Saving Seafood

Scientists, harvesters, farmers talk shop at Northeast Aquaculture Conference

February 1, 2019 — To open the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition on January 9, a panel of ten experts from Prince Edward Island to New Jersey fired off a round of challenges into the ballroom of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel: labor shortages, complex regulations, public opposition, and climate change, among them.

But, for all the concerns, the aquaculture industry represented by some 550 attendees seemed buoyantly optimistic, despite the absence of federal employees furloughed by the partial shutdown of the federal government, many of whom were speakers.

“It’s an aquaculture pep rally,” said Matt Gregg of the Barnegat Oyster Collective in Barnegat Light, N.J., describing the three-day conference, which included field trips, research presentations, and a tradeshow.

Farm-raised seafood is the fastest growing food sector worldwide, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Globally, aquaculture supplies more than 50 percent of all seafood people eat.

First-time NACE attendee Kevin Thomson of Duxbury Oyster Company in Duxbury, Mass., emphasized the conference was information-intensive. “They’ve brought a lot of different kinds of people into one room,” he said.

That meant not only shellfish, seaweed, and finfish growers, but also researchers in marine biology, ecosystems ecology, climatology, food science and geothermal engineering, who hosted over 100 sessions on their findings.

“The studies have progressed,” noted Travis Ortega of Watch Hill Oysters in Rhode Island, who has attended three conferences.  “There’s a lot more knowledge now and not as many studies ‘in progress.’  We can apply what we learned when we go back to the farm,” he said.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Whole Foods reviewing aquaculture feed standards, could challenge RAS suppliers

January 25, 2019 — Whole Foods Market, one of the world’s largest organic and natural food retailers, is reviewing its standards for feed served to the aquaculture fish products it sells and — depending on the changes it adopts — that could make life more challenging for its North American suppliers.

The group that has the most to worry about: land-based producers of salmon and other finfish.

Growing fish in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) comes with lots of hefty, upfront development and technology costs, generally forcing these companies to charge a premium for their products. But RAS producers also have the advantage of being able to promote what they say is a cleaner and more sustainable approach than growing fish in an open net pen.

So, there isn’t a seafood counter or freezer that RAS producers covet gaining access to more than those maintained by Whole Foods’ nearly 500 locations across the US, Canada and UK. The roughly $16 billion per year retailer has customers that are both selective and willing to pay a bit more for products they know will be healthier to consume and better for the environment.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Changes in Aquaculture have Consumers Buying ‘Higher Value’ Fish

January 25, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Consumer trends continue to drive an industry change from traditional aquaculture species like catfish to higher value species including redfish and hybrid striped bass, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Redfish are trending upward in price and consumer demand along with other alternative species like hybrid striped bass compared to traditional aquaculture species like catfish. Dr. Todd Sink, AgriLife Extension aquaculture and fisheries specialist, College Station, said catfish, a longtime staple for Texas fish production, has experienced a recent decline in pricing and popularity, causing producers to look at other options. Catfish prices were around 93 cents per pound compared to the high of $1.35 per pound two years ago. As a result, discerning U.S.

Consumers are buying less catfish as household wealth and expendable income increase and because other options in the market are perceived as higher quality. Those include salmon, redfish and hybrid striped bass, which are a cross between white and striped bass, he said. Sink said poor prices and consumer trends have some catfish producers switching at least a portion of production to other species like redfish and hybrid striped bass, which bring higher prices – $3-$3.30 per pound and $3.30-$3.60 per pound respectively – and are experiencing increased demand.

“It’s fairly clear that consumer tastes are changing from what is perceived as lower-quality fish to higher-end, higher-value fish,” he said. “The cyclical movement on catfish has been downward for a while, so you have a lot of producers looking to diversify with other options that are trending upward in both price and consumer demand.”

Redfish and hybrid striped bass can handle a range of salinity levels. Bass prefer fresh water to 10 parts per thousand salinity, while redfish are typically produced at five parts per thousand to full-strength seawater.Redfish growth rate stalls when waters are 50 degrees or below, and freezing waters can cause die-offs without proper management, which limits production to warmer climates, Sink said. Hybrid striped bass are more tolerant of cool waters and are grown throughout the U.S., although their growth rate can also decrease drastically below 50 degrees.

Catfish production densities in Texas are around 12,000 pounds of fish per acre compared to 6,500 pounds of hybrid striped bass per acre and up to 8,000 pounds of redfish per acre, Sink said. Texas is the No. 1 producer of redfish and hybrid striped bass, including around 98 percent of the nation’s redfish production and more than half of hybrid striped bass, Sink said. Established producers continue to expand their capacity to meet demand. It’s difficult to ascertain redfish and hybrid striped bass production levels because U.S. Department of Agriculture census reports are infrequent, but Sink estimates Texas produces up to 2.7 million pounds of bass and 2.3 million pounds of redfish annually based on their 2013 report and farm expansions since that time.Hybrid striped bass being harvested at a commercial aquaculture operation in Texas.

By comparison, Texas ranks No. 4 in U.S. catfish production with 18.9 million pounds per year.Several farms are expanding redfish production across Texas with one currently adding 200 acres of production capacity to its operation, which represents a 30 percent increase in overall production, Sink said. Hybrid striped bass production has been expanding at a 3-5 percent rate annually in Texas and southeastern states.

