Government grant for Barramundi facility

Barramundi producer MainStream Aquaculture and paper manufacturer Opal are the recipients of an AU$30 million grant for the Latrobe Valley Aquaculture project, which proposes the construction of the largest indoor aquaculture facility for growing and processing Australian barramundi.

The project, which will be based in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria and cost AU$125 million, will be facilitating growth in the sector, as it supports high value, skilled jobs and the opportunity for sustainable growth in the future. MainStream Aquaculture will be responsible for designing and operating the facility, aiming to grow and process more than 3700 tonnes of barramundi for the Australian market annually.

Partnering with MainStream Aquaculture provides the project with a great advantage. By co-locating the proposed facility with Opal's Maryvale Mill, means sharing resources and infrastructure, providing the project with access to a wide range of services including heating, water treatment, energy and transport infrastructure. Government funding support marks a major step in the project with both companies moving forward into the final development step which includes facility design, and regulatory and board approvals.

A rendering of the facility. Image credit: MainStream Aquaculture

"We welcome the opportunity to participate in an innovative business initiative in such a critical industry," says Boris Musa, MainStream CEO. "Using efficient and sustainable technology for primary food production has significant merit. In addition to its world class environmental credentials, barramundi aquaculture has potential to transform socially and financially the local community by developing a new aquaculture precinct in the region."

Aquaculture Project Lead for Opal Craig Bosch says that the announcement of government funding is an "important milestone."

"The Latrobe Valley Aquaculture project showcases how leveraging complementary capabilities can
support opportunities for transformation in the Latrobe Valley,' Mr Bosch explains.

'Thank you to the Australian Government for today's announcement which is a major step forward for
our project. We continue to appreciate Darren Chester's long-standing support for this important
project and for Opal's Maryvale site, which is one of the largest employers in the Latrobe Valley," he adds.

364 jobs in the Victoria area will be created from the construction of the project and once the facility is operational, will supply 263 direct and flow on jobs.

For more information on MainStream Aquaculture visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Opal Australian Paper visit their website, HERE.

Solar-powered fish farm to be built in Taiwan

Lightsource bp detailed their first venture into aquaculture in a project co-developed with Green Rock Energy. The company facilitates development and management in solar energy projects and will be making its first step in East Asia.

The decision to move into the Taiwanese market comes after Lightsource bp secured US$1.5 billion credit last year, to fund its strategy of developing 25GW of solar by 2025. The funding has been provided by 10 global financial institutions and will be helping to accelerate the development of solar across the EMEA, Americas and APAC regions.      

The 150MW project in question will be one of the largest solar fish farms in Taiwan and will be creating 750 employment opportunities during construction, anticipated to start in June, 2023. After construction is complete, the project will be producing 210,000MWh of renewable electricity a year, saving 133,770 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per annum.

Image credit: oatsy 40 on Flickr
(CC by 2.0)

Nick Boyle Group CEO Lightsource bp mentioned the "interesting opportunities" available for solar in Asia.

"Taiwan relies on imports for about 95 percent of its energy which leaves its energy supply vulnerable to external disruption," he explains. "This energy challenge, coupled with the need for sustainably generated electricity makes Taiwan a unique project and we're thrilled to draw on our global experience and work with Green Rock Energy to step up to the challenge."

The project has been designed to benefit the local environment and community as the company have engaged with environmental specialists and local fishermen throughout. This has include allowing fishermen to farm around 200 ponds and adding saltwater ponds to optimise the water management process for the farmers.

Eugene Chien, Ambassador-at-large of Taiwan and Chairman of Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy says, "In the process of promoting Taiwan to achieve its net-zero emission goal, the industrial chain, public and private sectors, and the public need to join hands to jointly promote the comprehensive transformation of energy, industry, life and society. Among them, the solar energy industry plays a key role in Taiwan's energy transition process."

"It is great to see world-class solar companies like Lightsource bp join the ranks of Taiwan's energy transition and work together to achieve the goal of 20GW of solar energy installations by 2025," he adds.

For more information on Lightsource bp visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Green Rock Energy visit their website, HERE.

Highlights in report from Blue Star Foods reflect expansion in RAS operations

Blue Star Foods, a seafood company that prides itself on its sustainability with a focus on recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), has released a report on its first quarter of 2022 ending 31 March, 2022.

Highlights mentioned in the report included the company's acquisition of Gault, a RAS company with technology focused on harvesting Atlantic Blue Crab during off-season and its operations in soft-shell crab division in South Carolina.

