ISTA 9 will be held in conjunction with the Ninth Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum, 22-25 April 2011. This will bring together one of the largest aquaculture conferences and trade shows ever held in Asia. The meetings will be hosted at the new campus of Shanghai Ocean University about 20 km south of the Pudong International Airport, the main international arrival point to Shanghai.

The focus of ISTA 9 will be the continued growth of tilapia into one of the most important seafood items in international trade, while remaining a key source of protein for some of the planet’s poorest farmers. The role of tilapia as the “Aquatic Chicken” continues to be even more important. Sessions on nutrition, reproductive biology, farming systems, health and disease control, marketing and processing, genetics, and regional reports are being organized.

Several sponsors will be supporting special sessions on vaccines, rural development, and feed technology.

For more information contact Dr Kevin Fitzsimmons kevfitz@cals.arizona.edu.

Aquaculture Canada: Facts and Figures
Aquaculture Management Directorate is pleased to present the new Facts and Figures publication.

This new brochure presents key statistical information regarding the Canadian aquaculture industry over the last decade. How much is the industry worth? How much fish and seafood was produced last year? How many jobs does the aquaculture industry provide? What kind of species are grown and where?

The information is presented in a visually compelling, map-style, and easy-to-read format. The brochure is a handy reference guide for DFO employees, industry representatives and many stakeholders. Read the rest of this entry »

Water technology development and application always encompasses financial needs – in terms of financing infrastructure and funding technology development (i.e. funding companies). In addition, water related charity activities are looking for donors. This issue has been neglected in all the congresses, summits and fairs taking place all over the world. There are many start-ups and SMEs around looking for funding and “courageous” clients (i.e. first movers); on the other side there are many interested investors (Venture Capital, private equity, corporate investors, business angels) – they all need to match. Creating references is always difficult for start-ups as actual structure are very conservative.  Many problems within fresh water can only be solved by a combination of new – and simple to apply – technology and a change in behaviour and attitudes – thus “inventors” are encouraged to cooperate with larger companies (as growing interest by corporate investors points out!).  Read the rest of this entry »

The TenCate Aquagrid^® Containment System features an integrated Harvest-Lift System that makes harvesting a breeze for the fish and for your farm staff. With only 2 persons required to lift it, the entire cage can be harvested with no increased energy or equipment required. 

Using TenCate’s integrated Harvest-Lift System, there is no need to remove the net or disengage mooring systems. The Harvest-Lift System allows farmers to harvest or herd their fish crop with low labor and equipment costs. Since the net can be raised at various rates, you get maximum retention of even the most finicky species. Slowly raising the lift system allows the fish to naturally begin crowding (herding) towards the top – making it easier to net or pesculator them out. Click here to see diagrams. Read the rest of this entry »

A workshop on Tilapia Aquaculture in Haiti has been organized to explore the current efforts, needs and opportunities for collaboration to alleviate the desperate need for food security and income generation in Haiti.

The Workshop is being held on the 28^th February 2011 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at at the New Orleans Marriott Convention Center. This is the day before the Aquaculture America 2011 conference in New Orleans. Click here for more details.

Workshop sponsors include:

• The World Aquaculture Society
• Aquaculture without Frontiers
• Novus International
• Marine Biological Laboratory Program in Sustainable Aquaculture

Please contact Bill Mebane bmebane@mbl.edu and copy John Hargreaves jhargreaves01@yahoo.com to reserve a seat. Attendence is limited to 45.

We would appreciate your help in disseminating this announcement to others in your network that may be interested in attending, especially those currently working on aquaculture projects in Haiti.

Nofima has entered into project collaboration with Vesterålen Fiskeripark at Myre with the aim of creating a meeting place where scientists and fishermen can meet to develop concepts for capture-based aquaculture.

This is a national project to which high expectations have been attached.

In 2009 Nofima, one of Europe’s largest research groups within applied marine research, was allocated the task of forming the National Centre of Excellence for Capture-based Aquaculture by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.

