comprises more than two-thirds of the state’s aquarium fishery. Captive Rearing: Conservation In order to assist in the conservation of this important resource, the Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University is seeking to provide an alternative to the collection of these fish through the development of methods to culture them. The institute has been working for over a decade to solve the intricate problems associated with this remarkable challenge. Recently, the authors have made significant progress toward establishing the first-ever captive-reared yellow tang. They now have a reliable source of eggs from conditioned broodstock and routinely get tens of thousands of larvae with which to work at a time. Prior research has enabled the larvae to be reared in large numbers through the first-feeding stages using copepod nauplii, but high mortality has often been observed in the days and weeks following. Breakthrough In an early 2014 yellow tang production run, however, something was different. After about day 14, when high attrition was usually seen in the tanks, a tank full of robust larval fish was observed. A single 1,000-L larval-rearing tank yielded thousands of larvae out past the first three weeks. The authors hadn’t had the opportunity to explore alternative feed items for the later-stage larvae. When copepods were short in supply, they added rotifers as prey, although the larvae did not appear to consume them. The larvae were also too small at this stage to consume Artemia. Therefore, the larvae were provided additional cultured copepod nauplii as prey, with larger stages of nauplii and copepodites slowly added to the feeding mix. At day 35, the larvae were moved to separate tanks to allow further exploration of alternative feeds and potential settlement cues like photoperiod and substrate. At this stage, the morphology of the larvae was very distinctive. The tang appeared nearly diamond-shaped, and most had already undergone flexion. The authors were very encouraged at this point, since there global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 51 marketplace were over 600 fish in the new tanks, and some could make it all the way to maturity. From day 35 to day 50, the fish developed rapidly, and there were noticeable changes in their morphology. Their bodies became deeper, and the heads and mouths became more pronounced. The dorsal and ventral spines began to recede, and the fish became more associated with the tank walls rather than swimming in mid-water. At this stage, the fish were about 1 cm in length and being fed a mixture of copepods of mixed sizes and newly hatched Artemia nauplii. Selling Farmed Fish In A Wild Market Rebecca Priebe Bell Aquaculture 9885 Indiana 67 Redkey, Indiana 47373 USA becky.priebe@bellaquaculture.com Road Block Minimal Bacteria While this run did not result in settled juvenile yellow tang, ® Food & Feed Safety Kits Bioo Scientific Corporation is a global leader in the food and feed safety testing industry, committed to improving the safety of the world's food and feed supply by developing accurate, affordable tools that enable streamlined, sensitive screening for pathogens, toxins, and drug residues in aquaculture products. • • • • • • • • • • • • • Trifluralin ELISA Benzo[a]pyrene ELISA Chloramphenicol (CAP) ELISA Nitrofurantoin (AHD) ELISA Nitrofurazone (AMOZ) ELISA Furaltadone (AMOZ) ELISA Furazolidone (AOZ) ELISA Crystal Violet/LCV ELISA Malachite Green/LMG ELISA Domoic Acid (ASP) ELISA Okadaic Acid (DSP) ELISA Saxitoxin (PSP) ELISA Diethylstilbestrol (DES) ELISA BiooScientific.com support@biooscientific.com Phone: 512.707.8993 Fax: 512.707.8122 3913 Todd Lane, Suite 312, Austin, Texas 78744 USA These photomicrographs of yellow tang larvae show their evolving morphology. Scale bars = 1 mm. A = 14 days post-hatch (dph), B = 24 dph, C = 36 dph, D = 45 dph, E = 50 dph, F = 60 dph. the advances were attributed to some changes in the early rearing protocols. The biggest difference was the fact that the larval rearing was done in clear water with no background algae using relatively high water turnover rates. Another important detail: Very little other activity was occurring in the hatchery during the run. This resulted in the run coinciding with the system being started after several months of down time. Also, the tang larval tank was the sole recipient of water through the hatchery’s ultraviolet sterilizer, which was dosed at greater than 4,000 mJ/cm2. The authors attribute much of the improved survival to the high water exchange utilizing very clean water, which reduced the bacteria load in the larval-rearing environment. These methods are currently being retested in conjunction with more focused attention on the bacteria associated with the live feeds. Probiotics The authors are presently investigating the effects of probiotics as a potential means to improve the bacteria communities associated with the microalgae and copepod live feeds. Early examination of a commercial probiotic revealed no negative impact on copepod culture performance (Figure 1), so it will be tested further at production scales. At the same time, bacteria that commonly occur in live feed cultures are being isolated using polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing to identify species that may impact the larvae. The goal of this work is to determine if the mortality often observed after first feeding can be correlated with the bacteria associated with the live prey and/or water in the larval tanks. Further, better understanding of the bacterial communities involved will help determine how probiotics might impact these communities. 40 Daily Egg and Nauplii Production/Female At day 50, the fish appeared to hit a “road block.” Development slowed, and from days 50 to 60, the largest individuals exhibited heavy mortality. During this period, the authors routinely observed the striking inability of the larvae to consume Artemia. The reduced development and mortality were likely due to the unsuitability of the prey type. The larvae would routinely strike at and then miss the Artemia, or sometimes successfully catch, but then spit out the prey. Larger copepods appeared to be too fast, and the larger copepodite or adult stages of Parvocalanus were also not successfully utilized by the later-stage yellow tang larvae. With reports of wild yellow tang settling to the reef by day 60, it was clear the dietary and/or environmental requirements of the species were not being met. The authors nursed the last surviving individual, named Lucky, to day 83. Interestingly, some signs of the transition to settlement – further growth and morphology changes coupled with complete recession of spines – were seen just before day 82. 30 20 10 We are seeking to partner with new distributors for our food and feed ELISA line 52 November/December 2014 0 mg/L 5 mg/L 10 mg/L 20 mg/L 40 mg/L 0 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Age of Culture Figure 1. Mean copepod egg and nauplii production under different levels of probiotics added daily to the culture water. global aquaculture advocate the idea that fish can be farmed would contribute greatly to overcoming this roadblock in people’s minds. Perception Vs. Reality We are farmers, and we are growing the protein source of the future. We also need to better market the high-quality products we produce. Summary: Effective marketing of farmed seafood faces a number of hurdles not found in other industries. Many consumers have preconceived notions that farmed fish cannot taste good and comes from an environment not conducive to producing high-quality, flavorful food. Being as transparent as possible and practicing responsible aquaculture can increase consumers’ knowledge and provide confidence. We should collectively work to make consumers appreciate that fish farming is the new way to produce healthy protein as part of the Good Food Revolution. The goals of product marketing are the same, no matter what the product is, no matter what the market. Understand your market, familiarize yourself with what motivates your audience, get them to desire what you have and push them to make a decision to purchase it. However, the author, who has an extensive background in consumer electronics design, branding and marketing, encountered a number of hurdles involved in marketing farmed fish that weren’t so common in the field of electronics. Based on experiences in the United States over the past year, she offers perspectives on some of the problems faced by aquaculture. Are Fish Farms Bad? For a number of reasons, the words “farm” and “fish” do not work well together in the human brain. This can be attributed to a couple of factors: We do not typically think of fish as being produced on a farm, and bad public relations for a few fish farms have tainted the entire industry. As an illustration, an attendee came up to the author’s booth at a recent seafood show, tried a sample of smoked steelhead and exclaimed: “This is farmed? It’s so good!” This seemed to communicate that a preconceived notion in this person’s mind said farmed fish cannot taste good – which makes absolutely no sense, especially considering so much of our seafood comes from farms. The image in her mind of a fish farm likely did not represent an environment conducive to producing high-quality, flavorful food. Bell Aquaculture’s Chief Executive Officer Norman McCowan has said: “When was the last time you caught and ate a wild cow? How about a wild pig? A wild chicken?” This is a very valid point. We farm all of these animals for food production and don’t think it’s strange at all. Aside from the fact that fish are aquatic, and cows, pigs and chickens are land-based animals, what does it matter? It seems that merely getting people used to Human beings fear what they don’t know. Good fish farms aren’t typically featured in the mainstream media. Bell’s approach to getting people past their fish-farming issues is to be completely transparent. The company gives over 250 tours a year of its state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system to show people what a properly run indoor fish farm is like. Being as transparent as possible and practicing responsible aquaculture across the entire industry give consumers comfort and confidence. Because of public perception, some in the aquaculture industry have developed an aversion to being labeled a fish farm. Well, this issue is not going to go away, and it is better to address it head on than to steer clear of it and wait for the public to decide what fits with the term “farm.” Wouldn’t it be better if consumers knew that the good and bad practices found in fish farming have parallels in every other protein industry? Thank goodness for programs like Best Aquaculture Practices certification and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, for providing some level of comfort to consumers through verification of best practices in fish and shellfish farming. We also need to embrace the term “farmed fish” and make it positive and preferable to “wild fish” in the minds of consumers. Or at least competitive in the areas of quality, taste and price. To do so, we should associate “farm” and “fish” with positive images, and use branding and marketing efforts that combine those concepts into something positive consumers can digest (no pun intended). Chemicals, Contaminants Aquaculture has been hurt by the good, the bad and the ugly of fish farming. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 53 global aquaculture Aquaculture – Center of the Plate Being transparent and practicing responsible aquaculture increase consumer confidence. Bell Aquaculture gives tours to show what a well-run indoor fish farm is like. New Orleans Marriott New Orleans, Louisiana THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION OF Associate Sponsors Americas Tilapia Alliance American Veterinary Medical Association Aquacultural Engineering Society Aquaculture Association of Canada Catfish Farmers of America Global Aquaculture Alliance International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management Latin America & Caribbean Chapter WAS Striped Bass Growers Association US Shrimp Farming Association US Trout Farmers Association World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association For More Information Contact: Conference Manager P.O. Box 2302 | Valley Center, CA 92082 USA Tel: +1.760.751.5005 | Fax: +1.760.751.5003 Email: worldaqua@aol.com | www.was.org 54 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Fishing Is Sexy Have you seen the television show Deadliest Catch? In Seattle, the crew from the boat featured in the program has carved “Deadliest Catch eats here” into the wall of a local fish and chips shop. They are cool. Fish farming is not at all like Deadliest Catch. There are no huge waves crashing around as you drag your net in. Although much less dramatic than fishing on the high seas, aquaculture is a science and an art. It takes patience, exceptional dedication and the work of numbers of people pulling together to get that fish from egg to market. Good Food Revolution We have entered a new age in food. Will Allen of Growing Power coined the phrase “The Good Food Revolution.” Words like organic, local, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, contaminant-free, glutenfree and dairy-free are now on the labels of food items we see every day. We are relearning how to produce healthy food for humans in an efficient way. The aquaculture industry can capitalize on this. Fish farming is the new way to produce healthy protein – a necessary part of the human diet. We have to make consumers understand and appreciate what we do. the February 19-25, 2015 Articles come out every day telling people not to eat farmed fish due to contaminants, hormones, antibiotics or uncleanliness. A recent one said farmed fish is the number 1 cause of cancer in food. Since this will probably continue to happen, we must continue to fight back and publicize the other side of the story. We Are Farmers Engineers, scientists, caretakers and artists – all play a role in farmed seafood production and marketing. We work to create the ideal culture environments so there is no risk to the important role seafood plays in human health. We feed and nurture our fish from tiny eggs to market size. We are farmers, and we are growing the protein source of the future. We need to promote good aquaculture, however. Since most farmers are busy farming and do not have the funds for extravagant marketing campaigns, this is not an easy task to take on, but we can do it if we work together. As this industry grows further, let us strive to cooperate in educating the public by promoting the image of good fish farms and the highquality products they produce. ¡NUEVO! The aquaculture industry can capitalize on its efficiency to play a growing role in the Good Food Revolution. global aquaculture advocate Copias digitales del Advocate están disponibles ahora en español en el sitio web de GAA. Al igual que el Advocate en inglés, son informativas - y gratis! November/December 2014 55 The Global Magazine for Farmed Seafood January/February 2009 