The Aquaculture Communications Group (ACG) in collaboration with our Chilean partners, Rodrigo Infante Varas (Synergya EIRL) and Soledad Francke A. (Business Tour Chile), will be leading an investment mission/tour to Aqua Sur 2010. If you have not looked at Chile as an investment opportunity or a place to expand your business interests, then think again. But you have to act fast; the closing date to register for the mission is September 15th.

The Chilean aquaculture industry is ready for business development and we have identified several areas looking for investors/partners. If any of the specific areas or related services listed below is part of your business development, you can’t miss this opportunity – Read the rest of this entry »

MABIT, an industrial R&D program for Northern Norway, has awarded financial support for a cooperative project between Biorigin Scandinavia and the Bodø University College (BUC). The project will study the effect of immune-stimulating feed additives to combat salmon lice. The project is scheduled to be completed by mid 2011. The awarded funds will be used to further document that it is possible to modulate the salmon’s natural immune defense system against lice through the use of feed ingredients from baker’s yeast as well as describe the mechanisms behind the effect.

The reason for Biorigin’s and BUC’s joint application is the growing problem related to salmon lice. Salmon lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, has always been present in wild salmon. However, as the salmon farming industry has grown significantly during the last 10-15 years, the number of potential hosts for lice has multiplied equally as fast. As a consequence, the lice population has become significantly larger, and in some regions also impacts wild stocks. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pacific Aqua­cul­ture Cau­cus is orga­niz­ing the first-ever U.S. work­shop to explore Inte­grated Multi-Trophic Aqua­cul­ture on Septem­ber 14–15, 2010, at Penin­sula Col­lege in Port Ange­les, Wash­ing­ton. Also known as IMTA, this evolv­ing approach to seafood pro­duc­tion empha­sizes an ecosys­tem man­age­ment approach where ‘fed’ species, such as fin­fish or shrimp, are farmed in close prox­im­ity to species that can ‘extract’ nutri­ents from the water col­umn, such as shell­fish and sea­weed. The work­shop will high­light find­ings from IMTA pilot projects in Kyuquot Sound, on the West Coast of Van­cou­ver Island, B.C.; Hood Canal, Wash­ing­ton; San Anto­nio, Texas; and Sang­gou Bay, China. The goal of the work­shop is an improved under­stand­ing of IMTA by U.S. aqua­cul­tur­ists, aca­d­e­mics, researchers, and envi­ron­men­tal orga­ni­za­tions. The work­shop is lim­ited to the first 150 reg­is­trants. The fee for the work­shop is $25.

For more infor­ma­tion and reg­is­tra­tion: http://www.pacaqua.org/PacAqua_News/2010/08/imta-workshop-registration

Please see letter from Poirier & Associates Inc., Trustees in Bankruptcy, of Saint John, New Brunswick regarding the receivership of Supreme Sturgeon & Caviar Ltd.  Here is an opportunity for anyone interested in purchasing this business and turning it around.

The trustees are seeking expressions of interest for the purchase of the operation in New Brunswick, Canada.  There is a short time-frame regarding any potential purchase.  All the details are in the attachment for those who may be interested.

The Organizers, Dr. Benny Ron and Dr. Kevin Hopkins, The University of Hawaii invite you to attend three events in Hilo, Hawai’i:

Hawai’i Aquaculture & Aquaponics Association (HAAA 2010) – August 16, 2010 – Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Hilo, Hawai’i, USA Details

Aquaponics Exploration Tour (AET) – Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Hilo, Hawai’i – August 16, 2010 Details

International Workshop on Aquaponics & Tilapia (IWAT) – Hilo Hawaiian Hotel & Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center (PACRC), August 17-19, 2010 – Hilo, Hawai’i Details  Read the rest of this entry »

“With earth’s burgeoning human population to feed we must turn to the sea with understanding and new technology. We need to farm it as we farm the land.”–Jacques Cousteau

What is the state of technology for open ocean fish farming? How are U.S. policies and programs helping or hindering the inevitable movement toward sustainable aquaculture in the open ocean? These and a host of other questions are addressed in the May/June issue of the Marine Technology Society Journal, Vol. 44, No. 3.

Edited by John S. Corbin, President of Aquaculture Planning and Advocacy LLC and former Manager of the Hawaii Aquaculture Development Program, this timely issue gives historical perspective, describes the current state of affairs, and unveils the technologies of the future. Here are brief overviews of the peer-reviewed papers: Read the rest of this entry »

After researching a wide array of cage netting to farm their tilapia in, Trapia Malaysia Sdn Bhd selected the Aquagrid® Containment System because it met and exceeded their operational objectives for net strength and resistance to bio-fouling.

Headquartered in Ipoh in the State of Perak, Malaysia, their eco-friendly farm operates in the pristine rainforest-fed, freshwater lakes of Tasik Temenggor of the Perak River system. Trapia’s management sought to protect this unique grow out environment by searching for a cage system that would keep their tilapia in and the predators out while ensuring profitability and minimizing environmental impacts. Tilapia have the annoying habit of grazing on cage netting, damaging the fibres of traditional netting but the Aquagrid® coating prevents this from happening. Read the rest of this entry »

Maersk Line has given AQUALIFE A/S an important breakthrough with the new Halifax Rotterdam container corridor. The shipping company is supplying the eastern Canadian port of Halifax with a direct connection to Europe.

