eurofish magazine 5 2015

is a member of the FISH INFO network

www.eurofi shmagazine.com ISSN 1868-5943 October 5 / 2015 C 44346

EU

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Euro

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Weighing equipment: Scales for all applications

International Cold Water Prawn Conference to be held in Copenhagen

Turkey: Seabass and seabream exports thrive

Renewed focus on mussel production

Albania

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Eurofish Member Countries at the European Seafood Exposition

Interview with Anne Christine Brusendorff, ICES General Secretary

www.eurofishmagazine.c C 44346

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In this issue

In Albania, as domestic legislation continues to be aligned with that of the EU, the issue remains

one of implementation and enforcement. Efforts in this direction include initiatives, such as one

that improves the level of cooperation between fisheries inspectors and the local police forces, and

the deployment of a system of sensors to monitor blasting for fish, an illegal (and highly dangerous)

activity. After a hiatus of several years Albania would also like to start exporting mussels to the EU

again and is reorganising the production in the Butrinti lagoon to make it more environmentally,

commercially, and socially sustainable. While the Butrinti lagoon is the traditional site for mussel

production, private entrepreneurs have developed other areas, for example, in the Shengjin bay,

where they are growing the bivalves ultimately to export them. Read more on page 16

Turkey exported goods worth about USD158bn in 2014 to which the fisheries and aquaculture sec-

tor contributed some USD700m. Seafood is thus only a tiny fraction of the total, but its value has

doubled since 2009. Capture fisheries generate some exports, but the trade is dominated by the

aquaculture sector. Turkish-farmed seabass, seabream and trout are being exported to increasing

numbers of countries around the world. Not only is the number of export destinations increasing,

but the variety of products is also becoming more diverse. Fresh fish on ice used to be the main ex-

port product, but now smoked, frozen, vacuum packed, or MA packaged products, whether whole

round or gutted fish, fillets cut in different ways, or ready-to-cook items are all available. As product

development continues, the number of farmed species increases, and export destinations multiply

the omens seem favourable for the fish farming industry. Read more on page 36

A Danish project to optimise the exploitation of the crab by-catch has received funding from the

Danish AgriFish Agency to explore ways in which value can be added to these animals which are

otherwise partly wasted. The consortium is looking at the possibilty of using the parts of the crab

for different purposes. If it turns out to be commercially feasible it will not only add value to what is

currently waste, but also give fishermen a little extra money in their pockets. Read more on page 14

Salt and pepper may be the first condiments that spring to mind when seasoning fish and seafood,

but the term encompasses a range of spices and herbs that can radically change appearance and

taste. Although seafood appears in thousands of forms the use of seasoning enables even greater

variety. Seasoning can be used on its own or to add flavour to, for example, a batter or coating. The

huge variety of seasonings, however, calls for a degree of care when using them particularly in com-

bination. In the past while many kinds of seasoning were exotic and not to be found outside the

domestic market, today it is only the most unusual that cannot be found in the ethnic stores that dot

most big European cities. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 55

Weighing is a process so familiar to everybody that one tends to forget how critical it is for modern

living. Countless industries depend on weighing and the manufacturers of weight-measuring equip-

ment have responded by developing technology and machinery that caters to the many different

requirements. Within the seafood industry weighing machines have a role to play at all levels of the

value chain. And as the demands being placed on them increase they are getting more and more

sophisticated. Read more from page 58

Albania reorganises mussel production with a view to

resume exports

www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2015 3

4 Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015

Table of News

6 International News

Projects

14 Danish project proposes adding value to crab by-catch

Potentially useful ingredients for food and feed

Albania

16 Greater concern for the environment is a priority

Enforcement requires coordination across ministries

18 The fisheries and aquaculture sector in Albania

Challenges abound, but are not insurmountable

25 Rives produces a range of natural bio products based on

traditional recipes

Looking for foreign investment to expand

27 Laboratory for aquaculture and fishery, Agricultural University

of Tirana

Albania’s only marine research laboratory

30 Mare Adriatik aims to be Albania’s first exporter of mussels to

Europe

Product lines based on mussels and small pelagics

32 The Stacioni i Linit hatchery plays an important role in keeping

koran stocks stable

Restocking eff orts maintain a valuable fishery

34 Koral to start farming seabass and seabream

Diversifying into aquaculture production

Turkey

36 The fisheries and aquaculture sector in Turkey

Fewer fish in cages gives better prices

39 Fish farming contributes to global nutrition as well as poverty

alleviation

Industry must forge stronger links with consumers

Scan the QR code to access the Eurofi sh

Magazine website (www.eurofi shmagazine.

com), where you can also sign up to receive

the Eurofi sh Magazine newsletter.

Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2015 5

Contents 41 Agromey concentrates on whole or gutted seabass and

seabream, and fillets

Doing a few things, but doing them well

43 Akuvatur breeds uncommon species to unusual sizes

Seeking new markets in Europe

45 Kiliç Seafood Company looks for opportunities overseas

Investments in Mauritania to secure fishmeal and fish oil supplies

47 Kopuzmar seeks further certifications

Renewed focus on quality to ward of competitors

49 More Aquaculture processes four fish species

Frozen fillets in several different formats

51 Liman sees a bright future in trout farming and processing

Investments in cage farms to produce large trout

53 Camli’s new packaging facility goes on stream

Making a serious effort to build a brand

Processing

55 Spices and herbs in fish processing

Door opener to the world’s kitchens

Technology

58 Intelligent weighing technology can save time, money, and

trouble Fields of application for weighing scales in the fish industry and fish trade

Guest Pages: Despina S. Pirovolidou

62 European Bureau for Conservation and Development

(EBCD) A bridge between fisheries stakeholders

Service

65 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

Worldwide Fish News

Belgium page 12

Canada page 11

China pages 8, 11

Denmark pages 6, 8, 10, 12

Germany page 13

Ghana page 10

Norway page 6

Romania page 7

Spain page 10

Turkey page 9

UK page 10

USA page 8

International Cold Water Prawn Forum, 12 November 2015, Copenhagen

Interest in the cold water prawn

(Pandalus borealis) is strong. On

12 November 2015 the Interna-

tional Cold Water Prawn Forum

(ICWPF) will, for the fi rst time,

host the biennial prawn confer-

ence in Copenhagen, where the

venue is the brand new Tivoli

Hotel. More than 160 delegates

have already signed up for ICWPF

2015 conference and they can look

forward to hear business leaders,

industry organisation representa-

tives, and researchers give their

perspectives on the challenges

and opportunities that will drive

the future of the cold water prawn.

“I am very proud of the high level of

speakers that we have managed to

attract for this event. With this high

level of interest, more than 160 dele-

gates have already registered, the

conference shows that there is a

sweeping desire to create sustain-

able and profi table solutions for

the entire cold water prawn indus-

try,” says ICWPF chairman Simon

Jarding from Royal Greenland.

Among the widespread conse-

quences of global warming has

been its impact on the cold water

prawn stock. In recent years there

The impacts of climate change on the cold water prawn fi shery will

be discussed at the industry’s biennial event to be held this year in

Copenhagen.

has been a northern movement

of the stock. Th is movement of

the prawn is aff ecting the fi shery

and forcing fi shermen to investi-

gate new fi shing areas to realise a

profi table yield. At the conference

this subject will be addressed by

Carsten Hvingel, a researcher at

the Institute of Marine Research in

Norway.

New, and perhaps more north-

erly, fi shing areas together with

demands to ensure a high level of

sustainability pose new challenges

to the industry. One of the ways to

meet these challenges is through

the continuous development of

technology and equipment. Nick

Edwards, secretary of the Shrimps

Producers Marketing Coopera-

tive, Oregon will provide an insight

into and an overview of the latest

trends in prawn fi shing. By sharing

knowledge and understanding the

opportunities off ered by up-to-

date fi shing technology the entire

industry will be strengthened.

Laurie Weitkamp, NOAA Fisher-

ies (the US National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration), will

discuss the impact of El-Nino

on the cold water prawn fi shery

in the Pacifi c area. With their

interventions these and other

speakers will contribute to a bet-

ter understanding of the threats

and opportunities facing the

stock and by extension the indus-

try. Participants can look forward

to an interesting and enlighten-

ing event in the company of their

peers from the industry.

For more information about the

conference and an updated pro-

gramme, please visit the ICWPF

webpage at www.icwpf.com.

Norway develops world’s fi rst electric fi shing vesselTh e world’s fi rst fi shing vessel that

runs completely on electric power

entered service in September in

Norwegian waters. Th e electric

vessel will contribute to reduc-

ing CO2 emissions. A Norwegian

company has ordered the vessel

from Norwegian boat builder Selfa

Arctic which specialises in build-

ing vessels of between 9.5 and 12 m.

Th e fi rm’s fl agship vessel is an 11 m

fi shing boat that can be operated

by a single fi sherman. Th e vessel

will run off a 195 kW battery pack,

which will drive an electric motor.

Apart from not emitting CO2, the

boat will also generate less noise

and vibration than a fuel-powered

vessel. Charging the battery will

take between six and eight hours.

Th e fi shing boat, designed to

operate entirely on Corvus bat-

tery power over a planned 10-hour

working day, will also have a small

50 kW auxiliary generator and can

be charged overnight by plugging

into the electrical grid. Th e electric

fi shing vessel is funded by Innova-

tion Norway an organisation jointly

owned by the Norwegian Ministry

of Trade, Industry and Fisheries,

and the county authorities.

Global warming forces prawn fi shers to rethink strategy

www.eurofi shmagazine.com

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]


A three-day international work-

shop “Evaluation of survival and

distribution in the Black Sea of

young sturgeons stocked experi-

mentally in the Lower Danube”

was held in Galati, Romania,

on 8-10 September 2015. Th e

workshop was organised by the

University “Dunarea de Jos” of

Galati, project leader, with the

aim of disseminating the results

of a European-fi nanced pilot

project, dedicated to analysing

the effi ciency of sturgeon stock-

ing.

Over 40 participants from nine

countries (Bulgaria, Denmark,

Hungary, Germany, Poland,

Romania, Serbia, Turkey,

Ukraine), gathered to exchange

knowledge and experience on

stocking procedures, survival

and spread of critically endan-

gered sturgeon species, as well

as to discuss potential recovery

plans that could be implemented

in the future. During 2013-2015,

over 200,000 young sturgeons

of endangered species, beluga,

Russian and stellate sturgeon,

produced from wild broodstock,

have been individually tagged

and stocked in the lower Dan-

ube River. Th eir survival rate,

growth and distribution in the

Black Sea were surveyed by stur-

geon researchers from Bulgaria,

Georgia, Romania, Turkey and

Ukraine. Both information on

young sturgeon stocked previ-

ously (2006 – 2009), as well as in

connection to the stocking related

to the pilot project, was gathered,

as a result of experimental fi sh-

ing and accidental capture in

the Black Sea coastal waters and

Sfântu Gheorghe (Danube River

area). Th e analysis of the genetic

diversity of the young stur-

geons captured and their migra-

tion and distribution patterns

Romania: Scientists stress the importance of healthy sturgeon stocks

The effi ciency of sturgeon stocking in nine European countries is being studied in a pilot project

supported by European funds.

were also investigated as part of

the project.

During a fi eld visit to the Aqua-

culture and Fisheries Department

of “Dunarea de Jos” University,

participants met the staff and

PhD students in their laborato-

ries, including the new recircu-

lated aquaculture system under

construction. “Th e research of

sturgeons is a priority for our

university and the results of this

pilot project are of both national

and European importance for the

conservation of these species”

said Dr. Eng. Iulian Gabriel Bîr-

san, head of the university. Par-

ticipants at the workshop drafted

recommendations for the exten-

sion of the pilot project to achieve

all the objectives as well as to

disseminate its results, at both

national and European levels.

“Th e disappearance of stur-

geons is a serious matter, with

profound consequences for

the humanity” says Dr. Radu

Suciu, scientifi c coordinator of

the pilot project. “To ensure the

survival of these fi sh, there is

a need for understanding and

good will so that these ancient

species will not disappear in the

future. Sturgeons are the great-

est fi shery wealth of Romania.

Th e wild stocks of three out of

four sturgeon species spawning

in the Danube River are healthy.

Romania has an obligation to

preserve these ancient species.”

NEW:



Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015 7

Denmark: Fiskens Dag attracts thousands across the countryTh e second Saturday in Septem-

ber is always marked in the cal-

endars of Danish fi sh lovers. Th is

is the day the country celebrates

Fiskens Dag (Fish Day). Th e event

aims not only to promote fi sh

from Danish waters, but also to

encourage people to eat more

fi sh. Despite coming from one of

the largest fi shing and seafood

exporting nations in the world,

Danes last year selected fried

pork to be the national dish. On

balance, the choice was perhaps

not surprising. Th e average Dane

eats six times more meat than

fi sh, and weekly consumption

of fi sh reaches only 259 grams

per week against 350 grams re-

commended in offi cial dietary

guidelines. Fiskebranchen, an

organisation that brings together

fi shermen, processors, farmers

and fi shmongers, is working hard

to fi ll this gap, arranging diff erent

campaigns and events across the

country, and Fiskens Dag is one

of them.

On 12 September fi sh-related

activities for children and adults

took place across the coun-

try. In Copenhagen the square

in front of the city hall was the

main venue for the event. Hun-

dreds of people arrived there to

look at marine creatures, listen

to live music and sample prod-

ucts off ered by companies from

diff erent parts of Denmark – fi sh

cakes, marinated herring, blue

mussels, shrimps, Norway lob-

sters, as well as fried plaice fi llets

and monkfi sh goulash cooked

on the spot. Adults could par-

ticipate in competitions to show

off their knowledge about fi sh,

have their questions answered,

or make new discoveries related

to fi sh and seafood, while kids

Fiskens Dag (Fish Day) is deliberately aimed at children to increase

their awareness of fi sh and seafood. Hopefully it is an interest that will

stay with them all their lives.

got their thrills exploring marine

specimens they had never seen

before. Th e highlight of the day

was the fi sh auction where people

could bid for fresh fi sh including

hake, cod, saithe, sole, and turbot.

Prices were reasonable and the

novelty may have encouraged

even irregular fi sh eaters to par-

ticipate. After all, there is little

that is tastier or healthier than a

freshly caught fi sh.

Th e Chinese Tongwei Co. and the

Danish BioMar Group have com-

bined forces in order to serve the

Chinese market with high qual-

ity fi sh feed, reports BioMar in

a press release. Th e two compa-

nies have signed a Joint-Venture

agreement to establish a joint fi sh

feed company. Th e fi rst plant will

be located in eastern China and

will off er high performance feed

to the Chinese market. Produc-

tion of high value fi sh species

is growing in China, and along

with it the market for high per-

formance diets. Tongwei is the

world’s largest aquafeed manu-

facturer and has held the leading

position in the Chinese aquafeed

industry for the last 20 years.

BioMar is one of the largest sup-

pliers in the fi eld of high per-

formance feed. In 2013 China

produced 43.5 million tonnes of

food fi sh and the country alone

accounted for more than 60 of

the world’s aquaculture produc-

tion. Finfi sh accounts for more

than half of the production. Th e

use of commercial feed instead of

feeding fi sh with low-value fi sh is

believed to be more environmen-

tal friendly and more effi cient.

Also, as the production of high-

value fi sh continues to grow, the

amount of low-value fi sh needed

to feed the farmed fi sh increase,

and by switching to commer-

cial feed this fi sh can be used for

human consumption instead.

China: BioMar enters joint venture in China to supply fi sh feed to the local market

USA: Commissioner Vella stresses need for careful, science-based management of ArcticTh e European Commissioner for

Environment, Maritime Aff airs

and Fisheries travelled to Alaska to

attend the high-level conference

“Global Leadership in the Arctic:

Cooperation, Innovation, Engage-

ment and Resilience (GLACIER)”,

to highlight the strategic impor-

tance of the Arctic region as the

Arctic Ocean becomes increas-

ingly “ice-free” and accessible.

When speaking to ministers at the

conference, which was organized

by the US Department of State and

hosted by US Secretary of State

John Kerry, he emphasised the

EU’s strong commitment to ensure

the Arctic region’s sustainable

development while safeguarding

its fragile environment. Th ere are

increasing challenges the Arctic

region faces today – on climate

change, fi sheries and international

co-operation. Commissioner Vella

informed the gathering that the EU

had earmarked 40 million euros

for 2016-2017 to promote research

in and on the Arctic region. At the

same time he said that commercial

fi sheries on the Arctic high seas

should not begin before a science-

based and precautionary manage-

ment regime was in place and that

all key actors, including the EU,

should be involved at the outset in

discussing such measures.




Future Fish Eurasia, the 8th inter-

national fair for fish ımports/

exports, processing, aquaculture

and fisheries, will be organised by

Eurasia Trade Fairs at the Izmir

International Fair Centre, 2-4

June 2016, in conjunction with the

Middle East Aquaculture Forum

(MEAF-16) – “Towards sustainable

aquaculture.” Future Fish Eurasia

2016 will spread across 10,000 m2

of space, where over 300 domestic

and international companies will

display their products and servi-

ces. Th e event combines fish and

seafood products, aquaculture

and fish processing equipment,

and catering services for fish tra-

ders, fish farmers and processors.

Co-organised by PrimeEvents

and Marevent, MEAF-16 will

bring together aquaculture

industry experts and academics

from around the world and offer

a state-of-the-art platform to

interact, debate and exchange

views on recent results from

research projects. The orga-

nisers would like to invite all

producers, farmers, suppli-

ers, investors, industry experts

and academics to Future Fish

Eurasia, Turkey to attend this

unique forum.

Attendees can expect a world

class state-of-the-art programme

covering a wide range of topics

Turkey: Future Fish Eurasia co-locates with Middle East Aquaculture Forumincluding shrimp, biotics and

biofl ocs, marine fish, aquapo-

nics, aquaculture investment in

the Middle East and Central Asia,

sustainable aquaculture, freshwa-

ter fish, nutrition, health, algae,

seaweeds, production systems,

off shore aquaculture and integ-

rated multi-trophic aquaculture

(IMTA), water conservation, edu-

cation and technology transfer.

All sessions will be in English with

simultaneous translation from

English to Turkish. More informa-

tion about the forum is available

on www.meaf.ae or send an email

to [email protected].




Ranked 9th in the world by

The Economist for its busi-

ness environment Denmark is

a highly efficient country. But

there is still scope for improve-

ment. With this in mind Eva

Kjær Hansen, the Minister

for Environment and Food,

has called a meeting with the

fisheries industry to discuss

superfluous or over-complex

Danish regulations with a

view to simplifying or remov-

ing them. However, Danish

fisheries is governed both by

EU legislation and national laws

and while reducing the burden

may be feasible with regard to

local regulations, it is likely to

be more demanding if it con-

cerns EU statutes. Ms Hansen is

for the moment restricting her-

self to Danish regulations which

she is hoping to reform together

with the industry in the long

term through established min-

isterial advisory committees

and other fora.

Denmark: Minister seeks to reduce bureaucracy in fi sheries administration

Ghana has received USD53.8m

from the West Africa Region Fish-

eries Programme, a project run

by the World Bank. Th e money is

allocated to strengthen Ghana’s

capacity to govern and man-

age its fi sheries in a sustainable

manner, reduce illegal fi shing,

and increase the value and profi t-

ability generated by fi sheries and

aquatic resources. Th e benefi ciar-

ies from the program include an

estimated 206,000 marine and

Lake Volta fi shermen, 27,000

women fi sh processors and 3,000

fi sh farmers. Over the last years

Ghana has seen a decline in the

fi shing industry, which can be

attributed to the use of unsus-

tainable and illegal fi shing meth-

ods and over exploitation of fi sh

stocks. Th e fi sheries sector is of

considerable importance to the

Ghanaian economy accounting

for close to 4.5 of the country’s

gross domestic product and pro-

viding a livelihood to an esti-

mated 10 of the population.