Aquaculture America 2015 marketplace seafood marketing Market, Trade Flows Of Frozen Tilapia In E.U. Table 3. Prices including transportation and insurance costs for frozen tilapia fillets imported to the European Union. Price (euro/kg) (U.S. $/kg) Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 China Vietnam Indonesia Thailand 2.42 ($3.08) 2.69 ($3.43) 2.58 ($3.29) 2.53 ($3.22) 2.35 ($2.99) 2.84 ($3.62) 3.03 ($3.86) 2.86 ($3.64) 3.85 ($4.90) 4.18 ($5.32) 4.66 ($5.93) 4.65 ($5.92) 3.08 ($3.92) 4.99 ($6.35) 6.65 ($8.47) 4.91 ($6.25) Table 4. Top tilapia-importing countries in the European Union in 2013. China is the main source for the relatively low volume of tilapia imported to the European Union. Summary: Within the European market of frozen fish, tilapia play a minor role, with average yearly import quantities below 20,000 mt. China provides more than 80% of the total, while Indonesia is the second-largest exporter. Vietnam is a fast-growing newcomer. On average, Asian tilapia is cheaper than imports from Africa or Latin America. The majority of the tilapia imported to Spain, Poland and Germany is consumed in local markets, while the Netherlands and Belgium tend to re-export tilapia fillets to other E.U. countries. Despite being one of the most popular farmed freshwater fish around the world, tilapia is an almost unknown product in the displays of European shops. Within the European market of frozen fish fillets, tilapia play a minor role, with average yearly import quantities below 20,000 mt. These amounts represented less than 0.003% of a market of 5.5 mmt of fish fillets in 2013, and only 11.4% of an aggregate of other tropical farmed species that include Pangasius and Nile perch. The latter are much better known by European consumers. Tilapia Supply In E.U. With very limited contributions from 56 November/December 2014 José Fernández Polanco, Ph.D. Departamento de Administración de Empresas Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales Universidad de Cantabria 39005 Santander, Cantabria, Spain jm.fernandez@unican.es other continents, tilapia fillets in the European Union are mainly imported from Asia (Table 1). Tilapia imports from Asia have remained fairly stable, with a minor increase of about 400 mt between 2010 and 2013. While not a majorly significant increase, the quantities in 2013 represented an important recovery from a fall to less than 16,0000 mt in 2012. Within Asia, China is the most important exporter, providing more than 80% of the total imported quantities of tilapia (Table 2). Indonesia is the secondlargest exporter to the E.U., with annual amounts under 2,000 mt. The quantities from these two countries remained relatively stable since 2010, except for a decrease in 2012. Vietnam is a fast-growing newcomer whose exports of frozen tilapia fillets to the E.U. rose from 163 Ignacio Llorente, Ph.D. María Odriozola Universidad de Cantabria mt in 2010 to almost 1,000 mt in 2013 – a huge increase. On average, Asian tilapia is cheaper than other imports from Africa or Latin America (Table 3). China is not only the leader in quantity, but also in price. The average import price was 2.53 euro/kg (U.S. $3.22/kg) for frozen fillets, including transport costs and insurances. This price is about half of the recorded prices for Latin American imports – and even cheaper than for other Asian exporters. Vietnamese prices are closer to the Chinese levels than those of Indonesia and Thailand. It is assumed that the differences in price also refer to differences in quality. Table 1. Regional sources for frozen tilapia fillets imported to the European Union. Import Volume (mt) Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 Africa Latin America Asia 1.4 64.7 78.0 0 93.7 81.0 93.3 31.0 18,886.4 18,776.4 15,750.9 19,290.7 Table 2. Main Asian sources for frozen tilapia fillets imported to the European Union. Import Volume (mt) Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 China Vietnam Indonesia Thailand 16,738.3 16,308.9 13,964.2 16,014.1 163.2 425.3 134.7 980.0 1,522..3 1,700.0 1,340.4 1,901.1 421.9 315.0 175.0 214.9 global aquaculture advocate Country Volume (mt) Price (euro/kg) (U.S. $/kg) Market Share (%) Poland Spain Germany Netherlands Belgium 5,400 5,222 2,016 1,778 1,354 2.26 ($2.88) 2.47 ($3.15) 3.29 ($4.19) 3.49 ($4.44) 3.59 ($4.57) 28.06 27.14 10.48 9.24 7.04 Table 5. Intra-European Union trade in frozen tilapia fillets. Country Netherlands Belgium Poland Germany Spain Tilapia Exports (mt) Price (euro/kg) (U.S. $/kg) Internal Consumption (mt) Gross Profit (%) Export Value (1,000 euro) (1,000 U.S. $) 1,246.1 1,165.9 697.6 462.8 72.7 3.94 ($4.99) 5.35 ($6.77) 2.96 ($3.75) 3.88 ($4.91) 2.69 ($3.41) 532.4 189.0 4,702.2 1,553.1 5,149.4 13.01 48.92 30.84 17.85 9.18 5,551 ($7,039) 9,291 ($11,782) 2,698 ($3,421) 2,114 ($2,681) 214 ($271) In such a case, Thailand would be the quality leader, along with Indonesia. Vietnam may be attempting to directly compete with China for the price leadership. Importers, Intra-E.U. Trade With more than 5,000 mt of tilapia fillets imported in 2013, Poland and Spain were the main importers of frozen tilapia fillets in the E.U. (Table 4). The countries also reported the lowest import prices of the top five importers and the total E.U. Germany, with 2,000 mt of imports, and the Netherlands and Belgium, between 1,500 and 2,000 mt, completed the top five markets for tilapia fillets. They accounted for 81% of the total E.U. imports. The destination of the imported tilapia varies across countries (Table 5). The majority is consumed in local markets in Spain, Poland and Germany, whether as a final product or incorporated into processed fish meals. The Netherlands and Belgium have a clear focus on re-exporting this commodity to other E.U. countries. Tilapia trade within the E.U. is an interesting business that results in very interesting margins, depending on the final destination country. Belgium and Poland report the highest gross margins for these trade operations, which assume they are exporting to higher-income markets like Germany and Scandinavia, or incorporating added value by means of packaging and branding. Good Alternative ® Shrimp from Best Aquaculture Practicescertified farms and plants are now rated a “Good Alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program. Applying science-based criteria, Seafood Watch ranks various fish, shellfish and other species, and makes recommendations on seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that don’t harm the environment. As with the BAP standards, Seafood Watch addresses effluents; habitat, chemical and feed use; escapes and disease risks; sources of stock and other issues. The Global Aquaculture Alliance is proud that the Monterey Bay Aquarium has recognized BAP certification in this way and supports the Seafood Watch program in helping consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. “Aquaculture offers the potential for substantial economic and social benefits, but has complex ecological, social and economic costs. The long-term sustainability of aquaculture depends on a balance and synergy of these costs and benefits.” – Seafood Watch Scan to view the full Seafood Watch ratings for shrimp. Seafood Watch® is a registered service mark of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 57 marketplace seafood and health Fish Oil, Paleo And A Solution the high end, needs to articulate and market the story so that it is very clear and not open to innuendo. The problem is worsened when so-called responsible groups say, “Most farmed fish are presently fed fishmeal and oil made from wild-caught fish.” Yet by far, the majority of fish farmed are freshwater herbivores. Focus Needed Roy D. Palmer, FAICD The Paleo Diet promotes eating lots of protein from seafood and other sources. Paleo Diet Summary: The increasingly fashionable Paleo Diet promotes eating like a caveman, with lots of protein, fruits and vegetables. However, it favors wild-caught seafood to farmed fish due to issues associated with feed sources and practices. Seafood provides the most environmentally sustainable protein in the world, and the aquaculture industry needs to get this point across much better than it has. Fish oil supplements are not as healthful as consuming fish. An interesting fish oil alternative in aquafeeds is oil from seals. The amount of advertising that is centered on fish oils is overwhelming and highlights that the margins being made in the capsule business are far in excess of the margins being made on fish. This brings home strongly the difference between “marketing” and “selling.” The companies behind the capsule business are not seafood-based but health or medical organizations – they are not locked into traditional selling, but are more about modern marketing. There is much the seafood industry can learn from this, as our industry is – and has been since time began – locked into selling a commodity. Market Or Sell Wild fish are the last “hunter-gatherer” items that you see regularly on restaurant menus. Generally speaking, they are sold on traditional commodity-based models. There has never been any specific marketing, although to their credit, groups like the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute have been trying to change this. Aquaculture needs to lean more toward marketing than selling, with more focus and attention to branding and creating an image. Otherwise, it will be stuck in a rut. Let us look further into this. Just recently, probably because the southern winter is over, and thoughts turn toward summer and the beach, there has been much talk about diets. 58 November/December 2014 GILLS 2312/80 Clarendon Street Southbank VIC 3006 Australia roydpalmer@gmail.com www.gillseafood.com One interesting, and in fact very old, lifestyle eating program is back in the headlines in Australia, primarily because it is being driven by a chef on television. This Paleo – short for Paleolithic – Diet promotes eating as they did back in the caveman era, with lots of protein and fiber from a variety of fruits and vegetables. The personality is an unusual T.V. chef, for he does not even cook on his highly rated show, called “My Kitchen Rules.” It is all about couples cooking in their homes and being judged by the chefs and their peers. Among other activities, he now gives motivational talks on “The Paleo Way,” strongly promoting the benefits of the fashionable diet. A T.V. series with the same name is just around the corner. To his credit, the personality invested some time in an Internet course and became a health coach with qualifications from New York’s Institute of Integrative Nutrition. My gut feeling (pun intended), however, is that he saw an opportunity, and with knowledge, skills and contacts gleaned over his media career has found a niche and secured a marketing win. Farming And Feeding With red meat sales on the decline in Western society, it would not surprise me if the meat and livestock business development teams were backing the Paleo campaign because, let’s face it, they have marketing dollars and are not afraid to use them. In the Paleo Diet, one of the biggest issues concerning fish is the choice between wild-caught and farm-raised animals. Some paleontologists believe that only wild fish can be consumed and shun farmed fish. All, however, support the consumption of mussels and oysters due to the animals being natural feeders. As one specialist said: “At first glance, fish farms seem like the perfect solution to overfishing. If humans like to eat a particular species of fish, we can just grow more of it, saving wild populations from depletion. This is why nobody is worried about whether cow or chicken populations can keep up with demand. If we need more, we’ll just breed them. Why couldn’t we do the same with fish?” We then get into the debate. It is all about feeding the fish and what we feed them. The aquaculture industry, especially at global aquaculture advocate The lack of a strong aquaculture marketing focus in Western countries has enabled the “anti-seafood” people to create doubts, something they do very well. Arguments that farmed fish are not as nutritious, lack vitamin D, and contain much lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids and higher levels of the omega-6s have allowed the issues to be taken to higher levels than if the industry had been proactive. The amount of time, effort and money going into research on fish feeds is enormous, and great strides have been made. But somehow this information is not getting through, which highlights the need for more concerted efforts. Responsible aquaculture demands that we continuously improve and that we seek out potential feed alternatives like insects, algae/seaweed, worms, yeast and single-cell protein. Seafood provides the most environmentally sustainable protein in the world, and we need to get this point across much better than we have. Seafood Or Supplements Whether they’re tight on money, too busy to cook, can’t get consistent supply or just plain don’t like the taste of fish, many people try to get the benefits of dietary seafood from fish oil supplements. Despite the marketing hype, supplements are rarely as good as the real thing. Fish oil might be great with the omega3s, but it does not contain any of the other beneficial nutrients and vitamins found in fish and is not absorbed as well. People who take fish oil need to choose it carefully. Unlike whole fish, fish oil does not contain things like selenium and other such excellent minerals found in seafood. I recently read such advice about fish oil supplements: “As soon as you have bought your supplement, make sure the oil is fresh by breaking open a capsule and smelling it. If it smells like rotten fish, it’s rancid – throw it out! Since fish oil goes bad very easily, make sure to keep it in a cool, dark place so that it stays fresh. Take the supplement with a fatty meal, to aid in absorption. All the DHA and EPA in the world won’t do you any good if your body can’t use it.” Let’s face it – taking a pill or capsule for anything should always be your second choice. Fish Oil Standards The Codex Alimentarius Commission is now taking an interest in fish oil, which hopefully will ensure the establishment of some level playing field for what can and cannot be claimed when promoting these supplements. The Codex committee noted that the inclusion of specific named fish oils in the proposed draft standard should be supported by adequate information. This would include volumes of production and consumption in individual countries, volumes and patterns of trade, and international or regional market potential. Details of the proposed essential composition and quality factors should be stated. In addition, data on the fatty acid composition of the types of named fish oils should be robust and take into consideration main contributing factors, such as climatic conditions, season Seal oil, a by-product of processing seal skins, contains omega-3 fatty acids of the highest grade of any natural resource. and geographical location. A survey was conducted by Codex to identify which types of fish oil are significant items in trade volume and value, and whether testing of several batches would allow the definition of distinct fatty acid profiles. The data received were circulated to members of the Codex Working Group for comments. Recommendations now being considered are expected to affect the accuracy of labeling, among other things in this burgeoning industry. Seal Oil Strangely, one oil not mentioned is probably one of the finest: seal oil. The benefits of seal protein and the omega-3 fatty acids it contains are huge. Research undertaken by Dr. Cosmos Ho with the Canadian Memorial University of Newfoundland showed that omega-3 fatty acids obtained from seals are of the highest grade of any natural resource. This is amazing, for the Canadian government also recommends their citizens consume around 1.5 g of seal oil daily. The Inuit, a group of indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and the United States, are living proof of this health benefit. In fact, this revelation is what initially spurred interest in omega-3 fatty acids. According to official Canadian government figures, seal populations number over 9 million, so the animals are by no means under threat or endangered. The Canadians have long struggled for markets for their seals, having been constrained to a very strict quota of around 300,000 animals annually – well below the mean sustainable yield. This number could be increased to enable the seal numbers to be brought back to manageable levels and enable fish species consumed by seals to recover. The Grand Banks off the eastern coast of Newfoundland, Canada, may have been overfished by man, but the failed recovery of cod stocks can be attributed to the over-predation by seals. This could be a global success story where benefits are found for aquaculture, and seals and wild fish stocks move to recovery. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 59 marketplace food safety and technology xxxxxxxxxxxxx Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Part I. Importance In Aquaculture Production George J. Flick, Jr., Ph.D. University Distinguished Professor flickg@vt.edu Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and other conditions in farmed fish. Summary: No antimicrobial agent has been developed specifically for aquaculture applications. However, some antibiotic products used to treat humans or land-based animals have been approved for use at aquaculture facilities. The regulation of antibiotic use in aquaculture varies by country. The significance for food safety and human health related to antibiotic use in aquaculture animals includes the development and spread of antimicrobialresistant bacteria, the spread of resistant genes and the occurrence of antimicrobial residues in aquaculture products. Annual global aquaculture production has more than tripled in recent years, and by 2015, close to half of seafood production by weight will be obtained from aquaculture. Increased food production through aquaculture is an exciting opportunity. However, as aquaculture output continues to rise, some aquaculture facilities depend on antibiotics, which with continued use provide an opportunity to lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and 60 November/December 2014 elevated antibiotic residues. Populations at risk of exposure to antibiotics include individuals employed in aquaculture facilities, populations living close to aquaculture facilities and consumers of aquaculture food products. David D. Kuhn, Ph.D. Assistant Professor davekuhn@vt.edu Food Science and Technology Department Center for Applied Health Sciences Duck Pond Drive Virginia Tech (0418) Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 USA Antibiotics In Aquaculture Antibiotics are a group of natural or synthetic compounds that kill or limit the ability of bacteria to grow. Under the conditions in which some animals are raised, the risk of bacterial infection is high and has significant economic consequences. Therefore, antibiotics are administered to fish and shellfish for therapeutic and/or prophylactic purposes. Many countries lack regulations on the types and amounts of antibiotics that can be administered to aquaculture animals. The problem becomes more critical when farmers and workers lack adequate information on the safe and effective use of antibiotics, which can result in excessive usage. Some countries have comprehensive regulations on antibiotics that include what antibiotics can be administered to specific fish or shellfish species, the maximum dosages that can be administered over time, and the withdrawal times required before the animals can be introduced into the market for human con- global aquaculture advocate sumption. Table 1 shows the antibiotics listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization as potentially used in aquaculture facilities. Estimates from some European countries show that the amounts of antimicrobials used per ton of aquaculture products vary from 2 g in Norway to 40 to 100 g in Denmark, France and Greece. Outside the European Union, per-ton figures as high as 700 g have been recorded. No antimicrobial agent has ever been developed specifically for aquaculture applications. The antibiotics used in aquaculture have been developed for and are used to treat humans or land-based animals. Both in the European Union and the United States, antibiotics are approved solely to treat diseases as labeled and cannot be used prophylactically or for growth promotion in aquaculture. Antibiotics are incorporated into medicated feeds and never added to culture water to treat bacterial diseases. Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Several studies have shown elevated levels of bacterial antibiotic resistance in and adjacent to aquaculture production facilities. The transfer of antibiotic-resistant genes and selection for resistant bacteria can occur through a variety of mechanisms, which may not always be linked to specific antibiotic use. Resistance arises and is maintained through mutations in bacterial DNA or through horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, including conjugation with other bacteria, transduction bacteriophages and the uptake of free DNA via transformation. A study of Gram-negative bacteria – predominately Plesiomonas shigelloides and Aeromonas hydrophila – from aquaculture ponds in the southeastern United States reported that the proportion of bacteria resistance to tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin and nitrofurantoin was higher in fish in antibiotictreated ponds than in those in untreated waters. A study in the Philippines reported that the prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistance was highest in shrimp where oxolinic acid was administered, versus ponds where no antibiotics were used. Researchers in Malaysia who isolated Aeromonas bacteria from fish tissue determined that all isolates were resistant to three or more antibiotics tested in the study. In Japan, tetracycline-resistant bacteria were obtained from three fish farms. The resistance genes carried in the fish isolates exhibited high sequence similarities with tetracycline resistance genes in human clinical isolates. Another study in Japan demonstrated the presence of beta-lactamase resistance genes in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from farmed yellowtail fish was likely the result of horizontal gene transfer events. Antibiotic Residues Treating fish with antibiotics can result in antibiotic residues in ponds, sediments, aquaculture products and wild aquatic organisms in proximity to the treated ponds. Some shrimp ponds in Vietnam were found to contain elevated residues of trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin and oxolinic acid in water and sediment samples. A study in Norway showed that wild fish and shellfish near ponds whose animals received medicated feed contained elevated concentrations of oxolinic acid in their plasma, livers and muscle tissue. Antibiotic residues in the environment present additional problems, not all of global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 61 Regular testing can identify whether treating fish with antibiotics results in antibiotic residues in ponds, sediments or aquaculture products. which have been completed defined. Many antibiotics are toxic to aquatic organisms, including daphnia and Artemia. Human Concerns Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause infections in humans through consump- Table 1. Antibiotics potentially used in aquaculture facilities. Category Sulfonamides Potentiated sulfonamide Tetracycline Penicillin Quinolone Nitrofuran Macrolide Aminioglycoside Other antibiotics Generic Names Sulfamerazine, sulfadimidine, sulfadimethoxine Combination of trimethoprim and sulfadiazine Chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline Ampicillin, amoxycillin, benzyl penicillin Ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, oxolinic acid, perfloxacin, flumequine, sarafloxacin Furazolidone Erythromycin, spiramycin Gentamicin Chloramphenicol, florfenicol, thiamphenicol, tiamulin, nalidixic acid, miloxacin tion of contaminated aquaculture food products or through drinking water, and by direct contact with water, aquatic organisms or aquaculture food products. The 2008 European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed report said that 59% of the notifications of residues of veterinary medical products were associated with crustaceans (55% involving chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin) and fish (4% malachite green). Since most fish pathogens are incapable of growing at human and terrestrial animal body temperatures, the risk of transmission of pathogens from fish or shellfish to humans is fairly small. However, the effects of antibiotic residues on chronic human health have not been defined. While many employees in aquaculture facilities are exposed to only minimal quantities of antibiotics, some work with antibiotics on a daily basis. Consequently, a lack of protective equipment may contribute to a significant health risk through inhalation as well as dermal exposures through exposed or injured skin. This is of significant concern, especially when environmental exposure to antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, a potential human carcinogen, may have been related to an increased risk of aplastic anemia and leukemia in humans. The health risks of low levels of antibiotic exposure have not been adequately studied. In order to fully understand and prevent the health risks presented by antibiotic use in aquaculture, researchers, governments and the aquaculture industry must work cooperatively to identify what problems exist and develop solutions that are achievable, effective and enforceable. Nursery Feeding Program nutrition through innovation Lower Your Risk, Increase Your Prots. Proper design and management of nursery systems for shrimp culture has been shown to greatly increase protability while reducing risk at the farm. Feeds and feeding drive these systems and are fundamental to juvenile performance and water quality. After extensive research, Zeigler has developed a feeding program specically designed to support hyper-intensive nursery systems. Stage Nursery 1 Nursery 2 Nursery 3 Nursery 4 Nursery 5 Particle Size 0.3–0.6 mm 0.6–0.8 mm 1.0 mm 1.5 mm 2.0 mm Animal Size 2-10 mg 10-100 mg 100-400 mg 400-1500 mg 1.5-3.0 g } Concentrated nutrient prole to compensate for reduced feeding in managing water quality. Food particle sizes target animal weight, not stage. Customized feeding rates recommended based upon specic nursery conditions. Vpak added to support animal health and disease resistance. Contact a Zeigler representative to learn more about the program. GAA on Social Media For up-to-the-second Global Aquaculture Alliance updates and responsible aquaculture news, be one of our more than 2,000 fans on Facebook. @GAA_Aquaculture 62 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate nutrition through innovation 717-677-6181 phone www.zeiglerfeed.com info@zeiglerfeed.com global aquaculture advocate www.nutrimar.com.mx November/December 2014 63 www.g.ventas@nutrimar.com.mx marketplace u.s. seafood markets U.S. Shrimp Imports Continue Rise In Steady Market Thailand Peeled imports from Ecuador showed YTD volume up 25.6%. Although U.S. spot demand in October was quiet, replacement offerings remained generally firm. Vietnam Shrimp imports from Vietnam continued sharply higher in August. On September 24, the U.S. Department of Commerce published duty rates that were higher for Vietnam. Their full effects remain to be seen. Vietnamese peeled shrimp imports were up sharply, both for August and YTD. Imports of HLSO and cooked shrimp were also higher. Despite increasing production of white shrimp, Vietnam remains the leading producer of black tiger shrimp. Paul Brown, Jr. Urner Barry Publications, Inc. P. O. Box 389 Toms River, New Jersey 08752 USA pbrownjr@urnerbarry.com Janice Brown Angel Rubio Urner Barry Publications, Inc. 2013. Imports of 15-under shrimp in August were heavy, while imports of 16-20, 21-25 and 41-50 counts were lower. Peeled imports were sharply higher. August imports compared to a year ago were up almost 20%, with YTD imports up 14%. Cooked shrimp and breaded shrimp imports were also higher. Overall, the current shrimp market has been generally steady, as market pricing has been flat. There has been some weakness on 26-30 or 21-25 count, and larger HLSO Asian white shrimp. October demand is generally notoriously poor. The undertone for the market is somewhat unsettled, given world events, especially economic uncertainties. Imports of shrimp rose in August for most forms. Summary: Overall volumes of shrimp imports to the United States continued positive in August, although there has been some weakness on larger HLSO Asian white shrimp. Imports from Mexico, Vietnam and Indonesia were up, and peeled imports were also sharply higher. Imports of frozen whole tilapia continue a downward trend, while traders of fresh fillets adjust for a limited number of suppliers. The market for frozen tilapia fillets has leveled. August imports of channel catfish to the U.S. increased marginally from the previous month’s levels. All those involved in the Pangasius industry are preparing for structural and legal changes as Vietnam implements important oversight reforms. India After several months of very limited offerings, Indian offerings have increased. Although HLSO imports from India were down 10% in August, imports of 15-under shrimp and 31-40 count were higher. Imports of 16-20 through 26-30 counts were lower. YTD imports of 26-30 through 41-50 count were higher, while those of larger counts were lower. YTD, the top three sizes from India have been 21-25, 26-30, and 16-20. Imports of both peeled shrimp and cooked shrimp were higher for August and YTD. Indonesia The rising volume of shrimp imports to the United States in August moderated from the huge increase in July, but remained firmly in positive territory. Compared to a year ago, August imports were up 6.8%, pushing year-to-date (YTD) imports up 11.9% (Table 1). YTD imports were up for all major producing