N.L. No. 59NewsLetter,No,59.pdf · Chairman of BIM, Rose McHugh, paid tribute to Pat and the...

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Issue No. 59 April 2007

Pat Keogh who recently completed his second five-year term atthe helm of BIM will step down from his position as ChiefExecutive Officer at theend of June.

Commenting on hisdecision to step downPat said he had enjoyedhis time as CEO of BIMand thanked the staff,management and Boardlevel for their whole-hearted support. Hesaid the new seafoodstrategy for the period2007-2013 recentlyadopted by theGovernment maps out adynamic role for BIM inthe sustainable develop-ment of the industry over the next seven years and it was goodtiming for the new Chief Executive to take the helm.

Before his appointment as CEO in 1996, Pat held the positionof Aquaculture Development Manager and Deputy ChiefExecutive for a seven year period and prior to that he held vari-ous other roles within BIM.

Chairman of BIM, Rose McHugh, paid tribute to Pat and thetremendous contribution he has made to BIM and the seafoodindustry in general, culminating most recently in his work withthe Seafood Strategy Review Group.

“Thanks to Pat’s dedicated stewardship of BIM, the organisa-tion is well positioned for the implementation of the ambitiousprogrammes set out in the new strategy, said Ms. McHugh”.

Marine Minister John Browne also paid tribute to Pat and hisleadership “Pat leaves behind a number of significant accom-plishments that his replacement will undoubtedly further developand enhance”, he said.

From a BIM point of view we will miss Pat very much and weall wish himevery successand happi-ness inwhicheverdirection thenext phase ofhis life takeshim.

PAT KEOGH, CEO STEPS DOWN IN JUNE

The launch of the report in February of Steering a New Course,Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish SeafoodIndustry 2007-2013 was welcomed by the Irish fish and shellfish farmingleaders. Under the new plan a total of €212 million is envisaged beingspent on the aquaculture industry, comprising €101 million from the pub-lic purse and €111 million from the private sector. A total of €597 millionwill be spent on the whole of the seafood industry.

In the report Steering a New Course the Strategy Review Group setouts its vision for a sustainable, profitable and self-reliant industry thatwill maximise its long-term contribution to coastal communities based onfish stocks restored to sustainable levels in the context of a healthy anddiverse marine environment. This will require a more innovative and co-ordinated approach to the marketing of seafood, capitalising on itshealthy and nutritious image and maximising the value of seafood atevery stage from the sea to the table.

The Group is firmly convinced that a more cohesive approach bothwithin the industry itself and between the industry and the State is essen-tial to effectively address both its deep-seated problems and its undoubt-ed potential, in the knowledge that all sides are striving towards thesame goal of maximising the industry’s long-term contribution to theisland of Ireland and particularly its coastal communities.

Speaking at the launch of the Strategy an Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern,acknowledged the importance of the seafood sector. “I know how vital itis to the areas where it provides a critical source of year round employ-ment at sea and on shore. It is a sector where the industry and the gov-ernment both recognised that a new development strategy was needed”.

“There is a great demand in the marketplace for seafood products andwe need to be positioned at the premium end of that market to get themaximum value back to the fishermen and coastal communities, who areharvesting and processing the resource” A copy of the report is available from BIM should you wish to receive one.Contact:[email protected]

€€597M FOR SEA597M FOR SEA FOOD INDUSTRFOOD INDUSTRYY OVEROVERNEXT 6 NEXT 6 YEARS.YEARS.

JASON WHOOLEY APPOINTED AS NEW CEO The Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, Mr.Noel Dempsey and the Minister of State Mr. John Browne welcomedthe appointment of Mr. Jason Whooley as Chief Executive of BIM. Theappointment was announced on the 2nd May 2007 by Ms. RoseMcHugh, Chairman of BIM. Mr. Whooley is a native of West Cork anda graduate of UCC and has been Chief Executive of the Irish South andWest Fish Producers Organisation.

Mr. Dempsey said that “Mr. Whooley’s appointment is very welcomeand he will bring with him his tremendous experience of the sea fishingindustry which he has gained over the last number of years when repre-senting the interest of fishermen in the south west. Mr. Whooley under-stands fully the issues facing the industry and has been instrumental inbringing forward the change agenda which has been set down in theCawley report “Steering a New Course”.

Both Ministers also thanked outgoing CEO Pat Keogh for the dedica-tion and commitment he devoted to the organisation during his two 5-year terms as CEO of BIM.

Irish delegates visits Stofnfiskur in Iceland .................... 2Review of Aquaculture Industry 2006 ............................ 3Aquaculture Initiative’s new office ................................. 4Irish Sales of Seafood ................................................... 4Two new Major Initiatives launched for Marine Sector ... 5IFA Aqua 20/20 Conference ........................................... 5ICMSS Conference in NZ .............................................. 6 & 7First ever Farmed Cod harvested ................................. 8Clean up of Cromane Point and Strand ........................ 8Diary of Events .............................................................. 9Water Abstraction Licensing Regulations, N.I. .............. 9Irish Oyster Producers visit to France ........................ 10 & 11World Aquaculture Conference 2007 ............................. 112007 Seafood Circle Plaque .......................................... 12Date for your Diary - World Seafood Congress ............. 12

INSIDE

AquaCulture Newsletter No.59 April 2007

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IRISH DELEGATES VISIT STOFNFISKUR’S FACILITY IN ICELAND.

Representatives from BIM, Údarás na Gaeltachta, ISPGand some members of the salmon industry, undertook athree-day trip in Iceland, at the invitation of Stofnfiskur

Iceland.Stofnfiskur hf. is an international salmon egg breeding compa-

ny located in Reykjavik, Iceland, with operations at seven loca-tions in Iceland, as well as running subsidiaries and test sites foron-growing operations in co-operation with fish farming compa-nies in Scotland, Chile and in Ireland. They have worked closelywith BIM since 1999, when they started the Irish salmon brood-stock programme, located at its fresh water site, in CorundullaCo. Galway.

Stofnfiskur distributes salmon eggs of the SAGA stock (a mix-ture of the old Mowi and Bolaks Norwegian strains) world widefrom the month of July through April the following year. This hascalled for an increased interest in the salmon industry, which ismoving more and more towards S0 smolt production. This is ofprimary interest to the Irish Salmon farming industry as manyIrish farms have now moved to inputting SO stock. The mainreasons for this is so that farms have large healthy fish cominginto the first summer and so that these farms would then be in aposition to have all the fish harvested prior to the second sum-mer. The best market prices for salmon are from September toChristmas. Over the past few years there has been a hugeshortfall in suitable sized fish for this period, especially inIreland. Irish farms are constantly looking for larger smolt goingto sea earlier, i.e. mid October. They hope that by increasingtheir S0 input that this will give them the possibility of having agood percentage of fish in the three-quarters kilo category oneyear later Iceland offers unique conditions for culturing diseasefree salmon stocks. The largest site is used as a brood stockfarm for Atlantic salmon. Fresh water and seawater that are nat-urally filtered through the porous lava gives great flexibility to dif-ferent temperature and salinity regimes. Stofnifiskur uses sea-water, drawn from boreholes via a totally closed system, whichensures that all water supplies retain an extremely high level ofpurity in terms of bacteria and viruses. The farm is closed to allnew fish with the exception of 1-2 intakes of smolts per year,each transported from Stofnfiskur´s own hatchery. The farm hasa current annual output capacity of 50 million ova.

