INDUSTRY NEWS
Japanese seafood giant Maruha Nichiro said it is selling its shrimp farm, which it sees as a losing proposition after failing to recover from the deadly early mortality syndrome.
DISEASE-PLAGUED
Japan's Maruha Nichiro dumps shrimp farm in Malaysia
Japanese seafood giant Maruha Nichiro said it is selling its shrimp farm, Agrobest, to a Chinese company due to losses caused by disease problems.
The 400-hectare Agrobest in Pahang, Malaysia produces Pacific white shrimp and black tiger shrimp in in over 400 plastic-lined ponds.
Early mortality syndrome, or EMS, was first detected in the farm in January 2011, particularly in five ponds. Within two months, the disease was found to have spread throughout the farm. It was found that typical mortality in the affected ponds was 70% to 80%, and that all ages and sizes of shrimp were affected.
Maruha Nichiro is said to have lost US$6.23 million on the Agrobest project, which was established in June 1988.
The Japanese company said it saw no signs of improvement in earnings after years of struggling with EMS, which has also affected other major shrimp producers in Southeast Asia including Thailand.
FOR 20TH YEAR
Global Aquaculture Alliance adopts new logo
Preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) on March 23 unveiled a new brand identity acknowledging the nonprofit organisation's mission to feed the world through responsible aquaculture.
The new logo features a symbol of a globe sheltered by a fish, which "feels exacting and scientific, yet humane", according to GAA. It also features a new color palette of brightly warm blues and the recognisable lime green.
GAA said the new logo better aligns with its long-term goal of educating consumers about the benefits of responsible aquaculture, adding it is identifiable to consumers in that a fish and the word "aquaculture" are prominently displayed.
"GAA was founded nearly 20 years ago, when the future of aquaculture was clouded by criticism. Much has been accomplished since then", said GAA President George Chamberlain.
"We are proud to have engaged with the entire value chain in a journey of continuous improvement toward sustainability. As we pause to reflect and refresh, we feel even more committed to our mission of engagement and improvement toward a bright and sustainable future", he added.
Both GAA and the Global Aquaculture Advocate, GAA's editorial product, adopted the new brand identity, which will be rolled out across GAA's properties, beginning with its websites and social media outlets.
The logo for GAA's Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program, however, remains the same, the international, non-profit organisation said.
Global Aquaculture Alliance, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its BAP certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organisation for aquaculture seafood.
OUT WITH IMPORT TARIFF
Sri Lanka seafood exporters appeal to China
Sri Lanka's seafood exporters have called on the government to bring out the issue on import tariff when it negotiates a free trade agreement with China.
Prabhash Subasinghe, chairman of Seafood Exporters Association of Sri Lanka, said China charges 9% tariff on Sri Lankan seafood imports. In additions, exporters have to pay a license fee of US$50 per tonne of seafood exported, Subasinghe said.
"This is a problem that needs to be discussed at the FTA formulation," he said.
Sri Lanka's seafood industry is hoping for government assistance to improve production adding new markets as an EU ban—imposed in 2014—continues to affect the country's seafood exports, Subasinghe said.
According to him, seafood exports were being greatly impacted by the ban as well as other challenges including "unfriendly" import and export policies and lower production.
Last year, Sri Lanka's seafood exports fell 35% to US$163.1 from the previous year's $252.7 million.
AFRICAN EXPANSION
Danish firm builds fish feed plant in Zambia
Danish fish feed maker Aller Aqua will build a new fish-feed factory in Zambia, as part of its growth strategy in Africa.
Earlier last year, the company completed a fish feed factory in Egypt last year.
The new US$10-million factory will be the largest and most modern of its kind in Africa, and will have a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of feed per year, said Henrik Halken, group vice president, who is responsible for the company's activities on the African continent.
FROM NORWAY'S SKRETTING
An alternative fishmeal-free salmon feed
Skretting, a leading manufacturer of aquaculture feeds and a Nutreco company, has made a breakthrough with its formulation of a salmon feed that is completely fishmeal-free while delivering equal performance in terms of fish growth and health.
"Through our research, we have detailed evidence proving salmonids can be fed with feeds that are devoid of fishmeal. This is very important knowledge that we will utilise to give us even more flexibility with regards to the composition of our commercial feeds," said Dr. Leo Nankervis, team leader of Salmonid Nutrition at Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC), which is based in Stavanger, Norway.
Sissel Susort, Skretting's global product manager for Grower Feeds, pointed out that although Skretting now has the knowledge and capability to produce fishmeal-free feeds, it does not mean that fishmeal will be eliminated from Skretting products.
"The fact that we can do it is the key point. We will work with our customers when and if they decide to use fishmeal-free feed. The value of this knowledge will increase if fishmeal availability decreases in the future", she said.
Trygve Berg Lea, Skretting sustainability manager, stressed that Skretting would continue to use some fishmeal in its products as fishmeal is a natural and well-balanced source of high-quality protein. "As an ingredient in aquaculture feed, fishmeal carries large quantities of energy per unit weight and is an excellent source of protein, lipids (oils), minerals and vitamins".
