Aquaculture Magazine August-September 2019 Vol. 45 No. 4 by Aquaculture Magazine

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INDEX

Aquaculture Magazine Volume 45 Number 4 August - September 2019

EDITOR´S COMMENTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

10 NAA NOTES

National Aquaculture Association Notes.

14 AQUACULTURE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL News from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

on the

cover The nutrient footprint of submerged-cage offshore aquaculture In the tropical Caribbean

28 ARTICLE

Effects of stocking density and feeding regime on larvalgrowth, survival and development of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Volume 45 Number 4 August - September 2019

36 ARTICLE

Preparing for and recovering from Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones and Tropical Storms in Pond-based Fish Production.

Editor and Publisher Salvador Meza info@dpinternationalinc.com

Editor in Chief Greg Lutz editorinchief@dpinternationalinc.com

Editorial Assistant Lucía Araiza editorial@dpinternationalinc.com

LATIN AMERICA REPORT Recent News and Events.

Editorial Design Francisco Cibrián

Designer Perla Neri design@design-publications.com

Marketing & Sales Manager Christian Criollos crm@dpinternationalinc.com

76 URNER BARRY

TILAPIA, PANGASIUS AND CHANNEL CATFISH. SHRIMP.

EVENTS 80 UPCOMING ADVERTISERS INDEX

Business Operations Manager Adriana Zayas administracion@design-publications.com

Subscriptions: iwantasubscription@dpinternationalinc.com Design Publications International Inc. 203 S. St. Mary’s St. Ste. 160 San Antonio, TX 78205, USA Office: +210 5043642 Office in Mexico: (+52) (33) 8000 0578 - Ext: 8578 Aquaculture Magazine (ISSN 0199-1388) is published bimontly, by Design Publications International Inc. All rights reserved. www.aquaculturemag.com

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COLUMNS

AQUAFEED

Recent news from around the globe by Aquafeed.com By Suzi Dominy

POST-HARVEST

TECHNICAL GURU

OUT AND ABOUT

Processing seafood under sanitary conditions. By: Evelyn Watts *

Blowers, compressors and more. By Amy Stone

Wanted: An Aquaculture Development Plan. By: Salvador Meza *

AQUAPONICS

Applying Design Thinking to reimagine aquaponics: a case study. By George B. Brooks, Jr. Ph.D.

SALMONIDS

Millions of salmon wiped out by an algal bloom in Northern Norway. By Asbjørn Bergheim

HATCHERY CONSIDERATIONS

Climate change is real How can we tell? Just ask the oysters By: Sydney Gamiao*

Cover photo: diver inspecting and taking samples of Cobia inside a submerged Ocean Spar Cage at Open Blue Sea Farms offshore farm where a study was conducted in Panama. Courtesy of: Tyler Sclodnick and Innovasea.

THE SHELLFISH CORNER

Sustainability and the Precautionary Principle. By Michael A. Rice*

Change, Alteration, Revolution, Upheaval, Transformation, Restructuring By C. Greg Lutz

Sounds like a recipe for political and social strife, but… these are all synonyms for the term “innovation.”

quaculture has been a hotbed of innovation in recent years and it is worth examining the concept of innovation so that each of us can consider how it relates to our role in this industry. Most people would currently define an innovation as a new method, idea or product. Many would probably confuse or equate innovations with inventions, but this is not necessarily the case. An invention can be seen as a discovery, a new work or a novel idea. An innovation is more like a new or modified device, method or process. The implication is that an innovation provides a solution or improvement, but an invention is not necessarily involved. Seen as catalysts for economic growth, innovations involve how new things, new combinations and new ideas are put into practice. The scholarly study of innovation involves entire schools of phi4 »

losophy, and many theories and definitions. When considering the broad range of aquaculture species, production methods and policy frameworks, several basic innovation concepts seem most applicable for our industry. Um… apart from the hype associated with reality TV – like competitions.

Disruptive innovation This is perhaps the most familiar type of innovation, where businesses and researchers continuously seek to discard the old and embrace the new in an effort to improve competitiveness. In this scenario producers of similar products are competing in the same marketplace for a finite number of customers. Consumers in many societies tend to tire of traditional products and perceive newer products as superior, even when the differences are imperceptible (we’ve

all read the phrase “new and improved!” on the labels of countless products). This type of innovation involves not only products but also processes and business models. Many examples from aquaculture production come to mind. Innovative filtration configurations for RAS have made the production concept much more feasible compared to what was available 15 years ago. New electronic-based methods to enumerate larvae are taking the world by storm. The development of submersible cages for offshore production has reduced operating risks and allowed for more management options. Even something as simple as a crawfish trap that stands upright on its own serves as an example of aquaculture innovation translating into economic expansion (seriously – the latest figures indicate it’s a $211 million industry in Louisiana…).

involve traditional science and technology policy-making agencies. The emphasis here is more disruptive, leaving foundational innovations to take care of themselves.

System-oriented policies These policies, in the case of aquaculture, are more likely to promote innovations in supply chains, value chains, trade, cooperatives, technology transfer and infrastructure. Having access to information is not necessarily sufficient to allow for diffusion of technical innovations, and this will be a crucial factor in the advancement of aquaculture across our planet in the coming decades. Potential users must also have the means and facilities to put the information to use. Innovation research has repeatedly demonstrated that factors such as expertise, financial resources, market demand and R&D facilities are all required for success. The extent to which these requireture. Examples come to mind from ments are met by public or private Foundational innovation This phenomenon is characterized countries across the globe. Those entities will vary, as will philosophies by slower, yet equally innovative, same governments, however, usu- regarding this division of effort. But, changes in business models and com- ally fail to invest in policy structures if they are not met, innovation simpetitive environments. Foundational that promote the adoption of such ply does not occur. Innovation policy innovation is often the result of an innovations. Sadly, this is ALSO the literature suggests that if governindustry’s incorporation of and ad- case in aquaculture. So… how would ments want to truly foster innovation aptation to disruptive innovation. In a government normally structure and and the economic growth that comes turn, foundational innovation can implement policy-making in a way with it, all of these systemic factors serve to promote institutional and that fosters innovation and its diffu- must be addressed. And this requires policy changes. Dragging the bureau- sion? There are actually several major the involvement of many traditional cratic horses to water and waiting un- policy categories with relevance to governmental agencies with varied aquaculture. til their thirst overcomes them. areas of focus (financial policy, sciClearly, innovation diffusion can ence & technology, education, labor be far more rapid in the digital age. Mission-oriented policies and environment, to name a few). But this tends to put an overempha- As the name suggests, the idea is to And so… instead of technical insis on disruptive innovation such pull together resources and expertise novation, policy innovation is rapidly that foundational and institutional across a broad range of stakehold- becoming the big sticking point for structures have difficulty responding ers to get something done. And it’s the growth of aquaculture. in a timely manner. This can result usually something big, like food sein sector-wide dysfunction due to the curity or bolstering foreign exchange relative inflexibility of the pervasive earnings. Aquaculture is frequently bureaucratic mentality that infests a component (on paper, at least) of many regulatory organizations and many of these policies, especially in Dr. C. Greg Lutz has a B.A. in Biology and Spanish by the Earlham College at Richmond, Indiana, a M.S. in Fisheries agencies. developing countries. and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science by the LouiGovernments often dedicate sigsiana State University. His interests include recirculating system technology and population dynamics, quantitative nificant funding to foster technical Invention-oriented policies genetics and multivariate analyses and the use of web based technology for result-demonstration methods. and technological innovation, and Innovations focused on technical Professor and Specialist with the LSU AgCenter. this is certainly the case in aquacul- research and development usually »

INDUSTRY RESEARCHNEWS REPORT

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission announces Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Grants In early July the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) announced the latest recipients of Marine Aquaculture Pilot Project grants. The $450,000 in total funding was made available through the NOAA Office of Aquaculture to the GSMFC. The funding program is intended to address major lost opportunities for job creation in coastal communities and to encourage the development of an alternative domestic seafood supply. A total of three projects were selected for funding for a 1-year period. The GSMFC also recently announced the 2019 Gulf of Mexico Oyster Consortia Grant. Administered by the GSMFC, the grant was awarded to a group including the University of Southern Mississippi Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center, the Auburn University Shell-

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fish Lab - Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the University of Florida â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture Laboratory, and the Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi - Agrilife Research Mariculture Center. The project is entitled SALT (Selection of Aquaculture Lines with improved Traits). It will implement a genetic selection

program for local stocks to improve production performance and develop disease or water quality resistant oyster stocks through the selective breeding program. The project is a five-year grant totaling $840,000 in year one, with subsequent year funding levels subject to Congressional appropriations.

Aquaculture Innovation Europe 2019 Finalists Announced

Finalists have been announced for the 2019 Aquaculture Innovation Europe awards, due to be presented on 10 and 11 September. The 13 shortlisted innovators will be given the opportunity to present their products and services to the selection committee at the Aquaculture Innovation Europe showcase in September. The finalists are: • Aquaconnect, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) -based fish disease predictive service for aquaculture farmers and operators; • AquiNovo Ltd, which produces feed additives which have a proven beneficial effect on stock yield – the additives, which are non-GMO and do not contain hormones, accelerate fish growth and improve the ratio of production outlay to yield size; • CFEED AS, a biotechnology firm developing fish and crustacean feed solutions; • Fishency Innovation AS, whose CEO Flavie Gohin said: “Sea lice is the biggest challenge of the fish farming industry

in Norway. The industry needs a digital system that can continuously count sea lice on the salmon, without handling, on a large and representative sample. The farmer will need a better knowledge of the sea lice infection in each cage and treat only when it is needed. We enable the farmer to be proactive rather than reactive”; • Gentirate, Inc., a genetics research firm specializing in genetic selection for optimized growth – Gentirate has developed the first genetic test which can select for feed efficiency; • GoSmart – Precision Farming, which has created the BioCam monitoring tool to enable aquaculture operators to measure and track data in real time; • Inalve, which produces a sustainable feeding solution derived from microalgae; • JET Seafood AS, a business-to-business trading platform designed to meet the specific needs of aquaculture companies; • NovoNutrients, which has developed

a proprietary process melding untreated industrial CO2 emissions with hydrogen to produce Novomeal, a protein-based feed; • Observe Technologies, whose cofounder and CEO Hemang Rishi said: “We use Artificial Intelligence to give actionable insights to optimize the biggest costs on fish farms: from feeding to health. Our recommendations have been developed with farmers globally. By monitoring any deviations and abnormalities, our product help manage fish farm sites more efficiently, minimize feed waste and increase profits”; • TransAlgae, whose pharmaceutical delivery process enables medicines to be injected into algae for easy consumption by fish, reducing the need for injections; • UNDERSEE, a connected platform enabling users to monitor the quality of water; and • Wittaya Aqua International Inc., which provides a cloud-based farm management platform enabling users to track and analyze operations remotely.

INDUSTRY RESEARCHNEWS REPORT

2019 China International Aquaculture Products Expo is held in Zhanjiang The 2019 China International Aquaculture Products Expo (CIAPE) was held at the Zhanjiang Olympic Sports Center in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China from June 18 to 20. The Exposition is sponsored by China Aquatic Production Chamber of Commerce, China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance and Zhanjiang Association of Aquatic Products Import & Export. The three-day exhibition received more than 40,000 visitors, and the final total of pre-agreements and sales reached 28 billion Yuan, an increase of about 21% from last year. The CIAPE, an intercultural industry event, promoted domestic and foreign enterprise cooperation, communication and trade. The Expo sponsored a series of investment activities, including investment negotiations, purchase orders, production and marketing connections. The Expo also supported promotion of products and technologies. Events sponsored included: China Aquatic Production Chamber of Commerce annual meeting; The 15th China Tilapia Industry Development Forum; 2019 First China Shrimp Market Development Summit; Modern Fisheries Forum; Seafood Aquaculture Technology Exchange Meeting; National Seafood Products and Technology Show; Aquatic Product Culture Show, Chinese Seafood Feast and Sea Cucumber Procurement Meeting. Visitors also visited the Zhanjiang LargeScale Aquatic Product Processing Enterprises. During the exhibition, participants from America, Ecuador, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong, other countries and regions, and more than 30 domestic provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) interacted with more than 700 exhibitors, more than 4000 buyers and many influential leaders from the catering industry at home 8 Âť

and abroad. Participating enterprises showed their latest products and technologies. Many potential buyers also reached agreements with targeted enterprises and cooperative agreement rates were high. The China International Aquaculture Products Expo will continue to serve the "One Belt One Road" initiative, to serve the development of China

and the world's aquaculture industry. With the attention of the state and the province, the support and active participation of all sectors of society, and relying on the unique conditions and resource advantages of Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aquaculture industry, CIAPE will continue to foster world access to the industry and enable the World to benefit from sharing advanced information!

Improving health and distribution of Haitian Tilapia IDH, a Netherlands based Sustainable Trade Initiative, and Taino Aqua Ferme (TAF), an established tilapia production business in Haiti, recently announced a collaborative effort to improve health management and distribution of tilapia in Haiti. In the project, vaccinations are used to improve the health of the fish. Lower disease losses result in a lower need of (expensive and imported) feed, and consequently reduce negative environmental impacts. The project will also improve distribution channels, to increase high quality and affordable fish to reach local markets in Haiti. This will also result in the creation of local jobs. There is a need for sustainable local produced protein food in Haiti. The country currently imports more than 50% of its foods, whereas in the 1980s only 19% was imported. IDH and TAF expect Haitian aquaculture to become the local provider of affordable, sustainable and local high protein food.

The Aquaculture industry in Haiti began in the 1950s by stocking fish in rivers, lakes and irrigation canals. In the 1960s, more than 4000 ponds had been built in various regions. Fish farming weakened in Haiti after the 1970s due to different challenges but revived from 2006 onwards on a very small scale. IDH and TAF aim to boost the industry again, beginning with this project. Hans Wooley, the CEO of Taino Aqua Ferme, stated “We view aquaculture as the next major pillar in local food production and an emerging new sector that has the potential to significantly contribute to economic development on the national stage. We’re excited to work with IDH towards those ends.” TAF grow out their fish on Lake Azuei, in the east of the country. Taino operates a hatchery, nursery, grow-out facilities, a processing plant and several distribution points. The company has the potential to become a hub for SMEs and outgrowers to also farm fish,

whereby TAF can provide: training on how to farm fish; high-quality fingerlings; high-quality feed; processing and distribution facilities. Flavio Corsin, program director for Aquaculture at IDH noted: “Our focus is to develop more efficient and sustainable food production systems to feed a growing global population. This project allows us to deliver on that, in a country where efficient food production is most needed.” IDH brings together businesses, companies, governments and NGOs to combine their interests and power in sustainable production and trade of tropical commodities. Funded by different governments and foundations, IDH operates globally in 12 different industry sectors ranging from coffee and tea to cotton and soy to realize long-term solutions for environmentally and socially sustainable production. IDH co-founded the ASC together with WWF and accelerated ASC certification.

NAA NOTES

National Aquaculture Association Notes Science Briefing by AFS and NOAA Focuses on Marine Aquaculture Myth Busting Capitol Hill Ocean Week, an annual week of ocean advocacy organized by the Marine Sanctuary Foundation, presented an opportunity for the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to bring congressional staffers and environmental organizations together for “Myth busting Marine Aquaculture,” a science-focused briefing in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on June 6. The briefing featured five experts in various aquaculture disciplines to highlight the advances in science, technology, and best management practices that have reduced the environmental footprint and increased the sustainability of marine aquaculture. Experts challenged outdated perceptions on the use of antibiotics, sustainability of using fish meal and fish oils for feeds, water quality impacts and degradation of the seafloor, effect of fish escapes on wild stocks, and the potential transfer of disease from farmed to wild populations in marine aquaculture. These myths have limited the social acceptance and complicated efforts to ad10 »

vance federal legislation to simplify the regulatory landscape for offshore aquaculture. Speakers included aquaculture experts Craig Watson, University of Florida; Guillaume Salze, Ph.D., Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition; Mike Rust, Ph.D., NOAA Fisheries; Jennifer Molloy, US EPA; and Halley Froehlich, Ph.D., University of California Santa Barbara.

Saudi Arabia Temporarily Bans Nile Tilapia from Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado Effective July 1, 2019, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of fish of the species Oreochromis niloticus from the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado based on the information included in the bulletin of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) relevant to the infections by the tilapia lake virus (TiLV) in the United States. Consignments from the other states that are not infected should currently be accompanied by an export health certificate stating the consignments are free of TiLV. For additional information, contact a local APHIS Office or Dr. Alicia Marston, Staff Veterinary Medical Officer, Live Animal Imports & Exports – Aquaculture Specialist, Office (301) 851-3361, Cell (240) 427-7879 or Alicia.R.Marston@usda.gov

learn more about the sustainability, availability, and quality of U.S. farmraised seafood. Recent accomplishments include attending and presenting at the International Foodservice Editorial Council Hudson Valley Get Together in cooperation with American Mussel Harvesters. A food station featured

U.S. mussels cooked in a wood-burning oven. The event was attended by food writers, representatives of the Culinary Institute of America, and local travel writers. The chef helped round out the story of US aquaculture from grower to end user. His recipe and comments will be included in a new set of promotional materials

Connecting Farmers and Buyers to Increase Sales The National Aquaculture Association and New York Sea Grant are partnering to accomplish the objectives of a project entitled “Increasing demand for U.S. farm-raised seafood in the foodservice sector through industry partnerships” funded by the National Sea Grant Program. We are focused on the foodservice/restaurant sector to build on relationships, especially those with professional culinary organizations, developed over the years. The goal of the project is to help chef educators » 11

NAA NOTES

that will be distributed to food writers, educators, and chefs in 2020. The team also attended and presented at the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education Leadership Conference in Charlotte North Carolina. Harvest Select Catfish was served in fish tacos. The goal was to make chef educators think about creative uses for traditional U.S. farmed fish. Growers had the opportunity to distribute promotional and marketing materials at the event’s InfoFair. Participants included Hudson Valley Fisheries, the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association and the Maine Aquaculture Association.