At the moment, Stofnfiskur hf is undergoing major invest-ment and expansion and this was clearly obvious to theIrish delegation, where we were shown the latest Vaki

fully automated feeding system where the feed is pumped withair to all the farm’s tanks. At the hatchery, cold and hot watersfrom springs or drill holes are used. The temperature can beadjusted to increase or reduce the fish growth, which is impor-tant in order to secure delivery of the same size fish productthroughout the year. A percentage of the company’s broodstockis also kept at the hatchery. This is part of a risk managementprogramme, designed to avoid having all the company’s highlyvaluable broodstock located at just one farm.

Stofnfiskur owns and operates another farm,Hafnir, close to Kalmanstjorn. This land based

farm will in the future be the centre for research and develop-ment for Atlantic salmon at Stofnfiskur. The farm will also play apart in the development of cod farming in Iceland.

Stofnfiskur are offering S0 Fast growth, no concern of matura-tion – SAGA-FAST (Improved Bolaks and Mowi), and S-1Moderate growth, secure late maturation - SAGA-LATE (OriginalMowi-strain). They told the delegation that by streamlining deliv-eries of eggs one can control maturation and that the key is offseason egg deliveries. From winter 2007 and onwards there willbe a unique opportunity to streamline the smolt production S0and S1with no diseases of Stofnfiskur´s Land based farms.

Huge investment is planned in Corrundulla, with the building ofa recirculation unit. One million eggs have already been deliv-ered and with a further intake in August/November 2007 wherethey predict that they will have 5-10 gram fish in March/May2008, which will make 100-150gram S0’s, and where the farmerwill have 3-5Kg fish by the following November / December.

The future sees Stofnfiskur playing a key role in the production

of S0’s, which would be very beneficial to the Irish salmon industry.

The Icelandic family selection programme for cod farming wasa project that started in 2003, where the company IceCod wasestablished where Stofnfiskur hf. are involved in the selectivebreeding programme. They are engaged in forming a base pop-ulation and breeding and want to emphasize in juvenile produc-tion. In 2006, they have already stripped 105 females, where80,000 genetically improved juveniles were produced. Wild juve-niles were reared for comparison and these two groups will befollowed right through to harvest.

Note: Louise Collins is being seconded to the Aquaculture Initiative and willbe based at the BIM Office in Killybegs where she will act as the DonegalRegional Officer. Louise will continue in her advisory role to the salmonindustry and can contacted as usual on her mobile 087-4190340 and also on087-6784487

L-R: John Power, SilverKing Seafoods Ltd., Liam Roche, ISPG, JonasJonasson, MD Stofnfiskur Iceland, Jon Kjerulf, Financial Manager,Stofnfiskur, Dónal MacGiolla Bhríde,Udaras na Gaeltachta and PeteMcGovern, Stofnfiskur Ireland Ltd.

Louise Collins,BIM,writes

The employees from Stofnfiskur Iceland preparing to ultrasound fish.Ultrasound images can be utilised to improve the accuracy of sex determination of Atlantic Salmon.

Salmon ova


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Review of the Aquaculture Industry for 2006

The aquaculture sector turned in asolid performance in 2006. It wasa very challenging year for the

salmon farmers as they had to cope withthe consequences of a serious IPN (aviral disease in the fresh water phase ofsalmon farming) outbreak, which impact-ed on the supply of juveniles going tosea. Notwithstanding this, the sector isnow trading profitably and the sentimentfor reinvestment has improved amongstproducers.

The trout farming sector was more orless static overall in 2006 although thesea reared element continues to recoveras forecast. This trend is likely to continuein 2007. Fresh water trout farmers arealso expected to make modest increasesin output in 2007 on the back of a healthydomestic market demand for their prod-uct.

Production of farmed charr and perch,although in small volumes, began to findits way onto the Irish seafood market in2006 and this upward trend will continuein 2007.Shellfish:

The market price for farmed musselsrose strongly in 2006 and remains highinto 2007. The bottom grown sector inparticular enjoyed very high prices, partic-ularly for good quality product. This hascreated a new market segment for therope grown sector, which is beginning toact as an additional source of seed mus-sel supply to the bottom growers as asupplement to wild caught seed.

In this current market cycle, drivenlargely by Dutch and Danish productionshortfalls, it has been difficult for theadded value mussel processors to getraw material at an economic price andthere has been a reduction in their frozeninventories as a result. This in turn maycreate market supply difficulties in 2007unless the buffer stocks can be rebuilt.

Prolonged biotoxin related closureswere also a feature of 2006, especially inthe south-west. The potential negativeimpact of the closures was mitigated tosome extent by the ability of the affectedgrowers to sell stock for relaying to thebottom grown mussel sector.

As in 2005, the seed mussel fishery in2006 was somewhat disappointingalthough significant volumes of seed werefound late in the season. The net result islikely to be an output from the sector in2007 that will be similar to that experi-enced in 2006. The modest downturn involume was compensated for in valueterms due to the higher prices being paidfor the product in 2006.

The Pacific oyster farming sector con-tinued to consolidate in 2006. There wasa modest increase in output of 15% andthe market price remained steady. Stronginterest in inward investment in the sector

was seen, especially from establishedFrench producers who are keen to buysites in Ireland. Output from the nativeoyster fishery remained steady, despitethe detection of bonamiasis in LoughSwilly during the course of the year.Farmed scallop output dropped a little in2006, whilst manilla clam output contin-ued its modest recovery trend.

The emerging abalone sector had sever-al large scale projects approved under thelast round of the NDP in 2006. These arenow under construction and will start tooperate in 2007. A steady source of goodquality seed supply is crucial for thesenew entrants and BIM carried out upgrad-ing work with the existing hatcheries inorder to assist them to meet this anticipat-ed demand in 2007 and subsequentyears.

The ongoing difficulties of securing ade-quate supplies of scallop seed supply, aprototype grader was modified andimported from Canada. The purpose ofthis machine is to mechanise the tediousand slow job of grading small scallop spatsourced from collector bags. It will alsoseparate the scallop spat from foulingorganisms such as mussels and starfish.Results to date have been promising andthe alleviation of this severe bottleneck inthe handling of spat will allow farmers tospend more time putting out additionalcollectors to increase the overall spat sup-ply. The land based nursery trials forscallop seed produced in the hatcherymet with limited success. They will becontinued in 2007 as some new equip-ment has been sourced which shouldimprove performance.Carrying Capacity :

The work to bring the State into compli-ance with the Designation of ShellfishGrowing Waters Directive, undertaken byBIM at the request of the Department ofCommunications, Marine & NaturalResources, achieved an important goal in2006. A pending case in the EuropeanCourt of Justice, taken against Ireland bythe Commission, for failing to have inplace water improvement plans on desig-nated areas, was successfully closed offduring the year without the State beingfined. Work commenced in 2006 on thepilot phase of a ‘Carrying Capacity’ study,requested by the DCMNR and the shell-fish industry. Initially three bays are beingtargeted to develop the novel modellingsystem. These are Killary Fjord andWexford and Dungarvan Harbours. Thischoice of locations will allow for the devel-opment of a predictive model capabilitythat can handle scenario generation forrope mussel culture, bottom culture ofmussels and trestle oyster culture respec-tively.

Seaweed Development:The activity level within the seaweed

sector continues to grow as the players inthe area grow their businesses. BIM sup-ported an increased number and range ofcommercial projects from the seaweedindustry in 2006. These included feasibili-ty studies, the development of new manu-facturing facilities within the horticulturesector, new processing capability withinthe edible seaweed sector, overseas mar-ket investigations by key players in theseaweed industry and the development ofnew horticulture and cosmetic seaweedproducts. BIM also assisted in improvingprocessing capabilities and food safetywithin the edible seaweed sector.

BIM supported the Irish SeaweedIndustry Organisation enabling them tocontract an ISIO co-ordinator. The co-ordinator will work with the seaweedindustry to create a cohesive structure forthe ISIO and to further its aims throughinteraction with its membership, the com-mercial sector and various StateAgencies.