The connection will provide AQUALIFE with the most efficient transportation of live Canadian lobsters to Europe. The export of the lobsters between North America and Europe is worth approx 1,3 billion DKK (USD 215,380,000) yearly, whereas the freight proceeds account for about 180 M DKK (USD 29,830,000) – today the entire Canadian lobster export volume is transported by air freight. Read the rest of this entry »

Aqua Sur 2010, October 20-23, 2010, Puerto Montt, Chile

The Aquaculture Communications Group (ACG) is currently planning an Aquaculture Investment Mission/Tour in conjunction with Aqua Sur 2010 in October. Here is your opportunity to experience the premiere Chilean aquaculture industry event, with about 300+ stands representing more than 900 companies from over 40 countries looking to do business in Chile.

The Aqua Sur fair organizers have selected a new site for the 6^th edition of this popular trade show and conference; an exhibition ground located on Route 5, which is located 5 km to the north of Puerto Montt. Aqua Sur’s new home is a 55,000 sq. meter site, which can be easily accessed from either Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas. Read the rest of this entry »

AquaVision speaker Robert Kirschbaum of the Dutch company DSM is this year’s recipient of the Giulio Natta award for his innovation methods. Next week he will present these methods at AquaVision in Stavanger, Norway.

The Guilio Natta award is a tribute of the Italian Nobel Prize Winner Giulio Natta, the chemist that invented polypropylene and thus provided a key foundation for today’s plastic industry. This year’s award was given to AquaVision speaker Robert Kirschbaum, who is Vice President Open Innovation in DSM, and an internationally leading name in innovative management. Read the rest of this entry »

Co-Sponsored by National Algae Association and BARD HOLDING 
June 17, 2010, BARD Holding, 1 Ben Fairless Drive, Fairless Hills, PA 19030 

National Algae Association and BARD Holdings are pleased to announce that Bucks County Commissioner and Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, Will Thurmond of Emerging Markets Online, Bob Vitale of Waterwheel Factory and Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority Director Vijay Rajput will all be on the agenda for the June 17, 2010 Workshop at BARD Holdings’ facility in Fairless Hills, PA. Read the rest of this entry »

The Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program has been successfully benchmarked against Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) food safety requirements.
 
Seafood-processing plants can now achieve both BAP certification and GFSI compliance through a single audit process.
 
“Achieving this prestigious GFSI benchmarking is an important milestone for the BAP program that will assure global markets that seafood from BAP-certified facilities meets the highest standards for food safety,” GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens said. “It also will make it easier for plants to meet the demands of seafood retailers, distributors and marketers that require GFSI.” Read the rest of this entry »

Announcing  the CSIRO Cutting Edge Symposium as part of the 19th International Symposium on Plant Lipids (http://www.ispl2010.org/):

Plant Lipid Biomaterials for the Renewable Resource Economy

Cairns, Australia, July 11-13

See the Plant Lipid Biomaterials for the Renewable Resource Economy web site

This meeting comes at a time when the world is faced with significant challenges.  Over the coming decades, global population is set to increase by almost 50%.  As well as greatly increasing the demand for food and raising significant issues around food and nutritional security, this population increase will bring major challenges for sustainable supply of the energy and industrial materials that underlie our current economies and lifestyles.  Long-term provision of these from traditional petroleum resources is unsustainable in view of their ultimate finite availability and the rising atmospheric CO₂ levels associated with their utilisation.  We must increasingly switch to renewable resource and energy systems.  Read the rest of this entry »

New publications from FAO GLOBEFISH series are now available:

GRP Vol. 98 The Seafood Market in Greece

This book summarizes the Seafood Market in Greece, including the importance of the Greek Industry as producers of seabass and seabream.

Price €35

GRP Vol. 99 Viet Nam – Seafood from Waterland

Viet Nam’s rise to the top of the global seafood industry is described and analysed. The principal fishery products are examined and their potential discussed. The emphasis is on how Viet Nam can make this industry sustainable, maximize its processing potential and improve the conditions of the fishermen. Read the rest of this entry »

The new bi-monthly industry newspaper for USA, Canada and Mexico.

Aquaculture North America is a new bi-monthly industry newspaper for USA, Canada and Mexico. Bursting with information on new products, fish farm profiles, technical tips and timely news it brings a broad, colorful new look and fresh perspective to the evolving fish farming sector in North America. 

For subscription information go to http://www.aquaculturenorthamerica.com/

Pfizer Animal Health has acquired Microtek International, Inc., a recognized innovator in aquaculture vaccines, R&D and healthcare diagnostic services. The acquisition further expands Pfizer’s commitment to a safe food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry and, now, fish.

Total global fish production – largely for human consumption – now exceeds that of pork, poultry, beef or dairy. Farmed fish production is becoming increasingly important in meeting global demand and is anticipated to account for 55% of total fish production by 2017, according to industry sources. Read the rest of this entry »

FishHabitatNexus.com is an impartial, objective platform for information exchange to support the evolution of predictable, effective decision‐making on development projects.

