Update - March 2015 - 267.pdf

March 2015 Issue 267

www.iffo.n

et

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IFFO NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

UPDATE

2 Editorial

Miami 2015 Members’ Meeting & IFFO/JCI Fishmeal and Fish Oil Forum

3 2015 Seafood Champion Award for Leadership presented to IFFO’s Andrew Jackson

IFFO Governance changes and training

4 Guest Columnist—Mark Griffin

5 Inside Codex: The Draft Standard for Fish oil

6 IFFO attends Sustainable Fisheries Partnership EU Fisheries Forum

7 IFFO’s new members LinkedIn Group

16 Calendar

7 Fish Oil Market to Reach US$1.7 Billion by 2018 due to Flourishing Aquaculture Industry in China

8 Revised Responsible Fishing Scheme standards given the green light

Industry guide to prevent pirate products

9 Essential forage fish have an identity crisis

Price increases outpace China fisheries volume growth

10 Sardine, anchovy and mackerel migrate north due to ocean warming

11 ENFEN February statement on El Niño

12 Alternatives and Innovation Section

13 News in Brief

CONTENTS

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Social media is all around us and part of online daily life. Facebook and other sites started a revolution in sharing

information, sometimes a bit too much but usually in a helpful way. As an organisation, IFFO is always looking for

ways to improve our services to members and we have just launched an IFFO Members Group on LinkedIn, a more

business orientated platform than Facebook and needing less administrative support from our team. More details

are in the article later but we wanted to see if this group offered members a useful forum or platform to exchange

ideas, discuss matters of interest or ask for help. To get things started, I have posted some suggestions for debate

about the use of Land Animal Proteins in farmed animal feeds and how our industry should combat falling fishmeal

inclusion levels in feed. Please join in, post comments on existing discussions or start one of your own.

I was delighted to see our first applicant for the recently launched IFFO award for Leadership and Innovation. We have some outstanding

companies within our membership and I hope those with specific innovations or examples of leadership will come forward for the inaugural

award in Berlin.

Another award is the prestigious Seaweb Seafood Champion title, given to individuals who have excelled in one of four categories. After many

years of hard work launching the very successful IFFO Responsible Supply standard, it was fantastic to see our own Andy Jackson receive the

award for Leadership at the recent Seaweb Summit in New Orleans, USA. This was obviously a popular choice – as the news leaked out, my

Inbox was flooded with copies of messages of congratulation to Andy, confirming our view that this was well deserved and great recognition

for all the work Andy has put in.

Registrations are also flooding in for the Members Meeting in Miami (13th – 15th April). We are looking forward to discussion on the mid-year

fishing in Peru and, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be great to have some Florida sunshine after a long winter. Hotel rooms

are limited so please don’t delay. We look forward to seeing you there.

Andrew Mallison, Director General

Miami 2015 Members’ Meeting & IFFO/JCI Fishmeal and Fish Oil Forum

As a reminder, the IFFO Members’ Meeting will take place in

Miami from 13-15 April. We currently have 63 members

registered from 12 countries. The programme follows the

same format as last year and includes market forums, a

workshop session and a buffet dinner, and allows time for

business and networking with other members of the IFFO

‘family’.

Visit www.iffoevents.com for more information on the

programme, venue or to register. Please note that the

deadline for registration with accommodation is Friday 13

March and therefore we would encourage you to register as

soon as possible. If you are interested in sponsoring the

Members’ Meeting please contact [email protected] or

by telephone on +44 2030 539 195.

Before the Members’ Meeting, we will be holding the

second IFFO/JCI Fishmeal and Fish Oil Forum on 27th March

2015 at the China Hotel Marriott in Guangzhou City. With a

rich range of presentations planned, we are looking forward

to welcoming our members in China. There are now 170

delegates registered from 7 countries. To find out more and

to register visit: http://www.jcichina.com/company/jcizh/

EDITORIAL UPDATE

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IFFO NEWS UPDATE

2015 Seafood Champion Award for Leadership presented to IFFO’s Andrew Jackson

IFFO is proud to announce that our Technical Director Dr Andrew Jackson was recently presented with the 2015 Seafood Champion Award for Leadership. Dr Jackson was one of four finalists in the Leadership category at the Seafood Champion Awards Ceremony, hosted at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in New Orleans. Held to recognise individuals and companies for inspirational work

promoting seafood sustainability, the awards were presented before hundreds of the world’s leading voices on sustainable seafood at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit.

This year, for the first time, the Seafood Champion Awards honored excellence in four targeted categories: Leadership,

Innovation, Vision and Advocacy. The six winners were chosen from a group of sixteen finalists that represent the best of the best in sustainability from around the world. The

group of finalists hailed from Argentina, Canada, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of the Maldives, Panama and the United States, covering five continents. They were selected from over 100 nominations from the fishing, aquaculture, seafood supply and distribution, retail, restaurant and food service sectors, as well as conservation and social non-profit organizations, academia and the media.

The 2015 Seafood Champion Award for Leadership was awarded to IFFO’s Dr Andrew Jackson for working with stakeholders toward creating a uniform standard and encouraging responsible production of fishmeal and fish oil, often used as feed in aquaculture. As a result of his efforts, 100+ fishmeal/fish oil production plants across nine countries are now independently certified to IFFO’s standard.

Upon receiving the award, Dr Jackson said “I am delighted to have been honoured with this award from Seaweb. It is very encouraging to myself and the team I have worked with over the years to have our efforts recognised in this way. Our work is far from over but this should give us the determination to continue our efforts.”

Andrew Jackson, Technical Director, IFFO

For more information about the 2015 Seafood Champion Awards visit: http://www.seafoodchampions.org/

IFFO Governance changes and training

IFFO is incorporated under UK law and must comply with the re-quirements for all UK limited companies. To ensure compliance with legal require-ments, most compa-nies employ a Compa-ny Secretary – Director General Andrew Malli-

son is the IFFO Company Secretary and attended a course at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) on company law and governance. ICSA is the char-tered membership and qualifying body for people working in governance, risk and compliance, including company sec-retaries and has been a centre of excellence on corporate governance for 120 years.

For a company with a multinational management board like IFFO, it is particularly important that the IFFO secretariat can advise and inform the directors and all members on compliance with UK company law.