USDA ARS Releases Revised Aquaculture Action Plan The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has released a revised Aquaculture Action Plan to inform their applied research to benefit US aquaculture over the next five years. ARS conducts high quality, relevant, fundamental, and applied aquaculture research, to improve the systems for raising domesticated aquaculture species, and to transfer technology to enhance the productivity and efficiency of U.S. producers and the quality of seafood and other aquatic animal products. The plan revision was triggered by language in the FY19 appropria-

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tions bill to fund “…the development effort of aquaculture technology that will ensure a steady supply of warm water marine fish seedstock for economic growth of the U.S. aquaculture industry.” This Congressional action and the subsequent ARS research component was informed by a workshop entitled “Marine Fish Aquaculture Scoping Workshop” hosted by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and a special session hosted by ARS, National Institute for Food and Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute during Aquaculture 2019

entitled “Status of Marine Finfish Species for U.S. Aquaculture.” Other research components in the five-year plan include: • Improving efficiency and sustainability of catfish aquaculture • Improving efficiency and sustainability of salmonid aquaculture • Improving efficiency and sustainability of hybrid striped bass aquaculture • Enhancing shellfish aquaculture For additional information or to answer questions, please contact Caird Rexroad III, ARS Aquaculture National Program Leader, at caird. rexroadiii@usda.gov or (304) 6205234.

Vigilance in Your Hiring Processes Animal activists have been active this summer in California and North Carolina organizing public demonstrations and attempting “animal rescues” at poultry and pork farms. The Animal Agriculture Alliance offers these questions-to-think-about when hiring: Are the employees working on your farm there to help care for your animals? Do their goals align with your business? Unfortunately, it’s a common strategy for some animal rights activist organizations to have individuals go “undercover” on farms to record videos that can be taken out of context, stage scenes of animal mistreatment or encourage abuse to record it without doing anything to stop it. The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the communication gap between farm and fork for more than thirty years,

monitors animal rights activists and offers these tips regarding hiring: • It is vital to thoroughly screen applicants, verify information and check all references. • Be cautious of individuals who try to use a college ID, have out of state license plates or are looking for short-term work. • During the interview, look for answers that seem overly rehearsed or include incorrect use of farm terminology. • Search for all applicants online to see if they have public social media profiles or websites/blogs. • Look for any questionable content or connections to activist organizations. • Require all employees to sign your animal care policy. • Provide training and updates on proper animal handling training. • Require employees to report any mishandling to management immediately.

• Watch out for red flags, such as coming to work unusually early or staying late and going into areas of the farm not required for their job. Always trust your gut – if something doesn’t seem right, explore it further. Be vigilant and never cut corners on your hiring process, even if you need to hire someone quickly. Doing your homework on every job applicant may be time-consuming, but it can ultimately save your business’ reputation. As always, it is important to work with local legal counsel to ensure compliance with federal and state laws for your hiring process. The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) offers to members helpful suggestions to avoid animal activist tactics when planning a meeting, offering farm tours, hiring, or writing an animal care policy. Contact the NAA Office at naa@thenaa.net or 850-216-2400 for copies.

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AQUACULTURE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

News from the

Aquaculture Stewardship Council ASC Launches New Standards for Tropical Marine Finfish, Flatfish and Revision to Pangasius Standard To meet the growing market demand for Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified seafood, the organization has had to develop new standards. Last year saw the publication of the Sea Bass, Sea Bream and Meagre (SBSB) Standard and on July 1 ASC released standards for Flatfish (FF) and Tropical Marine Finfish (TMFF). The two new standards add 16 genera to the ASC programme, allowing for the transparent, third-party certification of an even greater number of species produced and consumed around the world. “The addition of these two new standards represents the diversity and wide reach of the growing ASC programme,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. “Aquaculture is a truly global industry, and to fulfill our mission to drive up fish farming standards worldwide our standards must reflect the variety of species produced and enjoyed in different regions.” In 2018, total tropical marine finfish farmed production accounted for almost 3.7 million tons of global aquaculture production (FAO, SOFIA; 2018). In 2016, FAO aquaculture production information for the species covered under this standard 14 »

accounted for about 1.5 million tons. Farming for these species is dispersed throughout tropical and subtropical Asia and Australasia and important production occurs in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Domestic consumption and inter-regional trade are both important market considerations behind the development of the TMFF standard and requests from key consuming markets where ASC is becoming increasingly embedded, including China, Hong Kong, Japan and Sin-

gapore, were part of the rationale for the creation of the standard. Farming production for the species covered under the flatfish standard is estimated at around 175 – 200,000 tons (FAO, 2016 and various national statistics). The majority (91%) of production occurs in Korea and China, with most of the remaining production taking place in Spain, Portugal and Japan (7%). Flatfish are an important part of the live-fish retail trade in China and Korea and are high-end fresh fish in Southern Europe and Japan.

ASC Terminates Nova Austral’s Logo License Agreement Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) released the following statement on July 10: ASC is aware of the decision by Sernapesca to commence legal proceedings due to the irregularities discovered in their initial investigation of Nova Austral and the admission by Nova Austral of identified ‘occasions of misreported mortalities,’ as a result of its own internal investigation. In consideration of the seriousness of these proceedings and admissions and to protect the reputation of the ASC, ASC has terminated Nova Austral’s Logo License Agreement (LLA) while waiting for the outcome of further investigations by ASC’s third-party certifier. This is consistent with previous actions taken by ASC regarding similar instances of deceptive practices; which are not tolerated. Upon notification of the termination of the LLA, Nova Austral must: • Immediately cease the use of the ASC logo and all ASC trademarks for any purpose • Halt all sales of products that show ASC trademarks. This includes any product with an ASC chain of custody (CoC) number • All products not yet identified as ASC certified can only be sold as non-certified product • Within 24 hours, provide ASCI with a complete inventory of all labeled product, including product that has been marked with CoC numbers • Inform all clients of the termination of their LLA This decision is valid for all products with the above labeling status, from all Nova Austral farms, not only those originating from Aracena 3 and 19. The investigation by third party independent conformity assessment body (CAB) Control Union Peru remains ongoing and may result in further action regarding the certified sites of Nova Austral. ASC will contact relevant parties including Sernapesca as part of an initiative to develop a risk-based and collaborative approach to determine whether there are broader compliance issues within the Chilean salmon industry. On 22 July, the ASC issued the following Update: ASC has been informed by third party independent conformity assessment body (CAB) Control Union Peru that it has suspended Nova Austral’s ASC certification for a period of at least four months. The date of suspension was July 12 2019 and it applies to all Nova Austral’s certified sites. In order to regain certification following the suspension period, Nova Austral must submit a documented corrective action plan (CAP) which must be approved by Control Union Peru, within 60 days from the date of suspension. If a CAP is not submitted within 60 days, their certification will be withdrawn. » 15

AQUACULTURE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

During the suspension period, Control Union Peru will perform investigative activities which may include both announced and unannounced visits to Nova Austral sites. If they cannot verify the effectiveness of corrective actions within the required timeframe, certification will be withdrawn. Information on the status of all farms in the ASC programme can be found using the Find a Farm tool on ASC’s website.

ASC Releases Revisions for Freshwater Trout Standard and Salmon Standard The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Salmon Standard and Freshwater Trout Standard have been updated following a rigorous multi-stakeholder, science-based review process, as part of ASC’s ongoing commitment to continuously improve standards and adapt to changes in the industry. The revision will resolve inconsistencies between the two standards, meaning all freshwater salmonid farming, including salmon smolt production, will now be audited against the Freshwater Trout Standard, which is specifically designed to minimize freshwater impacts. The change also means that ASC certified salmon farms will be able to use smolt from freshwater cage culture, if the production has been certified responsible against the stringent requirements of the Freshwater Trout Standard. With the updates, smolt production for all ASC certified salmon farms will now require an on-site audit for the first time. The detailed analysis of performance data generated as part of the ASC’s requirements on farm transparency have led to updated indicators for the ASC Salmon Standard’s chemical treatments, known as the Parasitic Treatment Index (PTI). The new requirements on treatments will include a global target that all farms must work towards by meeting specific levels of reductions every year, with initial certification requiring farms meet an evidence-based regional entry level. This 16 »

level of flexibility further strengthens the standard and incorporates a treatment regime that will lead to further improvements in farm performance. You can find more information on the revisions to both the ASC Freshwater Trout Standard and the ASC Salmon Standard on our website. The revision to the ASC Freshwater Trout Standard has strengthened the standard, incorporating updated bestpractices and scientific progress that has been made since the first version of the standard was released. The new provisions will reduce the impact of freshwater smolt production for those places eligible for such certification, but does not allow smolt production in lakes when salmon is not a native species or where it is against the law. Furthermore, the requirements limit production of smolt so that ASC certified facilities do not exceed a lake’s carrying capacity. Requirements on escapes have also been strengthened, and importantly, producers will now be required to develop genetic baselines and studies of local wild salmon to safeguard the population and to assess future impacts.

As a global industry, salmon production methods vary by region. In some areas, including Scotland, freshwater smolt production is more common. Until now it has not been possible for consumers, retailers and regulators to know whether these producers were meeting global best practice as measured by a transparent, independent industry-leading certification. “The revision will allow more salmon producers to embrace responsible production by meeting the stringent requirements of the ASC standards, including on-site audits for fresh water smolt production and indicators that will protect the local areas where the smolts are produced by setting production levels that aid conservation, prevent escapes, and protect water quality,” said Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. “The benefits of the ASC programme – to the environment, communities, farmers and the industry— and the transparency and accountability that comes with it, are now available to a wider range of farmers. Analysis of data on sea lice treatments gathered from government

data, the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), and farms engaged in the ASC programme found large variations in current farm performance between countries. The analysis also found that farms are increasingly using targeted treatments only at the infected pens within a farm, limiting the risk of resistance developing. The findings lead to a new requirement for ASC certified salmon farms, and farms will have to meet a Weighted Number of Medicinal Treatments (WNMT). The formula determines both a global level of best performance, as well as a region-specific entry level, based on best performance in that area. A farm must meet the regional entry level of WNMT to be certified, but once certified it must then show that it is continuously improving its performance until it hits the global level. A farm’s performance will take into account not only how many treatments it is using, but whether those treatments are targeted. “When the ASC Salmon Standard was originally drafted there was very little information on how often salmon were treated to remove sea lice, but

since then the ASC programme has collected a great deal of performance information from certified farms,” said Chris Ninnes. “Thanks to this data, as well as that from governments around the world and from the Global Salmon Initiative, we have been able to fine tune these requirements so they are more evidence based. The Salmon Standard remains robust, requiring farms to meet best practices in their geographic area, and then if necessary to keep on improving until they meet our global level of best practice. The end result is that more farms are engaged and incentivised to improve their performance and that stakeholders and governments have more information about which farms are actively working to safeguard the environment.” Both updates are part of a thorough review process that began in 2015 with an initial public consultation. Technical working groups with members representing academia, industry, and NGOs carried out the updates, which have each undergone multiple rounds of public consultation before being agreed by ASC’s

Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and Supervisory Board (SB) – both made up of multi-stakeholder and multi-national representatives. More complete information about the revisions, including the research and governance process can be found in additional information released on the ASC Freshwater Trout Standard and the ASC Salmon Standard on our website. “I’d like to thank all of those involved in both of these revisions, whose input and feedback ensured that these revisions take into account the varied experiences of our many stakeholders,” said Chris Ninnes. “I’m proud to see the ASC programme continuing to refine the multi-stakeholder approach that was foundational to our programme and now realizing one of the intentions of the scheme, which was to not only collect performance information from farms but to actively use that information to keep driving further improvements.” The ASC programme is not static, meaning that all new standards, reviews and revisions are constantly monitored to ensure their impacts are as expected. As with all new standards and revisions, the latest changes to the ASC Salmon Standard and the ASC Trout Standard are subject to an effective period before farms can be audited against the revised standard. As the only global aquaculture certification to be a full member of ISEAL, ASC allows farms sufficient time to read the newly released standard and use the resources on the ASC website to review the requirements necessary to become certified and find a qualified certification company to perform audits to the revised standard. The effective period for these updates will extend to 26 December 2019. It may be possible for certification companies to assess farms prior to the end of the effective period if they can field qualified auditors to undertake the assessments and have completed all administrative arrangements for the internal management of the certification processes. » 17

ARTICLE

The nutrient footprint of submerged-cage offshore aquaculture In the tropical Caribbean

A suite of technologies has been developed in recent years that allows for the conduct of aquaculture in more distant, high-energy, offshore marine waters. Not only does this obviate some of the spatial requirements of more traditional land-based or near-shore aquaculture systems, but offshore aquaculture also has several potential

By: Aaron W. Welch, Angela N. Knapp, Sharein El Tourky, Zachary Daughtery, Gary Hitchcock and Daniel Benetti *

n spite of increasing demand by consumers and theoretical arguments for lesser environmental harm, there is also reason for concern regarding the development of a new aquaculture industry in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. In addition to the usual litany of environmental problems associated with large-scale aquaculture (e.g., escapism, fish meal and fish oil consumption, antibiotic use, etc.), some worry that even truly offshore aquaculture, if practiced at a sufficient scale, could generate a nutrient flux capable of causing problems in the offshore region that have traditionally been associated with near-shore fish farming (e.g., eutrophication, harmful algae blooms, etc.). Stakeholders interested in the issue of aquaculture have thus been left with a chicken-and-egg dilemma: without operational offshore facilities, there is no ability to collect the sort of real-world data that would allow for empirically based regulatory decision-making to occur. 18 Âť

environmental advantages.

Figure 1 A 6400 m3 Sea Station cage (Solidworks 2013 render by Richard Pasma, OceanSpar Inc.)

Recently, an opportunity to address this knowledge gap presented itself. In the Republic of Panama, a large offshore aquaculture facility has been fully operational since 2009 and, to our knowledge, is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first truly offshore aquaculture facility operating at a commercial scale.

In this article, we describe the results of environmental monitoring work conducted at this facility from 2012 through 2018.

Site description and methods This study occurred at an offshore aquaculture facility dedicated to co-

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ARTICLE Figure 2 Water column sampling scheme relative to position of cage field.

Stakeholders interested in the issue of aquaculture have thus been left with a chicken-andegg dilemma: without operational offshore facilities, there is no ability to collect the sort of real-world data that would allow for empirically based regulatory decision-making to occur. bia (Rachycentron canadum) production. The farm site is located approximately 13 km off the Atlantic coast of Panama in the Costa Arriba region, with depths ranging from 55 to 65 m. At the beginning of phase 1 of sampling (2012), the farm site was occupied by 16 Ocean Spar “SeaStation” cages, each roughly 6,400 m3 in volume. During the 2013 sampling, there were 21 cages on site and by 2017 there were 22. The Ocean Spar Sea Station 6,400 m3 cage consists of a 24 m-tall central spar oriented vertically in the water column and surrounded by an exterior rim that circles the spar at its midpoint with a diameter of approximately 35 m. Netting is stretched from the top of the spar, down around the rim, and back to the bottom of the spar, creating a three-dimensional space that resembles two cones joined at their bases (Figure 1). Cages are moored with multipoint moorings secured within an anchor grid and are maintained in a submerged position, although they are raised occasionally for maintenance or harvesting. When submerged, the cages rest with the top of the spar more than 10 m below the surface, and they can be lowered to even greater depths. The entire group of cages is moored in two separate mooring grids. In this article, the group of cages in these two mooring grids is 20 »

referred to collectively as the “cage field.” Divers work in and around the cages on a daily basis. Pelletized feed is provided to the cages once daily at a rate of <3% of biomass via a pumping system with extended hoses connected to feed boats. Cages are generally stocked so that the final density at harvest (4-5 kg average weight) will remain below 25 kg/ m3. The total biomass in the cages at the end of 2012 and 2013 was 571,907 kg and 919,917 kg, respectively. Since then, the biomass on the farm rose

steadily, reaching 1,360,000 kg at the end of 2017. The economic feed conversion ratio (eFCR) on the farm throughout the study period has gradually declined and, at the time of writing, was between 2.5 and 3.0, where the eFCR describes the total amount of feed provided to a cohort of fish divided by the amount of whole, wet-weight biomass of that cohort. The eFCR is not modified to account for fish escape, mortality, or any other form of crop loss that occurs prior to harvest.

Figure 3 Sediment sampling scheme relative to cage field. Sites in “Zone 1”, “Zone 2” and “Zone 3” are ~ 50m, 150m, and 500m east and west of the cage field, respectively. Control site represented by “C”.

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ARTICLE Figure 4 Water column chlorophyll-a (triangles) and dissolved oxygen (squares and diamonds) (a), particulate carbon (circles) and nitrogen (squares) (b), and total dissolved nitrogen (squares and diamonds) and NO3- + NO2- (circles and triangles) (c) for upstream (open symbol) and downstream (filled symbol) sampling locations in 2012 and 2013.

Strong trade winds at the site generally blow from the north to the south. There is a wet season that runs generally from May to December and a drier season from January until April. Farm staff reports that estimated wave heights at the site are typically <1 m, although they

can reach 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 m under severe conditions. During the sampling described in this manuscript, researchers experienced all of these conditions. Surface currents at the site run alongshore in a predominantly eastward direction (although, occasionally, currents will run westward) at

speeds between 0.05 and 0.7 m/s. Vertical current profiles were not available during 2012 or 2013, but in 2015 data indicated currents were relatively consistent within the upper 30 m of the water column and decreased with depth while retaining the same direction.

Figure 5 Mean benthic carbon content (a), nitrogen content (b), and clorophyll-a content (c) at all sites (filled squares), at sites west to the cage field (open triangles), and at sites east of the cage field (open inverted triangles).

This study occurred at an offshore aquaculture facility dedicated to cobia (Rachycentron canadum) production. The farm site is located approximately 13 km off the Atlantic coast of Panama in the Costa Arriba region, with depths ranging from 55 to 65 m.

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Phase 1 sample collection Phase 1 sampling was conducted with a protocol designed to evaluate whether the facility affected biogeochemical characteristics of local waters and sediments. Water column samples were collected for analysis of dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), nitrate + nitrite (NO3- + NO2-), chlorophyll-a (chl-a), particulate carbon (PC), and particulate nitrogen (PN) concentrations. The water column sampling strategy included collecting samples at one upstream location and three downstream locations for each sampling “run” (Figure 2). Sampling locations were chosen based on the trajectory of a Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment design drifter released to track surface currents around the cage site. The drifter was ballasted with two 16-oz lead weights at the bottom, and four 1200 all-purpose Styrofoam buoys were attached to the top to ensure a vertical orientation was maintained while submerged in the water column. Sampling began approximately 2 hr. after farm crews had begun daily feedings. Once the drifter confirmed the current direction, it was retrieved and the research boat was moved to

Figure 6 Mean benthic total organic carbon concentrations (mg/g) (+1 SD) at sampling locations beneath aquaculture cages sampled in April 2017 (filled circles), January 2018 (filled squares), and April 2018 (open circles).

the upstream side of the cage field where an “Upstream Station” was chosen. The precise location of the Upstream Station varied from run to run but was always within 75 m of the cages on the upstream side of the cage field. Once samples and measurements were collected at the Upstream Station, the drifter was released on a trajectory that allowed it to pass through the cage field and

then drift downstream with the prevailing currents. Downstream 1 station was located at the point where the drifter cleared the cage field on the downstream side of the cage site and was always within 75 m of the cages. Stations Downstream 2 and Downstream 3 were located at approximately 1-hr intervals along the drifter trajectory downstream of the cage site (Figure 2). Distances

Figure 7 Measured ammonia (NH4+ levels (ppm) within cages (dark gray diamond) and at the control site 1 km away from cage (light gray square) from May 2017 to April 2018.