The intent of FishHabitatNexus.com is to:

• Facilitate development activities in a manner that conserves, protects and enhances the capacity of habitats to produce fish.
• Grow the marketplace for fish habitat management solutions through services, products and science. Read the rest of this entry »

We came across this interesting article by CHRISTINA AANESTAD published in The Ukiah Daily Journal.

Ukiah High School’s Agriculture Department is advancing local food production with a new fish farm on campus. The Ukiah High Aquaponics Project is designed to be 100 percent sustainable, according to the project’s designer and aquaponic expert Max Meyers.

“The idea is to create a system that benefits students with an educational model and a demonstration model, showing that food can be raised here in Ukiah, locally and sustainably year round,” said Meyers, who has studied sustainable food systems in seven countries over the past 12 years. Read the rest of this entry »

“Addressing the Water and Nutrition Challenges”

October 19-21, 2010 – McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Food Security, Water Scarcity, and Nutrition

One-fifth of the world’s population, more than 1.6 billion people, live in areas of water scarcity, where human capacity and financial resources are insufficient to access adequate clean water and water supply for food production. Agriculture and food production account for 70% of fresh water withdrawals; in many countries, irrigation has been able to help achieve food security or at least meet a significant portion of food demands. Read the rest of this entry »

Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) today announced the launch of its completely redesigned website. The website redesign and development was undertaken by The Aquaculture Communications Group (ACG), led by Dave Conley and Tor-Eddie Fossbakk, who voluntarily contributed their time and expertise to bring this project to completion.

“I cannot thank you both enough for your work on this project – it must have taken very many hours and we all owe you an enormous THANK YOU,” said AwF Founder and Director, Michael New. “Looking at the layout and ideas you have inserted is the fulfillment of a kind of dream for me.” Read the rest of this entry »

Norway is Europe’s most diversified maritime nation and commands worldwide respect for its shipping expertise, equipment and ability to exploit new market niches. Norway’s overall maritime economy – an expanding cluster of industries linked to shipping and the aquaculture industry – encompasses an increasingly wide variety of products and services.

Read the rest of this entry »

I recently came across a discussion taking place on the blog ‘the GoodEater Collaborative’ and was impressed to see the articulate contributions by people in support of aquaculture. Rising above the usual level of commentary in the discussions about fish farming, and salmon and shrimp farming in particular, I was encouraged to make some contributions from my experience.

To view the blog and the comments submitted to date, please visit We Are a Country Addicted to Farmed Fish, Like It or Not.

International Seafood and Health Conference, 7-10 November 2010. “Creating a Paradigm Shift”

“The Wonders and Opportunities of our Oceans” Exhibition, 6-19 November 2010

Conference update: Keynote speakers appointed

Professor Michael Crawford.  Director, Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition. Consultant for WHO, FAO. Millennium Danone Chair at the University of Gent, Chair at the Albert Schweitzer International University in Geneva. Member of the DoH Committee on Borderline Substances.

Prof. Dr. med. Clemens von Schacky. Member, prevention panel, German Cardiac Society (generating pertinent guidelines) Fellow, American Heart Association / Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Council; Fellow, European Society for Cardiology; European Cardiologist; Member, Board of Directors ISSFAL.  Read the rest of this entry »

The ‘Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany’ will be holding its 2010 conference at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, 15-18 November. Details are available at the ASPAB website (http://www.aspab.org) , click on ‘ASPAB Conference 2010’.

Rottnest Island is, as most of you know, important phycologically as the locality of many of W.H.Harvey’s 1850s collections that ultimately led to his ‘Phycologia Australica’. During the conference there will be plenty of opportunities to visit Harvey’s sites and view the algae essentially as he would have done over 150 years ago. Or take the plunge and snorkel or SCUBA for an even better view! The island is also an ideal location for a holiday, with plenty of water- and land-based activities for travel companions. We can guarantee that you will not be disappointed! Read the rest of this entry »

On behalf of the organizing committee and NIOF, I cordially invite you to participate to the International conference on Aquatic Resources Preservation, Protection and Development The committee believes that your contributions will greatly contribute to the success of the conference.

The goal of the Conference is to get deeper insight into problems and opportunities related to the aquatic resources through Preservation, Protection and Development, on the basis of presentation of the present status that would identify the gaps in the current observing and forecasting capacity and plan the next steps towards efficient marine resources management. The scope of the conference would be achieved through a series of specific scientific sessions of oral and poster presentations side by side of workshops on selected topics : Read the rest of this entry »

The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) is currently working on a review of opportunities for the co-production of energy and other products from algae.

We are preparing a report which looks into breaking the economic barrier by co-producing energy and higher value products from algae, with a focus on applicability in developing countries.

In this context, we are performing brief case-studies on existing algae-related projects. We would like to ask for your collaboration to showcase the achievements of your algae project(s), to be published in the second quarter of 2010 and made publicly available online. No information will be used for commercial purposes. Read the rest of this entry »

The Global Aquaculture Alliance has gone electronic with its bi-monthly magazine, the Global Aquaculture Advocate.