The course covered the main legislation governing compa-nies, the documents that have to be periodically filed with the UK authorities, the role of a Company Secretary in ad-vising the board members and following the Articles of As-sociation, and how to prevent financial and custodial penal-ties for breaches of regulations. Around 30 other delegates from a wide range of organisations also attended, with a combination of lectures and worked examples used to demonstrate the principles of good governance. IFFO are now performing a governance review to ensure our sys-tems are up to date and that we are following best practice in this area.

Guest Columnist—Mark Griffin

The “sustainability” of fish meal and fish oil

Demand for omega-3 has increased during the last two

decades due to greater awareness of their health benefits

to both humans and animals. This has led to growing

pressure on the supply of omega-3 products, such as fish

and its byproducts. Unfortunately, increased demand and

limited supply have led to negative media coverage

directed at seafood production. This coverage includes

claims that the use of fish for meal and oil causes a

detrimental impact on the environment. In addition, some

of these claims state that there is a need for the feed

industry to transition to alternative, “sustainable” terrestrial

sources for omega-3s and proteins. However, the belief

that fish meal and oil sources are ‘unsustainable’, or at the

very least, “less sustainable” than terrestrial sources, is

often unsubstantiated and misguided.

In 2009, Canada’s Dalhousie University published a paper

assessing the environmental impact of ingredients used for

salmon farming. It demonstrated that the cumulative

energy use and greenhouse gas emissions generated in the

production of some fish meals and fish oils are less than

those generated in the production of common terrestrial

ingredients used in salmon diets. Further, terrestrial

ingredients most often rely on mono-cultures in which most

other flora and fauna are intentionally eradicated –

practices starkly contrasting purse seine fisheries with

minimal bycatch employed by much of our industry.

Therefore, responsibly-sourced fish meal and fish oil have a

smaller eco-footprint than many land-based ingredients

that have been substituted into carnivorous fish diets.

Fish used in the fish meal and fish oil industry are surplus to

the demand for direct-human consumption, or are left-

overs from the food market. Our industry adds value to this

otherwise unused raw material and provides a conduit to

get the nutrients from the ocean to the human food chain.

Approximately 90% of the world’s fish oil goes to fish feed

and direct human consumption – both are mechanisms of

delivering the ocean’s essential long chain omega-3s to

humans. The argument that fish would be more valuable

left in the sea ignores the enormous negative health effects

of withdrawing some 250,000 tonnes of long chain omega-

3s out of the food chain every year. I recommend you read

a special feature article newly published in Lipid Technology

(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1002/

lite.201500006/), in which many fallacies of the anti-fish

meal and fish oil arguments are debunked.

While many alternatives to fish meal and

fish oil have been offered over the last

decade, few have met the same level of

quality or are available in sufficient

quantity. For example, current terrestrial

plant-based substitutes (i.e., rapeseed

oil) only provide shorter chain omega-3s

(ALA), which do not convert efficiently in

humans to the biologically-active long

chains - EPA, DPA and DHA.

Alternatives, such as algae, have

become increasingly popular in niche

markets, but their current level of production cannot begin

to supply the demand for both the animal and human

nutrition markets. Therefore, fish meal and fish oil is the

most common and practical way to provide long chain

omega-3s.

Our industry should be proud and united in telling our story

– namely, that responsibly-sourced fish meal and fish oil are

sustainable, economical and practical ingredients that

provide essential nutrients to humans. We must continue

to educate all stakeholders about the products we are

producing and highlight our industry’s contribution to a

healthy and sustainable world.

Sources:

Pelletier, N., Tyedmers, P., Sonesson, U., Scholz, A., Ziegler, F.,

Flysjo, A., Kruse, S., Cancino, B., and H. Silverman. Not all

salmon are created equal: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of

Global Salmon Farming Systems. School for Resource and

Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Suite 5010 6100

University Ave, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5. – American

Chemical Society. Environmental Science and Technology.

Volume 43 number 23, 2009. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/

pdf/10.1021/es9010114

Byelashov, Alex. Report: Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids in

Animal Nutrition. SupplySide Omega-3 Insights. November

2014.

Bibus, D.M. 2015. Long-chain omega-3 from low-trophic-level

fish provides value to farmed seafood. Lipid Technology.

March 2015, Vol. 27, No.3.

Note: Guest columnists are invited by IFFO to contribute

their thoughts on important developments in our industry.

Any views given in these columns do not always reflect the

views of IFFO. Please contact us if you are interested in

contributing a column ([email protected]).

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IFFO NEWS UPDATE

5

IFFO NEWS UPDATE

Inside Codex: The Draft Standard for Fish oil

Report by Dr Gretel Bescoby

I recently attended the Codex Committee for Fats and Oils

(CCFO) meeting held in Malaysia where the proposed Draft

Standard for Fish Oil was high on the agenda. Representa-

tives from roughly 35 countries as well as four International

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs including IFFO)

were present.

The dealings kicked off with a meeting on the day I arrived

with a Member State country and an NGO to discuss our

views and garner support for their suggestions. I had to

defend IFFO’s views and also assure that we would not

oppose their proposals. The following day the meeting of the

physical Working Group (pWG) for the Draft Standard for

Fish Oil was held prior to the formal Codex plenary session.

The meeting was well attended and was chaired by the

representative from Switzerland, who had led the electronic

Working Group (eWG) that compiled the additional data

leading up to this meeting.

The working group began with an introduction and an

overview of the report by Switzerland, as well as the

recommendations of the eWG. The introduction was

followed by a section by section open discussion of the

revised Draft Standard for Fish Oil. Despite much anticipated

opposition, many sections of the Draft Standard were

accepted by the pWG. The main area of concern and

discussion was which oils should be included as “Named fish

oils” in the Description section along with their fatty acid

profiles in Table 1. The eWG had included anchovy, tuna and

cod liver oils as named oils based on their trade volumes and

significant number of fatty acid profile datasets. Additional

oils were suggested for inclusion as named fish oil, but to my

surprise despite the comments that IFFO submitted prior to

the meeting to motivate for the inclusion of menhaden oil, it

was not listed for possible inclusion. I raised my concern and

once again motivated to include menhaden oil as named oil

based on production volumes and the increasing use for

human consumption along with the significant number of

fatty acid profile datasets that had been submitted. The chair

agreed to provisionally include menhaden oil if I could

submit menhaden’s fatty acid ranges within an hour. After

some frenzied activity from my side I submitted the

requested data to Codex on time. However, the inclusion as

a possible named oil was the first hurdle and the next stage

would be at the formal Codex Fats and Oils plenary meeting

during the next few days.

