BIM five-year strategy to deliver 1,200 jobs and €1bn in seafood sales: interview with BIM CEO Jason Whooley 4 Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority - its role in the aquaculture sector 10 Údarás na Gaeltachta - its development role for the aquaculture and seafood sectors 22 Bord Bia - developing markets in Asia for quality Irish seafood 31 YEARBOOK 2013
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BIM five-year strategy to deliver 1,200 jobs and €1bn in seafoodsales: interview with BIM CEO Jason Whooley 4
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority - its role in the aquaculture sector 10
Údarás na Gaeltachta - its development role for the aquaculture andseafood sectors 22
Bord Bia - developing markets in Asia for quality Irish seafood 31
Interview: BIM CEO Jason Whooley outlines a new 5-year strategy designed to deliver1,200 jobs and €1bn in seafood sales 4
IFA Aquaculture - the five core principles of sustainability of European aquaculture 8
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority - its vital regulatory role in Ireland's seafood industry 10
Conference report: ‘Irish Seafood - becoming a global player’ 14
Dingle Bay Seafood and Irish Atlantic Seafood - together delivering a new industry to Ireland 16
Ireland’s land-based aquaculture 18
Seaweed - now an economical and sustainable ingredient for animal feeds 19
Interview: Údarás na Gaeltachta’s development role in the aquaculture and seafood sectors 22
UCC’s Aquaculture & Fisheries Development Centre - focussing locally and internationallyon aquaculture and fisheries research 23
Specialist Service Provision - the evolution of the Aquatic Concept Group 24
Aquaculture UK 2014 - predicting further expansion and growth 25
Salmon Pancreas Disease - a success story at last, but beware of complacency 27
TMC Commercial - leading the way in recirculation technology 28
Triskell Seafoods Ltd - providing a complete service to aquaculture 29
CH Marine - launches innovative Lifejacket Online Management System 30
Bord Bia - huge Asian market potential for quality Irish seafood 31
Marine Institute - providing monitoring, research and advice services to the fin fish andshellfish sectors 32
The Unseen Enemy - the mycotoxin threat to seafood quality 34
Lough’s Agency - marine monitoring for the shellfish resources of Lough Foyle andCarlingford Lough 35
Fusion Marine’s Ortac System to revolutionise oyster cultivation in Ireland 36
Veolia Water Ireland - is recirculation the way forward for the freshwater fin fish farming sector? 37
Page 10 Page 14 Page 19 Page 36
CONTENTSYEARBOOK 2013
www.aquacultureandseafoodireland.com
4 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
INTERVIEW
BIM strategy aims to deliver 1,200jobs and €1bn in sales
GF: BIMs strategy is anaction plan for Ireland’sseafood sector that willdeliver twelve hundred jobsand a billion Euro from salesby building scale andenhancing competitivenessin the Irish seafood sector.This sounds optimistic, butis it realistic?JW: Optimistic, not reallywhen we look at the growththat we’ve had over the lastnumber of years in ourseafood exports. Over thelast two years we’ve hadalmost 30% growth inseafood exports, and thegrowth that we’re talkingabout for the one billionEuro in sales is primarilydriven by an increase inseafood exports. And, withan increase in scale and rawmaterial, we believe thatfigure is achievable.
The strategy is built aroundfive key priority areassupported by a number ofhigh level projects to beundertaken by BIM inpartnership with industry.The first of these is toexpand the raw materialsupply from fisheries andaquaculture to Irishprocessors. The drive todevelop large fin fishfarming units in deep wateroffshore sites is alreadyunderway, but is it winning
the hearts and minds of thepublic?It’s very challenging and Ithink the opposition, somewith really genuineconcerns, and some not sogenuine are creatingadditional difficulties for usin the hearts and minds ofthe public.But ultimately, this is the
right thing to do. This is areally good industry to besupporting. It has got aphenomenal marketdemand - particularly forsalmon - and we willcontinue to pursue it.Obviously, we will have to doso in a very sensitive fashionwith full regulatorycompliance and also withfull sustainability andsustainable practices inmind.
The second key priority areais about maximisingadditional value from theraw material base. It will benecessary to differentiateIrish seafood products fromthose of lower costproducers and a move awayfrom commodity tradingwill be paramount. Whatdoes that mean?In Ireland we are excellent atcommodity trading when itcomes to the pelagicsbecause we’ve got the scaleand our cost base right. The
two essential components ofcommodity trading aresufficient scale and reducingcosts to minimum.If we go commodity
trading we end up incompetition with the likes ofPangasius, Tilapia, specieswith a a much lower costbase, and we don’t have thescale for that. If we continueto trade on a commoditybasis with a lot of thosespecies we will have realdifficulties in returninghigher prices to producers.
There is reference also tothe Seafood DevelopmentCentre in Clonakilty whichopened in 2009. It’s stillfairly new, but can youpoint to an example of itssuccess?I think it has beensuccessful. If you look atKeohane’s Seafoods – one ofthe first companies to comeout of there – it was anincubation company in theSDC only about three yearsago.I think they are now
employing more than thirtypeople and are generatingsignificant revenues afteropening up new channelsfor their products and forseafood in general. Thatwould be a classic exampleof what has come out of theSDC that has really worked.
The third key priority is tocreate scale within industrystructures. The Irish seafoodindustry already employs11,000 people in fishing, fishfarming, fish processing. Weare told that BIM alreadycommenced work on thisplan in 2012 with the ‘Routeto market programme’. Howhas this worked, and whatchanges are needed to makeit work even better?It has worked well in thatwhat we have are companiesthat have competedtraditionally in the Europeanmarket. If you look at theEuropean market forexample being worth €55bnin sales per annum. We’reless than €300 million inthat market and yet we’vegot companies competingwith each other in thatmarket.That has been very
negative from a pricingperspective. So, what we’vedone in new markets – takeChina for example – is tobring together some of thosecompeting companies to tryand achieve the scale toreduce competition and toaccess very large complexmarkets where you need tohave a significant scale andpresence on the ground.Those joint ventures that
we launched in 2012 haveactually worked quite well,
‘BIM Strategy 2013 Capturing Ireland’s Share Of The Global Seafood Opportunity’ -constructed in line with the targets and objectives set out in the key governmentpolicies relating directly or indirectly to the seafood sector over the next five years
BIM CEO Jason Whooley outlines the new strategies key elements for Gery Flynn
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and we’re hoping to expandon those in this newstrategy.
Number four priorityspeaks about developingindustry skills that will helpto grow the sector. Has BIMlinked up with otherinstitutes or bodies abroad,Norway for example, tolearn their best practice andto avoid re-inventing thewheel?In simple terms we haven’t,but it’s a very good idea.We’re certainly planning anaquaculture course withÚdarás na Gaeltachta whichwe believe we’ll be able toroll out probably inSeptember or October of thisyear.That will have a strong
Norwegian element in termsof accessing Norwegianinstitutions from a studentperspective. So yes,absolutely, I think where wewere coming from initiallywas broadening it out froman existing sector towidening it out to the wideracademic sector andobviously, any internationaldimension showing bestpractice internationallywould be a very useful routeto take.
The fifth priority areamentions enhancing theenvironmentalsustainability of Irishseafood. Is Ireland notmoving too slowly inproducing the badly-neededfishery NATURA plansreferred to in this strategydocument. Isn’t there still amonumental challengeahead to win the hearts andminds of the public -especially with regards to amuch-needed expansion ofthe fin fish farming sectoroffshore?Yes on both fronts. We aremoving far too slowly withthe Natura resolution, andit’s a source of greatfrustration for me
personally. Moreimportantly however, it’s ahuge source of frustrationfor the industry. It’s a majorroadblock to expansion forour traditional growers whohave markets and want toexpand, and it has to beresolved as a priority. BIMwill commit as muchresources as possible tomaking it happen.And yes, it is also difficult
to capture the hearts andminds of communities whenyou are dealing withsomething like finfishfarming and when there hasbeen a lot of misinformationput out.Because once that gets
into the public domain - nomatter how crazy and non-scientifically-based it is - wehave great difficulty tryingto explain why it’s wrong.People automatically startthinking that there must besomething to it. We’restruggling because therehave been some ludicroussuggestions about the
damage that finfish farmingcan do to the environment,and we have to defend that.We, in BIM, have a big job
of work to do to persuadepeople. It will be about usbeing as open andtransparent as possible withlocal communities, andmaking sure that they knowwe are committed to doingthings in a responsiblefashion.
The strategy claims thatsustainable fish farming,when regulated andmanaged correctly, providesvaluable employmentinvestment and revenueamounting to a 78%increase in volume ofproduction by 2020. Is thata realistic target, and do youthink it’s achievable?By 2020, absolutely. Not onlydo I think it’s realistic, Ithink it’s absolutelyessential. We have fallenbehind in the face ofmassive market demand.Only this week the salmon
market for China has beenopened up.But there’s no point in
having markets if you can’tsupply them, and that’s thechallenge facing ourproducers. They don’t haveenough raw material. Withthis strategy we’redetermined as anorganisation to play a morehands-on role, as we’ve donebefore in opening up thosenew productive sites. That’swhat we have continued todo. We will look at additionalsites similar to Galway, andin consultation with thelocal communities.
Can you say anything moreabout the salmon farmproposal for Galway Bay?We have made our licenceapplication. It is beingconsidered by theDepartment, by the Ministerand by his advisors. Thatprocess is on-going and welook forward to a positivedevelopment in the not toodistant future.
Chairman Kieran Calnan, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD; BIM CEO JasonWhooley and Tom Moran Secretary General of the Dept Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the launch of theBIM 2013-2017 strategy .
8 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
Sustainability the anchor stoppingcoastal communities from crashing
Industry leaders were rightly sick ofthe endless meetings, submissionsand presentations to TDs, stateagencies, civil servants and the endlessexcuses fired back at us to justifyinaction. In the face of rapidly risingunemployment, and in contrast to thefine statements of intent in countlessstrategies and plans, the reality wasthat dealing with a system so ladenwith inertia saw the Irish industrybecome the laughing stock ofinternational aquaculture, theinvestment community and the foodexport sector.
It may have taken a High Court judgeto point out the Department’sincompetence as well as the European
Commission threat of a Europanperformance comparison, but now,starting with the easiest and mostobvious targets, licences are finallybeing processed. However, IFA willkeep a vigilant eye on the regulators toensure that it does not all come to ashuddering halt yet again once the firstobstacles are met.
The resulting public consultativeprocess for aquaculture has, likesimilar processes in terrestrialplanning and infrastructure come along way, largely through the influenceof EU legislation and, unfortunately,also as a reaction to clearly dishonestdealings in the past. Localcommunities and those whoselivelihoods depend on clear andtransparent decision making arerecognised stakeholders today in theconsultation process along with projectdevelopers and electedrepresentatives. The flip side is theemergence of groups of professionalsystem abusers who describethemselves as stakeholders when theyhave no mandate to represent anyone,are not answerable to the public orregulatory authorities, who do not liveor work in a local area or rear theirfamilies there. The aquacultureindustry will have to put up with thesedarlings of the media and politicianswho do not want to stand up for cash-strapped young local families. Whatthe industry can do is assert itsposition as a real stakeholder, andwhat better way than by going to theroot of sustainability – the buzzwordfor all development today – andputting serious thought into the statein which we will leave this industryand our environment for the nextgeneration to manage and make aliving from.
In Dublin during May 2013, thenPresident of the EU Fisheries Counciland Minister for the Marine, SimonCoveney, along with the IFA President,IFA Aquaculture and the Federation ofEuropean Aquaculture Producerswitnessed the signing of a document in
Dublin entitled ‘StreamingSustainability’ which outlined thecommitments by the aquaculturesector to ensuring that the industryand its environment can be handed onto successive generations.
