The decision by Ireland’s Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) to recently select Killybegs pelagic trawler Genesis to undergo a random but highly controversial type of ‘weighing at point of landing’ system has resulted in massive ramifications for Irish fish processors who say that this could have a huge impact on Killybegs’ fish factories and for the thousands of seasonal workers who rely on them for income, reports Cormac Burke from Killybegs.

The SFPA have been in dispute with Irish pelagic processors ever since the results of an EU Audit into the operation of pelagic weighing in Killybegs in 2018 resulted in the SFPA threatening to weigh fish at the point of landing – as opposed to in the factories.

The industry is adamant that ‘at-point weighing’ of fish plus the refrigerated water must be suspended to maintain guaranteed fish quality, and to produce an inaccurate weight of fish would force vessels to illegally declare more fish than was actually landed in official returns.

It is understood that the processors have tried to co-operate with the SFPA and have proposed the development of an alternative method of accurately weighing at the pier and have even called on the SFPA to intensify their scrutiny of factory weighing for the Spring pelagic fishery which lasts only for another few weeks.?With the SFPA refusing to continue with the well established and EU-approved system of weighing the net weight of fish at the factories, the new Irish system of monitoring demands that fish are either (i) landed into a ‘de-watering’ hopper while being weighed or (ii) put in the lorry tankers (as was normal procedure) and checked on the weighbridge.

Author: Quentin Bates/FiskerForum | Read the full article here

Increased sub-quota unit in the EU zone in 2020 for hull permit vessels

The sub-quota unit for vessels with hake permits fishing for hake in the EU zone in 2020 is increased to 5,946 tonnes as of today, 12 March

Source: NORGES SILDESALGSLAG

Samherji Holding, a company affiliated with Samherji, has expanded its holding in Eimskipafélag Íslands hf. (Eimskip) by 3.05% up to 30.11%. As required by law, Samherji will within four weeks make a takeover offer to other shareholders in Eimskip.

Samherji Holding’s objective is first and foremost to demonstrate the trust the company has in Eimskip’s operations and the recent operational improvements at Eimskip which have yet to materialize fully.

Eimskip stands on a solid foundation as the oldest shipping company in Iceland, founded in 1914. It has been one of the backbones of Icelandic business for decades.

“Eimskip is majority-owned by Icelandic pension funds that collectively hold more than 50% of the share capital. It is my understanding that the Board of Directors and the management of Eimskip have been aligned in the recent structural and operational changes. Samherji Holding believes Eimskip is well fit to continue to its listing on the Icelandic Stock Exchange. We hope that the majority of current shareholders, both large and small, share that belief with us and will continue to support the development of Eimskip in the years to come,” says Björgólfur Jóhannsson, the interim CEO of Samherji.

The World Aquaculture Society, the Aquaculture Association of Canada and the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association are excited to co-host World Aquaculture North America 2020 at the

St. John’s Convention Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada on August 30 to September 2, 2020.

This year’s theme “AQUACULTURE; The Leading Edge of Food Production” is reflective of the fact that aquaculture is one of the world’s fastest growing food production sectors. The theme is also symbolic of our location this year, on the leading (eastern-most) edge of North America; a point just minutes from St. John’s.

World Aquaculture North America will be a world class, international event, surely to be the largest and most exciting aquaculture conference in Canadian history. Combining the Cold Harvest conference, Aquaculture Canada and WAS Conferences, this event will be the premier attraction for aquaculture in North America in 2020. Thousands of aquaculture stakeholders from around the globe will hear from world-class speakers on the science, technology, business and social aspects of aquaculture. The Conference will also include a 3-day technology and innovation trade show. This conference is not to be missed!

Come and enjoy renowned Newfoundland and Labrador hospitality, the city’s celebrated restaurant scene and it’s legendary night life featuring live music and entertainment. St. John’s is also home to internationally recognized centres in aquaculture and fisheries science.

A new guide designed to help trout farmers get the best out of their recirculation aquaculture systems has been launched by Alltech Coppens today.

The guide was created in collaboration with RAS specialists at the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre, and gives clear, detailed, farmer-friendly information on farm design, filters and how to operate them; as well as challenges and the critical feeding strategy.

RAS feeds need to have a high digestibility to minimise faecal matter and allow for high protein retention to reduce ammonia excretions. As a result, filters can work more efficiently. A true RAS feed makes a big difference in water quality, ultimately maximising the output of the RAS farm.

“To develop a high-performing RAS feed, it is crucial to fully understand every aspect of RAS farming,” said Gijs Rutjes, technical sales support manager at Alltech Coppens. “Working with customers, we discovered that it is possible to use more Alltech Coppens feeds, as the specific composition of the feeds results in even better performance and the filters will still cope.”