On the seaweed aquaculture front, thehatchery production of the Alaria speciesof seaweed was increased with materialbeing provided from the West Cork hatch-ery to seed 30 seaweed longlines forongrowing. The feasibility of adapting thistechnique for other seaweed species is tobe investigated in 2007.Quality Programme:

The drive to develop a greater range ofquality standards continued in 2006, mostnotably with the completion of the IrishQuality Organic Salmon Standard. Thisnew scheme has been approved by theDepartment of Agriculture and Food asthe national organic standard for salmon.It allows the industry greater control overthe direction of Irish organic standarddevelopment and also opens up new mar-keting opportunities.

Alongside this, eco-standards forsalmon and mussels have also been devised. Focusing on sustainability, ethical trading and environmental impactreduction, these standards allow Irishaquaculture producers to prove their envi-ronmental credentials to buyers and retail-ers. These aquaculture ‘Ecolabels’ will beunique amongst world assurance stan-dards and will afford Irish farmers a spe-cial opportunity to differentiate their prod-uct at a premium price in the marketplace. France has always been a majormarket for Irish aquaculture products and2006 saw the final approval being givenfor the Label Rouge Irish Salmon quality mark. The first audits offarms and processors were completed inlate 2006 and Label Rouge labelled prod-uct should be available, at a premiumprice, to discerning French consumers in early 2007.

Contd. on page 8


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AquacultureInitiative set up newoffice in Lisburn.

In February 2007, the Aquaculture Initiative set up dedicated office space in Lisburn, NorthernIreland. Martin Flanigan and Delphine Pouligny are the Aquaculture Initiative ResourceDevelopment Officers that work full time in Northern Ireland and they are currently operating fromthe new office space.

It was felt that Lisburn was a good, central location for an office to be based from, as the motor-way gives us good north/south and east/west links, and Belfast can sometimes be too busy to rou-tinely hold meetings with producers. 2007 is a key year for the Aquaculture Initiative as the organi-sation is moving forward with significant developments in the North, such as the development ofCLAMS groups and also with the establishment of an innovative, crayfish hatchery project in Co.Down. The crayfish work is a cross-border project funded by the Interreg IIIA programme, andthere is no doubt that this new office space will help in progressing this project, and also in thewider field of helping the Aquaculture Initiative’s delivery of service and support to the aquaculturesector in general.

The Aquaculture Initiative are keen to assist both established aquaculture producers and new‘start-up’ ventures in aquaculture. They can be contacted at the Lisburn office; Rosevale House, 171c, Moira Road, Lisburn, BT2981RW, Co. Antrim. Tel / Fax (048 from R.O.I) 028 92 60 40 91, the e-mail addresses are; [email protected] [email protected].

Delphine and Martin outsidetheir new offices.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) - the Irish Sea Fisheries Board reported on 1st April that Irish sales of seafood in 2006 increased ninepercent to 724.6 million for the year ending December 31, 2006.

The 2006 Annual Review of the Seafood Industry reports relatively buoyant markets despite tight quota restrictions leading toreduced raw material supplies and higher operating costs for the Irish seafood industry.

Domestic seafood sales to the retail sector grew 15 percent to 157.7 million while sales to the food service sector increased 18percent to 204.7 million.

BIM Chief Executive Pat Keogh said the increase in sales was mainly driven by the growing consumer awareness of the healthand nutritional benefits of seafood.

Approximately half of the increase in domestic seafood sales was of Irish origin with the other half being met through increasedimports. In contrast, export sales were up by a mere two percent to reach 362.2 million. This was the result of sharply oppositetrends with pelagic exports falling by 27 percent (to 78.8 million) while increased exports were recorded for all other categories, themost notable being the increase of 16 percent in shellfish exports (to 147.0 million).

Four fifths of exports were sold on European Union markets with France accounting for 25 percent of total export sales, whileGreat Britain and Spain jointly account for 37 percent.

Total BIM grant-aided investment in the seafood sector amounted to 27.6 million, supported by National and EU grant-aid of 17million. Aquaculture accounted for 48 percent of grant aided investment ( 13.352 million) while total grant-aided investment for thefuture fleet and sea fisheries amounted to 7.699 million and 6.538 million for processing and marketing.

Additionally 35 fishing vessels over 15 metres in length, involving BIM/EU expenditure of 11.863 million, were withdrawn from thefleet under the Fleet Decommissioning Scheme, which was aimed at re-aligning fleet capacity with available fish resources.

In the absence of quotas and benefiting from buoyant market conditions, the aquaculture industry now accounts for 38 percent, byvalue, of fish raw material supplies and is due to further increase its share of total fish supplies into the future.

The continued strong focus on training and education saw attendance on BIM training courses up 19 percent on 2005 with 2,098trainee places, equating to 1,635 individuals availing of one or more courses. During the year BIM’s new state-of-the-art mobileCoastal Training Unit was launched, and along with the existing unit visited 30 locations around the coast.

“The latter half of 2006 was dominated by the work of the Government appointed, independent Strategy Review Group into theseafood industry, for which BIM provided secretariat. This report, subsequently adopted by Government and incorporated in the newNational Development Plan 2007-2013, sets out an achievable vision and strategy which can help to secure a viable future for theIrish seafood industry,” said Mr. Keogh.

IRISH SALES OF SEAFOOD INCREASED BY 9% IN 2006


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Noel Dempsey, T.D., the Minister for Communications,

Marine & Natural Resources launched two new major

initiatives for the Irish Marine Section on Friday, 16th

February. These are a €365 million National Marine Research

and Innovation Strategy entitled Sea Change, and a new award

scheme to support marine research in 3rd level education insti-

tutes as well as a prestigious international prize for world-class

marine research.

The Sea Change strategy aims to drive the development of

the marine sector as a dynamic element of Ireland’s knowledge

economy. It uses a series of carefully calculated possible sce-

narios for Ireland by the year 2020 to define global market

opportunities linked to the development of marine technologies

and resources, as well as practical costed action plans and

clearly defined objectives regarding how those opportunities

might be achieved. Sea Change also highlights the need for a

shift away from the traditional view of the sector as one primarily

associated with the harvesting of food, and points towards a

wide variety of market-led opportunities in sustainable energy,

functional food products, transport, technology and environmen-

tal well-being.

Speaking at the Marine Institute Headquarters Minister

Dempsey outlined the importance of new research strategy;

“This Government is committed to the marine sector and to the

people who earn a living from the sea. Sea Change is an excit-

ing, innovative and integrated research programme to deliver

high-growth, high value-added industries and ultimately jobs. It

will lead to a 50% increase in the sector’s turnover, by driving

the development of the marine sector as a dynamic element of

Ireland’s knowledge economy from 2007 to 2013.”

The new awards scheme is based on the principles of the high-

ly successful Charles Parsons energy research awards, are

designed to support marine research activities in 3rd level edu-

cational institutes. The awards are aimed at attracting

researchers of international standing to the Irish marine

research community at the principal investigator and researcher

level and offer the security of a seven-year contract in each

case.

A total investment of €20 million over seven years will be pro-

vided. The positions will be actively promoted throughout the

world in order to attract the best internationally available talent

to Irish marine research.

The Minister also announced the inauguration of a highly

prestigious prize to be awarded to a world class marine

research scientist, Irish or international who is active in research

collaboration with Ireland.

“I want the Irish marine industry to be the pride of Europe. I

want every Member State involved in marine emulating our suc-

cess. My vision is for increased job opportunities and new mar-

kets for all those working in the industry. Investing in marine

research capacity is a logical and necessary step, in order to

ensure a sound knowledge-based support to this marine devel-

opment.” said Minister Dempsey.