Th e University of Glasgow and

Marine Scotland Science have

produced the fi rst scientifi c evi-

dence that suggests that trawling

in waters deeper than 600 metres

causes environmental damage

without yielding a benefi t to fi sh-

ermen. For many years European

scientists, environmentalists, poli-

ticians and commercial fi shermen

have debated whether or how to

limit deep-sea trawling, which

critics state causes huge damage to

ocean ecosystems.

Th e study, published in Cur-

rent Biology, uses survey data

to assess how the ratio of unde-

sired fi sh to commercially valu-

able ones changes with depth.

Th e trend in catch composition

over the depth range of 600 to

800 metres, shows that collateral

environmental impacts increase

signifi cantly, while commercial

gain per unit eff ort declines. It

also shows that deep-sea fi sh spe-

cies are more vulnerable, due to

the fact that individuals tend to

live for a long time, while having

relatively few off spring in com-

parison to shallow-water species.

Fish at this depth can live more

than a century, and breed very

slowly, making them vulnerable

to overfi shing.

European debates over deep-sea

trawling bans have been conten-

tious, especially in France and

Spain, where the few EU boats

that fi sh at depths more than

600 metres are registered. Trawl-

ing at such depths which hap-

pens mainly west of Scotland and

Ireland is limited, but critics of

the fi shery say that any steps to

preserve biodiversity should be

welcome.

Ghana: Assistance to promote sustainability of fi sheries and aquaculture

UK: Evidence supports trawling depth limit

Th e fi sheries and aquaculture

sectors in Spain need to focus

on innovations throughout all

stages of the production chain

and adapt fi shery products to

consumer demands, the Minister

of Agriculture, Food and Envi-

ronment Isabel García Tejerina

said, at the IV Congress of qual-

ity in seafood products held in

Madrid on 9 July 2015. Th e con-

gress was co-organised by the

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and

Environment and EUROFISH

International Organisation.

The Secretary General of Fish-

eries, Andrés Hermida Trastoy

underlined three main pillars

the sector should focus on,

namely, a solid scientific advice,

maximum performance and

compliance with the rules. He

also encouraged the industry

to find new ways be compatible

in the increasingly competitive

and globalized markets. Carlos

Larrañaga Ces, Director General

of Fisheries Management in his

concluding remarks stressed the

importance to focus on quality

and added value of products,

differentiation of the sales chan-

nels by introducing electronic

sales, and better communica-

tion of information (nutritional

and health related) to the con-

sumers.

Spain: Seafood sector to focus on quality and added value of products

Isabel García Tejerina, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment

and Andrés Hermida Trastoy, Secretary General of Fisheries, stressed

the need to focus on innovation.




The fish processing sector is an

important one for the European

economy generating 120,000

direct jobs across 3,500 compa-

nies. These companies produce

a wide range of products from

raw material that is sourced

locally as well as imported. In

the case of whitefi sh the depend-

ence on imports is almost 90

for wild capture species. Among

the trends noted in the industry

and detailed in the 2014 edition

of the Finfish study produced

by the EU Fish Processors and

Traders Association, is that

primary processing which had

moved from catching nations to

third countries to exploit more

efficient manual labour, may

be moving back. The higher

yields offered by manual labour

are now being matched by

machines reducing the incen-

tive to ship fish abroad to be

processed.

Marel is among the manufactur-

ers of fi sh processing equipment

that has been improving its

machinery to the point where it

offers advantages over manual

processing. These developments

will be on display at the compa-

ny’s fi rst Whitefi sh Show How on

Th e European Commission has

adopted the Operational Pro-

grammes (OP) of the European

Maritime and Fisheries Fund

(EMFF), for the period 2014–2020

for several countries. Th e pack-

ages amount to EUR268m for

Denmark, EUR130m for Estonia,

EUR285m for Germany, EUR82m

for Lithuania and EUR173m for

Sweden.

Th e operational programmes

(OPs) have been adopted under

the European Maritime and

Fisheries Fund and will promote

sustainable, effi cient, innova-

tive, and competitive fi sheries

and aquaculture. A large part

of the budget will be used to

support the implementation of

the CFP through the collection

of fi sh stock and other marine

data as well as various meas-

ures to control fi shing activi-

ties. Th e OPs will also support

projects that promote sustain-

able aquaculture and fi sheries

and ventures that improve the

competitiveness of those sec-

tors (innovation, processing and

marketing). Th ey will also focus

on fostering marketing and

processing as vital parts of the

fi sheries industry, strengthening

local communities by creating

and preserving jobs and improv-

ing local environmental assets.

Th e total number of adopted

OPs is now 14, which includes, in

addition to the countries men-

tioned above, the Czech Repub-

lic, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, the

Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia,

Slovakia and Finland.

Belgium: Approved Operational Programmes to support sustainable fi sheries and aquaculture

As technology improves, processing machines offer more advantages than manual labour.

Denmark: Marel launches Whitefi sh ShowHow

26 November 2015. Here Marel

will demonstrate how its equip-

ment and software solutions

help optimize raw material utili-

zation, reduce processing times

and labour costs, and improve

processes throughout the white-

fish processing value chain. The

event offers visitors the chance

to experience our equipment

first hand in a simulated

processing plant environment,

explains Stella Kristinsdottir,

Marketing Manager Fish Indus-

try at Marel.

At the Showhow, processors

can discover the latest develop-

ments in whitefi sh processing

from Marel, with demonstrations

of complete systems, as well as

informative and inspirational

lectures and guest-speaker pres-

entations. Th e event will be held

at the company’s Progress Point

demonstration and training cen-

tre just 5 minutes from Copen-

hagen Airport. For further details

or to register for the event visit

marel.com/whitefi shshowhow.




Th e German company Linde Gases

has recently launched a new sys-

tem for delivering oxygen into fi sh

farming sea cages. Th eir new tech-

nology is particularly well suited

to sea case oxygenation during sea

lice treatment. Th e treatment is

done by wrapping the cage in air-

and waterproof tarpaulin and add-

ing delousing chemical to the water

inside the cage. As the tarpaulin

cuts off new oxygen supply from

outside the cage, it is necessary

to add oxygen to the water during

the treatment. Making use of an

electric pump, an oxygen dissolver

and a distribution system, the new

technology can distribute oxygen-

ated water throughout the cage in a

way that is less disturbing to the fi sh

as they are being treated. Sea lice is

a small crustacean that is part of the

natural ecosystem of the northern

hemisphere. It is a parasite which

lives on salmon and trout. Th e lice

infl ict the fi sh with wounds that can

cause infections and problems with

the salt balance. When the concen-

tration of fi sh is very high, as in fi sh

farms, the number of hosts for sea

lice increases and infestations can

take hold. A high prevalence of sea

lice is a challenge for both farmed

and wild fi sh. Th erefore fi sh farms

are subject to stringent require-

ments when it comes to monitoring

and treatment of the amount of lice

inside their cages.

Germany: New oxygen supply equipment can simplify the delousing process in fi sh cages

The oxygenating device releases microbubbles of oxygen that rise

slowly increasing the oxygen dissolution effi ciency. Due to their

tiny size they are also less disturbing for the fi sh as they are treated.

Welcome to our stand atEXPO PESCA & ACUIPERU

5-7 November, 2015, Lima

Stand N215

phone +371 67248036

email [email protected]

www.peruza.lv




14 Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2015

[ PROJECTS ]

Danish project proposes adding value to crab by-catch

Potentially useful ingredients for food and feedThe Danish gill-net fishery which targets plaice and cod also has a by-catch of crabs. While the crab claws are of commercial

value, the rest of the animal is discarded at sea. Now a consortium of nine partners with EUR1.4m in support from the EU co-

funded Danish GUDP (green development and demonstration) programme is looking for ways to utilise the crab bodies as well.

The by-catch of crabs in the

gill-net fisheries is irritating

for many fishermen because

they get entangled in the nets and

are impossible to release alive. The

crab claws are removed and iced

on-board for sale, but the crab

bodies are crushed and discarded.

A new project is looking at ways to

better utilise the crab by-catch that

will benefit the whole food chain.

The project should show whether it

is possible to improve the economy

of the small scale coastal fishing

fleet by increasing the utilisation of

the crabs that enter their nets when

they fish for other species. It is

about utilising a resource with eco-

nomic potential. Brown and white

meat from crab bodies is a delicacy

in Norway and France, though not

in Denmark. We can surely find a

way to utilise it rather than discard-

ing it, explains Marco Frederiksen,

senior project manager in Eurofish

International Organisation, one of

the project partners.

While a market for crab claws already exists, a Danish project is finding uses for crab bodies and shells.

www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROJECTS ]

From vessel to fi sh counter

In co-operation with the other

project participants new ideas

are being developed that can

transform the crab by-catch to

valuable food and feed products.

Th is calls for an examination of

the whole value chain from fi sh-

ing vessel to supermarket. Th ere

are many links that have to be

analysed, tested and developed.

Firstly, the total available amount

of raw material has to be mapped

to be able to estimate the level of

production. After that it is neces-

sary to investigate how the fi sh-

ermen can handle the crabs on

board, and to develop an eff ective

logistic system on shore to col-

lect the material from harbours.

It is only after these stages have

been completed that the focus

will move to the utilisation of the

crabs. Already, however, ideas

have been discussed that could

potentially convert the crab meat

and shells into valuable food and

feed products.

One of the partners in the con-

sortium, JK Salads and Dress-

ings, is interested in utilising the

meat in their crab salads replac-

ing part or all the crab meat that

today has to be imported. Other

companies in the project want to

transform the crab shells to crab

meal and use it as a component

in chicken feed. Crab shell meal

in chicken feed has a positive

eff ect on egg laying and on the

egg shell, making it more robust.

Fewer eggs will crack in the pro-

duction chain. You could say

that the product starts on board

the fi shing vessel and ends in

the supermarket – either as crab

salad or as eggs, says Mr Fred-

eriksen.

Increased employment expected

If the consortium succeeds in

transforming the by-catch on

the fishing vessels to valuable

feed and food products, it will

create value both in environ-

mental and economic terms.

One of the main purposes is

to try and utilise an unused

resource and develop sustain-

able food and feed products

for the benefit of both human

and non-human consumers.

Additionally, in the short term

the creation of a minimum of

5-10 jobs in the whole chain,

on board fishing vessels and on

shore, is foreseen. If successful

a profit of EUR14m per year

in total should be generated,

claims Marco Frederiksen.

Project partners: Hirtshals Fish-

ermen’s Association, Fisher-

men’s Fish Collector Hirtshals,

N.O. Hausgaard A/S, Marinova

A/S, Danshells, Danhatch, JK

Salads & Dressings, Danish

Technological Institute, Eurofi sh

International Organisation

Contact person: Marco Frederiksen, [email protected], +45 33377769

Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015 15www.eurofi shmagazine.com

ALBANIA

Albania has been a candidate

country for the EU since the

middle of last year. How far has

your ministry come with aligning

domestic legislation with EU

requirements?

As a matter of fact we are very

advanced in adopting legislation;

transposing EU directives into our

legislation is not complicated and

from that perspective things are

progressing well, but the problem

is ensuring the capacities to imple-

ment these directives.

However, we need to be careful to

ensure a transition period, so that

the fi shermen can also increase

their capacities and invest in cre-

ating the appropriate structures

that will allow EU directives to

be implemented. Of course there

will be a deadline, which the fi sh-

ermen will have to respect if they

want to stay in business. But the

transition period will allow the EU

directives to be gradually imple-

mented at all levels of the sector,

the vessels, the distribution and

the industry.

What are the main objectives of

the recently developed strategy

for the Albanian fi shery sector

and what are your priorities?

We have fi nished preparing the

Fishery Strategy for Albania, in

Greater concern for the environment is a priority

Enforcement requires coordination across ministriesAlthough a career academic, Professor Edmond Panariti, is no stranger to politics having served in the Tirana municipality before becoming fi rst Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2012, and a year later Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Resources, a position he has held since. As the person ultimately responsible for the administration of the fi sheries sector in Albania, Professor Panariti has several ideas to increase productivity and effi ciency.

Professor Edmond Panariti, Albania’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Resources

the framework of a EUROPEAID

contract. Once approved by the

Government, it should represent

a commitment by the government

to a course of action, but I do

not like the word strategy; I pre-

fer action plan. Th is is how I see

things, an action plan with clear

cut objectives. As a matter of fact

we have some short term objec-

tives. First, regarding the mussels,

which Albania has been banned

from exporting since 1995. We

would like to resume this export. It

is something which now we know

can be attributed to bad manage-

ment of the Butrinti Lagoon. All

the legislative aspects are in place,

such as EU directives for monitor-

ing the quality of water, for the

quality and safety of mussels etc.

What is now hindering exports is

bad management of the lagoon;

we are trying to change that. I have

alerted all those people who are

actually using the lagoon for col-

lecting mussels that if they want to

go on with this activity they have

to respect a set of standards. Th ey

need to ensure the health of the

lagoon, they have to monitor the

quality of water, they need to send

all their production to the depu-

ration centre, and all these terms

will be part of a contract which

they have to respect if they wish to

continue their activity.

We intend to open a new tender

for which everyone can apply,

but only the ones who are able

to demonstrate that they can

respect the new standards of

management, which are not only

economic but also environmen-

tal, will benefi t, while the rest

will be out of business. Observ-

ing these standards is impor-

tant also because this is a tourist

area and we want to preserve the

environment here and ensure a

www.eurofi shmagazine.com16 Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015

ALBANIA

sustainable production. Th e con-

tractors will also have to invest

in a new depuration centre with

more capacity than the existing

one and all the mussels that come

from the lagoon will fi rst have to

be depurated as the water in the

lagoon is classifi ed as B-grade.

With this new management

regime I am optimistic that we

will be able to call for an inspec-

tion from the EU, from DG Sanco

to determine whether we can be

permitted to export.

Another ambition of mine is to

get the industry that is process-

ing anchovies and sardines to

use the domestic catches of these

species rather than imports. I am

also interested in stimulating the

aquaculture industry to augment

the domestic supply of fi sh as vol-

umes from capture fi sheries are

unlikely to increase.

We also need to establish whole-

sale markets for fi sh and seafood

and we are starting with one in

Lezhë and another in Durres.

Th ese markets should function

transparently if they are to work

properly, setting prices for the fi sh

and providing an organised off er

for retailers and other buyers.

Fisheries Management Organi-

sations play a role here as their

members catch the fi sh and sup-

ply the market.

In many countries illegal fi sh-

ing has a profound impact on

stocks, on legitimate fi shing,

and on the environment. What

eff orts are being made in Alba-

nia to deal with this challenge?

Th is issue has attracted my atten-

tion since I have been here at the

ministry. In the last two years

we have experienced a dramatic

decrease of illegal fi shing, whether

by blasting or by other means.

However, we are also establish-

ing monitoring systems with

acoustic sensors in high risk areas

so that blasting can be identifi ed

immediately and reported to the

competent authorities. Now the

project is ready, we are looking

for some sources of fi nance, but I

do not foresee a problem because

the overall cost of the project is

not that big.

Th e sensors are linked with a

central monitoring station that

informs the Fishing Inspector-

ate, but also the police if there is

an incident. Blasting is a criminal

off ence because these explosives

apart from destroying the envi-

ronment and illegally killing fi sh

are also life threatening for others

in the vicinity.

Another important step was the

ban on the collection of dateri

shell mussels, a bivalve, the col-

lection of which causes massive

damage to rocks and corals as

divers use hammers and chis-

els to retrieve them. Th e ban is

strictly monitored and the moni-

toring extends also to restaurants.

If they are caught serving the

product they are fi ned and can

even be closed down. So these are

more or less some of the meas-

ures that we are right now taking

against illegal fi shing.

According to the sector the

problem is not so much the lack

of legislation as the inability to

enforce it. Has this improved?

Th is is absolutely right. Th at is

why I think enforcement is not

simply something which can

be dealt with by the Fishing

Inspectorate, but also that the

police should be involved. We

need concerted action involv-

ing diff erent authorities to be

successful. So I have approached

the Ministry of Interior to ensure

the police are also involved in

cases of blasting or other illegal

fi shing methods.

Th ese steps are certainly

important, but they take

eff ect only after an incident.

What about the day-to-day

enforce ment, where fi sheries

inspectors go out and monitor

what is happening and make

their presence felt in the fi shing

community, so that the risk of

an incident is reduced?

Yes, we need to increase the num-

ber of fi shing inspectors so that

they can cope with the monitoring

activities, which they are legally

obliged to carry out. Th at is why

I have requested the prime min-

ister for more human resources

for the Fisheries Inspectorate to

deal with all these issues. Inspec-

tors have to monitor the fi shing

practices, the kind of fi shing gear

that the fi shermen use, whether

they are law abiding, and the

standards put in place in order

to ensure that fi sh stocks will be

protected and the environment

safeguarded.

We normally issue banning orders

for fi shing, in periods when there

is reproductive activity. However,

it is not enough to issue the order;

it is also a question of execut-

ing it, of monitoring whether it is

respected. Th ere are two sides to

this story: fi rst we need to train

and to have competent authori-

ties that ensure that this ban is

respected; on the one hand we

need also to make fi shermen

aware that destroying the fi sh

stocks by fi shing during the ban is

not in their interests. Th at is why

we have to work in two directions:

better training for the inspectors

and boosting awareness among

fi shermen that it is in their inter-

ests to protect the species, the

environment, and to respect the

ban.

How will this information or

awareness-creation for the

fi shermen, to make them aware

that this is damaging for their

own future and the future of the

stocks, be carried out?

In this respect we are trying to

restart a school for fi shermen in

Lezhë in the Shengjin area, where

fi shermen and other profession-

als dealing with fi sheries will be

trained in diff erent aspects of fi sh-

ing including sustainability, best

practices, and the importance

of respecting the environment. I

anticipate that we will get support

from the EU and also from France

to establish this school. France is

going to assist Albania with several

fi sh-related projects, such as cre-

ating wholesale markets for fi sh,

building docks for repairing ves-

sels, and establishing the neces-

sary standards which need to be

adopted by the vessels.

www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015 17

The diversity of the sector

in Albania owes much to

the rich endowment of

water resources the country is

blessed with. It has a coastline

of 418 km divided between the

Adriatic Sea in the north and the

Ionian Sea in the south (150 km).

Th e coast also features 10,000 ha

of lagoons that are used for the

cultivation of fi sh and shellfi sh.

In addition there is an extensive

network of rivers (11 main rivers),

lakes (1,210 km2), artifi cial lakes

(7,000 ha), and reservoirs (2,700

ha).

Unreported catches colour landing fi gures

Th ese assets support diff erent

fi sheries and fi sh farming indus-

tries. Marine capture fi shing is

based at the country’s four ports

Durres, Vlore, Shengjin, and

Sarande and fi shing is either com-

mercial or artisanal depending

on the type of gear that is used.

Purse seins and trawls are con-

sidered commercial gear, while

everything else including, hooks,

gill nets, trammel nets, and fi xed

nets is considered artisanal. Both

types of fi sheries are for economic

purposes. Th e fi shing fl eet com-

prises 553 vessels almost all of

which are distributed at the four

ports with 38.5 in Durres, 34.4

in Vlore, 13.7 in Sarande and

11.6 in Shengjin. Th e vessels in

general are old and poorly main-

tained, though a few have been

refurbished. Marine fi sh catches

including from the sea, coastal

waters and the lagoons amounted

to 3,690 tonnes in 2014, a modest

increase of 2.5 over the previ-

ous year. However, unreported

landings, which are estimated at

25-30, mean that statistical data

need to be treated with caution.

