INDUSTRY NEWS
The early mortality syndrome takes a toll on Thailand's aquaculture industry as the country slips from No. 1 shrimp exporter to No. 4, a study says.
EMS VICTIM
Thailand gives up status of top shrimp exporter
Thailand is now no longer the world's No. 1 shrimp exporter. Vietnam is.
This is one of the findings of a study on shrimp aquaculture in Southeast Asia done by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SPF).
The study said Thailand has particularly suffered from production losses due to EMS (early mortality syndrome), and has consequently been surpassed by Vietnam, China, and India, in that order. SPF, though, noted that the Thai shrimp industry is strongly recovering from the disease.
The study, entitled "SFP Report on the Shrimp Sector: Asian Farmed Shrimp Trade and Sustainability" and authored by Nicole Portley, was conducted in early 2015.
The study noted that while EMS affected its production as well, Vietnam currently appears to be the world leader in shrimp exports and farmed exports as of 2013, although it no longer reports export volumes and only export value. It said export volumes were only estimates.
Of the 10 countries studied, four exported more than half of their shrimp production and had shrimp export values of over $1 billion each. These are Vietnam, Thailand, India, and Indonesia, and they all made large-scale investments in intensive whiteleg shrimp (Pennaeus vannamei) farming.
Five countries (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar), which did not make large-scale investments in intensive whiteleg shrimp aquaculture, struggled to compete for the international market with those that did, according to the study. These countries each exported $500 million or less of shrimp annually and kept more than half of their shrimp in-country for domestic consumption.
China was an exceptional country in that while it invested heavily in whiteleg shrimp culture, it kept 88% of its shrimp production for domestic consumption, indicating that there was a high demand for shrimp in the Chinese market.
The study found that the US, EU and Japan were still the leading destinations for Asian shrimp.
The full study is available here.
NAGGING QUESTION
Can EMS be eliminated?
Seven years ago, EMS (early mortality syndrome), a shrimp disease, first appeared in China and later spread to other countries in Asia, which produces 75% of the world's farmed shrimp.The disease, also known as AHPNS (acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome) or AHPND (acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease), has been controlled but so far has not been totally eliminated in the major shrimp-producing countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
The savageness of the disease, whose mortality rate is as high as 70%, can be gleaned from how it almost emaciated the shrimp farms in Thailand, which used to be the world's second-largest shrimp producer. EMS first hit Thailand's eastern provinces of Rayong, Chantaburi, Trad and Chachoengsao in 2012 and later surfaced in the country's southern aquaculture belt. During a survey conducted in February-May 2013 by the Thai Department of Fisheries, at least 25 provinces have been hit by EMS.
In 2013 farmed shrimp production in Thailand dropped by nearly 60% to 250,000 tonnes from what it used to produce—600,000 tonnes. Exports plummeted as many processing plants were forced to shut down due to shortage of raw material. Shrimp processor and exporter CP Foods laid off 1,200 workers.
According to the Global Aquaculture Alliance, the EMS was causing annual losses of more than US$1 billion.
Can the disease be wiped out? The answer seems to be no, at least for now. Otherwise, "you'll have to set up a farm in the moon, and there's not enough water there", Peter Coutteau, Nutriad business unit manager for aquaculture, said in jest during an interview with eFeedLink at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Aquaculture 2016 in Surabaya, Indonesia, on April 28.
"EMS is something we will have to live with like many other diseases. It is very difficult to eradicate from the environment", Coutteau said, adding that it can be managed or controlled and probably avoid it.
According to Coutteau, disease management is a combination of managing the farm and its microbial ecology (such as improvement of hatchery sanitation, broodstock management and quality of postlarvae). "We also believe", he added, "that the feed additives, which can manipulate the microflora (microorganisms) through the feed, have a role to play". Probiotics can also manipulate the environment, in this case the water column in the pond.
The Nutriad executive described the Asian shrimp industry as "a bit on standby" mode. "Nobody really knows how the situation is going to be", although "there's a bit of optimism in Thailand that for the first time since the outbreak of EMS they're going to go back up in production".
While the shrimp industry is now "out of the bottom", Coutteau warned that the recovery is going to be a slow process.
LORD SEBASTIAN COE
AquaVision keynote speaker is an athlete
The aquaculture industry surely will learn a thing or two from an athlete.
Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), has been chosen as the keynote speaker at this year's AquaVision conference, which takes place in Stavanger, Norway, on June 13-15. He is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of his generation, having set 12 world records over four distances and earned four golds and three silver medals at the Olympic Games and European Championships.
Using his political skills, his strategic know-how and a true passion for sport, Lord Coe led London's winning bid to host the 2012 Olympics, subsequently organising and delivering what is widely considered one of the most successful Games of modern times. Following London 2012, he served as chairman of the British Olympic Association.