Other named oils that were proposed to be included were

krill oil and salmon oil. The working group agreed to include

krill oil based on its high value but decided not to include

either farmed salmon oil or wild salmon oil at that instance

because the trade data submitted to the electronic working

group did not differentiate between farmed and wild salmon

oil. The decision was met with strong opposition by some

and after much debate during and after the working group it

was decided to include farmed and wild salmon if sufficient

fatty acid profile datasets for each are available. Concerted

efforts by the relevant participants provided the necessary

information and salmon (wild and farmed) got to be on the

provisional list.

The categories of devitaminized fish liver oil and extra low

oxidized fish oil were deleted mainly because it is traded in

low volumes. This led to the unexpected question by one

delegation which queried whether fish oil concentrates and

concentrated fish oil ethyl esters are traded in sufficient

quantities to justify the inclusion of these oils in the

standard. Once again prompt action was required by

interested parties to provide additional trade data volumes

of these oils to the plenary session of CCFO. Under the

Essential Composition and Quality Factors in section 3, it was

agreed to delete the criteria of oligomers and to maintain

the acid value and not to introduce further quality criteria.

The working group agreed that further time was needed to

provide information on food additives technologically

necessary in fish oils. The list of individual food additives

necessary will be discussed in the plenary session. Eventually

after roughly 4 hours of discussions the working group

agreed to the revised proposed draft Standard, which was to

to be considered by the CCFO at the plenary session.

In order to seal the deal for menhaden oil I needed to be

sure that other member countries would support its

inclusion at the plenary meeting. After discreet discussions

with the US delegates and various other countries I felt

quietly confident that the addition of menhaden oil would be

successful unless there were unexpected objections. The

IFFO attends Sustainable Fisheries Partnership EU Fisheries Forum

Director General Andrew Mallison and Head of Standards

Francisco Aldon attended the Sustainable Fisheries

Partnership EU Fisheries Forum in Madrid (25-26th

February) to participate in a panel discussion on sustainable

aquaculture feeds. IFFO also had an exhibit next to the

main conference room, displaying information on IFFO and

also the Responsible Supply (RS) standard.

The event is popular with European retailers and delegates

included representatives from Aldi, Carrefour, El Corte

Ingles, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury. Other major food

companies present included McDonalds, Nestle Purina and

Frinsa.

The main focus was on the various Fishery Improvement

Programs around the globe and the increasing number of

Aquaculture Improvement Programs – all designed to help

fisheries and fish farms that currently do not meet

environmental standards achieve certification. The IFFO RS

standard is being used as the target for programs in

Vietnam and Thailand and further projects are being

considered. IFFO also has its own Improver Program for

fishmeal and fish oil factories seeking certification.

As well as the panel on Sustainable Feeds, another panel on

Social Standards attracted a lot of attention, demonstrating

how concerned most seafood buyers are about the reports

of slavery and human rights abuses in the sector. One

important development was the launch of a new video

giving a simplified explanation of best practice on board

fishing vessels, reflecting the recommendations of the

International Labour Organisation Work in Fishing

Convention no. 188. Produced by the UK Seafish Industry

Authority to promote their Responsible Fishing Scheme, it is

available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=sqiapk3mlqw and also on the IFFO website. IFFO

members involved in fishing are recommended to view the

video and assess their conformance with these

recommendations.

discussion on the Standard for Fish Oil at the plenary

meeting was once again kicked off by an introduction by

the delegation of Switzerland on the report of the physical

Working Group detailing the area for further discussion or

of disagreement. The draft Standard was considered by the

Committee and amongst many other minor details that can

be seen in the CCFO 24 report the Committee agreed to

include Salmon oil (wild and farmed) as “Named fish oils”.

Menhaden Oil was mentioned but without further

discussion or objections it sailed through and is now part of

the Codex Standard as one of the “Named fish oils”.

A concern was raised by the Delegation of Chile that the

data presented for anchovy oil might not be representative

of the oil produced in Chile, which accounts for the 30% of

the global production, and needs to be confirmed by

official Chilean sources.

I also realised that this is a Standard for trade purposes

which is not necessarily based on scientific information.

One of the Member States initially requested Maximum

Levels for tocopherols of 12,000 mg/kg but later reduced

this to 6,000 mg/kg as that is what their traders currently

use. I raised my concern that it is well documented that

such high tocopherols levels in fact act as pro-oxidants,

especially in highly polyunsaturated oils such as fish oils,

but unfortunately my concern was not considered and the

Maximum Level for tocopherols was set at 6,000 mg/kg.

With much relief felt by

all, the Committee agreed

to forward the Proposed

Draft Standard for Fish

Oils to the Codex

Alimentarius Commission

meeting to be held in July

for adoption at Step 5 (out

of 8) with some provisions

and the need for

additional data.

The full CCFO24 report can be downloaded here. Please

note the paragraphs relevant to the Draft Standard for Fish

Oil are numbered 18 – 48 and the draft Standard for Fish

Oil can be found in Annex III.

The Committee requested additional information and

comments with regards to the following:

Additional information on the fatty acids profiles of

anchovy and krill oils and proposals for alternative texts

in Section 7.3 “Other Labelling Requirements” of the

proposed draft Standard for Fish Oils (please see

paragraph 44 in the report and Annex III for the Draft

Standard for Fish Oil).

Please submit any comments to us at [email protected]

and we collate the comments and submit them before the

deadline of 30th June 2016.

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IFFO NEWS UPDATE

7

UPDATE

IFFO NEWS

IFFO’s new members LinkedIn Group

We recently launched a new LinkedIn group for IFFO members to share and discuss the latest news, develop-ments and trends in our indus-try. The group is called ‘IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation’ and

has IFFO staff as members so that you can address any questions to us as well. Through this group we will also keep you updated on any news and reports, which are already being sent to you by email.

After a week, the group already has over 30 members with two discussion topics posted. We look forward to this group becoming sharing hub for members and welcome any feedback to ensure it is of use to your companies.

Please note that you will need to be a member of LinkedIn to access this group, for more information visit: https://www.linkedin.com/reg/join. This group is for IFFO members only and we ask that participants do not publish any confidential information or prices, or forward any information posted to non-members.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Fish Oil Market to Reach US$1.7 Billion by 2018 due to Flourishing Aquaculture Industry in China

The global fish oil market including the manufacture and sale of fish oil obtained from fishing as well as aquaculture, holds modest growth prospects in the future years, states a new report published by Transparency Market Research. The report is titled “Global Fish Oil Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and

Forecast, 2012 - 2018”.