Total catches have been increas-

ing slightly each year since 2011,

refl ecting increases in catches

from the sea and the coast. Output

from the lagoons has been more

A pelagic fi shing vessel in Shengjin harbour,

the third largest in Albania. Pelagic vessels

usually fi sh with lights and purse seines

targeting anchovies and sardines.

The fi sheries and aquaculture sector in Albania

Challenges abound, but are not insurmountableThe Albanian fi sheries and aquaculture sector is diverse. It comprises a marine fi shery, an inland fi shery, freshwater aquaculture and

marine aquaculture. In addition, there is a processing industry that uses domestic raw materials as well as imports to supply local

and overseas markets.


ALBANIA

unstable with signifi cant increases

in 2012, but declines in the two

subsequent years. Catches from

the sea amount to approximately

three quarters of the total marine

catches, while those from the

coast contribute about a fi fth.

Th e marine fi shery is aimed at

both small pelagics and demersal

species. Among the industrial fi sh-

ers, the small pelagics, anchovies

and sardines are caught with purse

seines usually using lights on board

the vessel to attract the fi sh, while

trawls are used to catch demersal

species. Th e pelagic fi sh is usually

sold to processors in Albania who

salt or marinade the fi sh, but it is

also exported. Some of the pelagic

vessels are also used to fi sh tuna,

which are then transported to fat-

tening cages and ultimately sold

to Japan. Th e demersal species

include a wide range of fi nfi sh

(hake, mullet, bogue, and sole);

cephalopods (octopus, squid),

and crustaceans (caramote prawn,

deep-water rose shrimp). Some of

this fi sh is processed locally, but

much of it is exported.

Inland waters are an important source of fi sh

Catches from internal waters,

lakes, rivers, reservoirs, also

increased over the fi ve-year

period to 2014, both in abso-

lute terms and as a proportion

of the total. Among the most

caught freshwater species are

carps (common, crucian, sil-

ver) as well as bleak, mullet and

roach. Th e three biggest lakes

are the Lake Ohrid, the major

and minor Prespa Lakes, which

are interlinked, and the Lake

Shkoder. In the Lake Ohrid, for

example, bleak and carp are the

most popular species after koran

(Salmo letnica), an endemic fi sh

similar to trout. Inland waters are

plagued by illegal fi shing chiefl y

due to poor enforcement. For

the Lake Ohrid 159 licences are

issued, which cover a vessel and a

crew of two and entitle the fi shers

to target a particular part of the

lake. Leonard Manellari, a fi sh-

eries inspector, says that due to

its popularity the koran is fi shed

indiscriminately. Both registered

and poachers take undersized

specimens using nets with a mesh

size smaller than allowed. Th e way

it works is that the fi sherman will

work with two gears, hooks as well

as nets with illegal mesh size. If he

is checked by an inspector he gets

rid of the illegal net and appears

to be fi shing only with legal gear.

Th e only time fi sheries control

is eff ective is the period from

1 December to 1 March when all

fi shing is prohibited and any gear

found on the lake can be seized or

destroyed and fi shermen found

on the lake can be apprehended.

For the rest of the year, the control

is carried out routinely, about once

a week. More is diffi cult because

the inspectors do not have the

requisite fuel at their disposal. In

fact often they are given fuel by the

fi shing association which has an

interest in reducing the amount of

illegal fi shing in the lake. Th e con-

trol is principally at the point of

capture rather than further down

the chain. Th e fi sh is landed at

several points around the lake and

it is not possible to monitor them

all, says Mr Manellari. Undersized

fi sh in the market does get seized,

but only in the period when fi sh-

ing is banned and when there are

several inspectors and rangers at

hand to carry out this task. Part of

the problem seems to be that the

fi shery management organisation

is not as powerful as it is in other

parts of the country. Th ere is no

central point where the catches

are brought, nor does the Ohrid

Lake FMO (fi sheries management

organisation) oversee prices, sales,

and distribution as is the case with

other FMOs. Some of this is due

to the FMO itself, which seems

to be a weaker organisation than

the one, for example, running the

Shkoder Lake fi shery, but it is also

due to a lack of support from the

administration. It is worth noting

however that of the 13 FMOs that

were established with World Bank

support in 2002, only fi ve are still

active including the one at Ohrid

Lake. Mr Manellari estimates that

illegal fi shing amounts to about

25 of the legitimate catch.

Attempts to reduce poaching

Th e problems associated with

policing the industry are not new

and essentially can be traced

back to a general lack of eff ec-

tive governance of the sector, a

point underscored in the fi shery

strategy prepared under a EURO-

PEAID contract earlier this year.

It can partly be attributed to the

sector’s administration bounc-

ing between ministries creating

unpredictable working condi-

tions and a sense of frustration

among the staff responsible for

implementing policy. In particu-

lar the report points out that there

are 22 fi sheries inspectors, which

is too few to provide eff ective

monitoring and they are unevenly

Fish and seafood production in Albania (tonnes)

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Marine 2,128 2,287 2,374 2,681 2,780

Coastal 677 395 506 640 700

Lagoon 122 229 369 278 210

Inland

waters1,160 1,793 1,670 1,770 2,050

Aquacul-

ture709 1,304 1,250 1,585 700

Mollusc

farming1,410 1,300 760 750 1,500

Total 6,817 7,308 6,929 7,713 7,580

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Resources

Leonard Manellari, a fi sheries inspector, says the multiple landing

sites around Lake Ohrid are too numerous to monitor effectively.


Fresh frozen North Atlantic

seafood

Visit us at

China Fisheries & Seafood Expo,

Qingdao, 4-6 November,

Booth E1-1025

ALBANIA

distributed across the country.

Edmond Panariti, Minister of

Agriculture, Rural Development

and Water Resources, who is

responsible for fi sheries acknowl-

edges the problem. Th e ministry

has initiated steps to stem illegal

fi shing such as establishing a net-

work of sensors to detect blasting

(one way in which illegal fi shing is

practised), and developing closer

coordination between fi sheries

inspectors and the police, but

requests for more personnel are

pending.

Th e health of the lake has

improved with the construction

of a landfi ll that diverts some of

the nutrients that were ending

up in the lake. Th is has resulted

in a change to the structure of the

catch over the years although the

total has more or less remained

the same. Bleak, and crucian

carp have decreased because

being the fi rst species in the ali-

mentary chain, they rely on the

organic matter in the lake. As this

declines so do the numbers of

these fi sh. On the other hand the

lower quantities of organic matter

entering the lake have also made

the water clearer, which is more

attractive for tourists. Another

change has been the number

of koran eggs collected during

the reproductive phase and the

catches of koran, which have

both increased. In the peak sea-

son catches of koran increased so

much that there was a glut on the

market and prices fell by half.

Mussel production increases

Th e aquaculture industry can be

divided into marine farming and

freshwater cultivation. Marine

fi nfi sh species are essentially two,

seabass and seabream which are

grown in cages. Th ere is also a sig-

nifi cant production of rope-grown

mussels that are farmed in the

Butrinti lagoon and in the water off

Shengjin port. Mussel production

doubled to 1,500 tonnes in 2014

which roughly brought it back to

the level of 2010. Mussel farm-

ing has been practised in Albania

since the 60s with volumes rang-

ing from 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes

per year. Mussels from Albania

were even exported to the EU

until the mid-nineties when prob-

lems with disease resulted in an

EU ban that has not been lifted

since. Th e production is therefore

sold locally with some exports to

neighbouring countries. But the

inability of the mussel industry to

have the ban lifted is a symptom

of deeper underlying problems

in the industry. Th e mussel farm-

ing industry is concentrated in the

Butrinti Lagoon where around 25

producers are growing mussels.

According to Riccardo Germano,

an Italian consultant, part of the

problem is that the 25 producers

are not organised in to an associa-

tion. Th is means that they are all

competing with each other and

as a result lower the price of the

mussels to the point where they do

not have enough left over to invest.

Th is creates a downward spiral

of limited production, indiff er-

ent quality, and low prices, out of

which it is hard to break. Th e water

in the Butrinti Lagoon is classi-

fi ed as B grade, which requires all

the mussels to undergo a period

of purifi cation called depuration

before they can be exported to the

EU. Th e depuration centre was

established some years ago, but

has been used only infrequently

since then. Apart from the non-

functional depuration centre there

are capacity problems that pre-

vent the EU from lifting the ban.

Exports to the EU are contingent

upon a robust system of recall that

will ensure that products found

to be hazardous can be traced

and removed from sales channels

quickly and effi ciently. In addi-

tion the safety of products must

be demonstrated with reliable and

accurate laboratory analysis of the

relevant parameters. In Albania

this infrastructure is not yet in

place making the lifting of the ban

impossible. A group of students

A line of fl oats signals an area of mussel cultivation off the coast of Shengjin. Farming mussels here is a relatively recent development.

Traditionally, mussels have been farmed in the Butrint Lagoon to the south.


ALBANIA

from Harvard University, who

studied the problem found that

inspectors who were supposed

to enforce the law and monitor

compliance with the depuration

requirement would often let things

slide, while central authorities

attributed the lack of depuration to

the volume of production, which

was too small to make it profi table

to depurate.

Producers should organise for better

prices

According to Mr Germano produc-

ers need to organise themselves

to start getting a higher price for

their product. He acknowledges

however the resistance there is to

working together. For many Alba-

nians working together is associ-

ated with the communist regime

and so they want nothing to do

with it. Th ey cannot envisage talk-

ing together let alone developing

a common sales and marketing

strategy. On the other hand pro-

ducers in other countries, such as

the Baltic States, have managed to

move beyond their visceral dislike

of collaborating and have started

working together realising the

advantages that it can bring. If it

can happen in those countries it

should also be possible in Albania.

Mussels from the Butrinti Lagoon

are the only mussels on the market

for a few months in the year, says

Mr Germano, and the producers

should exploit this to get a bet-

ter price. Th ey also need to invest

in building a brand. Th ese eff orts

would enable them to invest in bet-

ter production technology thereby

increasing the output. Increased

production volumes would in turn

be an argument to invest in the test-

ing, tracking and tracing infrastruc-

ture that would allow the EU to lift

its ban as the costs involved could

be spread over a larger volume of

product. A withdrawal of the ban

would in turn be an incentive to

produce more as export markets

open up. It may thus be possible to

convert a vicious circle into a virtu-

ous one.

Seabass and seabream main farmed fi nfi sh

Th e farming of seabass and sea-

bream in cages started about

12 years ago and reached a level

Mimoza Cobani, an aquaculture specialist in the Department of

Fisheries, says that domestic production of seabass and seabream

covers about 40% of the demand.

of 500 tonnes of seabream and

170 tonnes of seabass in 2013

(FAO). While seabass volumes

have remained more or less con-

sistent since 2009 output of sea-

bream has increased from 370

tonnes. A major Turkish producer

of seabass and seabream is con-

sidering investing in Albania. If

this project takes off it is likely to

signifi cantly boost production.

Currently, says Mimoza Cobani

from the Ministry of Agriculture,

Rural Development and Water

Resources, domestic production

covers about 40 of the demand.

Other fi nfi sh that are farmed

include rainbow trout and carps.

Trout is typically farmed in

raceways in small to medium

family-run establishments that

sell their production on the local

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ALBANIA

market. Water for the farm is

drawn either from a river or spring

or a reservoir. Many of the trout

farmers are found in the hills

in the south western part of the

country, but farms have also been

established in the north and east.

Production in 2013 was 250 tonnes.

New standards for lagoon production

Th e eight coastal lagoons have a

combined area of about 10,000 ha.

Of these the Butrinti Lagoon is

the deepest (ca. 11 m) and with

the most stable environment. Th e

others are more shallow (ca. 1 m)

and have seasonal and even daily

variations in their physical param-

eters, temperature, salinity, degree

of silting, as they have narrow

connections to the sea that allow

water to fl ow in and out due to the

action of the tides and the wind

and which can get blocked. All the

coastal lagoons are delicate water

bodies that at the same time play

a very important role in erosion

prevention, fl ood control, and

also support fi sheries for a num-

ber of valuable species including

seabass, seabream, eel and mul-

let. Th e sensitive nature of the

lagoons is among the reasons

why the Ministry of Agriculture,

Rural Development and Water

Resources is encouraging users,

both farmers and fi shers, to follow

new standards of production that

will protect the lagoon environ-

ment and possibly increase out-

put. Production from the lagoons

amounted to about 200 tonnes

in 2014, down from 370 tonnes in

2012 a decline that could be due

to overfi shing, poor management

of the lagoons, or the impact of

neighbouring land use. Th is fi gure

does not include the mussel pro-

duction from the Butrinti Lagoon.

Salted anchovies, mainstay of seafood

exports

Albania has a fi sh and sea-

food processing industry that

produces for the domestic mar-

ket as well as for export. Th e

raw material used by processors

is locally caught demersal and

pelagic wild fi sh, in addition to

imports, the most important

of which are semi-processed

anchovies, cuttlefi sh and squid,

as well as, shrimps and prawns.

Th e main source of imports are

Spain, Croatia, Italy and Greece,

but companies also import from

Latin America and Asia. Ancho-

vies, whether caught locally

or imported, are typically pro-

cessed, packaged and exported

as there is no market for them in

Albania. Th ey are Albania’s most

important seafood export both

in terms of volume and value.

Italy, Spain, Greece, Serbia and

Macedonia are the primary des-

tinations for Albanian exports.

Processing companies are usu-

ally located close to one of the

main ports to facilitate logistics.

Companies either have their

own fi shing vessels or have con-

tracts with fi shermen to secure

their supplies of local raw mate-

rials.

Th e Albanian fi sheries and aqua-

culture sector faces a number

of challenges. Th ese include the

need to strengthen policy devel-

opment and implementation,

build infrastructure in harbours,

establish and enforce quality and

environmental standards particu-

larly with regard to mussel culti-

vation. Enforcement by fi sheries

inspectors as well as systematic

data collection are also areas

where eff orts and investments are

needed. On the other hand the

sector can also legitimately claim

to be moving forward. Consump-

tion of fi sh and seafood in Albania

is increasing, several companies

are successfully exporting their

products, while others are plan-

ning to start, some foreign com-

panies see potential in investing

in Albania, and, perhaps above

all, as an EU candidate country

the administration is committed

to fulfi lling its obligations.

Catches from inland waters such as Lake Shkoder (pictured) at 2,050 tonnes in 2014 amounted to 27% of total seafood production. Species

include carp, bleak, mullet, and roach.


ALBANIA

Rives produces a range of natural bio products based on traditional recipes

Looking for foreign investment to expandThe company Rives was established by Spiro Fuqi, a chemical engineer by training, some two decades ago. Located on the outskirts

of Pogradec, a city on the shore of the Lake Ohrid and a few kilometres from the border with Macedonia, Rives specialises in

completely natural products created from the fi sh caught in the lake.

My products are bio and

natural without the addi-

tion of any chemical pre-

serving agents, says Mr Fuqi, as he

leads a small group on a tour of his

processing facility. In addition to

being natural many of the products

are unique as they are based on fi sh

from the Lake Ohrid. Some of the

species present in the lake, such

as the koran, a variety of trout, are

endemic to the lake and are not

found elsewhere. Rives buys this

fi sh and processes it using tradi-

tional recipes, another important

feature of the production.

Glass jars with a two-year shelf life

Over and above this the products

are packaged in glass jars and have

a shelf life that is equivalent to or

even longer than a canned product,

something that is relatively uncom-

mon. Mr Fuqi is justifi ably proud

of this innovation as the product

off ers all the advantages of glass,

in particular the transparency that

enables the customer to see the

contents, yet has the shelf life of a

metal can. Among the fi sh from the

lake that the company processes

are bleak, koran, and eel. All three

are fi rst grilled, fi lleted, the bones

removed, and then introduced

into the jars. Th e jars go through

an autoclave that sterilises them at

121 degrees C and very high pres-

sure for a period of 30 minutes to

give the long shelf life. Mr Fuqi has

drawn on his education as a chemi-

cal engineer to conceive and imple-

ment the entire process from raw

material to fi nished product. While

all the fi sh products start by being

grilled they are subject to diff erent

treatments at later stages in the pro-

cess. Some have oil added to them

in the jar, while other are combined

with vegetables, and yet others are

placed in a sauce.

All raw materials are locally sourced

Among Rives fi sh-based products

is one that combines koran roe

with koran fi llets, nuts, pepper,

olive oil and other ingredients

in a special recipe to give what

Mr Fuqi claims to be an aphrodis-

iac. One version of the product is

for men and the other for women,

he explains, though he does not

elaborate on the precise diff er-

ence between the two. Although

the company’s origins lie in fi sh

processing Mr Fuqi has now also

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Koran (Salmo letnica), a trout-like fi sh found only in Lake Ohrid, is

processed by Rives and packaged in glass jars that are sterilised to

give them a two-year shelf life.


ALBANIA

begun to process meat as well

as vegetables. Th e meat prod-

ucts include items that use fi llets

of pork and beef, while the veg-

etables include peppers, and dry

beans. In keeping with the desire

to produce traditional recipes

from the area Rives also uses dairy

items such as cottage cheese, and

yoghurt in the preparations. All the

raw materials are sourced locally

giving the company an important

role in the economy of the area by

buying from farmers and provid-

ing employment to several. Th e

company has distinct times when

it processes its three main prod-

uct types. Fish, for example, is

processed between 15 September

and June of the following year. Th e

factory is then thoroughly cleaned

and prepared for next activity

which is the processing of vegeta-

bles. Th is is the cycle according to

which I have chosen to work, says

Mr Fuqi, as I can exploit the sea-

son, when the vegetables are at

their best.

All the work whether related to

fi sh, vegetables, or meat is done

by hand. Th e fi sh is cleaned

manually before being grilled

on a wood-fi red rather than an

electric device. At Rives, explains

Mr Fuqi, we want to create an

authentic traditional taste and

so we do not adapt the reci-

pes, but follow them precisely.

Nine tenths of our fi sh products

use fi sh that is grilled before it

is subject to further processing

and from raw material to fi nal

product the entire cycle is com-

pleted within 24 hours as we have

no refrigerated storage. Th e lack

of a cold store means that sen-

sitive raw material such as fi sh

or meat arrives fresh on a daily

basis and enters the produc-

tion on arrival. By virtue of the

products themselves as well as

the high standard of production

Rives has earned a certifi cate

from the Ministry of Agriculture

that guarantees that the products

are traditional and natural. Th e

products are distributed in Alba-

nia, but are also exported, so far

to the Czech Republic, Italy, and

Switzerland, and soon, Mr Fuqi

hopes, to Germany.

Network of own stores stokes demand for

products

Th e company produced 400,000

jars in total last year of which

350,000 were fi sh products. To dis-

tribute his products within Alba-

nia Mr Fuqi has agreements with

retailers with the result that his

products are on display in stores

across the country. In addition

he has established a chain of 10

shops that only display his prod-

ucts. At the moment the chain is

mostly present in the southern

part of the country, because that

is where people are familiar with

the recipes. In the north they have

a diff erent food culture and sell-

ing traditional food from the south

there will take time and eff ort. Th e

idea behind setting up the net-

work, says Mr Fuqi, was to get an

indication of the popularity of the

products as well as to promote

and market the products and the

brand in a way that would not be

possible through traditional retail

stores. Since establishing the net-

work some 10 months ago demand

for the products has doubled, he

claims. Th e network of shops does

not compete, however, with the

retail stores on price, as consumers

Dr Spiro Fuqi, president of Rives, a company that processes

freshwater fi sh into a number of products traditional for the eastern

part of Albania.