Drawing on the lessons learned during an illustrious career, Lord Coe will share with AquaVision delegates the benefits of building resilient and dependable teams from a variety of backgrounds. He will emphasise the importance of delivering on visions, communicating pre-emptively, and ensuring nothing is left to chance. Above all, he will underline the age-old proposition that no amount of theorising replaces the genius of hard work.
With the theme "Meeting Tomorrow Today," AquaVision 2016 will concentrate on two core areas: the "blue revolution" and "beyond tomorrow". Many of the topics and debates will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the aquaculture industry today and in the future.
FERTILITY SEARCH
Study digs into sex life of tiger prawn
A study trying to discover the secrets of how the giant black tiger prawn produces sperm and transfers it to create the next generation could help free aquaculture from relying on brood stock from the wild.
Tianyi Feng, a doctoral student at the University of Queensland School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, is using advanced microscopes to create three-dimensional computer models of the prawn sperm cells and their composition.
"Although the seafood industry is a multibillion-dollar industry internationally, there's a lot we still don't understand about the basic biology of valuable prawns such as these", Mr Feng said.
"If we knew more, we could probably improve the efficiency of prawn breeding in aquaculture," he added.
Feng said farmed prawns did not always mature well sexually in captivity and that it was important that they should be as fertile as possible. The Asian prawn aquaculture industry has experienced significant setbacks from wild-prawn diseases introduced by wild-caught brood stock.
"We're hoping to improve the knowledge of prawn sperm production using advanced techniques to assess sperm damage, such as DNA fragmentation, which is a cause of infertility in other species", Feng said.
CARGILL SURVEY
US consumers rightly understand fish benefits
US consumers think they get more health benefits from eating fish and seafood than taking fish-oil supplements, a recent Cargill Animal Nutrition survey revealed.
Consumers understand that the health benefits of fish, the world's fastest growing protein source, outweigh those of fish oil supplements, despite their popularity.
The online survey was conducted by ORC International for Cargill Animal Nutrition on April 7-10 among a demographically representative sample of 1,029 US adults. This is the inaugural survey in Cargill Animal Nutrition's new "Feed for Thought" research initiative. Feed for Thought will periodically explore key perceptions and opinions of the animal protein supply chain.
While one-third (33%) of US households take fish-oil supplements, more consumers (90%) across all generations associate health benefits with fish/seafood over fish oil supplements (82%). According to the study, the top three benefits consumers associate with seafood consumption are heart health (60%), low fat (49%) and brain health (41%).
Recent research shows consumer perception to be correct: eating whole fish is more nutritious than consuming a fish-oil supplement.
Studies show that adding fish oil alone to the diet does not necessarily improve cardiovascular disease risk or cognitive health, two of the health benefits most cited by consumers in the survey.
Fish provides healthy oils that are absorbed around nine times more than oils from a fish-oil supplement.
Researchers recommend consumers follow the American Heart Association guidelines and incorporate a variety of oily fish into their diet at least twice a week to get the recommended amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
Results of the survey are also in line with industry data that suggests the demand for fish is growing, driven by an increasing and more affluent global population that understands the health benefits of eating seafood.
Seafood demand is expected to increase by 70% by 2050, and it is a demand that Cargill and the industry are working to satisfy.
"Fish is clearly an important source of healthy protein and it's encouraging that consumers know the real benefits of eating seafood," said Einar Wathne, president of Cargill Aqua Nutrition.
ENSURING FEED QUALITY
Importance of mycotoxin management stressed
Mycotoxin management is now being taken more seriously as it has become more and more apparent that negative effects on animal performance are partly caused by mycotoxin contamination of feed, an aquaculture feed expert said.Dr. Kai-Jens Kuehlmann, technical manager of Trouw Nutrition, recently told eFeedLink in an interview that there is a great need for knowledge on the state of contamination around the world.
He said feed raw materials face the risk of contamination, citing as example the shift of fishmeal to renewable plant protein meals to cover the increasing demand for feeds of intensively farmed fish species. The shift was spurred by fewer fish being caught in the open waters for fishmeal production.
Plant-based proteins from corn, soybean meal, canola, rice bran, cassava, cottonseed and wheat may be cost-efficient alternatives but they have high risk of mycotoxin contamination, Kuehlmann pointed out. Thus, he said, a mycotoxin risk assessment with appropriate protection strategies to farmed aquaculture species needs to be in place.
How to adequately and promptly protect feed quality without increasing costs is a main concern, he said. "If there is a big delay in treatment because of time-consuming analyses, the stock could be spoiled", Kuehlmann said. One alternative would be to always use a mycotoxin management product, again increasing costs.
