Eurofish magazine 6 2013

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Armenia: Explosive growth in fi sh exports

Trade and Markets: Seafood imports are the backbone of the European market

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Investments in trout farming sharply boost production

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www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 3

In this issue

Poland: is the EU member country with the largest share of the EU’s total Axis 4 budget at approximately 40.

In absolute terms this amounts to EUR235m and shows the importance of fisheries both marine and inland,

as well as aquaculture, for communities across the country. These funds are managed by Fisheries Local

Action Groups (FLAGs), partnerships between fisheries actors and other local private and public stake-

holders in a region. Eurofish Magazine had a chance to visit two of the 48 FLAGs that Poland hosts to get an

idea of the issues and the opportunities that these bodies provide the community. Read more from page 20

Armenia: Trout farming in Armenia has grown explosively over the last two decades. The availability of

high quality water at the right temperature and in sufficient quantities has provided the foundation for

an aquaculture industry that produces trout and sturgeon among other species. The fish is mainly con-

sumed locally though about a fifth of the production is exported to Russia and other countries in Eastern

Europe. The ministry of agriculture has outlined a development strategy for the sector which aims at

almost tripling production to 25,000 tonnes by 2015. Read more from page 44

Serbia: Landlocked Serbia has a freshwater aquaculture sector, which, though small in terms of the national

economy, has shown several positive trends over the last decade. These include an increase in the number

and efficiency of farms, improvements in product quality, and marked growth in the production of carp. In

addition, the consumption of fish has been rising. Fish farming is dominated by the extensive cultivation of

carp in ponds and the intensive cultivation of trout in raceways or cage systems. Among the reasons for the

increase in production is better farm management following the privatisation of farms as well as the intro-

duction of extruded feeds. Collaboration between research institutes, feed producers and fish farmers has

resulted in feeds that have improved the nutritional quality of fish meat with more omega-3 fatty acids and

improved omega-3 to omega-6 ratios. Read more on the Serbian aquaculture sector from page 48

Aquaculture: Tanks or other containers, are one of the fundamental pieces of equipment in almost all

aquaculture facilities. They perform a variety of functions – to hold the fish in hatcheries, or at the grow-

out stage, as receptacles for live feed, and as temporary storage or transport facilities. To fulfil this array

of functions tanks and basins come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and of course, costs. Fac-

tors that influence tank design include climatic conditions, environmental regulations, and production

requirements. Broadly, tanks can be divided into flow-through systems like raceways, and round tanks,

which differ from each other in their design and in their effective water exchange rates, which refers to

how rapidly the water in a tank is refreshed. As aquaculture becomes more widespread the simple tank

is evolving into something increasingly sophisticated. Read more on page 52

Algae: Interest in the production of macro and microalgae is growing as ever more uses are being

found for them. Algae as food have long been appreciated in parts of East Asia as they provide valuable

minerals, trace elements, and also omega-3 fatty acids. Algae are also the source of useful ingredients

that have applications in the food and nutraceutical industries. Since they are relatively easy to cultivate

experiments are being carried out to see if algae can be effectively used to compensate for nutrients that

are released by fish farms and whether they can be used as an ingredient in fish feed. Another potential

use of algae that is attracting global attention is as bio fuel. Read Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on these

versatile protists from page 56

Polish FLAGS see opportunities in sustainability

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4 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013

Table of News 6 International News

Events 16 Seafood Barcelona, 22-24 October 2013

Quality bacalao combines Icelandic raw material with a Spanish chef!

17 Fish international 2014 spotlights fi sh farming

American experts bring aquaculture workshop to Europe

18 CONXEMAR-FAO Whitefi sh Congress, 30 September, Vigo

Unique opportunity to explore market trends

Poland 20 Innovation and knowledge will play a greater role in the Polish

aquaculture sector

Environmental benefi ts of fi sh farming need to be promoted

26 Polish inland fi sheries

Economic importance to rural areas

30 The Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre grows fi sh for

research, restocking, and revenue

A focus on sturgeon and other high-value species

32 Bogaczewo – Lake fi sheries and more

Diversifi cation at its best

34 FLAGs of opportunity

Helping communities become sustainable

37 First-sales centre

Advantages for fi shers, buyers, and authorities

38 Polish Fish Industry Congress, 16–18 October 2013, Bolszewo

Fish marketing should focus on greater value addition

40 BMC - What you see is what you get!

Graduating from trading to processing

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Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 5

Contents 42 Fishing, processing, port management, and shipbuilding

Szkuner is the heart of Władysławowo

Armenia 44 Fish farming in Armenia is fl ourishing

High quality contributes to explosive growth in fi sh exports

Serbia 48 Serbia watches its aquaculture industry grow

Carp is still king

Aquaculture 52 Fish-farming tanks: form and function

Fixed solutions or modular concepts?

Aquatic Plants 56 Algae production in aquaculture

Valuable foods and versatile industrial raw materials

Trade and Markets 59 The EU depends on imports to satisfy its demand for fi sh

Imports support EU fi sh and seafood processing

Guest Pages: Jacob Færgemand 63 The explosion of certifi cation and labelling programmes

Moving slowly towards consensus

Service 62 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

Worldwide Fish News

Brussels page 6

Canada page 13

China pages 8, 15

Denmark pages 8, 12, 15

Estonia page 6

EU page 10

France page 14

Greece page 7

Italy pages 11, 13

Lithuania pages 6, 15

Norway pages 12, 14

Russia page 10

Spain pages 13, 14

US page 8

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

Estonia: Baltic sturgeon resettlement project launchedTh e fi rst individuals of the criti-

cally endangered sturgeon spe-

cies Acipenser sturio were recently

introduced into Estonian waters.

Th e Ministry of the Environment

said the hope is that the new pro-

gramme will revive the species,

commonly known as the European

sea sturgeon among other names,

in the eastern corner of the Baltic,

where it was once native. Cur-

rent conditions are optimum for

a revival, the ministry said. Scien-

tists say water quality in the lower

Narva River is now acceptable.

Similar eff orts have been launched

in Germany and Poland and indi-

cations are that success is possible.

Four hundred fi ngerlings – one-

year-old specimens raised in Can-

ada – are being introduced into the

stretch of river below the fall line.

One hundred of them are marked.

Th e project cost is EUR 24,000. Th e

last sturgeon was caught in Esto-

nian waters in 1996, when a 290 cm,

136 kg fi sh became entangled in

a Baltic herring dragnet off the

island of Muhu – technically illegal,

because the fi sh was not released.

Th e preserved fi sh is on display at

the Natural History Museum.

Lithuania: Training course in recirculation technologies for aquaculture specialists A training course in recirculat-

ing aquaculture systems (RAS) for

breeding and farming commer-

cially valuable species, including

sturgeon, pike, perch, eel, and

rainbow trout, was held by the

Vilkauda Fisheries Local Action

Group (FLAG) on 18–19 September

2013. Th e course was held in the

conference centre in Backoniu vil-

lage, Kaišiadoriu district. Th is intro-

duction to RAS technologies was

meant to increase the awareness of

the course participants about the

possibilities off ered by these sys-

tems. Th e courses were attended by

35 participants from 20 Lithuanian

aquaculture farms.

Information about the latest devel-

opments in closed and semi-closed

recirculating aquaculture systems

was presented by Julian de Bondt

from the Dutch company Hesy;

Professors M. Szczepkowski and

Z. Zakes, from the Inland Fishery

Institute (Olsztyn, Poland); and

Mr M. Juchniewicz, owner of a

Polish trout farm that employs

state-of-the-art RAS technology.

Mr J. Kondratien.e from the Lithu-

anian Food and Veterinary Service

introduced participants to the most

recent EU requirements for the

production, marketing and sale of

farmed fi sh and seafood. Th e pres-

entations were well received by the

participants.

On the second day participants

visited two fi sh farms, where RAS

technologies are in use. Th e fi rst

farm, Leteka UAB, located near

the town of Palanga, was com-

pleted in spring 2013. Th e farm

was designed by the fi rm Hesy and

has a total capacity of 80 tonnes

of commercial eel. Currently,

the farm rears glass-eels, and

Mr S. Jankauskas, one of the

Participants at a training course on recirculation aquaculture systems

organised by the Vilkauda FLAG in Lithuania.

co-owners, reported that the

results were better than expected.

Th e next visit was to the town of

Taurag.e, where the farm Tauru

žuvys UAB employs RAS technol-

ogy to raise rainbow trout. Th e farm

was designed and built three years

ago by the owner Mr J. Daugveckas,

who has implemented many origi-

nal ideas that the course partici-

pants examined in great detail.

In summarising the two-day project

Vytautas Andriuškevicius, Director

of the National Association of Aqua-

culture and Fish Products Produc-

ers, underlined the value of such

programmes for the future develop-

ment of aquaculture in Lithuania.

He also emphasised the vital role

played by the European Fisheries

Fund and its fi nancial assistance to

the Lithuanian FLAGs.

Brussels: FEAP sees major role for EU in development of European aquaculture

Th e Federation of European Aqua-

culture has re-elected Arnault

Chaperon to serve as President

of FEAP for another three-year

term. Mr Chaperon was re-elected

unanimously by the 35 repre-

sentatives of the diff erent national

member associations at a meet-

ing on 5 November. At the same

event Yvette White, who represents

French aquaculture producers, was

honoured with the 2013 FEAP Award

of Excellence. Ms White’s career

started in the private fi sh farming

sector in the UK and then France,

where she worked for the Stolt Sea

Farm Group. She later held leading

positions in French aquaculture

associations and was awarded the

Légion d’Honneur, France’s most

prestigious civilian honour.

Th e next day, 6 November, FEAP

held the second edition of its

annual aquaculture event Aqua-

culture in Motion, where the

EU’s “Strategic guidelines for

the sustainable development

of European aquaculture” were

discussed. FEAP representatives

presented their ideas on how

European aquaculture should

develop saying that while national

plans were the responsibility of

each Member State all the players

– national, European, producers,

researchers, and NGOs – had a

role to fulfi l. According to FEAP,

Europe should remain respon-

sible for assuring a level playing

fi eld, clear and accurate infor-

mation for the consumers, com-

munication and promotion of EU

aquaculture products, the promo-

tion of producer and inter-branch

organisations and improving

research and development for the

industry.

6 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com

04_News_INT.indd 1 05/12/13 12:55 PM


Greece: No longer leading seabass and bream supplier

According to the Financial Times,

Greece has lost its crown as the

world’s largest producer of seabass

and bream to Turkey. Greece’s

seabass and bream industry, one

of its most important agricultural

exports, is the victim of tight-

ened bank fi nancing and lower

demand by Mediterranean con-

sumers, the leading European

buyers of white fi sh. According

to the Hellenic Foreign Trade

Board, fi sh, mainly farmed sea-

bass and bream, is Greece’s sec-

ond largest agricultural export

after fruits and nuts, surpass-

ing olive oil and cheese. Until

last year, Greece led the EUR

1.5 billion industry in Europe,

but according to the UN Food

and Agricultural Organisation

(FAO), the country’s production

of seabass and bream is pro-

jected to fall 7 to 94,000 tonnes

in 2013. Turkey is likely to see

its output rise more than 12 to

108,000 tonnes.

A sharp rise in overall seabass and

bream supplies has weighed on

prices at a time when feed costs

are rising, squeezing margins

sharply. Many of the highly lever-

aged Greek producers have been

hit, with companies “suff ering

from tight credit and rising costs

on feed, putting many fi rms in the

red,” said the FAO, quoted in the

Financial Times. Many farms in

need of cash have been forced to

harvest their cages and sell small

fi sh, which has had a negative

impact on overall tonnages pro-

duced.

Turkish output of seabass and seabream is likely to rise more than

12% to 108,000 tonnes in 2013 displacing Greece as the world’s largest

producer of seabass and seabream, according to the FAO.

Th e Turkish industry has been

supported by a growing economy

and government aquaculture

subsidies. An industry-wide mar-

keting eff ort to promote seafood

to new markets has helped Turk-

ish companies in the sector to

diversify their export destinations

to include northern Europe, Rus-

sia, and the Middle East. Turkish

companies have also developed

fi lleted fi sh products for export

markets, which are easier to sell

in supermarkets in countries that

have not been big seabass and

bream consumers.

Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 7www.eurofi shmagazine.com

04_News_INT.indd 2 05/12/13 12:56 PM

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Denmark: Salmon ShowHow 2014 moves to CopenhagenMarel’s Salmon ShowHow, an

event dedicated to the global

salmon processing industry, has

moved to a purpose-built loca-

tion named Progress Point just

fi ve minutes from Copenhagen’s

airport. Th e company has held

this event since 2001 at its Nør-

resundby site in Jutland and the

move to Copenhagen is likely to

benefi t the many international

customers who will be attending.

Marel sells to salmon processors

the world over and the Salmon

ShowHow will demonstrate the

latest equipment, integrated

systems as well as stand-alone

machines, in the new facility.

Progress Point boasts 2,900 sq.

m of demonstration halls, meet-

ing rooms, a large auditorium,

as well as dining and entertain-

ing areas. Attendees will not only

benefi t from the live demonstra-

tions of the equipment through-

out the day, but will also be able

to discuss the latest trends within

the industry with their peers, and

hear experts address some of the

key issues facing the sector today.

Th e Salmon ShowHow is on 5 Feb-

ruary 2014. For more information

about the event, visit www.marel.

com/salmonshowhow or write to

[email protected].

China: Focus on premium products drives success of seafood showChina’s economy although no

longer growing in double digits

is still expanding at a respectable

7-8 percent a year. Th is growth

is boosting disposable incomes

and swelling the size of the Chi-

nese middle class. Among the

signs of greater prosperity is the

tendency to spend more on sea-

food, as well as the increased

frequency of eating outside the

home. A survey by the Hong

Kong Trade Development Coun-

cil (HKTDC) reports that 67 of

the respondents said they liked

going out and spending more

now refl ecting higher incomes

and increasing urbanisation.

According to Zhang Yumei, a

fi sheries specialist at the Agri-

culture Information Institute at

China’s Academy of Agricultural

Sciences, China consumed 3 mil-

lion metric tonnes of seafood in

2011 outside of the home, signifi -

cantly higher than 1.15 million

mt in 2000. Th e Asian Seafood

Exposition, an event organised

by Diversifi ed Business Commu-

nications, capitalised on these

trends with an increased focus

on premium products includ-

ing salmon, crab and lobster,

abalone, sea urchin, sea cucum-

ber, and oysters. Research by

the HKTDC reveals increased

interest in imported products in

the face of persistent concerns

about domestically produced

food items. Of the 7,500 attend-

ees from 75 countries many

were volume seafood buyers,

representing the retail, whole-

sale and food service sectors,

Seafood buyers and suppliers from around the world come to do

business in the Hong Kong and Asia Pacifi c markets.

who were particularly interested

in products for the upper end of

the market, says Ms. Mary Lar-

kin, Vice President of Seafood

Expositions. A dynamic Chinese

economy is feeding a general

sense of optimism among exhib-

itors that has resulted in 80 of

the fl oor space already being

renewed for the 2014 edition of

the event, when it will be rechris-

tened Seafood Expo Asia.

US: Victory for Alaskan salmon fi shing industryAfter ending its partnership last

year with the Marine Steward-

ship Council (MSC), the seafood

world’s most prominent sustaina-

bility certifi cation group, in favour

of its own labelling eff orts, the

Alaskan salmon industry appear

to have won the fi ght, recently

saying that it was standing fi rm

in its decision to drop the outside

certifi cation group. In an eff ort to

save money and reduce what they

considered to be outside interfer-

ence in a thriving business, the

Alaska Seafood Marketing Insti-

tute created its own label in 2012,

in collaboration with an Irish

group, Global Trust, reasoning

that the state’s reputation for sus-

tainable fi shing was good enough

for most environmentally con-

scious consumers.

According to the New York Times,

the move to drop outside certifi ca-

tion quickly drew a reaction from

customers, as WalMart, Sodexo, a

giant food services company that

supplies the military, and others

said they would no longer buy

Alaskan salmon without the inde-

pendent check. Portraying itself

as a victim of Walmart’s “anti-

American purchasing policy” and

“foreign” interference in the fi sh-

ery, Alaska defended its USD 6.4

billion seafood industry. After a

Senate hearing during which the

companies that were threatening

to stop buying Alaskan salmon

were questioned, the companies

appear to have backed down.

In October, the salmon industry

essentially declared victory, say-

ing it would move forward with

its own labelling eff orts. By dis-

missing the Marine Stewardship

Council, the Alaskan industry

says it will save money. In addi-

tion to the cost of certifi cation

and the chain of custody audits

that are done by third-party con-

tractors, the MSC charges from

ca. 0.3 to 0.5 of the wholesale

value of the catch for the right to

use its logo, a substantial sum.


04_News_INT.indd 3 05/12/13 12:56 PM

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EU: European Parliament votes against fi shing fl eet renewalDuring discussions on the Euro-

pean Maritime and Fisheries

Fund (EMFF) held in October,

the European Parliament voted

against the reintroduction of

subsidies for building new fish-

ing vessels. The proposed EMFF

will be worth more than EUR

6.5 billion, between 2014 and

2020. Members agreed draft

rules for the allocation of the

EMFF, which should help fish-

ermen comply with require-

ments of the new Common

Fisheries Policy (CFP). To help

fishermen comply with

the discard ban, the EMFF will

fund fishing gear and equipment

that offer more selectivity to

deal with unwanted catches.

Parliament also voted to double

investment in data collection.

Making more information avail-

able will lead to better under-

standing and management of

fi sh stocks and help fi shery

authorities fi ght illegal fi shing.

Th e plenary rejected the fi shery

committee’s proposal to subsidise

the construction of new vessels.

Th is measure had been the sub-

ject of intensive campaigning by

NGOs and citizens ahead of the

vote. However, Members voted

to support the modernisation

or replacement of engines, if the

new engine’s power output is at

least 40 per cent lower than that

of the engine it replaces.

It is hoped that the decisions

will provide concrete measures

to eliminate overfishing and

improve the management of

fleet capacity, while allowing

fishermen to earn a living. The

decisions should promote fish-

stock recovery that would oth-

erwise be threatened by a larger

fleet with longer ranges. Par-

liament also included a pack-

age, put forward by the S&D

and Green groups, to subsidise

traineeship and education for

fishermen under 35 years of age

in the small-scale fishery sector.

Negotiations on the EMFF are

scheduled to be finished before

the end of the year.

Russia: FAO Sub-Committee on Aquaculture meets in St PetersburgA subsidiary committee of the

Food and Agricultural Organisa-

tion’s Committee on Fisheries

the Sub-Committee on Aqua-

culture was established in 2001

to address aquaculture mat-

ters at intergovernmental level.

The seventh session took

place in Russia, St Petersburg

from 7 to 11 October. As aqua-

culture production continues

to increase worldwide the role

of the Sub-Committee also

becomes stronger as it serves

a multilateral framework for

consultations on aquaculture

issues.

Welcoming all delegates Árni

M. Mathiesen, Assistant Direc-

tor-General of the Fisheries

and Aquaculture Department,

FAO outlined some of the most

important emerging issues

in the sector to be addressed

by the Sub-Committee.

Th e role of the blue economy

initiative and the importance

of enhanced global partner-

ship among others may facilitate

the sustainable development of

aquaculture, which is the young-

est industry among other eco-

nomic sectors.

From left to right, Johan Williams, Norway, COFI Chair; Arni Mathiesson, FAO; Igor Manylov, fi rst Deputy

Minister of Agriculture, Russia; Rohana Subasinghe, FAO; Vasiliy Sokolov, Deputy Head, Federal Agency

for Fisheries, Russia; Indroyono Soesilo, FAO

Igor Manylov, fi rst Deputy Minis-

ter of Agriculture of the Russian

Federation stressed the impor-

tance of the aquaculture sec-

tor worldwide and highlighted

the eff orts being made by the

Russian Government to double

aquaculture production by 2020,

to make the sector more attrac-

tive for young people, and to

foster enhanced public-private

partnership.

Among other things, the Sub-

Committee assessed the FAO

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Department’s eff orts in imple-

menting the recommendations

of the past session, as well as

progress made on the imple-

mentation of the Code of Con-

duct for responsible Fisheries

provisions relevant to aquacul-

ture and culture-based fi sher-

ies. Major topics to be discussed

included the “Global aquacul-

ture Advancement Partnership

(GAAP) Programme,” which

gives special attention to the

needs of developing countries,

aquaculture certifi cation, spatial

planning importance, and the

usefulness of aquaculture devel-

opment. Th e role of aquaculture in

providing healthy food for human

consumption and improving

nutrition was also addressed. Th e

Sub-Committee focused in par-

ticular on diff erent collaboration

initiatives through existing coop-

eration platforms. Collabora-

tion between and within regions

was considered important to

bring together knowledge and

expertise.


04_News_INT.indd 5 05/12/13 12:56 PM

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Italy: Offshore mariculture event to focus on investmentTh e discussion about the risks

and benefi ts of off shore aquacul-

ture is an ongoing one. Farming

off shore reduces confl icts with

other users of the coast, pollution

from cages is less likely to accu-

mulate, and the fi sh benefi t from

cleaner water with more uniform

oxygen and temperature levels

thanks to the wind and the cur-

rents, than can be found closer to

the coast. But the infrastructure

that open water cultivation calls

for is more expensive to establish

and the farming technology itself

is yet to mature. Th ese, and other,

issues facing decision makers in

the industry will be the subject

of the fi fth off shore mariculture

conference to be held next year

in Naples, Italy between 11 and 14

April. Th e conference will high-

light the latest developments

in the area of off shore farming

relating to technology, legisla-

tion, and management, but also

fi nance and investment. Species

that lend themselves to culti-

vation on exposed sites will be

another aspect of the confer-

ence as will the integration of

fi nfi sh farming with the culture

of shellfi sh and seaweeds to neu-

tralise environmental impacts.

Research and case studies as well

as the latest policies and prod-

ucts will be presented by experts

in diff erent areas of business

management, stock husbandry,

and farming technologies. Th e

conference will focus heavily on

investment and is expected to

Delegates at the 2012 edition of the Offshore Mariculature conference

visit a fi sh farm. The 2014 edition of the event will be 11-14 April in

Naples, Italy.

attract investment companies and

entrepreneurs looking for oppor-

tunities. For more information

please contact: Isobel Roberts,

Events Marketing Manager on

+44 (0) 1329 820098, email irob-

[email protected] or visit

www.off shoremariculture.com



04_News_INT.indd 6 05/12/13 12:56 PM

http://issuu.com/action/openurl?url=www.baader.com


Denmark: DanFish and DanAqua host meetings between Nordic and Chinese companiesTh e presence of 11 major Chinese

companies at DanFish/DanAqua

in Aalborg is expected to bring

dividends in the months to come.

Liangqi Xu is head of strategic

development at Shanghai Fisher-

ies, which generates an annual

turnover of DKK 6.5 billion, oper-

ates 76 trawlers, long liners and

purse seiners and employs 3,300

people. It also runs one of the

biggest distribution centres in

China and has its own harbour

in Shanghai. Mr Xu is interested in

resource-saving and environmen-

tal technologies as well as aqua-

culture equipment and intends to

pursue the contacts he has made

at the business to business event at

DanFish to set up agreements that

match his company’s develop-

ment strategy. Th is is but a single

example of the potential returns

generated at this Aalborg exhibi-

tion for the fi shing and aquacul-

ture sector that this year attracted

300 exhibitors from over 40 coun-

tries and almost 14,000 visitors.

Th e matchmaking event between

Chinese and Nordic companies

was a fi rst for the exhibition and

showed a signifi cant level of inter-

est for Nordic technology that

should translate into partnership

agreements and concrete orders

in the weeks to come.Liangqi Xu, head of strategic development at Shanghai Fisheries, is

interested in equipment from the Akva Group.

Norway: Comprehensive programme takes shape as countdown to conference begins

Billed as the world’s largest

seafood business conference,

the next edition of the North

Atlantic Seafood Conference is

expected to be even bigger than

its predecessors. From 4 to 6

March 2014, Bergen, the site of

the event, will play host to the

600 delegates from 400 compa-

nies and 40 countries, who are

expected to attend. Participants

can look forward to learning

about the latest developments

and trends in products, mar-

kets, trade, research, legislation,

policy, finance, and economics

that will come to determine the

future of the industry. The over-

riding theme of the 2014 event is

“Seafood and food security - set-

ting seafood into a new and vital

geopolitical role. ” Under this

broad banner some 100 experts

will make presentations on a

range of subjects divided into

10 seminars spread over the

three days. NASF partners with

a number of organisations to

ensure the credibility and variety

of the conference programme.

Among them is the Food and

Agricultural Organization’s

(FAO) Fisheries and Aquacul-

ture Department that will hold

its biannual Sub-Committee on

Fish Trade meeting in Bergen a

couple of days before the NASF.

Delegates from the FAO meet-

ing are expected to prolong their

stay to attend the NASF as well.

The Fisheries and Aquacul-

ture Department will be closely

involved in the individual

NASF sessions on pelagics, and

whitefish, and the combined

session covering food secu-

rity, illegal fishing, fish trade,

and policy. Other sessions at

NASF include the European

retail and food service seminar,

traditionally a popular event,

that brings representatives

from several large European

retail chains to discuss issues

such as consumer trends in

Europe, sustainability, and the

outlook for food service in key

European countries. Norway’s

recent election resulted in a

new government taking over

in October this year. Both the

prime minister and the minister

for business and trade, which

will now also be responsible

for fisheries and aquaculture,

come from Hordaland county,

of which Bergen is the seat. As

a result of this connection NASF

is expecting to attract a top

representative from the govern-

ment to address the policy ses-

sion.