RivesUdenisht

Pogradec

Albania

Tel.: +355 6750 05005

[email protected]

President: Dr Spiro Fuqi

Activity: Production of natural fi sh,

vegetable, and meat products

following traditional Albanian

recipes with no preservatives

Volumes: 400,000 glass jars

Shelf life: Three years

Markets: Albania, Italy, Czech

Republic, Switzerland

Distribution: Retail stores across

Albania and chain of 10 own

stores in the south

pay the same, whether they buy

from the one place or the other.

Mr Fuqi has even made a fi lm

about the company and its devel-

opment that also shows a visit by

the prime minister of Albania to

one of the company’s stores to

show his support for bio products

and traditional Albanian recipes.

Energetic and enterprising,

Mr Fuqi would now like to expand

production at Rives and for that

he is on the lookout for potential

investors who could contribute

not just fi nancially but also with

suggestions as to how he can bet-

ter penetrate foreign markets

and develop products that will be

appreciated by consumers with dif-

ferent tastes. Th is might call for new

recipes, but there will be no com-

promise regarding the bio nature of

the products.

Rives sells its products through retail stores throughout the country,

but also has its own chain of 10 shops that exclusively sell the

company’s products.


ALBANIA

The laboratory has several

core functions, for example,

it monitors the water in the

Adriatic and the Ionian Seas as well

as inland water bodies, testing it for

various chemical and biological

substances. Among the tests car-

ried out at the laboratory is one that

measures chlorophyll-a. Th is is a

green pigment found in plants that

allows them to photosynthesise,

that is, create energy from light.

Th e amount of chlorophyll-a con-

tained in a sample is an indicator

of the amount of photosynthesis-

ing plants (macro and microalgae)

that are present in the water.

Comparing mussel growth in different areas

Th e ability to measure chlorophyll-a

is a relatively recent development

that is thanks to a Norwegian pro-

ject, which enabled the laboratory

to invest in the necessary equip-

ment. It is now being used to check

the concentrations of chlorophyll-a

in the Butrinti Lagoon, an impor-

tant site for the production of

mussels in Albania. As the level

of chlorophyll-a is a proxy for the

presence of phytoplankton, which

is what mussels feed on, the results

of this sampling is important for

the lagoon’s mussel producers.

Th e concentration of phytoplank-

ton is determined by a number

of factors, including the level of

exchange of water between the sea

Laboratory for aquaculture and fi shery, Agricultural University of Tirana

Albania’s only marine research laboratoryThe Faculty of Agriculture and Environment at the Agricultural University of Tirana has a laboratory for aquaculture and fi shery. The

laboratory is based in Durres and is led by Dr Jerina Kolitari, a specialist in fi sh otoliths. The laboratory has several core functions,

but is also responsible for a number of national and international projects.

and the lagoon; wind; and tem-

perature. Because of the presence

of phytoplankton Butrinti Lagoon

has historically been the centre

of mussel cultivation in Albania.

Now however attempts are being

made to grow mussels in the Adri-

atic Sea off Shengjin in the north

of the country. Th e laboratory has

therefore made a comparison of

the chlorophyll-a content of the

water from the Butrinti Lagoon

and from the sea of Shengjin. Th e

test also compared the meat con-

tent of mussels from the two areas.

Th e results showed that phyto-

plankton levels in the Butrinti

Lagoon were higher than those

in the sea at Shengjin and, in

keeping with this fi nding, mus-

sels from the Butrinti Lagoon

also had a higher fl esh content

than those cultivated in the

sea. Th e laboratory also has the

facilities to test salinity, oxy-

gen, the presence of toxins, and

other parameters to assess the

health and safety of the water. It

is therefore participating in an

international project involving

mussels that will measure and

compare the amount of toxins

in the water and their uptake in

the mussel fl esh. Th e participat-

ing countries are Italy, Slovenia,

Albania, Greece and Croatia. To

prevent the origin of the mussels

from interfering with the results

all the mussels are taken from

a single source in Italy. Th ey

are then returned to the sea in

the diff erent countries for four

months and fi nally harvested

and sent back to Italy for analy-

sis. Th e results should show the

levels of toxins in the diff erent

countries in the areas where the

mussels were grown.

Contributing to knowledge on stocks

in the Adriatic

Th e laboratory also monitors

stocks of demersal and pelagic

fi sh in the Adriatic to calculate

the dynamics of the diff erent

populations. For the last years

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ALBANIA

the results have showed that

demersal stocks in Albania are

falling. For the pelagics the situa-

tion is a bit diff erent with greater

fl uctuation in stock sizes. In the

case of the research into the

demersal stocks, the scientists

showed among other things that

four demersal stocks were over

exploited (including red mullet,

hake, and a certain species of

shrimp). Th e results of these sur-

veys are sent to diff erent bodies

like the GFCM and the European

Union to be incorporated into

their fi sheries management poli-

cies. Th e laboratory thus plays

an important role in providing

the scientifi c basis for policy rec-

ommendations, which Albania,

although not a member of the

EU, is bound to follow.

Over and above its core tasks the

laboratory has been involved in

two EU co-funded projects for

the last two years. Th e ballast

water management for Adriatic

Sea protection (BALMAS) project

involves institutes in six countries

around the Adriatic, Italy, Slove-

nia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herze-

govina, Montenegro, and Albania.

Ballast water has been interna-

tionally recognised as a vector for

harmful aquatic organisms and

pathogens and the objective of the

project is to establish a common

cross-border system, which will

link all researchers, experts and

responsible national authorities

from Adriatic countries in order

to avoid unwanted risks to the

environment from the transfer of

these organisms and pathogens.

Th e Adriatic is vulnerable due to

its importance as an international

seaway used by vessels from all

over the world to ship cargo to

and from Europe. Estimates of

Dr Jerina Kolitari, the coordinator of the Laboratory of Aquaculture

and Fishery in Durres, which is part of the Agricultural University of

Tirana. The laboratory was established by the Turkish Cooperation

and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in 2012.

The laboratory is involved in several EU-funded projects, one of which is studying the impact of derelict fi shing gear and other marine litter on

the long term health of the Adriatic.


ALBANIA

ballast water discharged at Adri-

atic ports amount to 10m litres a

year, a fi gure that is expected to

keep growing given the foreseen

increase in shipping in the area.

Dr Kolitari’s laboratory has been

sampling the water from the bal-

last tanks of foreign and Alba-

nian vessels in the port of Durres.

Th is sampling will contribute to

the collection of data, the lack of

which has been one of the key

barriers to solving the problem of

harmful aquatic organisms.

Partner in scientifi c consortium fi ghting

marine litter

Ecosystems in the Mediterranean

Sea are threatened by marine lit-

ter which has impacts on the

environment, as well as on the

health and safety of both marine

organisms and humans. To deal

with the problem in the Adri-

atic region institutions from the

seven countries around the Adri-

atic including the Agricultural

University of Tirana are collabo-

rating on another EU co-funded

project, DeFishGear. Th e project

looks individually at the impact

of marine litter, microplastics,

and discarded fi shing gear, all

of which constitute signifi cant

threats to the long term health

of the Adriatic. Th e ultimate goal

of the project is to reduce the

amount of all types of marine

litter in the Adriatic. By system-

atically monitoring its presence,

building a greater understand-

ing of its origin and impact and

using this knowledge to infl uence

policy, participants in the project

hope to achieve a cleaner and

healthier marine environment

in the Adriatic over time. Th e

laboratory for aquaculture and

fi shery, which will carry out the

tasks on behalf of the Agricultural

University of Tirana, is responsi-

ble for the collection and analysis

of data on marine litter in the

ports of Durres and Vlore. Jerina

Kolitari is using a series of ques-

tionnaires targeted at diff erent

users of the sea, including fi sh-

ers, farmers, and tourist facilities

such as hotels, to collect infor-

mation about the extent and

type of litter among other data.

Sampling is also carried out by

the laboratory using manta nets

that are built to collect samples

on the surface of the water. Th e

samples are then analysed in

the laboratory, fi sh caught in the

net, for example, are dissected

and their digestive tracts exam-

ined for the presence of micro-

plastics. Th ese refer to small

plastic particles that are less than

5 mm in size and are a hazard

At the laboratory studies are carried out on the age and growth of sardines and anchovies as attested by

this collection of otoliths.

to marine organisms because of

the damage they can do to the

digestive tract, but also because

they facilitate the absorption of

organic and inorganic pollutants

that adhere to the surface of

the particles. With this kind of

research activity the laboratory

is actively contributing to a safer

and healthier Adriatic.

Laboratory of Aquaculture and Fishery Faculty of Agriculture and Environment

Agricultural University of Tirana

Lagjia nr. 4, Skenderbeg Str.

Durres

Albania

Tel.: +355 52 228545

[email protected]

Coordinator: Dr Jerina Kolitari

Laboratory staff: 13

Students at the faculty: 120

Research activities:

Marine investigation

(chemical and biological),

fi sheries research

Facilities: Modern analysing,

sampling and testing

equipment


ALBANIA

Mare Adriatik uses sar-

dines and anchovies

as raw material in a

number of salted and marinated

products. Most of the produc-

tion is anchovy fi llets in oil,

while the rest is anchovies and

sardines prepared in diff erent

ways. Th e domestically caught

raw material is not enough to

cover the company’s needs, so

raw material is also imported

from Croatia, Italy and Spain.

Albania’s pelagic fi shing fl eet is

relatively small as most fi shers

target demersal species which

have a higher commercial value

than pelagic fi sh. In the Shengjin

port, the third out of the four

ports in Albania in terms of size

of the fl eet, there are only four

vessels that target small pelag-

ics, of which two are used to twin

trawl, while the third, which

belongs to Mare Adriatik, is

under reconstruction. Th e fourth

vessel used to belong to Mare

Adriatik, but was recently sold to

Gjergj Sauraj, an employee of the

company turned fi sherman, who

will use it to catch small pelagics,

anchovies and sardines, in the

Adriatic to supply the company.

Catches are expected to be some

140 tonnes of fi sh a month.

Using lamps to target anchovies

With a crew of 10 men on board,

Mr Sauraj fishes with a purse

seine at a depth of 2,000 m,

where he is familiar with the

bottom and the conditions in

the water. Pelagic fishers use

lights to attract the fish and

so the best time to go out is at

night when weather conditions

are good and there is no moon.

Lights keep the fish in place

allowing them to be surrounded

by a purse seine and then cap-

tured. Catches are highest dur-

ing the season in May and June,

but in fact it is possible to fish

all the year around for these

species with the exception of

August, when the heat of sum-

mer pushes up the temperature

of the water, forcing the fish to

swim deeper in search of cooler

water. The external temperature

has little impact on the quality

of the fish however as the vessel

is equipped with the ice neces-

sary to keep the fish at the right

temperature. The ice is collected

from an ice facility in the port

just before the vessel departs

and is stored in the cold store on

board the vessel.

First mussel farmer in Shengjin Bay

Th e production of salted ancho-

vies however is only one part

of the commercial activities of

the company. Mark Babani, the

president, has also pioneered the

farming of mussels in the Shengjin

bay. With the help of Riccardo

Germano, an Italian consultant,

Mr Babani has established the

Mare Adriatik aims to be Albania’s fi rst exporter of mussels to Europe

Product lines based on mussels and small pelagics Mare Adriatik based in Shkoder is a company with interests in fi shing, processing, and farming. It is the only enterprise to

farm mussels in the bay in Shengjin in the north of the country as opposed to the traditional mussels cultivating grounds in the

Butrinti Lagoon.

Mark Babani, the president of Mare Adriatik, a company active in

fi shing, processing, and mussel farming.

Mare Adriatik has a production of some 400 tonnes of mussels a year,

a fi gure that has grown rapidly over the last three years.


ALBANIA

fi rst mussel farm in the bay.

Farming mussels in Albania can

be traced back at least to the 60s,

since when they have been cul-

tivated in the Butrinti Lagoon in

the south of the country. At one

point mussels from the lagoon

were even exported to the EU,

though that trade stopped some

two decades ago following an

outbreak of disease. Eff orts to

farm them in the north are more

recent, the Mare Adriatik farm

was established in 2008. Mus-

sel farming has a commercial

but also a social side to it, says

Mr Germano. Most of the work-

ers on the farm were working in

Greece doing the same job. With

the opportunity to work on a

mussel farm at home they have

now returned to be closer to their

families. Mr Germano believes

that the improvement in their

circumstances has also made the

workers willing to put in an extra

eff ort when required.

Th e lines are arranged at inter-

vals of 40 m, which is not usual

according to Mr Germano, but

as there is 87 ha of surface area it

was decided to do it because the

wide spacing means the quanti-

ties the mussels feed on is more

homogenous. Th e Buna River

that marks part of the border

between Albania and Montene-

gro drains into the Shengjin bay

bringing with it nutrients that are

consumed by plankton on which

the mussels feed. Th e movement

of the water in the bay caused

by the discharge from the river

keeps the water in motion which

in turn helps the mussels stay

free of epiphytes. Th is means the

shell is lighter, which is an impor-

tant consideration when the

mussels need to be processed.

Out of a total weight of 1 kg of

mussels the raw meat constitutes

23-24, while the cooked meat

amounts to 16.3. If the shells

are light these fi gures increase,

which is interesting from a pro-

cessing point of view.

Closely managingmussels’ growth is

critical

Th e lines are secured at the bot-

tom by 20 tonne concrete blocks

at either end and each line holds

10-15 tonnes of product. Th is

makes for a stable system that

can withstand the pressure of

wind and waves, explains Ric-

cardo Germano. Th e water depth

varies from 6-15 m while the sus-

pensions lines are 3 to 5 m long.

Th e suspension lines cannot

be longer because they need to

have the space to be raised and

lowered if there are changes in

temperature. Mussels live very

well at 21 or 22 degrees C. If the

water gets warmer the lines are

lowered and if the water is too

cold they are raised. Th e mus-

sels’ growth has to be closely

managed to ensure that they do

not grow too fast. If they do they

grow out of the sock and when

the line is lifted out of the water

these mussels fall off . One way

of dealing with this would be to

take the mussels out of the water

and replace the net with a big-

ger one. But apart from the extra

eff ort involved in replacing the

net, any such handling sets back

the growth rate as the mussels

take at least a month to adjust

to the change and start growing

again. Th e only handling should

be to raise or lower the lines if

the temperature fl uctuates.

Freezing mussels on board in the near future

Today all the mussels grown in

Albania are intended for the

domestic market, but because

mussels in the Butrinti Lagoon

grow faster they are on the

market in April, while those

from the Shengjin Bay are only

harvested in July. There is thus

no overlap, but the low prices

charged by producers from the

lagoon have an impact on prices

that can be charged by the pro-

ducers in the north. The time to

maturity in the Shengjin Bay is

longer. Normally a mussel has a

lifespan of 2 years. In the north

the mussels are collected when

they are 3-4 months old, placed

in nets and put in the water. The

net is changed again and by

the third change, 12-15 months

since the mussels were col-

lected, the product is practically

ready. At this point they are the

best to eat, the shell is full, the

meat is soft and the taste is

delicate. Mr Babani is currently

selling only fresh product, but

the idea is to start processing

the mussels into fresh flesh.

Manually opening the mus-

sels and removing the flesh is

strenuous work, but the quality

is excellent and the plan is to

freeze the meat in the mussel’s

own liquid thus retaining all the

organoleptic properties of the

fresh mussel. However the costs

involved are substantial. The

company has invested in the

necessary machinery and will

start a limited production later

this year. Mr Babani would like

to export the production in the

Mare Adriatik

Shelqet Shkoder

Albania

Tel./Fax: +355 366 22146

[email protected]

President: Mark Babani

Products: Mussels, salted and

marinated anchovies and

sardines

Volumes: 400 tonnes mussels,

1,500 tonnes fi nished pelagic

products

Employees: 300

Markets: For small pelagic

products Spain, Italy, Albania,

Germany, England, France; for

mussels, Albania

A kilo of mussels yields 23-24%

raw meat and 16% cooked meat.

first place to the Middle East.

As he says, the site is strictly

monitored by the authorities

and year after year has been

found to be a category A site.

His vision is to become the first

producer to export to Europe.

To this end he is planning to

invest in a vessel that can har-

vest and process the mussels on

board giving a frozen product

made from the freshest possible

raw material.


ALBANIA

One of the characteristics

of the Lake Ohrid is that

it is home to a species of

trout, Salmo letnica that is not

found anywhere else in the world.

Locally the fi sh is called the koran

and like other members of the

trout family it is a popular table

fi sh. It has a silvery body with

marked black spots and some-

times red spots along the lateral

line as well. As a unique species

the government is keen to ensure

that it does not become extinct

due to overfi shing or environ-

mental depredation and thus

supports a programme to restock

the Lake Ohrid with koran fi nger-

lings each year. Th is maintains

the stock while allowing a small

scale fi shery that removes some

15 tonnes of koran each year from

the lake.

Albania, Macedonia both contribute to restocking efforts

The institution responsible for

the restocking of koran is the

government hatchery in Pogra-

dec, Stacioni i Linit, overseen

by Ms Celnike Shegani. It is an

indigenous species that is also

the symbol of the city, she says,

and is special because it is only

found in the Lake Ohrid. Both

Albania and Macedonia, which

share the lake, are interested

in maintaining and improv-

ing the stock of the fish and are

collaborating on the stock man-

agement efforts. On the Alba-

nian side these efforts are not

just based on the importance

of maintaining biodiversity, but

fulfil a legal obligation, Alba-

nia’s fisheries law, which calls

for the sustainable management

of the stock. Each year therefore

the hatchery releases several

thousand fingerlings into the

lake. The restocking activities

go some way towards mitigating

the pressure on the koran stock

both from the legitimate com-

mercial fishery by registered

fishers as well as from the small

rural communities that live

around the lake and maintain a

subsistence fishery that targets

koran among other species.

The Ministry of Agriculture,

Rural Development, and Water

Resources which supports the

hatchery’s eff orts expects around

a million fi ngerlings to be released

each year. Th is is not always pos-

sible says Ms Shegani for a vari-

ety of reasons. But this fi gure is

over and above the natural repro-

duction of the koran. While the

restocking eff orts are going ahead

Ms Shegani feels that they alone

are not enough. We need to

improve our management of the

fi shery, to work with the regis-

tered fi shermen to prevent fi sh-

ing by unregistered fi shers and

illegal activities including the use

of prohibited fi shing gear or nets

The Stacioni i Linit hatchery plays an important role in keeping koran stocks stable

Restocking efforts maintain a valuable fisheryAlong the eastern edge of Albania, where it borders Macedonia and Greece, are three lakes; Lake Ohrid, and the greater and lesser

Prespa Lakes. Lake Ohrid, the largest of the three, is shared by Albania and Macedonia, with about a third of the approximately 350

sq. km surface area on the Albanian side of the border.

Celnike Shegani is responsible for the Stacioni i Linit hatchery. Her

main task is to oversee the restocking of Lake Ohrid with koran

(Salmo letnica), an endemic species not found elsewhere in the world.

with mesh sizes that are under

the legal minimum. Altogether,

Ms Shegani says, there are about

140 fi shing licenses issued for the

lake. Each license covers a vessel

with two people so the number

of legitimate fi shers is in fact 280.

