CORPORATE NEWS
FISH FEED ADDITIVE MAKER MAKING GROUND
Nutriad makes presence known at AquaExpo Ecuador…
Shrimp and fish feed additive producer Nutriad participated in the International AquaExpo 2018 in Guayaquil (Ecuador) organised by the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) last Oct. 15-18. The AquaExpo has become a reference in the shrimp industry in the Americas and receives increasing global attention, due to the importance of Ecuador in the global shrimp production.
The shrimp sector employs around 200,000 people directly and indirectly in Ecuador. In 2017, the country produced and exported more than 400,000 tonnes of shrimp, and the industry is expected to grow 4-5% in this year.
This year's event attracted more than 750 attendants, mostly from South America. Others were from Europe and Asia. Thirty-one International speakers presented different topics on nutrition, health, genetics, diseases, biosecurity, and management practices oriented to the farming of white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.
In Ecuador Nutriad, which is based in Belgium, is working with BIOBAC, which distributes its aquaculture specialties. Aqua team supported the BIOBAC booth with focused on programmes for aquaculture additives supporting the prevention of shrimp diseases (SANACORE® GM, BACTINIL® AQUA) and species-specific digestive/metabolic enhancers to reduce feed cost and improve performance in shrimp (AQUAGEST®, LIPOGEST®).
Peter Coutteau, business unit director, Aquaculture Nutriad, said, "Nutriad has been working with producers in South America in general and in Ecuador for many years. Our philosophy of sharing insights and working together with local professionals has helped us establish a leading position in the aquaculture markets."
Nutriad team at the BIOBAC booth, from left: Bruno Urach (Sales Manager Aquaculture South America),
Gilberto Hernandez (Sales Manager North & Central America), Peter Coutteau (Business Unit Director Aquaculture) and a supporter.
… invests in Aquaculture Team India
Meanwhile, the multinational company, which is a pioneer in species specific health and nutrition solutions for aquaculture producers, announced the appointment of Goud Dhanunjaya as regional sales manager aquaculture for the Indian sub-continent (ISC). Nutriad said the move is part of its continuous strategic expansion into the rapidly developing aquaculture market, aiming to have experienced local staff in key markets.
Goud has a Master of Fisheries Science (Aquaculture) degree from the College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, India, and 15 years of hands-on experience in aquaculture sales and technical support to shrimp farms, shrimp hatcheries, aqua feed manufacturers and fish growers in Asia.
The ISC has shown tremendous growth in aquaculture during the past decade, with Indian shrimp production booming from around 100,000 tonnes in 2010 to over an estimated 800,000 tonnes this year, and Bangladesh dramatically increasing its volume of farmed freshwater fish such as catfish, carp and tilapia. As a result, India is expected to become the No.1 producer of shrimp, surpassing China, in 2019.
Erik Visser, Nutriad CEO commented: "The fast expansion of aquaculture is driving the need to solve a number of limiting factors for the industry, including the reduced availability of local fish oil and fishmeal and the increasing impact of diseases on productivity. Now that the integration of Nutriad and Adisseo is well advanced, we can offer the combined product portfolio of both our companies as well as the service of local support teams, to build value adding species specific solutions for our customers".
BY 2ND QUARTER OF 2019
Skretting set to shut down UK salmon feed mill
Leading aquafeed firm Skretting announced earlier this month\ that it has started a process of consultation with employees on plans to cease production in the UK by the end of April 2019.
This move, according to the Norwegian company, is aimed at reducing the overcapacity in the highly competitive salmon feed market, and better utilise the company's existing production facilities in Europe. It said it had no plans to stop production in other markets and that it will continue to pursue its growth strategy.
"Unfortunately, we are experiencing unsustainable market conditions in the UK. With a new large feed plant becoming operational in Scotland early 2019, the total feed capacity in the region is expected to exceed the total market by more than 50%. This is driving down prices, leading to an unsustainable commercial environment", explained Therese Log Bergjord, CEO Skretting.
"We have therefore made the decision to start consulting with our employees on a proposal to cease feed production in the UK", she added.
She said that under the plan, all locations including two production sites will close down, and around 100 employees may become redundant.