The centre’s task is to develop research-based solutions for how the fisheries industry can in the future catch and store fish live to add value to the raw material. Read the rest of this entry »

Locations of aquaculture sites and their characteristics are now available online through the new National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO) map collection which uses Google Maps and Google Earth technology to assist FAO member countries to inventory and monitor aquaculture. The collection is in its early stages but holds potential use in a number of ways such as monitoring the status and trends of aquaculture development and addressing site selection and zoning issues. The NASO map collection is coordinated by the Aquaculture Service of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in close collaboration with FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics and Information Service.

A team of research scientists at the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO) has managed to adapt twenty juvenile bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) to captivity in land based facilities at the Centre for Marine Culture at the Murcian Oceangraphic Centre.

Similar adaptation has been achieved in Japan, Australia, and the USA, in other species of tuna such as the Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), the southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) but never with the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), making this a European first. Read the rest of this entry »

Norwegian fisheries and coastal affairs minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen opened Nofima’s new aquaculture recirculation research centre at Sunndalsøra, south of Trondheim, Norway on 23 November.

The main objective for the centre is to contribute to increased knowledge about fish nutrition, physiology, health and welfare in the most important farmed species in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

The centre currently has four completely separate recirculating systems. Each of these contains side and centre outlets in the tanks, particle collectors at tank level, ozone treatment, micro sieves, moving bed biofilters/bioreactors each with three chambers, counter-current CO2 degassers, pump sump and oxygen contactors. Read the rest of this entry »

We are very pleased to invite you to the World’s Biggest South America Fisheries & Aquaculture Trade Fair “EXPO PESCA & ACUIPERU”, November 10-12, 2011 in Lima, Peru.

This Trade Show is authorized by the Peruvian Ministry for Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR), co-organized by the Peruvian Production Ministry (Vice Ministry for Fishing) and the Peruvian Fishing National Society (SNP), as well as supported by the Peruvian Trade Fair Association (AFEP). 

Exhibitors will be allowed to temporary import their equipment for exhibit without paying import duties.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian Aquaculture R&D Review / R&D en aquaculture au Canada is intended to allow those involved with aquaculture to become fully aware of the projects pertaining to aquaculture being conducted within Canada, thereby helping to solidify a community with a common vision for the future development of the Canadian aquaculture industry.  Similar to the first three editions in 2005, 2007, and 2009, this national review of aquaculture research and development will provide brief summaries of current research projects, in-depth coverage of select projects, and overviews of the various funding organizations in Canada supporting aquaculture R&D. There will be French and English versions, and it will published by the end of March 2011 in a new magazine-style format, with upwards of 60 pages of valuable and accessible information. It will not be a commercial publication nor will it contain any advertising. Read the rest of this entry »

A new half-hour film about the development of BC’s salmon farming industry, its accomplishments and future plans is now online for public viewing.

The movie, titled Silver Harvest, was produced by Lance Blackwell and Make Waves Productions.

“This has been a great experience – talking to the entrepreneurs of the industry and watching a good story about the development of this industry come to light,” said Blackwell, who’s worked for more than six months on the film.

Blackwell approached the BC Salmon Farmers Association in early 2010, saying he felt there was more the public should know about the industry, which is frequently under attack by professional campaigners. As part of their public education program, the association granted Make Waves funding for the project. Read the rest of this entry »

VetHealth Global - The International Animal Health & Nutrition Business Conference is being hosted once again in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada June 14 – 17, 2011. Innovation, Partnering and Commercialization will be the focus, as the organizers bring together a key international group of animal health and nutrition business leaders within a partnership-focused forum. 

VetHealth Global is where new business opportunities are born: from early stage companies wishing to finance the next stage of their product development plan, to the established animal health and nutrition companies with a thirst for new products in their market pipeline.

You won’t want to miss their highly-recommended networking events, great food and activities!

Program highlights and speakers are COMING SOON…Conference details are posted here.

PetroAlgae Inc. announced recently that a third party study done by the Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Idaho has found that PetroAlgae protein concentrate (PPC) produced as a coproduct along with the renewable fuel feedstock by the company’s micro-crop technology system can replace menhaden fishmeal protein at levels up to 100% in feeds for tilapia.