Trouw Nutrition, Kuehlmann said, addresses this with a total package: the TOXO feed additive product range and the Mycomaster rapid mycotoxin analysis tool.
Global aqua feed production currently stands at about 40 million metric tonnes and is expected to rise, along with other animal feeds, as the global population is estimated to reach 9 billion by 2050, which needs to be provided with sufficient food, he said.
'MAJOR MILESTONE'
New BAP mollusk farm standards adopted
The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has upgraded its the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification programme for mollusk farms.
The new standards encompass all major farmed mollusk species including mussels, scallops, oysters, clams and abalone, and replace the existing BAP mussel farm standards. The BAP programme, the world's most comprehensive third-party aquaculture certification programme, now encompasses virtually all aquaculture production systems for finfish, crustaceans and mollusks.
The BAP Standards Oversight Committee (SOC) unanimously approved the standards for release to the market in late April, followed by approval from the GAA board of directors.
"This represents a major milestone for the BAP programme, which now encompasses virtually all aquaculture production systems for finfish, crustaceans and mollusks. Congratulations are in order for Brian Kingzett and his technical committee for their painstaking efforts in creating a workable standard that can be applied globally to the full diversity of farmed mollusks," said Dan Lee, BAP standards coordinator.
The standards were prepared by the BAP mollusk technical committee chaired by Kingzett.
Currently, there are six sets of BAP standards—mollusk farm standards, finfish and crustacean farm standards, salmon farm standards, seafood processing plant standards, hatchery and nursery standards and feed mill standards.
At the end of March, there were 1,165 BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills worldwide.
NETS US$6.4B
2015 a good year for Nutreco
Animal and fish feed maker Nutreco reported a net revenue of €5.7 billion (US$6.4 billion) for 2015, up from €5.3 billion ($5.9 billion) the previous year."2015 was in many ways a special year for Nutreco. The financial results were very good across all of our businesses. This confirms that we are increasingly successful in translating our R&D and innovation capabilities into sustainable nutritional solutions valued by our customers. With the acquisition of US-based trace mineral producer Micronutrients we realised the third-largest acquisition in our history, making Nutreco the category leader in a specific feed additive segment," Nutreco CEO Knut Nesse said.
In aquafeed, trading under the Skretting company brand, the salmon feed business performed strongly in 2015, and maintained the position as global market leader, although there is still overcapacity in the main Norwegian market. In shrimp feed, Ecuador reported strong organic growth.
Animal nutrition, primarily trading under the Trouw Nutrition company brand, and Nutreco Iberia also performed well, Nutreco said.
Nutreco is a wholly owned subsidiary of SHV Holdings N.V., a family-owned multinational with net sales of €18.1 billion ($20.3 billion) in 2015.
NUTRIAD ACTIVE
Sponsors aquaculture events in Southeast Asia…
Feed additive maker Nutriad continues to support regional aquaculture events in Southeast Asia as part of its strategy to introduce specialised additive solutions into regional aquaculture markets.
In April, Nutriad sponsored the third NTU-NTOU Joint International Vietnam–Taiwan Conference on Advanced Aquaculture in Nha Trang University, Vietnam, on April 5-6 and Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2016 organised in conjunction with VICTAM Asia in Bangkok on April 5.
The Joint International conference attracted over 200 Vietnamese aqua professionals from research institutes, feed mills, integrators and hatcheries and saw interests from other Southeast Asian countries.
"Nutriad has been serving Vietnamese aqua customers for almost 10 years and we see enough challenges in the industry to continue our collaboration for many years to come," said Allen (Ming-Hsun) Wu, Nutriad's aquaculture regional manager–Asia Pacific.
Tilapia culture is seen in Vietnam as a potential alternative species for fish farmers who have seen their profits from catfish productions decreased drastically in recent years.
Aquafeed Horizons Asia 2016 was attended by most major aquafeed players from Thailand and also attracted participants from SEA, US and Europe.
"Nutriad has been sponsoring the Aquafeed Horizons event in Asia since 2008," said Dr Peter Coutteau, Nutriad business unit manager for aquaculture. "The conference is targeting commercial aquaculture feed manufacturers and farm integrators to inform them on the latest news on formulation and processing solutions through practical talks. The organisers carefully select the speakers to bring a one-day programme focused on innovative concepts… The fact the conference was again sold out, clearly shows the formula meets the need of the industry."
Nutriad was invited to give a talk on "Functional Feeds – Bad Bug Busters to Reduce the Impact from Disease in Farmed Fish and Shrimp" where it showcased its latest research related to EMS in shrimp and phytobiotic applications in tilapia and marine fish.
…Makes presence felt at Surabaya show…
Nutriad selected Asia-Pacific Aquaculture 2016 in Surabaya, Indonesia, as its platform for organising a number of technical seminars for its aqua distributors and customers.