The report states that the global market for fish oil will grow from US$1.1 billion in 2011 to US$1.7 billion by 2018, registering a CAGR of 5.05% between 2012 and 2018. The report states that the global fish oil market sold approximately 1,035 kilo ton of fish oil in 2011, a value that is expected to rise to 1,130 kilo ton by 2018, increasing at a CAGR of nearly 1.22% over the forecast period.

The report states that globally rising awareness about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids - of which fish oil is a primary source - for several purposes in the human body, is an important driver of the global market for fish oil. As the daily dietary intake of omega-3 increases across the globe, the demand for fish oil will also increase. However, the market is limited to a certain extent due to the static or reduced global production of fish oil in the past years.

The report segments the global fish oil market into chief application areas for fish oil, varieties of fish oil according to different species of fishes, and key regional markets.

The segment of application areas includes aquaculture, direct human consumption, and hydrogenated and

industrial purposes. The market segment of fish species is comprised of marine fish, salmon and trout, tilapias, carps, herrings, mackerels, and eels.

The report states that the application segment of aquaculture, where fish oil is used in fish feed, accounted for over 75% share of the global demand for fish oil in 2011. Most of the global consumption of fish oil is from trout and salmon fish farms in Peru and Chile. The segment of direct human consumption of fish oil appears as a distant second in the overall fish oil market. However, direct human consumption of fish oil has increased at a robust pace in the past few years due to the rising awareness about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy body.

Countries such as Denmark, Chile, and Peru are the leading producers of fish oil, collectively accounting for a more than 50% share of the market. In terms of consumption, the European region ranks at the topmost position primarily due to the presence of trout and salmon farming in large numbers in the region. Rising demand for omega-3 fatty acids to be included as a part of a regular diet has further augmented demands for fish oil in the European market. The market for fish oil has also increased at a rapid rate in the Asia-Pacific region over the past few years, especially from China due to the flourishing aquaculture industry in the country.

Browse the full Global Fish Oil Market for Aquaculture, Direct Human Consumption, Hydrogenation and Industrial Applications - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 - 2018 report at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fish-oil.html

Source: Transparencymarketresearch.com

Industry guide to prevent pirate products

A new industry guide has been issued to help ensure illegal fish, or ‘pirate’ products, is kept out of UK supply chains. The guide was issued by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and WWF-UK to inform UK industry, retailers and brands of the risks associated with Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. “We urgently need transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain, and to secure better governance that ensures the protection of our global seas and oceans. The technology and management instruments now exist to do this and, crucially, they are economically feasible,” said Steve Trent, executive director, EJF.

IUU fishing involves methods and practices that violate fisheries laws, regulations or conservation and management measures. Activities can include fishing in restricted areas or during closed seasons, targeting protected or unregulated fish species, using banned fishing methods and fishing without a licence. According to the guide, it’s a method that equates to a global annual cost of as much as US$23.5bn. In addition, the guide says there is often also a strong link between IUU fishing activities and human rights abuses on board fishing vessels.

BRC, EJF and WWF-UK say they now want to promote greater understanding and transparency to support global initiatives and policy developments that would further reduce risk of IUU products entering the UK. As a result, eight key recommendations have been made, including increased transparency and traceability of fish supplies, all large fishing vessels to have a unique identification to enable satellite tracking, improve port controls to prevent influx of ‘pirate’ fish supply and the EU to centrally coordinate a database of fish catches. “What is needed now is the full engagement of the corporate sector, alongside government and other key stakeholders. In taking these actions it is valuable to recall that pirate fishing vessels are devastating fish stocks and all too often stealing from some of the poorest people on our planet,” added Mr Trent.

Source: Worldfishing.net

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INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE

New standards underpinning the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) have been unanimously signed off by the RFS Oversight Board, widening the scope of the scheme to include social responsibility requirements. RFS, which was developed by Seafish in 2006, has been fully updated to improve its ability to meet the increasing need for the seafood supply chain to ensure responsible practice and traceability from sea to plate. The revised scheme will now include five core principles: Safety, health and welfare; Training and professional development; The Vessel and its mission; Treating fish as food and Care for the environment. Each vessel and crew will be expected to meet the requirements of either the Multiple Crewed or Singled Handed RFS standards. A range of Compliance Support Guides support the standards to outline exactly what is required to achieve the certification. The scheme's independent certification body Food Certification International Ltd (FCI) will be carrying out pilot RFS audits on vessels over the next few months, with a view to the first vessels being certified to the new standards during summer 2015. Once the new audit process is finalised FCI will formalise the application for the RFS scheme to be audited by UKAS for ISO17065 accreditation. This will ensure all vessel audits

carried out by FCI conform to these specified certification standards.

The RFS Oversight Board includes members from the catching, processing, wholesale, food service and retail sectors as well as representatives from environmental and safety and welfare groups. The standards have been modified with feedback following a 60 day public consultation. In addition to the vessel based standards Seafish is planning a Chain of Custody standard to ensure traceability throughout the whole supply chain. Helen Duggan, Head of Responsible Sourcing at Seafish, said: "Getting the standards signed off by the Oversight Board is a huge step forward to ensure we re-launch a scheme that supports a socially responsible seafood industry. For the first time, we can certify vessels which are demonstrating best practice in crew welfare and catching so seafood buyers can be confident that they are sourcing responsibly harvested products." The new standards are available to view on the Seafish website with Compliance Support Guides and Vessel Application packs available soon.

Source: Seafish.org

Revised Responsible Fishing Scheme standards given the green light

9

INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE

A lively discussion about fishmeal and fish oil — longtime afterthoughts now at the forefront of seafood sustainability — at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit on Wednesday started with the salient question: What exactly is a forage fish?

Dr. Konstantine Rountos, senior postdoctoral associate at the Institute for Ocean Conservation

Science, said that from a scientific perspective, there is no distinct definition of what a forage fish is. Small, schooling pelagic fish like anchovies and menhaden fit the bill. But do squid? Some say yes, others say no, he said.

“One thing that is consistent, is that they play an important and critical role in transferring energy from plankton to predators,” he said, adding that 25% of the global fish catch is forage fish for fishmeal and fish oil. “But humans are breaking the evolutionary defence strategy of these species; we have succeeded in getting rid of their strategy that has made them persist.”