Th ese fi shers target some of the 17

species that are present in the lake,

of which 10 are endemic including

the koran and a species of carp. Of

the 17 species, the most commer-

cially valuable is the koran. Total

annual catches amount to some 15

tonnes of fi sh a year, however this

refers naturally only to the offi cial

catches; the volumes of illegal

catches are by defi nition diffi cult

to estimate. Th e licences entitles

the fi shers to fi sh in certain parts of

the lake, but without limits on the

amount of fi sh that can be caught.

Broodstock stripped in the wild

Th e restocking eff orts start at

the end of the year when from 1

December to 1 March the fi shery

is closed as this is the time of the

natural reproduction of the fi sh,

not only the koran but also other

species. Th is ban on fi shing activ-

ity is enforced by government fi sh

inspectors who patrol the lake in

the diff erent districts to ensure

that nobody is defying the prohibi-

tion. Th e only exception is a small

group of 14 experienced fi shers

who are allowed to fi sh for a par-

ticular reason: to capture, without

damaging, the koran broodstock

and to bring the fi sh to the edge

of the lake, where technicians

from the hatchery receive the fi sh.


ALBANIA

Th e male and female fi sh are then

stripped of their milt and eggs

respectively, which are then mixed

together to fertilise the eggs. Th e

fertilised eggs are collected and

within an hour they are brought to

the hatchery, rinsed, and placed in

trays. Th is catching activity is car-

ried out at diff erent points around

the lake in areas where the fi sh

are known to come and breed.

Th is year, says Ms Shegani, we

collected about 1m fertilised eggs,

which fi nally led to 700,000 fi nger-

lings, a rate which is quite normal

as mortalities vary from 25 to 35.

Last year we released 550,000 fi n-

gerlings, but we also caught fewer

eggs. In general the hatchery

catches about 1m eggs though this

fi gure can vary depending on the

natural conditions in the lake.

Ms Shegani is well aware of the

delicacy of her charges and knows

that a single mistake can wipe

out an entire batch. She therefore

goes to great lengths to ensure

that they thrive in the hatchery

even sometimes spending time

talking to them as they swim in

their basins. Th e eggs hatch after

about 45 days and the larvae can

survive for a further two weeks on

the nourishment provided by the

yolk sac. Th ereafter, however, they

need dry feeds with a high protein

content, which the hatchery has

been getting from international

feed manufacturers. Th is year for

example the provider was a Dutch

company that had a feed that was

particularly suited to the larvae. In

previous years the hatchery has

tried feeds from Israel as well as

Turkey, but the protein content

was lower and this was refl ected

in slower growth rates and weaker

fi ngerlings. Th is year with the

Dutch feed the fi ngerlings grew

so rapidly and were in such good

condition that the hatchery could

release them into the lake earlier

than usual.

Restocking efforts contribute to keeping

catches stable

Th e hatchery does not however

have any insight into the status of

the koran stocks in the lake and

thus only has an indirect idea of

the usefulness of the restocking

programme. We know that fi sh-

ers are catching smaller volumes

of other fi sh, while catches of

koran have remained more or

less stable, says Ms Shegani. Th is

can at least partly be attributed

to the restocking activities of the

hatchery. But Koran stocks also

Hatchery Stacioni i Linit

Pogradec

Albania

Supervisor: Celnike Shegani

Tel.: +355 6953 66988

[email protected]

Activity: Restocking of koran

(Salmo letnica) in Lake Ohrid

Facilities: Larval basins,

adaptation basins, laboratory

Volumes: Release of approxi-

mately 700,000

fi ngerlings per year in October

The adaptation tanks where the fi ngerlings are kept just before they

are released into the lake. About 750,000 fi ngerlings are introduced

into the lake each year.

This year the use of a new feed gave such good results that the

fi ngerlings reached the size where they could be released into the

lake a month earlier than usual.

benefi t from Macedonian eff orts

to restock the lake, which, accord-

ing to Ms Shegani, take the form

of releases of large numbers of

larvae, as opposed to fi ngerlings,

into the lake. In any event the

stability of catches is good for the

fi shers as the koran is the most

commercially valuable fi sh in the

lake retailing for EUR10/kg com-

pared, for example, with EUR3/kg

for farmed trout.

Th e hatchery has also tried to

develop a closed cycle for breed-

ing the fi ngerlings by retain-

ing some of them in the hatch-

ery in an attempt to grow them

into broodstock. Although this

trial went on for four years it

was fi nally abandoned as the

broodstock contracted diseases

transmitted by birds and it was

decided to continue instead with

the traditional method of breed-

ing. Disease is otherwise not an

issue at the hatchery as it draws

its water from an underground

spring located a short distance

away and there are no other users

of the water. Once it goes through

the hatchery the water is cleaned

and fi ltered before being released

to prevent the fl ow of nutrients

into the lake. Private attempts to

farm koran have also foundered

partly due to a lack of knowledge,

but also due to the incidence of

disease. Farmers also found that

the fi sh took too long to grow to

market size for it to be commer-

cially viable to farm it. So today

the koran still has its unique sta-

tus as a fi sh endemic to the Lake

Ohrid that is not found or farmed

elsewhere.


ALBANIA

Koral to start farming seabass and seabream

Diversifying into aquaculture productionThe fi sh processing company Koral is among the biggest players on the Albanian market. Relying both on domestic as well as imported

raw material Koral processes and packages fi sh, crustaceans, and cephalopods for the domestic market as well as for exports.

Koral was established in

1994 by Helidon Rruga,

an entrepreneur, who

saw an opportunity to start sup-

plying the domestic market with

fi sh and seafood products. In the

years since then the company

has started to ship its production

abroad, particularly to Italy, but

also to other European countries,

and has increased the range of

products on off er. Today the com-

pany can boast of a processing

facility built in 2008 with an area

of 6,000 sq. m and a storage space

of 5,000 sq. m in Albania’s big-

gest port Durres, an hour’s drive

west of the capital, Tirana. Koral

also has a network of shops that

distribute and sell the company’s

products all over the country.

Frozen raw materials sourced from

Asia, South America

Economic growth in Albania

has averaged 2.9 per annum in

the fi ve years to 2014, according

to the World Bank. Th is can be

seen in the ever-increasing traf-

fi c on the roads, particularly in

Tirana, as well as the increasing

numbers of shops, travel agents,

cafes, bars and restaurants. Th e

growing economy is also refl ected

in the market for fi sh in Albania,

where demand has been increas-

ing year by year, according to

Mr Rruga. Th is is met primar-

ily from four sources: wild catch

from domestic fi shermen, farmed

fi sh i.e. seabass and seabream,

fresh fi sh imports from Greece

and Italy, and fi nally imports of

frozen seafood; shrimps from

Ecuador and Panama, and

squid, cuttlefi sh and octopus

from India and China. Koral

works primarily with frozen sea-

food from Asia, but also obtains

raw material from the South-

west Atlantic with the exception

of European hake (Merluccius merluccius), European anchovy

(Engraulis encrasicolus), deep-

water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris), and mantis shrimp

(Squilla mantis), which are

caught in the Mediterranean.

Th ese species are largely supplied

by the company’s own fl eet.

Koral has fi ve fi shing vessels,

four big and one small that are

based in Durres. Th e vessels fi sh

with bottom trawls in the Adri-

atic Sea and target demersal

species: cephalopods like cut-

tlefi sh, squid, and octopus; dif-

ferent species of shrimp; and fi sh

like mullet and hake. Th e fi sh is

landed at the port in Durres and

immediately transported to the

factory a short distance away to

be processed and packaged. Th e

proximity of the factory to the

port means that the raw material

is absolutely fresh when it enters

the processing facility resulting in

a high quality fi nal product. How-

ever, fi sh caught in Albania and

processed by the company is usu-

ally not more than 5 of the total

volume that goes through the

factory, the bulk of the raw mate-

rial that is processed is imported.

Th ese imports are mainly from the

Southwest Atlantic and include

frozen squid and shrimp which

are repackaged or used to make

battered and breaded products

that can be easily prepared in the

oven or microwave.

Products distributed over entire country

In the factory much of the work

is done by hand. Frozen seafood

is thawed in large tubs but then is

cleaned and cut up manually. Th e

facility is equipped with two indi-

vidually quick frozen (IQF) tunnel

freezers that can rapidly freeze the

Helidon Rruga, managing director of Koral, one of the biggest seafood

processors in Albania.

The processing facility was built in 2008 and has an area of 6,000 sq.

m and 5,000 sq. m of storage space in addition. It is certifi ed to the

ISO9001 standard.


ALBANIA

product and glaze it if desired by

the customer. Breaded products

too are made and then frozen. Both

the extent of the glaze and that of

the breading can be adjusted to

the customer’s requirements. Th e

factory has a HACCP plan in place

and is certifi ed to the ISO9001

standard. On the domestic market

Koral sells to hotels, restaurants

and fi shmongers, as well as distrib-

utors. Th e latter buy fi sh and sea-

food from diff erent sources includ-

ing fi shing vessels, fi sh farms, as

well as processors like Koral, and

if necessary package the seafood

before distributing it. Koral works

with several distributors to ensure

the country-wide distribution of its

products.

While the domestic market is

signifi cantly more important for

the company than the export

one – 60 of the production is

sold within Albania – foreign

markets are substantial. Koral

exports fresh and frozen products

to Italy and Spain as well as small

amounts to Croatia, Slovenia,

Montenegro, and Kosovo. Th e

company’s exports to EU coun-

tries are exempt from duties if

the products are of Albanian

origin. Duties increase however

if the raw material is imported

or if the end product is highly

value-added such as the breaded

products. Of the export volume,

frozen products form the over-

whelming majority (more than

nine tenths) of the production in

terms of volume. Th is also partly

explains the structure of the com-

pany’s exports. Fresh fi sh tends to

be sold on the domestic market

leaving little to be exported. To

increase the number of foreign

customers Mr Rruga has been

visiting the Seafood Expo Global

Koral sh.p.k

Autostrada Durres – Tirana

Kilometri 2

Durres

Albania

Tel.: +355 5 22 36 800

Fax: +355 5 22 36 801

alb@koralfi sh.com

www.koralfi sh.com

Managing director: Mr Helidon

Rruga

Products: Fresh and frozen fi sh

and seafood

Markets: Albania, Italy, Spain,

Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo

Raw materials from: Argentina,

China, and India among other

countries

Fleet: 5 vessels fi shing the

Adriatic

Processing facilities: 6,000 sq. m

Cold store: 5,000 sq. m

Two IQF tunnel freezers are used to rapidly freeze the product. A glaze

is also added if desired by the customer.

Crustaceans and cephalopods are among the company’s most

important products. These are typically imported and processed into

battered or breaded products.

in Brussels. So far, however, he

has been somewhat disappointed

with the response to his prod-

uct palette. I have now been at

the Brussels seafood show three

times, he says, but have not had

any great success fi nding custom-

ers. On the other hand he found

that the event was a useful source

of suppliers of raw materials, the

frozen squid, cuttlefi sh, octopus

and shrimp that the company

processes and packages. Th e

show at Vigo, Conxemar, says

Mr Rruga is a much more inter-

esting event for me as Spanish

vessels catch a lot of squid and

shrimp from around the Falkland

Islands and Argentina that is dis-

played at the Vigo show.

Fish and shellfi sh cultivation the

latest goal

Recently Mr Rruga has decided

to diversify his activities and

looked at the potential of farm-

ing seafood. We are looking at the

opportunities off ered by farming

seabass and seabream as well

as by cultivating mussels in the

Butrinti Lagoon, one of the best

places to grow mussels in Alba-

nia. As a result of these delib-

erations the company applied for

and received a license from the

government which will allow it to

commence the production of sea-

bass and seabream very shortly.

Later this year we will put the fi rst

cages into the water in Karaburuni

Bay in Vlora towards the south of

the country, says Mr Rruga, and

we expect to have our fi rst harvest

in two years. Th e fi ngerlings will

need to be sourced from outside

the country and Mr Rruga is con-

sidering obtaining them either

from Greece, Italy, or Turkey.

Mussel cultivation in Albania is

best known in the Butrinti Lagoon,

where the high phytoplankton con-

tent of the water enables the mus-

sels to grow rapidly with a good

meat content. However, Butrinti

is way to the south of the country

and in the north other areas, such

as Shengjin, have developed where

producers are trying to farm mus-

sels. For Koral however, the advan-

tages of rapid growth, high meat

content, and above all the A class

waters in the lagoon outweighed

the inconvenience of having to

manage a production site located

fi ve hours away. Currently, Alba-

nian mussels may not be exported

to the EU as the country does not

comply with the requirements laid

down by the European Food and

Veterinary Offi ce, but Mr Rruga is

hoping that this will change in the

not so distant future opening up

yet another opportunity.


36 Eurofi sh Magazine 5 / 2015 www.eurofi shmagazine.com

TURKEY

The fi sheries and aquaculture sector in Turkey

Fewer fi sh in cages gives better pricesProduction in Turkish fi sheries was lower in 2014 than the previous year while aquaculture production was stable. Fisheries

production fell by over a fi fth maintaining the overall trend of the last decade, but farmed fi sh, despite a sizeable decrease in the

production of farmed trout, remained at broadly the same level as in 2013 thanks to increases in output of seabass and seabream.

Production from capture

fi sheries in Turkey has

been falling for the last dec-

ade. In 2005 production was 380

thousand tonnes, a fi gure which

dropped to 266 thousand tonnes

in 2014. Th is includes both fi nfi sh

and other marine products. In

2014 the most important species in

terms of volume were anchovies,

sprat, Atlantic bonito and pilchard.

Between 2013 and 2014 catches

of sprat and Atlantic bonito

increased, while those of sprat and

anchovies fell, in the case of the

latter by almost 50 from 180,000

tonnes to 97,000 tonnes. Of the

67 species for which catches are

recorded, 72 showed a decline in

2014 compared with 2013.

Fall in wild catches continues

Many of the species caught in

the Mediterranean are high

value demersal fi sh. Th e authors

of a 2014 study in Current Biol-

ogy (Th e alarming decline

of Mediterranean fi sh stocks)

attribute the reduction in catches

of these species to several factors

including reduced selectivity,

which results in younger fi sh get-

ting caught before they have had

a chance to breed, higher exploi-

tation rates (the proportion of

the biomass removed by fi shing

each year), and shrinking stocks.

In addition fi shing pressure in

breeding and nursery areas is

often high and minimum landing

sizes are not always biologically

defensible. Th e authors also point

out that weak institutions and

the inability to eff ectively enforce

the law also play a role as does

the lack of catch limits. IUU fi sh-

ing in the Mediterranean and the

Black Sea is only adding to the

problem. In the Mediterranean

the main species targeted include

the swordfi sh and bluefi n tuna,

clams, and shrimps, while in the

Black Sea it is sturgeon and turbot.

According to Mr Bayram Öztürk,

Chairperson of the GFCM Work-

ing Group on IUU fi shing in the

Mediterranean and Black Sea IUU

fi shing is due to the lack of trans-

parency in catches and landings

and the high prices paid for some

species such as bluefi n tuna. Due

to their relatively low earnings

fi shermen and inspectors are sus-

ceptible to being compromised. In

addition weak institutions, insuf-

fi cient implementation of tech-

nology such as vessel monitoring

systems, inadequate funding and

inexperienced staff all contribute

to the problem. In Turkey most

illegal fi shing takes place in the

Turkish part of the Mediterranean

and the Aegean Seas using purse

seines, trawls and set nets, says

Murat Toplu, from the Turkish

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and

Livestock in an intervention at a

GFCM workshop on IUU fi shing

in 2013. Th e main species targeted

are bluefi n tuna, swordfi sh, Atlan-

tic bonito and horse mackerel.

Several measures to combat

illegal fi shing were proposed at

the workshop in 2013 and their

status was subsequently dis-

cussed at the working group

meeting this year. Th e proposals

included a clear and transpar-

ent information system, better

coordination with other stake-

holders, and strengthening

monitoring and control systems.

A regional plan of action to fi ght

IUU fi shing and improved con-

trol of the market as well as the

introduction of traceability sys-

tems to stop the trade in IUU

products were also discussed.

In Turkey eff orts to reduce IU

Number of Turkish vessels in 2014 by length in meters and sea

Marmara Aegean Mediterranean Black Total

5 – 7.9 1,542 3,078 931 3,957 9,508

8 – 9.9 510 985 622 947 3,064

10 – 11.9 160 161 88 212 621

12 – 14.9 112 57 81 142 392

15 – 19.9 67 27 58 134 286

20 – 29.9 131 54 72 232 489

30 – 49.9 72 10 8 137 227

50+ 1 7 8

Total 2,595 4,372 1,860 5,768 14,595

Source: Turkish Statistical Institute

Seabass and seabream farms expanded both production and exports

in 2014.

www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 5/ 2015 37

TURKEY

fi shing include legislative meas-

ures as well as physical steps

such as inspections and penal-

ties if laws had been broken.

Information about Turkish fi sh-

eries had also been digitised

and all vessels above 15 m are

equipped with vessel monitor-

ing systems. Exports to the EU

are also accompanied by all the

relevant certifi cates to show the

provenance of the fi sh and that

it was legally caught. Data on the

profi tability of the Turkish fl eet

is scarce, but the fl eet is thought

to suff er from excess capacity.

In 2014 the Turkish fl eet com-

prised 14,600 vessels, of which

13,600 or 93 were below 15 m

in length. Eff orts have started to

reduce capacity with the help of

support schemes, but they have

been slow to get off the ground.

In 2013 only 310 vessels above

12 m in length were removed

from the fl eet in the Mediterra-

nean (including the Aegean and

Marmara).

Black Sea the source of most of Turkey’s catch

Turkish catches are overwhelm-

ingly from the Black Sea, which

of 33,300 tonnes in 2013, Atlan-

tic bonito amounted to 40. As

catches have fallen over the years

and the number of vessels has

reduced so has employment in

fi sheries. Over the fi ve years to

2014 catches dropped by 42 and

the number of vessels declined

by 12, while employment fell by

30 to 32,600 people.

In the Aegean Sea, which has the

highest catches of demersal spe-

cies after the Black Sea, fi shing

vessels can be divided into small-

scale vessels, purse seiners, and

trawlers. In addition, there is a

fi shery in lagoons that uses traps.

According to the Turkish Marine

Research Foundation, the small-

scale fi shery vessels are 5-12 m

long and use a variety of gear,

lines, gill nets, trammel nets, pots

and traps, and spears. Although

over 4,200 in number or 97 of

the Aegean fl eet, these small scale

vessels account for only a mod-

est 10-20 of the catch in terms

of volume. However, they tar-

get high value demersal species

including mullets, seabreams,

sole, cuttle fi sh and squid. Th e

main bulk of the catches comes

from the purse seine fi shery

which pulls in some 80 of the

total. Purse seiners are from

18-32 m in length and are

equipped with fi sh fi nding sys-

tems, such as sonar and radar.