More details on the conference

are available at http://www.

nor-seafood.com/

The North Atlantic Seafood Forum will open its doors to the

international seafood industry 4-6 March 2014 in Bergen, Norway.


04_News_INT.indd 7 05/12/13 12:56 PM


Italy: GLOBEFISH and the FISHINFONetwork acknowledged by the FAOTh e Food and Agricultural

Organization (FAO) of the United

Nations executes projects around

the developing world to benefi t

the poor and deprived. A recently

published catalogue of the organ-

ization’s achievements in diff er-

ent regions of the world included

GLOBEFISH and the FISHIN-

FONetwork (FIN) among the suc-

cess stories. GLOBEFISH, a unit

within the Fisheries and Aqua-

culture department, was estab-

lished in 1984 and has specialised

in the collection, analysis, and

dissemination of information

on the global fi sh trade. Th e

production and trade in fi sh has

changed radically over the last

three decades. In 1980 the global

export value of fi sh was USD15bn,

while today it is USD130bn,

about half of which comes from

the developing world. Th is sum

exceeds the combined exports of

the next four most valuable com-

modities – tea, rice, cocoa, and

coff ee. Th e increase in exports

has been supported by the devel-

opment in logistics, distribution,

and packaging and by the explo-

sive growth in the aquaculture

sector. GLOBEFISH has closely

followed these trends, analysing

them and making this analysis

available to everyone who needs

it, the private sector, administra-

tive bodies, or research organi-

sations. GLOBEFISH also coor-

dinates the FISHINFONetwork,

which connects six independent

regional fi sh information services

(Infofi sh, Infopeche, Infopesca,

Infosamak, Infoyu, and Eurofi sh)

dedicated to the development

of the fi sheries and aquaculture

sector within their regions. Th e

fi sh information services provide

technical expertise and capac-

ity, gather and analyse data,

organise events, and distribute

information, as well as develop

and manage projects for the ben-

efi t of the industry in each region.

Th e work of the regional services

together with GLOBEFISH has

benefi ted the fi sheries and aqua-

culture sector contributing to its

growth and increasing signifi -

cance for global food security.

Spain: Three shellfi sh zones reopened in GaliciaTh e Technological Institute for the

Control of Marine Environment

(Intecmar) authorised the reo-

pening of shellfi sh capture areas

in the estuaries of Muros and

Noia, Camariñas, and Ferrol, after

a three-week closure in October

caused by a toxin-induced red

tide. Th e newspaper La Opinión

reports that Intecmar also decided

to reopen a shellfi sh capture zone

in the estuary of Vigo and a plat-

form polygon in Redondela, while

another one in the same area

was closed. Th us, there are now

only fi ve open mussel farming

polygons in the estuaries of the

community: four in Redondela

and one in Cambados. In three

of the reopened areas (Muros,

Noia, and Vigo), the capture of

infaunal shellfi sh – cockles, clams,

and razor clams – was in progress,

while that in Ferrol focuses on the

production of the variegated scal-

lop (Chlamys varia) and queen

scallop. Santiago Cruz, head of the

grower association in Noia, com-

plained about the delay in detect-

ing the presence of toxins in the

river, a situation that caused them

considerable loss.

Canada: 2013 World Seafood Congress provides insight into global market Th e Marine Institute (MI) of

Memorial University hosted the

World Seafood Congress (WSC)

on behalf of the International

Association of Fish Inspectors

(IAFI), an organization that pro-

motes global seafood trade. Th e

congress was in Newfoundland

and Labrador from 28 September

to 3 October and was supported

by the Canadian Government,

Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador, Food and Agricul-

ture Organization (FAO), United

Nations Industrial Development

Organization (UNIDO), Cana-

dian Centre for Fisheries Innova-

tion, and a number of commercial

sponsors. Nearly 400 delegates

from more than 30 countries,

including retailers, academics,

primary producers, processors,

and government representa-

tives listened to presentations

on a wide range of topics under

the theme Creative Solutions for

Global Challenges. Innovative

technology, sustainable fi sher-

ies management and inspection

and quality control practices

were just some of the topics

addressed by the 130 speakers

at the event. Delegates partici-

pated in workshops, information

sessions, expert panels, special

interest meetings, formal presen-

tations, poster displays and tours.

A variety of interactive sessions

on food safety and inspection

modernization, seafood sustain-

ability, seafood innovation, prof-

itable seafood markets and global

export and trade were also held.

Th e congress featured high pro-

fi le speakers from the Canadian

Food Inspection Agency, Euro-

pean Commission, FAO, UNIDO,

and country representatives, as

well as seafood and aquaculture

certifi cation bodies, NGOs and

industry leaders.

Members of the FISH InfoNet-

work, Infofi sh, Infopesca and

Eurofi sh, were invited by the FAO

to give presentations on little-

known seafood markets. Th e

Eurofi sh presentation centered

on Armenia, Belarus and Kazakh-

stan. In Kazakhstan the market

is expected to grow to 250,000

tonnes and will be dependent on

imports mainly of pelagics, but

with growing opportunities for

salmon. In Belarus too the market

is highly dependent on imports

of fi sh, mainly frozen herring and

sprat, but also salmon and trout,

which are processed for the

domestic market as well as for

export. In Armenia (see article

on page 44) domestic produc-

tion is from aquaculture which

has grown rapidly in the last cou-

ple of years to ca. 9,000 tonnes.

Four fi fths of the production

is consumed on the local mar-

ket, but the volume of exports

has jumped to 1,800 tonnes in

2012 from 215 tonnes in 2009.

Trout and sturgeon are the main

farmed fi sh and aquaculture pro-

duction could increase to 25,000

tonnes by 2015.


04_News_INT.indd 8 05/12/13 12:56 PM


France: GAA honours Bjørn Myrseth with Lifetime Achievement AwardBjørn Myrseth, a pioneer in the

aquaculture industry, was hon-

oured with a Lifetime Achieve-

ment Award by the Global Aqua-

culture Alliance (GAA) at its

annual GOAL conference this

year. Bjørn Myrseth’s aquaculture

profession took off with the Nor-

wegian company Stolt Sea Farm

of which he was the managing

director, farming rainbow trout

and salmon, and subsequently

with the production of salmon

smolt. Stolt Sea Farm expanded

production into other species

such as sturgeon and turbot,

as well started farming salmon

at sites in Scotland, the US and

Canada. In the mid-80s Mr Myr-

seth left the company to set up

on his own and started working

with partners in Chile for the pro-

duction of salmon, as well as in

Greece and Spain for the produc-

tion of seabass and seabream. His

interest in fi sh farming also took

him to China where he began

farming grouper, and then back to

the US where he initiated a cobia

farming venture in Florida with

grow-out in Belize. Th e potential

he saw in cobia also led him to

start a facility in Vietnam using

fi ngerlings from government

research institutes. Eventually Mr

Myrseth sold his company to the

Polish salmon processor Morpol,

but is still looking for opportu-

nities in South East Asia to farm

barramundi, grouper, pompano

or snapper.

In addition to his role in indus-

try Mr Myrseth was also a

founding member of the Euro-

pean Aquaculture Society. Mr

Myrseth’s experience in Nor-

way has shown him that creat-

ing an aquaculture industry

calls for investments in generic

Bjørn Myrseth (right) receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from

Wally Stevens, Executive President of Global Aquaculture Alliance at

the GOAL 2013 conference in Paris in October.

Norway: Reciprocal access to fi shing in SkagerrakA new agreement has been

reached between the European

Union and Norway on reciprocal

access to fi shing in the waters of

Skagerrak. Th is agreement, which

supersedes the previous arrange-

ment from 1966 between Den-

mark, Sweden, and Norway, will

allow those countries to maintain

reciprocal access for their vessels

in each other’s waters within the

defi ned area and ensure continuity

of their fi shing operations in this

area. Further joint work is under-

way on important selectivity meas-

ures in the Skagerrak area. Th e new

agreement was fi nalised in Lon-

don on 24 October, and allows for

control measures in line with the

principles of Coastal State jurisdic-

tion while maintaining the same

conditions as at present within

the defi ned area of Skagerrak and

Kattegat. Fisheries will be subject

to management and conservation

measures established either indi-

vidually or jointly by the Parties,

including control measures taken

by the relevant Coastal State.

Although the 1966 agreement was

allowed to expire in August 2012,

the countries agreed that their ves-

sels could continue to fi sh in the

waters of the respective countries

until a new agreement could be

reached.

marketing, quality standards, as

well as research and develop-

ment. These three prerequisites

make him question small-scale

aquaculture as a way of creating

an industry. While small-scale

may benefit an individual

farmer or even a small village,

he feels, it does not contribute

to the building of a sustainable

industry as it will not attract

the necessary levels of invest-

ment or knowledge that are

needed. Erik Hempel

Spain: Pescanova investors seize controlA group of shareholders have

reportedly taken control of debt-

ridden Spanish fi sh and sea-

food manufacturer Pescanova, a

Spanish fi shing company based

in Redondela, Galicia, with its

base of operations in the port

of Vigo. Th e company, which

was founded in 1960, was on the

verge of fi ling for bankruptcy

resulting from liquidity problems

since early April 2013. According

to Th e Financial Times, inves-

tors led by Catalan brewing

company Damm – Pescanova’s

second-largest shareholder

with a 5.84 stake – won a vic-

tory to replace the group’s for-

mer chairman and appoint new

directors. Veteran banker Juan

Manuel Urgoiti, who sits on the

board of clothing group Indi-

tex, has been appointed as the

company’s new non-executive

chairman, the publication noted.

According to the Spanish online

publication FIS, other directors

now include Luis Angel Sanchez-

Merlo, independent director of

Spain’s Sarebbank, and Alejan-

dro Legarda. Urgoiti warned that

the company needs to reduce

the creditors’ covenant to ca.

70. Pescanova, which employs

around 10,000 staff globally, is

seeking to renegotiate previously

hidden debts of EUR3.6bn with

its lenders. Th e fi rm fi led for

voluntary insolvency in April

after having failed to reach an

agreement with creditors on the

renegotiation of its debts. Trad-

ing in Pescanova’s shares was

suspended on 12 March. Damm’s

proposal for the board won 70.8

of the votes of the investors pre-

sent, or 37 of the total outstand-

ing shares, the newspaper noted.


04_News_INT.indd 9 05/12/13 12:56 PM


Denmark: Baltic Sea Conference 2013 – blue growth, sustainability, and water industriesMore than 300 participants gath-

ered in Copenhagen on 3 Octo-

ber to take part in the “Baltic Sea

Conference 2013 – Blue Growth,

Sustainability, and Water Indus-

tries”, which took place back-to-

back with the HELCOM Ministe-

rial Meeting. Th e conference’s

purpose was to discuss ways to

create a Baltic Sea region that is

both sustainable and prosper-

ous and that emphasises blue

and green economies. Th e attend-

ees constituted a broad range of

knowledge and perspectives on

the Baltic Sea, including repre-

sentatives from the private sec-

tor, the European Commission,

NGOs, international fi nancing

institutions, and government.

Th e conference was organised by

the European Commission and

the Baltic Development Forum,

together with the Danish HEL-

COM Presidency. Th e conference

advanced the Baltic Sea region’s

new and innovative policy fi eld

of blue growth and promoted

a proactive approach to the

marine environment, which is

at the heart of regional coopera-

tion within HELCOM and the EU

Strategy for the Baltic Sea region.

As Maria Damanaki, European

Commissioner for Maritime

Affairs and Fisheries noted,

the region should build on

its assets, leading innovation

and research, strong maritime

clusters, a proactive approach

towards marine environment

challenges, and well-established

cooperation to ensure the long-

term sustainable development

of its maritime economy.

China: Norwegian fi rms will build salmon and cod farming facility

Th e Norwegian companies Futur-

ama and AquaOptima have signed

an agreement with Lim Shrimp

Organization to create “Aquapolis”,

the world’s fi rst land-based, fully

integrated salmon and cod farm-

ing facility in Hainan, China. Th e

aquaculture complex will produce

cod and salmon from egg to mar-

ket size in a demonstration farm,

and smaller grow-out units will

be run and managed by individual

farmers. Th e farming system will be

an indoor temperature-controlled

recirculation aquaculture system

(RAS), with multiple stacks in one

building, thus increasing produc-

tivity and shortening the length of

culture, Djames Lim, CEO of Lim

Shrimp Organization, told Th eFish-

Site. Futurama and AquaOptima

will supply fi ngerlings to the farms

and take the fi sh to market. Th e

Aquapolis will provide Atlantic cod

and salmon to meet the increas-

ing demand by China’s growing

population, which currently stands

at 1.3 billion, and especially by

middle-income families. Th e fi rst

phase of the project is to build a 70

ha facility. Th e fi rst trial unit will

be completed in six months. Once

the facility has proven successful,

at least 100 units for each species

will be built. Other species will also

be grown in Aquapolis, because

individual farmers will have their

own factory unit in which they can

grow their species of choice. Other

species include sea cucumber,

crab, grouper, and polychaetes.

Individual farmers will also be

given training and technical know-

how to guide them through to har-

vest. Th e Lim Shrimp Organization

is a non-governmental livelihood

programme developer, which uses

aquaculture as the instrument to

create livelihood, helping many

poor families become aquapre-

neurs.

Lithuania: Netting a global leaderOne of the largest producers of fi sh-

ing nets in the North Atlantic mar-

ket, VON, has chosen Lithuania as

the site for its new manufacturing

facility. Th e Faroe Islands-based

company plans to invest ca. EUR

2–2.3 million and will employ more

than 70 textile manufacturing and

mechanics specialists at Siauliai

Industrial Park, Invest Lithuania

said in a statement. Th e facility

will produce various types of fi sh-

ing nets for use in global fi shing,

as well as trawls, cages, and other

equipment used for fi sh farm-

ing. Additionally, it will produce

safety nets and cargo transporta-

tion equipment for off shore oil and

similar platforms. VON’s Lithu-

anian production will be exported

to the Faroe Islands, Norway,

and other countries. According

to Hjalmar Petersen, executive

director at VON, “Lithuania has a

well-developed textile sector and

an experienced work force, with

specifi c competencies that are very

important for our highly innovative

operations. We expect the Lithu-

anian input and the advanced pro-

duction equipment to be used in

the Siauliai-based manufacturing

facility to accelerate our production

modernisation process.” Th e com-

pany uses complex computer

models and special video equip-

ment to monitor the underwater

behaviour of nets and various fi sh

species. Newly employed Lithuani-

ans will be trained by VON at their

headquarters in the Faroe Islands

and the company’s other factories

in Greenland, Norway, Denmark,

and Canada.

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and

Fisheries, pointed out that the Baltic region had many factors that

could ensure the sustainable development of its maritime economy.


04_News_INT.indd 10 05/12/13 12:56 PM

16 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ]

Seafood Barcelona, 22-24 October 2013

Quality bacalao combines Icelandic raw material with a Spanish chef!

The product and services

variety was impressive:

fresh, frozen, preserved

and processed seafood, high

value-added products, indus-

trial equipment and technolo-

gies for refrigeration, packaging,

cooking, and smoking along

with transportation and storage

services, design and engineer-

ing, financial services and con-

sulting among others. The New

Product Showcase presented 20

companies from Croatia, Den-

mark, Latvia, the Netherlands,

Spain and Viet Nam offering

their newest and most innova-

tive products, including smoked,

canned, ready-to-eat, easy-to-

prepare items reflecting mod-

ern trends in food shopping and

consumption.

National pavilions promote industry

visibility

Argentina, Canada, Croatia,

Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, Turkey

and USA used national pavilions

to give their industries maximum

visibility. At the Turkish pavil-

ion farmed fish producers were

well represented. Sinan Kiziltan,

Aegean Seafood and Animal

Products Exporters’ Association,

says “Turkey has increased pro-

duction of aquaculture, mainly

sea bass and sea bream, rain-

bow trout and corvina. At the

moment we represent around

50 aquaculture companies from

the Aegean region as well as new

companies who export wild spe-

cies – snails, shrimps, octopus and

cuttlefish. We see a lot of inter-

est from the Spanish market and

a lot of potential trade between

Turkey and Spain, therefore

our producers came here to

demonstrate their products to

Spanish wholesalers. The show

is not big but quite efficient –

all visitors to our stand are real

buyers.”

Croatian participants represent-

ing four companies and two

cooperatives felt very comfort-

able at their joint booth. “We

were happy about previous year

and here we are again now to

present the best Croatia has –

already known products, new

products, new production facili-

ties – to European professionals

and to the Spanish market, and

On 22 October Fira de Barcelona opened its doors welcoming exhibitors and visitors from over 27 countries, who came to participate in

Seafood Barcelona. Attendance at this second edition of the show increased by around 25% compared to 2012 indicating growing

interest in the event.

we have already received good

feedback”, says Zoran Radan

from Croatian Chamber of

Economy.

“Taste and share the secret of

Icelandic bacalao” – an invita-

tion from over 20 Icelandic pro-

ducers and sellers of salted fish,

who recently joined together in

a market initiative to promote

quality products sustainably

sourced from Icelandic waters

to Southern Europe as well as

other markets. For the promo-

tion they used a little Icelandic

house called Eldhús, Icelandic

for “kitchen,” where visitors could

sample products from salted cod.

The secret behind quality bacalao

turns out to be salted cod from an

Icelandic village and a Mediterra-

nean chef.

Varied programme of events

The show’s programme included

several culinary classrooms and a

forum for debates about the sea-

food industry, featuring seven

one-hour Master Classes on cod,

shrimp, anchovies, tuna and mack-

erel, sea bass and sea bream. The

presentations were made by Pro-

mote Iceland, Sogda Ltd, Catalan

Federation of Fishermen’s Guild

and the Government of Andalu-

sia and the cooking classes were

conducted by renowned chefs The second edition of Seafood Barcelona featured national pavilions from countries in Europe as well as

North and South America.

05_News_EV.indd 1 03/12/13 6:52 PM

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 17www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ]

Xanty Elias, and the brothers Ser-

gio and Xavier Torres. In addition,

nine sessions for cooking demon-

stration and sampling of seafood

products from cuttlefish, mack-

erel, hake, sardines, sea snails,

langoustines and sand eels were

held at the Catalonia pavilion and

organised by Department of Agri-

culture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food

and Environment and Promoter of

Catalan Exports.

Seafood Barcelona for the sec-

ond time proved to be an impor-

tant event for Southern Europe

and the Maghreb. In 2014 the

show will be held under the

name Seafood Expo Southern

Europe and will open its doors

on 22-24 September, so make a

note in your calendars.

Aleksandra Petersen, Eurofish

[email protected]

fish international 2014 spotlights fish farming

American experts bring aquaculture workshop to Europe

In response to public demand

the Bremen Exhibition is very

proud to have been able to

attract two internationally known

authorities for the event, says

Sabine Wedell, the project man-

ager. Normally, Prof. Michael Tim-

mons Ph.D. and James Ebeling

Ph.D. hold their ambitious and

yet entertaining workshop on fish

farming in recirculation aqua-

culture systems (RAS) during the

summer months at Cornell Uni-

versity in Ithaca, New York. Now

they will be presenting it in Europe

for the first time: parallel to the

trade fair in the neighbouring

Congress Centrum Bremen on

Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 Febru-

ary.

Fish farmers with interest in RAS to

benefit from workshop

“We will be addressing both peo-

ple who are considering starting

an RAS farm and farmers who are

already active in that sector and

who want to expand or convert

their farm”, says Michael Timmons.

At the 14th edition of Germany’s only fish trade fair at the Bremen Exhibition Centre from Sunday 9 to Tuesday 11 February 2014

visitors will find the well-tried mix of product presentation, discussion of current topics, and ample opportunities for building or

nurturing business contacts. Beyond that, the fair will this time be looking at some particular areas of the industry – and especially at

the aquaculture sector.

fish international 2014 in Bremen will also have an area dedicated to

aquaculture equipment.

Jan

Rat

hke

“The workshop will examine aqua-

culture systems from an engineer-

ing perspective and look par-

ticularly at the design of several

system sizes from boutique to large

commercial scale”, explains James

Ebeling. And it will also consider

the economics and profitability of

recirculating systems. “We hope

to show our audience that there is

NOT one magical solution, no one

optimal design“, says Timmons.

“We want our listeners to under-

stand that a farming facility has

to be individually tailored to the

location and its owner, be it family

or company, if it is to be economi-

cally efficient.” The two scientists

have already emphasized this in

their standard work on recircu-

lating technology “Recirculating

Aquaculture”. One of the things

they stress there is the significance

of good management: it is abso-

lutely wrong to assume “that an

unsuccessful dairy or pig farmer

could be a successful fish farmer.”

The fact that this unusual work-

shop The fact that this unusual

05_News_EV.indd 2 03/12/13 6:52 PM

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[ EVENTS ]

workshop can take place is thanks

to the support of leading equip-

ment supplier Aquacultur Fis-

chtechnik from Nienburg and

the fish feed producer Biomar.

Equipment manufacturers will

again be well represented at the

event. Among others, companies

specialised in the conception

and construction of extremely

efficient recirculating systems for

high-value species; in fresh and

salt water treatment; in nets and

accessories; and in water moni-

toring technology, will be avail-

able to show their equipment and

respond to enquiries.

Network for sustainable aquaculture to debut

The Aquzente network will be

a newcomer to the Bremen fair.

Founded by 14 players from the

aquaculture sector in the summer

of 2012 the network strives for tech-

nological innovations for efficient

and sustainable fish farming and

marketing. The group will present

an extensive lecture programme:

in addition to the three topic sec-

tions “Aquaculture in the region”,

“Process optimization through

new technologies” and “Product

development” the organisers also

(as of today) have about 20 lectures

and discussions on the agenda

for the three days of the fair. “At

their stand Aquzente will each

day be holding a workshop on the

sensory aspects of food products”,

announces Sabine Wedell. Visi-

tors will then, for example, be able

to taste aquaculture products in

a sensory cabin and assess them

according to different criteria.

In addition to the RAS workshop

fish international 2014 also has

two other premieres lined up. On

the one hand there will for the first

time be a contest to find the “Best

Seafood Product”. And on the other

hand the long-standing event will

be sided up by a brand new trade

fair “Gastro Ivent” which will offer

ideas and solutions for the res-

taurant and catering sectors or for

traders who have a catering section.

The exhibition halls will be

open on Sunday and Monday

from 10:00 to 18:00, on Tues-

day from 10:00 to 17:00. One

ticket grants admission to both

fish international and Gas-

tro Ivent. The RAS workshop

requires separate registration at

www.fishinternational.de.

CONXEMAR-FAO Whitefish Congress, 30 September, Vigo

Unique opportunity to explore market trends

The congress brought

together leading world

experts on major white-

fish species, such as Alaska pol-

lock, cod, haddock, hake, hoki,

pangasius and tilapia. Different

issues on whitefish resources,

markets, supply and utilisation

were presented and discussed for

the roughly 300 delegates from

more than 20 countries. Árni M.

Mathiesen, Assistant Director-

General of the Fisheries and

Aquaculture Department, FAO

highlighted the importance of

the blue economy worldwide, the

growing role of aquaculture in the

overall supply of fish and seafood,

and stressed that the congress was

a practical way to transfer informa-

tion about markets and trade to the

industry. He also expressed FAO’s

interest in continuing this collabo-

rative approach in the future.

Carlos Domínguez Díaz, Secretary

General for Fisheries, Ministry of

Agriculture, Food and Environment

of Spain, underlined the important

role of Spain in the international

The World Whitefish congress was organised by Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Manufacturers and

Exporters of fish products and Aquaculture, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), as part of its strategy of collaboration with

the private sector. It took place in Vigo, the city of the sea, on 30 September.

Ministers and others from leading countries in the fish trade attended the opening of the CONXEMAR-FAO

Whitefish Congress.

trade in fish and seafood products,

and the need to gain the trust of

consumers of fish products. He also

expressed his satisfaction with the

alliance between Conxemar and

FAO which brings knowledge to Vigo,

the heart of the Spanish fisheries sec-

tor, every year.

Demand for fish increases faster than

production

In general global trade and exports

grow much faster than overall

production. Some global trends

are influencing this trend. Rising

05_News_EV.indd 3 03/12/13 6:52 PM


[ EVENTS ]

population, income growth and

diversifying diets to include more

fish are some of the factors. The sit-

uation in the market for the main

whitefish species is mixed. World

whitefish markets used to be

dominated by traditional ground-

fish species such as cod, hake,

haddock and pollock. However,

the aggressive growth of aqua-

culture production has changed

this situation with tilapia and

pangasius gaining strong niches

in the market with new consumer

groups. Tilapia farming is gain-

ing attention worldwide, particu-

larly to supply local demand in

regions were local production is

possible. However, the EU mar-

ket is reluctant to switch to newer

whitefish species, such as tilapia.

At the same time negative publi-

cism and consumer perceptions

affect demand for pangasius.

With regard to the supply, there are

reasons for optimism. Some exam-

ples in the past have shown that

wild stocks can recover with the

implementation of good manage-

ment practices. For example, after

years of overfishing cod stocks have

recovered in the North Sea with the

introduction of effective stock man-

agement and conservation meas-

ures. Currently, cod stocks in the

North-Atlantic are abundant and it

has put strong pressure on prices

and ultimately on fishermen.