The economic feed conversion ratio (eFCR) on the farm throughout the study period has gradually declined and, at the time of writing, was between 2.5 and 3.0, where the eFCR describes the total amount of feed provided to a cohort of fish divided by the amount of whole, wet-weight biomass of that cohort.

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between Stations Downstream 1, Downstream 2, and Downstream 3 varied with the current, and ranged from a few hundred meters to more than a kilometer. At each sampling station, individual water samples were taken at 5, 15, 30, and 60 m. In addition, in situ DO, temperature and salinity measurements were made at each station using a Seabird SBE 43 DO sensor (Seabird Electronics, Bellevue, WA) attached to a SBE M19 conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) unit (Seabird Electronics, Bellevue, WA). The DO sensor and CTD unit were deployed by hand and allowed to descend to the bottom at ~0.3 m/s immediately after the water samples were collected. They were then retrieved at the same approximate speed. Sediment samples were collected from three zones: a near zone (Z1), within 50 m of the cage field; an intermediate zone, between 50 and 150 m from the cage field (Z2); and a far zone, between 150 and 500 m from the cage field (Z3). Each zone was further subdivided on the east and west side of the cages so that each zone had an east and west subzone (Z1E, ZIW, Z2E, Z2W, Z3E, Z3W) (Figure 3). Currents ran primarily to the east, making the eastern subzones downstream while the western subzones were upstream.

Phase 1 sampling for this study was conducted with a protocol designed to evaluate whether the facility affected biogeochemical characteristics of local waters and sediments. During phase 2, samples were collected for additional sediment and water column analysis beginning in early 2017. 24 Âť

Table 1 Average (Âą 1 SD) water column measurements.

Finally, samples were collected from a control site in a location 1 km to the north that was unaffected by the effluent from the cage field (Figure 3). Sediment samples were collected with an 8.2-Liter Ponar grab sampler (Wildlife Supply Company, Yulee, FL). Immediately upon opening the grab sampler, 1 cm of the top layer of sediment was placed in a plastic bag and stored on ice in a cooler for sediment chl-a analysis onshore. In addition, ~200 mL of sediment was transferred to plastic bags and stored on ice until returning to land, where samples were stored frozen

at -20 C for shipment back to the United States.

Phase 2 sample collection During phase 2, samples were collected for additional sediment and water column analysis beginning in early 2017. Sediment sampling was conducted using the same scheme used in 2013, but Zone 3 was eliminated from consideration (Figure 3). The control site in 2017 was the same site utilized during the 2013 sampling work. Sediment samples in the second phase of the monitoring program were collected using a 2000

Heavy KB-Core Sampler (Wildlife Supply Company, Yulee, FL) with plastic core liners. The corer was deployed from a work boat outfitted with an electric winch. When cores were retrieved, the top 2.5 cm of the core was extruded from the core liners, collected into plastic bags, and stored on ice until returning to land. All samples were delivered on ice to Aquatec Laboratories in Panama City, Panama within 24 hr. of collection, where they were analyzed for TOC. Water samples for ammonia (NH4 + ) analysis were collected once a month in 2017 from within submerged cages at mid-cage depth (approximately 20 m) and at a control site approximately 1 km south of the cage field. Water samples were collected using a hand-operated 10-L Niskin Bottle (General Oceanics, Miami, FL) that was carried by a diver (for samples taken in the cages) or operated from the sampling vessel (for samples taken at the control site).

Statistical analysis The Kruskal-Wallis Rank Sum test for nonparametric data was used to evaluate whether there were significant differences between water column nutrient concentrations and benthic sample variables collected upstream versus downstream of the aquaculture cage field. Given that photosynthesis produces DO, PC, PN, and chl-a in marine surface waters, while respiration in subsurface waters consumes DO, PC, and PN and regenerates inorganic nutrients at depth, we only compared upstream versus downstream water column measurements at the same depth. We also evaluated the distribution of nutrients, DO, and chl-a on density (i.e., sigma theta) surfaces instead of by depth, but this did not affect our results.

While continued monitoring will be necessary to evaluate long-term effects on benthic and water column ecosystems, the data reported here indicate that the net effect of the nutrients emitted by the aquaculture facility in Panamanian waters has been minimal during the time that monitoring has occurred.

Results Phase 1 DO concentrations in upstream and downstream samples

A diver inspecting Cobia inside a submerged Ocean Spar cage at Open Blue Sea Farms offshore farm where the study was conducted in Panama. Photo credit Tyler Sclodnick Innovasea.

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ARTICLE

were largely similar, although in some cases DO concentrations at individual depths were potentially distinguishable from each other (Figure 4, Table 1). When benthic PC content from samples collected at all seven sampling locations (Z1E, Z1W, Z2E, Z2W, Z3E, Z3W, and control) was compared, the KruskalWallis test was unable to identify distinct populations (i.e., p ≥ 0.1 in all cases); the same was true for evaluation of the PN and chl-a content of samples from all seven locations. When we compared the mean PC, PN, and chl-a content of a smaller set of sampling locations, there was stronger evidence of a difference between locations. For example, when the PC content from the control site was compared with the PC content of samples collected at Z1E and Z1W, the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated that, at the p ≤ 0.075 level of significance, there is evidence to suggest that at least two of the populations are different (Figure 5). As the “downstream” Z1E site had the highest PC content, 38.6 ± 5.3 mg C (g sed)−1, and the control and “upstream” Z1W site had similar concentrations (28.1 ± 2.5 and 28.1 ± 0.3 mg C [g sed]−1, respectively), we conclude that the downstream site has significantly higher benthic PC

Seasonal processes such as Panama's wet-season/ dry-season meteorological pattern and/or annual primary productivity cycles may also be influencing the flux of organic material to the sediments.

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Table 2 The 2013 average (± 1 SD) benthic measurements.

Table 3 Mean benthic TOC concentrations (± 1 SD) at individual sampling locations.

content than the control or upstream locations (Table 2). When evaluating the benthic PN content, we again compared samples from the control site with those collected at the Z1E and Z1W sites and the test statistic indicated that at the p < 0.061 level of significance there is evidence to suggest that at least two of the populations are different (Figure 5). Similarly, the sample collected at Z1E, immediately downstream of the cage field, had the highest benthic PN content (1.8 ± 0.4 mg N [g sed]−1) compared to the control and Z1W sites, both of which had benthic PN contents of 1.3 ± 0.1 mg N [g sed]−1) (Figure 5, Table 2). However, the evidence was less compelling that the aquaculture cage field significantly affected benthic chl-a content. While the mean benthic chla content at the sites immediately upstream (0.3 ± 0.2 μg chl-a [g sed]−1) and downstream (0.4 ± 0.3 μg chl-a [g sed]−1) of the cage field were higher than at the control site (0.3 ± 0.0 μg chl-a (g sed)−1), the means were not significantly different (i.e., p > 0.1) (Figure 5). While the means of the benthic chl-a samples collected at Z2E and Z2W show the greatest difference (i.e., 0.5 ± 0.5 and 0.3 ± 0.2 μg chl-a (g sed)−1, respectively) (Table 2), because of the high SD

associated with these measurements the Kruskal-Wallis test could not discriminate between the means of the populations when these samples were compared with those from the control site (i.e., p ≥ 0.1). Phase 2 In April 2018, inclement weather and equipment failures prevented sediment sampling of Z1W and Z2W. When the median TOC levels from samples were collected on a single date at all five sampling locations (or all three in the case of the April 2018 sampling effort), the Kruskal-Wallis test was unable to identify distinct populations (i.e., p ≥ 0.1 in all cases) (Figure 6). When median TOC levels in each zone were analyzed over time, however, they showed significant variation (Figure 6, Table 3). Ammonia levels ranged from below the detection limit of the analytical method up to 0.43 ppm inside the cages. At the control site, however, ammonia levels ranged from below the detection limit to 0.53 ppm. While the relatively limited number of water samples precluded statistical analysis, there was no trend evident in the data (Figure 7).

Discussion While continued monitoring will be necessary to evaluate long-term effects on benthic and water column

ecosystems, the data reported here indicate that the net effect of the nutrients emitted by the aquaculture facility in Panamanian waters has been minimal during the time that monitoring has occurred. In Phase 1, the lack of significant impacts on the water column from the aquaculture cages was, in some ways, unexpected. Cobia have relatively high rates of both nitrogen excretion and oxygen consumption. In addition, elevated levels of ammonia and reduced levels of DO in the immediate vicinity of cages have been reported in a number of different aquaculture settings. Despite this, there was no consistent evidence of higher nutrient concentrations or reduced DO concentrations in the data. In other respects, the lack of a detectable impact on the pelagic environment beyond the cage field agrees with prior research conducted at comparable sites. Generally, these farms have been located in deep and well-mixed oligotrophic waters. When measuring biogeochemical properties, researchers at these sites have had difficulty observing any measurable effect from farm operations on the pelagic environment at distances beyond a few meters from the cage rims. Some study results indicate that mixing and diffusion reduce the analyzed variables to background concentrations very quickly. Interpreting the sediment data collected here is more difficult. In Phase 1, the amount of PC and PN in the sediment around the cage site shows a trend toward increased organic loading under the cages relative to the control site (Figure 5). When broken down by subzone, the results are even more suggestive of a trend toward increased organic loading in the benthos because the mean values for benthic PC and PN are highest on the east side of the cage field (ZIE) in the direction of the prevailing current. (Figure 5, Table 2). The observed increase in PC and PN, however, was modest, and the same trend was not observed in the TOC data collected in Phase 2. These TOC levels generally increased across all sample locations, including the control site, between April 2017 and January 2018 and then decreased again across all zones and the control site between January 2018 and April 2018. Seasonal processes such as Panama’s wetseason/dry-season meteorological pattern and/or annual primary productivity cycles may also be influencing the flux of organic material to the sediments. The data presented here should provide a reason for cautious optimism about emerging offshore aquaculture technologies. Undoubtedly, the release of large amounts of nutrients into marine ecosystems is one of the great worries associated with cage-based aquaculture of any sort. Nonetheless, nutrients of the sort discharged by aquaculture facilities are not, ipso facto, pollution. N and P lie at the base of the ocean’s food web and drive the primary production that, in turn, drives global fisheries production. A growing body of literature supports the notion that large-scale nutrient inputs from aquaculture » 27

facilities can have positive effects on fisheries over large (regional) spatial scales. These studies correlate the installation of large-scale aquaculture facilities with increases in fish stock biomass, as well as the mean trophic level and aggregate amount of wild fishery landings in a region, suggesting that nutrients flow quickly through phytoplankton at the base of the trophic pyramid and up to higher-order consumers. In some parts of the aquaculture industry, these nutrient flows are already being exploited to produce additional marketable product via Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture techniques. Finally, it should be noted that the negative effects of aquaculture effluent can be mitigated through conscientious management. Published literature on the subject, for example, indicates that temporary fallowing techniques (i.e., leaving cages empty for a period of time between harvest and restocking) can lessen the effects of nutrient loading on the benthos. This study indicates that appropriately sited, commercially scaled offshore aquaculture installations have the potential to operate in a way that produces a relatively small nutrient footprint. This article was adapted from Welch AW, Knapp AN, El Tourky S, Daughtery Z, Hitchcock G, Benetti D. The nutrient footprint of a submerged-cage offshore aquaculture facility located in the tropical Caribbean. J World Aquacult Soc. 2019;1–18. https://doi. org/10.1111/jwas.12593 based on communication with Dr. Daniel D. Benetti of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

ARTICLE

Effects of stocking density and feeding regime on larvalgrowth, survival and development of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus By: Jia Geng, Christina Belfranin, Ian A. Zander, Emma Goldstein, Shubham Mathur, Blanka I. Lederer, Riccardo Benvenuti and Daniel D. Benetti *

For many years, flatfish have been commercially produced worldwide through aquaculture. Methods and protocols for their culture have been developed and reported throughout the world.

apanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (also known as hirame or olive flounder), is one of the leading marine aquaculture flatfish species, especially in Japan, South Korea, and China, because of its rapid growth, excellent aquaculture performance and high market value. There is an increasing interest in commercial Japanese flounder aquaculture in the Americas. Recently, this species was introduced to the United States, Bahamas, and Turkey with the objective of commercial production. Reports suggest the market price of Japanese flounder in Japan decreased from 4,317 yen/ kg in 1994 to 1,716 yen/kg in 2014, increasing the importance of improving the economic efficiency of hatchery production of this species. In the past decade, intensive larval-rearing technologies have been collectively developed and perfected by a number of authors for various commercially important species. A series of marine fish aquaculture techniques, such as surface skimming, green water, and continuous photoperiod, have been studied and proven to be effective in improving larval growth, survival, and high28 Âť

Juveniles of Japanese flounder settling at the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery. Photo courtesy of Daniel Benetti.

quality live feed combined with high prey concentrations could contribute to sustaining reasonable growth and survival in intensive larval rearing. Rotifers, Brachionus spp., and Artemia have been massively used as food sources for fish larvae in commercial aquaculture because of their suitable size, adequate nutrition profiles when properly enriched and their bioencapsulation attributes. Enrichment can increase the fatty acid content and other essential nutrients of live feeds, and the inclusion of the organic acid taurine in live feeds has been shown to be effective in enhancing growth of fish larvae of a variety of species. Microbound diets, potential replacements for live feeds, have been developed by many researchers and used to partially replace live feeds without affecting survival and growth of Japanese flounder larvae. The advancement of knowledge and techniques for flounder larval rearing has allowed commercial Japanese flounder farms to achieve survival rates of over 50% from the egg to early juvenile stages. However, the initial stocking density for larvae is usually around 20 larvae/L, requiring large-volume infrastructure to support this production, which raises costs and decreases production efficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of high-density Japanese flounder larval production by examining growth and survival rates (the most important aquaculture performance parameters) under different stocking densities and feeding regimens with live feed as the food source. Microbound diets and artificial feeds were excluded due to concerns about the potential for water quality deterioration caused in high feeding rate with high larval densities. This trial was conducted at the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery (UMEH) and was supported through an ongoing research agreement with Aqquua LLC aimed at commercializing Japanese or olive founder aquaculture technology in the United States. This article also describes

Japanese flounder, Paralichthys

olivaceus (also known as hirame or olive flounder), is one of the leading marine aquaculture flatfish species, especially in Japan, South Korea, and China, because of its rapid growth, excellent aquaculture performance and high market value.

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ARTICLE Fig. 1 Total length of Japanese flounder larvae from 0 days post hatch (DPH) to 4 DPH (mean ± SE, n = 30). Values on the same day were tested for significance. a, A, A* and A´ indicate different comparisons (p < .05).

High-quality live feed combined with high prey concentrations could contribute to sustaining reasonable growth and survival in intensive larval rearing.

Japanese flounder larval-rearing protocols practiced at the UMEH.

Juvenile flounder metamorphosing at the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery where survival rates from eggs to fingerlings have been ranging from 30-50% and commercial level production can be achieved. Photo courtesy of Daniel Benetti.

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Egg collection and incubation Eggs were obtained from naturally spawning Japanese flounder broodstock maintained at UMEH. A 500L tank was connected to a 15 m3 broodstock tank through an overflow pipe to collect the eggs. After a spawning event, eggs were collected and placed in a 5-L beaker for 10 min to separate floating, fertilized eggs from sinking ones. Only the positively buoyant eggs were collected and stocked in a 400-L incubator at a density of 300 eggs/ L. The incubator was equipped with a central standpipe fitted with a 300μm mesh and supplied with pure oxygen and gentle aeration through an air ring placed at the bottom of the stand pipe. The temperature was maintained at 17C, and dissolved oxygen was maintained between 6.5 and 8.5 mg/ L. Eggs were disinfected with 100-ppm hydrogen peroxide for 1 hr. as prophylaxis. Hatching occurred 50–60 hrs. after fertilization, with an estimated hatching rate of 90%. Once hatched, the eggshells and debris were removed and newly

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ARTICLE Table 1 Standard feeding ration.

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of high-density Japanese flounder larval production by examining growth and survival rates (the most important aquaculture performance parameters) under different stocking densities and feeding regimens with live feed as the food source.

hatched larvae were then transferred and stocked in the larval-rearing tanks. All tools, utensils, and tanks used in the experimental trial were previously washed, rinsed with Virkon (The Chemours Company FC, LLC, Wilmington, DE), and disinfected with diluted chlorine solution at 50 ppm concentration.

Larval rearing Nine 50-L black larval-rearing tanks were randomly allocated to three different experimental treatments: 20 larvae/ L with standard feeding ration (LD or control, with standard feeding ration as described in Table 1), 80 larvae/ L with standard feeding ration (HD), and 80 larvae/ L with four times the standard feeding ration (HD+). Three replicates were used for each of the experimental treatments and the control tanks. Each tank was equipped with a standpipe fitted with 300-μm mesh that was progressively changed with larval growth and development and respective diet progression. Accordingly, standpipe mesh was changed to 500 μm at 14 days post-hatch (DPH) and 1,000 μm at 21 DPH for better flushing. Pure oxygen was supplied through an air ring placed around the bottom of the standpipe to maintain oxygen levels above 32 »

saturation (7–9 mg/ L) and to keep larvae suspended. All tanks were supplied with filtered (1 μm) and UV-treated seawater, with a daily turnover rate of 800%. Water temperature was maintained at 17.5–20.0 C and salinity was maintained at 33 ppt throughout the entire experimental trial. The larvalrearing system was set up indoors with an ambient room temperature of 18C. The controlled photoperiod was set to 12 hrs. light and 12 hrs. darkness for the duration of the trial. Tank surfaces were skimmed every hour during the day to maintain a clean water surface, and tanks were siphoned every other day. L-type rotifers, Brachionus plicatilis, and Artemia were provided as live feeds. The enrichment formula was designed and Table 2 Enrichment formula.

developed by the UMEH staff and researchers using a mixture of commercial products (Tables 2 and 3). First feeding occurred at 4 DPH. Larvae were fed every 2 hrs. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (five times per day). Before each feeding, RotiGreen Nanno (100 ppm, Nannochloropsis sp., Reed Mariculture Inc., Campbell, CA) was added to the tanks to condition the water. The feeding regime followed protocols that have been developed and successfully used by UMEH over the years for Japanese flounder larval rearing (Table 1). Also before each feeding, five 1-ml water samples were taken from each tank and placed into a 48-well plate to count food residuals so that the feeding amount could be adjusted accordingly to maintain the

Fig. 2 Growth in total length of Japanese flounder larvae from 4 days post hatch DPH to 32 DPH. Values (mean ± SE, n = 30) on the same day with different superscripts are significantly different (p < .05).

prey density of each tank at its set point. The prey density of the HD+ group was maintained at four times the standard feed density throughout the trial.