The vast majority of global fishmeal and fish oil supplies are going to aquaculture and livestock production, said Dr Andrew Jackson, technical director of IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organization. Annual production of fishmeal globally sits at 5 million metric tons (MT), with 1 million MT of fish oil. Of that total, 3.2 million MT goes to aquaculture (up from 2.5 million MT in 2000) with 1.3 million MT being fed to pigs.

“Fishmeal has been pretty constant, but yet there’s a huge growing demand for it. The price was for a long time steady at USD 500 a ton, now it’s USD 2000 a ton,” said Jackson. “We must manage these stocks properly. We’re not going to argue on the need to do that, but fundamentally, instead of ‘mining’ them, if we ‘crop’ them, and use them as a

fundamental for human nutrition and agriculture, as an industry we should survive.”

The omega-3 fatty acids in fishmeal and fish oil are essential for farmed animals, particularly at their juvenile stages, he said. And that goes for fish raised in hatcheries released into the wild, such as a large chunk of Alaska’s wild salmon fishery. “If the fishmeal industry collapsed, so would a large part of Alaska’s wild salmon industry,” he said.

An encouraging development for the global seafood industry’s long-term prospects has been reformulating fish feed to reduce the dependency on forage fish stocks. Salmon feed used to have 40 percent fishmeal, said Jackson, but are now between 10% and 12%. In the near future, that figure could be as low as 5%. “A little bit goes a long way,” he said.

Naturally, the question of whether humans should eat forage fish directly was raised. Barton Seaver, chef, author and director of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Program at the Harvard School of Public Health, spoke on the cultural aspects and attitudes toward forage fish.

“They are part and parcel of our social fabric, and in the United States, a sad tale. All the sardine canneries in Maine are closed and the current forage fisheries participants, at least in this country, they’re rather divorced from the food system; 100% of herring goes to the lobster bait fishery. It could be part of the human diet, but they’re not concerned with it. They’re not able to dictate how their product is used. They don’t think of themselves as food producers.”

Jackson added that anchovy producers in Chile and Peru are canning more and more of their product but have difficulty in finding a market for it. “They would love to sell more canned fish. If the Peruvians could get the price that Scots get for mackerel they’d close their fishmeal plants like that. But there’s only so many anchovies you can eat on your pizzas and Caesar salads.”

Source: Seafoodsource.com

Essential forage fish have an identity crisis

Price increases outpace China fisheries volume growth

Prices appear to have grown much faster than volume in China’s 2014 seafood production. China’s output of seafood totalled 53.7 million metric tons (MT) in the first 11 months of last year — up 2.4% year-on-year. Output from aquaculture outpaced the overall growth rate: up 4.4% to 40.06 million MT, according to the agricultural

ministry in Beijing, which has released the data at its

traditional annual teleconference on the fisheries sector.

Output in value terms in the first three quarters of 2014 was worth CNY 577.3 billion (USD 93.41 billion; EUR 83.71 billion), up 8.9% on the previous year. While the ministry curiously didn’t release full-year data, product with “added value” (such as processed products) at CNY 349.5 billion in the first three quarters was up 9.2% year-on-year.

The total production from China’s fisheries sector meanwhile at 13.71 million MT was down 3.2% year on

10

INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE

The continuous increase in water temperature is altering the structure and function of marine ecosystems worldwide. In the North Atlantic Sea, the effect is even greater, since the average temperature increased up to 1.3°C over the last 30 years. The warming of ocean water is causing the appearance of fish species, peculiar to the Iberian Coast, in theoretically colder latitudes, as in waters close to Norway, the North or the Baltic Sea.

In early September, experts from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) said they had detected a spike in recruitment of hake near Norway, where its presence was testimonial before. Now a research, which has analyzed 57,000 fish census for 40 years, has just revealed that the warming of ocean water causes pelagic species such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel (or xarda) and horse mackerel to migrate to northern latitudes, as the North Sea or the Baltic Sea.

Until now, researchers had not been able to test whether the observed changes in the physiology of these species were the result of variations in plankton communities, their main prey - which global warming have changed their distribution and abundance - or whether they were direct consequence of the rise in water temperature.

The new study, published in Global Change Biology, highlights the importance of the second hypothesis as ultimately responsible for catch sub-tropicalization in the North and the Baltic Seas. This explanation is because

sardines and anchovies have been caught "even entering the Baltic Sea," where herring and sprat are moving back, Ignasi Montero-Serra, researcher in the Department of Ecology at the University of Barcelona and study’s lead author, said to SINC scientific news agency. The research, which is the first to be conducted at broader spatial and temporal scale, makes it possible to understand the dynamics of these species in relation to the rapid warming of the oceans that has been occurring since the 80s.

The results reveal that sardines and other fish - which have rapid life cycles, planktonic larval phase and low habitat dependence - are highly vulnerable to changes in ocean temperature, and therefore represent "an outstanding biomarker for measuring the direction and rate of climate change expected in the near future,” Montero-Serra explained. These pelagic species, besides having a high commercial value, play an important role in marine ecosystems and, according to the researchers, changes in this important ecological group “will impact on the structure and functioning of the entire ecosystem."

Source: FIS

Sardine, anchovy and mackerel migrate north due to ocean warming

year. But there was a bumper haul from what’s termed “offshore fishing,” as ocean fisheries production increased 40% to 1.9 million MT.

China has 2,470 vessels at sea, an increase of 311 vessels, “of which 285 are new boats,” according to the transcript of the teleconference presentation by Niu Dun, vice minister for agriculture who has responsibility for fisheries. Niu and director of the ministry fisheries directorate, Zhaoxing Wu, discussed the data with top fisheries officials nationwide.

China’s seafood trade data for 2014 looks similar in growth terms to last year. Exports of 3.73 million MT were worth USD 19.53 billion (EUR 17.59 billion), an increase of 4.8% and 7.3%, respectively. Imports totaled 3.92 million MT worth USD 8.36 billion (EUR 7.4 billion), an increase of 1.5% and 5.1%, respectively. In the first 11 months of 2014 China booked a trade surplus of USD 11.16 billion (EUR 9.88 billion) in seafood products, up 9% year-on-year.

The latest figures show growth levels flat with 2013 levels:

In the first 11 months of 2013 China recorded exports of 3.56 million tons worth USD 18.19 billion, up 4.3% and 7.4% respectively, for a trade surplus of USD 10.24 billion (an increase of 5.7% year on year).