"These seminars provide an excellent opportunity to our central and regional aqua team as well as our partners and customers in Asia-Pacific to learn about current market developments and new findings regarding the application of our functional feed additives for fish and shrimp," said Dr. Peter Coutteau, Nutriad business unit director for aquaculture.
The customer event featured product and trial updates presented by Nutriad's product managers on aquaculture health and nutrition. Invited speaker Dr. Kathy Tang from the Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory of the University of Arizona, USA, gave an update on emerging shrimp diseases in Asia including acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) and white feces syndrome (WFS).
At the scientific conference, Nutriad gave two presentations. Alexander van Halteren, business development manager for aquaculture nutrition, talked on "Cost-efficient replacement of essential Lipids (Cholesterol, n-3 Hufa and Phospholipids) in practical grow-out diets for white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) using different sources of purified bile salts". Maria Mercè Isern Subich, DVM, business development manager for aquaculture health, lectured on "The effect of a gut health modulator on productivity and profitability of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in cage farming".
…Hosts global sales conference…
Nutriad hosted its global sales conference in Rome on May 9-13. Commercial and technical staff from all over the world joined a line-up of speakers and trainers to exchange experiences and learn new insights on providing solutions for animal health and nutrition.
Citing the theme of the conference ("Accelerating Growth Together"), Nutriad CEO Erik Visser said, "Embracing the different cultural and professional backgrounds of all attendees towards one united approach will see us reaching an increased performance level in all areas we operate in".
During a two-day training session, participants practiced the art of presenting themselves and the company they represent. Said facilitator Heino Hovingh: "We believe that selling is a profession, selling is a skill and a process you can learn. We share best practice methods and techniques that help teams perform better."
Visser said at the closing of the event: "I truly believe that Nutriad can only be successful when our employees are happy and proud to work with us. This week saw amazing energy and enthusiasm from all present and I am convinced that the learning and sharing that took place in Rome will have a lasting impact".
Nutriad delivers products and services to over 80 countries through a network of own sales offices and distributors. It is upported by four application laboratories and five manufacturing facilities in three continents.
…Holds shrimp seminar in Honduras
Nutriad, together with its distributor Disatyr, hosted a seminar for shrimp farmers in Honduras on April 21. The seminar addressed the effects of external and internal factors on shrimp culture.
At the event, Dr. Jose Luis Laparra (pictured, left) director of Nutriad Mexico, presented "Mycotoxins, a hidden threat in aquafeeds". Gilberto Hernandez, Nutriad's aquaculture manager for North and Central America, talked about "Gut health improvement, key tool in shrimp production."
Dr. Laparra stated: "It is important for aquaculture producers to better understand risks associated with mycotoxins and how it can be managed. We notice recently that aquafeeds contain increasing levels of vegetable ingredients that may contain mycotoxins capable of triggering diseases in aquatic animals."
Negative effects on shrimp metabolism and immune response, and the consequences in the main production parameters like survival and growth, were discussed. Attendants showed great interest in learning about strategies to neutralise mycotoxins in aquafeeds that could help to restore hepatic cells and function.Hernandez (pictured, left) focused on the actual disease problems that shrimp producers face around the world, including the new bacterial disease acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) caused by specific strains of vibrio parahaemolyticus.
AHPND has disrupted production in Mexico and most Asian countries since 2012.
"Particularly in the case of bacterial diseases, it is important to implement prevention strategies with approaches to improve the gut health of the shrimp using natural solutions," Hernandez said. "Natural products with antimicrobial and quorum sensing mechanisms can combat Vibriosis and co-infections by opportunistic bacteria. This will reduce the impact of diseases on productivity and yield. Proper gut health management is key to disease prevention in shrimp culture."
SHUE CHUNG CHAN
Thai Union appoints new head of group for human resource
Seafood giant Thai Union Group has appointed Shue Chung Chan as head of group, human resource (HR). He will report directly to Thiraphong Chansiri, president and CEO of the Group.
Thiraphong said: "The appointment of Mr Chan to Head of Group HR reflects our focus on human resources as a core growth pillar for Thai Union. Mr Chan will oversee TU's global HR strategies and will be responsible for over 46,000 employees in four different continents around the globe. With his long experience and expertise in the industry, I am certain that Mr Chan will positively contribute to Thai Union's overall business growth".
A year after he graduated from college, Chan joined Thai Union in 1996 to oversee production and operations including engineering, quality control, logistics and other matters.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in construction engineering management from Oregon State University, USA. In 2002, he completed his MBA at Bangkok University and directors' certification programme organised by the Thai Institute of Directors Association.
Chan will retain both the position of executive director at Thai Union, overseeing factory operations strategies and acting managing director at Thai Union Graphics Co., Ltd.