Three major marine projects, funded under the National

Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (SSTI) were

also announced on the 16th February by the Minister. These

projects will focus on marine functional foods, marine environ-

ment and climate change, and integrated marine exploration.

“The new schemes announced to-day with the €600 m.

investment pledged under the Cawley Report are tangible evi-

dence of the genuine commitment this Government has to the

future development of Ireland’s Ocean Economy. I want the

Irish marine industry to become a sustainable and profitable one

and the measurement in place will allow the Irish marine sector

to tranform itself over the next 7 years to achieve this” said the

Minister.

MINISTER DEMPSEY LAUNCHES TWO NEW MAJOR INITIATIVES FOR

THE MARINE SECTOR

IFA AQUA 20/20 CONFERENCE : LICENSING A MAJOR ISSUELouise Collins writes:

Aqua 20/20, hosted by IFA in Enfield Co. Meath, was held onthe 3rd and 4th April 2007. Aqua 20/20 referred to both the yearto try and predict future options for the seafood sector and alsothe clear “20-20” vision necessary to deliver on a range of chal-lenges which included business, marketing, environmental andregulatory. The aim of the event was to put the entire state offishing and aquaculture, both finfish and shellfish, at global, EUand local scale in context.

The first session of the morning was chaired by Mr. DonalMaguire, BIM, who welcomed the IFA President Padraig Walshe. Walshe spoke about the recent developments regarding therecent funding that had been announced for the sector. He saidthe Seafood Strategy report, produced by Dr. Noel Crowley, had 39 key IFA proposals in the final document, which is proofof the hard work put in by the respective salmon, freshwater andshellfish committees within the organisation.

Lorcan O’ Cinneade, Irish Fisherman’s Organisation, gave anoverview of the wild fisheries in Ireland. He said what is neededis an integrated commercial aquaculture/fishing policy, and how

the two industries need to work in harmony. Richie Flynn pre-sented Dr. Rhona Subasinghe, FAO, Senior FisheriesResources Officer at the Fisheries Department of the FAO, whowas unable to attend. He said that aquaculture is probably thefastest growing food-producing section, now accounting foralmost 50% of the world’s fish food and is perceived as havingthe greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquaticfood. Given the projected population growth over the next twodecades, it is estimated that at least an additional 40 milliontonnes of aquatic food will be required by 2030 to maintain thecurrent per capita consumption and aquaculture has the poten-tial to make a significant contribution to this increasing demandfor aquatic food in most regions of the world. Courtney Hough, General Secretary, Fed. EuropeanAquaculture, spoke of the immense importance of aquaculture inkeeping rural communities alive all over Europe. He spoke ofhow trout was the biggest species in Europe being producedand that new species doing well and making good profits werepike-perch and perch. He held the view that if hatchery problem

(Contd. on page 12)


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Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand,known for its beautiful scenery, wineriesand greenshell mussels, was the venuefor this year’s 6th InternationalConference on Molluscan Shellfish Safetyfrom the 19th to 23rd March. Attended by190 delegates from 27 countries this wasthe first time the ICMSS conference washeld in the Southern Hemisphere. Irelandwas represented by people from theMarine Institute, the Food Safety Authorityof Ireland, NUIG and BIM.

The conference, was spread over 5days, with about 75 presentations, postersession and field trips covering allaspects of molluscan shellfish safety.

New Zealand’s seafood industry employsmore than 2,500 people and exportsshellfish to more than 60 countries earn-ing New Zealand more than $250 millionannually. The flagship species are theGreenshellTM Mussels followed by KingSalmon and Pacific Oysters.

On opening the Conference the Hon.Annette King, Minister for Food Safety,said that “In 2006 NZ completed a fullrevision of their shellfish safety standardsand the Bivalve Molluscan ShellfishRegulated Control Scheme came intoeffect in July 2006. For unilateral agree-ment on standards and systems, we lookto Codex Alimentarius Commission, theinternational standards-setting bodywhose fundamental purpose is to protectconsumer health and ensure fair tradepractices in the food trade. New Zealandplaces a great deal of importance on theCodex process to harmonise those stan-dards and systems that relate to all facetsof shellfish safety…Consumers aroundthe world assume that when they buyshellfish, regardless of where it is from,that it is not going to make them sick.They trust that shellfish safety pro-grammes are in place and effective – thatall the scientists and regulators andindustry members have done their job,and provided a safe product. But some-times we are reminded painfully of wherewe have fallen short. That is why it isimportant to have harmonised standards

and to be able to draw on internationaladvances that address and solve theseissues, and that’s why it is important tohave a shellfish safety community thatworks together”.

Prof. Lahsen Ababouch, Chief of theFish Utilisation & Marketing Service atthe United Nations, FAO, in Rome, Italy,spoke about International regulatoryframework and initiatives to ensure mol-luscan shellfish safety and the differentinternational initiatives undertaken bythe FAO and WHO. In 2004 bivalvesrepresented 10% of the total world fish-

ery production; 26% in volume and 14%in value of the total world aquaculture pro-duction. In 1990 it grew from 3.3 milliontonnes to nearly 12 million tonnes in2004, of which 84.1% of bivalves produc-tion in the world was cultured. Marketaccess requirements for molluscan shell-fish are very stringent especially in rela-tion to consumer and environment protec-tion. They encompass requirements formonitoring harvesting areas, product certi-fication and traceability and require basicand applied science to ensure the reliabil-ity of the methods of the surveillance pro-grammes and the standards used.

Philipp Hess from the Marine Institute,Galway, presented a paper on the firstday of the Conference about “Review ofproficiency testing for shellfish toxins”which dealt with the increasing impor-tance of quality control in the provision ofofficial tests for shellfish toxins as outlinedfor the EU in Council Directive93/99/EEC, and the use of internal andexternal QC tools becoming more impor-tant. There are two main external QCtools available to laboratories; certified

reference materials (CRMs) and proficien-cy testing.

Another of Philipps’ talks was on the“Result of the ASTOX-project(Azaspiracids standards and toxicology) –an example of systematic multidisciplinaryresearch in support of sustainable shell-fish production.” Azaspiracids (AZAs) areshellfish toxins causing symptoms associ-ated with gastro-intestinal disorders. Theaims of the Azaspiracids Standards andToxicology project were to provide qualitycontrol tools for the analysis of AZAs inshellfish and to clarify the toxicity of aza-spiracids. Shellfish materials secured in2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005 which werecontaminated withAZAs and

Dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX2) were usedto prepare shellfish tissue reference mate-rials. Isolation and purification studiesincluded a total of 14 isolation batchesand led to purified AZA1. The collabora-tion with NRCC allowed for the prepara-

tion of a CRM forpure AZA1,-2 and –3,and a candidateshellfish tissue CRMfor AZAs, all of whichwill be made avail-able globally oncecertification is com-plete.

Phil Busby fromthe NZ Food SafetyAuthority spokeabout the

SUCCESSFUL ICMSS CONFERENCE IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hon. Annette King

Pupils from St. Charlotte’s College Kapa Haka Group per-form the Haka ritual (more familiar to us as being performedby the All Blacks on the rugby pitch!).

Prof Lahsen Ababouch

ChiboChikwililwa,Ministry ofFisheriesNambia.

Sam Bark CEFAS, Sinead Keaveney, MI, David Lyons, FSAI, and Bill Doré, MI.

Breda Smith, BIM, writes:

Contd. on page 7.


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ICMSS (Contd.)