Click to read the new May/June Global Aquaculture Advocate! Flip through the online pages or link directly to articles from the Contents pull-down, the first icon on the left side of the online magazine pages. Find advertisers fast, too.

You can also download the complete magazine as a single file in PDF format. Either way, you get the latest from the Global Aquaculture Alliance first — and it’s free. To receive further notices, be sure you are subscribed to the GAA Update e-newsletter. Read the rest of this entry »

We recently received this request and are passing it along to our network.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are contacting you in relation to a new EC funded project called Vocational Aqualabs, which aims to identify the key generic skills which are required by aquaculture researchers. New knowledge is essential to the future sustainability of the sector and thus highly skilled researchers are a crucial component. Read the rest of this entry »

A new publication from FAO GLOBEFISH series is now available - Private standards in fisheries and aquaculture: Current practice and emerging issues.

Globalization of fish supply chains means that a significant amount of fish and seafood is now caught in one part of the world, transported to another for processing and finally consumed in yet another country. Food safety systems that function across national borders are therefore vital. This paper sketches current practice in the application of private standards for food safety and quality in fisheries and aquaculture. It examines the relationship between private standards and public frameworks for food safety, and their impacts on international trade and concludes that as private standards become increasingly important in global food safety governance and in international trade in fish and seafood products, international action will be required to ensure further harmonization and mutual recognition between various public regulatory frameworks and between public and private standards.

For more information and for ordering the book please follow this link.

UK-based DIOBAS Ltd has announced progress for its OUROBORUS™ freshwater rearing system, a self contained re-circulating system for rearing saltwater species in freshwater, inland and any distance from the sea. Coupled with their patent applied for Ciren® EMF technology and vegetable based feed, the company said they are not surprised that the Far East and its insatiable consumer demand for quality fish have been the first to install their system.

Since going public in September 2009 with the results of their new technology, that can be applied to both marine and freshwater species, events have progressed so rapidly that the company says they are struggling to cope with demand. Further research is increasing the number of species that can be successfully reared in this system, which now includes Soon Hock, Arowana, Turbot, Bluefin Tuna and Giant Grouper. Research has also grown to include shellfish with promising results; growth rates have been increased for both lobster and crayfish. Read the rest of this entry »

The FAO Aquaculture Service calls for contributions to the development of a worldwide overview and databank of Codes of Practice (COPs), Codes of Conduct, Best (Better) Management Practices (BMPs), Technical Guidelines, etc. in aquaculture.

We would like to invite all those interested in the promotion of sustainable aquaculture development to advise FAO of the existence of COP/BMP documents in their countries or regions. In particular, all aquaculture producer associations and farmer organizations are encouraged to send to FAO their Codes of Practice, Codes of Conduct, Best (Better) Management Practices, Technical Guidelines, etc. COPs/BMPs in aquaculture, as available with national and international organizations, would also be important and should also be contributed. These documents could be sent to FAO in hard copy format or electronic format, or, if available online, by informing FAO of the relevant website, internet link or URL.  Read the rest of this entry »

An exciting new online Certificate Program has been launched, giving business leaders the tools they need to incorporate ‘marine sustainability practices’ into their business processes.   This program is a partnership between the University of Fredericton and the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

This Certificate Program, aimed at executives and professionals in marine-related fields, is entitled Leadership for Marine Sustainability.

Read the rest of this entry »

The stories in this book reflect the unique nature of Asian aquaculture, providing first-time insight into how and why it has become so successful.

The book demonstrates how the resiliency, adaptability, and innovation of small-scale aquaculture farmers have been crucial to this success. It places aquaculture development in Asia into a wider global context, and describes its relationship to natural systems, social conditions, and economics.

Case studies include striped catfish culture in Vietnam, shrimp farming in Thailand, rice-fish culture in China, genetic improvement of tilapia and many more >> Free download

On March 3, during Aquaculture 2010 in San Diego, more than 50 people sat down for a simple meal of fish, rice, bread, a vegetable and water during an event called “An Evening for the World’s Poor”.

Introduced by Michael New (the Founder of Aquaculture without Frontiers – AwF), AwF Co-Chairs Barry Costa-Pierce and M.C. Nandeesha spoke about the goals and impact of the work of this NGO in teaching rural poor in developing countries to grow fish in small-scale aquaculture for family food and income. This introduction was followed by video clips from three of AwF’s projects – AwF-Bishramganj (Tripura, India), AwF-Toleo Foundation (Sunderbans, India) and AwF-Nepal – and statements of support from representatives of some of the major sponsors.  Read the rest of this entry »

Agriculture/Aquaculture 2.0 is less than a month away, and the response has been astounding.  Already, we have over 200 confirmed attendees and each one represents an opportunity to connect with someone who will impact the future of sustainable agriculture in a big way.