"We made tremendous progress in the first quarter of 2022," says John Keeler, Chairman and CEO Blue Star. "Returning to pre-Covid 19 pandemic levels and further expansion in RSA with our Gault Seafood asset acquisition."

Blue Star Foods acquired certain assets of Gault Seafood in December of last year, which provided the company with access to Gault's technology designed for harvesting Atlantic Blue Carb during its off-season. The technology in question enables modification of the molting cycle of Atlantic Blue Crab, which means it can be harvested outside of the March to September window and enables the company to meet consumer demands in the North American market.

Atlantic Blue Crab

"We are executing on plan by shifting toward indoor fish farming utilizing new innovative technologies coupled with our sustainable resource management model," Keeler adds. "We believe macro seafood trends are in our favor with seafood demand forecasted to greatly outweigh supply over the next few decades and a movement for environmental safety to combat overfishing, ocean pollution and microplastics. Our land-based RAS model and diversification of marine protein species is a major differentiator for us."

Blue Star Foods' operations in its soft-shell crab RAS division began in February of this year, following on from its acquisition of Gault. Operations are focused on using newly acquired technology to harvest the Atlantic Blue Crab during off-season, which Frank Lubkin, President of Coastal Pride, said had a "pretty narrow harvest window."

"What we are aiming to do is apply the unique technology acquired from Gault and start scaling up production in a pretty significant way in Beaufort, South Carolina," he explains.

The company hopes to be delivering off-season soft-shell crab product to consumers beginning of August this year, while they search for a property site to upscale production.

It concluded in the report that it had made a profit of US$1.8 million dollars, up from US$1.2 million on 31 December, 2021.

For more information on Blue Star Foods visit their website, HERE.

Latest investment to go into land-based fish farms

Samherji Fish Farming has just completed a share capital increase of US$26 million. The funds obtained will be utilised to build a project for land-based salmon farming in Öxarfjördur, northeast Iceland, alongside designing and constructing a salmon farm with 40,000 ton capacity in the Reykjanes Peninsula, in southwest Iceland.       

Image credit: Samherji Fish Farming

 

This marks the first phase of a share capital increase of US$56.5 million which has already been approved. A new board is due to be elected in Samherji Fish Farming at the company's annual general meeting. Former CEO of Mowi, which currently produces 20 percent of all salmon sold, Alf-Helge Aarskog has invested in the company and will be joining the board of directors.

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Alf-Helge Aarskog

"I am honoured to be asked to take part in this project," says Alf-Helge Aarskog. "The location chosen for this project, with abundant resources of water and energy, makes the project extremely interesting. There are fascinating times ahead for Samherji Fish Farming. The company has ambitious plans and the ability to achieve them and become a leading company in salmon farming in the world. I am very excited about this project and look forward to participating in the development and growth ahead."

Samherji Fish Farming's operations look at all stages of aquaculture and processing, from the egg to consumer. It currently operates five farms and two processing plants, specialising in land farming of Arctic char and salmon. Arctic char makes up the majority of the production but the company is now looking to develop its production of salmon, centering on the expansion of land farming on the site in Öxarfjördur.

The site produces 1500 tonnes of salmon annually but is projected to increase to 3000 tonnes when the pilot project is completed. Fish are due to enter the new tanks onsite by the end of this year, with the farm in Öxarfjördur having been one of the largest producers of salmon farmed on land.

Building and operating a land-based farm in the Reykjanes Peninsula is hoped to produce 40,000 tonnes of salmon annually. This farm will be made up of a hatchery, breeding farm, processing plant and service buildings, with a total investment of over US$340 million. The farm is going to be designed and constructed based on new units in Öxarfjördur coupled with the company's twenty years of experience in farming Arctic char and salmon on land.

"Alf-Helge Aarskog's investment and board participation is not only a gain for Samherji Fish Farming but also Icelandic business as a whole. His board membership is, of course, a great vote of confidence for Samherji's staff. Moreover, the expansion that has begun at Samherji Fish Farming marks a certain milestone, as this is the largest investment project that Samherji and affiliated companies have embarked on in Samherji's 39-year history," concludes Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, CEO of Samherji.

For more information on Samherji Fish Farming visit their website, HERE.

 

Partnership between Ace Aquatec and Fresh By Design to supply APAC region

Aquaculture technology supplier Ace Aquatec has appointed equipment supplier Fresh By Design as its first distributor in the Asia Pacific region.