Sampling, data collection and data analysis Ten random samples were taken from each tank (30 samples from each treatment) on 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 32 DPH. Total length (TL) measurements were recorded with light microscopy. Larval development was observed daily and

documented in the form of photographs. The experiment ended on 32 DPH when metamorphosis was complete and the larvae were settling. All larvae were counted and transferred to settling raceways. Two-tailed t-tests were performed to compare the statistical differences between treatments with a confidence level of 95%. Data were tested for normality and equal variance before the t test. Percentage survival data were arcsine transformed and then analyzed using a t test with a significance level of 95%.

Results Survival rates for the LD, HD, and HD+ groups were 46.5, 23.1, and 40.3%, respectively. The survival rate of HD+ was significantly higher than HD (p < .05), while there was no significant difference between HD+ and LD. There were no significant differences in TL among the three treatments from 1 DPH to 4 DPH (p > .05, Figure 1, values from the same day were tested). Significant difference in TL was observed as early as 7 DPH (p < .05) between HD and HD+. However, there was no significant difference in TL between LD and HD+ throughout the trial (p > .05). At the end of the experiment, the TL of Japanese flounder larvae in the HD group was significantly lower than that of LD and HD+ (p < .05, Figure 2). As for the production efficiency (number of 32 DPH post-larvae per liter), there were significant differences between the various treatments (p < .05, Figure 3). At 32.27 + 7.51 larvae/L, the HD+ group achieved the highest production efficiency. Newly hatched larvae presented a posteriorly located oil globule within the yolk sac (Figure 4a). A visible lumen and a rudimentary gut could be clearly observed next to the pos-

Table 3 Artemia enrichment formula.

Underfeeding may impair larval growth and even cause Table 4 Summary of final density, survival rate, and mean final total length at 32 DPH (mean ± SE). Values with different capitalized superscripts are significantly different (p< .05)

mortality when nutrition uptake is unable to meet the requirement for larval development.

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The results achieved

Final larval survival and production efficiency of different treatments (mean ± SE, n = 3). Uppercase and lowercase letters indicate different comparisons. Values with different superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05). LD = 20 larvae /L with standard feed ration; HD =80 larvae /L with standard feed ration; HD+ = 80/L with four times the standard feed ration.

in this study indicate that it is feasible to culture and produce post-larvae Japanese flounder intensively by implementing intensive feeding and proper management. terior portion of the yolk sac. The newly hatched larvae were transparent, with a few chromatophores scattered around the body except for the tail region, yolk sac, and eyes. Eye pigmentation began at 3 DPH. Yolk sac was absorbed as the gut became wider and longer. The mouth and anus did not open until 3 DPH. Most of the yolk sac was absorbed by 4 DPH. A reminiscent oil globule was still present in the 4-DPH larvae and was completely absorbed by 5 DPH. The preflexion stage began after the complete absorption of the yolk sac (Figure 4b). Coiling of larvae gut was observed beginning at 10 DPH. A well-coiled intestine with more intensive intestinal folds could be seen from 14 DPH. Chromatophores were concentrated along the dorsal and ventral margin. Armature on the head could be seen from 14 DPH onward. Fin rays could be observed on the armature as they developed and lengthened. The cartilaginous hypural elements began to differentiate on 15 DPH, indicating the start of flexion. Spines on the hypural segment were found in 15 DPH larvae, indicating the early stage of caudal fin development (Figure 4c). Vertebrae were first observed in 18DPH larvae. Notochord started to flex upward on 18 DPH, with accompanying fin 34 »

rays appearing on the hypural area. The caudal fin became functional at 24 DPH, and symmetrical caudal fin rays were not observed until postflexion. Fin rays on the dorsal and anal fins were first seen at 24 DPH. The pelvic fin bud was first found on 18-DPH larvae and became functional at 27 DPH. Visual asymmetry of eyes was first seen on 24-DPH larvae. Completion of eye migration was observed at 30 DPH. Fins were well developed as the completion of eye migration occurred at this stage. The elongated armature on the head was still present in eye-migrated larvae at 32 DPH.

Discussion Stocking-density effect is directly related to production in aquaculture and has been studied on a variety of species at different stages. Underfeeding may impair larval growth and even cause mortality when nutrition uptake is unable to meet the requirement for larval development. In this study, live feeds were provided every 2 hrs. to avoid feedinglevel changes and food shortages for all groups. However, this would not guarantee optimal feed levels for all larval groups as feeding activity is affected not only by food presence but also by the dynamic prey den-

Fig. 4 Development of Paralichthys olivaceus larvae. (a) Yolk sac stage: A1-0 days post hatch (DPH), A2 -2 DPH, A3 – 5 DPH; (b) Preflexion stage B1- 14 DPH, B2 – 17 DPH; and (c) flexion, post flexion stage, and metamorphosis; C1 – 20 DPH, C2 – 25 DPH, C3 – 30 DPH. Scale bars = 0.5mm.

sity within the different treatment groups. Larval growth was strongly inhibited in the HD group compared to the LD group and the HD+ group. The HD group might have consumed more food so that the prey density dropped to a level that could affect the individual feeding rate to a greater extent. The inhibited growth could be detected from 7 DPH in the HD group, which suggests that sufficient food for early-stage larvae is critical for the success of highdensity larval rearing. This can be further proved by the fact that no significant difference in growth was detected between the LD and HD+ groups. A protocol of water quality management techniques, including routine siphoning, surface skimming, and high water exchange rates, was adopted to maintain desirable and stable water quality. These were key strategies to the success of the intensive larval rearing reported in this trial.

This study achieved an average production of 32.27 ± 7.51 at 32 DPH of Japanese flounder larvae per liter in a lab-scale aquaculture system with high initial stocking density and high feed ration. It indicates that it is feasible to culture and produce postlarvae Japanese flounder intensively by implementing intensive feeding and proper management.

This article was adapted from Geng J, Belfranin C, Zander IA, et al. Effect of stocking density and feeding regime on larval growth, survival, and larval development of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, using live feeds. J World Aquacult Soc. 2018;1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/jwas.12563 based on communication with Dr. Daniel D. Benetti of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Aquaculture Magazine

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Preparing for and recovering from Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones and Tropical Storms

in Pond-based Fish Production By: Todd D. Sink, C. Greg Lutz and Gary J. Burtle *

Although most considerations relating to storm preparation and response boil down to simple common sense, the key to resilience lies in getting organized, putting plans down on paper and having the necessary information at hand before storms approach your facility.

Flooding inside a leveed complex. This shows three separate ponds underwater. Although the fish all got mixed together, none left the facility and only a few were lost as the water was eventually pumped out.

hether referred to as hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones or tropical storms, these weather events (referred to collectively as Tropical Cyclones) regularly pose serious threats for pond aquaculture producers throughout the world. This article focuses on day-to-day, long- and shortterm recommendations for building resilience to storms in pond-based aquaculture, and key response considerations during and following storm events. Storm preparedness should be 36 »

a year-round activity throughout the life of an aquaculture facility, and the process actually begins with initial site selection.

I. Pre-Storm Planning – Long-term Preparedness Initial Site Planning The considerations below could be considered ideal, but they all should be taken into account when evaluating a potential pond production facility. Sites that appear suitable for pond-based aquaculture (flat land with high clay-content

soil and abundant water sources) are often particularly vulnerable to storm impacts. Unique challenges will include access, utilities, topography and infrastructural considerations as they relate to potential storm impacts. • Search for sites above the 100 yearflood plain. • Search for areas that are not close to water bodies that are prone to flooding when subjected to heavy rains associated with storms. • Search for sites with surrounding topography that will allow for efficient and rapid drainage to the watershed. • Search for areas with good road infrastructure that would allow expedient and multiple escape routes when evacuating from hurricanes, typhoons or tropical storms. • Search for areas with resilient electrical grids. Avoid relatively isolated sites with limited access to electrical utilities. • Search for areas where farm equipment can be easily moved to higher elevations to avoid flooding. • Search for areas where utilities, communications and other critical infrastructure can be permanently established on higher ground to avoid equipment damage during flooding. • If producing freshwater fish species, look for areas where saltwater intrusion during storm surge or flooding is not likely to occur. Typically, this includes sites that are 15 miles (24 km) or more from any coastline or water body with a direct connection to saltwater. Site Establishment A specific site can be more or less prone to storm damage, but each site can be developed in such a way as to minimize impacts. • Establish higher-elevation areas (at or above the 50-year flood elevation) at designated levee junctions throughout the farm, with one elevated area for every 200-300 acres (80 – 120 ha). • Consider seasonal prevailing winds when laying out ponds. If storm related winds are parallel with the long axis of a pond, excessive wave action can damage down-wind levees during severe storms.

• Construct levees surrounding the farm and/or pond complex in areas that can potentially flood. Levees should be constructed a minimum of 24” (60 cm) above the highest recorded flood stage for the property. • Install main drain valves or shut-offs in leveed complexes to prevent flood water intrusion from surrounding high water. Have an alternate drain line running above the protection levee elevation so water from heavy rains can be physically pumped out of the leveed complex during a flood event while avoiding water entering the facility from outside the levees. • Install pump stations inside levee complexes to remove water that normal drainage features cannot keep up with during heavy rains. • Ensure all pump stations are sufficiently elevated or otherwise protected from flooding and have a protected gas or diesel backup operating system in case of prolonged power outages. • Increase the normal recommended capacity of pond and main drain lines by 40% or more when constructing in areas that could be impacted by severe storms. • Clear the facility of large trees and any tall or unused structures that could fall into ponds, block vehicle access or damage electrical or other critical infrastructure during high winds.

An example of placing hatchery buildings on constructed earthen raised platforms well above historic flood levels. The leveed pond complex is visible in the distance, behind the building.

• Ensure well casings and caps are located a minimum of 24” (60 cm) above the surrounding grade to help prevent intrusion of floodwater containing high salinity, pesticides, or fertilizers into groundwater supplies. • Locate all hatcheries, shop facilities, equipment buildings and feed storage facilities on higher elevation ground or place buildings on pilings or elevated pads. • Construct all buildings and structures to a minimum 140 mph (225 km/hr) wind rating and preferably 180 mph (290 km/hr) wind ratings. • Install gas or diesel backup generators to operate critical buildings such as hatcheries and broodstock facilities and to power supplemental aeration equipment for ponds and tanks if necessary. Generators and fuel storage tanks must all be elevated or

otherwise protected from inadvertent flooding.

Seasonal Considerations - Outside of Storm Season • Develop a disaster plan that identifies chain of command, with clearly defined primary/secondary roles and responsibilities of various team members. The specific actions outlined below can serve as the basis for most sections of the plan. A 5-day timeline should be included to reflect specific preparation activities leading up to the storm impact. Post-impact actions should also be programmed based on recovery priorities. Incorporate realistic expectations regarding the time involved for both storm preparation and response. • Designate an Emergency Response Team for the facility. Members of the

Storm preparedness should be a year-round activity throughout the life of an aquaculture facility, and the process actually begins with initial site selection.

Low levees can be overtopped from flooding in the surrounding watershed. In this instance the pond liner and levee surface are visible, as is air bubbling up from diffusers supplied by an emergency blower located on the platform.

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emergency response team should be thoroughly trained and physically capable of performing assigned duties and responsibilities. They should also be knowledgeable about the hazards found on the farm. Maps for each block of ponds and all other facilities should be prepared, including locations of electrical equipment (with shut-off options), fuel storage tanks (both above and below ground), propane tanks, compressed gas (for welding, fish transport, etc.), feed bins, chemical spill equipment and alternate entry/exit routes. The team should be trained in decision making regarding when to take actions themselves or when to wait on outside emergency responders. All team members must be trained in the use of various types of fire extinguishers, first aid (including CPR), shutdown procedures for electricity and equipment and chemical spill control. • Download one or more of the readily available computer and cellular phone apps that model storm track predictions, send alerts, and track storm impacts. • Purchase and maintain a stockpile of “weather-proofing” supplies on-hand at the facility, such as tarps and sand bags for buildings, pumps, generators, fuel tanks and damaged levees. • Purchase and maintain emergency medical supplies, a drinking water supply, and a dry- and canned food sup-

Seasonal considerations: Develop a disaster plan that identifies chain of command, with clearly defined primary/secondary roles and responsibilities of various team members. The specific actions outlined below can serve as the basis for the most sections of the plan.

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A, B. Both ponds pictured here were protected by levees constructed well above the surrounding floodplain.

ply adequate for 3 or more weeks of survival for employees that become stranded at the facility or may need to return to the facility for animal care or recovery before utility and emergency services are restored. • Perform adequate facility infrastructure maintenance to ensure items such as loose roofing materials or improperly/inadequately grounded electrical equipment do not become much more serious issues during a storm event. • Maintain good fish inventory, equipment inventory, and feeding records at all times. This information is critical during recovery and insurance claims. Take these records with you when evacuating for storms. Establish a procedure to store records digitally and transmit them weekly to one or more

recipients so they will exist and be retrievable on computers in other locations.

Monthly Considerations during Storm Season • Check short- and long term weather forecasts and radar at least once daily during storm season. • Monitor newscasts and weather reports for potential and impending storm threats. • Review facility infrastructure maintenance issues. • Any equipment not in use, or equipment used primarily during other seasons (such as during spawning season) should be stored or secured in a safe location, as if a storm were already on its way. This reduces the time poten-

tially required for moving and securing equipment in the event an evacuation needs to be made. • Evaluate the vulnerability of your feed storage facilities. Consider limiting feed purchases and supplies on hand to prevent feed loss from water damage in case of a severe storm. This is particularly true for ground-level storage facilities. • If secure storage facilities are available on site, arrange for fuel deliveries several days prior to the expected storm impact. Consider fuel needs for tractors, generators and farm vehicles. Keep in mind that any fuel stored on site poses a contamination risk if storage tanks cannot be adequately protected from anticipated flooding. • Go over emergency preparedness and evacuation plans with employees. • Identify and repair potholes and low areas on levees. Identify other key points on each block of ponds where levee and road elevations will first become impassable in the event of rising water. • Maintain effective aquatic vegetation and algal bloom control to limit oxygen demands during prolonged periods of power outages.

Annual Considerations • Conduct annual audits of fish inventory, equipment inventory, and feeding records to ensure they are correct. • Refresh or replace all emergency medical supplies, a drinking water supply, and a dry and canned food supply. • Service and test all generators (portable and non-portable) every two weeks. • Develop or update the written plan of pre- and post-storm responsibilities and job descriptions for personnel. • Contact your local utility company for guidance on how to disconnect power (or have it disconnected) in the event of downed lines. • Develop a list of post-storm contacts: local emergency and medical services, local government agency offices, the farm’s private insurance

carrier(s), emergency contact numbers for all employees, mechanics, electrical contractors and other important contacts. Make sure all members of the management team and the response team have this list.

II. Pre-Storm Planning – Shortterm Preparedness When a Hurricane, Typhoon, Cyclone or Tropical Storm Is Forecast to Impact Your Area (1 to 7 days before) • Harvest as many large fish (at or above market-size) as possible and transport to processors or buyers 4-7 days before a storm is forecast to pass through the area. Reducing inventory and creating a positive cash flow prior to the storm can be critical to recovery should the facility be flooded, severely damaged, or destroyed. This also thins out stocks so oxygen demands will not be as high during periods of prolonged power outages. • Begin working through the step-bystep preparedness check list of tasks that must be done to secure the facility, fuel supplies, chemical supplies, fish and equipment. • Consider thinning fish in high-density ponds/tanks and spreading them out among less dense ponds/tanks to alleviate aeration demands during prolonged periods without power. Keep in mind, however, that aeration and water exchanges may be difficult or impossible several days later when the storm impacts are greatest, and this can reduce post-transfer survival. • Secure all feed and feed storage facilities (bins and buildings) and apply sand bags if necessary. Massive moisture-related feed losses can occur due to building damage or flooding. • Move all non-critical equipment to higher elevations or store in secure buildings. Machinery, feed, pesticides and any other equipment and supplies not crucial to storm response should be moved to the highest elevations possible. • To the extent possible, deploy portable aerators across the ponds, but avoid those areas that have the lowest

Evaluate the vulnerability of your feed storage facilities. Consider limiting feed purchases and supplies on hand to prevent feed loss from water damage in case of a severe storm. This is particularly true for ground-level storage facilities.

elevations and would be the first to flood. Although most portable aerators are quite heavy, they should be secured to power poles or water inlet pipes, using chains or heavy duty rope, to avoid wind- or tornado-related equipment loss. • Lower pond standpipes 12 – 18” (30 – 45 cm) below normal level, depending on projected rainfall amounts, 3-4 days before storm impact to allow sufficient time for water to drain and make room for excessive rainfall that may occur. NOTE: Be sure to raise standpipes back up to full height before significant rainfalls begin, to prevent floodwaters from entering ponds through the drains. • Ensure all pumps and pump stations needed to remove water from the facility are working, and gas and diesel backup systems and generators are full of fuel. Protect these assets from flooding with sandbags as needed. • Stop feeding 2 days prior to predicted storm arrival to reduce biological oxygen demand of fish and ponds. Provide additional aeration to ponds as needed in order to offset decreased photosynthesis resulting from cloud cover and to allow fish to go into the storm in the best condition possible.