“Challenges of setting new shellfish safetystandards in a small country – the NewZealand experience.” Bivalve molluscan shellfish grown in New Zealandis exported to over 60 countries and it iscritical that the regulatory shellfish safetystandards encompass best internationalpractice to provide the official assurancesrequired. In 1991 NZ developed its firstshellfish safety standards under the MeatAct 1981. When the Animal Products Act1999 superseded this, the shellfish safetystandards underwent a complete revisionand came into effect on 1st June 2006 asthe Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish RegulatedControl Scheme (BMSRCS).

Annika Allard, Dept. of Virology, UmeaUniversity, Sweden, presented her paperon the persistence of infectious aden-ovirus (Type 35) in mussels (Mytilusedulis) and oysters (Ostrea edulis). Theaim of the study was to investigate thepersistence of viable adenovirus type 35after controlled contaminations of bluemussels, Mytilus edulis and oysters,Ostrea edulis.

Graham Fletcher from the New ZealandInstitute for Crop & Food Research Ltd.presented his paper on “InactivatingListeria monocytogenes in GreenshellTM

mussels (Perna canaliculus) by high pres-sure processing.” New ZealandGreenshellTM mussels are currentlyshucked by heat and this can be used asa listericidal step in food safety plans.Shucking by high pressure processing

(HPP) offers some advantages over heatshucking; increased meat yields, lessalteration of raw characteristics and insome instances decreased labour costs.Before HPP is implemented, processorsneed to understand the implications ofthis technology on the safety of their prod-uct with respect of Listeria monocyto-genes.Temperature is a key parameter tomonitor as well as pressure and time.There were also significant reductions inthe counts of L. monocytogenes duringthe time taken to bring the pressure up tothe set pressure.

Malcolm Green from the NationalInstitute of Water & AtmosphericResearch, (NIWA), Hamilton, NZ, spokeon an “Early warning system for shellfishharvest based on neural network”.Accurate early warning of faecal contami-nation would enable management ofshellfish harvest to prevent contaminatedproduct reach market. They are develop-ing a way of producing such warningsbased on a neural network (NN), which is,in effect, an extensively nonlinear multipleregression. This is better suited fordetecting patterns and connections incomplicated datasets than linear regres-sion techniques which have previouslybeen applied to this kind of problem.

David Cassis from the University ofBritish Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,presented his paper on “Predicting cadmi-um concentration in cultured Pacific oys-ters (Crassostrea gigas) with empiricalmodels based on environmental vari-ables.”

Cadmium (Cd) concentrations of cul-

tured Pacific oysters and environmentalvariables (temperature, salinity, nitrate,phosphate, silicate, dissolved Cd, particu-late Cd, and phytoplankton compositionand abundance) was monitored bi-week-ly in the summer and monthly during thewinter, for one year in British Columbia,Canada.

Cd concentrations in oysters followedan annual cycle, with accumulation duringwinter and depuration during summer.Correlation matrices demonstrated thatCd concentration in the oysters was posi-tively correlated with dissolved Cd andsalinity, and negatively with particulate Cdand temperature (p<0.05). Three empiri-cal models were tested and they foundthat their third option “non-linear modelusing temperature, salinity, nitrate and

total phytoplankton biomass” was bestwhich had an R 2 of 0.924 and a 5.0%error. This model uses variables easilymeasured by oyster farmers and could beused as an empirical model for the predic-tion of Cd concentrations in cultured oys-ters throughout the year. The modelsstrongly indicate that environmental con-ditions present during upwelling could

lead to high Cd content in cultured oys-ters in British Columbia.

The foregoing is but a very brief sampleof the talks that took place. Proceedingsof the Conference will be issued in duecourse.

A field trip was arranged to theMarlborough Sounds to see the NZGreenshell MusselTM industry up close. The Marlborough Sounds are NewZealand’s largest aquaculture growingarea.

The Conference ended with a veryenjoyable Gala Dinner and as HelenSmale, Chairman of the OrganisingCommittee of the ICMSS 2007, said inher opening notes, that the Maori peopleof New Zealand have a philosophy calledManaakitanga, which implies a responsi-bility upon a host to show kindness, toentertain and to take care of guests andan invitation to a visitor to experience thevery best we have to offer……yourManaakitanga responsibility exceededit’s definition Helen!The next ICMSS Conference will takeplace in Nantes, France, in June 2009.

Dr. Caroline Cusack, MI presenting her paper on thepresence of known toxic phytoplankton species andtoxin levels in shellfish Irish waters 2002-2006.

Colleen Kem, Nelson Marlborough DHB, CatiaDelmiglio, Auckland Regional Public Health Servicesand Jeremy Melanson, National Research Council ofCanada.

Q & A Session: From left: David Lees, CEFAS, Prof.Lahsen Ababouch, Gail Greening, Inst. of Env. Science& Research, NZ, James Lowther, CEFAS, and PhilippHess, MI.

Helen Smale, Chairman, Organising CommitteeICMSS 2007, and Allan Cembella, Alfred WegenerInstitute, Germany,

Catamaranmussel har-vestingboat.


8

Aquaculture Review 2006. Contd. from page 3

The Review of the Irish Rope MusselIndustry report, published in 2006 by BIMand MI made recommendations around12 core development themes for theindustry. Addressing the producer andprocessor relations and improving productquality themes has led to the develop-ment of a raw material exchange protocol.This will standardise quality testing meth-ods and aims to reduce reject rates andimprove profitability for all parties. Theresearch and development of this protocolwas carried out in 2006 and the commer-cial rollout of the system will take place in2007.

The Irish Quality Oyster standard wasalso completed in 2006 and submitted tothe National Accreditation Board (INAB)for accreditation under the EN45011 sys-tem. The standard is primarily aimed atthe wholesale oyster market and will guar-antee the shape, size grading and overallquality of the product to the buyers.Environment Programme:

ECOPACT continues to be the bench-mark system for the aquaculture sector toaddress their need for environmentalmanagement systems. The continualimprovement process, advocated byECOPACT enables producers and

processors to define and reduce theirenvironmental impacts in a managed way.The system is operational in all aquacul-ture sectors and the provision of trainingby BIM in environmental awareness alsoruns alongside the management frame-work.

To comply with the Habitats Directive,an “appropriate assessment” of alllicensed aquaculture activities carried outwithin Natura 2000 sites is now beingdemanded. To address this requirement,a screening approach has been devel-oped in conjunction with DCMNR, theMarine Institute and National Parks &Wildlife Service. This administratively ele-gant approach allows for the systematicand consistent assessment of licenceapplications and their likely significance interms of environmental impact on the rel-evant SAC.

General environmental work includingthe ongoing operation of the “BarrelReplacement Scheme” in on-going.This work is vital to maintain and enhancethe “clean and green” image of the indus-try and it also promotes good relationswith other users of the shore and marineresource.

Projects tailored to the particular needsof industry in each bay or CLAMS areawere delivered throughout 2006. These

actions included predator control pro-grammes, bay management systems andthe development of navigation marks andplans to improve the safety of the bays forall users.

Work continued on the Designation ofShellfish Growing Waters on behalf of theDCMNR. Sampling of the designatedareas was ongoing throughout the yearand will continue in 2007. There is alsothe prospect of a major expansion inactivity in this regard if the designation offurther areas goes ahead in 2007.

Total investment in aquaculture projectssupported by BIM during 2006 was€13.352 million compared with €18.710million during 2005. The fall in the volumeof investment in 2006 is partly explainedby the fact that investment in 2005 wasboosted by the arrival of five new musseldredgers which had been approved dur-ing 2003 and 2004. It also reflects the factthat there was a 23 month gap in approv-ing the last tranche of aquaculture proj-ects at the end of June 2006 and thisdelay is reflected in the implementation ofinvestment on the ground.