Alex Obach, managing director of Skretting ARC, said the research facility is eyeing to formulate similar feeds, which it calls MicroBalance, for other species that are currently more dependent on fishmeal, such as shrimp, sea bass, turbot and other marine fish. "We are on a mission. Becoming independent of fishmeal gives us the opportunity to explore alternative and novel raw materials that perhaps are not even considered in the spectrum of possibilities today", he said.
BEST PRACTICES
824 Vietnam shrimp farms aim for BAP certification
US firm National Fish and Seafood Inc. (NF&S) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and Vietnamese aquaculture company Minh Phu to undertake a project that will encourage around 824 black-tiger shrimp farms in Vietnam to attain Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification.
"We are proud of this initiative, as it will shape the future of our industry and chart a course that will deliver exceptional product, ethical accountability and environmental sustainability while meeting ever-growing customer demand", said James Baros, aquaculture and sustainability manager of NF&S during the MOU signing at the Seafood Expo North America 2016 held in Boston, USA, in early March.
Baros said this is the first big-scale project of its kind it has undertaken. The farms aim to achieve BAP group certification as they are integrated farms where the shrimps are grown in harmony with natural mangrove forests.
The farms, located at Ca Mau province, would require no feed or medicines, as all the feed the shrimps need is produced naturally.
The shrimp seeds, provided by Minh Phu, are stocked at very low densities of five to seven pieces per square meter so that there should be very little chance of disease occurring.
NF&S will educate and train the farmers and staffs of Minh Phu, who will be carrying out farm inspections, in order to meet the criteria.
The BAP certification will require the protection of the mangroves, and inspections will be done to show compliance. Many mangrove shrimp farming systems in the past have resulted in mangrove forest destructions.
The farms, once certified, could export their products to the US and other markets through Minh Phu, which will also pay the farmers a small premium as an incentive for their participation in the programme.
AMBITIOUS PROJECT
Aussie firm Seafarms Group needs investors for Sea Dragon project
Seafarms Group Ltd, an Australian agri-food company, needs $115 million to start a gigantic tiger shrimp farm project in northern Australia, reports said.
Its ambitious Project Sea Dragon, which will cost $1.15 billion when fully developed, is envisioned to produce 100,000 tonnes of shrimp yearly, mostly for export.
The project will involve the development of hatchery; feed mill; breeding program and multiplication centre; biosecurity, shrimp health and diagnostics; science; grow out; and harvesting and processing.
According to the company, Project Sea Dragon "is a unique and world-class aquacultural opportunity designed to meet the growing global demand for seafood, particularly in Asia, at a scale that enables it to leverage Australia's comparative advantages in biosecurity, marine science, access to key raw materials and expertise in large-scale resource and agricultural development".
Seafarms, citing a Word Bank report, said global population is expected to increase from 7 billion today to 9 billion by 2050, when the world's total food requirement is expected to increase by 70% particularly in Brazil, Russia, India and China. The middle class, where demand would mostly come from, is forecast to increase from 1.8 billion to around 5 billion people by 2030.
With its gargantuan cost, Project Sea Dragon would most likely need outside help. As Seafarms Executive Director Chris Mitchell said, "It's much less likely to proceed without foreign investment."
2,700 METRIC TONNES/YEAR
US firm Ralco developing shrimp 'mass-production' system
US agri-tech firm Ralco's trū Shrimp Systems division said it is developing a super-intensive system for growing large quantities of shrimp indoors, Undercurrent News reported.
The division's general manager, Michael Ziebell, was quoted as saying that the system would be capable of producing 6 million pounds, or 2,700 metric tonnes, of shrimp a year, and that work on it is around 75% completed.
Ziebell said they were looking at "licensing the technology for use in large-capacity centers", although the technology is adaptable to smaller facilities.
"We have some interested parties who envisage setting up...[farms] near urban centers, to provide fresh shrimp for food service--but their plans involve large cities, so the model would still need to be big", Ziebell said.
He added that they were in talks with potential investors, mostly companies outside of the aquaculture sector.
Indian gov't, philanthropic org join hands for aquaculture
The Indian Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the philanthropic organisation Tata Trusts have agreed to join hands in undertaking projects that will help rural communities dependent on fisheries and aquaculture.
Through a memorandum of agreement (MOU) signed on March 22, MPEDA and Tata Trusts and will try to address several key issues including low volume of catch, low productivity in aquaculture, and depletion of fishery resources in the sea.
It will also help resolve issues such as low price realisation due to several layers of intermediaries, absence of better access to markets, and lack of safe, hygienic conditions.
Ms Leena Nair, an official of MPEDA said, "This MOU would provide for collaborative approach to work towards the betterment of fishery-dependent families."
On the part of Tata Trusts, its secretary and chief accountant, Mr Burzis S Taraporevala, said, "This unique collaboration brings with it Tata Trusts' legacy of implementing initiatives to provide sustainable livelihoods across India….MPEDA's expertise spanning fisheries and aquaculture is unparalleled and we hope, with this association, we are able to bring prosperity to rural communities".