Groundfish holds a special place among

Europeans

Major producing countries of

whitefish are Norway, Russia

and USA, processing takes place

in China (both fillet and surimi

production) and major markets

are in the EU and USA. China,

with about 24% share, is the lead-

ing supplier of groundfish to the

EU market. It is estimated that

nearly 45% of available ground-

fish volumes globally are con-

sumed by EU consumers. Esti-

mates for 2012 show that Atlantic

and Pacific cod accounts for 65%

followed by haddock and saithe

with a share of 52% and hake –

50%. Apart from very traditional

products – fresh and frozen fish

and fillets, the Mediterranean

countries are a traditional mar-

ket for klippfish (salted and dried

cod) and stockfish (air-dried cod);

however this year’s cold weather

affected this type of production

negatively. Spain is known as the

most important market within

the EU for different whitefish

species, but it has also a market

for cocochas-hake tongues which

are considered as a delicacy by

the Spanish consumers.

Miguel Arias Cañete, Minister of

Agriculture, Food and Environ-

ment of Spain, joined the con-

gress and in his closing remarks

underlined the great importance

of whitefish for a balanced diet,

especially for Spanish consumers.

The Mediterranean diet (in which

fish occupies a strong position)

has been declared by UNESCO

as an intangible cultural heritage.

He acknowledged the role of the

congress in the dissemination of

knowledge and experience and its

impact on the competitiveness of

the Spanish fisheries sector, which

plays an enormous role in both the

national and European economies.

Aina Afanasjeva, Eurofish

[email protected]

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POLAND

The Common Fisher-ies Policy is in the fi nal stages of reform. What

aspects of the reform (discard ban, regionalisation, fi shing at MSY, and the general empha-sis on sustainability) do you foresee as having the greatest impact on Polish fi sheries, and how will this manifest itself?

Baltic Sea and other fi shing

companies must follow the rules

while becoming more fl exible

and able to adjust to any change

in the natural environment and

on the markets. Th e main objec-

tive of the reform is to give the

fi shery and aquaculture sector

an appropriately balanced eco-

nomic, social, and environmen-

tal framework. Th e new elements

of key importance to us are bal-

anced fi shing, discard control,

ensuring a future for fi sheries

and aquaculture, increasing job

opportunities, meeting con-

sumer needs and expectations,

more effi cient management

through regionalisation, and a

more rational fi nancing of the

sector.

Many aspects of the Common

Fisheries Policy reform have

already been implemented by

Poland. For example, when the

International Council for the

Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

set the annual fi shing quotas

and TACs, it considered not only

Innovation and knowledge will play a greater role in the Polish aquaculture sector

Environmental benefi ts of fi sh farming need to be promotedThe Department of Fisheries in the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is led by Tomasz Nawrocki, who spoke with

Eurofi sh Magazine at length about some of the issues facing the Polish fi shery and aquaculture sector.

Director Tomasz Nawrocki, Department of Fisheries, Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

scientifi c advice but also the

necessity to achieve catches con-

sistent with MSY starting in 2015.

Sometimes this requires the

consent of the member states,

because it may call for a reduc-

tion in fi shing quotas higher

than those proposed by the EC.

Of course, this is done after con-

sidering the economic condition

of fi shermen and a careful analy-

sis of ICES scientifi c advice.

Implementing the discard ban

in cod, pelagic, and salmon

06_Poland_PO.indd 1 05/12/13 1:01 PM

POLAND

fi shing will be one of the great-

est challenges for Polish fi sher-

ies after 2015. Th e subject is now

being negotiated in the regional

forum, BaltFish. Th e discard ban

will force fi shermen to land all

the cod, herring, sprat, salmon,

and plaice they catch. Th ey will

have to adopt solutions that help

them avoid unwanted catch and

take only species of market value

by using more selective gear.

Th e reform also addresses the

protection of the environment,

in particular the reduction in the

impact of fi sheries on marine

birds and mammals. Th is too

will make fi shermen adopt new

fi shing technologies to deter and

reduce the bycatch of seabirds

and mammals, and will encour-

age them to change their fi shing

areas to protect the marine

ecosystem.

What are the benefi ts and the drawbacks of moving to mul-tispecies management in the Baltic as opposed to the cur-rent single-species manage-ment regime?

Currently, cod is the only species

covered by a long-term man-

agement plan in the Baltic Sea.

The disadvantage of the current

single-species plans is that they

seek restoration of one species

without looking at trophic inter-

relations. The single-species

plans do not look at fish migra-

tion and the role of climatic

factors. But a multispecies plan

should help to build a balance

among a number of species that

are closely linked to each other.

In the Baltic, for instance, there

is a strong relation between

cod, herring, and sprat. Being a

predatory fish, cod feeds mainly

on sprat and herring, whereas

the pelagics feed on cod roe.

This interaction creates a strong

relation between the three

species. The current single-

species plan does not con-

sider these relations, which

has created problems with the

Baltic cod (lean cod). Poland

supports resource management

based on multispecies plans

that address all of the key

interactions between mutu-

ally dependent species. The EC

is now drafting a multispecies

management plan for the Baltic

Sea that will cover cod, herring,

and sprat.

What diff erences, both positive and negative, do you expect a new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will make to the Polish fi sheries sector?

First, I must emphasise that work

on the draft of a regulation on the

EMFF for the period 2014–2020 is

ongoing, and all of the solutions

mentioned below may be subject

to modifi cation.

Greater support for aquacul-

ture is envisaged in the EMFF.

It includes measures that, so

far, have not been available to

all entities in the aquaculture

sector. Th ese include diversify-

ing business, promoting human

capital, and building contact

networks. Support in this fi eld

www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 21

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POLAND

has until now been available

only to fi sheries local action

groups (FLAGs). Th is prevented

many aquaculture entities from

accessing that support.

It should also be emphasized

that a wide range of support for

aquaculture farms will remain in

place. It is especially important

in Poland, where the production

of farmed fi sh is highly devel-

oped and has a tradition that

dates back to ancient times.

Compared with the program-

ming period 2007–2013, the

reduction in EMFF support

for fi sh processing companies

seems to be a change for the

worse. Th e processing industry

is an important segment of the

whole value chain from fi sh-

ing to consumer. Interrupting

support for fi sh processing may

well disrupt the coordination

of strategic support for the fi sh-

ing sector. For example, manag-

ing discards may not be feasible

without investment support for

the sector.

Another signifi cant change is

the regulation of penalties for

failure to obey the rules of the

Common Fisheries Policy. Cur-

rently, individual fi shermen are

punished by having to return the

grants, but the proposed EMFF

regulation will freeze payments

to the member state involved.

Th is is a highly unfavourable

change as it may introduce a

kind of collective punishment

for the infringement by an indi-

vidual.

Th e considerable changes in

the system of implementing the

operational programme, co-

fi nanced by the EMFF, may also

be a major obstacle. Th e new

tasks, structures, and procedures

will force people to master some

completely new rules, rather

than using their experience from

the past.

Aquaculture is a focal point of the reformed Common Fisher-ies Policy, as aquaculture pro-duction in Europe has been stagnant for many years. What is the status of the aquaculture sector in Poland, and what direction would you like to see it move in?

Th e stagnation in the volume of

European aquaculture produc-

tion is largely caused by limits

set by the environmental protec-

tion law. It is high time to change

those regulations and for green

NGOs to realise the favourable

eff ects of aquaculture on the

environment.

Poland’s accession to the Euro-

pean Union nine years ago has

off ered new opportunities for

modernisation and develop-

ment in the aquaculture sector.

Th e Priority Axis 2 of the Opera-

tional Programme "Sustainable

development of the fi sheries

sector and coastal fi shing areas

2007-2013" (OP Fisheries) which

allowed the implementation of

aquaculture (investment and

hydro-environmental) projects,

has received only 20 of the

budget and all of these funds

have been spent. Th e scope of

the investment projects is very

wide. It includes, among other

things, the modernisation and

upgrading of farms, building

facilities, and equipment that

improve fi sh production.

Further development of fi sh

farming in Poland will follow

directions mapped out at the

EU level, and these continue

the present approach. How-

ever, a clear trend is to release

the potential of aquaculture.

Th is is why the future European

Maritime and Fisheries Fund

foresees broader support to the

sector than the current Euro-

pean Fisheries Fund. Although

any changes will be evolutionary

rather than revolutionary, I can-

not rule out some more dynamic

modifi cations, especially in RAS

production.

Development of the sector is

certainly a priority. The eco-

nomic, social, and environmen-

tal aspects of aquaculture need

to be better balanced, which

means a greater role for inno-

vation and knowledge within

the sector. The planned fund

no longer mentions the division

into priority axes, each dedi-

cated to a specific area of the

fishing sector. But it proposes to

define a relatively small number

of priorities to be supported,

that is, technological develop-

ment through innovation, new

technologies, transfer of knowl-

edge, strengthening the com-

petitiveness and profitability of

business and its diversification,

including new forms of income

related to projects in aquacul-

ture or associated areas. I can

say that, for the first time, we

have properly appreciated the

potential of angling tourism

and the experience of fishing

experts, their knowledge of fish

and the environment in provid-

ing advisory services or imple-

menting projects serving the

natural environment.

Support will continue for envi-

ronmentally friendly aqua-

culture. Th is is why we should

expect further support for tra-

ditional carp ponds, which play

a vital role in maintaining the

environment. But we must make

sure that the relevant knowledge

reaches the minds of a larger

group of people.

Th e future picture of the farmed

fi sh and seafood industry will

certainly depend strongly on the

fi nancial support received under

the programming period 2014–

2020. Th e state of fi shery science

will also play a role, because it

will determine the development

and transfer of aquaculture

knowledge.

How does the aquaculture sector respond to farmed fi sh from countries outside the EU? Is it considered a threat or is the market big enough for domestic producers as well as imports?

Clearly, low price is no longer

the most important thing for

buyers. Th ere is growing aware-

ness among consumers who are

shopping with more care, get-

ting information about products,

and benefi ting from campaigns

promoting the consumption of

fi sh and advertising the resulting

health benefi ts.

Carp is the most popular spe-

cies among fi sh produced by

Polish farms. Its consumption

has stayed at a level of approxi-

mately 0.45 kg/person for several

years now. Carp consumption

seems to face little competition

from other fi sh species, because

carp is the traditional fi sh eaten

at Christmas, when market

supplies of carp peak. Apart from

domestically produced carp,

the market is also supplied by

some 2,000 tonnes of carp

imported usually from neigh-

bouring countries (Lithuania,

the Czech Republic, and Slova-

kia). Producers have recently

tried to extend the carp-selling

season. Indeed, carp is increas-

ingly seen on shop shelves all

year round, and its sales are

supported by many advertising

campaigns.

06_Poland_PO.indd 3 05/12/13 1:01 PM

POLAND

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On the other hand, trout con-

sumption is growing slightly.

Its consumption in 2012 was ca.

0.42 kg/person vs. 0.29 kg/per-

son in 2002. Domestic produc-

tion is supplemented by imports

of ca. 7,000 tonnes, of which ca.

3,500 tonnes come from outside

the EU (Turkey and Norway).

Fresh and chilled trout is usu-

ally available on the market. Th is

means that the product off ered

for sale must be of top quality,

which only domestic producers

can provide. Trout sales, like

the sales of carp, are also sup-

ported by massive promotional

campaigns targeting fi nal con-

sumers.

We can say that, despite a wide

range of imported products,

the sale of fish produced in

Poland keeps growing. Pol-

ish consumers demand a wide

range of products, and among

them, Polish-farmed fish enjoys

a strong position. Apart from

the traditional carp and trout,

we often spot fresh pike-perch,

perch, tench, bream, and roach

in our shops. We can also get fish

from such smaller-scale cultures

as sturgeon, African sharptooth

catfish, tilapia, and barramundi.

At the same time, constantly

improving distribution channels

have a positive impact on the

quality of the delivered product.

Poland has enticed a lot of Europe’s fi sh-processing indus-try to set up facilities, thanks to a competitively priced and

skilled workforce. But as liv-ing standards rise and Polish labour costs increase, compa-nies may consider relocating. How can Poland prevent this?

Many European fi sh processing

companies have opened their

plants in Poland in recent years,

encouraged by easily available and

well-qualifi ed manpower, and the

relatively low cost of labour. But

companies also recognise that the

Polish market for fi sh and seafood

has a large, unutilised potential.

Fish consumption in Poland is

clearly lower than the European

average. An increase in fi sh and

seafood consumption would open

a large market for this type of prod-

uct, and I think businessmen are

aware of this opportunity.

Living standards have improved

signifi cantly in the country over

the past decade. We must remem-

ber that despite the worldwide

economic crisis, Poland’s GDP

grew more than 17 in the period

2007–2012. Yet, the wages, and

consequently the cost of labour in

Poland, are still clearly lower than

in most EU countries. Th e average

monthly (gross) wage in Poland

is approximately EUR 870. Th is is

more than fi ve times less than in

Switzerland, which is at the top of

the list, and more than four times

less than in our western neighbour

Germany. Poland comes behind

other countries such as Spain,

Portugal, and Greece, which are

all deeply bogged down in the

economic crisis, but also behind

Turkey and the Czech Republic.


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POLAND

Th erefore, at the moment,

we do not see the threats you

mentioned. And we do not want

the low labour cost to be the

only attraction keeping inves-

tors in our country. We want the

qualifi cations of our workers to be

competitive, and we will carry on

improving their abilities. Consid-

erable funds for the development

of qualifi cations and training

came from the OP Fisheries. We

also support high-quality pro-

duction and the use of advanced

technologies.

Contracts for investment pro-

jects worth nearly PLN 434

million (EUR 103 million) have

been signed with fish process-

ing companies under the OP

Fisheries. As a result of these

investments, Poland has among

the most modern processing

plants in Europe that meet the

highest hygiene and veterinary

standards. We are improving

the transport network by build-

ing new highways and motor-

ways, and we focus on improv-

ing the quality of raw materials

and providing access to large

quantities.

Th is is why we have set up the

fi sh fi rst sale centres. Th ey buy

fi sh from fi shermen and deliver

it to the customers, which

include processing plants. In

this way, we solve the problem

of fragmented supply, delivering

raw material, which is sorted, in

good quality, and in the neces-

sary volumes. We have improved

our control systems signifi cantly

over recent years, and we can

now be sure that all of the landed

fi sh comes from legal and sus-

tainable fi shing.

Th e European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 started to actively deploy local partnership principles for

the benefi t of local fi shing com-munities. How do you asses the success of this initiative in Poland?

Th e very implementation of that

initiative is a success, despite

a 2-year delay starting it. Alto-

gether, Poland has 48 FLAGs in

its 16 voivodships (provinces).

Th e FLAG Committee chooses

the operations, based on the

selection criteria approved by

the Minister of Agriculture and

Rural Development. Th e FLAGs

operate in fi shing-dependent

areas, that is, areas where the

number of people working for

the fi shing sector is large. Th ey

could be employed in one of sev-

eral activities: marine fi shing,

fi shing on lakes, inland freshwa-

ter fi sh farms, or fi sh-processing

companies.

Th e implementation of the

FLAG strategy includes carry-

ing out operations of diff erent

types. Fishermen can expect

subsidies for restructuring

and re-orienting their busi-

nesses and for creating new job

opportunities outside the sec-

tor. Support is also available to

municipal authorities for pro-

jects to improve access to pub-

lic transport, reconstruct tourist

infrastructure, and promote the

area covered by the FLAG strat-

egy. Also eligible for support are

public organisations that work

for the development of the area,

for example, by organising spe-

cial interest groups for children,

building museums, or organis-

ing cultural events.

Support for local businesses and

farms is also possible, for exam-

ple, supporting the produc-

tion and promotion of fishery

products from local businesses.

Small, family-owned businesses

benefit greatly from this support,

because it can increase incomes

and help profile the company

over other business types. Sup-

port is available in particular

for fish farms and companies

in the fishing business that

wish to develop tourism as an

alternative source of income.

The development of such busi-

ness supports the development

of the local economy as a whole,

from bars and restaurants to

various tourist attractions, and

to the development of local

industry.

The fi nancial and economic crisis has been a long drawn out aff air from which many countries have not yet recov-ered. What was the impact on the Polish fi sheries sector, and what measures were imple-mented to mitigate it?

The results from the fisheries

sector in 2012 were quite good

despite the very difficult envi-

ronment. The number of profit-

yielding companies grew from

73.9 in 2011 to 85.1 in 2012.

This result was achieved largely

through continuing growth

in labour efficiency. In 2012,

Poland exported 349 thousand

tonnes of fish and fish products,

which is a quantity similar to

the 2011 figure (352 thousand

tonnes). The value of exports

increased from EUR 1,139 mil-

lion in 2011 to EUR 1,201 million

in 2012, and this growing trend

is expected to continue this

year.

Fish consumption in Poland is less than in many other EU countries. What eff orts are being made to increase con-sumption of fi sh among Poles, and particularly among seg-ments such as the young, who

are reluctant consumers of fi sh and seafood?

We take a variety of measures

to increase fi sh consumption,

including campaigns targeted

at young people. In 2008, the

Department of Fisheries coordi-

nated a broad fi sh-consumption

promotion campaign “Fish infl u-

ences all”. Commercials were

broadcast on the television and

radio, and were well received

among consumers. In 2012, we

put out an information leafl et

“Practical hints for fi sh consum-

ers”, which was distributed all over

Poland, mainly to gynaecological

and obstetrics clinics. We wanted

to target pregnant women and

feeding mothers because of their

special dietary requirements. Th e

leafl et included offi cial dietary

recommendations and informa-

tion on the benefi ts of consuming

omega-3 fatty acids.

Th e Fish Promotion Fund was

established in 2009 and is

fi nanced by 0.1 of the net value

of all products subject to VAT.

VAT-paying entrepreneurs are

obliged to levy, collect, and pay

the 0.1 to the Fish Promotion

Fund. Th e Fund’s statutory activ-

ities include support for projects

promoting fi sh consumption.

In 2011, the Fund fi nanced the

promotion of fi sh and seafood

with a campaign known as “Fish

Products from Poland”. It also

co-fi nanced the promotion of

the Fish Market Development

Association’s “Fish Wins”, a

campaign on Facebook aimed

mainly at young people. Asso-

ciations also promote fi sh con-

sumption using the European

Fisheries Fund. For example, the

campaign “Trout Now” by the

Association of Salmonid Produc-

ers and “Mr. Carp” by the Fish

Promotion Society.

06_Poland_PO.indd 5 05/12/13 1:01 PM


POLAND

Source: Inland Fisheries Institute Source: FAO

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POLAND

Poland has approximately

550,000 ha of inland

waters, and inland fishing

accounts for ca. 30 of Poland’s

total annual production or

about 54,000 tonnes. Today, ca.

67 of inland fishery production

comes from aquaculture, 26

comes from angling, and only

ca. 6 comes from commercial

lake, river, and dam reservoir

fisheries.

Th e Stanisław Sakowicz Inland

Fisheries Institute dating back to

1951 is the leading independent

research and development facility

in this fi eld. It is supervised by the

subdivision of inland fi sheries in the

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development and is led by Direc-

tor Bogusław Zdanowski, while

Professor Arkadiusz Wołos heads

the Department of Fishery Bioeco-

nomics. In general, development

Polish inland fi sheries

Economic importance to rural areasThe inland fi sheries sector in Poland comprises the rearing and culture of freshwater fi sh, commercial lake and river fi sheries,

and recreational angling in inland waters. Commercial lake, river, and dam reservoir fi sheries and angling made the largest

contribution to the production of freshwater fi sh until the mid-1980s, when production came to be dominated by fi sh from

aquaculture.

at the institute is moving in two

directions. Th e fi rst relates to

aquaculture and biotechnology,

and the other relates to natural

waters and the implementation of

the water framework directive.

In recent years, the institute has

focused on innovation and imple-

mentation projects, including:

biotechnologies for the

artifi cial reproduction and

rearing of sturgeon species;

controlled biotechnology

for controlled reproduction

of pike-perch;

increased production of

stocking material of valu-

able fi sh species, with a spe-

cial focus on pike;

improved quality of the

artificial reproduction

and rearing of fish, with a

special focus on fish wel-

fare;

Local fi shermen pull up their catches in the Vistula Lagoon.

06_Poland_PO.indd 7 05/12/13 1:01 PM


POLAND

Arkadiusz Wołos emphasises the importance of receiving recognition

and support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

According to the FAO, Poland is

the second largest carp producer

in Europe and, although it had

a period of decline, production

has now stabilised and in 2012

totalled more than 17,700 tonnes;

production of other species in

the sector amounted to ca. 1,500

tonnes.

Less is known about the true

situation of trout. According

to Arkadiusz Wołos, the data

reveals that we saw the high-

est registered production of

trout five to seven years ago,

with a total of ca. 18,000 tonnes.

According to the latest data,

the extrapolated total produc-

tion today would only be 11,000

tonnes, signalling a substantial

drop.

Bogusław Zdanowski says “in

the case of open-water fishing,

of which about 90 of the catch

is lake fishing, we have seen a

drop over a 5 to 6 year period

from around 2,500 tonnes to

about 2,150 tonnes”. Paradoxi-

cally, despite this drop in pro-

duction, the financial standing

of the inland fisheries is stable.

The reason behind this is that

farms, especially lake farms, are

getting more involved in other

types of activities, such as pro-

cessing, establishing their own

shops, or promoting tourism.

Director Bogusław Zdanowski leads the Inland Fisheries Institute in

Olsztyn.

the promotional project

known as Mr. Carp, which was

designed to generate support

for domestic production.

Status of the sector

Polish inland fi sheries can be

classifi ed into three subsectors,

of which the fi rst two relate to

aquaculture:

1) production of carp and other

fi sh species in ponds;

2) production of trout and other

salmonid species;

3) fi sheries in open waters, i.e.,

lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.

Cormorants consume about twice the total commercial catches in lakes.

Ark

adiu

sz W

ołos

06_Poland_PO.indd 8 05/12/13 1:01 PM


POLAND

Today fi sh stocks are more or

less at a sustainable level. In lake

fi sheries, the greatest decrease

is in eel. Production in the 1970s

and fi rst half of the 1980s was

500–700 tonnes annually, and

now it is a little over 80 tonnes.

Th e main catches of lake species

are shown in Table 1.

Cormorants: an enormous problem

Th e increasing population of

cormorants is one of the most

signifi cant problems currently

facing Polish fi sheries. Estimates

indicate that these predators

consume more than two times

the total commercial catches

in lakes. Temporary permits for

shooting some birds are issued,

but the results are more or less

undetectable. Little is being done

to reduce the stocks because the

institution responsible for envi-

ronmental protection remains

guarded on the issue. “Th is is an

offi cial opinion and has created

an obvious discrepancy between

the position of the Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Develop-

ment and the Ministry of Envi-

ronment. But this situation is

not exclusive to Poland,” says

Professor Arkadiusz Wołos.

Illegal fi shing reduced

Illegal fi shing is decreasing. One

reason could be the decreas-

ing stocks, particularly of eel.

Eel was by far the most illegally

fi shed stock owing to its sub-

stantially higher price compared

with other species. Today, a kilo-

gram costs PLN 70 (ca. EUR 17),

while trout is PLN 15 (EUR 4). Th e

reduction in the stock of eel has

therefore removed much of the

Inland Fisheries Institute The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland

Fisheries Institute

ul. Oczapowskiego 10

10-719 Olsztyn

Poland

Tel.: +48 89 5241062

Fax: +48 89 5240505

irs@infi sh.com.pl

www.infi sh.com.pl

Director: Bogusław Zdanowski

Head of Department of Fishery

Bioeconomics: Arkadiusz Wołos

incentive to fi sh illegally. Stur-

geon and pike-perch also com-

mand premium prices compared

with other species.

Th e fi shery industry is an impor-

tant element of the economies

in inland and rural regions, and

freshwater fi sh are an important

source of income. Including the

aquaculture sector, lake fi sheries,

and professional anglers, ca.

4,500 persons are employed.

Angling is a huge sector in

Poland, with an estimated 1.5

million anglers. About ten years

ago, the total value of angling,

including catches, stocking

materials, business, and fi shing

trips, was estimated at more than

PLN 1 billion (about EUR 240 mil-

lion). At the same time, the total

value of aquaculture production

was PLN 300 million (ca. EUR 72

million). Poland’s inland waters

are restocked with 23 diff erent

fi sh species – a rare situation

in Europe – and the total fi nan-

cial value of restocking is much

greater than the value of catches.

Th e economic performance of

fi sheries is generally stable with

trout farms doing best, followed by

lake fi sheries, with carp farms last.

Carp producers are trying to intro-

duce additional species in a bid to

increase the profi tability of their

operations.

Th e ratio of consumed inland

fi sh is somewhat uncertain, but

it is estimated that ca. 20 of

Poland’s total fi sh consump-

tion of 10–12 kg per capita is

from inland fi sheries, of which

trout makes up about 1,25 kg per

capita. Almost all products from

open-water fi sheries and carp

farming are consumed in Poland,

whereas trout is also exported.

Priorities for the next program-

ming period, 2014–2020, focus on

stabilising the legal environment

for fi sheries and taking action on

the cormorant nuisance. Imple-

mentation of the new OP may

prove diffi cult owing to the low

profi tability of some farms. Th ey

simply do not have the funds

needed. And freshwater pond

fi sheries in Poland (and Europe

in general) are not accepted as an

important and equal-rights sub-

sector of aquaculture but rather

as a natural resource.