There is good reason firms like Kleiner Perkins, Khosla, Black River, Foundation Capital, Venrock, Mohr Davidow, RockPort, RedPoint, Flagship and Slow Money are sending delegates:  because agriculture is the next cleantech.  Industry professionals from  companies as varied as Dow Chemical, the USDA and Food Alliance will be there for the same reason: this one-day event is where the conversations about sustainable agriculture investment will take place. Read the rest of this entry »

Seeley’s Cove Research Centre introduces the AquaCannon Aeration System; an innovative concept in oxygen transfer and delivery that permits large volumes of water to be enriched with one pass through the unit, (25,000 GPM actual) with a proven minimum gain of 2.5mg/l over an area of 27 acre ft within 15 minutes and maintains it during digestion. Site dependent — a gain of 3mg/l + can be maintained. This unit features an inventive underwater cannon that shoots an oxygen-enriched water mixture to typical depths of 15m and distances of 100 to 200m, once the primary and entrained flows are considered. Read the rest of this entry »

A Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture, a new publication from the Eurofish Factory Guides series, is now available. The guide is an introduction to the new environmentally friendly and highly productive closed fish farming systems. Key topics covered are: components of a recirculation system, fish species in recirculation, project planning and implementation, running the system, waste water treatment, fish disease and case story examples. Read the rest of this entry »

Giant Prawn 2011 (GP2011) is a component of Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2011 (APA2011), which will be held in Kochi, Kerala, India. GP2011 will be a landmark opportunity to review the status of freshwater prawn farming worldwide and discuss the future of this $2 billion/year industry. The dates of GP2011 are 17-20 January 2011. In addition, field trips to freshwater prawn farming sites are being planned for 21 and 22 January 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Cryogenetics AS of Norway has collaborated with TRI-GEN Fish Improvement Ltd. of Agassiz, BC, Canada to establish an innovative cryopreservation protocol for Coho salmon milt. During a two-step trial experiment in the fall of 2009, milt from 25 males was cryopreserved using the Cryogenetics method and compared to existing/public methods. A total of 20,000 eggs where fertilized and incubated to provide significant numbers for the tests. The Cryogenetics method provided a 94% average success rate, which is by far the best known results obtained by using cryopreserved Coho milt to fertilize eggs. Read the rest of this entry »

The Norwegian company Cryogenetics AS has made a significant breakthrough by inventing a method for cryopreservation of fish embryos down to -130° C (-202° F). This is a major achievement as the world’s scientific community has pursued a method for cryopreservation of fish embryos over several decades without success.

The Cryogenetics AS scientific team, lead by Dr. Elisabeth Kommisrud, has over the past two years systematically approached the task of establishing protocols for cryopreservation of fish embryos. An Atlantic cod embryo was cryopreserved, thawed and developed normally before hatching. The fish was named «Coddy». Trials were repeated, optimized and patent applications were filed to protect the invention. Read the rest of this entry »

The December 2009 issue of EUROFISH Magazine marks the launch of a new e-magazine that will allow readers to access information via computer, mobile phone, or personal digital assistant. The new electronic distribution model will increase the range and depth of penetration by up to 15 000 readers per issue, as well as create an online archive to benefit advertisers, subscribers and partners, as well as casual readers.

This move acknowledges the Internet as the preferred medium for delivery and receipt of news and information. It also represents our intention to use the power and the flexibility offered by the Internet to improve our services for our subscribers, advertisers, and readers. Read the rest of this entry »

Norwegian Lobster Farm (NLF), a Stavanger-based company with headquarters in Kvitsøy, has developed the technology and methodology to produce juvenile and market-sized lobsters in land-based farms using a patented process. As a result, NLF is now a leader in the development of land-based lobster farming, both in Norway and the world.

NLF’s unique technology, based on the recirculation of heated seawater (ca. 20 degrees C), enables full utilization of the water volume in 3 dimensions and facilitates the tracking of individuals throughout the entire production cycle. Being land based, it avoids problems such as escapes, pollution, and negative impacts on and from the environment. The company produces high-quality lobster using environmentally friendly farming methods focused on animal welfare and health from egg to harvest. Read the rest of this entry »

Aquaculture sites are vulnerable to oil spills, and the most vulnerable are coastal ocean sites where waves and currents quickly disrupt clean-up attempts.

Extreme Spill Technology (EST) is developing specialized vessels and proprietary equipment designed to recover oil spilled in all waters, with particular focus on extremely difficult challenges like rough seas and waters choked with heavy ice such as the Arctic Ocean, Northwest Passage, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Labrador Sea. EST is currently working with strategic partners in Canada, Norway and China. Read the rest of this entry »

Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) today launched its online appeal to solicit donations from the global aquaculture industry and interested public to support its objective of alleviating poverty by improving livelihoods in developing countries. AwF has created an online secure donor page at its website where companies and individuals can make donations using their credit card.

“We are asking members of the aquaculture community to host our ‘Donate Now’ logo link on their corporate websites to help us promote our appeal and reach as many potential donors as possible,” said AwF Founder, Michael New, OBE.

Read the rest of this entry »

AgriMarine Holdings Inc. announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (the “Memorandum”) with the People’s Government of Siping City and Tiedong District, Jilin Province, China (“Siping”), for the development of salmon rearing operations and associated feed supply and processing industries utilizing AgriMarine’s solid wall closed containment technology and operations expertise.