THE FIRST EVER FARMED COD HARVESTED FOR MARKET.The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuív TD has announced the harvesting of the first cod farmed tomarket size in Ireland. The project was pioneered by Trosc Teo. which was established in 2005 by three local salmon farmers fromConnemara, and by Taighde Mara Teo., an R & D subsidiary of Udarás na Gaeltachta. The project was also supported by the NUIGalway - the Martin Ryan Institute in Carna - the Western Development Commission, BIM and the Department of Communications,Marine & Natural Resources.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister O Cuív said “Trosc Teo has pioneered the research and development of this product. Intwo short years the company has proven that cod farming has a viable commercial future and is to become an integral part of theaquaculture industry in the West of Ireland”. Pádraig O hAoláin, CEO, Udarás na Gaeltachta said “that they look forward to support-ing projects that will develop a substantial cod farming industry in Ireland” and Prof. Michael Guiry, Director of the Martin RyanInstitute NUIG confirmed that the University will continue to support the aquaculture industry through applied research innovations.Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO, Marine Institute, expressed his delight with the success of the project because there was so much con-cern for the future of the wild cod fisheries and now something concrete can be done by the application of research and innovationto create a viable alternative supply to this important food fish. Trosc Teo. plan to harvest eighty tonnes of cod this year and thecompany will be a fully certified organic cod producer in 2008.

A full scale clean up of the Point at Cromane and the strand wasorganised by Castlemaine CLAMS (Coordinated LocalAquaculture Management Group), Board Iascaigh Mhara,Castlemaine Harbour Fisheries Society and local residents onThursday 29th March 2007. Frank and Donie McCarthy,Cromane co-ordinated the clean up which follows from the verysuccessful clean up organised in 2006.

Local Fishermen and residents all volunteered their time andtook to the shoreline to clean up the area.

Castlemaine Harbour is an important mussel and oyster pro-duction area, however, as there is no pier or designated workarea, the Point at Cromane has to be used as a launch and stor-age area. Inevitably, a certain amount of waste accumulatesover time. Killarney Waste Disposal were contracted to removedaquaculture and fishing waste. Metal was taken for recycling. Kerry Co. Co. provided bags for the collection of general wastealong the strand. The co-ordinators, Frank and Donie, distrib-uted the bags to local residents who did a fantastic job of col-

lecting paper and plas-tic waste that had beenwashed ashore follow-ing the winter tides andstorms. Over 150 bagsof paper and generalwaste were collectedalong the strand. KerryCounty Council thenorganised the pick upall all bags of generalwaste.

The following people must be mentioned for their time andeffort that was put into the clean up and for a job well done.Frank and Donie McCarthy, Helen Teehan, Noel Foley and JohnF. McCarthy, Johnny O Reilly and Bernie Willis.

The clean up will ensure that the area will remain tidy, safeand usable by marine stakeholders, local residents and generalpublic for sometime to come.

Clean up of Cromane Point and Strand

Frank and Donie McCarthy


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May 17-19: Fishlink 2007, Iloilo Iloilo, The Phillippines.FishLink 2007 will sponsor conferences covering responsi-ble advanced aquaculture technology, advances in produc-tion, product development and marketing. Details: MariaRovilla, J. Luhan. e-mail: [email protected] 22-23: The Shellfish Association of Great Britain,London. Details: Lorraine Andrews, Fishmongers’ Hall,London Bridge, London, EC4R 9EL, UK.Tel: +44 (0)20 72838305; Fax: +44 (0)20 7929 1389; [email protected]; www.shellfish.org.ukMay 28-31: Global Trade Conference on Aquaculture,Quingdao, China. The FAO conference, organised in part-nership with the Fishinfo Network, will look at the impactaquaculture is having on food security and employment indeveloping countries. Details: InfoFish, PO Box 10899,50728 Malaysia. Tel: +603 26914466; Fax: +60326916804; e-mail: [email protected]; www.fao.orgJune 8-11: AquaPartners: Athens, Greece. Presentingthe latest developments in the Mediterranean in terms oftechnology, products and services. Details: EuroPartners,101 Syngrou Avenue, 117 45 Athens, Greece. Tel: +30 2109221254; Fax: +30210 9221589; e-mail: [email protected]; www.europartners.grJune 17-20: 7the Nordic Symposium on FishImmunology, Stirling, Scotland. Details: Dr. JaninaCosta, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, StirlingRK9 4LA, UK. Tel:+ 44(0) 1786 467912; Fax: +44 (0) 1786 472133; e-mail: [email protected];www.noffi.orgJune 22-24: Shanghai International Fisheries & SeafoodExpo. Shanghai, China. Details: Kim Yang, InternationalDept., Shanghai Gehua Exhibition Service; e-mail: [email protected]; www.sifse.comAugust 5-8: Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2007, Hanoi,Vietnam. Details: WAS Conference Manager, PO Box2302, Valley Centre, CA 92082, USA. Tel:+ 1 760 7515005;Fax: +1760 7515003. e-mail: [email protected];www.was.orgAugust 14-17: Aqua Nor 2007, Trondheim, Norway.Details: The Nor-Fishing Foundation, Klostergt 90, NO-7030Trondheim, Norway. Tel: +4773568640; Fax: +4773568641; e-mail: [email protected];www.nor-fishing.noSeptember 25-28: World Seafood Congress 07, Dublin,Ireland. Hosted by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Enterprise Irelandand the Food Safety Authority of Ireland for the InternationalAssociation of Fish Inspectors. Details: www.worldseafood-congress07.comNov. 6-9: Caribbean & Latin American AquacultureCongress 2007, San Juan, Puerto Rico. AnnualConference and Exhibition of the Latin American &Caribbean Chapter. Details: www.was.org

Diary Guide 2007 The Water Abstraction & Impoundment(Licensing) Regulations - (NorthernIreland) 2006

The Water Abstraction & Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations(Northern Ireland) 2006 were made on 27th November 2006 andwill come into operation on 1st February 2007. The making of thislegislation and its subsequent implementation will fulfill NorthernIreland’s obligation to the European Commission under the Habitatsand Water Framework Directives to establish a water resourcemanagement, assessment and licensing regime. The newRegulations aim to provide a single and consistent ‘risk based’approach for all abstractions and impoundment operations, thesepowers will help protect our water environment including protectedspecies and dependent ecosystems and will help deliver efficientand sustainable water usage in Northern Ireland.

These Regulations apply to anyone who abstracts/diverts waterand/or anyone who owns or operates an impoundment. TheDepartment are keen to engage with each of the relevant sectorsaffected, raise awareness of the new legislation and to work in part-nership to develop a best practice guide and effective mitigation asa means of ensuring there are no detrimental environmental effects.Fish farms and hatcheries are one sector the Department plan towork constructively with. Under the new legislation fish farms andhatcheries will be required to obtain an abstraction and impound-ment licence (if applicable); this reflects current regulatory practicein the rest of the UK. The key criteria used in the determination oflicence applications within this sector will include the volume ofwater diverted, the return location to the natural environment for thiswater, the scale and operation of any associated impoundment, themanagement of compensation water and the environmental sensi-tivity of the location being assessed.

For further information, advice and/or an application form pleasecontact:Abstractions & Impoundments Licensing TeamWater Management UnitEnvironment & Heritage Service17 Antrim Road Lisburn BT28 3ALTel: (028) 9263 3463Visit: http://www.ehsni.gov.ukEmail: [email protected]

The user friendly guide to filling in the EU Logbook forms an integral part ofcontrol and enforcement under EU Fisheries Policy and under current legis-lation all fishing vessels over 10 metres are required to record details oftheir fishing operations in the logbook. The current requirements, however,to complete the logbook are complex and can be challenging for fishermento understand and, more importantly, comply with.