It is worth re-stating the five coreprinciples of sustainability to whichthe European aquaculture sector hassigned up to:
CLEAN WATER RESOURCES
The bedrock of our industry is cleanwater, which we will protect, userespectfully and enhance at everyopportunity by minimising impacts onthe quality of the resource and byincreasing efficiency of use throughnew technologies and improvedmanagement.
A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
We must pass on both a healthybusiness and a healthy environment tothe next generation, since one will notwork without the other; each decisiontaken must be tempered by strikingthe right balance between these twodriving forces.
A SCIENCE-BASED
PROFESSION
Our future depends on the promotionand application of science of thehighest standard, encouragingsustainable innovation andcommunicating best practice so as toharness the production potential ofEuropean waters and make optimaluse of the resources required. Wepledge to make our knowledge andexperience available to the nextgeneration.
PARTNERING FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
We commit to open and transparentpartnerships with policy-makers,decision-takers and aquaculturestakeholder to establish the
Richie Flynn,IFA Aquaculture
After many years of hardcampaigning by IFAAquaculture to get successivegovernments to do their jobon the issue of licences, thereis, finally, movement onprocessing the huge backlog.On behalf of an industrywhich felt abandoned, IFA’sconsistent, hard hitting butalways justified criticism ofsuccessive ministers andsenior policy makers has beensuccessful.
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 9
foundations and responsibilities forsustainability in all aspects of theaquaculture value-chain.
RESPECT FOR THE CONSUMER
Sustaining and improving consumerconfidence in European aquaculturewill be furthered by establishing thehighest standards for high quality,healthy products, secured by robustcontrol and traceability systems.
Each of these points, either in groupsor individually, will inform the work ofeach of our members every day but itis rare to see them written down soclearly and to identify the linksbetween them. Yet, by committing tothese principles, the industry is goingfurther than, say, a department orstate agency does in writing up a five-year plan or an election manifesto. Itis putting to the forefront of our mindthe young men and women who wantto work with the sea and withseafood, who see a career path forthem outside of seasonal minimumwage jobs on offer in other sectors
such as tourism and who otherwisewould be considering ripping up theirroots in local communities andheading for Canada, Australia or
elsewhere to repeat the cycle of miseryimposed by the mistakes and short-sightedness of previous governmentpolicies.
Minister Simon Coveney TD signs as witness to the Dublin Declaration on EU sustainability inaquaculture watched by the president of the Federation of European Aquaculture producers,Arnaud Chaperon
10 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
WHO ARE WE?The Sea-Fisheries ProtectionAuthority (SFPA) is the officialagency responsible forimplementing food safetylegislation in Ireland’sseafood sector.
WHY DOES OUR JOB
MATTER TO YOU?Aquaculture is assuming anincreasingly larger role insupplying seafood, and thereis every indication that it willsoon surpass wildproduction. Irish aquaculturehas immense potential toparticipate in world markets,and SFPA oversight of thisindustry will be a necessarypart of underpinning itsexpansion. All foodproducers are subject to
official control, andaquaculture producers areno different. Internationaltrade in food is based upon areciprocated trust in thecontrol systems in place inindividual countries. Thetrade of fishery productswithin the EU is possible onlywith the approval issued andother underlying officialcontrol systems provided bythe SFPA. The export offishery products to countriesoutside of the EU generallyrequires health certificates tobe issued by the SFPA. Sinceits inception the SFPA hasalso negotiated tradeagreements to facilitate theacceptance of Irish seafoodin Russia, Japan and China,as well as reducing thebureaucratic requirementsfor trade into the USA. Thismarket access has only beenpossible due to theacceptance of world-classproduction standards byproducers and the controlsystems operated by SFPA.
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE
COMPLIANCE IN ALL
COMPANIES?Overall, we believe that Irishseafood businesses recognisethe need to ensure thatnecessary systems are inplace to protect public healthand to maintain the goodreputation of Irish seafood.Our role is to ensure thatfood safety requirements arecomplied with, and we workto achieve this via theprovision of information tosupport compliance andthen verification ofcompliance through
inspections, auditing,monitoring and sampling.We always try to answerquestions from individualproducers, and we meetaquaculture industryrepresentatives at fora suchas our own ConsultativeCommittee and theMolluscan Shellfish SafetyCommittee. We try also towork through issues in orderto reach the shared goal of athriving compliant industry.
WHICH COMPANIES DO
WE COVER?In aquaculture, this includesprimary producers such asshellfish or finfish farmers aswell as the processors of thatseafood.
WHAT IS
MICROBIOLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATION?Microbiological classificationof production areas is arequirement of EU foodlegislation. Each shellfishproduction area within theEU has to be given an officialclassification - A, B or C. This
work creates a directinterface between the SFPAand shellfish producers. Themicrobial load of coastalwaters is a reflection ofvarious factors, most notablyrun-off from land.Microbiological classificationis designed to be a reflectionof the general status ofcoastal waters and can limitthe markets into whichshellfish may be sold. Thecurrent microbiologicalclassification system is basedupon general indicatorbacteria whose levels mightreasonably be assumed toindicate overall water quality.
WHAT SORT OF
CHANGES ARE COMING
DOWN THE TRACKS?Recent audits of various EUMember States by the EUCommission have resulted invarious outcomes includingan active review of thecriteria by which shellfishareas are awarded thehighest ‘A’ status. In generalterms there would appear tobe some willingness towardsformalising an allowance in
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority –playing a vital role in Ireland’sseafood industry
V Notching a Berried Female Lobster
Checking mussel longlines
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 11
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legislation for Class A statusto be retained despiteoccasional moderatelyelevated results. The detailsof a particular proposal arenot yet finalized, but somechange in this area is likely.
HOW DO WE GO ABOUT
CLASSIFYING SHELLFISH
AREAS?Based on data obtained froma microbiological samplingprogramme the SFPAannually classifies shellfishproduction areas for thecommercial harvesting ofbivalve shellfish. SFPAofficers take monthlysamples from all productionareas, and the bacterial(micro) load in each sample isanalysed. The annualclassification processemployed in Ireland entailsthe review of Micro resultsfrom a three year datasetobtained from some 147sample locations around thecoast. This classificationprocess is undertakentogether with input from theMarine Institute, BIM and theshellfish industry, inaccordance with an agreedCode of Practice which isavailable at www.sfpa.ie.
On the basis of thismonitoring each area is thenclassified into one of threecategories which determinethe level of treatmentrequired beforeconsumption. Thesecategories and associatedacceptable treatment are setout in Table 1 below.
A key problem thatclassification is designed toaddress is the potential forwaterborne Norovirus toaccumulate in shellfish.Scientific understanding ofthese viruses is rapidlydeveloping, including reliablemethods for counting themin shellfish. No official limitfor these viruses in shellfishcurrently exists – andequally, no role for theirassessment in assigningmicrobiological classificationexists at present. In 2011 theEuropean Food SafetyAuthority (EFSA) publishedtheir view on food-borneviruses in general – and thenin 2012 EFSA published theirviews on the specific matterof Norovisues in oysters. Thatlatter view saw merit inestablishing acceptablelimits; however it did notextend as far asrecommending a value. Thisarea continues to progressslowly towards a legal limit
being put in place abovewhich oysters might not beallowed on the market fordirect human consumption.SFPA devotes much of itsavailable resources to tryingto ensure the practicality ofsuch technical legislation.
DETAIL ON THE FINFISH
MONITORING BRIEFFor finfish aquaculture theSFPA is responsible forverifying the food safetyrequirements at primaryproduction (farming),slaughter and subsequentprocessing. In an effort tomaximize efficiency for bothstate agencies and finfishproducers, we haveincorporated the inspectionwork we had performed onfish farms into a generalwide-ranging inspectionperformed by Department ofAgriculture, Food and theMarine. SFPA role is limitedto the follow-up of any non-
compliances detected bythose visits, or by analysis bythe Marine Institute underthe National ResidueMonitoring Programme.Following on from primaryproduction, SFPA remainsthe lead agency for approvalof slaughter facilitates andprocessing facilitates andexport certificationconsignments going outsidethe EU.
FINAL MESSAGEIf you would like to work oncompliance or have anyquestions, please contact theSFPA. Brian Nolan at theSFPA runs the AquacultureMonitoring Section and canbe contacted by phone on023 8859300 or by email [email protected]
Category Microbiological Standard Treatment required(MPN 100g-1 shellfish flesh)
Class A <230 E.coli May go direct for human consumption
Class B <4,600 E.coli (90% compliance) Must be depurated, heat treated or relayed tomeet class A requirements
Class C <46,000 E.coli Must be relayed for 2 months to meet class Aor B requirements or may also be heat treated
Mussel harvesting
Table 1. Shellfish Classification based on E. coli monitoring
Becoming a Global Player’,Minister for Agriculture, Foodand the Marine, SimonCoveney, declared that“following expansion intonew markets and engaging ina range of new value-addingactivities, the ambition is for
Ireland to be a global playerin the seafood industry by2020”.
“The Irish seafood sector iscurrently worth €822 millionto the economy, it employsapproximately 11,000 peopleand it’s showing phenomenalgrowth on the export market
with sales up 18% on 2011 to€493 million in 2012. Thescale of the opportunity forthe industry is trulyenormous,” he revealed.
Minister Coveney added thatdespite declining demandand prices in traditionalmarkets such as the UK,Germany, Spain, and Francedue to the economicdownturn, opportunitieswere evident in emergingmarkets such as China.
“With the global populationforecast to top eight billionby 2025 and with China’sgrowing middle class driving
increased seafoodconsumption, the demand forseafood is expected to be anadditional 42 million tonnesby 2030”, he said.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIESFood Futurist ChristophePelletier pointed out that“even a very small share ofthe Chinese market wouldoffer a significant boost to theIrish industry”.
“If every Chinese person wasto eat 100 grams of Irishseafood just once a year, thatwould equal 150,000 tonnes ayear. And in the coming years,seafood consumption percapita per year in China isexpected to rise from 26 kgtoday to 36 kg in 2020. Just a1% share of that marketwould be greater than500,000 tons a year,” MrPelletier noted.
Despite this, he cautionedIrish firms against writing offtraditional markets in theirsearch for opportunities inAsia and elsewhere.
“You must keep and protecttraditional markets, optimiseyour customer base and workwith customers on innovatingnew products,” he advised.
Gorjan Nikolik, Food andAgribusiness Researcher withRabobank Internationalpointed out that Irelandcurrently has significantunused production potential.
“With major productionresources available, there is
Ian Mannix
Irish Seafood –becoming a GlobalSeafood PlayerIreland’s seafood industry has the potential toachieve €1 billion in sales by 2020, and supportup to 3,000 new jobs, a BIM-organised industryconference at Dublin’s Irish ManagementInstitute has learned.
Pictured at the BIM Seafood Summit ‘Irish Seafood – Becoming a Global Seafood Player’ in the IrishManagement Institute, Dublin are: Christophe Pelletier, Food Futurist; Minister for Agriculture, Food and theMarine, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D, Donal Buckley, Business Development & Innovation manager BIM and GorjanNikolik, Food and Agribusiness Researcher, Rabobank International.
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 15
an opportunity for Ireland tobecome a global player in theaquaculture industry.Economies of scale can beachieved very quickly in thisbusiness, even without alarge domestic market inplace,” he explained.
Revealing that funding for theaquaculture industry isavailable also outside Ireland,Mr Nikolik emphasised thatventure capital “is attractedto innovative sectors outsideof the high-tech industrysince the dotcom collapse ofa number of years ago. Andother potential investorsinclude the aquaculturesector and the meatindustry”.
He predicted also that as theaquaculture sector grows andmatures it would becomemore and more similar to thefarming of poultry and pork.
“This in turn will motivateinvestments from the largemeat companies. We foreseethat the investment potentialarising from Chinesecompanies looking to securesupply for their domesticmarkets is another majoropportunity. Seafood will bein demand long after meatdemand is satisfied in China,”he said.