Table 1. Catches from 270,000 ha of lakes in Poland in 2012Species Tonnes Species Tonnes

Bream 724,18 Carps 141,92

Pike 273,15 Pike-perch 118,18

Roach 247,06 Eel 85,08

Vendace 206,80 Smelt 24,12

Perch 150,30 Other 24,34

Tench 147,53 Total 2142,66

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POLAND

Sturgeons are an anadro-

mous species, which means

they migrate from the sea

to freshwater for spawning. In

Poland, they have been recorded

travelling as far as 700 km for this

purpose. In a recirculation sys-

tem, the spawning of sturgeon

takes place in January and Febru-

ary and takes about two months.

It is more complicated than with

other species, but the Dgał Exper-

imental Stocking Centre has been

doing it successfully for 12 years.

Th e conditions in the basins imi-

tate the fi sh's natural environ-

ment. During winter, water tem-

peratures are decreased and then

gradually raised and lights are

turned on to signal spring. Th e fi sh

do not produce eggs every year,

so several stocks of each species

have to be maintained according

to the number of years between

spawning (two years for Siberian

sturgeon, four years for Russian,

and at least four years for Atlantic

sturgeon).

Atlantic sturgeon is a delicate

species and is bred for restock-

ing in the Baltic Sea region, but

plans are being made to produce

the fi sh for sale. Atlantic stur-

geon matures between 13 and 14

years of age when females reach

a weight of ca. 50 kg. In the wild,

maturity would not occur before

they reached 18 to 20. Being sensi-

tive, they react to anything: move-

ment, sound, and lights being

turned on and off . Because of this,

losses of Atlantic sturgeon are

more frequent and still occur after

they reach 1 kg, whereas other

sturgeon species experience prac-

tically no losses.

Th e species can reach sixty years in

age and grow to almost 5 m, with

weights exceeding 300 kg. Today,

natural sustainable populations

are maintained only in the US and

Canada. In Europe, they are almost

entirely extinct, so stock restocking

is highly prioritised.

Studies have revealed that the

sturgeon population in the Bal-

tic Sea belongs to the Cana-

dian subspecies rather than the

European variant, as previously

thought. Research indicates that

this species migrated to the Bal-

tic approximately 1,300 years ago

and subsequently displaced the

native species.

Most experiments are carried

out on the Siberian sturgeon,

because it is the easiest to grow

and reaches sexual maturity at the

age of only 8, making it the species

of sturgeon most commonly bred

in captivity. Research focuses on

obtaining the female stocks by,

for instance, hormonal reversal

of sexes. But the coding system

for sexes is diff erent in sturgeon

than in other species. Currently,

it is not possible to genetically

distinguish males from females,

and only when they reach a size of

The Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre grows fi sh for research, restocking, and revenue

A focus on sturgeon and other high-value speciesThe Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre is a unit of the Inland Fisheries Institute, which carries out experiments to improve the

breeding of fi sh species with a particular focus on sturgeon and other high-value species for both restocking and sale.

Fish for restocking are tagged to allow them to be traced.

ca. 1,5 kg can the sexes be identi-

fi ed using ultrasonic scanning;

but this is labour intensive and

therefore done only for restocking

or in connection with the produc-

tion of caviar.

Polish sturgeon behind Russian caviar

Russian sturgeon is excellent

for caviar, so-called black gold,

because their eggs are big and

very black and this makes them

more sought after, although they

mature later (ca. 12 years of age).

Th ey grow without much eff ort to

200 kg and 3,5 m.

Two companies in Poland breed

sturgeon for caviar. According

to Mirosław Szczepkowski of the

Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fish-

eries Institute, “We have many

customers in Lithuania who

source breeding materials from

our hatchery and sell them to

Russia. We sell sturgeon weighing

1 to 2 kg to Russia, and thus Polish

sturgeon is the origin of Russian

caviar. At least some of it”.

A fi sh for the future?

Pike-perch is bred from the insti-

tute's own broodstock. “Everyone

wants to breed this species, but

unfortunately, it is very diffi cult”,

says Miroslaw Szczepkowki. “Espe-

cially at the initial stages, growing

them from eggs to 1 to 2 g fi sh and

getting them to eat feed. Th ere are

farms in Denmark and Poland that

specialise in growing them, but in

Poland, we are the only ones who

grow them from scratch”.

Th e species is only bred for

restocking but there is a huge

demand for this fi sh once they

06_Poland_PO.indd 11 05/12/13 1:01 PM


POLAND

have reached the 1 to 2 g threshold.

Prospects for growing this species

have the greatest potential, and

the institute has been contacted

by a Dutch company willing to

pay very good prices. Currently,

the breeding process is far from

perfect, and there is ample room

for improvement, but the institute

believes this is a species for the

future and will be working on this

more intensively.

Th is species is also very popular

for angling, which is why they

are caught extensively. Th e tradi-

tional methods of restocking fi sh

of 2 to 3 cm is not very eff ective

for pike-perch. Th ey are eaten by

predators and therefore have to

be bigger. Th e institute has to fi nd

out the optimal size for restock-

ing. Advantages are, however,

that pike-perch adapt easily and

maintain their killer instinct. Even

after having been fed on fi sh feed,

they quickly go back to preying

on other fi sh when released. Pike

for instance needs to be released

when it is no larger than 5 gr,

otherwise they lose their instinct

to prey on fi sh. Pike breeding

is otherwise quite productive”.

Pike-perch and pike are mainly

restocked within the region.

Currently, research is being

done on white fi sh (Coregonus

lavaletus), which is very popu-

lar in Poland. In fact, it nearly

became extinct because of its

popularity. Two breeding stocks

for both restocking and sale to

farms are maintained. Szczep-

kowski explains, “Th ey grow

quickly but are somewhat deli-

cate, especially to some bacte-

rial diseases. We are working to

improve its resistance. Th e spe-

cies is also popular with trout

farmers as a supplementary fi sh.

White fi sh from here is stocked

throughout most of Poland”.

Measuring the effect

All fi sh for restocking are tagged

with microchips under their skin,

which will remain in them for

life. Monitoring the effi ciency of

the restocking is an important

objective and, with these tags,

identifi cation can be made, fi sh

counted, and movements tracked

using diff erent monitoring sys-

tems. Gear attached to buoys or

boats that register the fi sh can be

used for this. Radio transmitters

are used for sturgeon and pike-

perch. Th e tags are hydroacous-

tic and can be registered using

antennas.

If the fi sh do not register, they

either are dead or have been

caught. Because the radio

The sexes of sturgeon cannot be determined before they have reached

a size of 1,5 kg.

Mirosław Szczepkowski shows off some of the farmed species.

transmitters are fairly large, they

generate a return rate of ca. 66

from anglers. Only a small per-

centage of the smaller tags are

returned, because anglers simply

do not notice them. Th is informa-

tion was benefi cial as it proved

that pike could survive after

spawning. Th e fi sh were marked

after spawning and released into

the lakes, revealing that the fi sh did

survive. Th is caused changes to pro-

cedures, allowing fi sh to be released

for restocking after spawning at the

hatchery.

The hatchery employs six aca-

demic researchers and seven

technical workers to conduct

experimental research. The

hatchery produces 300,000

fry per year, of which 50,000

are released for restocking,

and 250,000 are sold. It has

facilities to produce more

sturgeon, but this is the amount

that currently can be sold.

Demand is growing however, ca.

20 per year.

“With our specialties, sturgeon,

pike-perch, and white fish, we

are definitely the leaders in our

field and receive at least 30 to

40 visits from other breeders to

see how we do it”, says Szczep-

kowski. “As a result, in recent

years, the number of recircu-

lation aquaculture systems

established around Poland has

increased, with support from

the EFF. It is seen as an oppor-

tunity to move from an extensive

to an intensive farming method.

We want to develop and encour-

age more and more people to

develop their own farms. Begin-

nings are always tough, but it’s

important not to get discour-

aged,” says Mr Szczepkowski.

Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland

Fisheries Institute

Department of Sturgeon Fish

Breeding

Mr Mirosław Szczepkowski

Pieczarki 50

11-610 Pozezdrze, Poland

Tel.: +48 87 428 3666

Mob: +48 500 052 342

szczepkowski@infi sh.com.pl

www.infi sh.com.pl

06_Poland_PO.indd 12 05/12/13 1:02 PM


POLAND

Managing Director Bogu-

sław Kelles-Krauz and

his wife moved here as

newlyweds, straight after gradu-

ation. He has been director for

more than 20 years and proudly

shows off his accomplishments.

Th e farm is located on 4,700 ha,

of which 4,300 are lakes. Th e rest

consists mostly of grassland, for-

est, and meadow. Th e company

was initially state owned but

was privatised in 1994, when the

former employees established

a joint-venture cooperative that

won the tender in the privatisa-

tion process.

Activities galore

Th e company started out with

simple lake fi sheries but subse-

quently began breeding, catch-

ing, selling, and processing. Th e

company owns a trout farm and

fi ve carp centres covering more

than 220 hectares. Carp centres

are farms with hatcheries, where

they breed carp for their own

production as well as for sale to

other fi sh farms.

As the company grew, it gradu-

ally added facilities for storage,

refrigeration, freezing, smoking,

processing, and packaging. Th e

processing is basic and involves

cleaning, descaling, and fi llet-

ing. Ninety-nine per cent of their

products are made with fi sh from

their own catches, and all waste

products are sold to a fi sh-feed

producer. Th e place also fea-

tures two guesthouses that can

be rented, overlooking the lake.

Bogaczewo – Lake fi sheries and more

Managing Director Bogusław Kelles-Krauz

Lake Narie, one of the lakes owned by Bogaczewo. The company has a total of 4,300 ha of lakes.

Most of the bookings are made

between May and August, but

it is possible to rent them year-

round.

“We own two small shops where

we sell a large selection of our

products to the locals and to other

local shops, like in the nearby city

of Olsztyn”, says Kelles-Krauz.

“We also have an agreement with

the LeClerc supermarket chain,

which sells our whole line of prod-

ucts in stores throughout Poland”.

“And then there’s our restau-

rant, which operates during an

extended summer season from

April to October, where we serve

dishes made with our freshly

caught fi sh. It is very popular

with both locals and tourists,”

says Kelles-Krauz. “People like

to come out to eat good quality

close to where the fi sh are

caught. Fish is simply better that

way”. Bogaczewo does not sell

products abroad because there

is still plenty of opportunity in

Poland.

Th e types of products sold vary

depending on the season. For

Diversifi cation at its bestZakład Rybacki Bogaczewo, or Bogaczewo Fish Department in English, was establish in Bogaczewo between Warsaw and Gda‘nsk

next to Lake Narie in 1952. It has made Bogaczewo synonymous with diversifi cation in inland fi sheries.

06_Poland_PO.indd 13 05/12/13 1:02 PM


POLAND

instance, king carp is sold live

and almost only in December

according to Polish tradition. Th e

fi sh scales look like coins and

symbolise wealth; they are given

to family and friends around

Christmas. Th e fi sh is sold live,

and people take pride in descal-

ing, cleaning, and giving them

away. Most other products like

trout and vendace are sold either

whole or fi lleted, fresh on ice,

smoked, or frozen, in vacuum

packs to preserve the quality.

Approximately 500 to 600 kg

of fi sh are processed daily and,

including sales of unprocessed

or live fi sh, the company can sell

up to a tonne per day. Processing

is driven by the daily demand.

“We try to regulate our catches

according to our needs, so we

don’t catch more than we expect

to sell. Th at way, we ensure that

the stock will survive in future,

and we can guarantee our cus-

tomers that the fi sh is as fresh as

possible,” he says.

Th e operation employs 35 people.

It uses approximately a tonne of

feed for the fi sh farms per day.

Last year roughly 300 tonnes

of fi sh were sold, generating

a revenue of ca. EUR 840,000.

Mr. Kelles-Krauz’s wife shows a hook used for smoking eel

Nets confi scated from illegal fi shing decorate the terrace.

Approximately 50 to 60 tonnes

are not sold because they consti-

tute the basis for the breeding of

stocks.

Nothing comes easy

“We are impatiently waiting for

society to become wealthier”, says

Kelles-Krauz, “because fi sh is

more expensive than other foods

and not aff ordable by everyone.

But we are moving in the right

direction. Polish society has to

learn to eat carp all year round

instead of just at Christmas. We

are trying to do this by extend-

ing the season that carp is avail-

able. Now, sale starts in October

and doesn’t end before summer.

Earlier, we only sold live carp, but

now we also sell fi llets to make it

easier for people to eat”.

Bogaczewo has received co-

funding for investment in the

farm from the European Fisher-

ies Fund and Mr Kelles-Krauz

is waiting for the new fi shery

programme to determine if

any future opportunities can

receive fi nancial aid. “Th ere are

always lots of ideas and new

plans. Th e fi shing business is

not easy but it’s not too bad

either”. He smiles before con-

tinuing. “Th is is our fi rst real

job, and we would like it to be

our last. So, just 15 years more

to go”.

Bogaczewo Company Fact File

Zakład Rybacki Bogaczewo Spółka

z.o.o.

14-300 Morag-Bogaczewo

Poland

Tel.: +48 8985 4031

Mob.: +48 8975 4031

Managing Director: Bogusław

Kelles-Krauz

Activities: Lake fi sheries, fi ve

carp farms with hatcheries, a

trout farm, a small processing

facility, two small shops selling

fi sh, and a restaurant

Employees: 35

Yearly production: 300 tonnes

06_Poland_PO.indd 14 05/12/13 1:03 PM


POLAND

FLAGs of opportunity

With a EUR 235 million

budget from the EFF,

Poland is well ahead of

runner-up Romania, which has

only EUR 7 5 million. An additional

one-fourth of the support comes

from national funds making the

total budget EUR313 million. Axis

4 funds are managed by fi sheries

local action groups (FLAGs), part-

nerships between fi shery actors and

other local public and private stake-

holders in a region. Together, they

design a strategy that addresses the

specifi c needs for economic, social,

and environmental welfare, which

can then be implemented through

a variety of initiatives.

Th e advantage of this bottom–up

approach is that the application

process is managed by those who

know the people, the community

and, more importantly, their needs.

A central body in Warsaw could

never know the diff erent needs of

diff erent communities. People are

helped in the application process

by locals and do not need to travel

long distances to apply. Th is makes

it possible for more people to apply.

Poland’s 48 FLAGs cover almost a

quarter of its territory, with about

one-fi fth of them situated on the

coast and the rest distributed inland.

Eurofi sh magazine had the chance

to visit two FLAGs in northern

Poland to get an idea of the issues

that were important to the com-

munities and the opportunities

that the FLAGs provide.

Vistula Lagoon FLAG

Th e Vistula Lagoon is a shal-

low freshwater lagoon located

in northern Poland on the Baltic

Sea, roughly 90 km long, 10–19 km

wide, and up to 6 m deep, with an

average depth of around 2 m. Th e

Polish–Russian border runs right

across it, so that the surface of the

Polish part of the bay amounts

to about 340 km2, with approxi-

mately 500 km2 remaining on the

Russian side. Th e lagoon is fed by

several rivers and is connected

to the Baltic Sea by the Strait of

Baltiysk, on the Russia side of the

border.

An agreement signed between

Poland and Russia in 1956 allowed

the free movement of vessels on the

Vistula Lagoon without the need for

documents or visas. It also granted

access of passage to the Baltic Sea;

however, this has periodically been

revoked, most recently in 2005. Th is

has been so problematic that the

idea of building another passage on

the Polish side into the Baltic Sea, so

easing its dependence on Russia, has

been considered. Th e investment

would, however, be great and could

cause ecological disruptions, such as

unbalancing the lagoon’s freshwater

ecosystem as a result of the infl ow of

brackish waters from the Baltic.

Border issues

Th e border between Poland and

Russia, however, also provides

Helping communities become sustainablePoland has allocated 32% of its European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget to Axis 4, making it the EU member country with the

largest allocation, accounting for roughly 40% of the total Axis 4 budget or EUR235m.

Fishermen prepare their gear in Piaski harbour.

06_Poland_PO.indd 15 05/12/13 1:03 PM


POLAND

the region with potential. Tour-

ism from the neighbouring Russian

city of Kaliningrad is thought to be

an untapped source of income to

improve the economy of the Vistula

Lagoon area. With a population of

ca. 450,000 people living in Kalinin-

grad (approximately the same size as

Gdansk) and located less than 60 km

from the Polish border, the city off ers

signifi cant potential for cross border

tourism. Unfortunately, Poland is

making entry from Russia very diffi -

cult, so the Russians do not come as

often as the Poles would like.

Piotr Kasza, a local fi sherman and

vice-president of the FLAG board,

says, with 28 unemployment in

the region, we should really be

interested in the development of

tourism. Tourists that spend PLN

10–50,000 PLN (EUR 2–12,000) per

visit won’t accept having to spend

four hours crossing the border.

When the borders were open,

each quarter Poles spent PLN 4

million (EUR 1 million) in Russia,

while Russians spent PLN 40 mil-

lion (EUR 10 million) in Poland.

Th is amount was documented by

VAT returns, which do not account

for services like hairdressers, spas,

and other treatments, and therefore

the actual amount is in fact sub-

stantially higher. Kasza says, “Our

only opportunity for the region is

cooperating and trading with Rus-

sia, and encouraging tourism.”

Cormorants are also an impor-

tant issue in the Vistula Lagoon.

Currently in the region, there is a

natural reserve of 15,000 pairs of

black cormorants, who eat all of

the fi sh. It is a tragedy for fi sher-

men in the Vistula Lagoon.

Th e main species fi shed in the

lagoon are herring (in spring), eel,

pike-perch, and bream. In summer,

the bay is shallow, and the water

gets too warm for the fi sh, aff ording

the fi shermen a break. Th at makes

tourism even more important. Th is

downtime could be used to provide

services to visitors.

During the trip on the lagoon, a

vessel from the fi sh inspectorate

pulled up and agreed to answer

a few questions regarding illegal

fi shing. Controls are performed

daily, and amounts of catches and

types of fi shing equipment are

noted. Th e fi ne for illegal fi shing

is up to PLN 50,000 (EUR 12,000),

so very few venture into this illegal

business. Th irty illegal fi shermen

are caught annually, and 450–500

illegal nets are confi scated, usu-

ally in spring when pike-perch

and bream spawn here. Provisions

excluding people caught fi shing

illegally from applying for EU fund-

ing has helped limit illegal fi shing.

When asked what FLAG funding

has been spent on, Director Andrzej

Wisniewski states, “Seventy per

cent of our funds have already been

spent and only PLN 200,000 (EUR

50,000) remain for next year. Th ese

funds have been vital to the sustain-

ability of our region”.

A few highlights of how money

was spent include renovating

a kindergarten, building play-

grounds, setting up an agri-

tourism enterprise, purchasing

equipment (for tourism, medical

centres, fi re departments, etc.),

setting up a restaurant, con-

structing two hatcheries, and a

permanent astronomy exhibition

in Frombork cathedral to com-

memorate Nicolaus Copernicus.

Northern Kashubian FLAG

Located in a former fi shermen’s

house and sharing a building with

the Władysławowo city council

is the Northern Kashubian FLAG

headquarters. Th e focus of this

FLAG is fi sheries and tourism.

Its area covers 770 km2 and has

a population of almost 100,000

Director Andrzej Wisniewski and Piotr Kasza, fi sherman and board

vice-president, show what the Vistula Lagoon has to offer.

A fi shing vessel in Frombork harbour with the cathedral in the

background where Nicolaus Copernicus worked.

Vistula Bay FLAG

Total public budget of FLAG

2007–2013: EUR 6.9 million

EFF: EUR 5.2 million

Other public (national/ regional/

provincial): EUR 1,740,000

Director of the Vistula Lagoon

FLAG: Andrzej Wisniewski

Vice-President of the Board and

fi sherman: Piotr Kasza

Address:

Zalew Wislany

ul. Zeromskiego 14

14-500 Braniewo

Poland

Tel.: +48 55 235 11 12

Fax: +48 55 235 10 42

[email protected]

www.lgrzalewwislany.pl

06_Poland_PO.indd 16 05/12/13 1:03 PM


POLAND

inhabitants. With EFF aid exceed-

ing EUR 13 million, the North-

ern Kashubian FLAG has one of

the largest budgets to assist and

develop the region. Approxi-

mately EUR 10 million have been

spent, with another 5 million left

to spend before the end of the pro-

gramme in 2015. Th e fi shing index

of this particular FLAG is 5,34,

which means that there are 5,34

fi shermen per 1,000 inhabitants.

Th is is one of the highest indices

in Poland and throughout Europe.

Th e region’s history dates to before

the 16th century when Kashubian

fi shermen united in occupational

groups known as Maszoperias

in order to fi sh more eff ectively.

Th e basic rule in these groups

demanded an equal division of

catches. Th e skipper, referred to

as “the fi rst among equals”, had

to work like the others. Maszo-

perias were organised primarily

for types of fi shing that required

the integration of larger groups of

fi shermen, such as seine and fyke

fi shing.

Northern Kashubian FLAG

Total public budget of FLAG

2007–2013: EUR 17.7 million

EFF: EUR 13.3 million

Other public (national): EUR

4.4 million

President: Zbigniew Chmaruk

Address:

Północnokaszubska Lokalna Grupa

Rybacka,

ul. gen. J. Hallera 19

84-120 Władysławowo

Poland.

Tel.: +48 58 114 68 90

Fax: +48 58 774 53 62

[email protected]

www.plgr.pl

Wearing a traditional fi shing hat of the region, President of the Northern Kashubian FLAG Zbigniew

Chmaruk sets sail in a Pomeranka, a traditional wooden fi shing boat.

Traditional oak fi shing boats with

sails, many built by the fi shermen

themselves, were also used for tra-

ditional coastal fi shing. Th e vessels

were similar in structures but var-

ied in size. Th e largest “Pomeranka”

was about 7 m long and was used

to fi sh with a large salmon seine.

Th e absence of ports made this

vessel popular because they could

be pulled safely ashore during

storms using one’s own strength.

Today, the fi shing fl eet has been

upgraded, and the Pomerankas

cater mostly for enthusiasts and

tourists.

Fishing has always played an

important role in the Northern

Kashubian region. Inhabitants of

the Hel peninsula, a sandy, 35-km

long peninsula almost lacking in

agricultural land, were forced to

support themselves almost exclu-

sively with marine fi sheries. Th is

has made the people proud, and

their strong ties to fi shing are

revealed in many aspects of their

lives. Th is manifests itself in a fi sh-

ing forest, fi shing houses, a fi shing

language, and fi shing-related festi-

vals. Religion has a strong presence

here, but fi shing is omnipresent,

as seen in the church in Jastar-

nia, decorated with fi sh and fi sh

motives, inside and out, on its

doors, ceilings, benches, and altar.

Today, the beaches of the penin-

sula attract many tourists, espe-

cially during summer, as well as

wind and kite surfers.

At the end of October, a call for

proposals was closed for the

allocation of EUR 3 million. Th e

FLAG staff helped more than

60 newcomers apply for funds.

FLAG receives an average of 120

applications per call, of which

20–30 are implemented. Th is

time, 153 applications were

received, 86 within the area of

“Adding value to fi shery prod-

ucts, the development of ser-

vices to the communities living

in areas dependent on fi sher-

ies – the social and economic

sector”. Th is demonstrates the

area’s thirst for funding and the

wealth of ideas. Eighty projects

have already been implemented

or are ongoing. Large projects

include building piers that dou-

ble port capacity, establishing

recreational marinas, creat-

ing Poland’s fi rst subterranean

vacuum pumps for unloading

fi shing vessels, extending stor-

age facilities, and providing

new processing equipment.

Smaller projects include provid-

ing equipment for restaurants,

creating sailing schools, creating

horse-riding facilities, and build-

ing playgrounds. Projects can be

viewed on an interactive map on

the FLAG website.

Ending the tour of the Northern

Kashubian FLAG, President Zbig-

niew Chmaruk sums it up quite

well. “Fishing is not just a living, it’s

in our hearts”.

06_Poland_PO.indd 17 05/12/13 1:03 PM


POLAND

First-sales centre

The fi shing vessel that has

just arrived in the harbour

is carrying cod, which

fi shermen are obliged to register

at the fi rst-sales centre, accord-

ing to regulations from the Min-

istry of Agriculture and Rural

Development. In the process of

weighing, they are sometimes

accompanied by an inspector

from the sea-fi shery inspector-

ate, sometimes not. Usually

20–30 of the catch is randomly

selected and weighed while the

rest is loaded directly on the

transport truck, in case a buyer

already is sourced. Th is fi gure,

however, can be changed by a

buyer or an inspector.

After weighing, a “fi rst-sales

document” is produced, which

is required by the control regula-

tions. Fishermen have no obliga-

tion to use the fi rst-sales centre

to aid in the sales process. But if

some or all of the catch has not

been sold already, the centre can

facilitate a sale and also provide

the necessary storage facilities

until the products can be distrib-

uted.

Th e advantages are that buyers

are certain that they receive the

right amount and quality, and

do not have to perform their

own controls. Also, some buyers

are interested in larger quanti-

ties than a single fi sherman can

provide, and so the fi rst-sale

centres collect fi sh from several

vessels until they can provide the

right amount. At the same time,

authorities know that all catches

are correctly accounted for. Cod

and salmon species must be reg-

istered at the fi rst-sales centres,

but fi shermen use it for other

species too because of the ser-

vices that the fi rst-sales centres

provide, which also includes pro-

viding ice and facilities to clean

equipment. Hygiene is obviously

very important to maintain the

freshness of the fi sh as long as

possible.