Under the terms of the Memorandum, AgriMarine will investigate potential site locations in flood control and power reservoirs in the District of Tiedong for the purpose of developing closed containment salmon rearing operations and infrastructure facilities including feed mills and processing plants in the City of Siping. AgriMarine will conduct environmental suitability studies and develop a business planning report. Read the rest of this entry »

The economically important, environmentally sensitive Atlantic salmon species will have its genome fully sequenced, thanks to an international collaboration involving researchers, funding agencies and industry from Canada, Chile and Norway.

Genome BC is partnering with the Chilean Economic Development Agency, InnovaChile, Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Research Fund to form the International Cooperation to Sequence the Atlantic Salmon Genome (Cooperation). Read the rest of this entry »

The oceans could become the source of more of humanity’s food if steps are taken to expand and improve marine aquaculture, according to a study published in the December 2009 issue of BioScience.

As the world’s population continues to grow, lack of fresh water and space mean that terrestrial agriculture is unlikely to be able to meet food demand, according to Carlos M. Duarte of the University of the Balearic Islands, Spain, and his seven coauthors. Freshwater aquaculture, which is largely confined to the tropics, is expanding, but its reliance on fresh water may limit long-term growth. Fisheries catches have been declining globally for two decades, and although conservation measures and a shift in consumption patterns could allow some recovery, marine aquaculture holds more potential for sustained growth. Read the rest of this entry »

Location: New York City or San Francisco

NewSeed Advisors is seeking an intern to help plan the upcoming Aquaculture 2.0 conference, the first investor conference for sustainable aquaculture. The conference will be held in Palo Alto, California in March 2010.

The intern will work a flexible 15-20 hours per week and can be located in our offices in NYC or work remotely from the San Francisco area. The work will be a combination of research and administrative, and will help the intern to become familiar with many aspects of fish farming. This internship is unpaid but can qualify for school credit. To apply, please send a brief cover letter and resume to bailey (at) newseedadvisors.com.

Agriculture 2.0™ is the pre-eminent gathering for the entrepreneurs, investors, farmers, and experts working to catalyze -and capitalize on- the transition to a more sustainable agricultural and food system.

Agriculture 2.0 will bring together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, farmers, industry experts, and journalists, all united by the common goal of driving the growth of sustainable agriculture and healthful food systems.

Aquaculture 2.0

A special Aquaculture track, sponsored by Aquacopia, will highlight investment opportunities and the future of fish farming. Read the rest of this entry »

AquaOptima AS, based in Trondheim, Norway, has suffered like everyone else from the global financial crisis. In November 2008, several contract negotiations were stopped and some contracts were cancelled.

Recently, however, the situation has begun to change and the company is now negotiating with potential clients in several countries who wish to utilize AquaOptima’s unique recirculation aquaculture technology. For example, a contract worth NOK 40 million (USD 7.1 million) to supply a RAS eel farm to Portugal was signed in August. The farm is located about 150 km north of Lisbon and the client, FindFresh S.A., is a consortium of Portuguese and Spanish companies involved in the catch and sale of wild eels.  Read the rest of this entry »

Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro has invested $3 million (€2 million) in the Chesapeake Algae Project (ChAP) in Virginia, US.

The College of William and Mary and its Virginia Institute of Marine Science have formed the collaborative research initiative to investigate a promising new technology to produce biofuel from the algae growing naturally in rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Read the rest of this entry »

A new paper published October 27 in PLoS ONE, the online, open-access scientific journal, unveils for the first time a method to accurately distinguish between all eight tuna species from any kind of processed tissue using genetic sequencing.

We at ACG assume that this new development will be useful in identifying tuna from farmed origins and thus promote a more responsibly and sustainably produced tuna.

Tunas are among the most economically valuable and yet the most endangered commercially exploited fish in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

OxyVision (OV) is a Norwegian R&D company focused on serving the aquaculture and the water treatment industries. Their main objective is to develop technology that improves productivity. The company’s goal is to have its technology become an integral part of standard operations in farming oxygen-sensitive fish species and at water treatment plants.

Aquaculture is a young industry that is rapidly changing, growing, and expanding to all parts of parts of the world and technological developments create profitable markets for companies able to meet the industry’s growing demands. Within the intensive aquaculture sector, lack of oxygen is probably the most important limiting factor for efficient production. Thus, oxygen injection has been routine in hatcheries and smolt farms for many years. Read the rest of this entry »

We received this announcement and would like to share it with the aquaculture community because we believe it fills a need for people looking for capital to grow their business. The last conference, held in September 2009, had some aquaculture presentations so we encourage you to consider attending this event in March 2010.

From the press release:

Agriculture 2.0 is the pre-eminent gathering for the entrepreneurs, investors, food producers, and experts working to catalyze -and capitalize on- the transition to a more sustainable agricultural and food system. After an extremely successful inaugural conference in New York City last month, we are delighted to invite you to the next Agriculture 2.0 conference. Read the rest of this entry »

Following our successful Aqua Nor 2009 tour, we (ACG) are offering a number of aquaculture facility site visits and business-to-business (B2B) meetings in conjunction with Aqua Sur 2010, which will take place in Puerto Montt, Chile, on March 24-27, 2010.
 