Meanwhile, there’s a sign that wage and income growth has been easing in China: the average per capita income of Chinese fishermen reached CNY 14,426 (USD 2,344; EUR 2,066), up 10.6% on 2013 when the average income was CNY 13,039 (USD 2,108; EUR 1,866), a climb of 15.84% on 2012 figures. Central government subsidies to the sector have included fuel subsidies and a housing subsidy for fishermen in key freshwater and sea fishing provinces including Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Source: Seafoodsource.com

11

INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE

ENFEN February statement on El Niño

NEUTRAL CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG THE

PERUVIAN COAST FOR SUMMER 2015

(5 February 2015) The Committee

responsible for the national study of

the El Niño phenomenon (ENFEN) met

to analyze and update the information

regarding the meteorological,

oceanographic, biological-fishing and

hydrological conditions for the month

of January.

Along the length of the Peruvian coast

there was a general continuation of

the neutral sea surface temperatures,

air temperature and average sea

level. The El Niño Coastal Index (region Niño 1+2) for the

months of November, December 2014 and January 2015

remained in the neutral range. During the month of March

the arrival of a weak, warm Kelvin wave is anticipated which

is not expected to produce significant ambient variations

along the Peruvian coast.

Throughout the month of January, the South Pacific

Anticyclone (APS) presented an anomaly of up to +5 hPa at

its nucleus, with a southern

configuration to the south of its

normal position. During the first

of the month, the approach of

the APS towards the

Southamerican coast caused the

intensification of the south-

westerly wind and coastal

upwelling. Therefore, in the last

week of the month, its

southwest displacement resulted

in a weakening of the coastal

wind along the Peruvian coast.

The sea surface temperature off

the coast of the Peru remained

around its normal value with

slightly negative anomalies

despite de arrival of the

anticipated Kelvin wave1. Nevertheless, during the last days

of the month, a rise in temperature was observed in waters

just off the coast, associated with the approximation of the

subtropical surface waters (ASS), as a consequence of the

weakening of the winds, mainly along the central and

southern Peruvian coasts. In the same way, the air

temperature and the average sea level registered

approximately normal values.

Landings of anchovy from the artisanal fisheries were

registered in Chimbote, Callao, Pisco, with mainly adults.

However, in the cruise in the southern region between the

coast and 50 nautical miles (nm), the anchovy was

distributed within the 10 nm as a result of the approxima-

tion of the ASS.

The El Niño Coastal Index (ICEN), the monitoring of which is

carried out in the region Niño 1+2, indicated a value of 0.35°

C for the month of December, remaining within the neutral

range as in the previous month. The hydrological conditions

of the rivers along the northern coast have been

characterized by remaining within normal values during the

month of January. On the other hand, in the last week of

January, rainfall in the high ground of the southern sierra

has favoured an increase in the available volume of the

reservoirs, although some are still deficient. The main

reservoirs on the northern coast registered 45% of capacity

and the southern coast 30%.

OUTLOOK

In the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the propagation of a new

warm Kelvin wave has been observed, which is expected

during the month of March. However, due to its current

intensity, it is not expected to have a significant impact on

the Peruvian coast. During what remains of the summer, off

the coast of the Peru it is expected that sea surface

temperature, air temperature and average sea levels, will

present generally normal conditions.

For the next two months, in the region Niño 1+2, the global

numerical models indicate neutral conditions. Meanwhile,

for the region Niño 3.4, there are signs of weak warm

conditions. It is expected that for the month of February

water levels will continue to increase due to seasonal

reasons. However, it still cannot be ruled out that the warm

conditions in the central Pacific Ocean will cause, on

average, poor rainfall in the South-western slope of the

Andes over the next two months.

The ENFEN multi-sectorial committee, according to the

analysis of the current conditions and the results of global

numerical models, foresees neutral conditions in the region

Nino 1 + 2 for the next two months. The ENFEN Committee

will continue monitoring and reporting on the evolution of

the current conditions.

12

UPDATE

source of protein for aqua feed and animal feeds. Harinder Makkar, livestock production officer at the FAO has been looking into the possibilities of using non-toxic Jatropha kernel meal in animal and fish diets. The animal feed industry is growing at a rapid pace, and production is switching to intensively managed high-input systems. The main input in any livestock production system is feed, and demand for feed for aquatic organisms is expected to nearly triple by the end of the decade.

For fish and shrimp feeds, the most pressing need is to find alternative protein sources. Several studies performed on partial replacement of protein sources, especially fishmeal, by detoxified J.- curcas kernel meal (DJKM), heated J.- platyphyllakernel meal (H-JPKM) and detoxified jatropha protein isolate (DJPI) in fish and shrimp diets are presented in the study.

The most commonly used source of supplemental protein

in diets for non-ruminants is (soybean meal) SBM because of its excellent amino acid profile and dependable supply. In a typical pig diet, soybean supplies about 50% of the protein and amino acids and about 25% of the metabolizable energy. Wang et al. (2011) investigated the effects of replacing SBM by detoxified J.- curcas kernel meal (DJKM) in the diet of the growing pig. The result showed that incorporating detoxified Jatropha kernel meal had no ill effects on health and could replace 50% soymeal protein in diets of growing pigs.

Source: AllAboutFeed.net

ALTERNATIVES AND INNOVATION

Jatropha kernel meal a viable protein source

The first commercial fly farm in the world will begin operations in South Africa, as part of a project to produce sustainable feed for fish and chicken from fly larvae. AgriProtein, a South African farming company, proposes a double advantage with its so-called MagMeal product: It can replace costly fishmeal by a sustainable, natural source of protein for farmed animals as well as eliminate garbage.

The plant can house more than 8 billion flies and produce 22 tonnes of larvae every day. The company has an agreement with Cape Town’s waste disposal agency, helping them to deal with the garbage of a city of four million inhabitants.

The company, which received funds from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has raised USD 11million to build its first two commercial farms, which will each house 8.5 billion flies. These facilities will be the first in a series of 40 such farms to be developed. The business is also supported by private companies such as Australia’s Twynam Group, Germany’s s.Oliver group, Business Insider reported. Although AgriProtein has South African approval, it is still banned in Europe due to a regulation prohibiting the feeding of livestock with processed meat, and MagMeal falls into this category.

Source: FIS.com

World’ largest fly farm producing fish feed to be launched

Bioaccumulation of metals, mainly Cadmium, is one of the main risks when insects are used for animal feed. Mycotoxins in the larvae tested don’t seem to be a direct problem. This was shown by research done by a consortium of partners, published in the Insects as Food and Feed Journal.