countries, with the exception of Thailand and Mexico. However, imports from Thailand for August compared to a year ago were only down 6.3%, and Mexican imports were up almost 24%. Compared to 2013 figures, August imports from Vietnam and Indonesia were higher, while Ecuador exports were even. Headless, shell-on (HLSO) imports including easy-peel shrimp remained higher YTD, but were down 3.5% from August U.S. shrimp imports from Indonesia continue up – 11.4% in August and 28.8% YTD. For August, imports of HLSO shrimp including easy-peel were higher for 15-under and 21-25 counts. Most count sizes were higher YTD, but spread fairly evenly among sizes. Peeled shrimp imports – up sharply YTD – represented the greatest volume of shrimp from Indonesia. Ecuador August imports from Ecuador were about even with August 2013 levels, but YTD imports continued higher, up 20%. Imports of HLSO shrimp were centered on 41-50 shrimp, but that size and 31-40 count were again down for August. The same pattern was true for 51-60 count. The 21-25 and 26-30 counts saw increases for August. Table 1. Snapshot of U.S. shrimp imports, August 2014. Form August 2014 (1,000 lb) July 2014 (1,000 lb) Change (Month) August 2013 (1,000 lb) Change (Year) YTD 2014 (1,000 lb) YTD 2013 (1,000 lb) Change (Year) Shell-on Peeled Cooked Breaded Total 45,419 46,921 14,074 6,890 113,304 42,781 44,126 12,693 7,743 107,343 6.2% 6.3% 10.9% -11.0% 5.6% 47,082 39,238 13,240 6,356 105,916 -3.5% 19.6% 6.3% 8.4% 7.0% 288,365 316,235 94,266 58,190 757,056 267,337 277,234 81,872 50,094 676,537 7.9% 14.1% 15.1% 16.2% 11.9% YTD, shrimp imports from Thailand were down over 30% from a bad 2013. Compared to a year ago, August imports were only down a little over 6%, perhaps indicating some recovery? The volume of imports from Thailand was also lower, because the country’s farmers are focusing on smaller-count shrimp. Mexico Imports of Mexican shrimp YTD were down over 30% in August. However, the new season began in August. August shrimp imports were up almost 24% on limited volume. There have been reports of improved farmed shrimp production in some areas, but volumes remain well under those of the “good” years. Some offerings of 16-20 through 26-30 shrimp were noted. Imports Of Chilean Whole Salmon, Norway Fillets Jump August 2014 YTD imports of salmon to the United States continued the year with a 6.43% increase when compared to imports from the same time last year (Table 2). Fresh whole fish imports saw YTD figures decrease 17.26%. Fresh fillet imports remained higher, 19.74% up from 2013 YTD levels. Total import volume rose 4.30% since July, while August totals were 10.36% higher than in August 2013. Whole Fish In August, YTD import figures for fresh whole fish continued the year with a decrease, slipping 17.3% below August 2013 figures. In contrast, a monthly comparison revealed an increase Whole salmon are becoming more available in the main regional markets. MAKE SMARTER CHOICES. FASTER. EVERY DAY. Urner Barry offers a wide array of solutions to help companies gain a competitive edge, minimize risk, and maximize profit. Featuring our premium online service: COMTELL ® . Quotations Analytics History News . Arrange a consultation by calling 800-932-0617 and ask about our free trial offer www.urnerbarry.com Sources: Urner Barry foreign trade data, U.S. Department of Commerce. 64 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 65 of 8.3% over July levels. However, August 2013 versus August 2014, fresh whole fish saw a decrease of 6.5% in import volume. Down 41.1%, Canadian imports were where we continue to see the largest decreases. When looking at Europe, large increases were noted for product from Norway and the United Kingdom, which were up 48.9% and 50.8%, respectively. The amount of Chilean imports was up quite a bit, as well – rising 303.7%. The Northeast whole fish market during the first half of October was barely steady to weak for all sizes, especially 10-up. Supplies were fully adequate for a dull demand. Additional downward pressure was felt from the West Coast, European and Chilean whole fish that were all readily available in the Northeast market. All sizes were at their three-year price averages. The European whole fish market has been weak, and the undertone remained unsettled. For European whole fish, prices were slightly below their three-year averages. In October, the West Coast whole fish market saw a mix, depending on the size of fish. Smaller fish were steady to full steady, while 12-ups were barely steady to weak. Increased availability of European, East Coast Canadian and Chilean fish has put downward pricing pressure on this market. Demand has also been lackluster. All sizes were trending around their three-year averages. U.S. imports of fresh salmon fillets continue upward in 2014, as August YTD figures revealed an increase of 19.7%. Fillet imports for August reflected 21.2 million lb, 4.4% higher than in July. Comparing August 2014 to August 2013, imports saw a 24.0% increase. The U.S. imported 16.5 million lb from Chile during the month of August. Fillet imports from Chile were 15.6% higher YTD. Import volume from Norway was 166.1% higher YTD. The market for Chilean fillets was weakening into October. Supplies were fully adequate for the lackluster demand. The undertone for the remainder of the month was barely steady. All sizes remained slightly above their three-year price averages. The European fillet market has been unchanged. Form August 2014 (lb) July 2014 (lb) Change (Month) August 2013 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2014 (lb) YTD 2013 (lb) Change (Year) Fresh whole fish Frozen whole fish Fresh fillets Frozen fillets Total 15,365,758 674,685 21,280,141 7,753,930 45,074,514 14,189,000 471,953 20,379,409 8,176,028 43,216,390 8.29% 42.96% 4.42% -5.16% 4.30% 16,437,008 591,237 17,164,944 6,651,169 40,844,358 -6.52% 14.11% 23.97% 16.58% 10.36% 113,042,642 5,157,918 180,202,726 68,667,837 367,071,123 136,629,391 3,965,659 150,499,503 53,802,981 344,897,534 -17.26% 30.06% 19.74% 27.63% 6.43% Sources: Urner Barry foreign trade data, U.S. Department of Commerce. Fresh Tilapia Fillets Still Below 2013, Frozen Fillets Mixed In August, imports of frozen whole tilapia to the United States declined from the previous month, but registered on par levels when compared to the same month a year ago (Table 3). Meanwhile, on a year-to-date (YTD) basis, imports continue to trend below 2013 by approximately 9%. Fresh Fillets August imports of fresh tilapia fillets increased from July, but figures over the past five months continued below the same period last year. Imports from Costa Rica, the second-largest supplier to the U.S., were down 18% YTD. Shipments from Honduras and Mexico have increased 35% and 95%, respectively, year over year. YTD monthly average import volumes in 2014 have been down marginally from last year’s record high. Notable declines in shipments from Ecuador and Costa Rica could suggest a steady to firm market, as traders continue to make distribution adjustments for a limited number of suppliers. Replacement costs reached their lowest level since February, registering U.S. $3.38/lb in August. Pangasius imports are steadily rising, but have yet to achieve former levels. Fillets Table 2. Snapshot of U.S. salmon imports, August 2014. Frozen Whole Fish Catfish Import Market Firm, Pangasius Remains Steady Channel Catfish August imports of channel catfish to the U.S. increased since July, but were half the volumes registered for August 2013 (Table 4). On a YTD basis, imports during the first seven months of 2104 were on par with those seen last year. Due to seasonally declining imports, the market gained strength through September and October. Importers have reported depleting inventories amid lengthy inspections and rising replace- Form Pangasius Channel catfish Total July 2014 (lb) Change (Month) August 2013 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2014 (lb) YTD 2013 (lb) Change (Year) 18,894,991 265,174 19,160,165 15,457,815 109,353 15,567,168 22.24% 142.49% 23.08% 19,589,233 592,484 20,181,717 -3.54% 55.24% -5.06% 133,179,557 9,257,347 142,436,904 151,218,462 9,298,769 160,517,231 11.93% -0.45% 11.26% Sources: Urner Barry foreign trade data, U.S. Department of Commerce. AquaStar Change (Month) August 2013 (lb) Change (Year) YTD 2014 (lb) YTD 2013 (lb) Change (Year) Fresh fillets Frozen whole fish Frozen fillets Total 4,843,395 8,005,134 26,039,308 38,887,837 4,577,382 9,823,645 31,585,603 45,986,630 5.81% -18.51% -17.56% -15.44% 5,131,517 8,062,654 36,335,531 49,529,702 -5.61% -0.71% -28.34% -21.49% 39,284,376 53,164,163 217,323,408 309,771,947 40,982,903 58,266,676 207,877,912 307,127,491 -4.14% -8.76% 4.54% 0.86% Sources: Urner Barry foreign trade data, U.S. Department of Commerce. 66 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate ® Fast growth in improved environment! Probiotic strains support gut health. Biodegrading strains and enzymes stabilize water quality and pond bottom. Table 3. Snapshot of U.S. tilapia imports, August 2014. July 2014 (lb) U.S. imports of Pangasius in August increased for the fifth consecutive month, but were minimally lower than in August 2013 and the three-year average. YTD volumes were below 2013 and 2012 levels by 13% and 10%, respectively. Despite lower imports and potential structural changes, the Pangasius market has held a surprisingly steady undertone throughout 2014. Inventories continue to be adequate. All those in the industry are aware of upcoming structural and legal changes as Vietnamese authorities implement oversight reforms. These are allegedly due to compliance with the changing oversight of U.S. catfish inspections from the Food and Drug Administration to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection. Despite lower imports and potential large structural changes, the Pangasius market has held a surprisingly steady undertone throughout 2014. Inventories continue to be reportedly adequate. August 2014 (lb) U.S. imports of frozen tilapia fillets decreased in August from the previous month. Figures also showed that August imports were lower when compared to the same month a year ago and against the two-year average. Uncertainty in this market prevails with a mixed undertone reported. Replacement costs have reached record highs over the last five months, but managed to adjust lower in the past two months. As presumed, replacement costs showed a decrease in August. However, data for September could be mixed, according to opinions collected from many traders in the U.S. who reported higher replacement costs for orders placed in August. This means that product arriving in September and October could see their replacement costs level out or show an increase. The U.S. market, as a result, also leveled out in September after slight decreases between May and August, especially for smallersized fillets. August 2014 (lb) Pangasius Table 4. Snapshot of U.S. catfish imports, August 2014. Frozen Fillets Form ment costs prior to the harvests in China. As a result, the U.S. market holds a firm undertone. aquastar.biomin.net • Im pr an ovedgu dpe rform thealth • Im ance prov edw • Co a t erqu n ality ba trolofpa cteri t hoge a nic Naturally ahead global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 67 innovation EXCELLENCE IN YEAST – EXCELLENT FOR FISH Sampling broodfish. Ge any • Made in erm G in de global aquaculture advocate Three spawning trials with 20, 21 and 22 broodfish were conducted to evaluate the two holding methods. The plasma cortisol ermany • M a November/December 2014 Results Precise timing of ovulation in hormone-induced channel catfish is presently not known. Ovulation typically occurs 26 to 40 REAL BREWERS‘ YEAST in G 68 Ovulation Period Critical United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit P. O. Box 38 Stoneville, Mississippi 38776 USA nagaraj.chatakondi@ars.usda.gov M ade i n G e rm y • an an •M Over the last five years, a growing segment of the farm-raised catfish industry in the United States has been transitioning from semi-intensive production of channel catfish to growing hybrid catfish in intensive production systems. Compared to channel catfish, hybrid catfish offer production advantages and reduced losses to stressors and diseases. The demand for hybrid catfish fingerlings is increasing, despite their higher price. Hormone-induced spawning of mature channel catfish is the only reliable method to produce hybrid catfish fry in hatcheries. Ovulating females are hand stripped, and the eggs are fertilized with blue catfish sperm to produce hybrid catfish fry. Channel catfish females held in tanks are subjected to repeated handling, weighing and checking for ovulation. These stressful conditions reduce gamete quality, reproductive performance and hatchery efficiency. In general, stress and reproduction have a reciprocal relationship in teleosts. One mechanism through which stressors affect reproductive capabilities is via the endocrine stress system. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis is a universal reaction to stressors. It consists of a hormone cascade culminating in the release of corticosteroids from the interrenal cells into the blood stream. Cortisol is the predominant stress steroid of teleosts, and plasma concentrations of this hormone elevate during stress. Nagaraj Chatakondi, Ph.D. rm de in Germany A study compared holding hormone-injected female channel catfish in mesh bags to communally holding hormone-injected female catfish in a tank as a stress reduction strategy to improve reproductive performance. Fish held in tanks were crowded and handled multiple times prior to hormone injections. Fish held in bags were injected through the bags, and the presence of eggs signaled timing for strip spawning. This strategy improved hatching percentage and the number of fry produced. The author performed a study to determine whether holding hormone-injected broodfish suspended in mesh bags reduced pre-spawning handling stress and improved reproductive performance compared to communally held broodfish in tanks. Four-year-old, fully mature and gravid channel catfish females, produced and raised at the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, USA, were used in the study. Groups of fish were hand selected from a broodfish pond at weekly intervals. The catfish females were weighed individually and randomly placed in a marked mesh bag or held communally in a concrete tank. The marked bags were suspended in an adjacent concrete tank that was also supplied with water and air. The communally held fish were crowded, and individual fish were removed and placed in a mesh basket to determine their weights for injecting precise quantities of hormone. Channel catfish females were each injected intraperitoneally at the base of their pectoral fins with a priming dose and a later resolving dose of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Blood samples were taken, and the plasma was stored for measuring cortisol and estradiol. Twenty-six to 40 hours after receiving hormone injections, the fish were removed and observed for ovulation by slightly pressing near the oviduct vent to observe for eggs. Females suspended in bags were slightly lifted to observe for the presence of eggs on the bags. The ovulating females were anesthetized before being stripped. The eggs were counted, fertilized with sperm, water hardened and suspended in hatching baskets until hatching. a •M Summary: Holding Individual Fish y Holding Gravid Catfish In Mesh Bags Reduces Stress, Improves Reproduction e ad Raising individual catfish in suspended mesh bags reduces handling and stress, and facilitates observation for ovulation. hours after the hormone injection. When hormone-injected fish are communally held in tanks, each fish must be repeatedly captured and handled to check for ovulation. This is a critical period. Stress affects the reproductive performance of broodfish, progeny performance and the survival of the post-spawned fish. Therefore, there is a need to develop procedures to minimize the stress on pre-spawning broodfish during latency, the period between hormone injection and ovulation. An alternative to the communal holding of hormone-injected broodfish is to suspend individual fish in soft, nylon mesh bags. This procedure offers several advantages. Each bag is marked to identify a specific fish, and handling associated with sorting and weighing is minimized. In addition, the bags facilitate observation for ovulation. For Leiber`s specialty yeast products, “Made in Germany” is a seal of quality. Multibiotic effect of Leiber yeast – vitality, health and performance for fish. Leiber GmbH Hafenstraße 24 49565 Bramsche Germany Tel. +49 (0)5461 9303-0 Fax +49 (0)5461 9303-29 www.leibergmbh.de info@leibergmbh.de global aquaculture advocate Aquakultur 92 x 254 Aquaculture advocate.indd 1 November/December 2014 69 10.01.14 10:03 Plasma Cortisol (ng/mL) 100 BagTank 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 that of the eggs from the communally held fish. The mean relative fecundity and fertilization rates of eggs were similar in both the holding groups. However, the mean hatching percentage of hybrid catfish eggs and number of hybrid fry produced from the channel catfish females suspended in bags were higher than for the fish held communally in a tank during latency (Table 1). innovation Geotextile Bag, Flocculant Technology Capture RAS Waste Perspectives 20 Maturation and ovulation are not synchronized in channel catfish. Therefore, ovu0 lation of individual catfish cannot be pre 0 1636 dicted in hybrid catfish hatcheries. Based on Time Post-Injection (hours) this research, suspending hormone-injected Figure 1. Mean plasma cortisol concentrations of hormone-injected channel catfish held broodfish in individual bags facilitated the individually in mesh bags or communally in a tank during latency (P < 0.05). identification of ovulating females during concentrations, which indicate stress levels, of the catfish were inilatency and may have improved the quality of the stripped eggs, tially high in both groups. The cortisol levels remained higher in promoting higher hatching success and fry production. Eight of the fish held communally during the latency period. However, the the 10 hatcheries engaged in hybrid catfish fry production in the cortisol concentrations decreased at 16 and 36 hours post-horU.S. have adopted this method. mone injection in catfish held in bags (Figure 1). The percentage Even though suspending individual fish in mesh bags incurs of females ovulating in response to hormone injection did not difadditional expense for spawning bags, additional hatchery fer between the fish held communally and those suspended in resources and labor, the increased hybrid catfish fry production mesh bags. negates the additional expense. The reduced stress levels in The plasma cortisol concentrations of communally held fish broodfish may also lower post-spawning mortalities. This were high throughout the latency, as the fish were periodically method appears to be suitable for inducing spawning in other crowded, handled, removed for injection and checked individufish species in which repeated handling, multiple injections and ally at three-hour intervals for the release of eggs. The quality of period checking for ovulation are involved. the stripped eggs from fish held in bags was slightly better than 10 Table 1. Mean reproductive performance of hormone-injected channel catfish held individually in mesh bags or communally in a tank during latency (P < 0.05). Holding Method Mesh bags Communal tank Pooled standard error Fish Ovulation (%) Relative Fecundity (eggs/kg body weight) 33 30 81.70 80.00 1.56 5,047 4,881 101 Hatch Rate (%) Production (fry/kg body weight) 34.10 26.70 0.94 1,493.0 1,224.0 26.4 Thomas M. Losordo, Ph.D. Principal Scientist and Chief Engineer Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. 1791 Varsity Drive, Suite 140 Raleigh, North Carolina 27606 USA tom.losordo@pentair.com Todd C. Guerdat, Ph.D. November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Associate Professor Manchester Community College Manchester, New Hampshire, USA A geotextile bag (on left) rests on a rock-filled effluent containment system that collects the clarified effluent on a rubber liner and directs it to a clarified effluent sump. Summary: Geotextile bags used in combination with polymer flocculant aid chemicals can provide effective primary treatment of recirculating aquaculture system effluent. Much of the suspended solids that carry the majority of the organic load within the effluent can be captured by these systems. Additionally, 50% of the total nitrogen and 37% of the total phosphorus can be captured. Effluent from the geotextile bag system can be applied to crops on land adjacent to the RAS production site. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) have often been referred to as green and environmentally friendly technology. This is in fact true, as long as the effluents from these systems are dealt with adequately and responsibly. Unlike pond or flow-through tank technology, RAS technology concentrates the waste created in the aquaculture production system. While this makes the wastewater easier to capture and treat, it does not make the waste any less harmful to the environment if it is released without further treatment. In fact, given that it is a concentrated point source, the effects could be more harmful to the local environment than releases from lessintensive technologies. 70 aquaculture engineering RAS Waste Commercial RAS designs typically waste 5 to 15% of their system volume as wastewater. The wastewater comes from the automatic backwashing of drum screen filters, draining of waste from media filters such as in bead filter technology or the wasting of sludge from swirl separators or radial-flow settlers. To put that into perspective, a RAS production facility carrying a biomass of 100 mt of fish and an average culture density of 80 kg/m3 will typically waste and replace 60 to 180 m3 of water daily. As an example, wastewater volume and quality from a 230-day RAS production study were collected and evaluated at the North Carolina State University Fish Barn. The system studied consisted of two, 60-m3 aquaculture tanks stocked with tilapia fed a commercial 40%-protein, 10%-fat diet. The average daily feed rate was 52.4 ± 26.7 kg with a maximum of 90 kg. A total of 12.1 mt of feed was added to the system. Wastewater was produced by a drum filter with 40-µm screen size and two sludge collectors that settled waste from particle traps on the bottom of each tank. The daily average flow from the drum screen filter, the major flow contributor, was 12.1 ± 6.2 m3. Geotextile Bag, Flocculant Aid Treatment Effluent from the drum screen filter and sludge collectors flowed by gravity to a small primary effluent sump on the exterior of the production building. When the sump filled up, a level switch activated a submersible sewage pump and a chemical flocculant aid-dosing pump to mix and pump the waste to a nearby geotextile bag. The geotextile bag was 7.6 m in length and 4.5 m in diameter, with an effective pore size of 400 µm. The geotextile bag was placed on a basin constructed of wood with a syn- global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 71 Table 1. Summary of RAS wastewater and geotextile bag treatment characteristics. Parameter RAS Effluent Geotextile Bag Effluent Removal Total suspended solids (mg/L) Total nitrogen (mg/L) Nitrate-nitrogen (mg/L) Total phosphorus (mg/L) Chemical oxygen demand (mg/L) Alkalinity (mg/L) 1,176 ± 473 (448, 1991) 187 ± 34 (141, 267) 143 ± 24 (105, 182) 28 ± 9 (15, 47) 1,589 ± 453 (908, 2,442) 185 ± 42 (104, 280) 44 ± 20 (17, 106) 93 ± 27 (52, 162) 73 ± 29 (34, 147) 18 ± 4 (12, 28) 188 ± 65 (135, 422) 454 ± 94 (330, 710) 96% 50% 49% 37% 88% +145% Table 2. Summary of RAS dewatered sludge characteristics. Parameter Sludge (wet weight) 8,407.0 85.0 7,453.0 1,710.0 0.8 2,602.0 297,000.0 100.0 Total organic carbon (g/m ) Volatile solids (%) Total nitrogen (g/m3) Total ammonia nitrogen (g/m3) Nitrites and nitrates (g/m3) Total phosphorus (g/m3) Chemical oxygen demand (g/m3) Potassium (g/m3) 3 thetic rubber liner and connected to an effluent sump and water containment system. When operating, the flow rate from the effluent sump to the geotextile bag was approximately 40 Lpm. The polymer dose rate was 175-200 mL/minute. The final dilution of the polymer with effluent yielded 10-12 mg polymer/L effluent. While the pore size of the geotextile bag was 10 times that of the screen on the drum screen filter, the use of a highmolecular-weight, cationic polyacrylamide polymer flocculant aid mixed with the RAS effluent caused the fine solids in the effluent to coagulate and flocculate out of solution within the geotextile bag. In simple terms, the polymer served as a “liquid Velcro” that bound the fine suspended solids together in large clumps. It is important to match the polymer used in the system with the waste characteristics. Different polymers are required at varying salinities and waste types. Before start up, be sure to work with a polymer provider to select the proper chemical. Failure to do so will clog the pores of the geotextile bag, and it will cease to function properly. Effluent Characteristics Effluent from the RAS as input to the geotextile bag and the geotextile bag effluent were sampled 22 times over a 230-day study period (Table 1). The RAS effluent characteristics indicated the wastewater could be classified as low-volume but high-strength. Clearly the water required more treatment before discharge. Article Submissions Contact Editor Darryl Jory for author guidelines. E-mail: editorgaadvocate@aol.com Telephone: +1-407-376-1478 Fax: +1-419-844-1638 72 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate The geotextile bag system was very effective in removing 96% of the suspended solids in a single pass. Much of the chemical oxygen demand was removed with the suspended solids. Additionally, 50% of the total nitrogen and 37% of the total phosphorus were removed. It was notable that almost 50% of the nitrate-nitrogen was removed on a single pass through the geotextile bag system. As this is a dissolved form of nitrogen, the mechanism for this decline was most likely biological denitrification within the geotextile bag sludge blanket. Also notable was the rise in the alkalinity of the geotextile bag effluent. This was likely a by-product of the ongoing denitrification process within the bag. If this water were treated further to allow reuse within the RAS, the recaptured alkalinity would largely offset the loss of alkalinity created by the biological nitrifying filtration process. innovation Pangasius Culture In Western Hemisphere Strong Market Support Could Aid Expansion In Region Michael V. McGee, Ph.D. Caribe Fisheries Inc. Bo. La Plata Rd. 117 Km 9.9 Interior Lajas, Puerto Rico 00667 mvmcgee@caribefish.com Sludge Analysis At the completion of the study, the geotextile bag was taken offline for 70 days and allowed to dewater in place while sheltered from rain. When the bag was opened, 4,545 kg of sludge were removed. The sludge consisted of 13.9% dry-weight solids, yielding approximately 632 kg of sludge on a dry-weight basis, or 5.8% of the 10,889 kg of dry-weight feed fed to the fish. Results of the sludge analysis are shown in Table 2. Editor’s Note: This article was based in part on research conducted by the authors at North Carolina State University that was published in the May 2013 issue of the journal Aquacultural Engineering. RAS effluent sump with submersible pump. The polymer injection point is on the left. Effluent mixes with the polymer before entering the geotextile bag in the mixing system. With the use of established protocols for biosecurity, Pangasius could be more widely approved as a culture species in the Western Hemisphere. Summary: The introduction and development of Pangasius culture in Asian countries has been tremendously successful and resulted in greater food security and economic gains in the region. Western nations consume considerable quantities of Pangasius, yet its aquaculture in tropical regions of the hemisphere has not followed. Several countries have approved Pangasius aquaculture, and to date no negative environmental impacts have been observed. With due caution applied, Pangasius deserve to be considered for further culture in the Western Hemisphere. The Asian striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, is recognized as a superior aquaculture species for tropical regions, as well as a major aquaculture product on world markets. Its production has contributed significantly to world aquaculture expansion over the last 15 years. Commonly known as Pangasius and also marketed as basa or swai, this species is second only to tilapia in the freshwater aquaculture whitefish market worldwide. The modern Pangasius industry developed in Vietnam during the late 1990s. Today Vietnam produces over 1 mmt of Pangasius annually and exports the product to over 120 countries. Pangasius aquaculture in Vietnam represents the highest average production, ranging 200-400 mt/ ha/crop, ever recorded for the primary production sector while creating employment for over 180,000 rural poor and generating an export income exceeding U.S. $1.4 billion in 2010, according to author Sena De Silva. Other tropical countries in Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines, have successfully adopted Pangasius aquaculture as a means of promoting food security and increasing aquaculture production. In some cases, Pangasius has become the preferred aquaculture species due to its ease of production and tolerance of intensive culture conditions. Despite the laudable success of Pangasius in Asia, it has not, for the most part, been adopted as a culture species in tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere. This situation exists despite the fact that the United States is the largest importer of Pangasius in the world, and Latin America represents a fast-growing market for the imported Pangasius product. Aquaculture in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere is principally based on the production of Oreochromis species of tilapia and the marine shrimp Litopenaeus vanameii. Little diversification of the industry has occurred since the 1980s, and investment and industry growth have slowed. One of the best opportunities to stimulate investment and expansion of aquaculture in the West is to develop the culture of Pangasius, a species with a proven track record and an existing market. Pangasius Introduction Pangasius are native to the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. They have been widely introduced as an aquaculture species throughout southern Asia from India to the Philippines. To date, there is no documented evidence of natural reproduction or significant negative ecological impact resulting from these introductions. Pangasius are known to spawn naturally in the Mekong River drainage after a spawning migration to specific historical spawning areas. Although Pangasius can grow to more One of the best opportunities to stimulate investment and expansion of aquaculture in the West is to develop the culture of Pangasius. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 73 AF_OK3_GUABI40ANOS_ADVOCATE.pdf than 15 kg and live for over 20 years, they are primarily benthic omnivores that consume and process organic material and sediments to obtain nutrition from detritus, microorganisms and small invertebrates that colonize the benthos. They may consume small fish, but they are not obligate predators even at larger sizes. In trials conducted at Caribe Fisheries in Puerto Rico, Pangasius in polyculture with mixed-sex tilapia were unable to control tilapia reproduction. When polycultured with freshwater prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, no notable predation occurred. Beyond Aquariums In contrast to their widespread introduction in Asia, Pangasius have not received similar acceptance in the Western Hemisphere. Perhaps in response to the impacts of tilapia on native fish and river shrimp in Latin American and Caribbean countries, few governments have been interested in approving the introduction of Pangasius. In this region, Pangasius have been historically available in the aquarium trade. Small specimens are normally supplied from Thailand or Malaysia and marketed as iridescent sharks, striped catfish or Pangasius catfish. Pangasius are currently approved for culture in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Costa Rica. The fish are cultured as an ornamental species in Mexico. Pangasius are also undoubtedly present in other Latin American countries, as aquaculturists throughout the region are interested in the potential of this species. At a time when the need and opportunity for aquaculture expansion and diversification are recognized and proclaimed by the Food and Agriculture 74 November/December 2014 Organization of the United Nations and the World Bank, among others, the prohibition of Pangasius for aquaculture in many Western tropical nations would appear to merit reconsideration. Using due caution and established protocols for biosecurity, Pangasius deserve the opportunity to be evaluated as a new culture species in the Western Hemisphere. Pangasius Reproduction Pangasius is a riverine species whose natural reproduction is dependent on specific environmental stimuli in a specific environment. In the absence of these exogenous factors, Pangasius reach spawning condition but do not reproduce. For aquaculture purposes, Pangasius are stimulated to reproduce by hormone-induced ovulation, a technique also used for other riverine species, including pacu, Asian carps and the salmonids. In many tropical regions of the Caribbean and Latin America, where tilapia is the principal culture species, the tech- Larval Rearing Pangasius are highly fecund – a female can produce as many as 60,000 eggs/kg body weight. Normally, broodfish of 2to 4-kg weight are utilized for reproduction. The eggs are adhesive and hatch within 32 hours at a temperature of 28° C. The larvae swim freely within hours after hatching, but do not feed until 32 to 48 hours post-hatch. Larvae are approximately 3 mm in length at hatching and require small zooplankton, principally rotifers or Daphnia, as feed during the first seven to 10 days of development. This stage is considered the most critical in the production of Pangasius. Within 32 hours after hatching, Pangasius larvae are normally moved to rearing ponds that have been fertilized to encourage development of the natural feed required by the larvae. Larvae mortality is high if zooplankton of the correct size and type are not available as a first food. In addition, aquatic insect larvae that develop in the ponds are significant predators of larval Pangasius. The fish larvae consume newly hatched Artemia, although early-stage cannibalism is a problem if they are held at high densities in hatchery tanks. After 10 to 12 days, Pangasius fry will begin to feed on a powdered commercial diet. Fingerlings can be harvested in 30 to 45 days at approximately 1 g in weight. Pangasius Growout Pangasius are by nature schooling fish that tolerate high densities and intensive culture conditions. In addition, they can obtain oxygen from the atmosphere by utilizing their swim bladders as primitive lungs. This eliminates the risk of catastrophic fish kills due to pond oxygen depletion as well as the need for supplemental pond aeration. In Vietnam, Pangasius are frequently cultured in ponds 3 to 5 m deep, which produce yields of 200-400 mt/ha. Under such intensive culture conditions and without aeration, abundant water exchange is used to flush metabolites and wastes from the ponds. Feed-conversion ratios for Pangasius are typically reported at around 1.6 when utilizing a 28%-protein feed and a growout period of six to eight months following a one- to twomonth fingerling production phase. Pangasius are normally harvested at a weight of 1.0 to 1.5 kg. 10/22/14 3:04 PM Agência B9B Thirty-day-old Pangasius fingerlings. Survival past the first week of development is critical. nique of hormone-induced spawning is not well known or utilized. Expansion of Pangasius culture into these regions will require aquaculturists to acquire the skill and knowledge required for hormoneinduced reproduction. 2 Pangasius Markets At this time, all the Pangasius on world markets is supplied by Asian countries, principally Vietnam. Considerable quantities of Pangasius are consumed by Western nations, including those of the European Union, the Caribbean and Latin America, and the United States. Despite the widespread acceptance and commercial success of Pangasius, there have also been allegations of contamination of product from Vietnam due to pollution of the Mekong River. Although most of these accusations are unproven or scientifically unfounded, consumer awareness of the issue has been raised. In any case, it is important to emphasize that the Pangasius itself is not the issue of concern, but moreso the product source or culture environment. C M Y CM MY CY 40 years with you. Enhancing animal nutrition, business relationships and performance CMY Adding more value to life, Guabi is also investing in future generations. K We are celebrating 40 years, fully dedicated to animal nutrition, health & performance and together we will improve our relationship with people, animals, customers and our planet. This is our gift for you. Let´s celebrate! It´s 40 years of partnership and achievements that must be shared with those who made this history possible: you.a Opportunity For Latin America Pangasius are highly fecund – producing up to 60,000 eggs/kg body weight – but do not readily reproduce under culture conditions. global aquaculture advocate These circumstances create an opportunity for developing new regional sources for Pangasius in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the potential to enter the U.S. market with fresh Pangasius, a market which to date has not been tapped. It is likely, at least initially, that production costs for Pangasius in tropical regions of the West would be higher than for Asian products. This is analogous to the situation with tilapia. Western producing nations are able to compete favorably with this species, and similar circumstances would likely develop with Pangasius. Visit our website: guabi.com global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 75 innovation New-Generation Diets Omit Rotifer Enrichment, Improve Water Quality Innovative Approach Summary: Completely formulated live food diets render separate enrichment after culture redundant for fish hatchery operations. If designed properly, they can even be a tool for more ecologically friendly production of rotifers. 76 November/December 2014 35 Eicosapentaenoic Acid Philippe Dhert Skretting Akkerhage 4, 9000 Gent, Belgium philippe.dhert@skretting.com Lipids concentration in the neonates. tamination improve the health and hygienic condition of the rotifers. Indirectly, the floccule-free water column prevents damaged and weakened rotifers at harvest, which can be a catalyst for infectious diseases or digestive problems in fish larvae. Extra Nutrients Skretting recently commercialized the diet under the name ORI-ONE. Unlike booster diets, where the food rapidly passes through the digestive system and has little chance for assimilation, the product is completely digested in the last part of the digestive system. This results in better feed conversion by tissue enrichment. Just as in nature, where zooplankton accumulate nutrients from suspended organic material in the form of phytoplankton and “marine snow,” the composition of the rotifer diet is supplemented with important nutrients and minerals such as taurine, zinc and selenium. These Docosahexaenoic Acid n-3 HUFAs Protein 64 30 25 63 20 62 15 10 61 Protein Content (%) An innovative new diet supports the mass culture of rotifers at the same time it transforms their nutritional composition to meet the requirements of first-feeding fish larvae. As in nature, the diet is based on a mixture of algaebased nutrients to which rotifers respond. It induces fecal formation with size characteristics that prevent direct uptake by filter feeders and quick sedimentation of undesired waste material. Rotifer health is improved, and the absence of floccules in the water provides faster harvesting. Content (mg/g, dry weight) Nutrients are not only boosted in the digestive tract of the rotifers, but a substantial amount is stored in the tissue and reproductive organs, where it is passed on to the neonates through the egg. Skretting, a global leader in the production of fish and shrimp feeds, took on the challenge by studying the biological processes of digestion and fecal disposal in the natural environment. The company designed a diet composition that allows better digestion of rotifers by fish larvae and reconstitutes fecal material with low solubility and proper binding. Under specific nutritional and physical conditions, it became possible to induce fecal pellet formation with size characteristics that prevent direct uptake by filter feeders such as rotifers and quick sedimentation of undesired waste material to the bottoms of culture tanks. This natural process avoids unnecessary pollution of the water column, reducing biological oxygen consumption by a physical separation of the culture/reproduction area and the waste area. The concentrated excrements can easily be extracted by regular flushing of the tanks. The absence of floccules in the water, usually generated by bacterial blooms on half-decomposed fecal material, provides faster and damage-free harvesting of rotifers. Also, the lower fat content of the diet reduces the leakage of oil and prevents the formation of sticky clusters of rafting rotifers. The reduced impacts on water quality of a cleaner diet and controlled fecal con- slow-enriching nutrients can now be successfully incorporated thanks to the longterm, integrated culture-enrichment approach together with proteins, highly unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins that are still accumulated as in a classic enrichment procedure. Stronger Offspring In this combined culture-enrichment technique, the essential fatty acids, proteins and other nutrients are not only boosted in the digestive tract of the rotifers, but a substantial amount is stored in the tissue and reproductive organs, where it is passed on to the neonates through the egg. Analyses of these newly born rotifers showed essential fatty acid compositions identical to the mothers’, but they contained 2 to 3% more protein (Figure 1). In the larval rearing of first-feeding fish larvae with small mouth sizes, this nutritional advantage could alleviate the work to culture super-small-sized rotifers. Overall, the flow into tissue leads to a significant stabilization and retention of nutrients, which enables a more standard larval-feeding practice. Considering rotifers can be in a larval-rearing tank for six to eight hours, it is desirable to increase stability and retention. one-third on the utilization of fat with no compromise in the enrichment value of the rotifers. This is an appreciable financial and ecological advantage, but more importantly, efficiency in production is increased with stronger and better-quality rotifers. Simplicity Besides the nutritional advantage, the main benefit of Skretting’s product is the direct availability of enriched live food at any moment. Rotifers are only harvested once with no enrichment step, reducing handling and related losses. This reduces labor requirements and results in a further degree of standardization and stability of the operational process. The simple omission of the enrichment results in a saving of approximately GAA on Social Media For up-to-the-second Global Aquaculture Alliance updates and responsible aquaculture news, be one of our more than 2,000 fans on Facebook. @GAA_Aquaculture Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication Leonardo da Vinci ORI 5 0 Neonates Adults NeonatesAdults 60 www.skretting.com/mhf Figure 1. Fatty acid and protein composition in rotifers. global aquaculture advocate global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 77 Christopher Parrish, Ph.D. Department of Ocean Sciences Memorial University of Newfoundland Marine Lab Road St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5S7 Canada cparrish@mun.ca Stefanie Hixson, Ph.D. Manjusri Wijekoon, Ph.D. Department of Ocean Sciences Memorial University of Newfoundland Derek Anderson, Ph.D. The oilseed Camelina sativa is an ancient crop that has received renewed interest among agriculture researchers because of its unique and positive agronomic attributes. Summary: Since camelina and flaxseed oils contain more omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than most plant oils, the authors investigated them as replacements for fish oil in diets for cod, salmon and trout. The growth of fish fed the plant oils was generally comparable to that for fish that received fish oil. While the fatty acids in fillets highly reflected the diets, some fish could selectively retain important fatty acids and catabolize others. Some species synthesized PUFAs from precursors in the plant oil diets. Fishmeal and fish oil are no longer always the main protein and lipid sources in aquaculture feeds. Instead, a variety of sustainable and economical ingredients are used to increase protein content, balance amino acid profiles and provide energy and essential fatty acids. Consequently, fishmeal and fish oil are typically only provided at minimum levels in diets. 