In collaboration with our industry contacts in Chile, we are in the early stages of putting our tour itinerary together, and despite the current challenges in Chile’s aquaculture industry, there has never been a better time for supply and service providers to prospect for business opportunities in Chile. Read the rest of this entry »

Sea Lice 2010, the 8th International Sea Lice Conference, will be held May 9-12, 2010 in Victoria, BC, Canada.

All researchers and those working with sea lice are invited to submit an abstract for oral or poster presentation.  Sea Lice 2010 is dedicated to maintaining objectivity, having a focus on scientific issues, striving for a consensus view on the status of current sea lice research, and providing recommendations on future research. Submitted abstracts will undergo rigid peer review by a Scientific Review Committee prior to acceptance for the program.  Abstract submission deadline – January 8, 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

Nofima will establish a Centre of Excellence for capture-based aquaculture in Tromsø, Norway.

Capture-based aquaculture, which involves catching fish and transfering them live to sea cages, offers a host of advantages. The fish can be fed and slaughtered when demand dictates, thereby avoiding major seasonal supply variations to customers, as well as increasing the value of the fish. Read the rest of this entry »

Researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, have trained fish to respond to sound.

Just as 19th Century scientist Ivan Pavlov conditioned dogs to associate the sound of a bell with the prospect of food, these black sea bass associate a 280Hz tone emitted from an underwater speaker with food, and respond by gathering in a partitioned “feeding zone”.

Scientific aquaculture programme director Scott Lindell, who is running these experiments, believes that “acoustic ranching” could benefit fish farming.

Read more:  How do you train a fish and Pavlov’s fish

As a part of the XVIIth CIGR World Congress that will be held on June 13-17, 2010, in Quebec City, Canada, CIGR Section II (Farm Buildings, Equipment, Structures and Livestock Environment) is planning technical sessions on the theme of “Aquaculture”. The sessions are aimed at bringing together engineers and scientists to discuss latest achievements and research opportunities. The sessions will focus on onshore aquaculture and precision aqua farming. For full details please visit http://www.bioeng.ca/cigr2010/  Deadline: 20 November 2009

Wild salmon and farmed salmon can now be distinguished from each other by a technique that examines the chemistry of their scales.

Dr Clive Trueman, who is based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton said:

“Salmon farming is a big, intensive business. In 2006, around 130,000 tonnes of salmon were farmed in Scotland for the table. Wild populations of Atlantic salmon are in serious decline across their whole range and the total wild population returning to Scottish rivers in the same year is estimated at less than 5000 tonnes. Wild fish are rare and expensive so there is a strong incentive for fraudulent labelling. Farmed fish also escape into rivers, harming the wild population. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to distinguish between farmed and wild fish” Read the rest of this entry »

A popular web portal featuring aquaculture resources, the Aquaculture Network Information Center or ‘AquaNIC’, recently launched an updated and redesigned site. AquaNIC is funded through the NOAA Sea Grant College Program with support from USDA’s North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. First launched in 1994, AquaNIC is run by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Auburn University’s Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture, and the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program.

Today, October 1, 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agency formerly known as the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) became the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). All authorities administered by CSREES have been transferred to the new institute, which will be led by Dr. Roger N. Beachy. NIFA’s mission is to stimulate and fund the research and technological innovations that will enhance and make U.S. agriculture more productive and environmentally sustainable while ensuring the economic viability of agriculture and production. NIFA was created under the 2008 Farm Bill to strengthen agriculture research (including aquaculture) and to attract additional highly competitive research scientists to related fields. A growing program in competitive research grants will be a hallmark of the new agency.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aquaculture Program has released a new report, “Overcoming Technical Barriers to the Sustainable Development of Competitive Marine Aquaculture in the United States”. The 120-page report is based on the discussions and outcomes of a meeting sponsored by NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in February 2008. Edited by Craig Browdy and John Hargreaves, the report identifies aquaculture technology research needs in the United States with a focus on overcoming technical barriers for environmentally and economically sustainable marine aquaculture. The four technologies addressed in the report are:

• Land-based production of marine shrimp;
• Land-based production of marine finfish;
• Coastal shellfish production; and
• Cage production of marine finfish.

Click here to view or download the 120-page report.

For more information, or to obtain a hard copy, send an e-mail with your street address to Kate.Naughten@noaa.gov.

Paul Dobbins and Tollef Olson of Ocean Approved, a startup aquaculture company in Portland, Maine, have obtained an experimental lease to install a specially designed kelp-growing rig on the ocean floor off of Little Chebeague Island in Casco Bay. The lease is the first granted for the cultivation of seaweed in Maine and the first in all of the United States, say the pair of aquapreneurs.

According to Paul Dobbins, kelp aquaculture is a $7 billion a year industry worldwide, with twenty-eight countries now cultivating it, but not the United States. Strange, given that this aquaculture product is a net benefit to the environment. With zero discharge, no need for any fertilizer, and highly nutritious, Dobins and Olsen see tremendous opportunity for growing vegetables that don’t require freshwater, fertilizer or any arable land. Read the rest of this entry »

A recent press release by the BC Salmon Farmers Association adds further perspective to the debate around the issues arising out of the publication of the paper “Feeding aquaculture in an era of finite resources” by R.L. Naylor et al. in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 8 September 2009. We post it below for our readers.