Among the species they target are

anchovy, sardines, horse mack-

erel and mackerel. Most of the

demersal fi sh is caught by trawl-

ers using bottom trawls. Th ese

vessels are 15 to 25 m in length

and are also well equipped with

echo sounders and radar. Red

mullet, hake, shrimp and sole

are some of the species that are

caught by this category of the

fl eet. Th e lagoon fi shers set traps

at the mouths of the channels

that connect to the sea enabling

Number of Turkish vessels by type and sea in 2014Marmara Aegean Mediterranean Black Total

Trawler 110 48 149 345 652

Purse seiner 118 58 44 195 415

Carrier vessels 40 19 3 42 104

Gillnets 915 2,916 836 2,898 7,565

Beam trawler ad dredges 168 16 8 248 440

Longline and handlines, rods 645 885 706 1,325 3,561

Surrounding nets 439 294 114 634 1,481

Seine nets 32 13 7 52

Lift nets 1 13 7 21

Fyke nets 4 1 6 11

Other 123 109 61 293

Total 2,595 4,372 1,860 5,768 14,595


Employment in Turkish capture fi sheries2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Fisherman himself 11,228 11,078 12,135 12,271 16,020

Partners working unpaid 1,247 1,876 2,080 1,826 1,986

Household members working unpaid 3,123 3,379 3,345 3,594 5,258

Crew with payment 7,390 8,160 8,526 8,109 9,410

Partners household members working unpaid 441 380 726 670

Other 206 183 270 158 163

Crew working in exchange for share of fi sh caught 8,089 8,338 10,040 11,063 12,854

Partners working paid 577

Household members working paid 739

Total 32,599 33,455 36,776 37,747 46,361


in 2014 accounted for over 70

followed by the Aegean and Mar-

mara with 13 and fi nally the

Mediterranean with 4. In the

Black Sea the main species caught

by Turkey is European anchovy,

followed by striped venus mus-

sels. Th e purse seine fl eet which

targets small pelagics is the big-

gest in the Black Sea with almost

200 vessels compared with the

other seas. In the Aegean and

Marmara, anchovy, sardine, and

horse mackerel together account

for 75 of the catch. In the Medi-

terranean, from a total production


TURKEY

Highly value added products using seabass and seabream are

becoming more common in western markets.

an exchange of water between

the sea and the lagoon. Mullet,

seabream, seabass, eel, and sole

are some of the species that are

caught by these traps.

Fish farmed in marine and freshwater

Although production from cap-

ture fi sheries has been declining

Turkey has a vibrant aquacul-

ture sector, whose production

has been increasing steadily,

although not fast enough to off -

set the decline in wild fi sher-

ies production. Fish farming is

restricted to a relatively small

number of species. Th is is as much

to do with the commercial oppor-

tunities (demand has to justify

the investment in production) as

well as the technical hindrances

that must be overcome to suc-

cessfully farm fi sh. Aquaculture is

practised both in fresh water and

in the sea and the main species

farmed by the sector are rainbow

trout in inland waters and sea-

bass and seabream in sea cages. A

small number of other species, for

example, meagre, although still

only niche products, have been

making an appearance on the

market. Th e companies involved

in farming activities and the sys-

tems involved in producing these

species are diff erent. Trout farms

are widely distributed over the

interior of the country with pock-

ets of concentration in parts of

eastern as well as western Turkey.

Th ey are often family run enter-

prises with modest production

volumes, however there are also

a few big producers with several

farming sites and an annual pro-

duction that runs into thousands

of tonnes. Trout farming is often

in raceways drawing water from

a spring or river, but some com-

panies are farming trout in dam

lakes or reservoirs using cages

to hold the fi sh. A small number

of farms is producing seatrout,

breeding fry in hatcheries on

land, but then introducing the fi sh

into sea cages once they reach a

certain size.

Companies farming seabass and

seabream are far fewer in num-

ber (a few hundred) than those

farming trout (over a thousand).

Th is is possibly due to the greater

investment required to farm sea-

bass and seabream and the longer

grow-out period before they reach

market size. Many of the biggest

producers are fully integrated

companies with their own hatch-

eries, feed factories, production

sites, processing facilities, as well

as sales, marketing and distribu-

tion teams. Marine species apart

from seabass and seabream that

are farmed in noticeable quanti-

ties include meagre, and bluefi n

tuna. Th e latter is fattened rather

than farmed, that is small individ-

uals (30 kg and above) are caught

in the wild, put in cages and fed

until they can be sold to Japan.

More recently one of the big fi sh

farming companies in Turkey has

apparently succeeded in breed-

ing tuna from the egg stage creat-

ing a small batch of fi sh that are

currently being grown to market

size. While there is a captive mar-

ket for tuna in Japan, for meagre

it is more diffi cult. While the fi sh

has all the attributes that should

make it a success on the market

(fi rm, white, lean, mild-tasting

fl esh) demand has not been as

high as anticipated partly due to

the conservativeness of consum-

ers. Producers are therefore trying

to promote the fi sh more among

distributors and in the retail

sector with marketing and sales

campaigns.

Export of aquaculture products increase

further

Farmed fi sh is sold both on

the domestic market as well as

abroad. In the case of trout about

a fi fth of the production of 114,000

tonnes was exported in 2014.

Products are mainly smoked fi l-

lets either vacuum packed or fro-

zen that are sent to markets in the

EU. In Turkey there is no tradition

for eating smoked fi sh and trout

is typically sold fresh on ice. Sea-

bass and seabream are exported

in a variety of product forms rang-

ing from fresh fi sh on ice to frozen

fi llets to map packaged products.

Several companies are also exper-

imenting with frozen ready meals

aimed at busy people looking

Trout farming is usually in raceways, but cage farms in dam lakes are

also being built.

Production of main farmed species (tonnes)2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Trout 85,244 107,936 114,569 128,059 113,593

Seabream 28,157 32,187 30,743 35,701 41,873

Seabass 50,796 47,013 65,512 67,913 74,653

Total 164,197 187,136 210,824 231,673 230,119



Fish farming contributes to global nutrition as well as poverty alleviation

Industry must forge stronger links with consumersHasan Girenes is President of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Yasar Group, a Turkish industrial conglomerate. He is also

Chairman of the Izmir Fish Producers Association. Fish farming is an important industry in Turkey, where 230,000 tonnes of fi sh

were cultivated in 2014 of which 83,000 tonnes were exported. Although aquaculture plays an inceasingly important role in

supplying the world with healthful protein, the industry suffers from a negative image.

TURKEY

Fish farming – lower emissions, higher

effi ciency

On the other side, there is the

fish farming industry. Since 2012,

we produce more farmed fish

than beef worldwide. When we

compare the feed conversion

eff iciency of major proteins, the

ratios are more or less as fol-

lows; cattle 6,8; pork 2,9; chic-

ken 2,0; fish 1,5. Th is shows that

fish is the most eff icient animal

protein. Besides, fish farming is

most likely to meet the growing

demand for animal products

with the least demand on

As we all know, the global

food system will experi-

ence intense pressure

from several factors in the com-

ing years. Th e major concerns are;

increase in human population,

higher animal protein demand

per capita, climate change and

higher energy prices. Today

agriculture uses more than 40

of all land and 70 of all water

resources of the world. With its

current land and water use, it is

clear that there is limited capac-

ity for growth in terrestrial animal

protein production. So the main

question is “where will our food

come from?”

ecosystems. According to rese-

arch in Environmental Science

& Technology Magazine, fish far-

ming emits 10 times less green-

house gases compared to beef

production. And carbon foot-

print (carbon eq/kg edible pro-

duct) of fish and beef are 2,9 and

30, consecutively.

World capture fi sh production has

reached its peak and has shown

no growth since the 1980’s. In con-

trast, over the past three decades,

aquaculture has developed to

become the fastest-growing food-

producing industry in the world

today. Owing to innovations in

technology and diversifi cation

in products and production sys-

tems, fi sh farming is expected to

continue growing in the years to

come. As FAO report, 2014 was

the fi rst year in which aquacul-

ture production exceeded that of

products from capture fi sheries.

Multiple health benefi ts from consuming fi sh

Fish farming has an important role

to play in our future as a provider

of nutritious safe food. Farmed

fi sh is healthy, sustainable and

aff ordable. It can both combat

the failures of a western-type

for a quick and nutritious meal.

About 42 of the 75,000 tonnes

of seabass produced in 2014 was

exported, while in the case of sea-

bream over 70 of the produc-

tion of 42,000 tonnes was sent

abroad. Markets for seabass and

seabream are mainly in the EU,

but the industry, helped by the

national carrier, Turkish Airlines,

has been exploring other mar-

kets with success. Th ese include

the US as well as countries in the

Middle East and even the Far East.

Russia too has been growing in

importance particularly after the

embargo on imports from the EU,

but currency depreciation and

a slowing economy have taken a

toll. Turkish exports have been

buoyed by the crisis in Greece,

but most producers acknowl-

edge that sooner or later the

situation will normalise. A more

lasting eff ect may be achieved if

producers continue their prac-

tise of the last two years and put

fewer juveniles into the cages.

Th is has prevented overproduc-

tion and a slump in prices, a

problem that has aff ected the

industry many times in the past.

Th is moderation combined with

an emphasis on fi nding new

markets and developing a wider

range of products will stand the

industry in good stead in the

years to come.

Turkish exports of farmed seafood2014 2013

Tonnes Million euro Tonnes Million euro

Trout 21,643 83 20,612 78

Seabass 31,300 181 24,406 129

Seabream 29,592 134 24,286 95

Total 82,535 398 69,304 302



TURKEY

diet (with its contribution to

widespread obesity); and is the

best protein resource for the

global poor. Today more people

worldwide appreciate the health

benefi ts of regular fi sh consump-

tion. Awareness of the benefi ts

of omega-3s gained from fi sh is

high. Needless to say, fi sh is both

heart-friendly and brain-food.

Regarding fl esh quality and taste,

the diff erence between wild and

farmed fi sh is slight. It has even

been determined that farmed

fi sh includes more healthy fatty

acids than wild fi sh.

Th e sector’s economic contribu-

tion is well known, but attention

should also be paid to its social

responsibilities, such as ensur-

ing the well-being of future gen-

erations, contribution to poverty

reduction and income generation

in many countries.

Positive aspects need to be promoted

But despite all these positive

aspects, why do fi sh farms have

such a negative reputation? In a

period of just three decades, fi sh

farming has developed into a

multi-billion dollar industry. Th is

rapid growth could not happen

without attracting strident criti-

cism. Today’s consumers are highly

sensitive to environmental and

sustainability issues. At this point,

media has great power and great

impact on public opinion. How-

ever, negative and contrived news

about fi sh farming appear in the

media far more often than stories

showing its benefi ts. Fish farms

are mainly associated with pollu-

tion; people should also know fi sh

farming can have environmental

benefi ts if done sustainably.

Of course, it is not fair to blame

just the media for negative public

perceptions. As the fish farming

industry people, “we” have to

build confidence in farmed fish.

Th ere is a need for better com-

munication with the consumers.

We need to tell consumers the

real story. I believe we can build

value by showing people what

fish farming is really like. Our

industry is tough as it is: pro-

duction takes almost 2 years. It

means we have to carry a large

stock, we employ a lot of capital.

Also, we are exposed to currency

fl uctuations. We are vulnerable to

natural events.

We have to explain the journey of

farmed fish to people; from egg

to fingerling to the fish we eat. At

this point, traceability may help

us to tell our story to the consu-

mer. Traceability is as important

as sustainability. Besides, we also

need to show the enjoyment and

benefits of eating fish, helping

consumers to be comfortable

with fish.

Industry is adapting to demands for greater

sustainability

Th e basic role of aquaculture is to

provide healthy, safe and nutritious

food for all. Th e core challenge is to

achieve this goal within the con-

text of sustainability. Th e industry

worldwide is working hard for bet-

ter management of fi sh farms and

doing more research on sound

and sustainable farming practices.

Animal welfare, environment and

resource management are top

prio rities. Th e key to success in

our business lies in strong con-

sumer partnerships. Consumers

play a large role in developing and

using new sustainable fi sh farm ing

technologies. Universally-credible

and transparent certifi cation is a

good way to build trust in farmed

fi sh. At the retail market, more

consumers keep an eye out for

fi sh that has a sustainable seafood

certifi cate.

Speaking of sustainability, the

fish farming industry needs

to address some challenges to

become more sustainable; like

using higher-efficiency feeds

allowing more nutrients to be

converted to fish flesh and less

to be excreted from the fish as

waste. Feed conversion ratios

(FCR’s) are at record high levels

compared to when the sector

was in its infancy. The indus-

try is getting close to its goal of

using one kilogram of feed to

produce one kilogram of fish.

As an industry person with years

of experience, I believe aquacul-

ture is maturing as a responsible

sector. As the demand contin-

ues to grow, sustainability must

remain a priority to be incorpo-

rated into all future production.

“Smart fi sh farming” should be

the key word for future develop-

ment. Industry collaboration is

also important, making producers

come together and work together

to improve industry performance

and increase public awareness.

More forums such as the Global

Salmon Initiative should be

launched.

In conclusion, fi sh farming is here

to stay to feed next generations

healthfully. We have to make the

necessary changes to farm bet-

ter, to produce better, and to keep

changing for the better.

Hasan Girenes is President of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Yasar

Group and Chairman of the Izmir Fish Producers Association


TURKEY

Agromey concentrates on whole or gutted seabass and seabream, and fi llets

Doing a few things, but doing them wellAgromey is among the largest producers of seabass and seabream in Turkey with an annual production capacity of 15,000

tonnes. The company, like other big producers, is integrated with its own feed production division, fi sh cultivation, processing,

packaging and distribution.

Some years ago Agromey

invested in a former ferry

vessel which was converted

into a packaging facility. Th e ves-

sel is in Karaburun near Izmir

moored off a reserve, a protected

area, where the building of per-

manent structures is forbidden.

Agriculture is small scale and the

main activity is herding animals.

As a result the sea around the

reserve is not polluted by run-off

from the land. It is in these sur-

roundings that Agromey has one

of its cage sites for on-growing

seabass and seabream.

Short transport time from cages to packaging

facility

Th e presence of the cages in the

vicinity was the reason behind

deciding to moor the converted

ferry off the reserve as well. Th e

proximity to the cages means that

fi sh can be harvested and brought

to the packaging facility very rapi-

dly. Th is short transport time has

a positive impact on the quality

of the product and ultimately its

shelf life, a vital parameter for the

producer of any highly perishable

product. Th e packaging facility

works seven days in the week grad-

ing and packaging the fi sh, says

Sorgun Uluc, the chief of produc-

tion planning, Employees work

in two shifts and get a day in the

week off , which they take in turns.

in the open sea, while in Bodrum

the sites are in more sheltered

bays. Th ese factors sometimes

have an impact on the water qual-

ity in Bodrum. Having cages in the

open sea means they are more

exposed to the elements, they are

further away from the coast and

they require more maintenance,

all of which tends to add to the

cost of production. So, there are

advantages and disadvantages to

both locations. At both Agromey’s

sites in Karaburun and Bodrum

there are cages with seabass and

others with seabream, which

are harvested depending on the

orders and size of the fi sh in the

cages. Th e mix of seabass and sea-

bream is not even, about 60 of

the production is seabass.

Grading 75 tonnes of fi sh a day

Although the Karaburun facil-

ity is essentially a converted ves-

sel, it is capable of grading up to

75 tonnes of fi sh a day. Th is level

was reached recently with the

installation of new machinery

that doubled the capacity. Th ere

are now two grading lines instead

of one and actual production is

currently 60-65 tonnes a day. But

we are planning to use the entire

capacity once we have a few addi-

tional workers, says Eray Yapici,

the production manager. Th e

plant at Aydin produces about

8 tonnes of fi llets a day. Th e logis-

tics of the production are opti-

mised to keep the amount of time

Eray Yapici, production manager and Sorgun Uluc, chief of production

planning, on board the processing facility, a converted vessel

anchored at Karaburun.

Th ere is however no fi lleting or

other more advanced processing

operation on board the vessel.

Th ose are performed at another

facility in Aydin another city

a couple of hours inland from

Karaburun.

What gets sent to the two process-

ing plants depends on the orders

and the customers’ requirements.

Orders for whole round fi sh are

handled at the packaging vessel

where the fi sh is graded, pack-

aged, loaded into the truck and

sent directly to the customer. Fil-

lets or frozen products are pro-

cessed at the Aydin facility. In

general the ratio of whole round

fi sh to processed fi sh is approxi-

mately 60:40 for both seabass and

seabream. Th e entire production

is from the company’s own cages.

Agromey’s cages are located at two

sites, one in Karaburun and the

other in Bodrum, further to the

south. Th ere are a few diff erences

in the two sites. Th e sea at the

Bodrum site warms up faster after

the winter, then it does in Karabu-

run. Although water temperature

is only one factor in determining

fi sh growth, fi sh at the Bodrum

site tend to grow slightly faster.

Th e weather conditions at the two

sites are also diff erent. Many com-

panies have their operations in

Bodrum so the distance between

the farms is not as great as it is in

Izmir. Also, in Izmir the cages are


TURKEY

the fi sh spends on the road to a

minimum. Because of the prox-

imity, the Karaburun facility gets

fi sh from the cages there, while

fi sh from the cages in Bodrum go

to the Aydin facility as it is closer

than Karaburun.

To stock the cages at the start of

a cycle Agromey buys the juve-

niles from local hatcheries. Th ere

are eight or nine hatcheries in

Turkey and Agromey deals with

fi ve or six of them as a safety pre-

caution. From the time they are

introduced into the on-growing

cages the fi sh are given feed pro-

duced at the company’s own feed

mill. Agromey produces a range of

feeds under its Agromarin brand,

for seabass and seabream as well

as for trout. Th e feeds are intended

for diff erent stages of fi sh growth

from nursery to on-growing. Sea-

bass and seabream feed is suffi -

cient to meet the company’s own

requirements with some left over

to sell on the market. Th e trout

feeds are only sold to other com-

panies as Agromey does not farm

or process trout itself.

Few products, effi ciently manufactured

Agromey has focused its eff orts on

a few items which it then produces

very effi ciently. While other big

producers in Turkey are investing

in farming diff erent species and

in expanding their product line

to include ready-meals and other

products, at Agromey the empha-

sis has been on seabass and sea-

bream, which are processed into

a few relatively simple products –

whole round, gutted descaled, or

fi llets. Whole round fi sh amounts

in fact to 70 of the production.

Th ese are also available as frozen

products from the Aydin facility,

where they have the necessary

equipment. Whole round fi sh can

also be frozen says Mr Uluc, but

we need to be informed a little in

advance as whole round fi sh takes

longer to freeze than fi llets. So if a

customer wants a truck of frozen

whole round fi sh on Wednesday

we would like to receive the order

on Sunday. Normally we need at

least 48 hours to process an order

as that gives us the time to take into

account all the factors that have

an infl uence on the production.

We realise, however, that it is not

always possible, so we just try and

do our best. As soon as the order

arrives we start the production and

arrange it to meet the customer’s

schedule.

Th e crisis in Greece has proved

an opportunity for the seabass

and seabream industry in Turkey

as customers unable to secure

Fish is brought from the cages by boat to the processing vessel

reducing transport time to the bare minimum. On board the fi sh is

graded and packaged, more sophisticated operations are carried out

at another facility in Aydin.

AgromeySair Esref Blv. Tuzcuoglu Is

Merkezi No: 48, Kat: 5

Konak

TR 35220 Alsancak, Izmir

Turkey

Tel.: +90 232 446 88 11

Fax: +90 232 446 09 08

[email protected]

www.agromey.com

Sales and marketing director:

Mr Tolga Uruk

Production manager

(processing facility

Karaburun): Mr M. Eray Yapici

Chief of production planning

(processing facility

Karaburun): Mr Sorgun Uluc

Production capacity: 15,000

tonnes

Products: Whole round, gutted

descaled, or fi llets of seabass

and seabream

Markets: Europe including Spain

and Italy; Turkey, USA, Dubai,

Israel

Facilities: Feed mill, two farming

sites, two processing facilities

Employees: 550

Fish are harvested from the sea cages and transported in covered

bins in a mixture of ice and water that keeps them at the correct

temperature.

adequate supplies from Greece

or nervous about the uncertainty

associated with the Greek eco-

nomy, turned to Turkish produc-

ers. According to Mr Uluc many

of them were happy with the

quality of the fi sh and the service

they got from their new suppliers

that they have so far continued

to buy from them. Agromey, he

says, has also benefi ted from the

situation, but he is aware that it

is likely to be only temporary as

production in Greece will cer-

tainly pick up again.