One Day before a Storm is Forecast to Impact Your Area • Unplug or shut off electrical supplies to any non-critical equipment, » 39

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After the storm: Do not rush back into a facility until you are sure it is safe. Drowning and electrocutions are two of the largest dangers in aquaculture production, and the danger increases several fold in the wake of a severe storm.

and disconnect power entirely to all buildings that may be flooded. • In some states and countries, facilities that culture exotic species are required to have emergency measures in place to ensure no escapement to the wild occurs for potentially invasive species. These measures may include maintaining a supply of rotenone or other chemicals to euthanize all fish in outdoor ponds or tanks. These measures should not be taken until the storm path and rainfall projections can be determined, but with sufficient time to complete all tasks. Emergency euthanasia procedures should specify a priori the projected rainfall amounts designated for decision making purposes and consider the time requirements to allow employees to evacuate after applying (and subsequently neutralizing) treatments. • Verify that all pond standpipes have been returned to their highest levels. • Make sure all facility employees have evacuated to secure areas. If some staff will remain on site, confirm that they have access to structures on high ground or elevated slabs/pylons that can withstand hurricane/typhoon force winds and rain, sufficient stores of clean water and food, medical supplies, sufficient supplies of any medications they normally take, working radios or cell phones and sufficient battery or generator power. 40 »

• Those workers remaining on site should have regular cell phone communication with evacuated supervisors and colleagues, since local radio and television communications often black out for several hours as a storm passes. Local first responders may also be out of communication at the time of storm impact. • Personnel remaining on site to monitor fish and facilities until the last moment should also closely observe water levels in low-lying and problematic areas to have sufficient warning to allow workers to exit the operation before levees and surrounding roads and highways are blocked with floodwaters. • If the decision is made to abandon the farm, tractors and other equipment that have not already been moved to the highest ground available must be left in place.

III. Post-Storm Recovery Immediately After the Storm has passed • Do not rush back into a facility until you are sure it is safe. Drowning and electrocutions are two of the largest dangers in aquaculture production, and the danger increases several fold in the wake of a severe storm. Proceed cautiously and avoid driving

across any submerged roads or levees. • Check on the safety of any employees that may have remained behind during the storm to care for the facility or animals. • Check for levee breaches, flooded ponds, rising or incoming water and evidence of structural fire or damage before entering any infrastructure on the property. • Check the entire facility for downed powerlines or other damaged utilities (such as gas pipelines) that may pose a hazard or need to be repaired. • Inspect roofs and cover wind-damaged areas to reduce water damage inside structures. • Start the process of water removal from the facility by pumping if necessary and if possible. Facility recovery cannot be undertaken until roads, levees, and buildings are no longer flooded. • If ponds or tanks have become flooded and water is leaving the property and potentially carrying fish with it, seines or orange vinyl roadside fencing may be placed across shallow or slow-moving water to prevent further fish escapement. For safety reasons, do not attempt to enter, seine, or fence fast moving water that is more than ankle deep. It is better to dam the fast flowing water us-

Pond topping and mixing, due to improperly sized drains incapable of handling heavy rainfall associated with hurricane events.

inventory assessments should be started. Ponds that were flooded and ponds with visible mortality should be fully seined or partially seined and fish numbers extrapolated based on total pond volume to determine inventory losses. • Just as critically, seining should be done to determine if undesirable wild fish species were introduced to ponds through storm surge or flooding.

Once a pond is underwater it is difficult or impossible to tell where levees and roads are.

ing heavy construction equipment if possible. • Aeration is the first item critical to recovery that must be restored following a storm. This can be especially important for watershed ponds. Runoff from above the pond will replace algae-laden water with water carrying high levels of silt and bacteria, severely limiting natural oxygen production after the storm. After conducting the aforementioned safety checks, determine if power to stationary aerators is still functioning or has been restored. If it has, start normal aeration with electrical aerators. If it has not, begin to move portable emergency aeration equipment from secure locations to ponds with the lowest dissolved oxygen levels. • Begin to collect, enumerate, and document dead fish, water damaged feed, and other losses as soon as possible. It may not be possible to adequately document losses later, due to scavenging and decay.

Within a Week Following Storm Impacts • Start the Federal and private crop insurance claims process. Accurate losses of inventory and equipment

may not be fully documented yet, but insurance claims can take months to resolve following storm events so start the paperwork now. • Check structural soundness and document any damage to facility buildings. • Check and document water damage to equipment and machinery. • Continue to collect, enumerate, and document any dead fish or feed spoilage. • Work to restore electrical and water supplies if needed. • Maintain heavy aeration in ponds to reduce stress and associated disease of fish caused by temporary lack of aeration due to power outages or by rapid changes in water chemistry from heavy rainfall, flooding, or saltwater intrusion. • Do not feed any portion of feed if a bag, container, or bin has been found to have water damage or spoilage. Clean out feed storage buildings, bins or other containers with spoiled feed. Thoroughly rinse them with a 10% bleach solution, and allow them to dry completely before restocking feed. Fish may die if spoiled feed is consumed. • If structural, equipment, and operational damages are minimal, pond

Within a Month Following Storm Impacts • Continue and follow-up on the insurance claims process. Begin filing for any additional State or Federal disaster assistance programs for storm recovery. • Water supply and aeration should be fully restored across the farm. • Pond, levee, and road structural repairs should be underway. • Drainage ditches and canals should be examined to determine to what extent, if any, they have been silted in by floodwaters or blocked by downed trees or other debris. • Pond inventories should be continued and fish numbers extrapolated based on total pond volume to determine inventory losses. Undesirable fish species should be removed from production ponds or tanks to the extent possible. • New feed, replacement production fish requirements, and broodfish inventories should be obtained after evaluating ponds, if necessary. • Equipment that was flooded or inundated with water should have general and preventative maintenance done to ensure future working order. Keep all receipts for parts and labor, as well as a list of any equipment that is determined to be a total loss. *Dr. Todd D. Sink is Associate Department Head & Program Leader in Texas A&M University’s Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. He also serves as an Associate Professor and Aquaculture Extension Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Dr. C. Greg Lutz is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center’s Aquaculture Research Station and School of Renewable Natural Resources. Dr. Gary J. Burtle is an Associate Professor and Extension Aquaculture Specialist in the University of Georgia’s Department of Animal and Dairy Science.

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LATIN AMERICA REPORT

Latin America Report: Recent News and Events SERNAPESCA publishes sanitary report from 2018 salmon production Chile. According to information recently released, the country’s salmon mortality index due to infectious causes dropped 14.3% compared to 2017. The incorporation of more specific monitoring for preventive diagnoses, as well as transparency in information among salmon producers are identified as key factors in improving and enhancing epidemiologic surveillance. The report compiles the main indicators of productive activity and sanitary performance for salmon cultivating centers in the regions of Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes. Some 315 centers operated during 2018, with a total biomass production of 540 thousand tons. The document also points out how Chile is free from “exotic” diseases and that monitoring of High Risk Diseases has been incorporated according to the procedures and recommendations of the World Organization for Animal Health in order to maintain this status.

The full report can be read at: https://bit.ly/2WYf9ID and for further information we recommend visiting the website: ww.sernapesca.cl

40,000 totoaba offspring released in Baja California Sur, Mexico Mexico. The fishery for totoaba, an endemic species of Mexico, was once one of the most important economic activities in the Gulf of California. However, totoaba was also one of the first species to show evidence of overexploitation as a result of alterations in its spawning and growing

habitat. As part of the effort to restock the Gulf of California with this fish, Earth Ocean Farms (EOF), with the support of the federal and local governments, released for the fifth time 40,000 juvenile totoaba, raised through sustainable aquaculture practices. The fish were released by representatives of Semarnat, Conapesca and local communities, all of whom attended the event with a common objective: the preservation of totoaba. For the past five years, EOF has developed an innovative plan to breed and release totoaba, thus contributing to restocking the sea of Cortez and ensuring the species’ conservation. Despite being produced legally, international regulations still prohibit exporting the totoaba raised by EOF.

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership of Ecuador (SSP) has been named a James Beard Foundation Impact Program Sustainability Partner. Ecuador. The James Beard Foundation, a leading global sustainable 42 »

food advocacy organization, has built a platform for chefs to support the promotion of sustainable and highquality foods. The Foundation has asserted the power of gastronomy to drive behavior, culture, and policy change around food, and has recently invited the SSP to take part as an Impact Partner to commit to offering products which meet the highest environmental and social standards. Worth mentioning, all SSP branded farmed shrimp meet the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Standard, and due to an extensive, natural based farming approach they are also free of antibiotics and fully traceable. SSP, by taking this role, will also support ongoing education of the culinary community in sustainable seafood choices, by contributing to many of the James Beard Foundation events including Sustainable Seafood Issue Summits and Culinary Labs. More information can be found at: www.sustainableshrimppartnership.org

looking to strengthen their exporting competences and skills in order to expand into markets in Mexico. The companies have the potential to become international in the sub-sectors of aquaculture biosecurity and safety, automation consulting, water treatment, submersible lighting, monitoring and control for farming facilities, structure manufacture and other goods and services. This business node will focus on developing the companies through training sessions on foreign commerce, international logistics, business model design and development, and design and transfer techniques for export services manuals. The first central activity of this international exchange between Mexico and Chile will take place during the 2nd International Symposium on Mariculture in Ensenada, Baja California on November 7th and 8th. More information about the event is available at: http://bit.ly/SIMPAM2019

Thai company acquires 40% of one of the biggest Brazilian shrimp producers Brazil. For the last decade shrimp production in Brazil has been a struggling industry, mainly due to major diseases like white spot and a constant national economic recession climate impacting these companies and the aquaculture industry value chain. However, Brazil has a massive potential for fish farming, with ideal tem-

peratures and a local market of 208 million people who are regular seafood consumers. Considering these positive factors, the Thai company CP Foods has recently signed agreements for the acquisition of a 40% stake in Camanor Produtos Marinhos (CPM), one of the largest Brazilian shrimp producers. CPM has survived the white spot devastation through a production cycle based on intensive farming, combined with cross farming strategies with tilapia and biofloc techniques. CPM was founded in 1990 and currently has a production of 3 thousand tons per year, which they are willing to increase in the short term to 5,000 tons and in the long term to 20,000 tons annually, which will allow to CP Foods to also pursue an expansion of hatcheries in Brazil.

Chilean business node has been created to strengthen commercial relationships with the Mexican aquaculture industry Chile. A new instrument for international collaboration between Chile and Mexico has been created. It brings together 8 companies from Chile that provide services to the aquaculture industry and that are Âť 43

AQUAFEED

Recent news from around the globe by Aquafeed.com By Suzi Dominy*

The evolving shift to green An additional mechanism for producers and retailers eager to minimize and mitigate environmental and social impacts throughout their supply chain should be available by the end of the year – and in this instance “sustainability” won’t just refer to fisheries. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)’s Steering Committee, a multi-stakeholder group consisting of representatives from the feed mill industry, feed ingredient industry, farm industry, NGOs and retail, has

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reached an in-principle agreement on the overall structure and content of the Feed Standard ahead of finalization by ASC’s Standards and Science Team. “The sustainability discussion of feed ingredients has traditionally focused on marine ingredients, and although there are absolutely environmental and social concerns there that need to be addressed, aquafeed is composed of far more than just marine ingredients,” said Michiel Fransen, Head of Standards and Science

for ASC. “The range of environmental and social concerns related to crop-derived ingredients (soy, wheat, corn, rice, canola, etc.) are equal if not more significant in terms of their diversity and scale when compared to marine ingredients. The complexity of crop supply chains further exacerbates addressing their sustainability issues. However, the aquaculture industry increasingly recognizes that feed sustainability must be addressed both on land as well as at sea and ASC’s feed standard uniquely does that.” The standard addresses a number of initial priorities related to crop-derived ingredients: transparency on origin and requirements to source from production areas that are at low-risk of illegal deforestation. It also requires feed mills to work towards deforestation-free supply chains over time. The ASC says the Feed Standard addresses habitat loss, over-harvesting, biodiversity impacts, pollution, poor labor conditions, human rights abuses and lack of community consultation, as well as other key sustainability indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, water and energy consumption. Beyond the rules for crop-derived ingredients, the ASC Feed Standard addresses marine ingredients through a global improvement model that requires feed mills to source marine ingredients from fisheries demonstrating increasing levels of sustainability and eventually MSC certification. Once it becomes operational, feed mills will be able to apply for certification against the Feed Standard, and ASC certified farms will need to source feed from mills which are certified against the Feed Standard. Pilot assessments against the standard are underway and these will inform the completion of guidance documents. The standard will be released once final approval from ASC governance is concluded towards the end of 2019. Meanwhile, around the world feed companies continue to focus much

policy was launched for its partners in Bangkok and extended to Vietnam in late 2017. Besides IFFO standards, four of the company’s aquaculture farms in Vietnam have received ASC Certification. The remaining farms are preparing to apply for the certificate. In Thailand, CP Foods reported 100% of fishmeal used in Thailand’s operations are sourced from byproduct fishmeal which is traceable and sourced from IFFO RS or the IFFO RS IP certified facilities and in accordance with CP Foods’ Fishmeal Sourcing Restrictions. Additionally, the by-product fishmeal must not include species at risk from extinction as defined by the World Conservation Union: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and be traceable by third party.

Courtesy of Stephen McGowan Australian Maritime College.

of their sustainability goals on fishmeal and oil.

Vietnam and Thailand CP Vietnam Corporation (CPV), an investment arm of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), has announced that both by-catch and by-product fishmeal used in the company’s operation will be certified by the Global Standard for Responsible Supply (IFFO RS) or IFFO RS Improver Program (IFFO RS IP) within 2022, to ensure consumers across the world that its products are made from responsible and slavery-free sources. Dr. Sujint Thammasart, DVM, Chief Operating Officer, Aquaculture Business of CP Foods, said 100% of by-product fishmeal supplies to CPV’s aquaculture business is now certified IFFO RS. Some of the fishmeal from Vietnam is also shipped to Thailand. For by-catch fishmeal, CP Foods and CPV are currently taking part in pilot programs of IFFO RS IP to develop a credible criteria for multi species fisheries in Thailand and Vietnam. Moreover, CPV is engaging with local fishmeal producers to

encourage them to join IFFO RS IP. The improved program aims at guiding the suppliers with high potential to apply IFFO RS standard toward sustainable practices. In order to aid them through the application, CPV has encouraged its fishmeal suppliers to apply for sustainable sourcing policy and guidelines for business partners. The

Peru and Ecuador Vitapro, Peru, undertook a joint effort with several interest groups in Ecuador in 2016 to create the Fishery Improvement Project for small pelagics, to lead the Ecuadorian fishery towards sustainability for the production of fishmeal and fish oil. The company is committed to exceeding

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75% of marine ingredients from sustainable fisheries or in processes of improvement as raw material for its Nicovita and Salmofood brands by 2020. The company has introduced Salmofood PRO Diets, a new nutritional solution with higher digestibility and profitability that does not depend on the inclusion of marine ingredients for salmon producers. "We believe that this is the way to advance in aquaculture,” Hugo Carrillo, General Manager of Vitapro explained. “The producers will gradually adapt to it. The inclusion of fishmeal in the diets 20 years ago was around 36 percent and now can reach 5 percent. This is the way to move towards a sustainable and balanced business over time."

China and Denmark The Chinese government is rolling out a new guideline to accelerate green development of its aquaculture industry, which outlines a set of policies to reduce fish farmers’ overall environmental footprint and promote transformation of the industry. Minze Long Yang Xia, the largest trout farmer in China has signed a cooperation agreement with BioMar for the supply of high-performance fish feed with almost half the environmental footprint compared to local Chinese feed. Over the last two years the BioMar BioFarm teams from China and Denmark have been collaborating closely with Long Yang Xia on technical onsite trials that consider the daily conditions of the water and the fish. The ideal recipe solution that was discovered considered the parameters of growth performance and fish welfare while limiting the discharge of nitrogen and phosphorous into the local ecosystem. “Our extensive knowledge on nutritional requirements of trout as well as a strict selection of raw materials according to their characteristics and contribution to sustainability impacts, have together made it possible to discover an optimal feed recipe and feed46 »

ing strategy. Through the onsite trials we have been able to demonstrate a better total performance,” said Carlos Diaz, CEO, BioMar Group. Creating a low impact feed recipe by varying the ingredients plays a crucial role in reducing a farmer’s overall environmental footprint. That is because aquaculture feed is traditionally responsible for up to 80% of the environmental impact of raising fish, due to the feed ingredients and production operations accounting for most of the mass energy flows in the value chain. Long Yang Xia is a green pioneer in China that has also invested in modern aquaculture technologies. It is expected that other farmers in the Chinese market will look to more sustainable feed solutions as the Chinese government implements their new Green Development of Aquaculture initiative.

In Scandinavia (… so far) Seafood shoppers can now scan a QR code through their smartphone and

have access to an array of information including sustainability impact, nutritional profile, seafood origins, certifications and feed ingredients. BioMar has released Discover, a consumer facing digital tool that traces the sustainability practices of aquaculture from farm-gate right back to the environmental impact of all raw materials. Behind Discover are several technologies and tools from BioMar’s BioSustain program that calculate and calibrate huge pools of data to spit out the most up-to-date and accurate information. As various conditions change including the feed recipe or raw material selection, so will the data. The Sustainable Solution Steering® methodology was adapted to evaluate every raw material in the BioMar portfolio. This first-of-itskind in the aquaculture industry has been combined with BioMar’s EcoEfficiency tool that is able to determine the environmental footprint of every feed recipe created by BioMar including calculations on such things

like CO2 emissions, energy use and water use. For the Discover transparency tool to be created and implemented it required multi-level value chain collaboration for the collection of accurate data from raw material suppliers to the farmer. Kvarøy, salmon producers from Norway, have been the first farmers to bring Discover Kvarøy to high-end retailers, said Vidar Gundersen, Sustainability Director, BioMar Group.