Author: Rob Fletcher / The Fish Site | Read the full article here

Scotland’s salmon farmers have welcomed a consultation by Marine Scotland over whether there should be mandatory controls for the harvesting of wild wrasse for use as cleaner fish in salmon cages.

Voluntary measures to limit catches were introduced in conjunction with the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) in 2018.

After carrying out an internal review and speaking to salmon farmers, Marine Scotland has concluded that while the voluntary measures are operating satisfactorily, “there is scope to improve the reporting of wrasse fishing activity and merit in introducing more formal harvesting measures”.

Adaptive management

SSPO sustainability director Anne Anderson said: “Following the successful pilot of voluntary measures, we welcome this consultation to consider how to strengthen and maintain sustainable wrasse fisheries.  

“We continue to support the gathering of data which will provide greater depth of information and analysis. In turn, this will assist with the development of adaptive management for the fisheries.”

The central wholesale market in Sapporo has taken an unusual response to suspending auctions in a "simultaneous auction" to prevent infection. 

At the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market, auctions have been suspended since March 6 to prevent the transmission of the new coronavirus . Vegetables and fruits are in bilateral trade, in which bidders and wholesalers negotiate prices on a one-to-one basis from the 6th, and marine products are dealt with by bidding on the 7th. 

Sapporo "issues a voice Many people gathered at one time in the auction close contact and talk and took this measure in order to become". 

It is unusual to suspend auctioning. This measure is scheduled for the 14th, but depending on the status of the infection, they are considering extending it.

BAKKAFROST is planning to invest more than £160 million in its new acquisition, the Scottish Salmon Company, over the next four years, the Faroese fish farmer has revealed.

The company disclosed the scale of its spending intentions today in its annual report – titled ‘A Year Marked by Disruptions, Volatility and New Opportunities’ – and they look impressive.

It said it expects to invest 350 million Danish kroner (DKK), or around £41 million, a year in Scotland between 2020 and 2024.

SSC operates two processing factories, Marybank in the north of Scotland, and Cairndow in the south, as well as a smokehouse in Stornoway.

Both plants are equipped with pre-rigour filleting, portioning and packaging facilities. But significant investment is planned over the next 10 months in both factories which will result in a combined annual capacity of around 50,000 tonnes.

This figure is on top of an additional DKK 1.8 billion (£211 million) Bakkafrost will be investing in its operations in the Faroe Islands and elsewhere in a two-year period between 2020 and 2022.

Last year, Bakkafrost harvested 57,184 tonnes (gutted weight) of salmon in the Faroe Islands, and 33,799 tonnes in Scotland.

The report said new investment will ‘reinforce Bakkafrost’s integrated business model and ensure a capacity across the value chain to be able to produce 100,000 tonnes gutted weight of salmon in the Faroe Islands’.

The aim of the investment programme is to minimise the biological risk, increase efficiency and create sustainable organic growth.

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article

Norway Royal salmon (NRS) has partnered with Microsoft to use artificial intelligence to streamline salmon farming operations.

The two companies, plus the 130-year-old technology company ABB, are developing a technology that uses underwater cameras to collect images of salmon in their pens, then counts them automatically with an artificial intelligence algorithm.

The new technology spares workers from traveling kilometers offshore to monitor the salmon, allowing them to observe fish growth from afar. The remote visual object detection technology can estimate fish biomass and count the fish population, collecting critical data about salmon production. Fewer trips makes working conditions safer for employees while lowering operational costs and reducing the company's carbon footprint.

It's still too early to calculate how much time or money the system saves for NRS, "but we spend a good number of hours on this type of operation," NRS Chief Operations Officer Arve Olav Lervåg told SeafoodSource.

The technology can be used to monitor several different parameters.

"The main principle is that we use a camera underwater that takes pictures of the fish. In this way, we can analyze several parameters of the fish in addition to weight development," Lervåg said. "We also hope to gain better control over weight development through the use of AI."

Author: Aaron Orlowski / SeafoodSource |  Read the full article here

Senator McGuire, Chair of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (JCFA) will be hosting the upcoming JCFA hearing on March 12, 2020 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., State Capitol, Room 113, Sacramento, CA. The 47th Annual Zeke Grader Fisheries Forum is an informational hearing that will include presentations and discussions of fishery and aquaculture issues from throughout California. The agenda for the forum can be viewed here.

The hearing will be livestreamed via the Senate web site. To view, on the day of the hearing, visit:https://www.senate.ca.gov/  (see “Today’s Events” or the “Media” tab).