78 November/December 2014 The challenge is to find sustainable nutrient sources that yield healthy, efficiently grown fish that retain the qualities that satisfy consumers and the industry. This becomes more challenging when raising carnivorous fish at cold temperatures. The species of fish, the nutritional quality of the meal and oil, and temperature all play important roles in determining the suitability of a plant ingredient. Seed Oils The authors have been investigating the replacement of fish oil and fishmeal in salmonid and cod feeds with sunflower oil, flaxseed oil, camelina oil and camelina meal. The tested diets contained up to 40% camelina meal and replaced up to 100% of the fish oil with seed oil. Camelina is an ancient crop that has received renewed interest among agriculture researchers because of several unique and positive agronomic attributes. Like flaxseed oil, camelina oil is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid. Like sunflower oil, it also has high levels of linoleic acid. Camelina oil and flaxseed oil contain greater levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than most plant oils commonly used in aquaculture feeds. global aquaculture advocate Department of Plant and Animal Science Faculty of Agriculture Dalhousie University Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada However, camelina oil also contains appreciable amounts of tocopherols, which could give it nutritional and commercial advantages over the currently available plant oils. Tocopherols are components of vitamin E that protect against lipid oxidation. Camelina meal has a relatively high (38%) protein level and includes several essential amino acids. Proportion of Fatty Acids (%) Plant Lipid, Protein Use In Cod, Salmonid Diets 35 30 25 b 20 a c 15 10 a a 5 0 Oil Utilization b Fish Oil Sunflower Oil Flaxseed Oil a b c a b b 18:2n618:3n320:5n322:6n3 Figure 1. Fatty acids in diets of steelhead trout fed diets with fish oil, sunflower oil or flaxseed oil. Significant difference among treatments (P < 0.05) is indicated by different letters. Proportion of Fatty Acids (%) innovation 35 a Fish Oil Sunflower Oil Flaxseed Oil 30 25 ab b 20 c 15 b b 10 a 5 0 a b b b a 18:2n618:3n320:5n322:6n3 Figure 2. Fatty acids in muscle tissue of steelhead trout fed diets with fish oil, sunflower oil or flaxseed oil. Significant difference among treatments (P < 0.05) is indicated by different letters. trations in the fillets of cod or salmonids that received diets with camelina oil. Trout appeared to be the best candi- date for camelina oil feeding. The data showed a tendency for improvements in growth for fish on feed with the oil. Dietary camelina oil was clearly utilized differently by salmonids and cod in terms of tissue lipid and fatty acid composition. The lipid composition played an important role in how dietary fatty acids were incorporated into the tissue. After cod were fed camelina oil diets, the muscle tissue – low in total lipid and high in phospholipid – retained long-chain PUFAs and resisted the uptake of mediumchain PUFAs in camelina oil. The salmonids readily incorporated PUFAs from dietary seed oil and consequently lost some of the long-chain PUFAs in their muscle after the feeding period (Figures 1 and 2). However, both salmon and trout fed camelina oil were able to synthesize long-chain PUFAs from their dietary precursors present in camelina oil. These results were confirmed by compound specific stable isotope analysis in trout and calculated by the Turchini fatty acid mass balance method for both species. A combination of selective retention and synthesis of long-chain PUFAs yielded significant amounts of long-chain PUFAs in the fillets of fish fed seed oil diets. Sensory Results, Temperature Effects One serving of salmon or trout fed a camelina oil diet yielded more than the daily requirement of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs as set by the World Health Organization (Table 1). In terms of product quality, a sensory evaluation using fillets from salmon fed either camelina oil or fish oil diets found that panel- Fish Oil Replacement Sunflower, flax and camelina oils, and camelina meal were investigated as potential lipid and protein sources in diets for farmed Atlantic cod and salmonids. In separate experiments, the seed oils were tested individually to fully replace fish oil in diets for juvenile cod, salmon and trout for a feeding duration up to four months. The weight gain, growth rate, condition factor and feed conversion of the salmonids fed any of the seed oil diets was not significantly different from those values for fish that received the fish oil diets. Atlantic cod fed camelina oil did not grow as well as cod fed fish oil, but cod given feed with an 80% replacement of fish oil with camelina oil showed no difference in growth performance compared to cod fed a fish oil diet. There was also little effect on carbon or nitrogen concen- Over 20 years of Filtration Innovation And still going strong 108 Industrial Avenue New Orleans, LA 70121 www.BeadFilters.com email: info@BeadFilters.com Propeller Wash PolyGeyser® Bubble Bead Call 504.837.5575 + Superior Solids Capture + Excellent Biofiltration + Low Maintenance + Easily Automated global aquaculture advocate www.BeadFilters.com November/December 2014 79 Table 1. Long-chain omega-3 PUFAs in one 75-g fillet serving of fish fed diets containing camelina oil to replace fish oil, compared to WHO recommended daily requirement. Fish Type Docosahexaenoic Acid + Eicosapentaenoic Acid (mg/serving) Atlantic salmon Rainbow trout Atlantic cod Daily requirement 306 563 175* 250 * Need 1.5 servings of Atlantic cod to meet daily requirement. ists could not distinguish between treatments for the appearance, odor and texture of the raw fillets. Temperature also played an important role in tissue lipid and fatty acid composition by affecting cholesterol proportions in muscle tissue, with amounts increasing with rising temperatures in order to counteract increasing fluidity of cell membranes. The tissue fatty acid composition of both oleic acid and linoleic acid in seed oil-fed and fish oil-fed fish (Figures 3 and 4) decreased gradually when temperature increased from 10 to 18° C. Proportion of Fatty Acids (%) 18 While monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid may provide some fluidity in membranes at low temperatures, they are preferentially catabolized at warmer temperatures, particularly in diets such as sunflower seed oil, which naturally contains high levels of oleic acid. The availability of monounsaturated fatty acids at warmer temperatures may assist with retention of long-chain PUFAs. Camelina Meal Camelina meal was also fed to cod, salmon and trout as a source of protein a Temperature Vs. 18:1n9 Polynomial Regression 16 Perspectives ab 14 b 12 b 10 8 b 10 12 141618 Temperature (° C) Figure 3. Oleic acid in muscle tissue of steelhead trout fed oil diets at different temperatures. Significant difference among treatments (P < 0.05) is indicated by different letters. Proportion of Fatty Acids (%) 18 9 a Temperature Vs. 18:2n6 Polynomial Regression 8 7 b The selection of sustainable, economical and nutritionally appropriate ingredients in aquaculture feeds is a key to the future success of the industry. Camelina, flaxseed and sunflower oils were investigated as replacements for fish oil, and the growth of fish fed these plant oils was comparable to that for fish fed a fish oilbased diet. While the fatty acid composition of fish fillets is highly reflective of the diet fed to the animals, fish are capable of selectively retaining physiologically important fatty acids and selectively catabolizing others. Some species synthesize long-chain PUFAs from precursors provided in plant oil-based diets. The use of certain seed oils is already successful on a commercial scale, but novel oil seeds such as camelina show high potential. innovation Shrimp Soluble Extract b 5 b b 101214 1618 Temperature (° C) Figure 4. Figure 4. Linoleic acid in muscle tissue of steelhead trout fed oil diets at different temperatures. Significant difference among treatments (P < 0.05) is indicated by different letters. November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Processing camelina meal into a protein concentrate or with water washing or enzyme treatment may remove antinutritional compounds. Prof. Le Thanh Hung Novel Feed Attractant For Aquaculture Faculty of Fisheries Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam lthungts@yahoo.com.vn is based upon demineralization by acid treatment and deproteinization by alkali treatment. These treatments generate a source of polluted water of high acidity and alkalinity. In recent years, researchers including Nellie Gagné, Jozef Synowiecki and Asbjørn Gildberg have introduced several enzymatic deproteinization processes as alternative treatments for alkali digestion to reduce the environmental impacts and also produce a protein hydrolysate with a well-balanced amino acid composition. Producing Shrimp Soluble Extract The shrimp soluble extract could be produced in large quantities at a facility with components set up similar to this design schematic. Summary: Vietnam Organic applied an enzymatic hydrolysis process on shrimp head waste to produce a shrimp soluble extract (SSE) feed attractant that contains a mixture of free amino acids and peptide. The product has 20% crude protein and high protein digestibility. In testing, fishmeal-free pelleted feed that included SSE at a 2% dosage improved survival and gave the same growth and feed-conversion performance in tilapia as those achieved using a 5%-fishmeal diet. 6 4 80 and amino acids in varying proportions in their diets. Cod fed diets with 15% camelina meal performed comparably to cod fed a commercial-type diet in terms of growth rate, hepatosomatic index, feed conversion and protein efficiency. Rainbow trout generally performed better than Atlantic salmon when fed diets including camelina meal. Trout fed 14% camelina meal grew similarly to trout fed a commercial diet, while salmon could tolerate 8% camelina meal inclusion. Although there were few biochemical differences in the muscle tissue between fish fed camelina mealincluded diets compared to those fed a commercial-type diet, species differences in fatty acid and amino acid composition fed the same inclusion level of camelina meal were apparent. Camelina meal is known to contain a few antinutritional factors that can affect the palatability of the diet and thus reduce feed intake. This may have affected nutrient digestibility and utilization of the diets containing more than 15% camelina meal. Processing camelina meal into a protein concentrate or with water washing or enzyme treatment may remove antinutritional compounds. Aquatic animals have stronger smell and taste senses than land animals do. Therefore, in feed formulation for fish and shrimp, feed attractant is always an important additive. The most effective attractant compounds for aquatic animals are free amino acids that are quite abundant in squid and shrimp extracts. Squid liver meal, squid meal, fish solubles, shrimp solubles and other mixtures are often used as feed attractants in the aquafeed industry. In chitin production from shrimp head waste, the main commercial process Vietnam Organic, a company based in Ca Mau province, applied the enzymatic hydrolysis process on shrimp head waste to produce a shrimp soluble extract (SSE) that contains a mixture of free amino acids and peptide. The product is a soluble of 20% crude protein with protein digestibility of 90 to 95% and 11.45 ppm astaxanthin. The product also contains 1.47% aspartic acid, 0.71% serine, 2.33% glutamic acid, 1.43% glycine, 0.56% histi- Table 1. Feed formulation of the five diets. Ingredient Defatted rice bran Dried rice bran Soybean meal Fishmeal Cassava meal DCP Methionine Choline chloride Premix Mycotoxin binder Vitamin C SSE product Diet 1 Diet 2 Diet 3 Diet 4 Diet 5 5.00 31.40 48.80 5.00 8.00 0.20 1.00 0.20 0.25 0.15 0 0 5.00 29.50 55.20 0 8.00 0.20 1.50 0.20 0.25 0.15 0 0 5.00 28.40 54.30 0 8.00 0.20 1.50 0.20 0.25 0.15 0 2.00 5.00 28.90 54.70 0 8.00 0.20 1.50 0.20 0.25 0.15 0 1.00 5.00 28.40 54.30 0 8.00 0.20 1.50 0.20 0.25 0.15 0 2.00 Table 2. Growth and feed utilization of tilapia fed five diets for eight weeks. Parameter Initial weight (g) Final weight (g) Weight gain (g) Feed-conversion ratio Survival (%) Diet 1 Diet 2 Diet 3 Diet 4 Diet 5 10.21 62.69 52.48 1.41 72.22 10.19 53.06 42.87 1.48 62.22 10.11 61.15 51.04 1.39 71.11 10.18 55.73 45.56 1.46 74.44 10.19 58.59 48.40 1.41 80.00 global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 81 dine, 1.22% arginine, 0.83% threonine, 2.17% alanine, 1.01% proline, 0.23% cystine, 0.64% tyrosine, 1.14% valine, 0.46% methionine, 0.95% lysine, 0.90% isoleucine, 1.43% leucine and 1.04% phenyl alanine. ® Study With Tilapia A study using the SSE product in tilapia feed was carried out in 15, 500-L composite tanks. Five diets containing fishmeal, soybean meal, rice bran, cassava meal, fish oil and premix were formulated to have 32% crude protein and 6% lipid. Diet 1, the control, included 5% fishmeal in its composition. Diet 2 was free of fishmeal, while diet 3 had no fishmeal but was supplemented with 2% SSE top dressing after pelleting. Diet 4 was free of fishmeal and mixed with 1% SSE. Also free of fishmeal, diet 5 was mixed with 2% SSE. The formulations of the five diets are presented in Table 1. Tilapia fingerlings weighing 10 g each were fed the five diets. The fish were stocked at a density of 30/tank and fed three replicates for each diet for eight weeks. Results As shown in Table 2, fish that received diet 2 had the lowest growth rate and the highest feed-conversion ratio (FCR). The treatments mixing SSE in the pelleted diet or spraying SSE as a top dressing at 2% dosage gave the same growth performance and FCRs as those in the 5%-fishmeal diet treatment. The survival rates were lowest using the fishmeal-free diet 2 and highest with diet 5. It seemed that mixing 2% SSE in tilapia feed improved the survival rates. That indicated the SSE product helped to reduce fishmeal in the diet without affecting growth and feed utilization. Adding the SSE product in the pelleting process could help reduce the feed cost to about U.S. $15/mt. Other studies to evaluate SSE use in shrimp feed are ongoing. SMART NUTRITION SMART NUTRITION FROM THE START FROM THE START As the leading source of menhaden fish oil and fish meal, we’re helping animal nutritionists around the world take advantage of the proven benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the superior amino acid profile of fish protein. When added to animal feeds, fish oil and fish meal may improve intelligence in dogs and cats, help give baby pigs a head start to a strong immune system, and help improve the reproductive health and performance of livestock. FISH OIL FISH MEAL FISH