“Initially, local fi shermen were

not positive towards the idea of

the centres, but now after they

started using the facilities and

can see the advantages, their

perceptions are gradually chang-

ing”, explains Leszek Piłka, Fish-

eries Department, Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Develop-

ment.

For more information, please

contact: Leszek Piłka

Head of Market and Fish process-

ing unit

Fisheries Department, Ministry of

Agriculture and Rural Development

30 Wspólna St.

00-930 Warsaw

Poland

Tel.: +48 22 623 24 40

Fax: + 48 22 623 22 04

[email protected]

Jarosław Kirszling, a fi shing vessel owner and head of the largest

fi shermen’s association in Poland, the Association of Sea Fishermen.

Leszek Piłka, Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development is happy with the success of the fi rst sale centers.

Advantages for fishers, buyers, and authoritiesLocated in Władysławowo harbour is one of the four newly created fi rst-sales centres in the region (there are currently nine

centres in Poland). This one is managed by Poland’s largest fi shermen’s association, the Association of Sea Fishermen. It is led

by Jarosław Kirszling and represents 250 captains and ca. 30% of the Polish fl eet.

06_Poland_PO.indd 18 05/12/13 1:03 PM


POLAND

Polish Fish Industry Congress, 16–18 October 2013, Bolszewo

The congress opened with

a session devoted to

trade, which focused on

demand in the domestic mar-

ket and the financial situation

of Polish firms. It was repeat-

edly emphasised that, despite

high hopes for an increase in the

consumption of fish in Poland,

the demand for fish and sea-

food remains stable or is even

decreasing slightly.

According to Grzegorz Mech (GfK

Polonia), Polish consumers are not

shopping as much as previously

and are choosing less-expensive

products. Recently, less has been

spent on products in most catego-

ries, except for fresh and smoked

fi sh, although an increase in trout

and salmon sales was noted.

Krzysztof Hryszko (IoAaFE)

pointed to the poor fi nancial

results for the fi rst half of 2013,

during which the Polish fi sh

industry generated smaller prof-

its despite increased sales. Th is is

mainly the result of a weak inter-

nal market and the high cost of

raw material, especially salmon.

Adding value a priority

A theme vitally important to all

participants and relating to the

future of the Polish fi sh market

was that of fi sh promotion. Kris-

tin Pettersen from the Norwegian

Seafood Council pointed out that

marketing should not focus on

increasing the sales volume, but

must prioritise product valorisa-

tion and maximisation of added

value.

Increasing added value was

the subject of presentations by

Fish marketing should focus on greater value additionBetween 16 and 18 October at the Polish Fish Industry Congress, representatives from Poland’s fi sh-processing industry met

scientists, experts, and advocacy groups to discuss the current condition and future development of Polish fi sh processing.

Invited speakers gave advice on how to overcome current stumbling blocks and prepare for a brighter future, and local players

debated matters closer to home.

Presentations at the conference often provoked a lively discussion which benefi ted the audience as well as the speakers. Here, Jerzy Safader

from the Polish Fish Processors Association has the fl oor.

Hub

ert B

iern

dgar

ski

06_Poland_PO.indd 19 05/12/13 1:04 PM


POLAND

suppliers of technology. Łukasz

Betlinski (Linde) pointed to the

crucial benefi ts of cryogenic

chilling and freezing to fi sh

products, and Gonzalo Cam-

pos (Sealed Air) showed several

innovative solutions in the fi eld

of packaging.

Katia Tribilustova from Eurofi sh

pointed out a number of trends in

the labelling of fi sh and seafood

products. Labels are used to high-

light the value of fi sh as a protein

source, to focus on the product’s

green credentials, or to emphasise

its nutritional value. She showed

how labels can be used to attract

specifi c consumer segments, such

as the elderly with large and clear

texts that are easy to read, and

how they are used to stress health

aspects such as reduced salt, no

trans-fats, or the use of certain oils.

Problems of certifi cation

An emotional discussion took

place concerning the certifi cation

of fi sh products. From the ecolo-

gists’ point of view, represented by

Piotr Predki from the World Wide

Fund for Nature (WWF) and Anna

Debicka from the Marine Stew-

ardship Council (MSC), the cer-

tifi cation of fi sh products (MSC

and the Aquaculture Stewardship

Council) supports the sustainable

use of natural resources. For the

fi sh processors, it is an expensive

tool that increases the price for

consumers. Th e processors main-

tained that, although certifi ca-

tion is voluntary, in fact, pressure

from the supermarkets makes it

obligatory. Further, supermarkets

derive marketing benefi ts without

incurring any costs.

Describing his own experiences

introducing certifi ed products to

the Polish market, Przemysław

Cieslik (Contimax) pointed out

that customers are overwhelmed

by the fl ood of advertising, which

devalues the information about

certifi cation on the label. In this

situation, “only a long-term infor-

mation campaign will increase

the value of certifi cation as per-

ceived by consumers”.

Looking ahead

On the last day of the congress,

representatives of the fi sh industry

and administration discussed

future challenges. Th ese included

the slow consolidation in the

Polish fi sh processing indus-

try (Bogusław Kowalski, Graal),

the diffi cult raw-material situa-

tion (Jerzy Safader, Stanpol), and

increasing regulations connected

to food safety and environmental

protection (Piotr Bykowski, Polish

Fish Processors Association).

Outlining the fi nancial perspec-

tive until 2020, Paweł Łazarski,

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development, left no room for

misunderstanding: EMFF will

not fi nance investment in fi sh

Polish Fish Industry CongressDate: 16–18 October 2013

Location: Bolszewo, Poland

Organiser: Fish Market Develop-

ment Association

Partners: Eurofi sh, Linde, TUV Nord,

Sealed Air, North Atlantic Seafood

Forum, Fish Industry Magazine

No. of participants: 103

Fish processing plants

represented: 28

Fishery and aquaculture

organisations represented: 12

processing, except for activi-

ties that foster innovation. He

encouraged the processors to

seek other EU fi nancial instru-

ments.

Th e annual Fish Market Devel-

opment Association prizes for

the best fi sh and fi sh-product

promotional campaigns were

awarded. Th e best social cam-

paign, the third stage of a cam-

paign promoting trout, was

created by the Polish Trout

Breeders Association. “Th e

Golden Fin” prize in the category

of promotion of a branded fi sh

product was awarded to Lisner

Ltd, Poznan, for a campaign

promoting the sandwich paste

“Pastella”. Th e prizes are awarded

by an independent jury of eight,

representing Polish fi shery

organisations and experts.

Th e Polish Fish Industry Con-

gress successfully nurtured

debate among the scientists,

experts, and the managers of

the Polish fi sh processing indus-

try. Th e project was fi nanced by

the European Fisheries Fund in

the frames of the Polish opera-

tional programme for fi sheries.

Tomasz Kulikowski, Fish Industry

Magazine

The winners of the Fish Market Development Association Prize: Jacek Juchniewicz (left), chairman of the

Polish Trout Breeders Association, and Jacek Suryn, fi sh category manager, Lisner Ltd.

Hub

ert B

iern

dgar

ski

06_Poland_PO.indd 20 05/12/13 1:04 PM


POLAND

Poland’s political transi-

tion at the end of the 1980s

aff ected many companies.

Many of the country’s fi sh pro-

cessors were unable to come to

grips with the adjustments and

were forced into bankruptcy. Th is

was also the case in the Baltic Sea

region, where BMC was doing

business. As a growing number of

companies, whose products BMC

was trading, went out of business,

BMC had to develop a plan to

secure its own survival.

An opportunity lay ahead, because

the company knew that the market

for processed fi sh products was

still robust, with strong demand

from its buyers. So, the company

made the strategic decision to ven-

ture into the processing business.

According to Jerzy Szc-

zepankowski, managing director

of BMC, “Obviously substantial

investments in equipment and

machinery had to be made and, at

the start, hiring and managing per-

sonnel were also diffi cult. Maybe it

wasn’t a good idea and we should

have just continued trading,” he

says with a modest smile. In 1993,

the fi rst can was produced with

the BMC brand, and the company

hasn’t looked back.

Today, the company has a complete

processing plant in Władysławowo

on the shore of the Baltic Sea,

approximately 40 km north of

Gdynia. It employs 150 people,

BMC - What you see is what you get!

Graduating from trading to processingBest Marketing Concept, or BMC as it is currently known, started 25 years ago as a small, family-owned company trading mostly

fi sh products. Within a few years, the political situation in Poland would change the company’s future.

with the number increasing to 200

during seasonal peaks. Produc-

tion stands at between 50,000 and

100,000 cans of fi sh, divided into

approximately 60 diff erent prod-

ucts in 10 diff erent types of cans.

Th e products are primarily sold

under the “BMC” and “Baltica”

labels.

Th e main species include sprat,

mackerel, and herring, but several

other fi sh, such as salmon, tuna,

trout, fl ounder, and carp, fea-

ture in smaller productions. “Our

turnover is up to USD 1 million

(EUR 750.000) per month”, says

Jerzy, “and 90 of our products

are packaged at weighing stations

by hand to assure that the right

amount of fi sh is provided”.

Raw materials from Poland and the world

BMC has two major local sup-

pliers of raw materials primarily

for herring and sprat, and several

smaller companies for specifi c

species and for general availabil-

ity. Mackerel and Atlantic herring

are usually purchased abroad, and

the company buys raw materials

from Scandinavia, Ireland, Ice-

land, China, and Canada. “When

fi sh of good quality is accessible at

a reasonable price, we buy it. Th e

source does not matter," says Mr

Szczepankowski.

A small shop next to the BMC

factory sells its products to

the local community, but

most products are distributed

throughout Poland by a network

of wholesalers, and are available

in many supermarket chains.

A few export adventures have

also been tried in Ireland, Eng-

land, and China, but these were

more as prestige projects than

for profit.

Revenue is invested

Mr Szczepankowski, “We have a

principle that everything gener-

ated by the company stays in the

company. We try to invest our

earnings to maintain, develop,

and modernise the company. Th is

is a family business and we want

to see it grow”. Lack of funding,

however, is always an issue, he

explains.

Another issue of concern is the ever-

present challenge of sourcing fi sh.

For example, he points to the cur-

rent situation with mackerel, which

is diffi cult because stocks from last

year are running low and the new

season has barely started. “We are

eagerly waiting for new deliveries of

mackerel”, he says. “Th e sellers know

that this is the situation for everyone

and are therefore increasing prices.

Not an optimal situation for us”.

Diversifying in a competitive market

Th e Polish market for canned fi sh

is very competitive, with pressure

from buyers for lower prices. Sev-

eral initiatives have therefore been

taken to produce alternative prod-

ucts that stand out. Last year, BMC

Jerzy Szczepankowski, the Managing Director of BMC takes pride in

delivering quality products.

06_Poland_PO.indd 21 05/12/13 1:04 PM


POLAND

began smoking fi sh with a new

smoking oven partly fi nanced by

EFF. Today, smoked products create

work for 25 to 30 people or for 15 of

the staff . Fish pâtés, marinades, and

salads are also newly developed

products. In future, the company

will introduce other products with

ready-to-eat meals and fi sh soups,

which the company believes will be

successful.

Making good quality visible

BMC is also in the initial stages

of testing a new range of pack-

aging for existing products,

namely glass jars. Glass allows

the customers to see the high-

quality products on the shelf

and not wait until they open

the packaging. Th e use of glass

packaging requires changes to

the production lines and is more

labour intensive, requiring per-

sonnel to place the fi sh carefully

into the jars, knowing that it

needs to look appealing.

“But we believe the investments

are worth it. Th e fi rst labels arrive

soon, and the slogan for the new

range of products will most likely

be ‘What you see is what you get’.

It sums up our wish to show off the

high quality, although the saying

isn’t very polite in Polish,” Mr Szcz-

epankowski reveals.

“We deliver products of pristine

quality and, because this is a

family business, I am putting my

family name on the line for every

to eat, delicious, and look invit-

ing.” This attitude has earned

the company eight golden Euro-

pean awards for the quality of its

products.

Sprat being prepared for smoking.One assembly line can produce 8.000 cans in an 8 hour shift.

product. It is more than just sell-

ing large quantities. I don’t want

to sell an inferior product in

order to save a little. And I want

to crea te products that are ready

Company Fact File

Best Marketing Concept

ul. Przemysłowa 14


Poland

Tel.: +48 58 67 40 206

Fax: +48 58 67 40 935

[email protected]

www.bmc.com.pl

Managing Director:

Jerzy Szczepankowski

Activities: Fish processing

Main species: Sprat, mackerel,

and herring

Main products: Around 60 types

of canned products

Production: 50,000–100,000

cans per day

Employees: 150–200

Turnover: Up to EUR 750,000/

month

06_Poland_PO.indd 22 05/12/13 1:05 PM


POLAND

In the 1950s, the company

operated small fi shing boats,

but gradually brought larger

units into service. As the com-

pany developed, the number of

vessels grew, reaching more than

50 in the early 1980s. With the

large and modern fl eet in place,

the introduction of processing

was a logical next step, building

a fl ake ice plant, a fi shmeal and

cod-liver-oil factory, and pro-

cessing, storage, and freezing

facilities. Since then, the fi shmeal

and fi sh-oil factory has been

closed as an environmental ini-

tiative and the fl eet reduced. In

recent years, funds from the EU

have helped introduce a modern

cold storage, renew the produc-

tion facilities, and improve the

shipyard.

Five vessels remain

Fishing and processing are Szkun-

er’s main activities, accounting

for ca. 75–80 of the company’s

turnover. Today, only fi ve 25 m

fi shing vessels with maximum

capacities of 80 tonnes remain,

which fi sh primarily for sprat,

herring, and cod in the Baltic Sea.

Th is year, catches have amounted

to ca. 5,500 tonnes of sprat, more

than 500 tonnes of herring, and

ca. 50 tonnes of cod. Th irty peo-

ple, or six per vessel, are employed

in this activity. To meet demand,

this supply is supplemented with

purchases from fi shermen in

Władysławowo and other ports.

Fishing, processing, port management, and shipbuilding

Szkuner is the heart of WładysławowoEstablished in 1955, Szkuner is one of the largest fi shing companies in the region as well as one of the oldest. Today, it makes up a

substantial part of the Władysławowo harbour with its administrative, processing, cold storage facilities, and shipyard.

Semi-processed products

Th ere are many companies in

Poland that engage in fi nal or full

processing, but Szkuner sells only

semi-processed products, primar-

ily for further processing. Th is was

a strategic decision made many

years ago, during the pre-accession

period, because further processing

would require signifi cant invest-

ments that could not be sourced.

Seventy per cent of the products

are delivered to the fi ve major pro-

ducers of preserved fi sh, ca. 20

are sold to smaller companies, and

10 is sold to wholesalers. In total,

90 workers are employed process-

ing fi sh, with seasonal increases of

about 30. Main products include

frozen blocks of sprat that end

as smoked or canned products,

fresh or frozen herring fi llets for

marinated and canned products,

and fresh or frozen IQF cod fi llets.

All products are sold to domestic

companies.

About adding fi nal processing to

the long list of activities at Szkuner,

Michał Hernik, director of fi shing

and processing says, “We thought

about whether to pursue this mar-

ket, but it would require the con-

struction of a completely new pro-

cessing facility from scratch. We

own a plot of land that could be

used for that purpose, but it would

require signifi cant funding.” In 2008,

a new cold storage was opened,

increasing the total storage area to

2,000 tonnes. Th e company’s freez-

ing equipment has the capacity to

freeze 80 tonnes of fi sh per day. Fish

waste is sold to Denmark.

Mr Hernik is also the manager of

the Władysławowo port, ensuring

that the harbour’s infrastructure is

maintained, supplying water, ice,

and energy for vessels, and man-

aging berths.

Modernising and repairing the Polish and European fl eets

Th e shipyard repairs and mod-

ernises more than 100 vessel per

year; ca. 10 are complete builds

or reconstructions. Operations can

be performed on steel or wooden

units up to 30 m long and weighing

220 tonnes. Typical work includes

painting, welding, construction,

and repair.

Th e yard is full of vessels and

barges, and current projects

include turning a vessel commis-

sioned by a Dutch company into

an off shore vessel that will work

off the coast of Africa. Permits and

clearance to work on police and

military vessels have been granted,

and this year, the yard has been

ISO 9001 certifi ed. Th is is a stamp

Michał Hernik is director of fi shing and processing at Szkuner and

manager of the Władysławowo fi shing port, which berths 60 fi shing

vessels.

06_Poland_PO.indd 23 05/12/13 1:05 PM


POLAND

of approval and is expected to help

attract additional business. In all,

45 workers are employed on full

contracts, and ca. 120 additional

workers are hired during busy

periods.

Th is shipyard shows off some of its

latest improvements, including a

new mobile crane and a recently

built 22 m high, 35 m long, and

21 m wide tent-like building. Th is

provides better indoor working

conditions. Among other things,

it will be used for paint work,

because the air in the structure

can be dehumidifi ed with machin-

ery, thus extending productivity

by eliminating dependence on

favourable weather conditions.

Th e tent is non-fl ammable so that

welding and electrical work can be

done indoors without fear of ignit-

ing it.

Currently, 90 of the work com-

missioned at the yard is on Polish

vessels but foreign companies are

becoming more frequent, with

several prospects already in the

pipeline. Adam Otrompka, the

Director of Shipyard, says, “We

are negotiating with a Norwe-

gian company who wants us to

build an historic vessel for the

city of Bergen. It will be a small

vessel built from scratch that will

transport up to 12 people. A water

tram”.

Th e Dutch company mentioned

above is also planning to recon-

struct at least one other vessel

within the next year. Th e shipyard

wants to be able to pull out even

bigger vessels in the future and is

also looking at diversifying into

aluminium service, repair, and

construction. Business is slowly

developing in a positive direction

after a period of stagnation. “Ship

and vessel owners had to postpone

modernisation and maintenance

work as they simply could not aff ord

it during the past several years,

but this is slowly changing,” says

Mr Otrompka. “Hopefully, it will

mean more work for us in the

future.”

As a large company in a relatively

small city, Szkuner takes pride in

its involvement in the community.

Currently, it has strengthened

cooperation with the local FLAG

to create a programme of work-

shops for students of gastronomy

schools to familiarise them with

the processing of and value of fi sh

products. Th is will also promote

the consumption of fi sh prod-

ucts in general, as future chefs

get interested in traditional fi sh

dishes, popular in the region.

In July, Szkuner sponsored fi sh

soup for 4,000 people as part of a

publicity event at Władysławowo

harbour. It was an excellent

promotion activity and created

awareness in the region of the

benefi ts of fi sh consumption. Next

year, another event is planned

where a fi sh market with local fi sh

dishes will be opened for ten days

at the end of August. “We hope to

see you there.”

Sprat are prepared to be frozen into blocks.

Director of Shipyard Adam Otrompka would like to attract more

foreign customers.

Company Fact File

Szkuner Sp. z o.o.

ul. Portowa 22


Poland

Tel.: +48 58 677 74 01/

+48 58 677 75 55

Mob: +48 699-422-509

[email protected]

www.szkuner.pl

Director of fi shing and process-

ing: Michał Hernik

Director of shipyard: Adam

Otrompka

Activities: Fishing, processing,

port administration, and ship-

yard services

Main species: Sprat, herring, and

cod

Main fi sh products: semi-

processed products, fresh and

frozen

Production this year: 5,500

tonnes of sprat, over 500 tonnes

of herring, and 50 tonnes

Employees: Shipyard: 45–120 and

Fishing/Processing: 120–150

06_Poland_PO.indd 24 05/12/13 1:05 PM


ARMENIA

Fish and seafood export is one

of the fastest growing sectors

in the country. In 2011, fi sh

exports from Armenia amounted

to 1,600 tonnes, from 429 tonnes in

2010 due to an increase in exports

to the Russian Federation. In 2012,

this tendency continued as fi sh

exports reached 1,800 tonnes. Rus-

sia is the main market for Arme-

nian fi sh, but Armenian companies

also export their fi sh products to

Ukraine, Georgia, the USA and the

United Arab Emirates.

Abundant freshwater from artesian wells

Fish breeding is a relatively recent

phenomenon in Armenia. Th is

land-locked country has extensive

experience in fi sh farming since

1920, however its commercial

fi sh production did not exceed

a few hundreds tonnes until the

end of the last century. Starting

from the late 90s, a new stage in

the development of fi sh farming

began which was supported by

new business models in the agri-

cultural sector. Several large fi sh

farming enterprises were estab-

lished that made rational use of

their water supplies, and some of

these fi sh farms introduced fi sh

hatcheries.

Armenian fi sh farms are mainly

located in the Ararat Valley, which

is rich in high-quality ground

water. Around 70 of all water

sources drain to the Ararat Valley,

and there groundwater is used

for irrigation in agriculture and

fi sh farming. Th e water arrives

under pressure from a depth of

about 100-180m, and depend-

ing on the actual depth, the tem-

perature varies from 13ºC to 15ºC.

Armenian underground water is

very clean, and in most parts of

the country it is possible to use

groundwater for drinking without

additional purifi cation or fi ltra-

tion. About 25 of the country’s

springs have high concentrations

of nutritious, nitrates and fl uorine

compounds. Additionally, Arme-

nian groundwater resources are

very well protected from pollution

due to their deep location; the

aquifers are covered by thick,

almost impermeable, clay layers

and the upward fl ow of ground-

water prevents pollution from

entering the aquifers. Th e coun-

try’s groundwater resources are

highly signifi cant for fi sh farming,

and Armenian fi sh has gained a

special niche on many markets

as a natural and especially tasty

product due to the qualities of the

water used for breeding.

Trout and sturgeon dominate production

today

Expansion of the national fi sh

farming accelerated at the end of

Fish farming in Armenia is fl ourishing

High quality contributes to explosive growth in fi sh exportsArmenian apricots and brandy are probably the best known and most popular agricultural products exported from this country. In

2011, of the total export of food and beverages from Armenia, beverages, spirits and vinegar had the largest share of 87%, followed

by vegetables and fruits with 8%. Meat, fi sh and seafood amounted to 1% of the total Armenian food and beverages export.

Production of farmed fi sh in Armenia has grown 67% in the last four years. In 2012 output was 8,850 tonnes, of which trout species amounted to

about half or 4,800 tonnes, sturgeons for 1,636 tonnes and other fi sh species for 2,414 tonnes.

07_ARMENIA.indd 1 03/12/13 6:58 PM

www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6/ 2013 45

ARMENIA

the 1990s. While in 1991 there were

only 10 fi sh farms in the country, 9

for carp and 1 for trout, and 4 fi sh

hatcheries, in 2012 the number of

fi sh farming companies reached

234. About 78 of all fi sh farms or

183 companies are located in the

Ararat Valley, and they occupy

97 of the total area used for fi sh

farming (2,677 hectares). Refl ect-

ing the fl ourishing number of

fi sh farms, the total production

of farmed fi sh in the country

increased in the past four years

by 67 from 5,280 tonnes in 2009

to 8,850 tonnes in 2012. In 2012,

trout species were responsible

for half of the production or 4,800

tonnes, sturgeons for 1,636 tonnes

and other fi sh species for 2,414

tonnes. Th e local market is the

main outlet for the distribution

and consumption of Armenian

farmed fi sh absorbing 80 of the

farmed fi sh output, while 20

is exported. Russia is the main

market for Armenian fi sh which

have reputation for high-quality,

in particular, trout and sturgeon.

Armenian companies also export

fi sh in fresh and chilled and pro-

cessed forms to Georgia and

Ukraine, and to the USA and the

United Arab Emirates.

Th e sector has several dynamic

companies looking for oppor-

tunities to improve and expand

their businesses. A few of them

are briefl y profi led in the follow-

ing pages.

Mkhchyan Fish specialises in sturgeon

Th is fi sh farm was established in

2010 in the Mkhchyan village in

the Ararat Valley. It has success-

fully used advanced technology

and production methods to meet

Mkhchyan fi sh specialises in sturgeon farming, and in particular on

Beluga and Siberian sturgeon.

market demands. Led by its direc-

tor Ambik Gevorgyan, Mkhchyan

Fish specialises in sturgeon farm-

ing, and in particular, of Beluga

and Siberian sturgeon. Beluga or

European sturgeon (Huso huso),

also called giant sturgeon, is one

of the largest and most valuable

sturgeon species. Siberian stur-

geon (Acipenser baeri Brandt) is

another sturgeon species farmed

by the company. Mkhchyan Fish

has its own sturgeon hatcheries

where 6 million fi ngerlings are

reared. Sturgeon species are sold

when they reach 2 kg of weight.

Th e territory of the sturgeon

hatcheries and farms is over 5

hectares, and the water used for

fi sh farming comes from under-

ground springs, which ensures

the best possible quality. In 2012,

production of Mkhchyan Fish

was 400 tonnes of fi sh, consist-

ing mostly of sturgeon species.

Of this volume, 150 tonnes of

sturgeon were exported to the

Russian market. In 2013 the com-

pany is expecting to increase pro-

duction by 75 to 700 tonnes, a

fi gure that is expected to grow to

1,000 tonnes in the future. With

its 289 employees, the company

is among the largest fi sh farms in

Armenia.

Mkhchyan Fish has also built

a smoking facility to produce

its own smoked delicatessen

products. Th e main market for the

products is the local one, while

the exports go to the Russian mar-

ket. Th e company expects exports

of sturgeon products to increase

with rising levels of production.

Low-density farming characterises Buniatyans

Fish’ production

Fish farm Hayr ev vordi Buniatyan-

ner (Buniatyans Fish – Father and

son Buniatyan) was established

by Mr Armen Buniatyan in 1991.