“We don’t expect to see any slowdown in the expansion of both the market and production to meet that market demand over the next five to 10 years,” Sink said. “They’re expanding as they can to supply consumers in a market that is just starting to take off.” Sink said 90 percent of Texas’ hybrid striped bass production serves demand from high-end restaurants on East and West coasts, while nearly all of the state’s redfish production serves restaurants in large cities such as New Orleans and Houston.”

Producers are getting a premium price for their product, many farms are looking to expand, and some restaurants are operating their own farms just to ensure they can supply their consumer demand,” he said. “Right now they are serving niche markets, so there is room and reason to expand.

This story was originally published by SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

China to trial offshore fish-wind farms integrated with aquaculture

January 23, 2019 — One of China’s leading seafood production regions is embarking on an ambitious project to test-run offshore aquaculture integrated with wind farms.

At a government press conference to launch the “Shandong Province Modern Ocean Farming Comprehensive Pilot Scheme Construction Project,” several officials from the Agriculture Department and provincial Ocean Affairs Bureau announced they will build 83 ocean pastures over 60,000 hectares – 32 of which will be “national-level” and make Shandong the national leader in such facilities.

Read the full story at Seafood Source 

MAINE: Aquaculture rule changes

January 21, 2019 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources will hold a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. at Ellsworth City Hall on proposed changes to aquaculture leasing regulations.

This proposed rule would make a number of changes to clarify the aquaculture leasing regulations, including the elimination of redundant language.

It would also make several changes to the leasing procedures for standard and limited-purpose aquaculture leases, including the timing of scoping sessions, required information regarding an applicant’s financial capability and a prohibition on the siting of leases within a designated zone around a wastewater treatment plant.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

In Pictures and Words: Bringing back North Carolina oysters after Hurricane Florence

January 21, 2019 — Over the past three to four decades many of the areas that were open to wild oyster harvests have been closed due to water quality concerns, often near the headwaters of creeks and rivers hit by pollutants from farms and industrial developments.

But oyster farms along the North Carolina coast are on the rise, and even after the devastating impact of Hurricane Florence on the shellfish industry, aquaculture represents the state’s hope in catching up with states like Virginia.

Last week, Port City Daily spent the day with two oyster farmers from Three Little Spats Oyster Company, who discussed the role of aquaculture in an industry that has seen wild oyster populations drop over the years, and their hope for Stump Sound’s resurgence as one of the state’s best regions for oysters and commercial fishing.

Read the full story at Port City Daily

MARYLAND: Expo to highlight aquaculture, new equipment, gear

January 18, 2019 — The annual commercial fishing and aquaculture expo, the only one in the Mid-Atlantic region, kicks off at the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street this weekend.

The Maryland Watermen’s Association will host its 45th annual East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Expo with more than 4,000 people expected throughout the three-day event, Jan. 18-20.

“The show was created to expose all the latest and newest equipment and gear, and what’s going on as far as regulations and requirements on commercial fishing,” Event Coordinator Victoria Brown said.

Last year, around 4,000 people attended the show.

Read the full story at Ocean City Today

Aquaculture sector thriving in the European Union

January 15, 2019 — The performance of the aquaculture sector in the European Union is improving across the board, with all sectors displaying strong economic growth, according to the latest report from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

The 2018 Economic Report of the EU Aquaculture Sector is a comprehensive overview of the latest production figures, value, structure, and competitive performance of the sector at both country and E.U. level between 2008 and 2016.

Analysis shows that sales volumes amounted to 1.4 million metric tons (MT), valued at EUR 4.9 billion (USD 5.6 billion) in 2016, which was an increase of six percent in volume and eight percent in value compared to 2014. Profits doubled during this time, reaching EUR 800 million (USD 917.2 million) total in earnings before interest and tax.

Of the 28 countries making up the E.U., the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain accounted for around 75 percent of aquaculture production.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the European Fisheries Partnership in Brussels, prior to the report being released, E.U. Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella stressed the need for sustainable fish farming to flourish and confirmed the European Union’s commitment to large-scale expansion of aquaculture by member-states.

“It is an industry that creates economic growth, employment and economic stability, especially in rural areas and along coastal areas,” Vella said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Aquaculture Rule Changes up for Public Comment in Maine

January 14, 2019 — Maine fisheries managers are looking to make a number of changes to aquaculture rules in the state, and are asking for feedback from the industry and the public about the potential changes.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is considering a proposal that would make changes to the leasing procedures it uses for farmers of seafood. The new rules would also clarify that an emergency lease could be used when the safety of consumers is threatened, and they would establish minimum lease maintenance standards.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

Preparing For The Future of Ocean Farming

January 11, 2019 — Chris Schillaci looked out at a sea of mostly plaid shirts, stuffed behind rows of cafeteria-style tables, who had come together after a day outside.

“You can make a living and stay on the Cape with an acre oyster grant,” the aquaculture specialist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries said.

The crowd of primarily oyster farmers looked back.

“Ok, maybe two acres,” he said with a smile.

Schillaci was speaking at an Ocean Farming Forum sponsored by SCORE of Cape Cod and the Islands, and the local office of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The idea? Bring farmers together to learn from one another and improve the industry. Much of the discussion revolved around the future of offshore shellfish and kelp farming, in deeper waters than most of the Cape’s traditional nearshore shellfish grants.

“Commercial fishing is a rapidly evolving business and Massachusetts has been a leader through old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity and an uncanny ability to adapt to a changing world,” said Melissa Sanderson of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, which co-hosted the event. “To stay at the forefront and grow small businesses and protect the ecosystem we all rely on, it’s vital to support current and new growers with technical, business, education and networking opportunities.”

Read the full story at CapeCod.com