Skretting, the aquaculture arm of Nutreco, operates in 19 countries where it manufactures and delivers feeds from hatching to harvest for more than 60 species. Its total annual production volume of feed is more than 2 million tonnes.
TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
Thai Union leads launching of SeaChange IGNITE
Thai Union Group PCL, Chicken of the Sea® brand and Monterey Bay Aquarium announced recently the launch of SeaChange® IGNITE, a collaboration to advance new sustainability initiatives and improvements throughout the supply chain, and further contribute to Thai Union's SeaChange® sustainability strategy.
The collaboration represents a major private sector commitment to engage industry and governments to advance sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, Thai Union said in a news release.
The combined financial commitment for the initiative is US$73 million through 2025, with a focus on improvements in Southeast Asia and other key seafood producing regions.
SeaChange® IGNITE will also work with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to engage governments, industry and stakeholders to advance comprehensive approaches for sustainable development.
The collaboration was announced at the fifth Our Ocean Conference held in Bali, Indonesia, by Thai Union's global director for sustainable development, Dr. Darian McBain, Visiting Distinguished Statesmen at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Former US Secretary of State John Kerry, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard.
"Thai Union is very excited to work with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Monterey Bay Aquarium on this important new sustainability initiative - this is a great example of how collaboration among key stakeholders can effectively address the sustainable development challenges in modern supply chains," said Dr. McBain.
"Thai Union positions sustainability at the heart of our business, and SeaChange® IGNITE represents the next step toward further ensuring the food on consumers' plates meets the highest quality and sustainability standards."
Delivering sustainable products
SeaChange® IGNITE aims to vertically integrate improvements throughout the supply chain while delivering sustainable products to the North American market. SeaChange® IGNITE will support advances necessary for sustainability, including direct economic incentives to producers, improvement projects and engagement throughout the supply chain.
The collaboration will focus initially on blue swimming crab and farmed shrimp, and address key challenges, such as data collection, market development, livelihoods and verified sustainability improvements toward Seafood Watch "Good Alternative" and "Best Choice" ratings. This will hopefully provide new opportunities to supply sustainable products to the North American market.
The collaboration also brings Thai Union 's Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods and Chicken of the Sea International together with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch programme, an expert on science-based sustainability ratings and advice to guide improvement strategies.
In addition, SeaChange® IGNITE will engage governments, industry and other stakeholders through the Southeast Asia Fisheries and Aquaculture Initiative and other forums to enhance new, comprehensive approaches for sustainable development.
"For nearly 20 years, Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to move global seafood production in a more sustainable direction," said Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard. "This commitment is an important first step in accelerating sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture in Southeast Asia and will serve as a model for engagement for NGOs, governments and seafood producers."
In 2017, Secretary Kerry launched the Southeast Asia Fisheries and Aquaculture Initiative, a partnership between the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Monterey Bay Aquarium to advance sustainable development in the region. In March, the initiative convened major private sector leaders at the North America Seafood Expo and encouraged new collaborations to address key sustainability challenges in Southeast Asia.
TO BOOST DEV'T OF SALMON INDUSTRY
Grieg Seafood inks strategic partnership with AquaGen
Seafood company Grieg Seafood has entered into a long-term strategic collaboration agreement with the breeding company AquaGen. Grieg Seafood Rogaland will produce broodstock and eggs of AquaGen strain at its own facilities in Erfjord, Norway. The agreement also includes egg deliveries from AquaGen to the company's production facilities in Rogaland, Finnmark and Shetland.
Grieg Seafood CEO Andreas Kvame said AquaGen's advanced methodology in the selection of salmon with good growth properties and high disease resistance matches Grieg Seafood's focus on increased survival and improved growth that would enable the company to produce 100,000 tonnes by 2020.
Grieg Seafood and AquaGen as partners see the further development of the salmon industry including profitable growth, environmental sustainability and digitization of the industry. They both believe in broodstock production in sea water cages as a means to achieving strong selection pressures for growth and survival under the most relevant environmental conditions.
The companies also share a common interest in making greater use of production data to better understand salmon biology and use this knowledge to further develop the production processes. "We are looking forward to working closely with a future-looking producer like Grieg Seafood," said Nina Santi, CEO of AquaGen.