In order to address this BIM, in consultation with DCM&NR, the NavalService and industry representatives have produced a User Friendly Guideto Filling in the EU Logbook, taking account of all the different layers of regulation.

The guide is split into two sections. The first deals with general points toremember when filling in the logbook during the course of a normal fishingtrip. The second section is made up of a number of different examples oflogsheets covering a range of gear types/area/target species and demon-strates how to fill in the logbook from leaving port to landing.

A series of maps and tables are also provided, containing all the neces-sary information need to complete the logbook accurately.

The final guide is due for distribution shortly and it is hoped fishermen willfind it a useful source of information to unravel the mysteries of the logbook!

Available from Fisheries Development Division, BIM, Crofton Road, DunLaoghaire, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01-2144100.

UUSERSER FFRIENDLRIENDLYY LLOGBOOKOGBOOK GGUIDEUIDE


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Last March a group of Irish oysterproducers were invited through BIMby the Section Regionale de

Conchyliculture (SRC), Arcachon, to visitthe Bassin D’Arcachon. The President ofthe SRC, Marc Druart, and Vice-Presidents, Olivier Laban and SylvieLatrille and a large group of producersreceived the Irish delegation on theevening of their arrival at a welcomereception in their offices and set thescene for 2 days of open and friendly dis-cussions and information exchange.Oyster production in Bassind’ArcachonThe first day of the trip was spent on thewater visiting the main seed collectionand ongrowing sites in the Bassind’Arcachon. This area contains 365 oysterfarms, with an annual production of12,000 tons. From an Irish perspective itis better known as the major area for pro-duction of wild gigas seed. In an averageyear, spatfall in Arcachon may represent atotal volume of 4 billion gigas seed, which

could in theory sustain a production of100,000 tonnes. The Basin’s producersare not in a position to handle thesequantities, even after mortalities of 50%on collectors and a further 50% at grad-ing, so a significant proportion of it is soldinto areas of Brittany, Normandy and to alesser extent into the Mediterranean andIreland.

The main ongrowing areas in theBassin are Ile d’Arguin, Ile d’Oiseaux, LaBelle Izaire and Le Tes. All must beaccessed by boat. Typically one producerwill have a number of small licensed sitesin these areas, all less than a hectare,and further areas for collecting seed. Inthe case of one farmer, 25 licences wererequired to allow him to farm a total of 6hectares.

The Directorate of Affaires Maritimes,equivalent to our Department of Marinecontrols licensing. Currently theDirectorate is working closely with theSRC and other relevant representativeorganisations to implement a maximum

stocking density of 700 trestles per10,000. It has already legislated that notmore than 25% of any farmers licensedground can be collection area. This is toensure a sustainable oyster industry inArcachon by contributing to the brood-stock population. Despite this, many ofthe larger producers have intertidalongrowing sites in Normandy and Brittanyand bottom culture sites.

Seed collection areas are for the mostpart well inside the Bassin d’Arcachonand along the shoreline away from theentrance and channels. Clay tiles coatedwith lime are the most popular collector,despite the labour intensive nature ofdeploying and harvesting. However, thebelief is that the lime on the tiles gives astronger shell and covers the hinge,reducing the risk of damage. The scrapingof the tiles can also be done by machinemuch more efficiently. Alternative systemsinclude coupelles, tubes and plastic trayscalled “plenos” which allow for moremechanisation.

In addition to the oyster farming activi-

ties, the Bassin d’Arcachon is a majortourist area. Literally thousands of moor-ing buoys for pleasure boats could beseen along the shorelines. Yet there is noconflict between these two industries. Infact, they complement each other. Theoriginal oyster sheds have preservationorders on them and many small produc-ers have set up oyster bars on the beachto cater for the holiday makers. Seed settlement in 20062006 has been an excellent year for set-

tlement with an average of 1,000 juve-niles being removed from tiles. This canpresent its own problems in that it can

result in a lot of doubles and an averageof 500 per tile would be more desirable. Ifseed is harvested early, aroundDecember / January, the number of dou-bles can be reduced and quality in termsof shape improved. This seed will havebeen heavily graded at that time andagain in March/April prior to sale.However, it is a practice for some produc-ers in Arcachon to harvest late,March/April, to reduce handling in thebelief that less stress may reduce the inci-dence of summer mortality.

The seed shown to the group was beingharvested and put through two gradersbefore being packed into 2 – 6mm meshbags, dep ending on the size of thegrade. Prices were quoted at the time as€5 - €10/’000, again depending on size.T6 grade was €5/’000. �� The trip provided an opportunity forIrish producers to forge trade links withthe French industry and also to learnsomething first hand about the wild seedtrade. It is important, however, to note themany considerations to be taken intoaccount with wild seed: Seed should notbe more than one year old if it fits in 4 or6mm bags. This is usually reflected in theshell thickness and colour.�� Proportion of doubles should be lessthan 10%.�� Average weight, usually pieces per kilo,which varies for tile v coupelle seed�� Percentage dead shell should not bemore than 10%.�� The risk of mortality will be higher ifseed is purchased in May/June.�� The buyer should make as accurate anassessment of numbers as possible.�� The large grade is not necessarily thebest as it will have more doubles.However quality will reduce in the small-est grade and the risk of other speciespresent is increased.�� The seed should preferably come froman early harvest.�� In the case of tile seed the proportionof lime mixed in with the seed should bereasonable and it should be white andeasy to break up. A darkened hard limeindicates more than one year old seed.�� There should be a frill on the shell, no matter what size and it should not be all

Irish Oyster Producers receive a warm welcome in FranceTrish Daly writes….

Traditional tile collectors typically located off a touristvillage in the Bassin d’Arcachon.

Heavy settlement experienced in 2006

Plenos

Seed removed from tiles and graded twice. Note the presence of fresh lime particles.

Contd. on page 11


11

black, again an indication of older possi-ble stunted seed.�� There should be no mussel seed in thebatch.�� Guarantees should be sought regard-ing survival rates, settlements of mussels,percentage of doubles and the presenceor absence ofdog whelks. Alsothe risk of flatoysters, polydo-ra and crepidulabeing presentshould be con-sidered. A knowl-edge of the areafrom which yourseed is sourcedwould give agood indication.�� The status ofMartelia andBonamia mustalways be estab-lished. All seed,wild or hatchery,must be certified by IFREMER and willindicate the probability of the presence ofMartelia and Bonamia in a consignment.Biotoxin closures in oyster producingareasFrom a French perspective the visit pro-vided an opportunity to share experiencesrelating to biotoxins. 2005 and 2006 weredifficult years for producers in Arcachondue to protracted closures from April –August 2005 and April – November 2006

for DSP. These periods represented peakselling times for the local market duringthe tourist season and then heading intothe busiest time through the wintermonths.

The move to the 24 hour mouse bioas-say in 2002 in France has caused muchconflict between authorities and the indus-

try whobelieve thatthe 5 hourtest, uponwhich theyhad reliedfor 20 yearsshould besufficient. InSeptemberof last yeardemonstra-tions wereheld out-side thePrefecture

of Arcachonin protest.

Simultaneous reports of 2 deaths in thearea linked to the consumption of oysterscaused a massive media frenzy. Althoughthese reports were later retracted, it is feltthat the damage to consumer confidencehad already been done and the SRC arenow seeking compensation from theState. The French industry continues tofight for a change to the biotoxin monitor-ing programme to include the 5 hour test,along with phytoplankton analysis andchemical analyses.