Agromey’s fi sh production is

shipped chiefl y to Spain and Italy,

markets where there is still

signifi cant consumer inter-

est in whole fi sh, as well as by

air freight to Dubai, the USA,

and Israel. A certain quantity of

fi sh is also sold within Turkey.

Another interesting market is

Russia, where approval to export

seabass and seabream is pend-

ing with the Russian authorities.

Customers in all the company’s

markets are generally importers

who sell the fi sh in turn to fi sh

shops, and restaurants. Agromey

has also established a subsidi-

ary in the Netherlands to facili-

tate logistics and distribution

in Europe.


TURKEY

Akuvatur breeds uncommon species to unusual sizes

Seeking new markets in EuropeIn a sector crowded with farming and processing companies Akuvatur stands out for its approach, which differs in several respects

from other producers. Owned by an academic, Dr Haluk Tuncer, Akuvatur has concentrated on species other than seabass and

seabream. In addition, the company grows fi sh to sizes that are usually larger than the typical market-sized fi sh.

Akuvatur’s farming site is off

Karaburun, close to Izmir,

an area that is desi gnated a

reserve. It has a small rural popula-

tion that is engaged mostly in animal

rearing, chiefl y goats, and non-

industrial agriculture, mainly the

cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

Th e construction of permanent

structures along the coast is pro-

hibited, and Izmir is about 100 km

away so there is little risk that the

water is polluted by effl uents from

the city. Th e site of the cages is out

at sea, where currents and weather

conditions are more extreme that in

areas with sheltered bays. However

this also means that there is less

accumulation of feed and faeces

from the fi sh and the currents result

in fi sh with more muscle and less

fat, giving the meat a good texture.

Broodstock maintained for each species

Th e company is fully inte-

grated with its own broodstock,

hatchery, nursery, and grow-out

cages and thus completely self-

suffi cient. Th e nursery cages

are also in the sea, but they are

smaller and located closer to the

coast than the grow-out cages.

Th ey are also termed adapta-

tion cages as they are used to

introduce the fi ngerlings from

the hatchery to conditions in the

sea. Mahir Yirmibesoglu, who

works on the site, says that the

fi ngerlings are put in the nursery

cages from the hatchery when

they reach a size of about 2 g. Th e

company has two hatcheries, one

in Milas in the west and the other

in Adana near the Syrian border.

Akuvatur farms a number of dif-

ferent species, among them,

common dentex (Dentex dentex),

pink dentex (Dentex gibbosus),

blue-spotted seabream (Pagrus caeruleostictus), seabream (Spa-rus aurata), and seabass (Dicen-trarchus labrax) and for each of

these species the company main-

tains a broodstock.

One of the characteristics of the

company is that it does not use

traditional extruded pellets to feed

the fi sh. Our feed is half dry, says

Mr Yirmibesoglu, not fully dry, it

still has moisture from the ingre-

dients that go into it which are

mainly marine proteins. Our feed

is not composed chiefl y of soja

bean meal, which is increasingly

being used as a substitute for fi sh

meal, due to the high cost of the

latter. Th e meal is made from sar-

dines, anchovies, squid, among

other ingredients such as fi sh oil

and vitamins. Among the species

farmed dentex does not eat feed in

the form of extruded pellets as it is

too dry. Th e company’s specially

formulated feed is therefore nec-

essary if the dentex is to survive at

all, let alone grow to market size.

Th e various ingredients used in

the feed are bought from fi sher-

men, mostly local fi shers who fi sh

in the Mediterranean, but also

sometimes from Black Sea fi sh-

ers. Th e feed is then produced in

the company’s HACCP-certifi ed

factory.

Specially produced feed high in fi sh protein

Customised feed using fresh ingre-

dients adds to the costs. As Mr

Yirmibesoglu says, that is why our

fi sh is a little pricey. Dentex is in

any case more expensive, being a

relatively seldom fi sh on the mar-

ket, but our seabass, a species that

every body produces, also tends

to be more expensive. Accord-

ing to him, the diff erence in price

can be justifi ed by the better taste.

Th e fi sh eat a diff erent and more

natural feed and this is refl ected

in the fl avour and texture of the

meat. Seabass and seabream are

produced mainly because cus-

tomers want these fi sh as well.

But the company really wants to

be known as a producer of less

common species. Dentex, for

example, is very rare and many

think it to be already extinct, so

Mahir Yirmibesoglu and Mustafa Yenikurtulus, the cage and

packaging facility manager.

Akuvatur farms a number of species including common dentex, pink

dentex, and blue-spotted seabream in addition to the more usual

seabass and seabream.


TURKEY

much so that when it appears

on the market people notice it.

Akuvatur farms dentex to a mini -

mum of 600 g and all the way to

1.5 kg. Pink dentex another seldom

fi sh found naturally in both the

Mediterranean and the Atlantic is

also farmed by Akuvatur. Th e com-

pany grows this species from 800 g to

3-4 kg in size. Th is is a signifi cant

investment because the fi sh takes

a minimum of three years to reach

this large size. Blue-spotted sea-

bream, another species the com-

pany grows is a close relative of the

seabream, but with a pinkish tinge

to its silver colour and blue spots

on its back. It has a slightly higher

fat content than seabream and is a

very tasty fi sh with a typical market

size of 400-600 g. Some compa-

nies do farm this fi sh, putting it on

the market after 12-14 months, but

at Akuvatur it takes 16 months to

reach this size due to the diff erent

feed as well as rearing techniques.

Th e feed because it is wetter is eas-

ier for the fi sh to digest, but at the

same time it takes longer for the fi sh

to put on weight because the feed is

natural and the animal proteins in

the feed take longer to digest. On

the other hand the longer growing

time has a positive eff ect on the tex-

ture and fi rmness of the meat. Th e

blue-spotted seabream is grown to

small and large sizes at Akuvatur as

they are like two diff erent products.

Smaller fi sh are good for frying or

grilling, while the larger specimens

should be slow roasted.

Managing several species is more complex

At the site there are three areas for

on-growing cages, in which the

fi sh are produced to market size,

and one area for the nur sery cages.

Cages are diff erent sizes depend-

ing on the species and vary from

12 m to 50 m in diameter. In the

nursery cages the juveniles learn

to adapt to many of the conditions

they will face in the grow-out cages.

In the hatchery they hatch in salty

water, but moving into the nursery

cages is still a major change. Th e

nursery cages are placed in rela-

tively shallow water, but even here

the 2 g fi ngerlings have to get used

to the presence of waves, sunlight,

changing weather conditions, and

fl uctuations in temperature and

salinity. For some these changes

are too much and they perish. But

the rest grow and are moved to the

on-growing cages when they reach

a weight of about 60 g. For each of

the species the adaptation is indi-

vidual. Th e size when the fi sh leave

the hatchery varies with the species,

as does the time they spend in the

adapting cages and the size reached

when they are transferred to the on-

growing cages. Th e individual plan-

ning that is needed for each species

also adds to the complexity of the

farm management and the costs of

production.

Th e fi sh is sold chiefl y (about

60) to markets in Europe, but

the domestic market is also an

important destination, where res-

taurants and big retail chains like

Metro are the primary customers.

In Europe, Greece, Bulgaria, Por-

tugal, Italy, the UK, and France are

the main export destinations. It is

easier to sell the fi sh in Mediter-

ranean countries, because there

consumers are already familiar

with the species. Unfortunately

the economies in Spain, Italy,

Greece and even France are not

particularly healthy and consum-

ers are reluctant to buy expensive

fi sh. Occasional shipments are

also made to the United States

and Canada. Th e company is

now looking to expand its export

markets as its current markets are

more or less saturated. Th e market

for fi sh of the size produced by

Akuvatur is lucrative, but limited

and at this stage fi nding new des-

tinations is probably easier than

selling more fi sh on to an exist-

ing market. Th e demand for the

Akuvatur Mediterranean Seafood Co.Mansuroglu Mh. 295/2

Sk. Ege Sun Plaza, A Blok No:1 K:2

D:220

TR 35030 Izmir

Turkey

Tel.: +90 232 375 6800

Fax: +90 232 375 6800

[email protected]

www.akuvatur.com

Managing Director: Dr Haluk

Tuncer

Products: seabass and

seabream fry; fresh fi sh

(common dentex, pink dentex,

and red seabream, seabass

and seabream)

Fresh fi sh sizes: 300 g to 2.5 kg

Production: 80m fry; 1,500

tonnes fresh fi sh

Markets: Domestic retail chains

and wholesale markets; Greece,

Spain, Italy, France, Portugal

Akuvatur prides itself on the feed it gives to its fi sh, a high protein

mixture of sardines, anchovies and squid blended with fi sh meal and

fi sh oil.

diff erent species also varies, says

Mr Yirmibesoglu, blue-spotted

seabream is relatively easy to sell,

but fi nding new customers for the

big common dentex and pink den-

tex is a demanding task. Despite

these challenges sales are growing

slowly and each year the produc-

tion has increased. Today the total

volume is about 1,500 tonnes for

all the four species of which blue-

spotted seabream amounts to

about 40, followed by seabream,

pink dentex, and common dentex.

From laboratory to farm is a major step

Akuvatur has not stopped work-

ing on new species to farm. It has

a unit that is steadily research-

ing potential candidates. How-

ever, moving from the laboratory

into commercial production is a

huge leap, common dentex took

5-6 years of study before it could

be successfully farmed, and so

any developments will neces-

sarily be slow. Another issue,

of course, is the market, even if

a species can be commercially

produced, if the market is not

ready to accept it, the effort

will be wasted. Akuvatur can in

fact produce some 15 species,

but decided to restrict produc-

tion to the four that would be

in most demand. This sobriety

will inform its decisions in the

future too.


TURKEY

Kiliç Seafood Company looks for opportunities overseas

Investments in Mauritania to secure fi shmeal and fi sh oil suppliesKiliç Seafood is Turkey’s biggest producer of farmed fi sh, cultivating seabream, seabass, meagre, and trout with a total annual

production capacity of approximately 40,000 tonnes. The company is fully integrated with hatcheries, feed production, processing, sales,

marketing and distribution. Its products are exported to 44 countries around the world making it Turkey’s leading exporter in this sector.

The environmental law in

Turkey that went into eff ect

some years ago requires

fi sh farming cages to be at least

1,000 m from the shore. While at

the time it shook up the industry

due to the higher costs it would

impose, producers have since dis-

covered that there are also advan-

tages. Hayri Deniz, who moved

to Kiliç Seafood as projects and

foreign investment manager after

many years in the Turkish govern-

ment, says that the result of the

legislation has been overwhelm-

ingly positive. Th e fi sh are grown

out at sea in water not exposed to

nutrients from land, currents keep

the fi sh in good health, and con-

fl icts with other users are avoided.

Dedicated aquaculture zones offer stability

to industry

In addition the experience and

expertise that comes with operat-

ing and managing off shore cages

is useful knowhow that can be

sold to other countries. In the

Middle East, for example, there

is a lot of interest in marine aqua-

culture, governments are making

funds available and countries are

asking us to establish cage farms

for them, says Dr Deniz. Turkey

has now established zones that

are exclusively intended for the

aquaculture industry giving a

degree of stability to investors.

Th e areas were identifi ed and

agreements were signed by all

the stakeholders dedicating these

zones to fi sh farming purposes.

Th is kind of certainty is good for

the industry encouraging invest-

ment and promoting growth.

Seabass, seabream, trout and mea-

gre are the main species produced

by Kiliç Seafood and they are sold

to markets in the EU and the US

among other countries. While

the company plans its produc-

tion based on forecast demand

often there may be a discrepancy

between the forecast and the actual

situation. However, because the

markets have diff erent specifi ca-

tions for the fi sh it is possible to

adapt. Th us, if demand on Euro-

pean markets falls short, the fi sh

are left to grow in the cages and are

then sold in the US, where there is

a preference for larger fi sh. Most

important is the ability to supply at

all times, which the company can

do without trouble. As Dr Deniz

says not only can the company

supply fi sh at all times, but it can

also supply in the desired specifi -

cations, whether whole round, gut-

ted, fresh, frozen, on ice, in MAP,

canned, smoked, or as ready meals.

Everything is possible, he says.

Ready meals are here to stay

Producing ready meals is one

of the newest developments

Dr Hayri Deniz, projects and foreign investments manager in Kilic

Holding.

in Kiliç Seafood. Ready meals

in general are highly popular

in the west, and their consump-

tion is increasing in Turkey too.

Th e reasons are not hard to fi nd;

higher living standards, greater

urbanisation, increasing single

person households, greater num-

bers of women in the workforce,

and the lack of time to prepare

meals. Th e recent economic crisis

has also played a role as consum-

ers switch from spending in restau-

rants to spending on ready meals

instead. Most of these trends are

here to stay and ready meals off er

a quick and convenient alternative

to shopping and cooking. How-

ever, many ready meals have been

found to be nutritionally lagging

international recommendations

and are also implicated in the obe-

sity that is plaguing many societies.

Companies, including Kiliç, sense

an opportunity here for healthy

ready meals that are based on fi sh.

Kiliç has therefore invested in a

processing factory for this type

of product that has a capacity of

40,000 frozen portions a day. Th ese

portions are housed in a package

which can then be put in the oven

for 20 minutes to give a complete

meal. Th e products have been on

sale for a year in Turkey, where

they are being sold in supermarket

chains like Migros and Carrefour,

but the plan is to start exporting

them as well and negotiations are

ongoing with customers in Italy,

Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

Microwaves, conventional ovens or

plain boiling water

Within Turkey, the response to

the ready meals has been positive.


TURKEY

Although initially sold only

through Migros, distribution was

extended to Carrefour after the

retailer showed an interest and

made some suggestions regard-

ing the composition of the meal.

Volumes produced are still mod-

est however, the factory is oper-

ating more or less on demand;

when customers place an order

the meals are made and supplied.

Building up the volumes will take

time. In Turkey in particular it will

call for a concerted eff ort in pro-

motion and customer awareness

programmes to familiarise people

with the product and to persuade

them of its advantages. Another

issue preventing the rapid uptake

of the product may be the price.

At TRY45 (EUR13) per kilo these

meals are mostly for the up-mar-

ket consumer segment, who may

prefer to invest in a steak instead.

Th e products are made using fi l-

lets of seabass or seabream that is

combined with a sauce and some

vegetables. Th e vegetables and

the sauce are precooked and then

frozen, but the fi sh is completely

raw and only gets cooked when

the meal is put in the oven. All the

ingredients, the fi sh, vegetables,

and the sauce, are added to a tray

suitable both for microwave and

conventional ovens, which goes

through a metal detector before

being vacuum sealed and sent

to the freezer. After being frozen

the trays are stored in a chamber

maintained at minus forty degrees,

where they await shipment. Th e

recipes are generally developed

in-house, but the company also

implements suggestions from out-

side. Being frozen products they do

not need any artifi cial ingredients

to increase shelf life, but can be

marketed as completely natural.

Th e fi sh raw material can be either

fresh or frozen. Frozen fi sh that is

used in the preparation is already

in the form of fi llets and is added

to the tray without fi rst being

defrosted at any point during the

production. Th is maintains the

quality and safety of the product,

which is only thawed just before

consumption, when it is in the cus-

tomer’s oven. Some of the products

are not put in the oven, but are pre-

pared for consumption by immers-

ing the tray in boiling water. Th ese

are typically products in which the

sauce includes small pieces of veg-

etables or other ingredients that

need a little longer to cook.

US, Albania attractive destinations for

investments

Kiliç Seafood is branching into

new products in response to

changing social trends giving

it a stronger presence on the

domestic market, but for the

last few years it has also been

pursuing a more aggressive

overseas strategy. It is looking

with interest at Albania, Morocco,

and exploring possibilities in

the United States. Most recently,

in Mauritania the company has

just bought a fi shmeal and fi sh

oil producing company. Th is will

secure the supplies of fi shmeal

and fi sh oil the company needs for

its own 120,000 tonne production

of fi sh feed from its two fi sh feed

plants. Being fully vertically inte-

grated has several advantages, says

Dr Deniz. Now we produce our own

fi ngerlings, fi sh feed, raw materials

for the fi sh feed, fi sh, and the fi nal

products that we sell ourselves.

We even make our own EPS boxes,

marine cages, and feed barges. Th e

advantage is in the prices. Buying

from within the group is cheaper

than buying from outside particu-

larly because we are so big that the

unit costs of what we produce are

the same or even lower than what

they are for a dedicated manufac-

turer of these products. Th ere are

very few Turkish aquaculture com-

panies that are integrated to this

degree.

Multiple certifi cations – a necessary evil

The farming and processing

facilities are all certified to the

necessary standards, including,

Global G.A.P. and ISO, and dif-

ferent quality schemes. Nego-

tiations are currently ongoing

to have the farms certified to

the Global Aquaculture Alliance

standard, which will be useful

on the US market. Most recently,

Kilic Seafood has started pro-

ducing organic seabass and sea-

bream as well and will have the

first harvest of these fish later

this year. Like many producers

however Kilic too is tired of the

plethora of standards and labels

that it needs to have to keep its

customers happy. One label is

a good idea, says Dr Deniz, but

having to certify production to

several standards is expensive

and time consuming. There is

no resolution to this problem

in sight, in fact, if anything it is

getting worse, as more stand-

ards are introduced. For exam-

ple, a recent scheme initiated by

some countries will certify fish

to halal standards. The indus-

try needs to work together with

the retail sector, NGOs, and the

bodies developing standards to

find a solution that is palatable

to all.

Seabream, seabass, meagre, and other species are available for sale

at the fresh fi sh counter at the Kilic retail outlet.

Kilic HoldingMilas-Bodrum Karayolu 18 km

Kemikler Köyü Mevkii, 48200

Milas, Mugla / TURKEY

Tel.: +90 252 5590283

Fax: +90 252 5590287

E-mail: [email protected]

Web page: www.kilicdeniz.com.tr

Projects and Investment

Manager: Dr Hayri Deniz

Activities: Juvenile production,

on-growing, sales & marketing,

fi sh feed production,

manufacture of eps boxes

Volumes: 40,000 tonnes seabass,

seabream, other marine

species, trout

Products: Fresh whole round fi sh

and fi llets, frozen fi sh and fi llets

Packaged products: Fresh fi sh,

MAP fi sh and fi llets,

value-added packaged

products, canned fi sh

Markets: EU, Russia, US,

Middle East and others.

Total 44 countries


Most exporting compa-

nies in the Turkish fish

farming sector farm

seabass and seabream, process

the fish and export it fresh or

frozen. The degree of process-

ing varies from graded whole

round fish to highly value added

products. Companies are aware

that whole round, or even gutted

seabass and seabream runs the

risk of becoming a commodity

and are making efforts to distin-

guish their product from their

competitors. Some however are

investing in greater value addi-

tion, offering their customers a

customised product and a ser-

vice that is more expensive and

more difficult to replace.

New owners, new priorities

Among the exponents of the

latter approach is Kopuzmar, a

company that produces a num-

ber of highly value-added prod-

ucts for export to the EU. These

products are based primarily

on seabass, seabream, meagre,

and trout of which the com-

pany farms the first three, while

the latter are obtained from the

market. The company’s inter-

est in value addition goes back

several years when it took over

the clients of another company

that was doing similar products,

but that went into receivership.