Founded in Armavir region in the

city of Echmiadzin the company

is engaged in fi sh farming pro-

ducing rainbow and golden trout,

gegharkuni (a type of Sevan trout),

river trout, sturgeon, silver carp

and white Amur. Th e fi sh farm is

located in Gai village and occu-

pies more than 10 hectares, out of

which 4 hectares are used to pro-

duce trout, 3 hectares are for stur-

geon farming and 3 hectares for

carp and white Amur species. Th e

water from eight artesian wells has

a temperature of 13-14ºC degrees

throughout the whole year, and is

one of the key factors infl uencing

the quality and taste of the fi sh.

Th e sturgeon species are farmed at

18-25ºC, and carp species at

25-30ºC and the water is warmed

naturally by the sun. Underground

water comes from a depth of 150 m.

Th e density of fi sh farming is 10-15 kg

Ambik Gevorgyan, director of Mkhchyan Fish, a company that has

successfully made use of advanced technology to farm fi sh.

07_ARMENIA.indd 2 03/12/13 6:59 PM


ARMENIA

Ghulyan Arman, Khachatryan Susanna, Avetyan Azat, Aleksanyan Tigran, Poghosyan Gagik, Buniatyan Armen, Buniatyan Arman, Poghosyan Vardan,

Mkrtchyan Harutyun — representatives of the Association of Fish Breeders, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

of fi sh per cubic meter, while in

other countries it can be up to 170

kg. Low density is another key fac-

tor for the quality of the fi sh.

Th e production of the farm in 1991

was 10 tonnes, and over the follow-

ing years the company increased

it to 700 tonnes. Hayr ev vordi

Buniatyanner today produces over

300 tonnes of trout species, 300

tonnes of sturgeon and 100 tonnes

of carp and white Amur species.

Th e fi sh feed is imported exclusively

from Le Goussant and Biomar and

feed costs amount to 80 of the

fi nal product costs. Hayr ev vordi

Buniatyanner production is distrib-

uted under the brand Buniatyans

Fish. Th e company is exporting

production to the Russian market

and planning to diversify its export

markets in the future. Th is year

we have produced 500 kg of black

caviar, Armenian fi sh farmers have

their own brood stocks, so we have

a fully integrated production cycle,

explains Armen Buniatyan.

Th e fi sh farming industry has

been very actively developing in

Armenia since 2002-2004. Our fi sh

farmers cooperate closely and we

are developing a common qual-

ity brand for Armenian fi sh, says

Armen Buniatyan. We can com-

pete on quality, but the main issue

remains access to the European

market and accreditation of the

laboratories, he adds. In the mean-

while, Russia is the main export

market and is seen as a facilitator

and driver of increased production.

Association of Armenian fi sh breeders discusses

future of sector

Several representatives of the Asso-

c iation of Armenian Fish Breed-

ers, which unites 150 fi sh farm-

ing companies in the country,

exchanged their views on the cur-

rent and future development of the

fi sh farming industry in Armenia.

Poghosyan Gagik, the Head of the

Association runs a company which

produces about 600 tonnes of fi sh

(sturgeon and trout), and all the

production output is exported to

Russia. We started applications for

export procedures in 2009, and in

2011 our products were on the Mos-

cow market, where we see a very

good demand. Production cost of

sturgeon is USD5-6, and in Moscow

it is sold at USD15 per kg, said Mr.

Poghosyan. If demand in Europe is

equally high, we can increase pro-

duction 2-3 times. Th e meeting was

also attended by several private

fi sh farmers like Arutyun Mkrchan

(rainbow trout, river trout and carp

producer) and Karen Oganesyan

(rainbow trout producer).

Unifi sh – integrated

production from broodstock to fi nal

product

Th e company Unifi sh, owned by

Armen Mkrtchaynis, is currently

one of the largest fi sh farms in the

country. Unifi sh was founded in

2007 as a result of the restructur-

ing of the company Miavar LLC.

Th e company’s fi rst fi sh breeding

unit was established in the basin

of the lake Sevan near the village

Gandzak in 2002 for breeding two

sub-species of Sevan trout (Ghe-

garkunik and summer trout) and

rainbow trout. At present, the total

area of the water basins exceeds 28

thousand sq. m. Th e incubation

centre in the farm has a capacity of

more than 2.5 million eggs of caviar.

Th e basins for juveniles measures

1,200 sq. m with an annual output

of 1.8 million juveniles of various

trout species. Th ere are also areas

for on-growing commercial fi sh.

Water is sourced from six artesian

wells, which can be expanded to

11 if needed. Th e water tempera-

ture in diff erent springs varies from

14.5ºC to 15.2ºC. Th is water tem-

perature is ideal for trout breeding

and together with the extruded

feed enables the production of

trout with a weight of 0.5-1.5 kg in

less than 12 months. Unifi sh uses

French-certifi ed mixed feed for

trout with no growth stimulators or

genetically modifi ed ingredients.

Over one million fi sh juveniles of

diff erent trout species are sold. Th is

includes sales to the state of Sevan

trout juveniles. Th e commercial

fi sh is sold live, mostly at the local

market. Unifi sh has its own fl eet

of vehicles that transport the fi sh

throughout the country. In 2009,

the volume of annual trout produc-

tion exceeded 230 tonnes. With the

expansion of the production areas

and introduction of technologies

for intensive farming the total out-

put reached a level of 4,000 tonnes

in 2012. Construction of sturgeon

07_ARMENIA.indd 3 03/12/13 6:59 PM

www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6/ 2013 47

ARMENIA

farms for breeding of Siberian stur-

geon and Beluga, as well as white

sturgeon (Acipenser transmon-

tanus) and Stellate sturgeon (Aci-

penser stellatus) was launched in

2006. Th e farm is also experiment-

ing with breeding Japanese carp-

koi for delicatessen production and

decorative purposes.

Th e trout farm includes an incuba-

tion department, two young fi sh

breeding departments for grow-

ing fi sh of various weight, areas

for growing commercial fi sh and

replacement brood stock, and an

experimental area to test new spe-

cies of fi sh. A certain amount of

Beluga larvae is imported for fur-

ther breeding black caviar. Th e stur-

geon larvae are imported from Rus-

sia in the last phase of development

and are pre-incubated in the incu-

bation department of the sturgeon

farm. Th e production cycle of stur-

geon farming lasts 10-18 months.

At present the broodstock is pro-

duced on the farm. Th ree-year-

old fi sh weigh 10-12 kg. Th e sterile

water at the optimal temperature

for breeding sturgeon, the good

quality feed, and the high breed-

ing standards observed ensure that

medicine is not used in the produc-

tion and result in excellent tasting

fi sh within 12-14 months, explains

Armen Mkrtchaynis. Since 2008,

Unifi sh has sold juveniles of vari-

ous sturgeon and carp-koi species

with a weight of 10-100 grams. Th e

incubation and juveniles rearing

department grows more than 350

thousand sturgeon juveniles annu-

ally. Exports are growing though

mainly to Russia, Ukraine and

Georgia. Th e company is planning

to increase its export to European

countries and is working towards

the certifi cation of its production in

accordance with European stand-

ards.

Fish farming has huge potential

Th e expansion of the fi sh farming

industry in recent years demon-

strates the range of experience that

has been built up and successfully

applied by the Armenian private

sector. Th e Ministry of Agriculture

of Armenia is keen for the sector

to grow further and has drafted a

programme for development until

2015, which is currently awaiting

approval from the national gov-

ernment. Th e ministry forecasts

that the implementation of the

programme will increase farmed

fi sh production in the country to

25,000 tonnes. With the imple-

mentation of closed recircula-

tion systems, national production

of farmed fi sh can reach up to

100,000 tonnes.

Katia Tribilustova, Eurofi sh

katia.tribilustova@eurofi sh.dk

Armen Mkrtchaynis, Director of Unifi sh and Tigran Aleksanyan, Head

of Fishery and Bee Keeping Division of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Sturgeon larvae held at the incubation department of the Unifi sh

sturgeon farm. The sturgeon larvae are imported from Russia in the last

phase of development and are pre-incubated at the sturgeon farm.

Unifi sh’ trout is bred to a market size of up to 1.5 kg for sale mainly on

the domestic market.

07_ARMENIA.indd 4 03/12/13 6:59 PM


SERBIA

Serbians consume an aver-

age of approximately 7 kg

of fi sh per capita annually,

putting Serbia at the bottom of

the European consumption scale.

Of the total amount of fi sh con-

sumed, only one-third is domestic

and two-thirds is imported. In the

past ten years, however, annual

fi sh production in Serbia has risen

from 7,000 to 15,000 tonnes. Th e

upsurge is the result of increased

carp production, which has oth-

erwise declined in most European

countries in the past two dec-

ades. Carp has been an impor-

tant aquatic food item around the

world, but as more fi sh species

have become readily available,

the importance of carp culture

in Western Europe has declined,

partly as a result of the appear-

ance of more desirable fi sh such

as trout and salmon. However, fi sh

production in ponds is still a major

form of aquaculture in Central and

Eastern Europe.

Fish farming in Serbia dates back

to the mid 19th century, but it was

between the 1970s and the 1990s,

when fi sh farming expanded there.

State-run companies built high-

capacity farms, and private indi-

viduals built more modest farms.

Carp farms were established on the

plain of the northern province of

Vojvodina. Trout farms were built

in the mountainous regions of Ser-

bia, south of the Danube and Sava

rivers, near high-capacity springs.

Th e terrain’s confi guration makes

natural lakes sparse and small,

and most of them are located in

Vojvodina. Elsewhere, there is an

abundance of relatively unpol-

luted surface water and many

underground water sources with

excellent water quality. After the

break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s

and the coming of independ-

ence, private entrepreneurship

started to develop in Serbia. Th e

privatisation of fi sh farms began

in 2003.

Serbia watches its aquaculture industry grow

Carp is still kingAquaculture represents a small part of the Serbian economy. Still, consumption of fi sh has doubled in the past decade, and the

number and effi ciency of fi sh farms have increased considerably for all species. Production of farmed carp in particular has gone up

by more than 100%. These developments point to a promising outlook for the Serbian aquaculture industry.

More than 95% of carp production takes place in semi-intensive systems. This type of carp production

mixes natural food and additional feed (cereals and compound feed, extruded and pelleted).

Serbian aquaculture today

Today, apart from some very small

farms that remained state owned,

more than 95% of the approxi-

mately 14,000 ha used by fi sh farms

are privately owned. Most of the

surface area used for fi sh farming,

approximately 97%, is located in

Vojvodina. Th ere are more than 200

fi sh farms in Serbia, including 85

carp farms, 120 trout farms, 10 cage

systems for the culture of warm-

water species, 3 cage systems for

cold-water fi sh (rainbow trout),

and 1 low-capacity cage system for

beluga and Danube sturgeon.

Conditions in the landlocked

country of Serbia are only

suitable for farming warm-

water species. Fish are the only

aquatic organisms farmed under

Zora

n M

arko

vic

08_SERBIA 1 04/12/13 5:47 PM

www.eurofi shmagazine.com

SERBIA

industrial conditions, apart

from ornamental and aquar-

ium organisms (primarily fi sh).

Farmed recreationally by a few

low-capacity farms, ornamental

carp are popular aquarium and

pond fi sh, the two most nota-

ble being goldfi sh and koi. Carp

is the main species farmed in

ponds, including common carp

(Cyprinus carpio), bighead carp

(Aristichthys nobilis), silver carp

(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix),

and grass carp (Ctenopharyn-

godon idella). Other popular

species include wels catfi sh

(Silurus glanis), sander (Stizos-

tedion lucioperca), northern pike

(Esox lucius), and rainbow trout

(Oncorhynchus mykiss). Spe-

cies farmed in smaller amounts

include tench (Tinca tinca),

brown trout (Salmo truta m.

fario), beluga (Huso huso),

Danube sturgeon (Acipenser

queldenstaedti), greyling (Th y-

mallus thymallus), huchen

(Hucho hucho), and freshwater

bream (Abramis brama) fry,

used for river and lake stocking.

As farmed fi sh production in Serbia

continues to increase, carp leads

the way, accounting for 78% of the

output. Fifty-eight per cent of the

water supply comes from rivers,

39% from irrigation and drainage

canals, and 4% from wells.

Carp production in warm-water farms

More than 95% of carp production

takes place in semi-intensive sys-

tems. Th is type of carp production

mixes natural food and additional

feed (cereals and compound

feed, extruded and pelleted). A

small percentage of carp-pond

production is intensive. It is usu-

ally used in fry production in

small fi sh pools, where produc-

tion reaches between 5,000 and

10,000 kg per ha, using aerators

and compound feed. Extensive

production in carp fi sh ponds is

almost non-existent.

Production has doubled in the

previous ten years. Th is increase

is the result of the privatisation of

fi sh farms in 2003, improved fi sh

farm management, and from 2005,

more frequent replacement of

cereals with complete – primarily

extruded – feed in semi-intensive

farming systems. In 2012, produc-

tion was around 7,500 tonnes,

representing more than 62% of the

total amount of carp produced in

Serbia. Production technology is

based on feeding on natural pro-

duction (zooplankton and bottom

fauna) and the use of complete

feed (primarily extruded) with dif-

ferent protein contents, depend-

ing on fi sh age, water quality, and

season. Owing to the collaboration

of Serbian research institutions,

fi sh-feed manufacturers, and fi sh

farmers, the production technol-

ogy is improving every year. With

complete feed, carp production in

Serbia has increased from 700 kg

per ha in 2005 to around 1,220 kg

per ha in 2012. On farms that use

compound feed exclusively, pro-

duction can reach more than 2,000

kg per ha. Signifi cantly less feed is

used to achieve desired growth,

and there is less non-digested feed

in the water. Finally, the fi sh taste

better.

A decrease or elimination of a

muddy taste (the scent of cyano-

bacteria in the water) and a lower

fat level in the fi sh meat have led to

improved taste. Instead of so-called

“corn” fat, the usage of preserved

feed decreases fat levels to 2–5%.

Corn fat is often present in more

than 10% of total body mass, cre-

ated during the second half of sum-

mer and the beginning of autumn,

in carp fed with cereals, primarily

corn. In addition, the extrusion

process and the careful choice of

ingredients in feed production

improve the carp’s fatty acid profi le.

Production of farmed fi sh in Serbia by species in percent.

Consequently, the quality of carp

meat improves, and taste and

nutritional value become the lead-

ing argument used in marketing

carp to households.

Trout production in cold-water farms

Intensive systems are used in trout

ponds and cage systems. Unlike

carp farming, which has increased

in the past decade, production in

trout farms varies constantly. In

the past decade, total trout-farm

production has varied between

1,200 to more than 2,000 tonnes

(25% fry and 75% fi sh). Varia-

tions in production are primar-

ily the consequence of drought.

In 2012, the water supply to trout

farms was low, resulting in a very

dry year. Th e total surface area

of cold-water farms is approxi-

mately 14 ha. Although intensive

farming systems are applied, on

average a small amount of fi sh

per cubic meter is produced in

these farms (12–20 kg per cubic

metre of water), because a large

number of trout farms operates

at only 5–50% of their capacity.

Th is is the result of their depen-

dence on spring and river capac-

ity. However, in recent years,

systems for water aeration with

oxygen have been used, enabling

steady production that is signifi -

cantly greater than the average

production in Serbia (up to 50 kg

per cubic metre of water). Unlike

feed for carp, which comes only

from Serbian factories, feed used

in trout farms is usually imported.

Production in cage systems

Cages for warm-water-species

farming are set in ponds created

246

10

78

Common carp

Rainbow trout

Bighead carp

Grass carp

Miscellaneous fish

Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 49

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SERBIA

after the gravel, sand, or ore,

has been removed. These cages

are used almost exclusively to

farm carp, although catfish is

also farmed in them, but very

rarely and in small amounts.

Current cage systems capac-

ity is low, from a few tonnes to

30 tonnes, approximately 1% of

total carp production. Cages for

trout farming are placed in cold-

water reservoirs and have a total

capacity of approximately 150

tonnes. Only rainbow trout is

produced in them.

Marked increase in farming effi ciency

In Serbia, the total surface area

dedicated to fi sh farming has

increased 10–15% in the past dec-

ade. Although this increase is

relatively minor, the number of

newly built farms is great. Since

2003, the number of farms has

doubled, and approximately 100

small, family-run fi sh farms have

been established. Although in the

past decade the fi sh-farm surface

current fi sh-farming needs. A

small amount (approximately

2,000 tonnes) of extruded feed is

exported to neighbouring coun-

tries including Bulgaria, Romania,

Bosnia-Hercegovina, and the For-

mer Yugoslav Republic of Mac-

edonia. Th e development of carp

farming has been brought about

by the collaboration between sci-

entifi c institutions and feed and

fi sh producers. A two-year pro-

gramme to adjust the ingredients

in feed is meant to increase the

content of omega 3 and omega 6

fatty acids, and improve the ratio

of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids,

which will benefi t carp placement

in the marketplace.

The future of Serbian aquaculture

Unlike the potential of the carp

farming (including other spe-

cies cultivated in carp farms, such

as silver carp, grass carp, catfi sh,

northern pike, and pike-perch), the

potential for cold-water-species

area has increased only 1% per

year, the increase in production

was greater, with an average of

8% annually, resulting in a two-

fold increase in fi sh production

in 2012 over 2003. Production

growth, which is based on the

growth of carp production, was

the result of better fi sh-farming

management after privatiza-

tion in 2003. After 2003, produc-

tion continued to grow with the

introduction of new carp feeding

technology. Beginning in 2006,

the traditional use of cereal feed

was slowly replaced by a new

feeding technology based on the

use of compound feed, pelleted

and extruded. Today, almost two-

thirds of the carp is produced

using compound feed, primarily

extruded.

Together with the increased

use of compound feed, interest

in compound feed production

(primarily extruded) has grown.

Feed companies produce feed

mainly for warm-blooded ani-

mals, but also have a production

line with an extruder for fi sh feed.

Th ese companies have a produc-

tion capacity of 40,000 tonnes,

which is signifi cantly more than

Zora

n M

arko

vic

Although in the past decade the fi sh-farm surface area has increased only 1% per year, the increase

in production has been greater, with an average of 8% annually, resulting in a doubling of production

between 2003 and 2012. Here, fi sh being harvested in winter.

Today, almost two-thirds of consumable carp is produced using

compound feed, primarily extruded. Here, an extruded feed produced

at the Veterinary Institute in Subotica.

Zora

n M

arko

vic

08_SERBIA 3 04/12/13 5:48 PM


SERBIA

Zora

n M

arko

vic

Carp is the main species farmed in ponds in Serbia.

Th e freshwater fi shery in Serbia

is primarily on the rivers Danube

and Sava. Fishery waters include

65,980 km of rivers and streams,

about 50 natural and 150 man-

made lakes (accumulations,

impoundments) occupying a total

surface area of approximately

30,000 ha, and a canal network

with a total length of approxi-

mately 30,000 km. Most impor-

tant is the Danube–Tisza–Dan-

ube canal system, which is 840

km long and has a surface area of

3,600 ha. Fishery waters in Serbia

are organized into six fi shery areas

that are assigned to users through

a competition and under condi-

tions regulated by law.

Serbian waters are inhabited by

90 species of teleost fi sh, includ-

ing 52 species regulated as com-

mercial and recreational fi sher-

ies, 29 species that are important

to commercial fi sheries, and

12 that are targeted species of

interest. Th e recreational fi shery

includes 45 species. Commer-

cial fi shing is practised in low-

land rivers: the Danube, Sava

and Tisza. Th e longest river in

Serbia, the Danube, which is 588

km long, is the country’s most

important natural resource: half

the freshwater fi sh caught in Ser-

bia are taken from the Danube.

Recreational and sport fi sh-

ing are practised in all Serbian

waters, except in protected

areas and in the pond sys-

tems, where it is prohibited.

Th e number of recreational

anglers and commercial fi sher-

men totals between 50,000 and

100,000; 450 to 1,000 permits

are issued for the commercial

fi shery annually. Th e average

recreational fi sherman goes

on the water 50 times per year,

and a commercial fi sherman

is on the water 200 times per

year. According to the National

Statistical Offi ce, the total catch

of freshwater fi sh in the period

1949–2005 varied between

500 and 2,000 tonnes. For a

few years, it was less than 500

tonnes. Since 2005, the total

has increased, reaching 4,300

tonnes in 2012.

The freshwater fi shery in Serbia

In Serbia, simple forms of

fi sh processing (smoking, air

drying, etc.) are carried out

as soon as the fi sh is caught

from rivers and lakes. Th is

type of processing is done as a

home-based activity by people

living near large rivers (Dan-

ube, Sava, Tisza). In Serbia,

freshwater fi sh is sold live or

fresh owing to short delivery

times; however, consumer

demand for processed fi sh has

increased. Processing for wider

markets is relatively new. In

the beginning, processing was

done on a small scale aimed

at family celebrations and res-

taurants. In recent years, the

amount and diversity of pro-

cessing has increased. In the

past decade, more than ten

new fi sh processing facilities

have been established. Some

of them have low capacity,

from a few to several tens of

tonnes, but there are also pro-

cessing plants with processing

capacity of 5,000 tonnes per

year, such as DTD Ribarstvo in

Backi Jarak.

Th e company complies with

all food safety standards in its

newly built facilities, where

freshwater fi sh from Serbian

fi sh farms (carp, rainbow trout,

white bighead, and gray big-

head), but also imported fi sh

(e.g. salmon, mackerel, and

hake) are processed. Processed

products include steaks, ham-

burgers, hotdogs, pâtés, as

well as semi-prepared/ready-

to-cook dishes, including fi sh

stew, fi sh soup, and fi sh meat-

balls.

Serbian fi sh processing

(primarily rainbow trout) is much

less. Th e interest in farming other

warm-water species is likewise sig-

nifi cantly less. Apart from one farm

that produces only a few tonnes of

beluga and Danube sturgeon, there

is little interest in such investment

so far. Because more than 100,000

ha of Serbian land are not being

used, have low fertility, are located

next to rivers and canals, and are

convenient for farm construction,

carp-farming surface area will cer-

tainly increase. Th e amount of carp

produced will also increase, not

least because compound carp-feed

ingredients are produced domesti-

cally. Additionally, the improved

quality of carp meat will lead to

greater demand. Improvement in

carp-feed programmes combined

with a carp-family selection pro-

gramme, which began six years

ago with the aim of improving the

quality of stocking fry, will lead to

the continued enhancement of

Serbian carp production.

The change of traditional carp

feeding methods in semi-

intensive farming systems has

resulted in more economical

production, improved nutri-

tional value, and reduced pol-

lutants in fish-farm ecosystems

and outflow water. Further

improvements to the quality of

fish feed and carp meat, selec-

tive breeding programmes,

and Serbia’s huge potential

for carp farming create many

possibilities for improvement

and growth, not to mention

increased consumer interest in

carp.

Zoran Markovic and Vesna Polek-

sic, University of Belgrade, Faculty

of Agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia.

08_SERBIA 4 04/12/13 5:48 PM

Fish-farming tanks: form and function

Fixed solutions or modular concepts?

When people think of

aquaculture, the first

things that come to

mind are ponds or net cages, like

those used in salmon farming

in Norway. Although this is not

incorrect, it is only one of the many

options for farming fish and sea-

food today. More and more prod-

ucts are produced in land-based

facilities that operate indepen-

dently of the sea or open inland

waters. They get their water supply

from rivers and small streams, or

springs and subterranean water

that is pumped from the earth. The

water flows into basins or tanks,

which then become “mini water

bodies” in which fish live and

grow. These basins make land-

based farms largely independent

of the local aquatic conditions.

Basins and tanks are used not only

here, however, but in all of the dif-

ferent aquaculture processes. They

serve as storage tanks for adult fish

and as hatchery tanks for young

fish. They are used for the produc-

tion of live feed and as grow-out

tanks, as transport and quarantine

containers, and for holding, pres-

entation, or short-term fish storage.

The shapes of the containers are

no less varied than their applica-

tions. They can have rectangular or

round bases; they can be cylindri-

cal or cone shaped and stackable in

one another. The tank floor can be

flat or slope conically towards the

centre. There are also “hanging”

funnel-shaped tanks, which can

stand either on supports or on the

ground. Or they can be partly sunk

in the ground, which sometimes

makes work easier.

Many factors influence choice of tanks

The decision for or against any of

these solutions depends on the

fish species as well as on specific

production regulations, climatic

conditions, concrete environmen-

tal requirements, and of course on

the financial scope of the investor.

Anyone planning to use salt water

in their facility should note that

the materials for tank construction

are not the same as those required

for freshwater tanks. Local energy

costs can also influence tank con-

struction. Farmers are often forced

to find an acceptable balance

All aquacultural facilities need tanks, basins, or other containers to hold the water and the fish. They are available in various shapes

and sizes and can be made from different materials. Tank design and construction depends heavily on their intended application.

Every model has certain advantages and disadvantages, and there is no universal solution for all aquaculture needs.

between what they would like and

what is actually possible.

When choosing tank materials,

however, there are some areas

where compromises are not pos-

sible, because the material has to

be watertight, rustproof, non-toxic,

and should keep its shape when

filled. The surface of the material

should not cause skin abrasion if

fish rub against it. In practice, plas-

tics are used, such as polyethylene,

fibreglass, or polyresin, a sturdy

resin compound made of sand or

ground stone mixed with synthetic

resin. This category also includes

tanks made of PVC or PE film that

are suspended on stable frames.