Strength in numbersAmong the most notable things for thegroup during the three days was the levelof organisation within the industry, bothlocally and nationally. The SRC repre-sents most of the oyster producers in theBassin d’Arcachon. Funding is providedthrough the government and by an “oblig-atory voluntary contribution” paid as partof the annual licensing fee by every pro-ducer. The SRC is represented on anational level, along with its sister groupsfrom all other major producing areas, bythe CNC. This group is included in all rel-evant discussions and decisions at gov-ernment level.

Clearly these relationships do comeunder a strain at times but the fact thatour group, through the SRC, met withboth the Directorate of Affaires Maritimeand the veterinary authorities during thetrip demonstrates the importance andeffectiveness of Producer Organisationsfor any industry.SummaryOverall the Group felt the trip was a veryworthwhile exercise. It was an opportunityfor some to see something of the wildseed industry for the first time and for allto share common concerns. From a mar-keting perspective it was a great boost forIrish oysters, opening further doors withthe French Producer Organisations andcommunicating to a larger audiencethrough the press.

Group pictured outside Codimer, one of the bigger buyers, handling 3-4,000 tonnes of oysters per year.

Contd. from page 10

Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel : Organic Session’s theme at World Aquaculture Conference. 2007

Vera Heffernan from the Aquaculture Development,Environment & Quality Section recently attended the WorldAquaculture 2007 Conference and Tradeshow in San Antonio topresent a paper at the U.S Organic Aquaculture Session.

The U.S Organic Aquaculture Session was held over the finalday of the triennial conference. Given the Organic Session’stheme of Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel there was muchdiscussion in the areas of challenges for organic aquaculture;past, present and future, the status of organic aquaculture stan-dards development in the U.S., promoting organic standards asecological management and discussed by Vera Heffernan,Critical Research Priorities for the Development of OrganicStandards in Aquaculture.

Of note was speaker George Lockwood of the NationalOrganic Aquaculture Working Group (NOAWG), giving a back-ground on the group’s work to date assisting the U.S. NationalOrganic Standards Board (NOSB) with the development of theUS Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards foraquaculture. The USDA have been undecided about the organicfuture of aquaculture and George Lockwood informed the ses-sion of the NOSB Livestock Committee’s recommended stan-dards to the USDA earlier that week. The recommendationsinclude the designation of some farmed-raised seafood asorganic, however, open-net pens where most salmon are raised,and fish that require a diet including fish, are excluded from theforthcoming standard.

Since the conference, the NOSB held a meeting inWashington on March 27-29 to receive public comments in

person on the recommendations. The recommenda-tions have been approved for the use of the organic seal on fishgrown in closed-containment systems, which will allow manytilapia and catfish farmers to use the USDA organic seal oncethe standards have been transposed into legislation, which is notexpected until 2008 or 2009.

The NOSB is expected to take up the issue on whether toinclude open-net cages and wild-caught fish feed at its nextmeeting in Autumn 2007.

Vera Heffernan, BIM, reports:


12

Published by: Bord Iascaigh MharaPO Box 12, Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Ireland.

Phone: 01-2144123; Fax: 01-2144119 e-mail: [email protected] Editor: Breda SmithBIM cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions and the opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of BIM.

(IFA Contd. from page 5)were sorted with cod and tuna, these could move forward in production.Breeding will be the basis. Health control will be essential, biotechnolo-gy, ethics and consumer demands would all need to be considered, aswell as feeds and feed resources.

In the freshwater sector he said opportunities do exist in the form ofdiversification into restocking. He spoke of how important it is to encour-age young people into the industry. What is needed is skilled, compe-tent labour and management.

Donal Maguire, Aquaculture Development Manager, BIM, spoke of thechallenges for the seafood sector in the Crawley report, while RichieFlynn, IFA, spoke on the licensing issue. He said the biggest problemwas getting the licensing sorted out, which was still proving a huge prob-lem for the ISA and ISGA.

There were various speakers over the two days of the conference rep-resenting salmon, oyster, mussel and trout growers and they all said thatlicensing was a major issue for the future of their sector.

John Harrington said that at the moment production was between 8-10,000 tonnes and his 20/20 vision was that we should be pushing for70-100,000 tonnes. “ What we want in the rope mussel sector is a fairharmonised regime, simultaneously being imposed on everyone else inEurope....we are the cutting edge of the biotoxin regime”.

In oyster production, the 20/20 Vision was on clean waters, whereCounty Councils need to live up to their responsibilities and testing andclassifications of bays. Purification and biotoxins and market develop-ment were also major factors.

Joe Lee, from Muirachmanni Teo, South Connemara, spoke of theimportance of investing continually in the best technology that was avail-

able to the industry, and of how it was vital in supporting rural communi-ties with few job opportunities. Ger Kerwin, Goatsbridge Trout Farmspoke how constant regulation was hindering his industry.

Tom Mc Sweeney, Marine Correspondent, RTE, was the last speakerof the afternoon. He said that the importance of aquaculture is not get-ting across to the national media, and as a result, consumers are con-fused. He posed the question “are you fishermen, farmers, fish farmers,aquaculturists? You should perhaps decide and get it clear to the public,because people are confused”. He spoke of his own impression of theindustry in that there were very good things happening but the public donot hear enough of it. There’s not really a system that issues informationand issues it with pride. He urged the industry to put positive stories outthere, because unless we do that the public won’t know.

The day also saw the launch of the Irish Organic Salmon Standard,where Donal Maguire, BIM, said the Standard builds on the existing IrishQuality Salmon Standard, providing an excellent means of further differ-entiating Irish products on the global market. Also there was cooking ofseafood, by Neven Maguire of McNeans bistro.

Day two, saw a series of workshops, with two workshops runningalongside one another. One for finfish, where presentations were givenon developments in recirculation technology in Denmark, as well as apresentation from Anthony Murphy, Skretting and Fiona Geoghegan,Marine institute.

In the shellfish workshop, a joint presentation on the Carrying Capacityproject was given by Benen Dallaghan and Brian O’ Loan, BIM.

Training courses for the industry for both shellfish and finfish were pre-sented by Dr. Susan Steele, BIM.

l-r: IFA President, Padraig Walsh; Marine Minister, John Browne, TD; ChefNeven Maguire; Vera Heffernan, BIM and Ian Mannix BIM.

More than 100 restaurants, pubs, hotels and seafood retailers from allover Ireland received their 2007 Seafood Circle plaques having met thecriteria necessary for becoming a member. The awards ceremony tookplace on 28th February with Marine Minister, John Browne, TD, launch-ing the initiative. Congratulating the businesses Helen Brophy, BIM’sMarket Development Manager said “the retail and hospitality businessesrecognised to-day are located in both urban and rural areas throughoutthe country and are consistently delivering best practice in seafoodretailing and hospitality. I look forward to seeing these businessesprospect as a result of their association with the Seafood Circle”.

The retail part of Seafood Circle is divided into two distinct categories:Seafood Specialist, which is aimed at the independent fish retail sectorand Supermarket Seafood Counter, aimed at the multiple groups andgrowing number of independent supermarkets and specialist food shops.In this sector the retailers invited to apply for membership. All premisesreceive a minimum of two visits from experienced BIM staff and an inde-pendent assessor. A strict set of criteria applies and the assessorsreport to an Approvals Committee prior to awarding membership.

A full list of all members is available at www.seafoodcircle.com Source: FishMatters

Over 100 restaurants, pubs, hotels andseafood retailers receive the 2007 SeafoodCircle Plaque

N.L. No. 59NewsLetter,No,59.pdf · Chairman of BIM, Rose McHugh, paid tribute to Pat and the...

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Transcript of N.L. No. 59NewsLetter,No,59.pdf · Chairman of BIM, Rose McHugh, paid tribute to Pat and the...