“We are very encouraged by the results of this extensive study because they point to PetroAlgae protein as a highly desirable replacement for fishmeal at a time when feed demand is expected to increase dramatically in the face of limited traditional supply,” said Dr. Ronald W. Hardy who conducted the study. Read the rest of this entry »

The NOAA Aquaculture Program is seeking a candidate to serve as Science Coordinator, a position located at NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. Advertised as a Research Biologist, the Coordinator’s focus will be to provide scientific advice as it relates to regulatory, environmental, and public policy issues addressed by NOAA for commercial aquaculture and stock enhancement.  The incumbent also will coordinate the planning and evaluation of aquaculture research conducted by NOAA scientists and through NOAA grants programs and will serve as the program spokesperson on science issues.  The incumbent will coordinate with regional NOAA Science Centers and Fisheries headquarters as well as with staff at other federal, state, and international agencies; stakeholders; and scientists in an effort to develop and refine aquaculture science policies, programs, and initiatives.

We are seeking aquaculture scientists with experience in such fields as aquatic animal health, environmental issues, genetics, and aquaculture production (commercial and restoration/enhancement).  The deadline for applications is November 5, 2010.  For additional details and applications instruction, click here or visit USAJobs and search on Job Announcement Number: NMFS-AA-2011-0007.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in West Virginia and Maine are working closely with a collaborator to save water as part of an effort to develop recirculating water systems for cool- and cold-water fish production.

Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture (NCCCWA) in Leetown, W.Va., and the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (NCWMAC) in Franklin, Maine, partnered with Steven Summerfelt of the Conservation Fund‘s Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, W.V., to discover the best ways to produce fish that live in cool and cold water in a closed system.

ARS is USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency. This research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security. Read the rest of this entry »

Advancing the Aquaculture Agenda: Policies to Ensure a Sustainable Aquaculture Sector
with the support of the Government of France, OECD Conference Centre, Paris, 15-16 April 2010

Aquaculture sector a priority for food security, says French minister
The workshop was opened by Mr Bruno Le Maire, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, France.

Pointing out that fish consumption has doubled in the last 30 years, Mr Le Maire emphasised the role of aquaculture in feeding the world’s population. He called for the development of the aquaculture sector to be a priority in efforts to ensure food security.  Read the rest of this entry »

The deadline for submission of abstracts for the special session Seafood Traceability – from ocean to plate / pond to plate to be held at Aquaculture America 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 28 – March 3, 2011 has been extended.

If you are considering presenting a paper in this session you have until Thursday October 7th, 2010 to get your abstract in using the online abstract submission form on the World Aquaculture Society website. Guidelines for abstracts and presenters are also posted at the WAS website.

For details of the special session, see posting below for Sept. 14th.

BioMarine Business Convention is a unique event dedicated to marine bioresources. It is organized around a platform of meetings and discussions for industrials, scientists, investors, economic development agencies, allowing them to boost their acquisitions, investments, trade agreements, technologies transfers, and development partnerships at an international level. Its goal is to develop small, medium and national companies on the international stage.

This Business Convention is a triennial event with fixed occurrences. Starting September 2011 in Nantes – Saint-Nazaire, France, the convention will then set foot in North America in 2012 and Asia in 2013.

BioMarine Business Convention Programme for Nantes and St Nazaire 7-8-9 September, 2011 Read the rest of this entry »

I would like to invite you to present in a special session entitled, Seafood Traceability – from ocean to plate / pond to plate, to be held at the Aquaculture America conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 28 – March 3, 2011.

The demand for seafood traceability from the point of origin to the consumer’s dinner plate is becoming a fact of life in the marketplace today. What is your company doing to address this important issue?

• If you are a retailer, do you know where your fish and seafood is coming from, how it is farmed, where it is farmed, and how it got from the pen, pond, or tank to your display case?
• If you are a farmer, do you know where your products are going and how they are being handled?
• What if something goes wrong and a recall is ordered, would you be prepared to deal with it in a matter of minutes, or hours, or days? Can you afford a traceability program? Can you afford not to have one? Read the rest of this entry »

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 click here.

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 »