According to BIM CEO JasonWhooley the Irish industry’sability to exploit theseopportunities was dependenton “building scale andincreasing collaboration”.
“Appropriate scale will enablea company, or a group ofcompanies, workingcollaboratively to invest inmarketing, research and skills,all of which provide access tonew markets and improvecompany performance. In
turn, this will result in thesector delivering muchneeded jobs and exports,” MrWhooley said.
“BIM’s goal is to assist withthe development of one ortwo entities with a turnoverin excess of €50 million ineach of the key seafoodcategories – shellfish, pelagic,salmon and whitefish. Theseentities will in turn besupported by a range ofinnovative, smaller seafoodcompanies”.
He added that greatercollaboration within thesector and the establishmentof appropriate joint ventureoperations and partnerships“will play a key role in theachievement of this goal”.
“BIM’s ‘Collective Route toMarket Scheme’, which waslaunched in January 2013, isaimed at promoting such
collaboration by offeringseafood companies grant-aidassistance and expert adviceto work collectively to reduceduplication costs, boostprofitability and increasecompetitiveness on exportmarkets,” he revealed.
According to Mr Whooley thisscheme will deliver €400,000in funding the industry and itis anticipated that betweenfour and six SeafoodCollectives will apply forfinancial and businessdevelopment support underthe scheme this year.
“These projects go beyondthe scope of any singlecompany, and will improvethe environment forinvestment and assist theindustry to emerge onto theglobal stage by capitalisingon opportunities in newmarkets,” he concluded.
Dingle Bay Seaweed andIrish Atlantic Seaweed -helping to develop a newindustry for IrelandThere is a lot of interest currently in Ireland in the potential valueof seaweeds, and the question often asked of us in BIM is: how do Ibuild a successful seaweed business? Access to resources is oftenhighlighted as a bar to development - a common theme acrossmany sectors.
Seaweed farmer Michael Murphy
Globally, seaweeds have been valuedat 11 billion US dollars per annum,
and kelp forests are four times moreproductive per square metre than anyintensively-farmed crop on land.
World-wide in 2012, over 19 milliontonnes of seaweed were harvested -with 95% cultivated, and 5% from wildresources. This ratio is reversed inEurope with 99.9% of seaweedscoming from wild resources, and only0.1% cultivated. These figures aresimilar in Ireland where over 30,000tonnes are harvested from wildresources, with less than 50 tonnescultivated.
Farming seaweeds in Ireland has beenundertaken by various bodies over thelast ten years, with Bord IascaighMhara having a keen interestthroughout and funding severaltechnical trials of various species aspart of a number of EU projects.
Dingle Bay Seaweed (DBS) is thebusiness partnership of Paul Flanneryof Dingle, Co. Kerry and Mike Murphyof Castletownbere, Co. Cork. Both mencame ashore having spent the previous20 years owning and operating variousfishing vessel. They saw the potential
of the aquaculture industry -particularly farming seaweeds - asoffering opportunities for futuregrowth and development.
In 2009 DBS secured a three-year triallicence to farm different nativeseaweed species on an 18 hectare sitein Ventry Harbour, Co. Kerry. This is
the largest site ever to be granted alicence for seaweed cultivation inIreland, but it’s still very small incomparison to other locations,especially in the Asia Pacific region.
Working closely with BIM to secure thelicence, DBS began to develop thebusiness by first deploying 220m sub-surface longline seeded with materialsupplied under contract by FreddieO’Mahony of Cartron Point Shellfish(CPS) who operates a hatchery inGearhies, near Bantry, Co. Cork. CPSalso has a second hatchery in Co. Clarewhich is run by Freddie’s businesspartner, Iarflaith Connellan.
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 17
CPS has been working in the seaweedindustry supplying seaweed materialfor on-growing since 2003 – a servicewhich continues to operate today.
Initial trials proved successful, andover the next few years more and morelonglines were deployed, achieving on-site yields of up to 10kg wet weight ofproduct per linear metre ofdeployment.
In 2012 DBS applied for and weresuccessful in attaining a full ten yearlicence for the 18 hectare site, and in2012 they deployed over 12,000m ofseeded string, most of which has nowbeen harvested.
2013 saw DBS up-scaling theirprocessing facilities, developing a low-energy, low-cost drying system whichpreserves the seaweeds and maintainsits nutritional values. This allows theseaweeds to be further processed intoa range of shelf-stable products aimedcurrently at the animal feed market.
Meanwhile, a partnership with IrishAtlantic Seaweed(www.irishatlanticseaweed.com) hasbrought onboard the expertise of LizO’Leary, who has worked with many ofthe leading seafood processors. Aproduct range under the Atlantic+lable was recently launched, and thereis also on line shopping presence. Thisis the first stage in the development offurther added-value seaweed productsas DBS have secured planning
permission for the construction of alarge scale processing facility.
Globally, the uses of seaweeds includefeed, cosmetics, fertilizers and theindustrial extraction of gums andchemicals.
The main species grown byaquaculture are Porphyra, Laminaria,Undaria and Kappaphycus sp. forfood, human and animal, with theindustrial utilisation of seaweed mostlycentered on the extraction of marinehydrocolloids and to a much lesserextent, certain fine biochemicals.
Both increased cultivation andimproved processing of Irish seaweedsis also progressing, and although willnever match figures seen elsewhere,there are exciting developments andopportunities for Irish companiesahead. Hopefully Dingle Bay Seaweedand Irish Atlantic Seaweed will proveone route to a successful andprofitable seaweed business.
Pictures courtesy of Benoît QuéguineurIrish Seaweed Research GroupCarna Research Station, Ryan Institute,National University of Ireland, Galway
18 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
Land based aquaculture isgeographically
widespread and diverse innature, spanning both fresh-and seawater productionfacilities using a variety oftechnologies ranging fromopen pond culture to high-tech recirculation systems.This industry provides muchneeded employment andessential raw material forour expanding marineaquaculture sector, andsubsequently ensuresemployment creation incoastal areas. The overallmonetary value of landbased aquaculture is €7.9million (2012) with anestimated employmentfigure of 90 (full time).However, these figures maskthe true value of this vitalsector.
Most land basedaquaculture in Ireland iscurrently conducted usingfresh water with thecultivation of species suchas trout (brown andrainbow), char, salmon(smolts) and perch occurringin several counties. In thepast, turbot (sea water), eels(on-grown in fresh water)and even sea horses havebeen produced in landbased units with varyingdegrees of success. Cod (tofry in sea water) are grownin land based facilities fortransfer to sea rearing sites.Cod farming is an emergingindustry in Ireland, and it is
interesting to note thatnumerous aquaculturelicences for trout andsalmon facilitate fisheryconservation and restockingprograms on many Irishriver systems.
On the shellfish side, urchin,abalone and oyster spat aregrown at land basedfacilities using sea water.Urchin are hatched at twosites in Cork with juvenilesbeing transferred for on-growing at sea. There aretwo abalone facilities incounties Cork and Galway,and demand is high for thissuperb product. Oyster spatgrown in counties Clare,Sligo and Galway provideraw material to the Irishoyster industry. Another sitefor spat production ispresently underconstruction in Kerry.
Freshwater trout are themain species by value grownto harvest size in land basedunits, and are the mainfocus of activity in Cork,Wicklow and Kilkenny with acombined value of €1.78million in 2012. As for freshwater trout, productbranding and diversificationinto filleting, smoking androe production has allowedthis sector to growsuccessfully. There is also arelationship with the marineaquaculture sector for thisspecies. Trout are reared infresh water on land facilities
and transferred to finishingsites at sea.
Char are produced inGalway only with 40 tonnesgrown in 2012. Salmonsmolts are reared in countiesDonegal, Galway, Mayo,Cork, Tipperary and on theCarlow-Wexford border withproduction highest inDonegal. Forty-six (full time)people are currentlyemployed in smoltproduction. Levels of salmonsmolt growing are directlyrelated to the degree ofmarine salmon aquacultureactivity around the coast.Ireland supplies the majorityof its own smolts to itsindigineous salmonindustry. However, fromtime to time Ireland alsoexports high quality smolt toother countries such asScotland. The Irish smoltindustry is worth €5.6million (2012) (representingcirca 1% of Norway smolt
production). This figure is setto increase in the future.Perch production can befound in countiesRoscommon and Tipperary -with an encouragingproduction of 35 tonnes sofar in 2013 (year to datefigure, August 2013).
Footnotes:-1. Many marine aquaculturebusinesses have shore basedactivity associated with theiroperations where they carry outtasks such as depuration andpackaging. The economic valueof this kind of processing, whileconsiderable, is not reflected inthe above figures.
2. Inter tidal growing of oystersand other species (on trestlesfor example) is not classified as‘land based’ for the purposes ofthis article.
Further reading available atwww.bim.ie :-• BIM 2012 Annual AquacultureSurvey
Irish seafood is internationally renowned for itsquality and flavour, and has a growing areputation which readily translates to high marketdemand. Against this backdrop however, the scale,value and economic benefit of land basedaquaculture in Ireland often goes unnoticed.
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 19
Simon Faulkner*
Blended seaweed as aneconomical, multifunctional andfully sustainable feed ingredientThe global population is expected to reach 10billion by 2050, together with an associatedincrease in the demand for high-quality,sustainable feed ingredients. As food productionintensifies, both land and marine animals becomesusceptible to a variety of diseases that are oftencounteracted by the addition of chemicals,vitamins, antioxidants and antibiotics to feed.
OceanFeed™ is a uniqueblend of seaweed species
that are specially selecteddepending on the finalapplication. A result of years
of on-going research,OceanFeed™ has now atleast partially replacedsynthetic chemicals,colourants, and antibiotics in
P a c k a g i n g S o l u t i o n s
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20 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
a number of feed formulas. Italso provides a number ofadditional benefits.
FUNCTIONAL FEEDHistorically, seaweeds areknown to have a highpolysaccharide, iodine andmineral content. However,they also contain a number ofbioactive compoundsincluding structural/storagepolysaccharides, amino acidsand proteins, pigments, lipidsand polyphenols. Studieshave shown that thesecompounds have a widerange of biological activitiesincluding antiviral,antimicrobial, antifungal,mitogenic, anti-inflammatory,anti-adhesion, ACE-inhibitory,antioxidant and anti-canceractivity. The high levels ofthese bioactive compounds inOceanFeed™ can reducedisease, stimulate growth andenhance performance in bothland and marine animals.
OCEANFEED™ SALMONAquaculture is now thefastest growing sector of foodproduction, growing at nearly9% per annum andproducing over 50% of allseafood for humanconsumption. Salmon isconsidered a healthy food,high in polyunsaturatedOmega-3 fatty acids whichreduce significantly the riskof cardiovascular disease. A60-week OceanFeed™ trial
with Atlantic salmon hasshown that the seaweedblend is a highly effectivereplacement for the mineraland vitamin premixes andother added syntheticingredients and colorants infeed. The trial, whichcompared the performance ofOceanFeed™-fed salmon to agroup on a reference diet,found an improved weightgain (2.7%); 3.3% lower FCR;improved pigmentation andtaste; and a 40% reduction insea lice infestation.OceanFeed™ was included inthe fish diet at 15%.
Subsequent analysis alsorevealed a 25 % increase inthe level of the omega-3 fattyacids in the OceanFeed™salmon compared to thereference group -demonstrating the potentialpositive impact ofOceanFeed™ on humanhealth.
OCEANFEED™ SWINEGlobal pork production hasincreased by over 400% overthe past four decades (FAO,2011), and the currentpractice of intensive pigfarming is susceptible tomany diseases. As antibioticsare now banned in severalcountries, natural andsustainable alternatives arehighly sought-after. Seaweedis one answer to thisproblem. For example,seaweed-derived bioactivemolecules such as Laminarinand Fucoidan, present inLaminaria digitata, havebeen shown to have a potentanti-microbial action inpiglets. Seaweed extractsupplementation haspreviously been shown toreduce enterobacteria,bifidobacteria andlactobacilli populations in thecaecum and colon of theweaned pig.