Green feed developments BP is revisiting its single cell protein past with a $30 million investment in Calysta. The gas fermentation process used to produce Calysta’s FeedKind product uses naturally occurring, non-GM microbes with the unique ability to use methane as their energy source. Through extensive customer trials around the world, FeedKind protein has been demonstrated to be an effective, safe and nutritious feed ingredient. Protix officially opened the world's largest insect farm in the Netherlands. The occasion was marked by a deal with Skretting that could see up to 5.5 million salmon servings per year brought to market with insect meal incorporated into the feed. Corbion’s AlgaPrime(TM) DHA has successfully trialed in shrimp feed

from global seafood producer Thai Union Group PCL. A native, whole algae ingredient, it contains approximately three times the level of DHA of fish oil. It is a clean ingredient, sustainably produced through fermentation with non-GM cane sugar as a feedstock. Cargill and Innovafeed have entered into a strategic partnership to jointly market fish feed that includes insect protein. Over the past three years InnovaFeed has led multiple trials demonstrating that its insect protein can be an effective alternative to fishmeal used in salmon or shrimp feed with equal or improved performance. Two sustainable solutions - MEPRO, a plant-based protein from Prairie Aquatech, and a cost and environment saving electric drier from Geelen Counterflow - ran away with this year’s Aquafeed Innovation Awards presented during Victam International in Cologne, Germany, following Aquafeed Horizons technical conference. The Awards are bestowed by Aquafeed.com to honor the achievements and contribution of the allied industries to the advancement of aquafeed development. Prairie Aquatech developed a microbially enhanced plant-based protein ingredient for aquafeed, MEPRO; it is already being incorporated into aquafeed diets in the United States and has been trialed with multiple species worldwide. Non-GMO soybean meal is treated with a natural, non-GMO, food-grade microbe (Aureobasidium pullulans) to extend, or even replace fish meal. ME-PRO is also proven to significantly lower phosphorus discharge while providing high P availability to the animal. In one case, a pond-based trout hatchery was able to reduce their discharge by 69%, allowing the hatchery to survive and thrive, sustaining highvalue customers. The Geelen Counterflow Electric Dryer uses heat-exchangers to recover up to 65 percent of all energy and

water from the exhaust of the dryer and re-uses that heat after boosting the temperature by industrial, high temperature heat pumps. This way the dryer can run 100 percent on electricity instead of natural gas. By also installing gas burners, producers can switch back to natural gas in periods when electricity prices are temporarily too high, or in case technical redundancy is required. Electric heating capacity can be installed in small modular steps. As soon as prices for natural gas or CO2 emissions go up/ and or electricity prices come down, additional heat pump capacity can be installed to optimize operational costs. Reducing energy consumption by up to 65 percent and eliminating CO2 emissions, has a potentially major impact on the operation cost and sustainability of the plant. It can also have a very significant impact on the sustainability of the industry overall, with a reduction in CO2 emissions per dryer of thousands of tons. The condensation of humidity in the exhaust air that is triggered in the heat exchanger leads to a significant reduction in odor emissions which will either reduce the risk of odor issues or reduce the cost of odor treatment – an advantage that impressed the judges.

Suzi Dominy is the founding editor and publisher of aquafeed.com. She brings 25 years of experience in professional feed industry journalism and publishing. Before starting this company, she was co-publisher of the agri-food division of a major UK-based company, and editor of their major international feed magazine for 13 years. editor@aquafeed.com

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POST-HARVEST

Processing seafood under sanitary conditions By: Evelyn Watts *

Most seafood processing facilities focus on developing and implementing a HACCP plan (which is a preventive base program that identifies significant hazards associated with the species and the process of the food product) but forget to build a strong sanitation program. Considerations that will help ensure proper sanitary conditions and practices are presented in this article.

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) require seafood processing facilities to develop and implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. A HACCP plan is a preventive base program that identifies significant hazards associated with the species and the process of the food product, and focuses on specific steps to prevent, control, or

reduce the hazard to an acceptable level. However, a HACCP plan is not a standalone program. To provide a good base for a strong HACCP program, Good Manufacturing Practices, Sanitation Control Procedures, and other pre-requisite programs are needed (Figure 1). The FDA regulates all seafood products except for fish from the Order Siluriformes. FDA requires seafood processing facilities to monitor conditions and practices during

Figure 1. Food Safety Pyramid. Good Manufacturing Practices, Sanitation Control Procedures, and other pre-requisite programs are necessary to build a strong HACCP program.

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processing with sufficient frequency to ensure compliance with conditions and practices specified in the Current Good Manufacturing Practices regulation in 21 CFR 117 Subpart B (21 CFR Â§123.11). Facilities are required to keep sanitation control records on file. The USDA regulates Siluriformes fish processing facilities. USDA requires establishments to comply with two sets of regulations concerning sanitation: (1) Sanitation Standard Operational Procedures (SSOP) and (2) Sanitation Performance Standards (9 CFR Part 416). Under SSOP requirements, facilities must develop, implement, and maintain written procedures for the tasks completed daily, before, and during operations, to prevent product contamination. Most seafood processing facilities focus on developing and implementing a HACCP plan, but forget to build a strong sanitation program. Even though the FDA and USDA approaches to sanitation might be different, they both concur that sanitary conditions are necessary to produce a wholesome and safe food product. Considerations that will help ensure proper sanitary conditions and practices during processing are presented below:

1. Safety of Water All water used in processing must be to drinking level standards; whether it is obtained from a municipal source, treated from a well, or seawater. Proof that the water is safe and potable must be available. For municipal water in the U.S., a copy of the water bill is usually sufficient documentation, as most have high chemical and microbiological standards, have been purified or treated, and are regularly tested. If the municipality does not provide water analysis or water comes from a private well, testing for safety is required twice a year, at least for coliforms (otherwise known as bacteria from sewerage).

Image 1. Color coding for food waste handling.

Contamination of wells can occur due to floods or heavy rains, location close to septic tanks, or cracks or improperly sealed equipment. Seawater must meet the same requirements for municipal and private sources, and so must be treated and tested.

The FDA regulates all seafood products except for fish from the Order Siluriformes. The USDA regulates Siluriformes fish processing facilities.

Ice is considered the same as running water, and ice machines should be sanitized to ensure they do not contaminate the seafood (Image 3). Safe water also involves proper plumbing to prevent cross-connections between clean water and postprocess or wastewater. Backpressure or siphoning can result in back-flow; this can be prevented by using air gap, vacuum breaker, or check valve. Hoses should be properly stored, hanging off the floor when not in use, and not submerged in tanks.

2. Good Condition and Clean Food Contact Surfaces Any surface that touches seafood during processing should be kept clean and sanitized. This includes tables, conveyors, baskets, totes, cutting boards, knives and other utensils. Gloves and aprons are also food contact surfaces and should be kept clean and not used when torn or cut. A good visual inspection of these

items during each cleaning is necessary. The design of food contact surfaces is just as important as the condition. Food contact surfaces should be easy to clean and smooth, including seams, corners, and edges. The surface material should be non-toxic, non-absorbent, resist corrosion, and unaffected by repeated cleaning and sanitizing. Avoid wood, iron-based metals, brass, and galvanized metal. Proper cleanup to maintain sanitary conditions should be a five-step procedure: solid waste removal, rinse, detergent application, and then rinse again, followed by the application of a sanitizer. Several methods can be used to wash food surfaces effectively, including a soak tank, foam, automated system, or good old-fashioned scrubbing by hand. The key is to allow enough detergent contact time, use of hot water, with enough scouring to remove unseen waste in Âť 49

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Image 2. Condition and cleanness of food contact surfaces.

every corner and fissure. Scrubbing brushes should be kept clean and sanitized, and used for cleaning food contact surfaces only. Sanitizer solutions must be used at recommended strength. Check the solution often using test strips, and replace sanitizing solution if diluted (Image 2).

Even though the FDA and USDA approaches to sanitation might be different, they both concur that sanitary conditions are necessary to produce a wholesome and safe food product.

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Finally, all food processing items should be stored in a clean and dry location, not exposed to splash, dust or other contaminants. Follow these steps, and all other good manufacturing practices, to produce safe, sanitary and quality seafood.

3. Prevention of cross-contamination and cross-contact of allergens Cross-contamination happens when bacteria move from an item to the seafood through direct contact. The source of these pathogens could come from the seafood handler or other personnel, raw seafood, equipment or utensils, or the processing plant environment. Cross-contamination can be prevented with the separation of raw and cooked product at every stage in the processing chain, from receiving to shipping. Not only should there be separate areas for raw and readyto-eat products, but also, clothing, utensils, and cleaning tools should not cross from raw to cooked foods. Color-coding is recommended to separate utensils from food contact

surfaces and non-food contact surfaces, as well as raw and cooked areas. Controlling the movement of equipment and using the right utensils for the right purposes can play a key role in sanitation (Image 1). Another important way to prevent bacteria from contaminating your seafood is to limit employee traffic to essential personnel, who use good hygiene and hand washing practices. Proper hand washing is essential, as is the use of hair and beard covers, footwear, and a ban on any and all jewelry, and food and drinks in processing areas. Just the simple act of touching an unclean cooler door handle, then handling the product, can lead to unsafe food.

4. Protect food from adulteration & proper label, use and storage of toxic compounds Seafood must be protected at all times from ‘adulterants.’ An adulterant is a substance that will contaminate the food product: non-food grade lubricants, fuel, pesticides, detergents, and sanitizers. Seafood, as well as packaging materials and sur-

faces should be protected from condensate or other dripping liquids, and from splashes of pooled water that may contain these toxic compounds. Though exposure to these substances may be small, adulterated food is still considered unsafe, with the potential to harm the health of a consumer. Avoid contamination by checking food areas regularly for any pooled or dripping liquids, and correct those issues in one or more possible ways: • remove the condensate, • correct air flow and room temperature, • install covers or trays to collect condensation, • rinse surfaces that have been sanitized with too high a concentration of sanitizer, • remove standing water on floors, • discard unlabeled chemicals.

All toxic compounds, like cleaners or pesticides, should be clearly labeled. Products in their original containers must show the compound name, manufacturer’s name and address, approvals, and instructions of proper use. Chemicals in working containers, like spray or mixing bottles, must be labeled with the name of the compound and instructions for proper use. Storage of these products must be separate from processing areas— in a room with limited access, segregated by food grade and non-food grade, and away from food equipment, utensils and other food contact surfaces. NEVER store cleaners and sanitizers in food containers that could inadvertently be used to pack product. Inadequately labeled supplies should be returned. Damaged containers should be destroyed. Reinforce training of employees to avoid exposing seafood to toxins by mistake.

Seafood must be protected at all times from ‘adulterants.’ An adulterant is a substance that will contaminate the food product: non-food grade lubricants, fuel, pesticides, detergents, and sanitizers.

Image 3. Safety of Ice.

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A key part of Good Manufacturing Practices focuses on the employees. Even a healthy person can cause contamination on food in process, just by touching their face or opening a door.

5. Employee health and personal hygiene practices A key part of Good Manufacturing Practices focuses on the employees. Even a healthy person can cause contamination on food in process, just by touching their face or opening a door. Hand washing is the best way to limit the spread of germs, and it starts by making hand-washing facilities easily accessible near bathrooms and entrances. These facilities should be dedicated to hand washing only, and employees should be taught how to wash properly using liquid soap, hot water, and thoroughly drying using paper towels or air blowers. Hands should be washed each time personnel enter the processing floor, after using the restroom, and after sneezing, coughing, or touching skin. Though all areas of the facility must be kept clean, it is very important to pay special attention that toilet facilities and hand washing stations are kept clean and in good repair at all times. Soap and hand drying products must be available always. Trash should be emptied often to prevent overflowing. 52 »

Personal cleanliness, clean outer garments, removing jewelry, wearing gloves and hair restraints, and excluding such things as gum, food and drinks, tobacco, makeup, and any personal belongings from the food production area will help control the spread of bacteria. A sick employee is a potential source of microbial contamination, no matter how well they wash their hands. This includes any person with symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, vomiting, jaundice, sore throat with fever, open skin sores or cuts, boils, and dark urine. Management should set clear company policy on when to restrict or exclude an ill employee, and when to allow such an employee to return to work. Just as personnel have the responsibility to maintain good health, report illness, wash hands properly, and be aware of unsanitary conditions, facility management is responsible for training employees so they understand what is expected, monitoring their work and work space, and setting a good example by following all good manufacturing practices, including health and hygiene.

6. Pest control Control of insects, rodents, birds, and other pests is a key sanitation practice to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease. A good pest control program should use three strategies: (1) eliminate shelter and attractants; (2) keep pests out of the plant; and (3) extermination of those that get inside. Above all, the key to success is consistent monitoring for the presence of pests and adjusting the pest control program as needed. Grounds around the facility should be clear of weeds, tall grass, and debris where pests could hide, as well as no standing water. There should be enough traps set in good condition. The condition of the building should be inspected. Windows and doors should have a tight seal and window screens should be intact

with no holes. Openings that allow pest intrusion should be eliminated. Drains should be cleaned, and properly fitted with good covers. Blacklights for flying pests should be inspected to ensure proper function. Plant machinery, equipment, and utensils can also serve to harbor pests. These should be consistently cleaned to prevent pest attraction. Survey the space between equipment, stored material, and the walls. Make sure there is enough room to clean and sanitize between equipment and walls, and debris are not accumulated in any dead spaces. Good housekeeping throughout the building will help prevent attraction of bugs and rodents. Keep trash picked up and properly stored and disposed. Maintain clean and sanitized areas that might accumulate food or water, including the locker and break rooms, as well as waste bins. During regular monitoring, be sure that any sign of pests is cleaned up, not just for sanitation, but so that any new activity can be noted. Pest extermination can be done by an outside pest control company or the facility can handle the job. Always remember that pesticides must be properly labeled and stored, and follow manufacturer’s instructions for application.

Dr. Evelyn Watts has a Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master’s in Food Safety from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, and a Doctorate in Food Science from Louisiana State University. She works with seafood processors in Louisiana assisting in regulatory compliance, as well as providing guidance on handling, processing, packaging and storage technologies.

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TECHNICAL GURU

Blowers,

compressors and more by Amy Stone*

While we have discussed friction loss in airlines, we haven’t delved into the different kinds of air sources that are available in Aquaculture.

Compressor installation.

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here are multiple variations of blowers, compressors and hybrids out there that each have a use in our industry. It’s important to know how they work in order to select the proper equipment for the application. Before we explore the types of aeration that are available, it is important to keep in mind a few things. First, there are very few applications where a back-up is not necessary. If the system can’t function without aeration, then it is imperative to keep a second blower/compressor, either on the shelf or plumbed inline. As always, preventative maintenance programs are key to ensuring your livestock is as protected as possible from equipment failures. In terms of installation, please refer to an earlier column where friction loss was reviewed and explained. This is one of the more common reasons that aeration equipment fails prematurely. Excessive heat caused by improperly sized piping systems causes bearing failures and in more extreme cases can cause the piping system to melt.

Blowers Regenerative Blowers tend to be most common in aquaculture. This style of blower uses a large diameter impeller that has alternating channels which push air inward and outward within the impellor housing. As the fins of the impeller pass by the inlet, the blower takes in more air and discharges air at the outlet, with some of the air volume staying in the housing. This allows the blower to function in both vacuum and pressure applications. It produces high volumes of air at relatively low pressure. This style of blower is perfect for tanks that have a standing water level of 1 meter or less and/or for diffuser placement in the same depth range. Since blowers use ambient air as their supply, it is important to avoid placing air diffusers at depths greater than one atmosphere of pressure, or

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Regardless of what your application requires for air volume and pressure, there is a solution available. The key is making sure that the proper solution is chosen for the job.

Piston compressor.

14psi. This will reduce the possibility of nitrogen super saturation. Regenerative blowers can be put in series to increase the amount of pressure they can produce. When they are put in series, one blower discharges into the intake of another equally sized blower. The pressure is basically doubled while the volume is relatively the same. Squirrel or Centrifugal Blowers work in a manner similar to the regenerative blowers. However, they always

Rotary vane compressor.

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have a tangential outlet. These blowers are used where higher volumes at very low pressures are required. They are often used on air exchange systems, ozone destruct systems or as cooling fans within compressor cabinets. They are not appropriate for providing air through diffusers or under any pressure.

Compressors Vane Style Compressors use a sacrificial vane to compress the air within

the housing of the unit. The style we most often see uses a compressed carbon material that wears away, and the vanes should be replaced once a year. These compressors provide low volumes of air at higher pressures than the blowers. These are most generally seen in pond aeration applications. In some cases, they are used to aerate deep algae vats. The compressor releases small carbon particles as the vanes wear. So, if a vane style compressor is being used to aerate clean cultures, an inline filter must be in place to avoid contamination. Piston compressors are exactly what the name implies. They use pistons to compress the air. Like a car engine, they require regular gasket maintenance and can be difficult to rebuild. These are available in both oil-less and oiled versions. In most cases, we use the oil-less version since it is not a good idea to allow machine oil to be injected in culture water. Rotary Lobe Compressors are usually referred to as Roots Blowers after the two brothers who invented the concept in 1860. The rotary-lobe compressor uses two intermeshing rotors mounted on parallel shafts. The two rotors rotate in opposite directions. As each rotor passes the blower inlet, it traps a finite volume of gas and carries it around the case to the

Regenerative blower.

Rotary lobe compressor.

blower outlet. With constant speed operation, the displaced volume remains approximately the same at different inlet temperatures, inlet pressures and discharge pressures. This style of compressor is often used with gas engines and is belt driven. They require a bit of engineering, as the pulley size and belt configuration both affect the volume and pressure of the air being delivered. These compressors work well in areas that do not have reliable electricity. Regardless of what your application requires for air volume and pressure, there is a solution available. The key is making sure that the proper solution is chosen for the job.

Amy Riedel Stone is President and Owner at Aquatic Equipment and Design, Inc. She was formerly a Manager at Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, and she studied Agriculture at Purdue University. She can be reached at amy@aquaticed.com

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OUT AND ABOUT

Wanted:

An Aquaculture Development Plan If you have seen any lying around, please contact the corresponding By: Salvador Meza *

government agencies as soon as possible; they are in dire need of it.

hy is it so difficult for the governments in many countries to draft an aquaculture development plan? It certainly seems as if the topic were too broad, and they don’t really seem to understand what is being talked about; there are too many types of aquaculture and they end up becoming entangled in so much aquaculture terminology: inland waters, coastal marine, marine open waters, pisciculture, oyster farming, shrimp farming, etc. In this sea of aquaculture opportunities, it is a frequent issue that they cannot find where to start, nor what is the actual production calling of their own countries, and they end up pushing outlandish projects which all of us know to be an impending fiasco, except them. It has happened, and many times; sometimes even repeatedly. And then there are the “experts” who approach the issue with endless brilliant ideas. These “advisors” are always lurking and are, with some exceptions, professional swindlers; there is no way to get rid of them. Using relations and influences, they manage access to the highest levels of aquaculture bureaucracy and whisper in the ear of Secretaries, General Directors, Ministers, and etcetera; somehow they always manage to push plans and projects that ultimately do not benefit anybody except their own pockets and circles of influence. Lastly, these governments generally have to share the scanty resources ear58 »

marked for promoting aquaculture with the fishing industry; this industry is a patient in intensive therapy with a limitless need for resources. No amount of money is enough to upkeep a sick one in an intensive care unit for decades, and many governments in the world have continued to support these by sacrificing the development of whole generations of young professionals in the areas of aquaculture development,

such as: biologists, aquaculture engineers, bio technicians, zoo technicians, and of millions of people who live in rural areas that could very well have benefited from a Strategic Aquaculture Development Plan that was never carried out because of the lack of judgment. Salvador Meza is Editor & Publisher of Aquaculture Magazine, and of the Spanish language industry magazine Panorama Acuicola.