We’re eating more fish every day. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that by 2030, globally consumption of fish will grow by 70%. The increasing reliance on aquaculture to fill this growing demand is supported by a recent study in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’ which states that one-half of all seafood consumed is now cultured. Read the rest of this entry »

Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen, and State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Rikke Lind,  presented the government’s national strategy for marine bioprospecting on Friday, 11 September, in Tromsø.

“Norway has a long tradition of harvesting the sea and has developed a high level of competence in the marine sector and bioprospecting. Through this new strategy, we are facilitating an exploitation of our marine resources that can provide us with new knowledge and new jobs from the treasure chest of the sea,” said Minister Pedersen. Read the rest of this entry »

Increasing demand for fish feed is not depleting fish stocks, stated the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) against a recent claim that the fish feed industry is harming marine ecosystems. (Please see our previous post on 10 Sep).

In a piece published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stanford University professor Rosamond Naylor claimed that growing demand for fish oil and fishmeal is ravaging fish stocks due to companies harvesting marine resources unsustainably.

More stringent regulations are needed to both reduce the use of fish oil in aquaculture practices and foment sustainable production of the prized product, she said.

GOED Executive Director Adam Ismail condemned the assumption that fish oil-in-feed is unsustainably harvested. He said amounts of fish oil use in feed are not increasing significantly.

For the full article, please click here.

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers published this week in the Sept. 7 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS).

“Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption,” the authors wrote. Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Read the rest of this entry »

Woodhead Publishing Ltd has just released a new book, ”New technologies in aquaculture: Improving production efficiency, quality and environmental management” that may be of interest to our readers. It is edited by Gavin Burnell, University College Cork, Ireland and Geoff Allan, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia.

From the publisher’s webpage announcing the new book is the following:

The book:

• reviews recent advances in improvements in aquaculture production
• focuses on the genetic improvement and reproduction of farmed species,including genome-based technologies
• discusses key health issues, including advances in disease diagnosis, vaccine development and other emerging methods to control pathogens in aquaculture
• examines the design of a range of aquaculture production systems and addresses key environmental issues
• is a standard reference for aquaculture professionals and academics in the field

Read the rest of this entry »

Dave Conley, ACG senior consultant and founding partner, has been invited to give a presentation on aquaculture and food security at the McGill Conference on Global Food Security in Montreal, Canada on October 5th, 2009.

Hosted by McGill University’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the conference will examine the impact of the current economic crisis on the world’s hungry. Read the rest of this entry »

We are back from Trondheim, Norway, and are busy compiling our notes and photos from this year’s edition of Aqua Nor. The weather cooperated most days, providing visitors with a little rain but mostly sunshine and clear skys. Of course, our interest was focused on all the latest developments in aquaculture science and technology (S&T), and there was lots of it! I think we will have enough material to populate this blog for weeks and months to come. Read the rest of this entry »

SLICE® (emamectin benzoate), a leading product for controlling immature and adult stages of sea lice in farm-raised salmon, has received full approval from the Veterinary Drugs Directorate in Canada.

The approval was granted after the parasiticide met all of Health Canada’s requirements for human safety, according to the product’s developer, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. Read the rest of this entry »

Aqua Nor organizers are expecting a large number of international visitors to this year’s event, its 30 year anniversary.

Despite the international financial crisis and difficulties in some parts of the industry, many foreign delegations have indicated their planned participation. Between 400-500 people are expected at the Aquaculture Europe Conference organized by the European Aquaculture Society a few days ahead of the exhibition. Another 100+ delegates will participate in the International Aquaculture Biosecurity Conference, which is being organized for the first time in connection with Aqua Nor. Read the rest of this entry »

Our friends at Strategro International recently upgraded their website – Aquapreneur.com® - to better provide its global readership with an interactive platform for collaboration, networking, and acceleration of commercial developments within the marine biotechnology, marine products and marine ingredients sectors.

What does this have to do with aquaculture? Well, cultivating aquatic animals and plants for food is only one use of these resources. If we look at these same aquatic organisms as renewable resources to provide a diverse array of bioactives, ingredients, and products for novel applications, then aquaculture starts to look a whole lot more interesting. Read the rest of this entry »

John Kowarsky, of John Kowarsky & Associates in Australia, has developed a solution for aquaculturists and aquarists who need temporary holding systems for aquatic animals and plants. K Box Cones™, used to make the K Box™ system, provide an inexpensive and efficient means to hold your live fish, shellfish and aquatic plants.

According to John, the K Box™ system is a series of tubs, each fitted with a conical overflow pipe – the K Box Cone™ – towards one end. The tubs are then stacked so that the overflow of one is at the opposite end to the one below. The principle is simple - introduce water into the top tub, and it will overflow through the K Box Cone into the tub below, and so on, down the stack. The cascade effect assists with aeration and reduces the chances of stagnant areas in the tub. Water that has passed through the stack can be recirculated, or filtered and then re-circulated, or put to waste. Read the rest of this entry »