Ocean Harvest Technologyhas investigated the partialreplacement of mineral andvitamin pre-mixes withOceanFeed™ Swine in apreliminarily trial and also ina large follow-up commercialtrial. For the preliminary Irishtrial, OceanFeed™ Swine wasincluded in the feed at 0.5 %,2 %, and 5 %, and resultswere compared to those froma reference diet using a totalof 240 pigs over a four-monthperiod as the animalsdeveloped from weaners to100kg pigs. Results obtained
from this trial showed that theOceanFeed™-fed group hadimprovements in weight gain(pigs fed with 0.5%OceanFeed™ were 5.5 kgheavier on average at the endof the trial) and a lower feedconversion efficiency (average0.06) at only a 0.5%OceanFeed™ inclusion.OceanFeed™ also significantlyimproved taste and texture ofthe meat, improved gut floraand generally improved theoverall health of the animal.
The subsequent commercialtrial took place on a largeCanadian pig farm thatproduces over 10,000 animalsper annum. This large trialalso provided excellent results,with an immediate andnotable improvement inworking conditions due to areduction in ammonia. Inagreement with the previoustrial, higher weight gain aswell as shorter productioncycles and lower mortalitywere reported. However, themost remarkable finding fromthe commercial trial was thatinclusion of OceanFeed™ inthe diet reduced the overallantibiotic usage by aremarkable 50% whencompared to the referencediet. In 2013, Ocean HarvestTechnology received anadditional report from anindependent Canadian pigfarmer who conducted an 8-week trial that compared theeffects of feeding a diet withor without OceanFeed™ topigs at a 1% inclusion. Again,the results of this trial wereextremely positive as theOceanFeed™-fed pigs, showedan overall 1.51% reduction inmortality, faster growth and a$1.57 reduction in the totalcost of feed per pig over the 8-week period.
OCEANFEED™, C-PET,EQUINE AND SHRIMPLike all OceanFeed™formulas, the C-Pet, Equineand Shrimp products areprepared and blended using a
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 21
unique process that ensuresthe integrity of the bioactiveingredients in the final feed.For instance, it is known thatbioactive sulphatedpolysaccharides and otherseaweed-derived bioactivecompounds can protectshrimp from White SpotSyndrome Virus and assist inthe control of chronicdiseases. In addition toShrimp, Ocean HarvestTechnology also offersfunctional seaweed blendsthat are specially formulatedfor both pets and horses.These products, calledOceanFeed™ C-Pet andOceanFeed™ Equine offersimilar benefits to the otherOceanFeed™ productsincluding improved guthealth and immunity. Forexample, OceanFeed™Equine is high in structuralcarbohydrates which slowdown intestinal transit and isalso high in iodine andminerals which togetherresult in increased nutrientabsorption, energy levels and
an improved shiny coat onthe horse.
IMPLICATIONSOverall, the data so far hasdemonstrated that thesignificant levels ofpolysaccharides, fibre,protein, pigments, mineralsand additional bioactivecomponents in OceanFeed™are extremely beneficial for alarge number of animals inaqua- and agriculture, with alarge proportion of thebenefits arising throughimprovements in gut healthand enhanced immunity. Thefact that OceanFeed™ is a100% natural and sustainableingredient that can alsoreplace chemical additives ina manner that is cost-neutral,highlights the potentiallypivotal role of seaweed in ourability to continually producesafe, sustainable, high qualityproducts.
*Dr Simon Faulkner is a ResearchScientist with Ocean HarvestTechnology
Benefits of OrtacMirrors low densities but within a smaller container
Product quicker to market Improved production Improved storage and transportation Re-usable
The OrtacOyster Farming System dramatically reduces production cycle time
while improving quality!
Videos of the Ortac Oyster Farming System can be found on Fusion Marine Ltd’s Youtube channel.www.youtube.com/user/FusionMarineLimited
The Ortac is a purposely moulded unit built in two halves that clip together onto a simple
trestle to make one unit.
22 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
AI: Where does the seafoodand aquaculture sector sit inÚdarás na Gaeltachta’senterprise developmentstrategy?MS: The Gaeltacht coastlinestretches over 2,500kmalong the Western Seaboard,taking in counties Donegal,Mayo, Galway, Kerry andWaterford. Together with thesix Gaeltacht islands, almost25% of the Irish coastline isin the Gaeltacht. The coastalpositioning of the Gaeltachtplaces it in a natural
position to develop marine-related enterprises –aquaculture, fish andseaweed processing, as wellas food, tourism and energy-related projects. Our role isto support the creation ofstrong innovativeenterprises which have thecapacity to contribute to jobcreation in the Gaeltacht.Marine-based enterprisesare important in terms ofwealth-creation andemployment generation andmost especially becausebusinesses that rely on alocal natural resource likethe sea are more likely toremain in the region.
AI: What kind of specificsupports can you provide?MS: It depends on theproject. Generally, mostaquaculture and fishprocessing supports aredetermined by the EuropeanFisheries Fund , soon tobecome the European
Maritime Fisheries Fund(EMFF). Údarás has specificschemes which we, inconjunction with BIM, offerannually to aquaculture andfish processing businesses inthe Gaeltacht. We workclosely with BIM in terms ofassessing and administeringthese funds. Projects that arefocused on Research andDevelopment or FeasibilityStudies are particularlyencouraged in addition totraining programmes foremployees. For added valueprojects, that aren’tgoverned by the EMFF, thereare supports available foremployment, capitalinvestment and training. Ingeneral, Údarás assesses aparticular business plan andcan then offer support if theproject is deemed eligible.Levels of financial assistanceare negotiable, dependingon location, skill levels andemployment potential.
AI: Where do you see thepotential for growth in thissector?MS: We continue to seeinnovation and processimprovement across allenterprises involved inseafood processing. This
becomes important as costsincrease and processerscompete with companiesbased in lower costeconomies. We see acontinued drive towardsefficiencies and towardscreating added valueproducts, and companiesfocusing their efforts ondifferentiating themselvesfrom their competitors. Theseaweed sector has a lot ofdevelopment potential, fromgrowing the seaweed toproducing high-value endproducts. This is an areawhere the Gaeltacht, andindeed the country as awhole, has potential to exceland we want to supportanyone who wishes todevelop a business in thissector. We will continue tosupport our client-base inundertaking newdevelopments and bysupporting enterpriseswhich are involved in thesub-supply and servicing ofthe marine-based sectors.
Meadbh Seoigheis based inÚdarás na Gaeltachta’shead office in Na Forbacha,Galway.She is contactable by phone091 503141 or [email protected]
INTERVIEWMeadbh Seoighe, Aquaculture & SeafoodDevelopment Executive at Údarás na Gaeltachtatalks to Aquaculture Ireland about Údarás naGaeltachta and its development role in relation tothe Aquaculture and Seafood Sector
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 23
Research to support the enhancement ofIreland’s position in a global seafood
market is of fundamental importance insecuring the long-term viability of the sector.Within University College Cork, theAquaculture and Fisheries DevelopmentCentre’s main goal is to support, stimulateand promote the development of aquacultureand fisheries, thereby enabling both toachieve their full socio-economic potentialby utilising sustainable natural resources. Indoing so, the AFDC has developed asignificant track record in applied researchand conservation issues of importance to thesector. Our main strategy is to carry outresearch that helps to support the position ofprimary producers in contributing to the‘smart’ and ‘green’ vision for industry growthas outlined in Food Harvest 2020.
RESEARCH FUNDINGIn recent years the AFDC has secured over€10m in research funding from both nationaland European Union (EU) fundingprogrammes to cover four broad thematicareas:• Aquaculture Research (Prof. Gavin
Burnell)• Molecular Genetics of Aquatic Animals
(Prof. Tom Cross)• Shellfish Health (Dr Sarah Culloty)• Marine Mammals and Fisheries research
(Dr Emer Rogan)
The AFDC research portfolio includes overthirty-five independent projects carried outin recent years together with industry andresearch partners at both national andinternational level.
The centre hosts two highly prestigiousBeaufort Marine Research Awards for the‘Ecosystem Approach to FisheriesManagement’ and ‘Fish PopulationGenetics’ – both of which are funded by theMarine Institute under the NationalDevelopment Plan Marine Research Sub-Programme 2007-2014. The main objectivesof these awards are to build nationalresearch capacity in particular strategicareas and to get a greater understanding ofthe key challenges which the sector will
face into the future. These include: climatechange; fish stock depletion; quantitativefish stock assessment; and minimising theenvironmental impact of fisheries andaquaculture activities. Also aligned withinthe NDP Marine Research Sub-Programmeis the EIRCOD project which provides thetechnical R&D to support a national initiativeto establish cod farming in Ireland.
SHELLFISHResearchers from the Shellfish Health groupare currently collaborating on six EUprojects which investigate the key diseasesimpacting shellfish within the EU. Researchon herpes virus in the Pacific oysterCrassostrea gigas is determining if the viruscan persist outside the oyster in the widerenvironment. Development of resistance tothe virus is yet another focus. Other aspectsof this work involves researching theparasite Bonamia ostreae in the nativeoyster Ostrea edulis, and investigating thepotential impacts of climate change on arange of shellfish species in the Irish Sea –including how aquaculture and fisheriesmight be impacted in the future in this area.
On a regional scale, Prof. Gavin Burnell actsas the scientific advisor to the ValentiaHarbour Scallop Recovery Project. Prof.Burnell and PhD student, Daryl Gunning,recently secured an Irish Research CouncilEmployment-based PostgraduateScholarship with the Daithí O’MurchúMarine Research Station, Bantry, to assessthe potential benefits of adding a fourthtrophic level (detritivores) to IntegratedMulti-Trophic Aquaculture systems. Inaddition, this project will focus ondeveloping aquaponics into a marine model– ‘maraponics’.
FISHERIESThrough the Fisheries research group, theAFDC has been awarded several MarineInstitute-funded projects to investigate thedynamics of a number of commercialfisheries of interest, including the blackscabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo), and theDublin Bay prawn (Nephrops norvegicus).Research has focussed on improving
management practises and modellingfisheries dynamics. These projects draw onthe ethos of a ‘holistic approach to fisheriesmanagement’ which aims to take intoaccount the uncertainty involved in aspecies removal at one level of theecosystem and how this will offset the“balance” at another level. Inherent in thisapproach to fisheries management is thecomplexity involved in managing for multi-species removal in capture fisheries.Ultimately, this will lead to more robustfisheries policies and a more economically-sound industry in the future.
AQUACULTURE SUPPORTS
NEEDEDSeafood currently accounts for over 20% ofthe global requirement for animal protein.And although capture fisheries haveremained relatively static in recent years,evidence suggests that several majorcommercial fisheries are in decline. Globalaquaculture, by contrast, is the fastestgrowing animal food production sector.However, production in Ireland and Europe isstatic so supports need to be put in place toallow the industry to respond to currentconsumer demands. One particular project,Euroshell (EU FP7 funded), specifically aimsto bridge the gap between science andindustry to support the European marinemollusc production sector. As demand forsustainably produced seafood products fromboth wild and cultured sources continues togrow, the AFDC hopes to evolve to supportindustry in meeting these demands.
The Aquaculture & Fisheries Development Centre, UCC -contributing to Ireland’s marine sector throughincreased research and collaborationDr Maria O’Mahoney and Dr Sarah Culloty outline how the research-active AFDC is playing a key role inthe future development of aquaculture and fisheries in Ireland and internationally.