This partnership between two companies will oversee Fresh By Design supply Ace Aquatec's humane stunners to its customers across Australia and New Zealand. Equipment to be supplied will encompass salmon, prawn, and smolt stunning.

This includes Ace Aquatec's in-water electrical stunner, with a 100 percent stun rate to maintain welfare standards, reduce fish stress and improve productivity. Fresh By Design will be offering comprehensive consultancy to fish farmers who are looking to adopt higher welfare standards and testing the products out.

"Our electrical stunners have already gained a lot of attraction in the APAc region," explains Ace Aquatec Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Tara McGregor-Woodhams. "As the discussion around ethical farming continues to be a key topic for many supermarkets, producers and end consumers."

Image credit: Ace Aquatec

"We've seen a ton of demand for our salmon, prawn and smolt stunners in the last 12 months so we're very excited to partner with Fresh by Design who are well regarded and positioned to roll out and service our leading-edge technology in the region."

The in-water electrical stunner also has the option to combine it with Ace Aquatec's Waterjet Bleeder, which utilises high-precision jets of water and robotic arm instead of the traditional method of physical blades, which improves hygiene and reduces maintenance.

Ace Aquatec has expanded in the last few years, now with offices in the UK, Norway, North America and Chile, with installations in Japan, Canada and New Zealand.

Fresh By Design General Manager Lachlan Bassett adds, "We're looking forward to representing Ace Aquatec in our region where we have a long and successful history of providing system design and high-quality equipment to our customers. We always recommend technology that helps our customers become more productive, profitable and ethical, so we are thrilled to be working with Ace Aquatec who tick all those boxes."

For more information on Ace Aquatec visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Fresh By Design visit their website, HERE.

AKVA's feed barge to boost sea bass and bream production in the Mediterranean

AKVA group have delivered a feed barge in the Greece and Mediterranean area, following on from fish producer Philosofish choosing AVKA group as a supplier of an AM400 classic feed barge.

The feed barge will assist with increasing the production of Philosofish's production of bass and bream on their Rhodes Island site to approximately 2000 tonnes. It measures around 32 metres in length and boasts 10 silos, four feeding lines, remote control capability and is able to distribute feed up to 40 pens with 4 feeding lines.

"Philosofish is a solid, well-run company that has had a great development in recent years," says Bruno Polichetti, General Manager at AKVA group Hellas. "It is great recognition for AKVA group that they are ordering a state-of-the-art feed barge for the Mediterranean."

The AM400 feed barge. Image credit: AKVA group

AKVA group has 30 years of experience in the Greek market mostly with delivering feed systems. Historically, the feed barges delivered were small and locally built. The deliverance of the AM400 classic feed barge will change this.

"We now see a trend in Greece to invest in larger feed barges," explains Polichetti.

Philosofish acquired new sites as of 2020, increasing its total production capacity from 5000 to 20,000 tonnes annually, in a move to position itself as a leading supplier of Mediterranean sea bass and sea bream. It has 27 sites located in central Greece and the Dodecanese.

AKVA group also offers a range of feed systems, integrated with camera control and environmental sensors. Philosofish has their Akva Control CCS Feed System installed in four of their sites.

For more information on AKVA group visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Philosofish visit their website, HERE.

2021 Annual Report from Salmon Evolution reflects commitment to sustainabilty

In their 2021 annual report, Norwegian salmon farmer Salmon Evolution evaluated their progress utilising their hybrid flow-through system (HFS), which more recently has been installed at their facility in Indre Harøy.

The company's HFS technology is designed to ensure access of fresh, filtered sweater while reducing energy consumption by reducing approximately 65 percent of water. Reusing 65 percent of water balances both cost and operational risk; reusing higher levels of water would require more filtration and water treatment whilst reusing lower levels result in higher energy costs. By optimising water quality parameters, time to harvesting is reduced from 16 to 11 months.

In keeping with Salmon Evolution's commitment to sustainability and circularity, water is filtered and collected, and then transported to a recirculation plant where it is converted to fertiliser, biogas, or other. Additionally, by producing fish on land, the company is reducing emissions associated with importing fish via air travel.

Image credit: Salmon Evolution

Other steps Salmon Evolution have taken towards reducing the environmental impact of fish farming include their green power supply agreement with Statkraft, which took place last year. The agreement outlines 100 percent renewable energy for the Indre Harøy facility. This can be read about further, HERE.