Because plastics lack natural stabil-

ity, however, they are best used for

smaller tanks measuring up to ca. 8

m in diameter. If sturdier materials

are needed, farmers should choose

steel or concrete (coated or non-

coated).

Basins and tanks are available in all

sizes, in a wide range of designs and

for various applications. However,

irrespective of the design (which

is often the result of compromise),

nearly all farming tanks can be

divided into two basic types: chan-

nels, also known as raceways or

flow-through systems, and round

tanks. The two types differ not only

in their design but also in the real-

isable water-exchange rates. The

higher the water-exchange rate, the

more often the water in the tank

can be renewed. This depends, for

example, on how fast sediments

Indoor raceway for trout production. Through the parallel arrangement of the tanks, optimal use is made of

the available space in the hall.


[ AQUACULTURE ]

09_Aquaculture.indd 1 05/12/13 1:06 PM

settle in the tank and whether

or not these can be completely

washed away. The water-exchange

rate also influences the oxygen and

ammonia concentrations in the

water and thus ultimately the pos-

sible fish densities in the tank.

Raceways have a strong self-cleaning effect

If fast and effective water exchange

is important, farmers will often

choose raceways. The freshwater

that flows into the channel from

one side pushes the old water out

the other side, thereby replacing it

almost completely. This leads to a

continuous current, which carries

any waste materials (fish faeces

and feed residue) out of the sys-

tem. However, this only works if the

raceway dimensions are correct

and the fish species and density

fit the chosen design. The ratio of

width to depth should be between

2:1 and 4:1. The length of a raceway

depends on the fish species that it

contains and the species’ require-

ments for water quality. For exam-

ple, although the oxygen content in

the water decreases between the

supply end and the exit, ammonia

content increases simultaneously.

Along the length of the raceway,

the conditions become poorer with

every metre. They are best directly

at the water inlet and poorest at

the outlet. This “inhomogeneity” of

living conditions is one of the seri-

ous drawbacks of raceways.

optimal self-cleaning of the chan-

nel, because dirt particles are regu-

larly rinsed out of the system with

the water current. If too much dirt

settles on the bottom, it is often suf-

ficient to simply reduce the water

level. This will lead to an increase in

current speed, which in turn, inten-

sifies the cleaning effect.

As the water level falls, fish den-

sity in the channel rises propor-

tionately. As the fish move, more

dirt is churned up from the bot-

tom, picked up by the current,

and removed from the system.

Small bends or slight changes

in direction within the raceway

can create zones without any

current at all, where dirt parti-

cles will settle. Sometimes steps

or sharp edges are built into the

floor contour to create turbulence

that causes more dirt to remain

suspended and prevents it from

settling. Channels or raceways are

among the traditional techniques

used in freshwater aquaculture.

Clearly, raceways are particularly

suited to current-loving species,

particularly salmonids. Typical

trout raceways are ca. 30 m long,

2–3 m wide, and 1–2 m deep.

Other fish species, for example

tilapia, sturgeon, some catfish,

or individual cyprinid species,

are often farmed in raceways. As

a rule, the water volume in the

raceways is renewed completely

once an hour. Still, for species

requiring a large amount of oxy-

gen, such as young salmon or

trout, this is often inadequate to

ensure sufficient oxygen. For this

reason, many raceway operators

If the segments are prefabricated to the exact size, they only have to be assembled on site to produce a

finished farming tank.

On the positive side however, race-

ways save space because they con-

sist of several long channels, often a

dozen or more, which are installed

next to each other. The construction

of such facilities does not demand

any special know-how and can as

a rule be done by non-specialist

building firms, if certain basic rules

are followed during planning. For

example, the channels should have

a slope of 1–2 from the water inlet

to the outlet so that gravity will

ensure constant current within

the raceway. At the same time,

the current is the prerequisite for

Because water quality in long raceways decreases gradually, the tanks are often additionally aerated or

pure oxygen is added to the water.


[ AQUACULTURE ]

Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 53


also use additional technical aids,

for example, paddle wheels, injec-

tors, or air blowers, or they even

add pure oxygen to the water.

Raceways are flow-through sys-

tems requiring a lot of water.

Therefore, they are, above all,

suitable to locations with suffi-

cient water available in a suitable

quality. Because the raceways are

constantly flushed through, the

concentration of dirt particles in

the outgoing water is relatively

low, and cleaning the water is

rather complicated and expensive.

For this reason, sedimentation

tanks or plate separators, in which

the outgoing water remains for

some time, are often used, allow-

ing dirt particles to settle. Sedi-

mentation tanks should not be too

small if they are to achieve meas-

urable cleaning effects. Although

they require a lot of space in the

farming facility, they usually repay

the investment quickly because

operational costs are low, apart

from the regular removal of the

sludge that settles there. Occa-

sionally, however, other technolo-

gies are used to clean the water,

for example, swirl separators, air

flotation, foam fractionation, or

chemical flocculation.

Elongated tanks like those used

for young fish in hatcheries and in

other areas of aquaculture are only

variations on the traditional race-

way described above. Many mod-

els and types are available. Mostly,

they are 2–4 m long, are made of

durable plastics, and have numer-

ous additional options, includ-

ing outlet pipes and faeces pits in

which dirt particles can collect;

floor screens and separator screens

for separating the different batches

of young fish; and hanging nets for

the hatching eggs or for larvae.

Round tanks offer homogeneous living

conditions

The second basic type of fish-farm-

ing tank is the round tank of which

there is also a variety of models.

Round tanks also have a natural

self-cleaning potential, although

it is not as effective as that of race-

ways, because the stronger mix-

ing of old and new water in round

tanks reduces the water exchange

rate considerably. Round tanks

require ca. 10 times the tank’s water

volume to fully renew its contents

once. If 10 m3 of water are added

to a full 10 m3 round tank, only 60

of the water content is renewed,

because part of the incoming fresh-

water flows immediately out of the

tank with the old water. Even if the

volume of freshwater added is 9

times the tank volume, it will only

replace 98 of the original contents

of the tank!

That said, the prerequisites for self-

cleaning in round tanks are actually

very favourable. The circulation of

the water in the tank causes the dirt

particles to drift to the middle of

the tank for effective removal. This

centripetal effect is often supported

by a slight sloping of the tank floor

(on average ca. 2) to the centre.

The self-cleaning principle works

best in round tanks with a diameter

of less than 6–8 m. In larger tanks,

as dirt particles move towards the

tank centre, they are churned up

repeatedly by the fish and often dis-

solve before leaving the tank.

As unfavourable as the mixing of

old and new water might be for the

cleaning of the tank, it is neverthe-

less advantageous to the homoge-

neity of the living conditions for

the fish stock. For example, this

can be seen in the oxygen within

the tank, which spreads out more

evenly in round tanks, creating

more uniform conditions. Further,

round tanks have a more favour-

able ratio of surfaces (side walls

and bottom) to the contained

water volume than raceways. This

means that the fish contact these

surfaces slightly less often than

in raceways, so reducing the risk

of injury. The circular current in

round tanks also suits the natural

behaviour of many species that

swim against it and develop more

muscle.

The disadvantage of round tanks

is that they use more of the farm’s

floor space. Whereas raceways are

often arranged directly next to each

other, round tanks should be posi-

tioned at a greater distance from

each other, because they are rela-

tively difficult to manage, which

becomes apparent, for example,

when sorting or harvesting the fish.

For this reason, many round tanks

are not higher than 1.5–2 m.

Other tanks with different dimen-

sions are based on the typical

round tank. Oval or polyhedral

tanks, for example six- or eight-

sided tanks, are easily recognis-

able as developments of the round

tank. Rectangular and cone-

shaped tanks can also be included

in this category. This increases the

spectrum of possibilities in this

sector, offering tanks of different

shapes and sizes for many differ-

ent purposes. The choice ranges

from cylindrical containers with

a cone-shaped base in which the

height of the tank is greater than

its diameter, to classic round tanks

with diameters of 1–10 m and

more.

The so-called D-ended tanks are

a compromise between raceways

and round tanks. They are mostly

channel-shaped or elongated-oval

designs, and they have a central

dividing panel along the longitu-

dinal axis around which the water

circulates. This tank shape also has

certain advantages and disadvan-

tages with regard to its self-clean-

ing capacity and the homogeneity

of the living conditions. D-ended

tanks are often used where space

is restricted and only a limited

amount of water is available.

Various plastics, steel, and concrete

The building materials and instal-

lation options are as numerous as

the shapes and sizes available. As

a rule, tanks for aquaculture are

made of plastics such as PE, PVC,

and fiberglass-reinforced resins,

steel, or concrete. Plastics do not

corrode easily, do not rust, and do

not release toxic substances into

the water. However, tank size is

limited by the material’s relatively

low stability.

Steel presents no problems in

this regard, of course, but it is

susceptible to rust, particularly

Many aquaculture tanks are made of plastic with relatively low

stability, which limits the size of the tanks.


[ AQUACULTURE ]


Concrete is often preferred when building aquaculture facilities, because it allows numerous shapes and

is stable. However, its rough surface can injure sensitive fish skin.

Although plastic-film tanks are relatively inexpensive and quick to install, they are generally short lived.

when in contact with salt water.

That is why plastic coated, zinc

coated, or enamelled steel is

often used, although this is rela-

tively expensive. For this reason,

in some constructions a tight-fit-

ting PE film is simply suspended

in the tank to prevent direct con-

tact between the water and the

steel shell. For particularly large

steel tanks, corrugated plates are

often used as cladding, which is

then stabilised by the water pres-

sure.

Although concrete is a sturdy

building material that allows

various tank shapes and sizes, its

rough surface is often a drawback

because the fish injure their skin

on it. But there are some solutions

to this problem as well, for exam-

ple, a protective coating or sealant

that sticks well, is watertight, and

ensures smooth surfaces. Some of

these products can be brushed on

like paint and then, once they are

dry, seal the underlying surface like

a flexible film. Particularly popular

are coating materials made from

polyurethane, liquid neoprene, and

rubber- and enamel-based prod-

ucts.

An original construction and

insulation tank variant consists of

components formed from PVC,

which can be assembled in the

desired shape, like double-wall

click laminate, and then filled

with concrete. This makes the

tanks stable and long lasting. The

wall surfaces are smooth inside

and out, and do not require main-

tenance, so incur no additional

costs. A fish-farming tank can be

constructed in many different

ways. Some tanks are assembled

on their actual site, and then the

individual pieces are assembled

according to a strict building

plan. They can also be purchased

ready-made or as individual

prefabricated components to be

assembled by the buyer.

To add to existing facilities, it is

recommended that the owner

assemble the extension, using

prefabricated segments that

fit exactly and can be easily

transported through narrow doors

or large rooms. Once at their

destination, the segments are

assembled to produce the desired

result, and then screwed, welded,

or fixed together. Such system

solutions are available in con-

crete. Drössler Ultralith, a high-

performance, extremely resilient

heavy-duty concrete is often used.

It has smooth, leak-proof surfaces,

a high resistance to pressure, and

a high bending tensile strength.

Thanks to its 3D modular con-

struction, it is suitable for the con-

struction of both round tanks and

raceways. The prefabricated seg-

ments are fixed together on site,

using a special technology that

shortens construction time.

For some applications, mobile-

farming tank solutions are available

that can be built quickly. Here too,

the spectrum of possibilities is

broad, ranging from foldable tanks

made of PE film that only have to

be unfolded, to “instant tanks” in

roll containers that are transported

by truck. Before use, a film bag is

inserted that is cut to the exact inte-

rior measurements of the container.

With all of these options, it should

always be possible to find a suit-

able tank type for any aquaculture

application. mk


[ AQUACULTURE ]



[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]

Algae production in aquaculture

Valuable foods and versatile industrial raw materialsAlgae and aquatic plants accounted for just under 21 million tonnes or about one quarter of global aquaculture production in 2011. Algae are mainly produced in the sea. Farming techniques are inexpensive and relatively simple, they require only little effort, and can be learned quickly.

In Asia, marine algae have been

considered a high-quality and

healthy part of the human diet

for centuries. On average, every

Japanese citizen consumes about

4 kg of algae per year and Japanese

cuisine makes use of more than

20 algae species from the tradi-

tional kombu to nori and wakame.

Japan’s algae requirements are so

high that on top of their own pro-

duction from fisheries and aqua-

culture, large additional quantities

have to be imported every year.

Demand in China, Korea and other

Asian countries is rising too, mak-

ing the Asian continent the most

important market for algae and

algae products. In the past, algae

were occasionally used in some

regions of Europe, too, mostly as

feed for farm animals, as fertilizer

in agriculture, dried for use as fuel

or as stuffing for mattresses.

Marine algae contain large quanti-

ties of minerals and trace elements,

particularly iodine (one kilogram

of algae contains as much iodine

as ten cubic metres of sea water),

important vitamins (e.g. B12) and a

small, but high-quality, amount of

fat that is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

This alone makes a lot of algae spe-

cies just as valuable as, or even more

valuable than, other foods. In the

17th century it was also discovered

that a lot of red algae have a strong

capacity to jellify. This comes from

the two gelatinous phycocolloids

agar and carrageenan that have

similar jellifying properties to gela-

tine which comes from animal

raw materials. The red algae spe-

cies that contain agar are named

agarophytes (agar-agar can be

produced from about 40 red algae,

particularly the species Gracilaria

and Gelidium); species that contain

carrageenan are called carrageeno-

phytes. Both substances are used

as thickening and jellifying agents

in the food industry, for example

during the production of canned

meats, jams, dessert creams, soups

and milk products (e.g. yoghurt).

Originally the red algae Chondrus

crispus (Irish moss) was the most

important source for the extraction

of carrageenan. Today, however,

Irish moss plays only a subordinate

role. The species of the Kappaphy-

cus and Eucheuma families are far

more important today.

Algae have many uses

Brown algae contain important

substances called alginates (salts

and esters of alginic acid) which,

because of their colloidal and

jellifying properties, are used in

numerous areas of the food, textile,

and chemical industries, in cos-

metics and medicine ( for exam-

ple as adhesives in dentistry and

surgery), during paper production

and in photography. The gelling

capacity of alginates exceeds that

of starch by tenfold. The alginate

content of brown algae accounts

for 15 to 40% of their dry weight.

In Asia, marine algae have been considered a high-quality and healthy

part of the human diet for centuries.

A lot of industrially produced

foods contain substances that

have been extracted from algae

and then processed. And Far

Eastern consumption trends such

as sushi, miso, dim-sum or Asia

salads also contribute towards

more and more algae being con-

sumed directly. Algae are con-

sidered to be healthy and so they

are to be found in a lot of food

supplements. Alginic acids are

said to bind toxins in the body

and encourage their excretion.

Fucoidan, or algal slime, is said

to strengthen the immune sys-

tem. And nori algae, (the casing of

sushi maki), are said to have anti-

bacterial effects; wakame is said

to thin the blood. Products for

slimming can also contain algae

or components of algae. Their

high roughage content is thought

to help during slimming diets

because they stimulate metabo-

lism. Substances from Laminaria

seaweed (kombu) bind choles-

terol in the bowel and thereby

prevent its being reabsorbed by

the body. Carrageenan, agar-

agar and alginates are thicken-

ing agents, but they can also be

helpful during slimming. Because

they can absorb a lot of water

the energy density (calorie con-

tent per unit weight) of the prod-

uct falls.

Only 40 or 50 of the nearly 40,000

macro algae species known

10_Aquatic Plants.indd 1 03/12/13 7:02 PM


[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]

throughout the world are used in

aquaculture. It is difficult to deter-

mine the exact number because a

lot of species are not sufficiently

differentiated and are listed in the

statistics in unspecific groups. In

the FAO statistics of 2011 the eight

most important species and spe-

cies groups accounted for 86% of

global algae production.

Whilst the production of some

species such as wakame or

laver has stagnated or risen only

slightly, in recent years other

species have registered amazing

growth. The production of Kap-

paphycus alvarezii, for example,

tripled within just one decade,

and production of Eucheuma spe-

cies rose thirteen-fold during the

same period, from 364,934 tonnes

in 2001 to nearly 5 million tonnes

in 2011. Such growth rates are only

possible because demand for car-

rageenan has risen strongly world-

wide and because algae farming is

possible nearly everywhere and

with only little material expense

as long as the climatic and topo-

graphical factors are suitable.

Algae production is often possible with very

simple equipment

Several factors have to be taken

into account when selecting a

location for an algae farm. Because

it is mainly marine algae that are

produced in aquaculture, salinity

should not be below 30‰. Tem-

perature and water motion also

have to be “suitable” for the algae

species in question. The structure

of the sea bed and the growth upon

it are important factors, too. A

muddy bed is an indication of little

water motion, a dark bed absorbs

the sunlight and worsens the light

conditions for the algae. Algae

need a lot of light for their growth,

and even in clear water light sup-

ply is often only optimal at depths

of 30 to 50 cm. That is why algae

are cultivated below the water sur-

face, but as close to it as possible.

Natural algae growth should not

be too abundant in a farm location

because this would rob the algae

cultures of nutrients. Apart from

that it makes unnecessary work if

the algae cultures have to be freed

from competing growth. Prior to a

decision in favour of a particular

location, test production is often

carried out over a time span of sev-

eral months. If the average daily

growth rate of the algae is between

3 and 5% then their culture will be

worthwhile in the site concerned.

It should also not be forgotten that

sea urchins and algae-eating fishes

(e.g. species of the Siganidae fam-

ily, rabbitfishes, or Tetraodontidae,

puffers) can cause considerable

damages within the cultures. This

also applies to a phenomenon that

is called ice-ice, a name which

comes from the appearance of a

white colouring in different places

on the algae where they will at

some point in time break apart.

The causes of ice-ice are disputed.

Some people think that it is a bac-

terial or viral disease. Others think

that the disorder is triggered by

physical stress or changing local

environmental conditions.

Two methods are mainly used

for growing algae in aquaculture:

the off-bottom line method and

the floating raft method. The off-

bottom line method is generally

used in shallow water below the

low water line, i.e. the region that

can be reached on foot at low tide.

This method involves driving two

wooden stakes into the sea bed at

a distance of about 5 to 10 metres

from each other and then fixing

a monofilament nylon line or a

polypropylene rope between them,

rather like a washing line. The line

should be at least 20 cm from the

sea bed and be submerged deep

enough in the water that it does not

run dry at low tide. At a distance of

about one metre apart and using

the same principle further lines

are strung parallel to this and every

20 to 25 cm seedlings are tied to them

using a special knot. Depending on

the species of algae concerned they

should already be of a certain size,

for example in the case of Lami-

naria (kombu) they should weigh

50 to 150 g. Within 6 to 8 weeks the

algae’s weight increases tenfold and

the algae are ready for harvesting.

This can be done directly at the farm

in the sea or the whole line can be

hauled in and the algae removed on

land at a later point in time. Some

algae sprout again if plant remains

are left attached to the line and they

can then be harvested several times

over.

The floating raft method is suitable

for protected water areas that are

too deep for the off-bottom line

technique. This farming method

uses a floating raft that can be con-

structed in various different ways.

In most cases a 3 x 3 metre frame

is first made – usually of bamboo

but other similar materials can

also be used. Lines are then strung

parallel across the frame, about 15

to 20 cm apart. After the seedlings

have been attached to the lines

the frame is moved to about 50 cm

below the water surface. Floats at

the edge of the frame ensure that

it stays afloat and anchor stones

hold it in the desired position on

the sea bed. Both the off-bottom

line method and the floating raft

method are available in numerous

variations and designs, depending

on the location in which they are

to be used, the available building

materials and other necessities.

Because people are prepared to

pay more money for quality prod-

ucts the algae have to be dried

with the utmost care. It is particu-

larly important during this process

that they do not have any sand or

other dirt on them. The algae are

thus placed to dry in layers on dry-

ing racks or mats, or they are hung

up on the culture lines so that they

can dry like washing on a washing

line. After two to three days in the

sun the algae have usually lost so

much moisture that their weight

will have fallen to a third of its

original. During the drying phase

salt crystals appear on the algae.

These have to be shaken off. (Salt

is cheaper than dried algae and is

thus considered a quality defect.)

Well-trained farmers recognize

the right degree of dryness by the

firmness, resilience and flexibility

of the product. If the algae are still

too moist when put into storage

they could go mouldy; if, on the

other hand, they are too dry, it is

difficult to compress them into the

conventional bales using the mod-

est means the farmers have at their

disposal.

The top eight algae and aquatic plants (based on production volume) in 2011 Species/Group Scientific name Volume (tonnes)

Japanese kelp Laminaria japonica 5,257,201

Eucheuma Eucheuma spp. 4,889,715

Gracilaria Gracilaria spp. 2,215,695

Kappaphycus alvarezii 2,100,146

Wakame Undaria pinnatifida 1,754,504

Laver (Nori) Porphyra spp. 1,636,240

Hijiki, hiziki Sargassum fusiforme 111,310

Spirulina Spirulina spp. 73,140

(Source: Figis, Globefish)



[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]

Usage potential of algae not fully utilised

It is mostly kelp (Laminaria japon-

ica) that is produced in worldwide

aquaculture. Kelp is a brown alga

with a leathery body (thallus) that

can grow to 20 cm wide and over

1 m long. This kelp species is said

to have already been cultivated in

Japan at the beginning of the 18th

century, but farming on a larger

scale only began about 60 years

ago. After the harvest the algae are

dried, in either unprocessed or

salted condition. Salted kelp can be

eaten directly as a marine vegeta-

ble. Dried kelp is used by industry:

substances such as iodine, manni-

tol or alginate are isolated and then

put to further use. The develop-

ment of modern methods of algi-

nate production was an important

stimulant for kelp aquaculture dur-

ing the 1960s and 70s. The Japanese

market for “genuine kombu” (ma-

kombu) gets 90% of its supply from

aquaculture. Kombu enhances

the flavour of salads and soy

soups, shortens cooking times and

improves the digestibility of some

foods. It is used to aromatise rice,

is eaten with meat dishes, eaten

fresh, as sweet ‘n’ sour kombu with

tea, and freezer dried algae are nib-

bled as a snack or, with sugar, like

sweets.

Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)

is no less popular. This is a brown

alga that, along with nori and

kombu, is among the most popu-

lar edible algae species in Asia.

Wakame is farmed in aquaculture

in the same way as Laminaria. In

specia-lized companies the seed-

lings are attached to lines and

during the winter months they

can grow to 2 m in size at the on-

growing farms. Harvesting takes

place from February to June.

After the harvest the algae are

briefly rinsed with freshwater and

then dried in the sun. Wakame is

considered a light, low-calorie,

healthy marine vegetable that is

rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and

is said to have an antibacterial

effect. It contains not only cal-

cium, iodine, thiamine and nia-

cin but also iron. Due to its high

content of fucoxanthin wakame

supports fat metabolism. In Japan

wakame is an important ingredi-

ent in miso soup (there is a com-

parable soup recipe in Korea that

is called ‘miyeok guk,). Apart

from that, the algae are eaten in

salads (tofu) or as a vegetable

side-dish. Wakame is becoming

increasingly popular in European

cuisine, too.

Several of the 5,000 to 6,000

known red algae species are also

of great significance to the human

diet. Some of them, like nori (Por-

phyra tenera) or dulse (Palmaria

palmata) are eaten whole, others

supply just certain ingredients (e.g.

agar-agar, carrageenan).

Popularity of sushi drives demand for nori

Demand for nori, also called laver,

has increased strongly due to the

worldwide sushi trend and this is

driving aquaculture production.

Laver is a relatively small species of

red algae with an unevenly shaped,

lobed thallus. Young plants are ini-

tially green but with increasing age

become brownish or purple red.

One reason for the popularity of

laver is the lack of cellulose in

the cell walls of the algae which

makes them easily chewable and

easily digested. Harvesting usu-

ally takes place at night or early in

the morning because laver loses

its aroma quickly. After cleaning,

the algae are cut up with a small

amount of water and mixed to a

thick puree which is then spread

out to dry on net frames. This is

how the characteristic dry algae

leaves in which sushi rolls are

wrapped are produced. Nori

leaves are not only available in

the “natural” variety but also

with spices, with garlic or other

additives. Dry nori leaves contain

25 to 35% protein and more vita-

min C than the same quantity of

oranges, their vitamin A content

is comparable with that of spin-

ach. Apart from that, Porphyra

algae have an amino acid spec-

trum that is more typical of ani-

mal proteins.

The only micro alga that is of

any noteworthy significance for

aquaculture is currently Spir-

ulina, which is really a cyanobac-

terium, formerly known as blue

alga. Spirulina consists of cylin-

drical cells that are arranged in a

long spiral like a long corkscrew,

with either a left or right turn (the

diameter of the spiral is between

0.005 and 0.012 mm). Every sin-

gle cell in this spiral reproduces

through cell division so that

the spiral gradually becomes

longer. When the Spirulina spiral

reaches a length of about 0.5 mm

it falls apart into several pieces

that then grow further according

to the same pattern. In this way

and in a relatively short period of

time a thick algal pulp develops

that can be easily concentrated

and processed. Production is

very simple. It can be carried out

in shallow concrete or plastic

tanks. The resulting dried algae

is a green powder. Dried Spir-

ulina algae have a high protein

content which, depending on

their origin and quality, can be

between 55 and 67%. It is worth

mentioning that they also have a

high content of vitamins, partic-

ularly B12. Demand for Spirulina

is high and is likely to grow fur-

ther. It is used as an additive in

the production of animal feeds,

for example, as a food supple-

ment and as a biocatalyst during

fermentation processes. Spir-

ulina is also said to help during

slimming diets, to reduce blood

fat values, to protect against

infection and to have an anti-

inflammatory effect.