24 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
Ian Armstrong
Iwas talking to a highly experiencedSafety Manager yesterday whostarted to work for a salmon farmingcompany after many years of drivingby on his way to another job. He toldme how wonderful it was to work insuch a fascinating and rapidlydeveloping industry, and that he hadhad simply no idea that suchopportunities existed in his localcommunity.We moved on to discuss theopportunity for specialist serviceproviders to assist with the sustainablefarming of the oceans in the years tocome. The judicious use of technologyhas allowed humans to develop manyindustries, and fish farming is nodifferent. And yet the basic tenet ofcustomer service remains as importanttoday as it always has been. It is allabout people.
So how do service companies evolve?Well, let me tell you the story aboutAquatic Concept Group by way of oneexample. I first encountered thefounder, Elvin Bugge, at Aqua Nor 1995when I was searching for a sustainablesolution for low level Listeriacontamination at my salmonprocessing factory.
Elvin is an industrial chemist whobought into a chemical purchasingfranchise in Norway in 1986. BecauseAco Kjemi was based in Trondheim hequickly became acquainted with thesalmon processing factories located onFroya and Hitra. Appreciating thechallenges of cleaning salmon oil in acold environment he developed andlaunched an improved range ofcleaning detergents.
With this success came the demand toimprove the means of dispensing thesespecialist detergents. Hygiene Teknikkwas formed to design, fabricate, installand service the centralised cleaningsystems based on the needs of the
hygiene operators. This company hasnow evolved to collaborative hygienedesign work with leadingmanufacturers such as Baader andMarel.
Food safety and biosecurity are similar.Aqua Pharma was created to sell oneof the leading disinfectants in theNorwegian market, Aqua Des. Alldisinfectants used to cleanaquaculture facilities in Norway areapproved by the Norwegian MedicinesAgency who validate the correct dosestrength and duration. This meansthat the fish farmer, health biologist orveterinarian can rely on independentverification for dispensing their chosendisinfectant.
In 2009 due to the success of thisapproach we (by this time I had joinedAquatic and become responsible forinternational development) were askedby Solvay if we could become theirdevelopment partners to launchParamove, their Hydrogen Peroxide-based treatment for marineectoparasites.
Using the expertise within AquaPharma and Hygiene Teknikk we havesuccessfully used Paramove in themajority of the salmon farmingcountries. Earlier this year it obtainedits Marketing Authorisation from theIrish Medicines Board for use inIreland.
The photograph provides aninteresting context. It was taken in2009 when I was on board a modernwellboat undertaking a pilot project inNorway to treat salmon. The sitevessel in the distance is heading toinstall full enclosure tarpaulins ontothese 157m cages. The operationalleader of that operation joined AquaPharma in 2012, and he is rapidlydeveloping new and interestingtechnology by working in collaborationwith other specialists.
By working together as a team ofdifferent specialists with commonAquatic purpose we have proven to oursalmon farming customers that we cansuccessfully support their on-goingdevelopment.
Specialist Service Provision –the story of how one company evolved
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 25
aquacultureuk2014may 28-29maay 28-299
Aquaculture UK is thepremier aquaculture
exhibition and conferenceevent in the UK andIreland. Since bookingsopened in early March,more than 80% ofexhibitor space hasalready been taken up forthe 2014 show – a hugelypositive indicator of thehigh level of confidence inthis event.
Having listened carefullyto exhibitor and visitorfeedback, the organisersare determined thatAquaculture UK 2014 willprove to be a memorableand worthwhileexperience for visitorsand exhibitors alike. A60m by 30m rigidmarquee is being erectedto house exhibitors, andan adjacent outdoordisplay will provide ampleroom for visitors tocomfortably move aroundand view the wide varietyof equipment and vesselson display.
While over 100 companiesexhibited and 1,000delegates attendedAquaculture UK 2012,organisers are confidentthat these figures will beexceeded in 2014. Thegrowing internationalstanding of the event isborne out also by the factthat 26 nationalitiesattended in 2012.
A scientific conference isbeing organised alongsidethe main exhibition in
2014 during which on dayone Novartis will againsponsor its Best StudentPresentation Award. Thelucky winner will receivean all-expenses-paid tripto Novartis’ researchcentre in Canada.
Work is now in hand togather a team ofinternational speakers forday two of theconference.
Jorgin Gunnarsson ofLiftup, one of the world´sleading suppliers of mortextraction systems forfish farms is alreadylooking forward toAquaculture UK 2014.
“The UK and Ireland arevery important marketsfor our company, andAquaculture UK providesus with an excellentopportunity to meet ourcustomers,” he says.
“The venue is centrallylocated and the entireevent is professionallyorganized, and wellvisited. We especiallyvalue the opportunity tomeet on location, somany of the people whoorder our systems –especially those on the
farms who actually usethem. Over the years LiftUp has exhibited at showsin Edinburgh, Glasgow andInverness, but theAviemore location is by farthe best,” Mr Gunnarssonconfirms.
For Aquaculture UK 2014the organisers promise anenhanced and memorableexperience for exhibitorsand visitors alike atAviemore, in the ScottishHighlands, on 28th and29th May 2014.
David Mack
Aquaculture UKcontinues to grow
26 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
GEM PlasticsGem Plastics Ltd
manufactures highstandard blow-mouldedcontainers from 5l to 220lcapacity. The company hasan extensive portfolio from20l to 30l including avariety of colours andweights to optimize filling,shipping and marketing forcustomers. Gem alsomanufactures a full rangeof open top containersfrom 30l up to 220l. Allcontainers are availablewith a suitable range ofclosures and security caps.
Products are UN approvedfor dangerous goods andmade to the highestinternational andinternally developedstandards.
Gem has recently beenawarded the Food SafetyManagement Standard I.S.EN ISO22000:2005 &PAS223.
We are also accredited toI.S. EN ISO9001:2008 and
Excellence Through People1000:2012 which is theIrish National HumanResource ManagementScheme.
Gem’s continuous andsignificant investment inmachines and technologymeans that our facilitiesare modern, automatedand efficient allowing us toachieve excellentproduction and costefficiencies.
Family owned, Gem is ledby a board of suitablyqualified and experiencedindividuals both inexecutive and non-executive roles.
Gem Plastics are marketleaders in marine flotationfor mussel growing withour products used aroundthe world. We alsomanufacture products forthe leisure and health andsafety markets. These havebeen developed by our in-house team and in some
cases in conjunction withcustomers who havebespoke requirements.
Gem’s focus is oncontinuously producingexcellent products toprovide our customerswith reliable packagingsolutions. We work veryclosely with ourcustomers and are alwaysmindful of theirrequirements. To this end,we pride ourselves on ourcustomer service,responsiveness andflexibility.
Gem is also focused onR&D and on thedevelopment of the next
generation of productswhich will add value forour customers. 2013 willsee the launch of newproducts to add to the 20land 5l Agrochemicalcontainers introducedduring 2012.
Gem has supplied its UK,continental and Irishcustomers since itsfoundation some 26 yearsago. In so doing, weacknowledge the supportof employees andsuppliers, but mostespecially our loyalcustomers who it is ourpleasure to continuallywork for and with.
W & J Knox of Kilbirnie, Scotland launched a newworkboat support service several years ago,designed to complement new net manufacture.The ‘Felsted’ can undertake all types of mooringsystem installations, including modifications andcomponent replacement, barge towage, netchanging and dry cargo deliveries.
For further details, see www.knoxmarine.co.uk orcontact Dave Hutchens on 07766 115507.
W& J Knox
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 27
Pancreas Disease (PD) of Atlanticsalmon has been a major
constraint on the farmed salmonsector from the earliest days of fishfarming in Ireland. For many yearsthe cause was unknown but, byclose collaboration between thefledgling industry and veterinaryscientists, and after many hours ofdata collection, sampling andtesting, the salmon pancreasdisease virus (SPDV) was eventuallyisolated in 1993 at DARD’sVeterinary Laboratory in Belfast. Itwas shown to cause PD, and earlyexperiments also demonstratedthat vaccination could reduceinfection and disease in salmonpopulations already infected.
As PD was seen as mainly an Irishproblem and as fish viral vaccineswere in their infancy it proved verydifficult to procure further fundingfor more research. However, despitethe small market value at the time,a large animal vaccine companyagreed to take on vaccinedevelopment, and much of theearly vaccine trials were carried outin Ireland, thanks to the co-operation of many Irish salmonproducers. PD re-emerged as aserious threat to the Irish andEuropean salmon industry in 2003-4, when the number of casesrecorded in Scotland and Norwayincreased dramatically.
HOLISTIC APPROACH
Vaccine development had to be fast-tracked to assist in controlling thispotentially bankrupting disease. Thefirst licensed PD vaccine in Europewas introduced to the Irish industryin 2009. Between 2003 and 2008the average PD-related mortality inIreland was 15.2%. Since then 55-65%of the total smolt input in Ireland hasbeen PD-vaccinated in freshwater,and by 2012 PD mortality was downto 0.1-4%, the lowest recorded level intwelve years. This is the result of anholistic approach to infectious andparasitic disease control: fallowing;all-in-all-out single generationstocking; vaccination; synchronisedlice treatments; improved smolt sizeand quality at sea transfer;optimising nutrition andenvironmental factors; and,importantly, reducing stress – themajor trigger for clinical disease.
During vaccination it is important toadhere to best practice by ensuringthat all fish are vaccinated correctly,and that 100% of the population aretreated. Herd immunity is veryimportant in reducing the amount ofvirus shed by infected populations.
This means too that all sites in acatchment area should bevaccinated. If PD losses aresignificantly reduced there may be atemptation to stop vaccination. This
would be short-sighted however asthe PD virus is resident in themarine environment and will re-emerge to cause disease inunprotected fish.
NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY
As a resu lt of the pioneering workby the Irish industry, a PD Tri-NationForum was set up in Galway in 2004involving industry, scientists andpolicy makers from Ireland,Scotland and Norway to advanceour knowledge of PD and to controlit. This ensures that knowledge gapsare filled and excellent appliedresearch completed to help informdecision making and reduce the riskand impact of PD. A paperpublished recently by the NationalVeterinary Institute in Norway hasreported reduced PD outbreaks,shorter disease outbreaks, reducedoverall mortality and a reducednumber of discards at harvest. PD iscoming under control and thereappears to be light at the end of thetunnel.
Nevertheless, complacency mustnot be allowed to set in. Virusesnever go away you know!
Dr Marian McLoughlin MVB PhD MRCVS. RCVSSpecialist in Fish Health & Production
Pancrease Disease - light atthe end of the tunnel, asuccess story for Ireland’ssalmon industry
28 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
There is no doubt thatwhen it comes to the
successful production orholding of aquaticorganisms good waterquality is paramount.Traditional flow-throughsystems which rely on anexternal water source arealways susceptible totemperature and dissolvedoxygen fluctuation. Thesesystems are also prone toparasites and harmful algalblooms which can threatenthe health of aquaticanimals.
Recirculation technologyhas been around for anumber of years, and isnow widely accepted as theway forward to ensuringoptimum water quality,particularly during thehatchery stage ofproduction. Water re-usegenerally means reducedpumping costs, andbetter control oftemperature and organicloading. A completerecirculating systemincorporating synthetic seasalt also means thatculture facilities can be setup in any location, with noconcern for theinconsistent quality ofthe external watersource.
The concept behindTMC Commercial’srecirculating systems isbased on systematicallyfiltering the water usinga series of mechanical,physical, biological and
chemical processes beforedelivering each tank withan independent supply ofclean, UV treated water.TMC Commercial’scomplete systems can beinstalled within a fewhours and will achieveexcellent levels of cosmeticacceptance. Fullycustomised systems andfiltration components arealso available.
Our "plug and play"systems can be installed ina matter of hours, andhave been successfullyused in hatcheries (eggholding, larval rearing,
broodstock and nurseryareas) and researchfacilities. They have beenused also in holdingsystems for crabs andlobsters, particularly inthe run up to Christmaswhen fishermen try tohold back stock to takeadvantage of higherseasonal prices.