SOLUBLES Article Submissions When used in aquaculture feeds, fish oil and fish meal provide finfish and crustaceans with the essential nutrients they need for optimum growth and development. With our unique products, resources and expertise, we can help you create a better feed from the start. ® ® omeganutrient.com 877.866.3423 Sustainable, Traceable, & Environmentally Responsible Products from Omega Protein 82 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate Contact Editor Darryl Jory for author guidelines. E-mail: editorgaadvocate@aol.com Telephone: +1-407-376-1478 Fax: +1-419-844-1638 global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 83 industry news New Book Addresses Aquaculture Water Quality Handbook for Aquaculture Water Quality, a new book by Drs. Claude E. Boyd and Craig S. Tucker, outlines the best practices to promote, monitor and manage water quality in aquaculture production systems. In its well-illustrated pages, the authors explain technical fundamentals and background, as well as the practical application of many critical concepts. Organized in a logical sequence, the handbook includes chapters on such topics as the fundamentals of water science and ecology, water sources and the chemical and physical properties of water quality in different production systems. It also addresses feed use, effluents, pond bottom and aquatic plant management, and other treatments. Measurements, calculations and conversion factors are also addressed. Each chapter provides a concise and comprehensive review of the topic, including a discussion of the technical and scientific principles involved, and their application in water quality monitoring and management. A comprehensive list of references is included with each chapter, as well. The authors have 90 years of combined aquaculture experience between them. Boyd, of the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at Auburn University, and Tucker, of the USDA-ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit, are well-known experts. A regular columnist in the Global Aquaculture Advocate, Boyd has contributed over 90 articles covering the spectrum of water quality in aquaculture. Tucker has also generously contributed several articles over the years. For information on ordering a copy of the handbook, e-mail claudee39@gmail.com. C.P. Prima Finds Treatment For IMNV Control P.T. Central Proteina Prima Tbk. (C.P. Prima), a leading integrated aquaculture company in Indonesia, has found a formula to help solve the infectious mionecrosis virus (IMNV) problem found at some shrimp farms. In research with shrimp infected with IMNV, repeated experiments at a company laboratory showed that the treatment – a practical combination of specially formulated feed and an herbalbased liquid added to culture water – protected shrimp from the virus, while in the control group, the mortality rate was 43%. The treatment has been successfully used since 2013, at the company farm, where the rate of IMNV infection has been reduced below 1%, said Ahmad Wahyudi, vice president of aquaculture programs at C.P. Prima. The implementation of this solution must be accompanied by tight biosecurity, good aqua- 84 November/December 2014 People, Products, Programs Please send short news items and photos for consideration to: Darryl E. Jory 4111 Telegraph Road, Suite 302 St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA E-mail: editorgaadvocate@aol.com Fax: +1-419-844-1638 culture practices and the use of quality feed and fry for best results, he said. In the near future, the special feed and liquid supplement will be distributed as a commercial product to help shrimp farmers solve their IMNV issues. For more information, contact George Basoeki at george. basoeki@cpp.co.id. Aquaculture Among Strategic Economic Programs In Chile Three aquaculture sectors have been tagged as part of Chile’s new Agenda of Productivity, Innovation and Growth. The program is coordinated by Corporación de Fomento de la Producción de Chile (CORFO), the national economic development agency. The program aims to develop strategic projects that are essentially economic sectors with high potential for growth. Additionally, these are industries whose potential has not been totally expressed due to institutional, regulatory, technical or logistical constraints. To reach their potential, longer-term perspectives and focused public-private efforts are required. The three aquaculture sectors – the salmon, mussel and seaweed industries – were selected from among the 12 identified in Chile. The work with salmon will involve four regions in southern Chile. The mussel and seaweed programs will focus almost exclusively in Los Lagos. Once the major barriers to development are identified, a “road map” of actions will be defined. Required outputs can then go on to different ministries and services, with those of a technical nature addressed through support from CORFO. “The fact that three strategic programs are concentrated in aquaculture sectors clearly reveals the importance of this activity for Chile,” CORFO Regional Director Adolfo Alvial said. “Our comparative advantages are obvious, and we have to be able to respond to an increased demand for seafood in the future.” Strong Seafood Expo Asia Attendance Reflects Industry Growth The continuing growth of the region’s fish and aquaculture market was the central theme at Seafood Expo Asia, held September 2 to 4 in Hong Kong. The exposition welcomed over 8,600 seafood professionals from 66 countries and more than 200 exhibiting companies to an expanded show floor. According to the exhibition’s organizers, Diversified Communications, the strong attendance reflected the optimistic outlook for the Asian seafood marketplace, which Global Industry Analysts, Inc. predicted will expand at 4.4% annually through 2018. International suppliers were keen to take advantage of global aquaculture advocate increased seafood demand throughout Asia, particularly among the expanding Chinese middle and upper classes. Sustainable practices and ocean-friendly menus featured prominently at the event. A panel of global opinion leaders and industry experts was brought together to share views on issues regarding the sustainability movement in Asia. Show Director Terri Tsang said responsible fishing is clearly an industry driver. “In Asia, green shoppers are still on a learning curve, although sustainability considerations are definitely starting to impact and influence purchasing decisions,” she said. Seafood Expo Asia returns to Hong Kong in September 2015. For more information, please visit www.seafoodexpo.com/asia. Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems Launches New Pump Series Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. has introduced two new pump series – L3-Plus and H3-Plus – engineered using bestin-class technology. The proprietary impeller design of the pumps delivers high-precision concentricity for H3-Plus pump increased efficiency. Their proprietary hydraulic isolators smooth water flow inside the volute, raising efficiency even higher. Rugged plastic construction delivers durable pumps at an affordable price. The ultra-dependable and energy-efficient L3-Plus pumps are an excellent choice for applications that require maximum flow rates at low head. They are also perfectly suited for aquaculture, ponds and fountains. The H3-Plus series is an excellent choice for applications that require maximum flow at medium head. L3-Plus and H3-Plus pumps are compatible with both freshwater and saltwater, and feature durable Diamond seals and extra-large baskets. H3-Plus models feature aquaculture-duty, totally enclosed motors with anodized aluminum construction. The UL778-listed pumps include a one-year warranty. Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, the largest source of aquaculture systems and products worldwide, also offers custom water treatment systems and technical support for a variety of aquatic industries. For more information, visit www.pentairaes.com. TUF, M.W. Brands Subsidiary To Acquire MerAlliance Thai Union Frozen Products Public Co. Ltd. (TUF) has entered an agreement to acquire MerAlliance, a France-based smoked-salmon producer. The company aims to leverage MerAlliance’s position as a leading smoked seafood player in Europe and its strong growth track record to expand the TUF base within the chilled category in Europe. MerAlliance produces a wide range of high-quality chilled smoked fish products at its strategically located production facilities in France, Scotland and Poland. This transaction will reinforce TUF’s subsidiary M.W. Brands’ position in the European market. M.W. Brands represents well-established consumer brands Petit Navire, John West, Parmentier and Mareblu. The acquisition will be a key step toward TUF’s goal to double the group’s revenue by 2020. “We continue to focus on strengthening our competitiveness within TUF’s six strategic business categories,” said Thiraphong Chansiri, TUF president and CEO. “Our strategy is to look for hidden pearls within each of our categories that can strengthen our position and act as platforms for growth. This is our first acquisition as part of this strategy.” For more on TUF, visit www.thaiuniongroup.com. Alltech Appoints Connolly Chief Innovation Officer Global animal health and nutrition leader Alltech has appointed Aidan Connolly as its chief innovation officer. Working closely with Dr. Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer, Connolly will be involved with Alltech’s innovation pipeline and lead the commercialization of the company’s research programs. Based at Alltech’s Center for Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition at corporate headquarters near Aidan Connolly Lexington, Kentucky, USA, Connolly will also maintain his current responsibilities as vice president of corporate accounts and architect of Alltech’s annual global feed survey. In his new role, Connolly will put together a team within the company’s research department focused on developing innovative, nutrition-based technologies that capitalize on in nutrigenomics, the science of how diet affects gene expression. “As Alltech is moving forward in the next four to five years, it is crucial that the company’s research and technical teams work hand in hand with sales and marketing,” Dawson said. “With Aidan joining our group, we will be even more strongly placed to support the industry with science-based nutritional solutions.” For more on Alltech programs and aquaculture products, visit www.alltech.com/animal-nutrition/aquaculture/health. Apply Now For Howgate Award The International Association of Fish Inspectors (IAFI) has announced the opening of applications for the 2015 Peter Howgate Award. This award will fund the attendance of a fish technologist under 30 years of age to the IAFI World Seafood Congress 2015 in Grimsby, United Kingdom. The deadline for submission of applications for the award, which will cover travel, accommodation and the congress fee, is March 31, 2015. The IAFI award is a tribute to Peter Howgate’s ongoing contributions to the field of fish technology. For 35 years, Howgate worked at the Torry Research Station in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, a government institute specializing in research on fish processing and handling. His pioneering work on the sensory assessment of fish had major implications in both the scientific and commercial fields. Howgate retired at the end of 1989 and was recognized with the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” awarded by Queen Elizabeth II. More information and an application form are available at www.peterhowgateaward.com. global aquaculture advocate November/December 2014 85 calendar november 2014 Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems Aquaponics Technology and Design Workshop November 4-8, 2014 Apopka, Florida, USA Phone: +1-407-992-5565 Web: http://pentairaes.com/aquaponicstechnology-and-design-workshop.html China Fisheries & Seafood Expo November 5-7, 2014 Qingdao, China Phone: +86-10-58672620 Web: www.chinaseafoodexpo.com International Aquaculture Forum/Latin American and Caribbean Aquaculture Conference November 5-7, 2014 Guadalajara, Mexico Phone: +52-33-36-32-23-55 Web: www.fiacui.com/events/laqua Foro Iberoamericano de los Recursos Marinos y la Acuicultura November 18-21, 2014 Machala, Ecuador Phone: +59-3968307527 Web: http://congresos.utmachala.edu.ec/ firmaecuador/ Stay Informed Seafood and Aquaculture Events Subscribe To The World’s Leading Aquaculture Publication Send event listings in English to: Event Calendar 4111 Telegraph Road, Suite 302 • St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA homeoffice@gaalliance.org DECember 2014 European Algae Biomass Association Conference/ International Algae Congress December 2-3, 2014 Ghent, Belgium Phone: +31-0348-484-004 Web: www.algaecongress.com Congreso Nacional de Acuicultura Congreso Internacional de Acuaponia Simposio Mundial de Acuicultura en Zonas Aridas December 10-12, 2014 Coquimbo, Chile Phone: +56-51-2209765 Web: www.congresoacuiculturachile.cl JANUARY 2015 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. Innovations in Feeding Technologies and Fish Farming Conference January 27, 2015 Moscow, Russia Phone: 495-755-50-38, 755-50-35 Web: http://expohleb.breadbusiness.ru/ files/images/ryba.pdf FEBRUARY 2015 Aquaculture America 2015 February 19-22, 2015 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Phone: +1-225-578-3137 Web: www.was.org/Meetings/Default. aspx?code=AA2015 Aqua Aquaria India 2015 February 20-22, 2015 Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India Phone: +914842321722 Website: www.aquaaquaria.com Best Aquaculture Practices Auditor Training Course January 11-17, 2015 Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Phone: +1-352-563-0565 Web: www.bestaquaculturepractices.org/ images/PDF_files/bap_auditor_course_ usa_1.15.pdf 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 benefits. GAA Membership Benefits Subscriber (U.S. $60/ year) 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 scientific way to protect your investment Increase Yield Maximize Survival Improve FCR * shrimpshield.com 800.493.4831 or 970.568.7754 (US) 86 November/December 2014 global aquaculture advocate 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 November/December 2014 87 advertising AquaInTech, Inc. 41 Aquaculture America 2015 54 Aquaculture Systems Technologies 79 Biomin67 Bioo Scientific 52 Camanchaca Inc. 47 Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL 37 Eastern Fish Co. 13 Guabi Animal Nutrition 75 Gregor Jonsson Inc. 61 Grobest Global Service, Inc. 27 Keeton Industries 86 Leiber GmbH 69 Marine Products Export Development Authority 83 Advertising Office 4111 Telegraph Road, Suite 302 St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA MegasupplyOBC Meridian Products 32 MSD Animal Health 39 National Fish & Seafood, Inc. 19 OmarsaIBC Omega Protein 82 OxyGuard International A/S 70 Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems 33 Preferred Freezer Services Reach The Leaders... 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