Because so far only a few studies

have been carried out on Spir-

ulina, sound proof is often lack-

ing to support such statements.

However, it is certain that aqua-

culture production of algae will

continue to increase in the coming

years. Attempts are being made to

use algae as feed in aquaculture,

for example, or to produce bio

fuels from algae, or to use certain

ingredients for pharmaceutical

purposes. In a lot of areas develop-

ments are still in their infancy but it

is becoming increasingly clear that

algae are a very versatile, very high-

quality raw material. mk

Demand for marine algae is rising in Korea helped by increasing

consumption of sushi, miso, and dim-sum.


[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]


The EU depends on imports to satisfy its demand for fish

Imports support EU fish and seafood processingThe European fish and seafood processing industry relies on a consistent supply of raw materials to satisfy growing consumer demand from both domestic and export markets. Recently, Matthias Keller, vice president of the European Federation of National Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish (AIPCE-CEP), made a presentation to representatives of the Dutch fish-processing industry.

The audience listened clos-

edly as Dr Keller delivered

four key messages. First,

imports remain the backbone of

the markets. Second, EU quota

opportunity is becoming more

positive, but it remains to be seen

if the catch utilisation rate will

follow. Third, competition from

other populous regions is inten-

sifying, for example from markets

such as Brazil, Russia, and China.

Fourth, are compliance require-

ments and costs making the EU-

markets less attractive to raw

material providers.

Processing depends on imports

In 2012, the total amount of fish avail-

able was slightly less than 14 million

tonnes. Of this, 8.8 million tonnes

were imported from third countries,

and only 4.8 million tonnes came

from European fisheries. Keller says,

“We can plainly see that, without

imports from third countries, we

would not have enough fish to sup-

ply the demand in Europe”.

The dependence on imports

has grown over the past decade.

In 1999, the EU imported 51 of

the fish consumed, and in 2012 it

was 65.

The Association of Fish Pro-

cessors and Importers in the

EU (AIPCE-CEP) argues that

imports are the mainstay of the

EU fish market and should not

be regarded as a threat to the EU

fishing fleet.

Tuna is the most imported species into Europe at 1.19 million tonnes per year. Imports of salmon claim second place at 1.07 million tonnes. This

particular tuna however has been ranched in Europe.

Ale

ksan

dra

Pet

erse

n

11_TM.indd 1 04/12/13 5:48 PM



Will EU catches sell?

At the same time, Keller asks, if

we have more quota available, are

there markets for it in Europe, or

do we have to export it to other

areas because the demand is not as

strong?

“For example”, explains Keller,

“looking at the large amount of cod

coming from the Barents and the

Norwegian seas, we wonder if there

is enough market for it in Europe”.

He predicts an increase in the

amount of fish supplied by aqua-

culture. “I have absolutely no

doubt that this is possible for the

future in a very substantial way”,

he continues. “I am convinced that

this will happen. The demand for

fish in the EU will increase again,

and that demand will be fulfilled.

But you will pay higher prices in

the future. It’s not a question of

whether fish will be available,

believe it or not. The question is

what will the price be?”

For Keller, it is important that

all statistics be calculated using

live weight equivalent, which is

a way to convert the volume or

mass (more commonly referred

to as the weight) of a product at

one stage in the production chain

to its volume or mass at another

stage in the chain.

“One tonne of fillet blocks and

one tonne of headed and gutted

fish are different kinds of presen-

tations”, he says, “because to pro-

duce a fillet block you might need

double the amount of whole fish.

To make the units equal, we con-

vert everything into live weight”.

Competition is heating up

Keller explains that competi-

tion from other populous regions

for raw materials is intensifying.

“Look at the situation with the

work. “I call it a paper tsunami,

where you have lots of paperwork

to prove that the fish come from

sustainable sources or the cost of

the illegal, unreported, and unreg-

ulated fishing (IUU) regulations.

Many administrative things have

to be streamlined. We’re looking

for a general reduction in admin-

istrative costs. Yes, illegal fisheries

should be investigated, but not

every fishery in the world should

be “accused” in general term”.

Level playing field

Often, the industry or the import-

ers are accused of importing fish

from areas that do not have the

same health standards or the

same competition. The question

of a level playing field often arises.

Keller says, “We have often had the

question about a level playing field.

It’s notable that we find the follow-

ing in the Common Fisheries Pol-

icy. “There is a need to strengthen

the competitiveness of the Union

fishery and aquaculture sector, the

Common Market Organisation for

fishery and aquaculture products

should ensure a level-playing field

for all fishing and aquaculture

products marketed in the Union,

should allow consumers to make

better informed choices and sup-

port responsible consumption,

and should improve the economic

knowledge and understanding of

the Union markets along the sup-

ply chain”.

He continues, “This is an indi-

rect criticism that, very often, fish

products coming from outside

the EU do not follow the rules, so

even the fishermen complain that

imports can have lower health

standards and lower standards

for IUU”. He thinks it is important

to emphasise that, in general,

the European seafood process-

ing industry and traders are not

importing unsafe seafood.

He says that the other important

thing to remember is that the

Matthias Keller, vice president of the European Federation of National

Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish.

salmon. There is a lot of salmon

going out to Russia. We know that

there are markets for cod in Brazil,

but we don’t know what will hap-

pen in India”.

In August, the EU Commission

banned the Faroe Islands from

importing herring and mackerel

caught by Faroese vessels. Kel-

ler admits that this might have a

negative impact on the EU’s sup-

ply because the Faroe Islands is the

largest supplier of herring to the EU

market.

“They can easily sell this fish to

Africa. They can easily find other

markets in the world. Look at

Brazil, at Russia, at China. On the

other hand, although we have

strong competition from these

countries, we also can see some

opportunities. Maybe these are

markets for our convenience fish

products”.

Requirements that cost

Says Keller, “Based on the infor-

mation we have at the moment,

even after introducing new regu-

lations, we are not seeing any

interruption of the trade flow.

There is still enough fish coming

into the EU, even if it’s a bit less at

the moment, but this is related to

the economic crisis”.

Still, there are many areas for

improvement. “We need fewer

administrative costs, one of which

is the duty that must be paid on

imports. We are fighting against

duties on the raw materials”. He

points out that countries that

were part of the Generalised Sys-

tem of Preferences, which regu-

lates duties, and paid duties on

their products of only 3, saw the

duties jump to 7 or even to 20.

The second area for improvement

is the amount of administrative

11_TM.indd 2 04/12/13 5:48 PM



Commission and NGOs still feel

that there is substantial activity in

IUU. “But if we look at the trends

in growth statistics”, he says, “we

have not seen any interruption of

trade for any species. And if a large

amount of IUU activity were tak-

ing place, it would register in our

statistics because less tuna, mack-

erel, or cod would be imported,

and that’s just not the case”.

Understanding the European market

Keller explains that these markets

are all different, and to understand

the European market, it is neces-

sary to look at individual species.

“Of course we can give the overall

statistics, but to really describe

the market, we must go into detail

about the main species, where

they come from, and how they

are presented. It is necessary to

go into detail to understand trade

issues, such as partner agreements

and why certain agreements were

made with certain countries. This

is a good first entrance to the mar-

ket if you have not already ana-

lysed the market in that way”.

He points out, for example, that,

although most of the species are

imported, the domestic herring

market is much larger than for

imports, forming a picture totally

different from the other species.

Total market volume of herring

is nearly 1 million t, and 663,000

t come from European catches.

Imports are only half that amount.

Most of the production is frozen

flaps (123,000 t), followed by fro-

zen fillets (91,000 t), and frozen

whole fish (43,000 t).

Tuna, the most popular fish

According to Keller, there are

1.19 million t of tuna in the

European market; it is the spe-

cies with the greatest volume in

Europe. Approximately, 42,000

t come from European catches,

the main part of it, 1.1 million t,

is imported. Most of it, 647,000 t,

is prepared; 269,000 t are loins;

and 200,000 t come as frozen

whole fish.

“People imagine that cod is the

most important species, but actu-

ally it’s tuna, followed by salmon,

cod, and herring, and these are

among the ten most important

species”.

The four largest importers of tuna

are Ecuador, which supplies ca.

225,000 t; Mauritius, 119,000 t;

Thailand, 108,000 t and the Sey-

chelles, 82,000 t. The supply

base is very international, with

1,065,000 t supplied by other

countries.

Salmon

Salmon is the next most imported

species, with most of it coming

from Norway, which supplies

845,000 t of a total import vol-

ume of 1,072 million t. The rest of

the country portfolio is diverse:

China (71,000 t), the Faroe Islands

(62,000 t), and the USA (46,000 t).

Altogether, 48,000 t come from

other countries.

From a market volume of 1.073

million t, 697,000 t are imported

as fresh whole; 168,000 t as frozen

fillets; and 145,000 t as fresh fillets.

Cod

Keller points to cod as an interest-

ing species because the largest

portion of the production is dried

and salted, not for fresh consump-

tion. Norway plays an impor-

tant role, supplying 302,000 t

of the 866,000 t import volume.

Other main suppliers include Ice-

land (198,000 t), China, (139,000 t),

Food balance for fish and fishery products1.000 tonnes live weight

2011 2012

Catches 4.629 4.313

+ Aquaculture 1.260 1.260

- Non-food uses 1.000 700

= Supply for consumption 4.889 4.873

+ Imports (Third countries) 9.221 8.815

= Total availability 14.110 13.688

- Exports (Third countries) 1.951 1.996

= Total consumption 12.159 11.692

Consumption (kg/capita) 24,2 23,2

and Russia, (125,000 t). Almost

102,000 t are supplied by other

countries.

Shrimp

Keller notes that the shrimp mar-

ket is interesting and totally dif-

ferent from the others. It depends

100 on raw materials coming

from third countries. A large por-

tion is prepared and preserved.

It is also interesting to see that

four countries supply the great-

est share: Greenland (105,000 t),

Ecuador (104,000 t), Thailand

(102,000 t), and Canada (70,000 t).

Other countries supply 193,000

t of the total import volume of

874,000 t.

“Of course, here we have to go

into more detail because shrimp

from Greenland and shrimp from

Vietnam are totally different spe-

cies”, says Keller. “The Pandalus

borealis coming from Greenland

is totally different from the Litope-

naeus vannamei from Indonesia,

and the Penaeus monodon from

Vietnam”.

Alaska pollock

“Because no Alaska pollock is

caught in the EU”, Keller says, “we

are 100 dependent on imports,

and frozen fillets are the main

presentation (781,000 t), followed

by frozen meat (65,000 t), and

frozen whole fish (1,000 t). This

is very logical, because we only

need the fillets for processing to

make products that are more con-

venient. Why should we import

fish from Russia or the US that

have the head and bones?”

China, which has only a small

quota for Alaska pollock, is the

largest importer with 400,000 t.

Other main importers are the USA

(366,000 t), Russia (82,000 t), and

South Korea (2,000 t). Mainly, the

fish are caught in Russia and the

USA and processed in China.

Dr. Keller based his presentation

on the 2013 AIPCE-CEP Finfish

Study. The focus of the Finfish

Study is whitefish, but in recent

years, it has included alternative

resources, such as freshwater

cultivated species like pangasius

and tilapia. Further, because the

fish industry relies on a broader

selection of species and types,

the study has been expanded to

include salmon, tuna, pelagics,

and surimi as well as shrimp and

cephalopods.

The 2013 study will be available

soon on the AIPCE-CEP website:

http://aipcecep.drupalgardens.

com/content/white-fish-study.

William Anthony

11_TM.indd 3 04/12/13 5:48 PM

Add your event to www.EurofishMagazine.comAdd your event to www.EurofishMagazine.com

DIARY DATES

5 February, 2014

Marel Salmon Showhow

Copenhagen, Denmark

Tel.: +45 98921511

Fax: +45 98921101

[email protected]

www.marel.com/salmonshowhow

9-11 February, 2014

Fish International

Bremen, Germany

Tel.: +49 421 3505 260

Fax: +49 421 3505 681

info@fi shinternational.de

www.fi shinternational.de

24-28 February 2014

COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade

Bergen, Norway

[email protected]

www.fao.org/cofi /ft/en/

4-6 March 2014

North Atlantic Seafood Forum

Bergen, Norway

Tel.: +47 22 87 87 00

www.nor-seafood.com

16-18 March 2014

Seafood Expo North America & Seafood

Processing North America

Boston, USA

Tel.: +1 207 842 5504

[email protected]

www.seafoodexpo.com

31 March – 3 April, 2014

Alimentaria 2014

Barcelona, Spain

Tel.: +34 93 452 10 39

[email protected]

www.alimentaria-bcn.com

9-11 April, 2014

Offshore Mariculture 2014

Napoli, Italy

Tel.: +44 1329 825335

[email protected]

www.offshoremariculture.com

6-8 May 2014

Seafood Expo Global & Seafood Processing

Global

Brussels, Belgium

Tel.: +1 207 842 5504

[email protected]

www.seafoodexpo.com

5-7 June, 2014

Future Fish Eurasia

Izmir, Turkey

Tel.: +90 212 347 10

[email protected]

www.eurasiafairs.com

7-11 June, 2014

World Aquaculture 2014

Adelaide, Australia

www.was.org

19-22 August, 2014

Nor-Fishing

Trondheim, Norway

Tel.: +47 73 568 640

mailbox@nor-fi shing.no

www.nor-fi shing.no

2-4 September 2014

Seafood Expo Asia

Wanchai, Hong Kong

www.seafoodexpo.com

22-24 September 2014

Seafood Expo Southern Europe

Barcelona, Spain

Tel.: +1 207 842 5504

[email protected]

www.seafoodbarcelona.com

25-27 September 2014

Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition 2014

Smarin, Kopavogur, Iceland

Tel.: +44 1329 825335

[email protected]

www.icefi sh.is

7-9 October, 2014

Conxemar

Vigo, Spain

Tel.: +34 986 433 351

[email protected]

www.conxemar.com

14-17 October, 2014

Aquaculture Europe 2014

San Sebastian, Spain

www.was.org

12_Dairy Dates.indd 1 05/12/13 12:53 PM


GUEST PAGES

Sustainability is a keyword in political discussions worldwide. As the problem of overfishing looms large in the minds of consumers,

NGOs, and governments, dozens of seafood-certification and labelling programmes have been put in place. Jacob Færgemand is a

managing director at Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification. In the 1990s, he led the alignment of Danish

food-safety standards with the framework of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 2000, he became chair of the

ISO 22000 committee charged with harmonising food safety standards, which was finalised in 2005. Incidentally, Færgemand was

born into a family of fishermen. Before becoming a fisherman, his grandfather Anders Nielsen was a ferryman and so was given the

nickname Ferryman. Later, he changed his surname to Ferryman, or Færgemand in Danish. Færgemand admits that it is a strange name.

Having already been part of the process of developing standards, what historical perspective can you bring?

The huge number of labelling

schemes that have been devel-

oped by local retailers and fish-

eries organisations is totally

natural. It’s what we saw in

food-safety programmes. They

started 50 years ago with a lot of

local initiatives, which became

regional initiatives. Finally, it

ended up with the ISO standard

that harmonised the methods,

which were largely similar.

I think this is what we will see

in the fish and seafood sector.

All of the schemes will meet in

ISO, where standards that cover

the whole world are developed.

It will be a process of consensus

in which all of the schemes will

be put on the table, and the best

pool of activities will be deter-

mined.

Where do the fishing and seafood industries stand right now?

With all of the different certifica-

tion marks that exist now, I think

the industries are exactly where

we were 15 years ago with food-

safety issues. Starting in 2000, we

actually managed to harmonise

industry methods to produce

safe food. But it took five years to

get there. Bringing all the scheme

owners together was a fight for

the first two years.

Nobody discussed real technical

issues. They were stuck in their

own positions, talking without

actually being willing to find

solutions. But after two years, we

had a breakthrough and started

putting everything on the table.

We discovered that 90 of all

local schemes were nearly the

same.

How close or how far is the fish-ing industry from reaching a breakthrough?

I think we haven’t even started

the process, because the private

certifiers are just pushing their

own local schemes, trying to gain

acceptance. They want to dif-

ferentiate themselves from the

others and convince the retailers

that their scheme is better than

the other schemes. That’s a waste

of money, travelling around sell-

ing something that is more or less

the same. But when the costs get

too high, they will ask for harmo-

nisation. I think it will take three

to five years, because everybody

is fighting everybody else now.

The explosion of certification and labelling programmes

Moving slowly towards consensus

As certification and labelling of seafood become universal, what are the factors driving this trend and what roles do consumers, government and retail-sector authorities, and NGOs play?

Sustainability is actually the

driver here. There are what I call

political consumers, who want to

be green and be sure that they’re

supporting sustainable food

sources, and they are willing to

Jacob Færgemand, Managing Director, Bureau Veritas Certification

13_GuestPage_Last_Page_Intrw.indd 1 03/12/13 7:03 PM


GUEST PAGES

pay a little more for it. They are

pushing the retailers, who want

to sell products that consumers

are able to buy from the other

retailers. The retailers are actu-

ally selling these labels, which

are being created on every con-

tinent.

Authorities are imposing con-

trols through quotas, but when

quotas are imposed, a coun-

try can say, “Yes, but to avoid

unemployment, we need the

fishery now”. So, they overfish,

and that’s the NGOs role: They

want to implement sustainable

policies. They want the authori-

ties to be held accountable for

taking the right decisions, and

if they don’t, they will be pun-

ished.

This is typically how these many

schemes are developed. They

start locally with local needs.

Then, regional players want to

differentiate themselves. Finally,

the political consumers want

to buy something that is green

to prove that they are actually

taking care of the environment,

and that influences the buying

and selling. Consumers want to

buy products from retailers who

have proven that they are offer-

ing something different, leading

to different brands and product

labelling.

The reputation of some farmed whitefish species imported into Europe is not the best among consumers, despite the fact that it comes from certi-fied sources. Could this under-mine trust in certification in general?

If consumers find out that in

Norway or Thailand people are

cheating the system and using

certification marks fraudulently,

they will get confused, and then

they will get mad. Nobody likes

to overpay for a product that is

not what it claims to be. People

will start to investigate whether

the schemes work as they were

intended to, and that will lead to

harmonisation.

Anyone can mark a product, and

the mark’s validity depends on

who is actually controlling the

marking. There is a lot of dirty

work going on out there, where

people use a mark, without con-

trol that they’re actually doing

what they are expected to do.

What you see now is that perhaps

20 out of 60 are not as heavily

controlled as the others are.

Another form of control is the

economic driver. Who is actu-

ally getting hurt if the mark-

ing scheme falls apart? Is it the

retailer or is it the food pro-

ducer? This is the motivation

for requiring independent enti-

ties to go in and oversee the

industries as well as the authori-

ties. This is what the Marine

Stewardship Council (MSC) is

doing.

Labels such as those from the MSC certify that the product is from a sustainable fishery. In theory however, it is the responsibility of the authority that administers fisheries to ensure that the fishery is sus-tainable. When sustainability can only be credibly certified by a third party, are the author-ities abdicating some of their responsibility?

If the monitoring system is con-

trolled by a third party, certifying

by audit that the authorities are

actually doing what they have

signed up to do, you could say

that. On the other hand, what

if you want to approve a fishery

where five countries fish? Who

makes sure that the five coun-

tries are not overfishing? If you

control one or two of them but

not the rest, how can we assure

the consumer that the fishery in

the North Sea is not overfished?

Based on Denmark or the UK,

we know it’s not overfished, but

what about Norway, Russia, and

Iceland?

To talk about sustainable fisher-

ies, you need to talk about the

sea and where the species are

before you can designate the

fish as sustainable and ensure

that one country does not take

more than the others do. Of

course, the countries are com-

mitted to the international

agreement, but you need some

kind of overview, which not

all authorities in the countries

have.

Do third-party certifiers somehow undermine the authority of the national governments?

If I as a citizen of Denmark, for

example, believe that my gov-

ernment is skilled and strong

enough to have a good fishing

policy, then a conflict can arise

with a scheme like MSC, which

is a private scheme controlled

by somebody in another coun-

try. It appears that they are forc-

ing themselves into the Danish

authority system. This is not

acceptable to some authorities,

and that’s why there are a lot of

authorities that are not especially

happy to be a part of the assess-

ments if fisheries should be cer-

tified.

Are they obliged to follow the instructions set by the outside schemes?

They are only obliged if they

agree to be certified. The pres-

sure to accept this comes from

the fisheries sector. If the Dan-

ish industry believes that they

cannot sell Danish products,

they will put pressure on the

Danish government, pushing

them go to for this certification.

If Danish society or the Danish

fisheries sector agree that this

is needed to survive in the long

run, then the Danish authori-

ties have to agree to show the

paperwork proving how they

are controlling their sustainable

fisheries.

You can imagine that not many

authorities would like people

from a private company com-

ing in and commenting on how

they do their work. Things can

get very tense, leading to con-

flict, which is the case at the

moment.

What criteria should an aquaculture operator consider when looking for an independent certifying body; how do they judge which body to choose?

If you want validity in the label-

ling, you should look for certi-

fication, and if you want even

more validity, you should look

for accredited certification.

Accreditation Services Interna-

tional (ASI) is one of the leading

accreditation bodies. Normally,

when a Norwegian salmon

farmer is selecting a certifier, he

turns to the ASI webpage, where

he can see which certifiers have

been accredited.

Organizations like ASI check

that the selected certifying

bodies are doing what they are

expected to do. They ensure that

the certifying body is spend-

ing enough time, has qualified



GUEST PAGES

auditors, and supplies cor-

rect reports about everything

that they have seen. And they

demand the actions neces-

sary to raise the fish farmer to

accepted standards. So, I think

that accreditation brings an

extra level of validity to the cer-

tification scheme.

How much self-interest is there in some of these accreditation schemes?

Of course, you can say that you

have money to earn if you lead

a scheme to certify. This is an

industry in itself. There are the

big certifiers such as Bureau Veri-

tas, which I represent, that offer

different kinds of standards. Our

company has to train our people,

pay fees to the accreditors, and

pay fees to the scheme owners.

So, you can imagine that having

ten different small schemes with

100 clients each is more expen-

sive than having one scheme

with a thousand clients, because

I only have to pay one accredita-

tion body.

There is self-interest for those

creating schemes, but big certify-

ing bodies are more interested in

having global schemes with one

set of rules to follow, because

this would be much more cost

efficient. Then we can compete

on the marketplace by offering

the best schemes to the industry,

based on our competencies and

normal price levels.

Bureau Veritas’ idea, and I think

it’s shared by some of our com-

petitors, is that we should be

able to deliver the kind of cer-

tification that a company asks

for. If there are conflicting issues

in different standards, we start

technical discussions with the

scheme owners to find a solu-

tion. Normally, in different

sectors including the fisheries

sector, we see that, even though

we have 50 different schemes,

90 of typical context is the same.

What are the cost implications?

As I said before, political con-

sumers are ready to pay per-

haps 10 to 20 extra to be sure

they are eating organic. It is

not a problem to pass on a

small increase to these con-

sumers. But let’s ask what are

the cost implications of being

certified? Of course, you have

to pay a certification body to

do the audit. Let’s say it costs

a fish farm EUR 3,000. But the

cost to implement the required

changes and systems to receive

certification is 10 to 20 times

higher. So, if you pay me EUR

3,000 to be certified, you will

need to do some cleaning up,

pay for training programmes,

and change systems, proce-

dures, and structures. That will

end up costing EUR 30,000 to

60,000.

We see that farmers looking

for certification and following

our advice gain a lot in inter-

nal efficiency. We can advise

you if you are using the correct

feed. Are your feeding meth-

ods correct, and do you waste

feed, which settles to the bot-

tom of the sea, the lake, or the

tank? Are you using the correct

amount of medicine and is the

method of slaughter correct

and economical? The costs that

they put into this start-up activ-

ity are recouped in two to four

years because they get leaner.

They become better at produc-

ing the fish, and they don’t make

as many mistakes. They develop

better recording methods, which

allow them to see the gains more

quickly. The certified companies

become more profitable because

they get closer to what they’re

doing.

In addition, for exports and

imports there is the supply-

chain-certification scheme that

ensures the amount of fish

captured complies with MSC

guidelines as being sustainably

fished. This also ensures that

the fish meeting the standards

are the same fish that enter the

harbour, are put into produc-

tion, and end up on the trucks

and the ships that lead to the

marketplace. We can follow

the certificates of origin for the

whole supply chain.

This allows us to audit a com-

pany that claims they can sell

this amount of labelled fish and

prove that the fish are actually

caught from a MSC-certified

source, and that they are not

mixed up with fish from other

countries.

Unfortunately, it is still quite

easy to cheat. Consumers need

to be assured, for example, that

two of the ten containers from

Thailand are not substituted

with two from China in the

harbour at Hanoi. Then, they

have the right to demand extra

control measures, and we feel

obliged to put ten controllers in

the harbour of Hanoi to make

sure that this shipment is not

compromised.

But we can’t afford 100, 24-hour

control. If you see failures you

need to increase your control.

That increases costs, but this is

necessary to maintain the certifi-

cates’ validity. We need to avoid

the consumer asking “Why don’t

you control every fish?” Then, the

fish will cost EUR 200 each. It’s a

matter of finding the right level of

control and then the right level of

validity. This is a basic question

that all certification schemes have

to answer.


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Documents

Eurofish magazine 6 2013