TMC has worked with theSeafish IndustryAuthority to developits own small-scaleshallow tankdepuration system,and as this is made tostandard industrydesign, approval isstraightforward. Ourextensive range of UVsterilisers has beenwidely used in manydepuration facilities,and as these are allplastic, they will notcorrode. Coupled withour range of saltwater-compatible pumps,flow meters, pipework
and fittings, we can supplyequipment for depurationfacilities of any size.
TMC Commercial is also theappointed distributor for awide range of commercialequipment andconsumables includingsynthetic sea salt, pumps,heaters, chillers, watermonitoring equipment andfilters. This means we cancater for all your filtrationneeds.
For more information onrecirculating filtrationsystems, depurationsystems or monitoring andcontrol equipment pleasecontact TMC Commercialon +44 (0)1923 284151, [email protected].
Alternatively, our fullproduct range may beviewed on our websitewww.tropicalmarinecentre.co.uk
TMC COMMERCIAL -leading the way inrecirculation technology
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 29
Originally set up in the ‘90s,Triskell Seafood was
established by French nativeMarie-Aude Danguy to sell Irishshellfish in France. By listeningto the needs of her customersand suppliers and byconstantly adapting to changein the Industry, Marie-Aude hasdeveloped her business toprovide a complete service tothe aquaculture sector. Withgreat knowledge andunderstanding of theaquaculture market, combinedwith expertise in logistics andimport/export, Triskell Seafooddelivers a reliable and efficientservice to an ever-growingnumber of suppliers andclients throughout Europe.
Maintaining its primaryactivity, Triskell Seafood tradeslive shellfish - mainly clams,winkles and Gigas and flatoysters in Ireland, UK, France,Holland, Spain, Portugal andItaly. Having consolidatedconnections with a strong coreof suppliers and customers,Triskell Seafood chooses theright product for the rightcustomer (from high-endquality to competitively-pricedproduce) to meet their specificrequirements.
“We are particularly proud ofour commitment to qualityservice and our supplier andcustomer focus. And eventhough we work at a Europeanlevel, we are delighted to meetwith our contacts to be able todeliver a customised personalservice,” Marie-Aude Danguytells Aquaculture & SeafoodIreland.
In order to satisfy theincreasing demands from Irishgrowers looking for oyster seed,Triskell Seafood also supplies
Gigas seed from reliablehatcheries and nurseries.
“Depending on the growers’requirements, we can supplydisease-free status seed or, forexample, French triploids inearly Spring,” explains Marie-Aude.
To complete its service toshellfish farmers, TriskellSeafood also supplies thecomplete range of specialisedaquaculture equipment for theIrish and UK Industry. Tofurthermore improve onquality and competitivepricing, Triskell Seafood is nowmanufacturing some of thisequipment in Ireland.
Marie-Aude: “As aquacultureactivities are far greater on thecontinent, most manufacturersare based overseas. Originally,all equipment was importedfrom France and Spain, butwith the sector growing inIreland, it became obvious thatwe needed to work with Irishmanufacturers. We areparticularly pleased with thesuccess of one of our newproducts, stainless steel hooks,which meet the exact demandsof our customers while helpingto provide jobs in Ireland”.
Taking on board the queriesand challenges faced by thefarmers, Triskell Seafood ishappy to recommend thelatest technologies availableand/or investigate how to solveparticular problems andovercome obstacles.
Triskell Seafood has evolved tobecome a major link betweenIrish growers and certainFrench producers who areinterested in establishingoperations in Ireland.
Depending on the individuals’circumstances and needs,Triskell Seafood can organisethe complete sale of a businessor partnership where shellfishfarmers may be sub-contractedto on-grow product for theirFrench associates. This hasproved to be very successful,and is a win-win situation forall parties.
“Despite the ongoingchallenges in our businesssuch as oyster mortalities,licensing restrictions anddelays the Irish Aquacultureindustry has come a long wayand has proven its ability to
produce top quality productsthat are in high demand. It isan industry that continues toattract interest and investmentfrom abroad. When dealingwith live products every year isdifferent, and Triskell Seafoodwill continue to adapt, reactand expand its services to theindustry,” Marie-Audeconcludes.
Triskell Seafood Ltd.: Providinga complete service tothe Aquaculture Sector
Aquaculture & Fisheries Development CentreSchool of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
University College Cork
“To support, stimulate and promote the development ofaquaculture and fisheries, thereby enabling these sectorsto achieve their full socio-economic potential by utilising
sustainable natural resources”
Research AreasAquaculture
Shellfish HealthMolecular Genetics of Aquatic Animals
Marine, has just launched aninnovative online equipmentmanagement system designedspecifically to manage and monitorthe service requirements of on-boardsafety equipment. The system isprogrammed to send notifications bye-mail or text in advance of impendingservice-due dates and expirywarnings, should the certificationperiod lapse.Nicholas Bendon, Managing Directorof CH Marine, explains that theprogram was designed initially tocater for the company’s extensive fleetof SOLAS Hire Rafts, wheremanagement of the service-due andhire-renewal dates was critical toproviding an efficient and safe service.The cloud-based system has now beenexpanded to allow client access sothat vessel owners and largeroperators can manage and track theirown serviceable equipment.
CH Marine currently holds life jacketservice contracts for a variety ofgovernment departments, and thenew system has proved a tremendousasset in managing these high volumerequirements. All certificates are now
entered and stored online and can berecalled and reprinted as required,essentially providing a full servicehistory record.
Earlier this year CH Marine expandedits service facilities and completed atie-up with VIKING LIFE-SAVINGEQUIPMENT A/S of Denmark. CHMarine will act as the maindistributor and service centre forViking, one of the world’s leadingmanufacturers of Life Jackets, LifeRafts and Immersion Suits.
This development clearly puts CHMarine at the forefront of the maritimesafety industry. Currently, it operatesthree approved Service stations on theisland of Ireland, and acts as distributorfor some of the world’s leading marinesafety brands such as: Pains Wessex;McMurdo; Baltic; ISP; Mullion;and ICOM.
For more on CH Marine EquipmentManagement and other servicerequirements, contact John Kelleher,Safety Products Manager, CH MarineLtd , 028 23190
CH Marine expands it’s servicingfacilities and launches its innovativeLifejacket Online Management System
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 31
The Irish seafoodindustry has been very
successful in growing itsexport business into theChinese market in the lastnumber of years. China iscurrently the 13th mostimportant export marketfor the sector in valueterms - generating exportsales of €7.7m in 2012compared to just €2.87min 2011 - a 169% increase invalue terms in that period.
Export sales to Hong Kongin the same period grew by59% in value terms toreach €2.57m. Andalthough total seafoodexports to Japan were down17% in 2012 (duepredominently to a drop inmackerel sales as Irishprocessors diverted exportsto other more lucrativemarkets such as Nigeria),Irish exports of premiumshellfish to this market stillshowed very strong growth(383% in value termscompared to 2011) to reachsales of €1.8m.
South Korea continues tobe a very important marketfor Irish whelks - a marketwhich grew by 12.5% invalue terms in 2012 andgenerated export sales of€8.6m. South Korea is nowthe 11th most importantmarket globally for Irishseafood exports followed byChina in 13th position,Japan in 16th place andHong Kong in 23rdposition.
Notable successes have beensecured with specialisedseafood importers anddistributors around China,Japan and Hong Kong. Theseare now sourcing a range ofseafood from Irishcompanies – a trendreflected in the latest exportfigures which show that bythe end of 2012, exports ofshellfish to China hadincreased by 133% in valueterms to reach €1.8m, andexports to Hong Kong hadincreased by 93% comparedto 2011 to reach €2.6m.
AMBITIOUS PLANSBord Bia has ambitiousplans to further grow theshare of Irish seafood intoAsia and has a number ofprogrammes in place toassist Irish seafoodprocessors in identifying,profiling and targeting newcustomers willing to pay apremium for qualityseafood.
Bord Bia is working closelywith these companies intargeting potential newcustomers in China, and willbe encouraging them to visitthe Ireland Stand andparticipate in a programmeof one-to-one meetings withthe Irish exhibitors.
In addition, through theBord Bia FellowshipProgramme, Irish seafoodcompanies have had anopportunity for a dedicatedsales and marketing
resource based in the Chinamarket during the lastnumber of years.
BORD BIA CHINAThrough its tradedevelopment programme,Bord Bia China has beenvery successful inencouraging Chinese andJapanese customers to visitIreland to meet with Irishseafood processors on aone-to-one basis. Theseitineraries have been veryeffective in generating newbusiness for the sector as itprovides Irish companieswith the opportunity todemonstrate their facilities,and also allow time forproduct sampling. To date,Bord Bia has welcomed sixcustomers to Ireland fromAsia on customiseditineraries and has plans tohost an additional seven oreight in September as partof its sustainabiltyconference ‘Our Food OurFuture, Sustainability: TheBottom Line’.
Consumption of aquaticproducts in Chia, at 16.5million metric tons(compared to 7.56 millionMT in 2000), represents30% of the country’s totalaquatic output, and at agrowth rate of 5.71% is
growing significantly fasterthan overall output ofaquatic products. Risingincomes in China andincreased spending ondining out by Chineseconsumers will further drivethe pace of seafoodconsumption. Data showsrural consumers eating5.36kg a year in 2011,compared to just 3.82kg in2000. By contrast, thecountry’s urbanites wereeating 14.62kg in 2011compared to an average10.34kg in 2010. In urbanareas the percentage ofseafood consumed outsidethe home rose from 14.70%to 21.49% between 2000 and2011. In overall volumeterms Chinese ate 3 millionMT in 2011 outside thehome, compared to 1.15million MT in 2000, anaverage per-annum growthrate of 9%. Consumption athome amounted to 13.62million MT, a significantjump on 7.83 million MT in2000. Seafood prices havealso been growing fasterthan China’s officialconsumer price index (CPI)and at an average annualrise of 5% between 2000 and2011 have certainlyoutpaced price growth inother key food itemscounted in the CPI, such asvegetables and pork.
Bord Bia discovering hugemarket potential in Asia for qualityIrish seafood
32 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
The Marine Institutecontinued to work
successfully with theaquaculture industry,government departments andagencies, as well as researchpartners during 2012 carryingout monitoring, research andadvice programmes in supportof the finfish and shellfishsectors.
MONITORINGMonitoring programmesconducted by Marine Institutescientists include:
National Shellfish BiotoxinMonitoring ProgrammeThis programme—monitoringfor the presence of naturallyoccurring phytoplanktontoxins in shellfish and theanalysis of seawater for thepresence of toxin-producingphytoplankton—is designed todetect toxicity in shellfishgrowing areas beforeharvesting, thereby providingthe necessary information torestrict the placement of toxicshellfish onto the market. 2012marked the first full year inwhich chemical analyses wereexclusively used in carryingout the National BiotoxinMonitoring Programme. Thesenew analytical tests cover awider range of regulatedmarine toxins and facilitatefaster sample turnaroundtimes. Very highconcentrations of the shellfishtoxin Azaspiracid wererecorded in farmed shellfishduring the summer months in2012 leading to extensive andprotracted closure of sites inthe southwest.
Shellfish MicrobiologyThe Marine Institute is theNational ReferenceLaboratory (NRL) in Irelandfor monitoring thebacteriological and viralcontamination of bivalveshellfish. Bivalve filter-feedingshellfish can accumulatehuman pathogenic bacteriaand viruses from sewagecontaminated waters. Suchshellfish represent a potentialpublic health risk whenconsumed raw or only lightlycooked. The Institutecoordinates the activities ofnational laboratoriesresponsible for viral andbacteriological analyses ofbivalve molluscs and worksclosely with the competentauthorities (Sea-FisheriesProtection Authority and theFood Safety Authority ofIreland) and the shellfishindustry to ensure that Irishshellfish are produced to thehighest microbial standardsand to prevent the occurrenceof illness.