The researchers analysed nine samples of larvae for over 1.000 of the chemical risks that are routinely monitored to ensure the safety of animal feed (and also food). The larvae were raised in UK, China, Mali and Ghana.

It was shown that a significant and recurring risk is the potential bioaccumulation of metals in insects and in

particular Cadmium. It was found in all samples, but extremely high levels were found in three samples of the Musca domestica (house fly) larvae. The researchers address that further studies are required to determine the source of Cadmium and if this heavy metal in the insects can be transferred from the insect meal in the feed to farm animals.

Source: AllAboutFeed.net

Cadmium is a risk when insects are used in feed

13

EWOS invests USD 9.5 million in a

new research centre named EWOS Fish Health Centre. The centre will be located in the Los Lagos region of Chile. Construction begins today. “Food is important for health – this is the case for fish as well. Feed is a key

part of the solution to improving fish health. Through research and innovation, we will offer our customers the best health feed products that can possibly be made,” commented EWOS CEO Einar Wathne. The Board of EWOS Group has decided to invest over 80 million kroner in a new EWOS Fish Health Centre. The unit will be located in the Los Lagos region of Chile. Building permits and other necessary licenses are in place, and EWOS will start construction today February 23rd. Source: EWOS

Croda had launched two new flavours

of Incromega 3mulsion DHA, a creamy liquid Omega 3 product that is ideally delivered in single-serve sachets or by spoon from the bottle. The new

flavours, Blueberry & Lemon and Peach & Mango, join the original Lemon flavoured emulsion, of which one single-serve 5g sachet or spoonful provides the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) daily recommended intake of 250mg/day of the components of Omega 3 that are recognised as being beneficial to health, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Croda’s Nutritional Sales Director, Gerry Purnell, said “Incromega 3mulsion DHA offers a delicious way for consumers to gain the health

benefits associated with DHA without the need to swallow a capsule, making it a great choice for all ages but especially children, seniors and during pregnancy.” Source: Croda

New GAA fund to boost availability

of certified seafood worldwide. GAA is launching an initiative to finance a range of projects to further responsible aquaculture, and ultimately increase the availability of certified seafood production worldwide, the organization has announced at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. GAA is creating the yet-to-be-named fund, beginning with $250,000, to support improver projects designed to make an enduring and tangible difference on the ground in the field of aquaculture. It invites stakeholders to co-finance projects in line with GAA’s mission of feeding the world through responsible aquaculture, including individuals, researchers, academics and industry members. The fund is being administered by the Responsible Aquaculture Foundation. Source: Undercurrentnews.com

Exalmar reported a 855% net profit

jump to $14 million by Dec. 31, on the back of a 31% increase in sales value, year-on-year. In 2014, Peru’s fishmeal industry was hit by a ‘moderate’ El Nino weather phenomenon, which saw poor anchovy catches and, as a consequence, fishmeal prices soared. This is reflected in Exalmar's fishmeal and fish oil sales value, which

increased by 22% to $187.4m in 2014, compared to the previous year. Average price of fishmeal for the first season of 2014 increased by 18.2% to 1,863/t, year-on-year, according to the Peruvian fishmeal producer.

In Q4, fishmeal prices averaged $2,050/t, while, by the end of 2014, remaining stock was sold at an approximate price of $2,300/t,

according to Exalmar. As a result of higher initial anchovy stocks in 2013's second season (2.3m metric tons compared to 810,000t in 2012), Exalmar sold 91,809t of fishmeal by Dec. 31, 15% up year-on-year. The value also increased by 14% to $146m. For fish oil, sales totaled 19,394t, valued at $39.6m, 72% up, year-on-year. The company also reported higher production volumes and sales in its food fish division to $33.5m, representing 15% of total sales by end of 2014, from 9% over the same time a year ago. Source: Undercurrent-news.com

Video on Efficiency in Aquaculture Water Consumption.

A video posted on The Fish Site, shows the head of technical services at IRTA, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Ricard Carbó, explains the water recirculation system used in aquaculture facilities and its

effects on the reduction of water consumption. This is one of the ITACA project video tutorials that will aim to improve the management of African tilapia fish farms. The ITACA project is co-funded by the European Union through the 10th European Development Fund and the African Component of the ACP Research Programme for Sustainable Development. Source: TheFishsite.com

Nutreco is to commercially launch a

reduced-fishmeal shrimp feed product early in 2015, the firm's management revealed during conference calls for its 2014 financial results. 'MicroBalance' has been in the works for years, but commercial trials in Ecuador, Brazil and Vietnam were successfully completed by the end of 2014, and a launch is expected in the coming months, said Nutreco CEO Knut Nesse. This product

NEWS IN BRIEF UPDATE

BUSINESS

14

UPDATE

is expected to be “commercially meaningful” for Skretting, Nutreco's fish feed division, for a number of

reasons, he said. One is that, with fishmeal prices at an all-time high, a switch to reduced fishmeal diets is in the interests of the whole production chain. Having already brought the fishmeal content in its salmon feed down from 30% to 5%, Nutreco has got the content in its MicroBalance shrimp feed down from 25% to 15%; “by no means the end stage”. In 2014, 40.7% of Skretting's sales came from non-salmonid feeds. This was up from just 20% a few years ago. Its acquisitions through 2013 and 2014 took it into eight new markets, and several new species, including shrimp. Source: Undercurrentnews.com

Aller Aqua Group has, in

cooperation with IFU (Investment Fund for Developing Countries), bought the majority of an Egyptian family company in 2011. In 2014 the company has finished a brand new state of the art fish feed factory in Egypt. It is this factory – Egypt’s largest and most modern production of environmentally friendly, extruded fish feed – which is

going to be inaugurated.

Aller Aqua Egypt, as the Egyptian company is called, has in this connection invested a large sum of money in the area called ”6th of October City”, situated a 1 hour drive from Cairo.