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AQUAPONICS

Applying Design Thinking

to reimagine aquaponics: a case study “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end By: George B. Brooks, Jr. Ph.D.

because once you get there, you can move mountains.” -Steve Jobs

like to eat healthy and good flavored food. I’d wager most people would join me in this particular preference and small aquaponics systems with grow beds 3 to 4 square meters in size, like those described in the Food and Agriculture Organizations manual “Small Scale Aquaponic Food Production” are a demonstrated path toward achieving this goal (Somerville et al. 2014). This basic design inspired the creation of thousands of small aquatic farms scattered across the nation’s rural and urban backyards (Brooks 2018). In the years since, some of the significant complaints that could limit expansion of these small systems to new users are the realities that they can be expensive to build or to buy, complex to operate and disposed to breaking down, thus prone to fish kills (Brooks 2019). (See Figure 1). One of the challenges toward creating more robust and less expensive to build and operate aquaponic systems is loyalty to that basic design that was developed sometime in the ‘90s, and propagated by uncounted YouTube videos and numerous books, that is “good enough” to meet users’ needs. According to Wikipedia, the principle of “good enough” is when consumers will use products that are good enough for their requirements, 60 »

Figure 1. Basic configuration of a small Deep Water Culture (DWC) aquaponics system from the FAO manual.

despite the availability of more advanced technology (Wikipedia 2019). It was great for its day but even great disruptive innovations need to be reimagined now and again to keep up with the times (Brooks 2018). One process that may address this issue is Design Thinking (DT). Design Thinking is an approach to innovation that works to integrate the potential of technology and the requirements for economic success with the people’s needs (see Figure 2). According to Fortune Magazine the term “design thinking,” was coined back in 2003 by IDEO company cofounder David Kelley. Today it is widely used as an user-centric approach to innovation by a wide variety of corporate

entities including Apple, IBM, Fidelity, Intuit, Samsung, Airbnb and many more (Chandler et al 2018). Some years ago I had the opportunity to address the challenge of reimagining aquaponics to meet the needs of my direct community here in Phoenix, Arizona. Looking through the lens of Design Thinking, the process I used was extremely similar to the 5-stage Design Thinking concept promoted by the Interaction Design Institute. They see design thinking as a “design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It’s extremely useful in tackling complex issues that are ill-defined or unknown, by understanding the human needs involved, by re-framing

the problem in human-centric ways, by creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and by adopting a handson approach in prototyping and testing”(Rikke and Siang 2019).

Stage 1: Empathise To “Empathise” is to gain a clear, near view of the problem one is trying to solve. This implies taking a deep dive into the question to find out all one can. This will require talking to experts, technology users and customers to ascertain what they see as their needs. Most importantly this empathetic process allows the user to put aside his or her preconceptions to gain more accurate insights into the issues at hand. Stage 2: Defining the Problem Once all of the users’ and customers’ needs are understood, one must now define the problem in human terms. For example, for a family to eat well from an aquaponics system similar in size to the ones described in the aforementioned FAO manual, depending on the skill of the user it must be able to produce healthy, high quality produce and fish at a competitive cost. With such a human centered problem in hand, the various design

Figure 2. The 5 stage Design Thinking format from the Interaction Design Institute.

elements to address for a solution become clearer. In this case such a DYI system would need to be user friendly, low in cost and easy to build. It would also need to have a smaller space footprint, be inexpensive to operate, easy to harvest (fish and vegetables) able to produce as much (or more) high quality healthy food just as fast as (or faster than) other designs, but be less

subject to breakdowns that reduce product quality and harvests amounts.

Stage 3: Ideate To “Ideate” is to form new ideas and concepts. This is an opportunity to think beyond the box and not be limited necessarily to concepts previously used to attack the problems at hand. Within my experience, KISS (Keep

After a few trials and errors a workable concept was developed to utilize these splash pools. However, it required one to abandon the traditional layout of an aquaponics recirculation system and replace it with a design inspired by the IPRS (In Pond Race Way System). Figure 3. Underused backyard splash pool filled with green water.

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For a family to eat well from an aquaponics system similar in size to the ones described in the aforementioned FAO manual, depending on the skill of the user it must be able to produce healthy, high quality produce and fish at a competitive cost. Figure 4. IPRS system diagram.

It Super Simple) always worked well when trying to solve a problem. I think Steve Jobs of Apple may have said it best in the quote shared at the beginning of the article. Interestingly enough, the effort to move beyond the box actually led figuratively and literally back to a box. Wherever I would travel I would see pools similar to the one pictured here in a backyard near Chicago Illinois (see Figure 3), unused and filled with green water growing mosquitos. With

Figure 5. Aquaponics converted circular splash pool.

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perhaps tens of thousands of these pools, underused and apparently spread across the country, would it not be great if they could be made to grow food instead of bugs? The question would be how? (Rikke and Siang 2019).

Stage 4: Prototype The prototype stage is when one throws the results of the ideation up on the wall, and then builds test models of the ideas that stick. The splash

pool stuck. However, the first idea of how to use it did not. As stated by the Interaction Design Foundation, “this is an experimental phase, and the aim is to identify the best possible solution for each of the problems identified during the first three stages.” One concept drawn from the Internet, as had been tried by others, was to simply use the pool as a fish tank and then plumb grow beds, clarifiers and bio filters to the outside as would be done with a traditional IBC system. Though the size of the tank did protect the fish somewhat from power failures, the system took up a lot of space and was no less complex to build or costly to operate than traditional designs. In addition, plumbing PVC lines through a layer of Vinyl pool liner and an internal fish safe/ food safe liner was difficult and established a new point for potential catastrophic failure. Finally, it was difficult to get the solids out of these big tanks without actually going in and vacuuming. After a few trials and errors a workable concept was developed to utilize these splash pools. However, it required one to abandon the traditional layout of an aquaponics recirculation system and replace it with a design inspired by the IPRS (In Pond Race Way System) (see Figure 4.)

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AQUAPONICS

There is increasing talk today in the United States of the growing “Seafood trade deficit.” In other words “the U.S. eats a lot more fish than it produces in fisheries or aquaculture.” One clear solution to this challenge is to domestically grow more fish.

Figure 6. Testing of splash pool configurations continues.

IPRS is a method to dramatically increase the carrying capacity of an aquaculture pond by sequestering the majority of the fish in raceways that are installed within the pond body. A zero head concept, water from the pond is moved through each raceway through the use of a paddle wheel or airlift pump. Before the water leaves the raceway it passes through a quiescent zone where solids (fish feces) drop out for collection. The water is then emptied into the rest of the pond where bacteria, algae and other microorganisms serve to clean the water before recirculating back to the fish. So in effect, the entire pond, which could be more than 10 acres in size, becomes a complete, integrated recirculating aquaculture system (Brown et al., 2011), (see Figure 4). Looking at an IPRS configured pond from above, it required only a minor intuitive leap to see that a similar configuration of system elements, if placed into the splash pool in question with some modifications for size, plants and the use of off-the-shelf materials, could hypothetically make a simple but complete aquaponics system as well. The open biofiltra64 »

tion space would serve as the location for Deep Water Culture rafts. The Biological Surface Area (BSA) created by the plant roots would serve as the biofiltration media, with the vascular plants polishing the water of nitrate (see Figure 5).

Stage 5: Test Did the idea work? Yes, and on the surface very well. However, almost nothing works right the first time. So rigorous testing of each prototype is not only a good idea, it is a requirement. Accordingly, testing of the splash pools continues with a focus on scalability and different configurations (see Figure 6). In agriculture it takes many years to even begin to experience part of the wide variety of challenges each growing season may bring. An open mind is necessary, for the results of each season will require revision of the prototype to fix what went wrong, or even abandonment of what one thought the problems that needed to be solved actually were. Just like the scientific method, DT is an unending iterative process. This article focused on small-scale aquaponics. However, there is increas-

ing talk today in the United States of the growing “Seafood trade deficit.” In other words “the U.S. eats a lot more fish than it produces in fisheries or aquaculture.” One clear solution to this challenge is to domestically grow more fish. For aquaponics to be a part of this solution, technology improvements will be necessary (Brooks, 2018). Design Thinking though, is not limited by scale. By applying concepts like DT, new and better applications may be created for both small and commercial farms to help meet the world’s increasing food needs. Editor's note: references are available directly from the Author.

*Dr. George Brooks, Jr. holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from the University of Arizona in Tucson and served as that institution’s first Aquaculture Extension Specialist. He is currently Principle at the NxT Horizon Consulting group and also teaches Aquaponics at Mesa Community College. He may be reached at george@nxthorizon.com

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SALMONIDS

Millions of salmon wiped out

by an algal bloom in Northern Norway In mid-May of this year, salmon farmers in a region of Northern By Asbjørn Bergheim*

Norway started to report mortalities at their sites.

he salmon losses escalated over the next days and it soon became clear that they were initiated by a massive algal bloom. By 22 May, the surge of algae had killed an estimated 8 million salmon according to the state-owned Norwegian Seafood Council. Towards the end of the month, the mortality gradually decreased. Sixteen farm sites were hit by the bloom in total, representing a loss of around 13,000 tons of biomass. Assuming a harvest size of 4.5 kg, the quantity of lost salmon corresponded to 35,000 tons at harvest, or a total sales value of 250 million US dollars at the current market price. The total loss caused by algae was close to 10 million fish, as stated in a recent review. The company Ballangen Sjøfarm’s three sites were badly hit and the reported loss exceeded 50% of the biomass, i.e. 2.7 million dead salmon (Figure 1). At Mortenlaks, another small company, only 40 – 50 thousand of 636,000 salmon survived (manager Tor Jarle Bjørkly, www.kyst.no). The affected companies recently contacted the Ministry of Fisheries to ask if the MAB (maximum allowable biomass per site) could be modified to compensate for the lost production capacity over the next year. Affected companies can apply to the authorities for a dispensation from the MAB, lasting for the next 5 years and compen66 »

Figure 1. Aerial view of Ballangen Sjøfarm, Northern Norway (courtesy: Manager Ottar Bakke).

sating for a maximum 60% of the lost biomass. Such disasters not only impact the particular cage farms involved. Due to lack of fish supply, Cermaq Norway’s regional processing plant had to furlough 49 out of 66 workers for more than a month. Water samples indicated high numbers of the micro-algae species Chrysochromulina leadbeaterii, a relatively common algae along the Norwegian coast in spring according to the Directorate of Fisheries (Figure 2). The algae are rarely found in large quantities but may turn into algal blooms under particular conditions in sunny and calm weather. Two previous blooms (C. leadbeaterii)

resulting in salmon mortalities in the same region have been reported, in May – June 1991 and in May 2008. In addition, heavy blooms with the same algal species caused problems in salmon farms along the southwestern coast of Norway 30 years ago. Studies indicate that these algae produce haemolytic compounds that impair the fish’s gills and lead to reduced uptake of oxygen. Wild salmon can escape these deadly algal blooms but salmon in cages have only two choices as the algae are entering the cage: to gather in the deep or flock towards the surface (Lars Helge Stien, personnel communication).

Sampling algal communities - Spring 2019. Courtesy Fiskeridirektoratet / Tor Jkohansen."

Transfer of farmed salmon from endangered sites to less algae-affected areas is an adequate way to reduce the losses. The company Cermaq reported transfer of around 4 million salmon from impacted farm sites (Mrs. Astrid Aam, head of communications). According to The Institute of Marine Research (IMR), the releases of nutrients from the local cage farms only contributed to a smaller part of the nitrogen and phosphate concentrations in the affected fjord systems. The regional aquaculture activity corresponds to 16 – 50 tons biomass/km2, while there can be a risk of over fertilization and algal bloom at a production rate of some 200 tons/km2. Experts at IMR concluded that nutrients from salmon cages did not initiate the actual bloom. Nutrients from the cage farms could only increase the algae production in these open fjords by

Figure 2. The micro-algae Chrysochromulina leadbeaterii (Photo: Wenche Eikrem & Antje Hofgaard, Univ. of Oslo).

Affected companies can apply to the authorities for a dispensation from the MAB, lasting for the next 5 years and compensating for a maximum 60% of the lost biomass.

a few percent when taking into account dilution by coastal currents. In a few fjords along the Norwegian coast aquaculture production represents more than 200 tons/km2, while the highest intensity is found to be 600 tons/km2 (IMR). However, none of these fjords have been hit by harmful algal blooms over the last 20 years. The effects of extra nutrients resulting from human activity are location dependent. In shallow areas with reduced water circulation, added nutrients would contribute more than in exposed areas with more volume and current. According to Lars-Johan Naustvoll (IMR), the Chrysochromulina algae need to be close to the water surface to thrive. Many factors are required for these harmful blooms to take place, such as the amount of sunlight and stable water columns with low winds.

Dr. Asbjørn Bergheim is a consultant at Oxyvision Ltd. in Stavanger. His fields of interest within aquaculture are primarily water quality vs. technology and management in tanks, cages and ponds, among others. asbjorn@oxyvision.com

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HATCHERY CONSIDERATIONS

Climate change is real

How can we tell? Just ask the oysters By: Sydney Gamiao*

The upwelling of nutrient-rich waters initially attracted oyster farmers

to the West Coast, however increased acidity began to pose problems and has become a dire issue which has led to the need for oyster producers to obtain hatchery-produced larvae.

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ince 2005 ocean acidification combined with coastal upwelling on the West Coast of the United States has had continual negative impacts on oyster reproduction. When the ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide, the buildup of carbonic acid causes a decrease in the oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pH, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. In many areas of the West Coast, water is becoming too acidic for the young oyster larvae to survive due to the low pH interfering with their thin calcium shells. Without their protective shells, the young oyster larvae die, and the life cycle is broken with no new oysters to take the place of the old. The lack of natural spawning and collection, also known as natural sets, has prompted oyster farmers to develop creative solutions to continue their livelihoods. Hope for oyster farmers on the West Coast is not lost. Once the larvae pass the critical stage of pediveliger and their shells are stronger, they are able to survive the lower pH conditions and progress into adulthood. Ocean acidification on the West Coast has become a dire problem and has resulted in few natural sets occurring since 2005, which has led to the need for oyster producers to obtain hatchery-produced larvae. Although some oyster farmers were already utilizing hatchery-produced larvae, many other farmers especially in Willapa Bay, Washington were relying on natural sets. Willapa Bay oyster farmers collected, bagged, and stacked shucked adult oyster shells in bays in preparation to collect the larvae of the existing oysters that spawned in the area after attaching to the shells. The upwelling of nutrient-rich waters initially attracted oyster farmers to the West Coast, however increased acidity began to pose problems. Oyster mortality rates rose to almost 100% due to a combination of disease and stress from low pH and oxygen levels that coincided with upwelling events, causing a seed shortage. To combat unreliable seed sup-

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HATCHERY CONSIDERATIONS

When the ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide, the buildup of carbonic acid causes a decrease in the ocean’s pH, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification.

plies, Hog Island Oyster Company constructed a hatchery in Humboldt, California that is currently managed by Juan Avellaneda. The hatchery has a Burke-O-Lator® that monitors the pH, aragonite, pCO2, temperature, and alkalinity of incoming seawater. They are working with the California Sea Grant and Humboldt State University to monitor real-time ocean chemistry parameters that help the hatchery evaluate conditions for their animals so that they can make appropriate management decisions. There are several such instruments along the West Coast and the data gathered help to paint a picture of conditions along the entire coastline. When conditions are not suitable for growing larvae, facilities stop water intake and wait until conditions or tides shift. Other monitoring equipment screens the ocean water chemistry and works in conjunction with automatic dosing equipment and an automated system to treat the water with additives such as sodium carbonate (soda ash) to increase the pH to values that are suitable for growing larvae. In addition to the equipment used at Hog Island, Avellaneda believes communication between farmers along the West Coast has been 70 »

crucial in developing methods and installing systems to properly buffer incoming ocean water. Goose Point Oyster Company, based out of Willapa Bay, Washington responded to the threat of ocean acidification by setting up an oyster hatchery in Hawaii. Prior to establishing a permanent hatchery, owner Dave Nisbet launched a pilot study through the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) to determine the fea-

Brian Koval, Hatchery Manager, Hawaiian Shellfish LLC.

sibility of producing oysters in East Hawaii. A hatchery in Hawaii had benefits such as a year-round growing season, warm waters for growing larvae, and water that hadn’t yet been impacted by ocean acidification. Once it was determined that oyster larvae production was successful at UH Hilo, construction began on Hawaiian Shellfish LLC, an oyster hatchery based out of Kea’au on the Big Island of Hawaii.

To support oyster production, Hawaiian Shellfish LLC relies on the production of live microalgae treated with probiotics to reduce harmful bacteria levels.

Hawaiian Shellfish provides oyster larvae and seed to its parent company Goose Point Oyster Company and also supplies West Coast farms ranging from Alaska to California. Solar panels generate about 75 percent of the hatchery’s energy, an environmentally-friendly addition that reduces carbon dioxide emissions. The water for oyster production is supplied through a saltwater well filtered through lava rock which helps to create stable conditions for growing oyster larvae. Currently, the company employs five graduates and two students actively pursuing degrees in Aquaculture and Marine Science from UH Hilo. Hawaiian Shellfish is managed by Brian Koval, who began working with the company during the pilot study in 2010. Koval believes the companies’ focus on producing quality oysters, having a diverse and experienced crew, employing hygiene at the highest levels, and working with customers and researchers has led to their success over the years. Production of high-quality oysters starts with a strong broodstock supply. Hawaiian Shellfish and Goose Point Oysters have been collaborating with the Molluscan Broodstock Program (MBP) of Oregon State

University since the pilot program. Broodstock are high quality, genetically-improved oysters that are selected for growth and disease resistance. Starting with a good product provides some advantages, however it is up to the Hawaiian Shellfish LLC employees and hygiene protocols to get the larvae and spat through the critical stages. To support oyster production, Hawaiian Shellfish LLC relies on the production of live microalgae treated with probiotics to reduce harmful bacteria levels. Three full-time algae technicians produce approximately 25,000 liters of algae per day to support production. The volume and quality of algae is critical in providing a nutritious and balanced diet for all stages of oysters. To accomplish this, Hawaiian Shellfish feeds on average seven species of algae. In addition to producing clean microalgae, biweekly ozonation of the lines and hygiene protocols are followed to maintain health and survival of the oysters and prevent contamination. Oyster seeds are eventually sent to Goose Point or another farm. Shipping procedures and customer service are paramount to this critical stage. Hawaiian Shellfish LLC works to build beneficial relationships with

other companies and has worked with growers of all sizes. They accommodate small orders from family farms and ship to remote and complicated areas such as Alaska. For those of us that love to eat oysters, we are lucky to have hardworking researchers and farmers that continue to produce oysters in spite of a changing ocean.