National Residues ControlProgramme (SeafoodComponent)The Marine Institute hasimplemented the NationalResidues MonitoringProgramme for aquaculture –as part of the overall nationalresidues programme – forover thirteen years. This iscarried out on behalf of theSea Fisheries ProtectionAuthority (SFPA), which is theresponsible organisation forresidue controls on farmedfinfish. In 2012, in excess of759 tests for 1,596 substance
determinations were carriedout on 169 samples of farmedfinfish for a range of residues,including banned andunauthorised substances,various authorised veterinarytreatments, andenvironmental contaminants.For the seventh year running,no non-compliant resultswere reported from thenational monitoringprogramme for farmed finfishin 2012, continuing thewelcome trenddemonstrating an absence ofresidues over the last sevenyears.
National Sea Lice MonitoringProgrammeRegular inspection of sea licelevels on all fish farms inIreland are carried out by theMarine Institute inaccordance with theDepartment of Agriculture,Food and the Marine's SeaLice Monitoring Protocol(2000) and Strategy (2008). Allstocks of fish are inspected byMarine Institute Inspectorson 14 occasions throughoutthe year. Lice levels aremeasured against treatmenttrigger levels set out in theprotocol. Where sea lice levelsare higher than definedtreatment trigger farms areinstructed to treat to reducelevels. During 2012, 254 sealice inspections were carriedout on 23 active salmonid(salmon and trout) rearingsites. Monthly reports on themonitoring results werecirculated to interestedparties and all the 2012 datais published in the annualreport.
Fish HealthInspections and monitoringof movements of fish andshellfish stocks as required
under the EU Fish HealthDirective. In 2012, over 3,000finfish (primarily Salmon, butalso carp, rainbow trout,Arctic char, pike and othercoarse fish) were tested forpathogens either under healthsurveillance programmes -following the submission ofdiagnostic samples to thelaboratory, or as a result ofscreening tests carried out forthe aquaculture industry.Ireland remains free of listedfinfish diseases. 9,000molluscs and crustaceanswere tested for the presenceof disease, primarily focusedon surveillance of the herpesvirus (OsHV-1 µvar) in Pacificoysters. The virus wasdetected in a further threebays, bringing the total ofpositive bays in Ireland to 26.The entire coastline, with theexception of eight bays, isconsidered free from Bonamiaostreae.A robust, accredited qualitysystem (ISO 17025) underpinsthe delivery of many of theseprogrammes.
RESEARCHThe MI carry out appliedresearch (national and EUfunding) in support of thedelivery of monitoringprogrammes and to informand direct future regulatoryrequirements. A number ofmulti-annual projects, withnational and internationalresearch partners, wereongoing or nearingcompletion during 2012:• GilPat and AquaPlan—addressing fish healthissues relating to the Irishfinfish aquaculture sector.
• Prevent Escape(www.preventescape.eu) —quantifying the level andimpact of escapes from
Marine Institute Continuesto Support the AquacultureIndustry
Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland 33
farmed finfish sites, and todevelop strategies for theirreduction.
• Bivalife (www.bivalife.eu) —providing knowledgerelated to pathogensinfecting oysters andmussels and developingpractical approaches for thecontrol of infectiousdiseases affecting theseanimals.
• ASTOX II—providing furtheranswers regarding thetoxicology of this shellfishtoxin. A research cruisealong the southern andwestern coasts in August forthe first time usedmolecular methods to mapthe distribution of thecausative speciesAzadinium spinosum incoastal waters.
• ASIMUTH (www.asimuth.eu)
—developing forecastingproducts using physicalmodels, satellite and in situdata to provide earlywarning of blooms to allowfish and shellfish farmers tomodify their culture andharvesting strategies inorder to reduce potentiallosses.
• A range of other projects, atMSc and PhD level, inshellfish microbiology,marine chemistry and fishhealth.
ADVICEA collaborative approach is akey feature of work of theMarine Institute, which iscarried out with theDepartment of Agriculture,Food and the Marine; theFood Safety Authority ofIreland (FSAI); the Sea
Fisheries Protection Authority(SFPA); the Department ofEnvironment, Community andLocal Government; theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency (EPA); National Parksand Wildlife Service (NPWS);and industry and researchpartners.
The Institute providesscientific advice in support ofthe aquaculture industry, asfollows:
• Advice to DAFM onapplications forAquaculture Licences.
• Advice on the food safety ofshellfish to the SFPA andFSAI for ongoing officialcontrols under themonitoring programmes forshellfish biotoxins andmicrobiologicalclassification of shellfishwaters.
• Further progress towardsthe completion ofadditional AppropriateAssessments was made in2012. The programme ofbaseline data collection insupport of the setting ofconservation objectives formarine Natura 2000 sites(Special Areas ofConservation and SpecialProtection Areas) was
completed. This baselinedata is provided to NPWS toallow the setting ofconservation objectives forthese sites, which, in turn,feed into the process ofAppropriate Assessments offisheries and aquacultureactivities.
• The 2012 Single BayManagement (SBM) process—designed to co-ordinatehusbandry practices in sucha way that best practice isfollowed and that stocking,fallowing and treatmentregimes on individual farmsare compatible with thearrangements onneighbouring farms—wascompleted in all activefinfish farming bays. TheSBM process has proved veryeffective in enhancing theefficacy of sea lice controland in reducing the overallincidence of disease in thestocks. Ten SBM documents,including active fallow plans,were updated for all finfishaquaculture operators alongthe coast in 2012.
A number of reports areavailable on the MarineInstitute Open AccessRepository containing furtherinformation about theInstitute’s monitoring,research and advice.
JFC is a global organisation renowned for its innovative, high quality plastic products. With over 25 years’ experience in the plastic moulding industry, JFC specialise in providing quality rotationally moulded plastic products. The company’s
solutions are used in a range of industries including agriculture, equine, construction, materials handling and marine. It has achieved a leading position in several markets by continually developing trend-setting products that meet and exceed the needs of its customers.
JFC offer a complete range of Mussel Floats, Navigation Buoys, Navigation Beacons, monitoring and control systems to suit all marine applications. JFC marine products are custom-designed to meet your needs in the most demanding conditions. Our mussel
exposed Atlantic Coast of Western Ireland and Scotland.
Based on research undertaken with 5 experienced mussel growers
a harvest ready commercial yield of over 9.2kg per metre for 7,200m of socked mussel line. According to Dr. Bonardelli, “at
depth and the results, therefore, substantiate the claim that JFC
previous observations for socked blue mussels in a shorter time frame.” Dr. Bonardelli believes that the volume of rope-grown mussels could expand in Ireland and overseas, just through the
the water, causing limited vertical motion and reduced stress on mussels. Reduced stress means that mussels can concentrate on growing as opposed to expending their energy on trying to remain attached to the rope during turbulent conditions. Therefore,
meat quality and are less susceptible to losses. All of these factors
shorter time period for the mussel-farmer.”
rope-mussels industry into a true world leader and we need the support of Government at local, national and European levels to convert this potential into reality” commented John Concannon. For further information contact:
Anyone with a background in the Life Sciences will atsometime have come across Aflatoxin, a metabolite
produced by the Aspergillus genus of moulds which has beenwell documented as the cause of fatal poisoning in both farmanimals and humans following ingestion of contaminatedfood, with peanuts and maize the most common route ofuptake.
Perhaps less widely known is the abundance and variety ofsimilar so-called Mycotoxins and their often less dramatic,but nevertheless detrimental, effects on organisms that haveingested them. Animal nutritionists understand well thetoxic actions of these fungal metabolites - some examples ofwhich are included in the table below.
Mycotoxin Toxic activity
Aflatoxin B1 Carcinogenic / immunosuppressive
Ochratoxin A Carcinogenic / nephrotoxic / immunosuppressive
Fumonasin B1 Carcinogenic / neurotoxic
Zearalenone Estrogenic
Trichothecenes dermatoxic
T-2 toxins Immuno-suppressive
Whilst much of the research to date has focussed on theimpact on farm animals by mycotoxins they have ingested intheir feed, some interesting and illuminating studies haveemerged over the last decade into the effects that thesetoxins can have on cultured fish exposed to contaminatedfeed.
By way of example Hooft et al (2010) demonstrated asignificant reduction in appetite, weight gain and feedconversion efficiency in rainbow trout exposed to DON(deoxynivalenol, a trichothecene mycotoxin found in wheat,barley oats and maize). Presenting these results at theInternational Symposium on Fish Nutrition in Molde,Norway, in 2012, Hooft concluded that rainbow trout arehighly sensitive to DON - even at levels as low as 1 ppm.So how can fish farmers defend their stocks against thestealth threat posed by mycotoxin contaminants in feed?PHARMAQ UK recently entered into an arrangement with anexciting and innovative French company, Olmix, which hasdeveloped a novel and naturally-derived additive that can beapplied to feeds as a protection against unwantedcontaminants.
Olmix’s unique solution to this problem has been developedby combining specific extracts of seaweeds withMontmorillonite clay (Amedéite®) sourced locally to theirpremises in Brittany. The innovative combination of algalextracts and this fine clay creates a product that is extremelyeffective in the adsorption of mycotoxins.
Known as MTX+, this product already has a ten-year trackrecord in terrestrial livestock production where demandcontinues to grow. By adsorbing mycotoxins in the intestineMTX+ significantly lowers the availability of these moleculesfor absorption into the animal. Intestinal integrity is thuspreserved, and immunosuppression, a hallmark ofmycotoxin toxicity, is avoided.
Its application to aquaculture was heralded in 2011 in a trialon farm-raised tilapia in Viet Nam. As well as a modestimprovement in FCR, fish that had MTX+ added to their dietshowed an 8.5% improvement in daily weight gain over thecontrol group.
Early days indeed, but with 25% of global crops estimated tobe currently affected by mycotoxins and increasing pressureto include more grain-derived material in fish diets, greaterattention will have to be focussed on the raised potential formicrobial contamination by mycotoxin-producing organismsin fish diets.
This is a challenge not only because these molecules arequite difficult to detect, but also because they are also robustand can persist as contaminants even if the source mouldhas been removed. In addition, it has been suggested thatbecause mycotoxin production by moulds is often a defencemechanism, the very interventions which are applied to limitmould infestation of grains in storage (heat, humidityreduction and some fungicides) can actually encourage theproduction of these metabolites!
Through the inclusion of a naturally-derived and formulatedmycotoxin binder such as MTX+ into the feed of fish,especially during their early life history, health managers canat least be sure that they are giving the stocks under theircare the best start, free of these pernicious stealth toxins.
For further information on how MTX+ might contribute toyour stock health management strategy please contact ChrisMitchell on +44 (0) 7769 330540 [email protected]
THE UNSEEN ENEMYChris Mitchell and Rob Sinnot of Pharmaq Ltd
35
The Agency has beenintensively monitoring
the environmentalconditions in the sea loughssince 2004 using in-situinstrumentation procuredunder funding from theINTERREG IIIa Programme.Every 15 minutes thesesystems record watertemperature; salinity;dissolved oxygen; turbidityand fluorescence. Thisinformation complementsanalytical samplingprogrammes andcontributes towards theconstruction of ecosystemmodels of the sea loughs toaid in the sustainablemanagement of shellfishaquaculture and fisheries.
The Agency also conductsannual oyster stockassessments in Lough Foylewhere the native oysterfishery is recognised as oneof the last remaining wildfisheries in Europe.Landings have varied overthe last 25 years and aboom-and-bust productioncycle is evident in thesetrends. This is likely to beattributable to heavy fishingpressure, variability inspawning and spatfallsuccess and lack ofmanagement. Anindependent scientificassessment of the fishery byCEFAS in 2006 and 2007concluded that the fisherywas suffering from
overfishing and wouldbenefit from regulation.