“The momentum we have managed to create in Egypt since 2011 creates the basis for this extraordinary expansion, giving us the opportunity to triple

sales” explains Henrik Halken, Chairman of Aller Aqua Egypt. Henrik continues: “We are very excited to welcome more than 200 guests to Aller Aqua Egypt on Tuesday the 3rd of March. Source: Aller Aqua Group

Indonesia to Double Aquaculture

Production. The Indonesian government has set a target to achieve 31 million tons of fish from aquaculture by 2019, a two-fold increase compared to the current yearly production. “In the next five years, the country aims to jack up fish farming production to 31.3 million tons

per year, valued at Rp 365.8 trillion ($28.67 billion),” said Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Soesilo. Currently, the country produces only 13.3 million tons of fish from farming worth Rp 112.70 trillion, reports the JakartaPost. Production comprises 22 million tons of seaweed and nine million tons of fish, Indroyono added. To reach the target, the government will expand farming areas up to 26.80% within the next five years from 10.80% currently. According to Indroyono, the government would focus on shrimp, ornamental fish, grouper and red snapper in oceanic fisheries, while freshwater fisheries would focus on edible nila, patin and catfish. Source: TheFishSite.com

Mexican tuna certification process

moves forward. The head of the National Commission of Aquaculture

and Fisheries (CONAPESCA), Mario Aguilar Sanchez, ensures that the evaluation process several tuna companies in the country are

undergoing to obtain certification of sustainable fisheries by the international organization Marine

Stewardship Council (MSC) "is on the right path." The Mexican tuna fishery has already been awarded recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for its sustainable fishing practices. CONAPESCA commissioner recalled that four of the largest Mexican companies that catch yellowfin tuna - integrating the Pacific Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (APAS) - established an agreement to initiate an assessment process to obtain MSC certification, a process that is "progressing well". The fishing firms involved are Grupomar, Herdez, Pesca Azteca and Pesca Chiapas. The Alliance has been working for a year and a half ago to formally enter the certification process of the Mexican fishery by the MSC. Source: FIS.com

Spain: ‘Smart tags’ allow packaged

fish freshness control. A team of scientists from the University of Burgos developed a ‘smart tag’ that makes it possible to know the freshness of fish packed through a change of colour

perceptible to human eye. This new

technology, which has already been patented, consists of a new polymeric material with colorimetric properties,

NEWS IN BRIEF

COUNTRY

15

which changes colour in the presence of biogenic amines. The amount of biogenic amines in fish is an indicator of product microbial spoilage, and its optimum state for consumption as well. The researchers who developed this technology emphasize its versatility in design and employment. Smart tags may have different formats, depending on the needs, allowing the coating with other polymeric and non-polymeric materials by conventional methods, such as printing, Burgos University reported. The proponents of this initiative focused on food quality and safety of packed fish, for the consumer and the food industry to reliably control fish products. Source: FIS.com

Estonian fish suppliers have

announced they will increase the production of fishmeal in response to an oversupply crisis on the domestic fish market provoked by the Russian authorities ban on the import of sprat and anchovy to the country plus a sharp reduction of demand in Ukraine’s market, reported Estonian publication "Capital". Valdur Noormyagi, head of the Union of Estonian Fisheries recognises that small producers and firms are facing a difficult situation. "We're currently searching for new markets, there are even attempts to sell fish to Africa", he said. According to him, one of the temporary solutions which the

producers are currently using is transferring the selling of raw fish to the production of fishmeal for compound feed. The fishmeal will be sold domestically and also to other European markets.

Noormyagi added that the search for new markets will not solve the current issues with sales: "We could sell 500 tonnes to Africa; whilst losing 3,000 tonnes in Crimea [Estonia supplied 3,000 tonnes of fish to Crimea in 2013]. In grocery warehouses there are tens of thousands of tonnes of food, which, because of sanctions by the Russian Federation, remain unsold, including 35,300 tonnes of fish products. Source: AllAboutFeed.net

Scandinavian herring roe starting

to deliver on omega-3 promise. Herring by-products like immature roe are proving a bountiful source for omega-3s in Norway, with research showing strong market potential. The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund

(FHF) has begun a project, ‘Market opportunities for immature roe from North Sea herring (NSH) and Norwegian spring spawning herring (NSSH)’.

Herring roe is phospoholipid and omega-3 (EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)) loaded and is already on-market in the UK, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand with major supplement manufacturers like Nordic Naturals. Wenche Emblem Larssen and associates produced the report and said: “The herring industry has previously only exploited spawning or matured roe a limited period, when roe offers the greatest yield and the best sensory properties. The differences in egg size and nutritional content of immature versus mature roe are thus smaller than previously assumed.” “Recent studies however

have identified market opportunities of immature roe both for consumption and as an ingredient.” The Norwegian herring roe fishery is Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) approved meaning it has met certain criteria regarding its sustainability. Source: NutraIngredients-usa.com

A new study suggests that global warming may increase upwelling in

several ocean current systems around the world by the end of this century, especially at high latitudes, and will cause major changes in marine biodiversity. Since upwelling of colder, nutrient-rich water is a driving force behind marine productivity, one possibility may be enhancement of some of the world's most important fisheries. However, solar heating due to greenhouse warming may also increase the persistence of “stratification,” or the horizontal layering of ocean water of different temperatures. The result could be a warm, near-surface layer and a deep, cold layer.

If this happens to a significant extent, it could increase global hypoxic, or low-oxygen events, decouple upwelling from the supply of nutrient-rich water, and pose a significant threat to the global function of fisheries and marine ecosystems. The projected increase in upwelling, in other words, appears

clear and definitive. But researchers say its biological impact is far less obvious, which is a significant concern. These upwelling systems cover less than 2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 7% to global marine primary production, and 20% of global fish catches. Source: FIS.com

NEWS IN BRIEF UPDATE

RESEARCH

16

3-5 March North Atlantic Seafood Forum—Bergen, Norway

27 March IFFO / JCI Fishmeal and Fish Oil Forum - Guangzhou City, China

13 April IFFO Board Meeting—Miami, USA

14-15 April Members Meeting—Miami, USA

Details to be provided shortly

21-23 April Seafood Expo—Brussels, Belgium

20-24 May World of Seafood— Bangkok, Thailand

26-30 May World Aquaculture 2015 AquaForum—Jeju Island, South Korea

3 June IFFO China Regulations Seminar - London, UK

4 June IFFO Marine Ingredients Certification Seminar - London, UK

7-9 June Aquavision - Stravanger, Norway

5-9 September World Seafood Congress— Grimsby, UK

28-30 September IFFO 2015 Annual Conference—Berlin, Germany

1 October IFFO Board Meeting—Berlin, Germany

17-19 November Food Matters Live - London, UK

Contact Us IFFO, Unit C, Printworks, 22 Amelia Street London, SE17 3BZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)2030 539 195 Fax: +44 (0)2030 539 196 e-mail: [email protected] www.iffo.net

CALENDAR UPDATE