Sydney Gamiao is the Live Feeds Research and Production Specialist at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, University of Hawaii at Hilo. She received her BS in Agriculture with a specialty in Aquaculture in 2013 and is currently pursuing a degree in Tropical Conservation and Environmental Biology at the University of Hawaii.

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THE SHELLFISH CORNER

Sustainability and the Precautionary Principle By Michael A. Rice*

The fact that cultured shellfish are filter feeders that graze on

phytoplankton is a major selling point used by many shellfish farmers as they argue their cases to official authorities to obtain leases or permits to start their aquafarms

Image 1. Three elements of sustainability attributed to Our Common Future, 1987 . Source: Wikimedia Commons.

fter all, most all shellfish aquaculture farming worldwide is conducted in waters held in common and administered by some government entity that is vested with the authority of managing the waters as part of the public trust. Very frequently, the Precautionary Principle is evoked by critics of various shellfish aquaculture projects as

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their philosophical basis for opposition. Just what is the precautionary principle anyway? In its most basic form, the precautionary principle is simply the old adage of “better safe than sorry” when applied to environmental policy. The precautionary principle has its philosophical origins with the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1964 and the first Earth

Day of 22 April 1970. It gained traction during the heyday of the development of environmental policies in Europe and the United States in the early 1970s. In Germany, the principle Vorsorge, or foresight, articulated the belief that their society should avoid environmental damage by carefully planning any proposed projects. This Vorsorgeprinzip developed into a fundamental principle of German environmental law and eventually spread across Europe, being incorporated into basic environmental policy during the formation of the European Union. It was invoked to justify the implementation of robust policies to tackle acid rain, global warming and water pollution. Likewise in the United States, the landmark environment legislation of 1972, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, all had the precautionary principle at their philosophical cores although it was not explicitly stated. The precautionary principle later entered into international treaties with the Rio Declaration of 1992. In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation (Rio Declaration 1992, Principle 15). Despite all of the environmental advances since the 1970s, particularly in the massive reduction of air and water pollution in most countries with advanced economies, the precautionary principle has frequently been abused/used as a tool by opponents to halt aquaculture project development, not on environmental grounds per se, but often for other ulterior political reasons. For example, in my home state of Rhode Island during the early 1990s, there was a push by a few in our state legislature to streamline the aquaculture laws to allow for growth of shellfish aqua-

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THE SHELLFISH CORNER

Image 2. The Thomas D. Royal of Saltwater Farms, Davisville, Rhode Island. Photo by M.A. Rice.

The Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, all had the precautionary principle at their philosophical cores although it was not explicitly stated.

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culture leasing in the coastal waters of the state. Justification for the legislative action to increase the amount of shellfish aquaculture in the state was twofold. First, it was known that at the turn of the 20th Century the aquaculture of oysters was a major economic force within the state with nearly 21,000 acres (about 8,500 hectares) of coastal waters leased for oyster farms and about 60,000 metric tons of oysters worth several million dollars being produced annually. Second, investment by the state and federal governments in the wake of the Clean Water Act to clean up the industrial and sewage pollution (major causes for the decline and failure of the very lucrative oyster farm-

ing industry between the 1920s and 1950s) was very successful, thereby creating conditions for the rebirth of a once thriving aquaculture industry. But despite the potential benefits to the state presented by a historic track record of shellfish aquaculture production and successful pollution abatement other issues cropped up as counterpoints, such as preservation of traditional markets for wild harvested shellfish or limiting the amount of commercial activity within the view of coastal landowners. The aquafarm critics raised the precautionary principle as a proxy, applying it for political reasons, rather than valid scientific reasons. Often,

A major conceptual stumbling block in making progress in aquaculture development has to do with the semantics of the word ‘sustainability.’

their testimony included legitimate scientific studies showing environmental degradation caused by different types of aquaculture, such as shrimp farming in the tropics during the early days of its development, or high density shellfish farms in areas with conditions very much unlike the locale under review, all acting to confuse decision-makers during the process. Additionally, these critics were often selective in their use of the scientific findings, pointing to the potentially negative consequences exclusively, potentially leaving any positive benefits of the aquaculture project completely unrealized.

A major conceptual stumbling block in making progress in aquaculture development has to do with the semantics of the word ‘sustainability.’ To many environmentallyminded people, ‘sustainability’ refers primarily to long-term environmental sustainability, and this is okay for a government agency such the USEPA or environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) that have mission mandates to protect the environment. But a danger of this narrow view of what sustainability is all about is that reliance on the precautionary principle could stifle all innovation, since implementation of any new technology carries some risk of unknown consequences in varying degrees. In the mid-1980s a wider view of sustainability was developed that incorporates elements of economic and social sustainability as well (See: Brundtland Commission 1987. Our Common Future, United Nations). If a business is not making money, it could hardly be considered a sustainable enterprise. Likewise, if communities are stressed, perhaps to the point of poor public health and even civil unrest, they could never be considered fully sustainable. Most contemporary views of sustainability incorporate the economic and social elements with the

view that ‘sustainability’ is a target goal of human-environment equilibrium (or homeostasis), while ‘sustainable development’ is a practical set of holistic policies and pro-active approaches that move us toward the goal of sustainability. This broader contemporary view of sustainability allows for a more proactive approach that considers socioeconomic as well as environmental risks in the decision-making calculus. Political decision makers are always faced with the task of balancing the environmental, social and economic benefits of any proposed project such as a new shellfish farm in common-held or public-trust waters. But the good news is that in many ways most all aquafarmers in their day to day work very closely embody the Brundtland Commission’s ideals of a green industry, balancing both socioeconomic elements with good environmental stewardship. After all, without good environmental stewardship the aquaculture crops would be dead very quickly, along with their businesses!

Michael A. Rice, PhD, is a Professor of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Rhode Island. He has published extensively in the areas of physiological ecology of mollusks, shellfishery management, molluscan aquaculture, and aquaculture in international development. He has served as Chairperson of his department at the University of Rhode Island, and as an elected member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. rice@uri.edu

Image 3. Rhode Island Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee. Photo by Steve Ahlquist.

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URNER BARRY

TILAPIA, PANGASIUS AND CHANNEL CATFISH UPDATES FROM URNER BARRY By: Lorin Castiglione, Liz Cuozzo *

Tilapia Total tilapia imports for May increased 34.6 percent from the previous month. Frozen whole fish (16.3%) and frozen fillets (57.7%) both saw increases, while fresh fillets (- 9.7%) and fresh whole fish imported less volume in May than April. On a year-to-date basis, all categories were tracking behind YTD 2018 volumes. Fresh fillet imports in May decreased from the previous month and the same month last year 9.7 and 11.2 percent respectively. Imports

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from Ecuador continue to fall with YTD figures showing a 17.2 percent decline compared to last year. Meanwhile, shipments from Costa Rica are up 28.2 percent and imports from Honduras are nearly 9 percent lower through May compared to the same period last year. Total imports of this commodity are 5.3 percent lower on a YTD basis through May.

Pangasius and Channel Catfish May Imports of pangasius remained virtually flat to last month, increas-

ing only 2.2 percent. Compared to the same month a year ago, imports fell almost 60 percent, while on a YTD basis 2019 volume tracked 16 percent lower than 2018. This is the lowest May on record since 2004 brought in just over 4 million pounds. Looking at cyclical behavior of total imports, this May falls 69.3 percent below the previous 3-year average for the month. European data runs through May 2019 and reveals imports fell 26.6 percent from the previous month after April saw

a major spike in imports. On a YTD basis, the U.S. has fallen 16% while Europe is up 16 percent above the same timeframe in 2018. Frozen channel catfish fillet imports fell 10.5 percent from the previous month, 65.2 percent from the same month last year, and on a YTD basis, 2019 is trending 40.8 percent below the same 2018 timeframe. Compared to the previous 5-year

average, May 2019 frozen channel catfish fillet imports were 49.7 percent or 405,359 pounds below average. YTD volumes have been falling or remaining relatively steady since 2016.

* Liz Cuozzo lcuozzo@urnerbarry.com Lorin Castiglione lcastiglione@urnerbarry.com

Aquaculture Magazine

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URNER BARRY

Shrimp

UPDATES FROM URNER BARRY By: Jim Kenny, Gary Morrison * April imports showed an increase in total volume for the secondstraight month. Shipments to the U.S. in April were 2.2 percent higher when compared to the same month in 2018, but the year-to-date total trailed last year by four percent. May imports indicated an increase in total volume for the third-straight month. Shipments to the U.S. in May were 5.9 percent higher when compared to the same month in 2018, and the year-todate total trailed last year by only two percent. In April, year-over-year increases were seen from India (+5.2%), Ecuador (+69.4%), and Mexico (+110.2%). Meanwhile, Indonesia (-14.0%), Vietnam (-4.4%) and Thailand (-22.7%) shipped less in April 2019. By May, year-over-year increases were seen from India (+10.8%), Indonesia (+17.0%), Ecuador (+12.1%), Vietnam (+4.7%)

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and Mexico (+107.4%). Thailand (-10.1%) was the only major supplier shipping less in May 2019, continuing a trend that had been in-place all year.

U.S. Imports All Types, By Type On a year-to-date basis, gains were notable in the top market India (+14.4%). Strong April imports from Ecuador finally pushed the pace of change to the positive, reaching 4.5 percent above last year. Mexico (+28.0%) was the only other major market to show YTD increases. Total shrimp imported through the first four months was 4 percent lower. Increases were seen in the headless Shell-On, which includes easy peel, (+8.3%) and breaded (+33.9%) categories in April. Meanwhile, fewer peeled (-0.2%) and cooked (-8.9%) were landed. In May, increases were seen in the headless Shell-On, which includes easy peel, (+9.2%); peeled

(+4.5%); and breaded (+31.0%) categories, and again fewer cooked shrimp (-9.5%) were landed.

Monthly Import Cycles by Country (All Types) India: Shipments from India were higher in each of the first four months of 2019. India now accounts for 38 percent of total import volume. India shipped 5.2 percent more shrimp in April 2019 than in the same month the previous year with year-to-date shipments 14.4 percent higher. Increases, both in the month of April and year-to-date, were seen in the shell-on, peeled and cooked categories. By May, shipments from India had grown year-over-year in each of the first five months of 2019, further establishing the country as the dominant supplier of shrimp to the U.S. market. India shipped 10.8 percent

more shrimp in May 2019 than in the same month the previous year; yearto-date shipments were 13.6 percent higher. Increases continued in the month of May in the shell-on, peeled and cooked categories. Indonesia: Shipments from Indonesia were lower for a fourth-straight month; in the month of April, shipments from Indonesia to the U.S. were 14 percent lower, sending the year-to-date total down 14.1 percent. They continued to ship less shell-on (-20.0%) and peeled (-12.6%) shrimp but seem to be targeting growth in the cooked category (+7.7%). Despite the overall declines, Indonesia remained responsible for nearly 20 percent of all shrimp imported into the U.S. Shipments from Indonesia were higher in the month of May, ending a fourth-month streak of year-overyear declines. In May, shipments from Indonesia to the U.S. were 17 percent higher, but the year-to-date total was still down 8.5 percent. Indonesia shipped more shell-on (+8.1%), peeled (+18.6%) and cooked (+17.4%) shrimp in the month of May. Indonesia was still the number two supplier to the U.S. Ecuador: The U.S. saw less shrimp from Ecuador in each of the first three months of 2019, but that changed in April with a 69.4 percent increase. Ecuador shipped more shell-on (+50.6%) and peeled (+113.0%) products in the month. In May, for the second-straight month, Ecuador increased shipments into the U.S. This further reversed the earlier three-month decline that ran January through March. May shipments were up 12.1 percent and actually stood 6.1 percent higher on the year. Ecuador shipped less shell-on (-0.5%), but much more peeled (+43.2%) products in the month. Thailand & Vietnam: Thailand shipped 22.7 percent less shrimp in the month of April and was down 20.8 percent Jan-Apr. In the month of May Thailand shipped 10.1 percent less shrimp and was down

18.8 percent year-to-date. Vietnam shipped 4.4 percent less shrimp in the month of April and was down 7.3 percent year-to-date. By May, Vietnam was down 4.9 percent, in spite of shipping 4.7 percent more shrimp in the month.

Retail The average value of all shrimp imports in the month of April declined $0.11 or 2.8 percent from March and was 12.9 percent or $0.55 lower when compared to last year. Retailers have been actively featuring shrimp in 2019. In fact, buying opportunities in the month of April exceeded the prior year by 26 percent, and the yearto-date total by 11 percent. Buying opportunities in the month of May exceeded the prior year by 13 percent, and the year-to-date total was up by roughly 12 percent. The ad prices vacillate, but the rate of featuring indicates that retailers continue to see shrimp as a value. The average value of all shrimp imports in the month of May were unchanged from April, but $0.31 lower when compared to last year.

Replacement values (import $/ lb.) for HLSO shrimp increased for the first time since November 2018. The average rose to $3.63 per pound, which is an increase of 1.2 percent or $0.04 from April to May. When compared to the same period last year, average replacement values in May were $0.10 or 2.7 percent lower.

Value-Added, Peeled Shrimp Imports Imports of peeled and deveined shrimp in the month of May increased 4.5 percent; India, Indonesia and Ecuador shipped more, while fewer arrived from Vietnam and Thailand. Cooked (warm water) imports were 9.5 percent lower in May, Once again led by a sharp decline in shipments from Thailand. Breaded imports were 31 percent higher in the month. Replacement values (import $/ lb.) for peeled shrimp were marginally higher in the month of May, going from $3.66 to $3.68; this breaks a string of sixth-straight months with declines. This is nearly a 0.51% increase. When compared to last year, replacement values are 10.56 percent Shell-On Shrimp Imports, Cycli- or $0.4 lower. cal & by Count Size Headless Shell-On imports, including easy peel, were 9.2 percent higher in May and were basically even with last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace at that time. Of the nine count sizes listed, the only declines * Jim Kenny jkenny@urnerbarry.com noted were in 41-50 through 61-70 Gary Morrison gmorrison@urnerbarry.com count shrimp. Âť 79

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LAQUA 2019 Nov. 20 – Nov. 22 San José, Costa Rica T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.was.org

AUGUST 2020 WAS NORTH AMERICA & AQUACULTURE CANADA 2020 Ago. 30 – Sep. 02 St John’s Newfoundland, Canada T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.was.org

SUSTAINABLE OCEAN SUMMIT Nov. 20 – Nov. 22 Paris, France W: https://www.oceancouncil.org/ FEBRUARY 2020 AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2020 Feb. 09 – Feb. 12 Honolulu, Hawaii T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.was.org

SEPTEMBER 2020 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2020 Sep. 29 – Oct. 02 Cork, Ireland T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.was.org NOVEMBER 2020 RASTECH 2020 Nov. 16 – Nov. 17 South Carolina, USA. T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.ras-tec.com

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AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2020.............................INSIDE COVER February 09 – 12, 2020. Honolulu, Hawaii T: +1 760 751 5005 E: worldaqua@aol.com W: www.was.org AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2019..................................................21 October 07 – 10, 2019. Berlin, Germany. E: ae2019@aquaeas.eu W: www.aquaeas.eu AQUA EXPO 2019 WORLD AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE...........65 October 21- 24, 2019. Guayaquil, Ecuador. Convention Center. Contact: Gabriela Nivelo T: (+593) 4268 3017 ext. 202 E-mail: gnivelo@cna-ecuador.com LACQUA 2019.......................................................................1 November 19 - 22, 2019. Herradura Convention Center (Windham). San José, Costa Rica. E-mail: worldaqua@was.org www.was.org GUATEMALA AQUALCULTURE SYNPOSIUM 2020...................31 May 07 – 09, 2020. Santo Domingo del Cerro, La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. E: simposiodeacuiculturagt@agexport.org.gt W: www.simposio.acuiculturaypescaenguatemala.com XIII SIMPOSIO CENTROAMERICANO DE ACUICULTURA.........53 August 20 - 23, 2019. Choluteca Honduras. E-mail: andah@andah.hn INFORMATION SERVICES

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PANORAMA ACUÍCOLA MAGAZINE.............................................19 Empresarios No. #135 Int. Piso 7 Oficina 723 Col. Puerta de Hierro, C.P.45116 Zapopan, Jal. México Office: +52 (33) 8000 0578 Contact 1: Subscriptions E-mail: suscripciones@panoramaacuicola.com Office: +52 (33) 8000 0629 y (33) 8000 0653 Contact 2: Christian Criollos, Sales Manager E-mail: crm@dpinternationalinc.com Contact 3: Claudia Marín, Sales Support Expert E-mail: sse@dpinternationalinc.com www.panoramaacuicola.com AQUAFEED.COM..........................................................................55 Web portal · Newsletters · Magazine · Conferences · Technical Consulting. www.aquafeed.com URNER BARRY........................................................................77 P.O. Box 389 Tom Ride. New Jersey, USA. Contact: Steven Valverde. T: (732)-575-1967 E-mail: svalverde@urnerbarry.com TANKS AND NETWORKING FOR AQUACULTURE REEF INDUSTRIES....................................................................7 9209 Almeda Genoa Road Z.C. 7075, Houston, Texas, USA. Contact: Gina Quevedo/Mark Young/ Jeff Garza. T: Toll Free 1 (800) 231-6074 T: Local (713) 507-4250 E-mail: gquevedo@reefindustries.com / jgarza@reefindustries.com / myoung@reefindustries.com www.reefindustries.com