Regulation was introducedin 2008 and has resulted ina considerable reduction infishing effort. The numberof fishing vessels hasreduced from over 100vessels fishing up to 7 days aweek prior to regulation toless than 60 in recent years.Fishing is now limited to theperiod September 19 - March31 between 06:00 and 18:00on weekdays only. Theresults of the annual stockassessment show anincreasing trend in theproportion of larger oystersin the stock and a morenormal population structurecompared to immediatelypre-regulation. Spawningstock biomass is graduallyimproving as is overall stockbiomass, and spawning hasbeen successful in 2010 and2011. The Agency nowhopes to implement some ofthe recommendations forhabitat improvement andreinstatement works
suggested by CEFAS and theauthors of the annual stockassessments.
The Agency is the leadpartner on the INTERREGIVA IBIS Project which linksaquatic resourcemanagement in NorthernIreland, Scotland andIreland, and is providingseventy years of appliedresearch on marine andfreshwater topics. Theresults of this research willhelp inform themanagement anddevelopment of theseresources into the future.The Agency compilesannual status reports forLough Foyle and CarlingfordLough which detail all ourmonitoring work and alsoprovides a review of anystatutory monitoringprogrammes that may be ofparticular interest tostakeholders. These StatusReports are available on theAgency’s websitewww.loughs-agency.org
Barry Fox
Loughs AgencyMarine Monitoring
The Loughs Agency operates an extensiveprogramme of marine monitoring to inform thesustainable management of shellfish resources inLough Foyle and Carlingford Lough. The datacollected has many uses and has been utilised byother agencies, academia, environmental andfisheries consultants and the public.
Dredge
Camera sled
36 Aquaculture & Seafood Ireland
Manufactured from toughpolyethylene and
available in a variety ofdifferent formats andspecifications, the FusionMarine range of fish farmpens (Aquaflex, Oceanflex andTriton) have been utilisedsuccessfully in some of theworld’s harshest marineenvironments, and are widelyused by the salmon farmingindustries in Scotland andIreland.
In an exciting newdevelopment, Fusion Marine iscontinuing this proud
tradition of serving theaquaculture sector throughthe supply of the innovativeOrtac Oyster Farming Systemwhich has the potential tobring immense benefits toIrish shellfish farmers.
Developed by Jersey-basedshellfish farmer Tony Legg,Ortac dramatically reduceslabour costs compared toconventional oyster bags andtrestles. Already in use withgreat success in the ChannelIslands, Fusion Marine is nowbringing the system to Irelandafter being appointed supplier
and support company.Ortac is purposely-mouldedand built in two halves thatclip together onto a simpletrestle to make a single unitwhose re-usable and stackabledesign makes themparticularly easy to transportand store.
Ortac was designed to enableoyster farmers to grow bothPacific (Crassostrea gigas) andEuropean Native (Ostrea
edulis) oysters inter-tidally. Itfeatures a unique forced up-welling flow system that mirrorslow farming densities butwithin a small container thatimproves growth rates withoutcompromising shell quality.
This forced up-welling flowsystem means that the Ortacsdon't require as much manualhandling as the moreconventional methods becausethe units are always moving.Ortac has the potential tocombine different parts of theaquaculture industry withinIntegrated Multi-TrophicAquaculture (IMTA) systems toachieve a greater naturalbalance in the management ofwater areas.
“We believe that Ortac has thepotential to revolutionise theway in which oysters arecultivated in Ireland,” saysRhuaraidh Edwards,development engineer forFusion Marine.
Oyster farmers keen to learnmore about Ortac shouldcontact Rhuaraidh Edwards atFusion Marine, details atwww.fusionmarine.com
Fusion Marine’s new Ortacsystem to revolutionise oystercultivation inIrelandBased on the West coast of Scotland, FusionMarine Ltd has a global reputation as a leadingsupplier of equipment for the aquaculture sector,with a particular focus on robust and versatile fishfarm pens renowned for their quality and designexcellence.
37
RAS process. In the RASprocess a moving biomass isin continual circulation,which prohibits theenrichment of unwantedmaterial. The RAS solutionenables the reuse of processwater in fish-breedingfacilities and gives anextended dwell time for thestable production oftemperature with minimalinput of energy. With regardto external threats such assea lice, it is far morebeneficial for the fry tospend less time in the sea-cages and more time in theRAS onshore facilities.Veolias’ goal in the design ofthe RAS process was toincrease the weight limit forfry by a kilo and allow thegrowth of fish to beenhanced in a sheltered andcontrolled environment. TheRAS process has beenproven to increase both thequantity and weight of thefish in the system.
Veolias’ sustainable RASsolution is designed toincrease productivity andprofitability whilstproviding a reducedenvironmental impact byreducing both Carbon andWater footprint ofaquaculture facilities. RASreduces waterconsumption inAquaculture industry, whileremoving organic matter,ammonium, Nitrogen,suspended solids, CO2 andharmful bacteria/virus andsimultaneously optimisingpH and alkalinity, therebyallowing a wide variety ofspecies to thrive includingcold water, tropical, freshand salt water. Productivityincreases of up to 30% havebeen documented andattributed to the RASsystem, in addition to adecrease in fish mortalityby 50% whilst increasingfish density by up to afactor of 500.
Is recirculation the way forwardfor Ireland’s freshwater fin fishsector?Joe Higgins, Technical & SalesDirector with Veolia Water Ireland,a subsidiary of Veolia Water, aleading global specialist providerof technological solutions in watertreatment, outlines the advantagesof their Recirculating Aquaculturesystem (RAS®)
Akey goal of theaquaculture industry in
Ireland for the future is to toensure an ample supply ofjuvenile fish (smolts) byconstructing largerhatcheries within limitedfootprints.
However, one of the majorissues with the constructionof larger plants is theavailability of freshwaterresources. On a pro-ratabasis each fish requires thesame amount of water todevelop albeit in a large orsmall system and in manycases the water supply andphysical footprint is thelimiting factor for expansion.In an expanding industrytherefore one of thechallenges will be to exploitthe existing freshwaterresources effectively withlimited space.
In order to meet thischallenge Veolia Water hasdeveloped the RecirculatingAquaculture System (RAS®)to recycle water inaquaculture facilities. TheRAS® process reduces waterconsumption by up to 99%compared with traditional
hatcheries, and also permitsa higher stocking density. Asa result, the RAS process hasbeen successfully installedin numerous facilitiesworldwide.
In Ireland salmon and troutbreeding plants are basedmainly on ‘flow-throughsystems’ in which water isused only once. In suchsystems the water isabstracted, treated to a verylimited extent, and has aretention time ofapproximately one hour. Asabstracted water quality canvary dramatically,operational stability can bedifficult to sustain. Variationin abstracted water qualitycan also have a negativeeffect on the ability of fry togrow. In the RAS process thewater quality is stabilisedand consistent therebyallowing high quality fry tothrive before beingtransferred to marine fishfarms.
Client feedback indicatesthat fry is of a superiorquality when bred in the
Austrianne (Michele Heelie) Sliog.An Mhacaire TeoSliogeisc An Mhacaire TeoFalmore, Dungloe,Co. DonegalT: (07495) 22268T: (07495) 21183T: (07495) 21429C: Jim O’Donnell
Tadhg O’MaoileainCnocan an Phaoraigh, An Rinn,Dungarbhan,Co. WaterfordT: (058) 46499 (W)T: (058) 46599(H)F: (058) 46208E: [email protected]: Tadhg O’Maoileoin
Hook Head Shellfish Ltd.Fethard-on-Sea, New Ross,Co. WexfordT: (051) 397492M: (087) 6480109E: [email protected]: Tommy Hickey
BC Shellfish Ltd.Dineen, F. Curran, J.OShea6 Union Quay, Cork City,Co. CorkT: 021 5005333Donegans SolicitorsE: [email protected]: [email protected]: Virginie Roberts
Good Fish Processing Ltd.Carrigaline Industrial Park, CrosshavenRoad, Carrigaline, Co. CorkE: [email protected]: +353 21 4373917W: www.goodfish.ieC: Denis Good
Green Isle Foods Ltd.Monread Road, Naas, Co. KildareE: [email protected]: +353 45 876511C: Tom Cronin
Greencastle Fish ShopGreencastle, Co. DonegalT: +353 74 9381065C: Harry McCormick
H J Nolan (Dublin) Ltd.Rathdown Road, Dublin 7E: [email protected]: +353 1 8680066W: www.nolanseafoods.comC: George Nolan
Lett SeafoodsKerlogue Industrial Estate,Rosslare Road,Co. WexfordE: [email protected]: +353 53 9140446W: www.lettfrozenfoods.comC: Richard & Christian Lett
Aquabeam BTB InnovationC: David R HoltDysart Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire,NG31 7NB, UKT: 0044 1476 576280F: 0044 1476 561557E: [email protected]
BesnardZI Route de Sablé,72200 La Fleche,FranceT: 33 (0) 2 43 940982E: [email protected]
Bonnar EngineeringNeil T Blaney Road,Letterkenny,DonegalC: Pat BonnarT: (074) 9122256F: (074) 9124877E: [email protected]
Buccaneer LtdBuccaneer House, 4 Union Road,MacduffAberdeenshire, AB4414U7,Scotland, UKC: Ian McDonaldT: 0044 (0) 1224 828555
C H MarineMarsh Road, Skibbereen,CorkC: Nicholas BendonT: (028) 23190E: [email protected]
Cochon11 Rue Belles Ezines-BP2,17680 Le Gua,FranceC: Christophe PierreT: 00 33 546228214 / 2983F: 00 33 546228719
Delta Valves and PlasticsWest Link Business Park, Kilnap,Old Mallow Road, CorkC: Peter HarringtonT: (021) 4 399377/021-4399388F: (021) 439 9388E: [email protected]
Depur Systems LtdMoneycarragh Fishfarm,62 Dromara Road, Dundrum,Co. Down,Northern IrelandC: John SmythT: 028 4375 1113E: [email protected]
Dryden Aqua LtdButlerfield, Bonnyrigg,EH I 9 3JQ,Midlothian,Scotland UKC: Howard DrydenT: 00 44 1875822222F: 00 44 1875822229E: [email protected]
NI Department of theEnvironmentClarence Court,10-18 Adelaide Street,Town Parks,Belfast BT28GBT: 048 + 90540540
Department of Agriculture,Food and the MarineAgriculture House,Kildare St,Dublin 2.T: 1890 200 510 / +353 238859500E: [email protected]
Department of Agriculture,Food and the MarineCoastal Zone Management DivisionSea Fisheries AdministrationSeafood Policy & DevelopmentWest Cork Technology Park,Clonakilty,Co CorkT: 1890 25 27 41
The Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) is designed to increaseproductivity and pro�tability. Its water treatment components arecapable of accommodating the high feed inputs, growth rates andstocking densities required for the operation’s �nancial viability
Productivity increased by 30% with �sh mortality down 50% and up to 500 times more �sh/installation
Applicable to a wide variety of species
Reduced costs: installation, operation, energy
Reduced physical footprint
Industry challenge
availability
performance
conditions and technical risk
impact sustainability and regulatory and consumer risks
Veolia’s response
consumption
reduced footprint
resistant �sh
to better overall conditions
external factors
biological performance
natural environment
footprints
risks
operation
consumer risks
Veolia Water IrelandIDA Industrial & Business ParkPurcellsinchKilkennyCo. KilkennyTel: 056 7763950Email: [email protected]
VEOLIA WATER IRELAND LTD
Veolia Water IrelandRecirculating Aquaculture Systems
Productivityincreases by
30%
Up to
99%of water
reuse
+
> Up to 99.9% reuse> Treatment of intake water> Conditioning of water during production
in �ow through systems>> Sludge treatment> Treatment of water and waste from
�sh abattoir and processing > Computer based surveillance and
control system
Service| Value
| Responsibility
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To add value to your business:
BIM Seafood Development Centre Clogheen Road, Clonakilty Co. Cork.