"As our company now approaches commercial operations, our customers can be 100 percent certain that our salmon is produced with the lowest possible environmental footprint, setting a new benchmark for sustainably produced salmon," says Salmon Evolution CEO Mr. Håkon André Berg.

Having this energy efficient system in place at Indre Harøy has secured the company a grant of up to NOK 96.8m from Enova, owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Enivronment to promote environmentally friendly production.

At the Indre Harøy facility, seawater intake utilises two intake pipes measuring at 25m and 95m. Water intake is further filtered and treated with UV to eliminate any parasites, sea lice, viruses and particles, so that there is a flow of clean seawater into fish tanks.

Construction of the facility began back in May 2020, with construction in the first half of 2021 focusing on production facilities and the assembly of fish tanks. Salmon Evolution had their first smolt release in March of this year, which can be read about HERE.

For more information on Salmon Evolution visit their website, HERE.

ASC revises shrimp standard and looks to address RAS impact

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has published revised shrimp standards and new requirements for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) as of April 25, 2022.

Revisions to the shrimp standard means freshwater crayfish and freshwater shrimp farmers are now able to work towards ASC's requirements for responsible farming, with four new freshwater species added. 99 percent of farmed shrimp are now covered by this standard with new species including Cherax, Procambarus, Astacus and Macrobachium.

ASC standards are continually revised and updated by its multi-stakeholder teams which take into account public feedback. Revising the shrimp standard has overseen new species added as well as ensuring best practices.

Michiel Fransen, the ASC Director of Standards and Science said the revision encouraged "environmental and social responsibility," as it allows a greater number of farmers to apply for ASC certification.

"ASC's Shrimp Standard now includes almost all global shrimp production within its scope," Mr Fransen explains. "Given the benefits of certification – to farmers, workers, the environment, and local communities – that can only be a good thing."

Image credit: ASC

ASC requirements for RAS operations take into account impacts unique to this method of farming, as it grows globally. These impacts relate to the recirculation and filtration systems in place to facilitate the farming of fish on land as it increases the impact of energy and water use, whilst decreasing the impacts associated with farming.

ASC has now developed a RAS module, which is taking into account new requirements specific to RAS facilities, for example requirements on energy monitoring and developing procedures to reduce emissions, alongside reducing negative impact on water resources. All RAS farms will need to meet these requirements and the standard specific to the species they are farming.

"Aquaculture is a fast-moving, innovative industry," says Mr Fransen. "This means we have to continuously review and adapt the ASC programme to make sure we're still reflecting the industry and current best practices."

Mr Fransen went on to relate RAS farming to other types of farming in its "impacts."

"At ASC we don't believe one method of farming is inherently superior – we think what matters is the specific impacts are properly addressed and minimised."

New updates won't be live and mandatory until six months from now, providing farmers with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the changes.

For more information on ASC visit their website, HERE.

R3-IoT's solution to digitising fish farms

R3-IoT, who offer satellite communications technology coupled with data services, are overseeing the launch of their Connected Seafarm solution this year at Aquaculture UK, to resolve the challenges facing the digitisation of aquaculture operations and sites. Aquaculture UK is a leading exhibition for the aquaculture industry and is currently exhibiting at Aviemore, Scotland, from May 3-5.

Connected Seafarm is an end-to-end data services solution, offering sensors to an insight platform which connects smart devices located globally. It has also been designed to be easily and quickly deployed, offering the operator ease of installation. 

With remote connectivity facing challenges today, Connected Seafarm seeks to resolve that as it has been designed to work on or off-the-grid and with no dependency on a single communications infrastructure. It utilises built in cellular and satellite technology which teams are able to access 24/7 regardless of their infrastructure.

Image credit: R3-IoT

Environmental data and operational data are collected and transmitted securely via the cloud, to in-house systems or the company's insights platform, which is displayed in an easy to understand and accessible format. Data such as graphs and charts can be accessed on an array of devices, including desktop and mobile, enabling fish farmers to access key information across sites.

This means that both local and central teams are able to make informed decisions based off of the data they receive, and are able to monitor environmental factors such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, as well as risks such as harmful algae bloom to improve productivity within the sector whilst ensuring sustainability.

Co-founder and CTO of R3-IoT, Kevin Quillien, explains the importance of data services such as Connected Seafarm, "Better connectivity, better data and better digital capability will be crucial to future operations across the sector. The Connected Seafarm removes a major roadblock to reaching that goal."

For more information on R3-IoT visit their website, HERE.