Kopuzmar seeks further certifi cations

Renewed focus on quality to ward of competitorsKopuzmar, a member of Ugurlu Grup, was established in 1991, but operations actually started fi ve years earlier when the company

put 600 gilthead seabream juveniles in cages in the sea. Since then the company has grown signifi cantly, producing juveniles and

fi sh feed, farming seabream and seabass, and processing fi sh in to value added products.

In 2013 Kopuzmar underwent a

change of ownership as a private

equity company took a majority

stake in the firm. The new own-

ership has meant changes in

staffing as some people left and

others were hired, but the com-

pany retained its core of highly

experienced staff, says Serdar

Cenk Akarlar, the plant direc-

tor, and himself one of the newly

hired experts.

Th e new owners have devised

a new strategy for the company

which will prioritise quality,

freshness, traceability, as well as

environmental and social respon-

sibility. Realising the strategy will

call for the implementation of

new systems and standards and

the company will be seeking new

customers particularly outside

Europe. We have to reposition

ourselves on the market, fi nd dif-

ferent segments, and get better at

retaining our customers. Among

the changes the company is look-

ing at is to have only one cus-

tomer for each product segment

to reduce the risk of off ering the

same product to diff erent cus-

tomers at diff erent prices. More

production under private labels

is also foreseen and the company

will also invest more in trying

to build a market in the United

States for its products.

Farm production capacity can increase

Kopuzmar has its own cages

with fi sh, but this is not always

enough to supply its customers.

In such instances the company

will buy the fi sh from its subcon-

tractors. Th is is also the case if the

company has the fi sh, but they

are the wrong sizes. Externally-

sourced fi sh however typically

accounts for not more than 10

of the production. As Mr Akarlar

says, the company can expand

the number of cages on its site

if necessary, because it has the

space, but for the moment it

can generally manage with the

From left, Ozan Köseoglu, QA supervisor; Serdar Cenk Akarlar, plant director; Ismet Sanli, production

manager; Ahmet Baspehlivan, purchasing manager; Mustafa Ipek, HR manager

TURKEY


existing capacity. Kopzmar’s

annual production is over 5,000

tonnes (licensed capacity is

7,200 tonnes) of which seabass

amounts to 60-70, while the

balance is seabream. Since the

change of ownership the vol-

ume of fi sh being processed has

increased signifi cantly and if

the growth continues an expan-

sion of the plant is planned.

Part of the reason for the growth

is the renewed focus on qual-

ity, an attribute which, accord-

ing to Mr Akarlar, got diluted

at some point in the past and

led ultimately to a change in

ownership.

Factory expansion under consideration

Over the next few months the com-

pany is expecting a big increase in

the volumes that will be processed

at the plant as the cold season

starts. Mr Akarlar will then have a

better idea as to whether the plant

can handle these quantities of fi sh

with the new systems in place. Th e

outcome will determine whether

the factory needs to be expanded

and how urgent it is. Th e plant is

already certifi ed to several stand-

ards including IFS, BRC, ISO14001

and 18001, and Global G.A.P., and

is now seeking certifi cation to the

Ugurlu Balik Uretim San. Ve Ticaret A.S.Processing plant:

Atanaj Deresi Mevkii No. 25

Denizkoy, Didim

TR Aydin

Turkey

EU Approval No: TR 09 -0062

Plant director:

Mr Serdar Cenk Akarlar

Tel.: +90 256 846 2412

Fax: +90 256 846 2453

[email protected]

www.ugurlubalik.com

Head Offi ce:

Mansurglu Mah. Ankara Asfalti

No:71

Gumus Plaza K:3 D:9-10-11

Bayrakli

Izmir

Deputy General Manager/

Marketing & Sales:

Mr Ismail Aksoy

Tel: +90 232 2788589

Fax: +90 232 277 3336

[email protected]

Products: Seabass, seabream, meagre, trout

Product form: Frozen fi llets and ready meals

Volumes: 5,000 tonnes (whole fi sh)

Markets: Europe, Russia, Middle East, North Africa, USA

Employees: 390

Freshly harvested seabass waits to be processed. Kopuzmar has

an annual production of about 5,000 tonnes of fish of which 60-70%

is seabass.

Lines of workers fi llet the fi sh. Fillets made with various cuts form the bulk of the company’s production.

ASC standard. In order to meet the

requirements the company may

seek help from external consult-

ants. Th e focus on standards stems

in part from a vision of the future

where products from Kopuzmar are

irrevocably associated with high

quality. Other Turkish fi sh process-

ing companies will try and sell the

same products to Kopuzmar’s cus-

tomers, says Mr Akarlar, but as long

as Kopuzmar’s quality is better it

will have an undeniable advantage.

Th e company sells small quanti-

ties of whole round fi sh on the

domestic market. All the other

products are frozen and packaged

either in retail packs or vacuum

packs and are exported. Th e prod-

ucts are usually fi llets with some

whole gutted fi sh as well. Most of

the production is sent to whole-

salers and distributors who sell in

turn to the retail sector. However,

the company is very interested in

selling directly to the retail sec-

tor and is hoping to start this next

year. Th ese products are frozen

portions of fi sh that are packed in

an oven-ready and microwaveable

tray either with or without a sauce

and the portions are then placed

in a retail bag. On the other hand,

a number of these portions could

also be placed in special cooking

packages for a wholesaler. Th e

consumer can place these trays

directly in the oven for 15 or 20

minutes to get a ready meal. Th ese

products are produced under pri-

vate label for some of the biggest

manufacturers of frozen seafood

products in Europe.

TURKEY


With three produc-

tion facilities along

the Izmir coast of the

Aegean Sea off ering a combined

capacity of 3,350 tonnes of sea-

bass and seabream a year, More

Aquaculture is among the bigger

Turkish producers of seabass and

seabream. In addition to these

species, the company also off ers

its customers trout and meagre

in diff erent presentations. Trout

and meagre, however, are not

produced by the company itself,

but are obtained from external

suppliers. Th e company thus pro-

duces a wide range of products

and product forms that are sold

on markets in more than 15 coun-

tries including the European

Union, the US, Canada, and the

United Arab Emirates.

Half the fi sh goes into fi shmeal

Th e company’s processing plant

is located in Izmir enabling the

fi sh from the cages to be brought

to the plant within 90 minutes

of being harvested. Th e proxim-

ity of the plant to the on-grow-

ing cages means that the fi sh is

processed, while it is still very

fresh resulting in a better qual-

ity product with a longer shelf

life. Th e company produces and

processes fi sh of several dif-

ferent sizes depending on the

More Aquaculture processes four fi sh species

Frozen fi llets in several different formatsMore Aquaculture is a producer and exporter of seabass, seabream, meagre and trout. The company has its own production of

seabass and seabream and a network of suppliers that provide the company with the trout it requires to meet its commitments.

The company has been in the aquaculture business for the last 13 years and is owned by the AKG Group, a conglomerate with

interests in building materials and tourism apart from fi sh.

demands of the market and the

individual customer. Mr Cenk

Limni, engineer responsible for

quality control in the factory,

says the company works with

fi sh that vary in size from 200 g

to 1 kg in the case of seabass and

seabream and from 200 g to 350 g

in the case of trout. Fillets usually

weigh between 50 g and 250 g.

Th e fi llets are produced by hand,

lines of women stand at a belt

taking a fi sh and fi lleting it in

a few seconds. Th ey are skilled

at producing the fi llets, says

Mr Limni, and the yield we

can get from manual fi lleting is

higher than what we can expect

from a machine, which is why

we prefer to use people. But the

yield even from manual fi lleting

is only around 50, that is, 10 kg

of fi sh will result in 5 kg of fi llets.

Th e fi llets can be cut in diff erent

ways depending on what the cus-

tomer requires – a butterfl y fi llet,

standard cut, or V-cut, head on or

off , skin on or off – but the yield

remains more or less the same.

Fillets can further be supplied

with the pinbones out (PBO) or

with them still in place (PBI).

While fi llets account for the bulk

of the production about a third of

the volume is gutted fi sh, a pro-

portion that changes from time

to time. Although half the fi sh is

discarded, the company recov-

ers at least some of the cost by

selling the waste to a contractor

for conversion into fi sh meal.

Th e facility is equipped to produce

both fresh and frozen products. A

high capacity spiral freezer is used

to rapidly freeze the fi sh which is

packaged as required by the cus-

tomer. For example, individually

frozen fi llets are packaged in bulk

in plastic-lined cartons, or in poly

ethylene bags for the retail mar-

ket, while fresh fi llets are stored

under ice chips in EPS boxes. Th e

Asli Kahramanoglu is responsible for exports at More Aquaculture.

The filleting is done by hand as the yields are higher than from

machine filleting. Even manual filleting, however, will result in a

yield of only 50%.

TURKEY


facility has a HACCP plan in place

and is also certifi ed to several dif-

ferent standards including BRC

(British Retail Consortium), IFS

(International Featured Stand-

ards), Global G.A.P., Friend of

the Sea and ISO. Th ese standards

ensure that the entire production

process from the raw material to

the fi nished product meets inter-

national requirements.

Regular sampling to monitor temperature

at arrival

Th e raw material arrives at the fac-

tory from the cages in tanks fi lled

with a mixture of ice and water that

maintains the fi sh at a temperature

between 0 and 2 degrees. Samples

are taken from each tank to moni-

tor the internal temperature and to

check for parasites. Th e tanks are

emptied in to a large receptacle

which carries the fi sh on a belt to

the automatic grading machine.

Th e grader divides the fi sh in to the

desired size categories, for exam-

ple, 200-300 g, 300-400 g, 400-600 g

etc. placing all the fi sh in a size

category into a crate. At this stage

the fi sh are checked for marks or

deformities and removed from the

processing operations if necessary.

Th e plant has the capacity to pro-

duce 20 tonnes of whole fi sh a day.

Once the fi sh has been graded it

goes through a descaling machine

to remove the scales before going

further through the production

process. Although production is

maintained all the year round,

there is a peak in the months lead-

ing up to Christmas. During this

period the company hires more

staff , to cope with the increased

volumes. Th is period is also a time

when demand for other products

such as meagre increases. Asli Kah-

ramanoglu, the export responsible,

says although the company does

not produce meagre it obtains the

fi sh in order to supply customers

who request it. It is popular in the

United Arab Emirates and in some

countries in Europe, and she fore-

sees a bright future for the fi sh.

Currently most of the produc-

tion is frozen with only a small

proportion being produced fresh

for customers in the US, Canada,

and the Middle East. Th is fi sh is

air freighted to these destinations,

while the frozen production is sent

overland to markets in Europe

– the UK, France, Switzerland

More AquacultureKemalpasa Cad. 6170/1

Sokak No. 5/1, Isikkent

TR 35070 Izmir

Turkey

Tel.: +90 232 472 13 00

Fax: +90 232 472 30 03

[email protected]

www.moreaquaculture.com

Export responsible: Ms Asli

Kahramanoglu

Employees: 185

Volumes: 3,350 tonnes in the

cages (capacity)

Production: 5,000 tonnes

Species: Seabass, seabream,

(trout, meagre from external

suppliers)

Products: Fresh or frozen whole,

gutted, fi lleted fi sh

Main markets: UK, France, Italy,

Switzerland, Kuwait, Quatar,

UAE, Canada and the US

Trays of fillets are weighed, covered in plastic, and topped up immediately with ice.

and Italy. Seventy percent of the

exports go to the UK, where the

company maintains a warehouse,

with partial shipments going

to destinations in continental

Europe. Ms Kahramanoglu also

points out that knowledge about

seabass and seabream is increas-

ing in another important market,

the US, something that the indus-

try in Turkey can only profi t from.

Th e current situation in Greece

has also given Turkish producers

a boost as prices have climbed and

there is a need to fi ll the gap caused

by the withdrawal of some Greek

producers, but most are aware that

this is a temporary development

that is likely to reverse at some

point in the future. Th e countries

of the Middle East are proving

to be very good markets for the

company’s products, specifi cally

the fresh whole round fi sh and

Ms Kahramanoglu is optimistic

that this relationship will continue.

The future is in sophisticated packaging

For the future More Aquaculture

is looking at diff erent packaging

systems, modifi ed atmosphere,

vacuum packs and possibly

shrink-wrapped products as Ms

Kahramanoglu feels that is where

the future lies. Th e company has

also started to produce some

ready-to-cook products, sea-

bream and seabass fi llets with a

dressing that were recently sent to

a buyer in Eastern Europe. While

fresh fi sh is still generally consid-

ered superior to frozen, more and

more consumers are becoming

aware that fresh fi sh is actually

often 7-8 days old when it is sold,

while frozen fi sh is processed

within hours of the fi sh leaving

the cages. Th is awareness helps

counter some of the prejudices

about frozen fi sh and can only

boost the fortunes of companies

like More.

TURKEY


Rainbow trout was among

the fi rst species to be culti-

vated in Turkey back in the

60s together with carp. It was only

two decades later that marine

cage farming of seabass and seab-

ream, now well established spe-

cies, became widespread. While

some big corporations are in -

volved in trout farming many of

the operators are in fact relatively

small, family-run operations.

Feed based on Black Sea anchovies

Th e farming is typically using race-

ways, long cement basins, to which

water is supplied from a river,

stream, or spring. Some compa-

nies are also farming trout in cages

moored in reservoirs or dam lakes.

Among the companies that have

been involved in trout farming for

at least two generations is Liman,

a company that started farming

trout at the beginning of the 70s.

Founded by Hasan Papila, one of

the pioneers of Turkish trout farm-

ing, Liman started cultivating trout

in ponds. Despite setbacks which

caused many of his contemporar-

ies to give up, Hasan Papila perse-

vered. Th e fi rst farming site was in

Bozüyük some 300 km south east

of Istanbul and close to the city

Eskisehir. In 1974 Mr Papila decided

to set up a fi sh feed factory in order

to supply his fi sh with good quality

feed. Th is led to further backward

Liman sees a bright future in trout farming and processing

Investments in cage farms to produce large troutWhile Turkey is now well known for its seabass and seabream farming operations, production from which exceeds even that of

Greece, the country also has a huge trout industry. Annual volumes of trout dwarf those of seabass and seabream and amount to

almost three fi fths of total EU trout production.

integration. To supply the feed fac-

tory with fi sh meal, he invested in

a vessel, the fi rst factory vessel in

Turkey, to produce good quality

fi shmeal and fi sh oil.

Th e vessel operated in the Black

Sea, where at the time, anchovy

was plentiful for six months of the

year between November and April,

and was used to produce fi shmeal

and oil. In the 1990s the situation

changed. Th e catching season for

anchovies became shorter and

shorter, falling fi rst to four months

and then to three and catches of

anchovy were declining. First a

fi shing vessel and then the factory

vessel were sold off and the family

decided to wind down its interest

in fi shing and concentrate instead

on fi sh farming. New farming sites

were constructed, one in Konya

and another in Kütahya, and a pro-

cessing plant was established in

Bozüyük, which conveniently, was

equally close to both the country’s

main fi sh markets, Istanbul and

Ankara. Before the processing plant

was constructed the fi sh was only

being sold on the domestic market.

With the onset of processing opera-

tions fi sh also started to be exported.

New acquisition increases capacity

by a third

As the farming and processing

operations increased, the family

diversifi ed into other activities,

but aquaculture and processing

continued to play an important

role. In 2013 the family bought an

existing trout farming site, this

time in Köycegiz near Mugla. Th e

farm was bought from a com-

pany called Bagci, a well-known

name in the Turkish trout farming

industry. It comprised a hatchery,

a nursery, on growing basins, and

a processing unit. Bagci was one

of the fi rst companies to produce

hot-smoked trout fi llets in Tur-

key. Th e new owners have contin-

ued with this production, which

is being exported to Europe as

within Turkey there is no tradition

for eating smoked products and

demand is virtually non-existent.

Yavvuz Papila, a son of Hasan

Papila, who is responsible for

the new trout farm, says that the

smoked fi llets are exported fro-

zen to Europe except to Bulgaria,

where they are sent freshly

smoked. Prior to the acquisition

of the Bagci farm, capacity at the

other sites amounted to about

3,000 tonnes and production was

about half that volume. Th e Bagci

site adds another 1,000 tonnes

to the capacity and production

today is about 60 percent of the

total capacity. Th ere are diff er-

ent reasons for not producing at

capacity, sometimes the water

conditions impose constraints, at

other times the markets may be

down. Liman’s expansion plans

have not reached their limit. Ear-

lier this year it acquired another

company that also farms trout,

but in cages in a dam reservoir

in the north-west part of the

country. Th is is the fi rst exposure

Liman has to cage farms and will

allow the company to build up its

experience in this kind of produc-

tion preparatory to establishing

Hüseyin Yavuz Papila, the managing director of the Bagci trout

farm, one of Liman’s newest acquisitions.

TURKEY


a cage farm in the north-eastern

part of the company, where there

is a big dam reservoir. Th e plan is

to grow large trout at this new site.

Th is interest in big trout is partly

a result of an anti-subsidy investi-

gation by the European Commis-

sion into Turkish trout exports to

the EU, which targeted fi sh up to

1.2 kg and fi llets up to 400 g. Fish

grown at this site will be aimed at

markets in the east such as Geor-

gia and Azerbaijan, where there

is a market for large trout with

red meat. Japan too is a potential

market for these fi sh. We know

the quality of our fi sh is very high,

says Mr Papila, because it is being

raised in potable water and the

feed is also very good quality.

Th e fi ve farms and two process-

ing sites aff ord Liman a degree

of fl exibility. Th e farms send fi sh

to the diff erent sites depending

on the demand and the prod-

ucts that are required. For exam-

ple, smoked products are only

manufactured at the Bagci pro-

cessing facility. Both factories

are certifi ed to the IFS (Interna-

tional Featured Standards) and

BRC (British Retail Consortium)

standards and the farms are certi-

fi ed by Global G.A.P.

High dollar causes problems

Liman uses a combination of

its own broodstock and imports

to meet its requirement of eggs.

When the value of the dollar

went up last year the company

separated some of the fi sh out

in order to raise them as brood-

stock. Th is year at least half the

requirement for eggs will be met

from this broodstock. However,

on the Bagci farm there is cur-

rently no broodstock and Liman

will buy the eggs needed to stock

the tanks, either from the US

or from Turkey. Th e high dollar

makes other inputs such as feed

also more expensive. Because

many of our inputs are dollar

denominated, while our sales are

in euros, the high dollar is hurting

us, says Mr Papila.

Canned fi sh is the next product

Th e countervailing duties im -

posed by the European Commis-

sion as a result of the anti-subsidy

investigation have had an impact

on Liman as well. As the duties

made the fi sh more expensive

we were unable to increase our

prices even though the cost of

our inputs had increased, states

Mr Papila. On the other hand it

also discouraged new companies

from entering the EU market.

Partly as a result of this trout pro-

ducers are trying to develop new

markets and in this context the

economic situation in Russia is

a cause for concern. Russia has a

lot of potential particularly as it is

no longer importing from the EU,

but the fall in oil prices and the

weakness of the currency have

made it more diffi cult for Turk-

ish trout exporters. To compen-

sate for these developments trout

producers are trying to increase

domestic demand. Th ere is

certainly scope to do this, as on

average annual per capita con-

sumption of fi sh in Turkey is only

8 kg (in the EU it is 23 kg). Increas-

ing this by a kilo would increase

demand by 80,000 tonnes, which

would be a big help to producers.

Generic promotion programmes

prepared by the producers

organisations is one way in which

producers are trying to increase

domestic demand, but they are

also increasing the selection of

ready-to-eat products. Liman,

for instance, is thinking to pro-

duce cans at its processing facil-

ity in Köycegiz. Th is will call for

an expansion of the space and

the installation of machinery,

but towards the end of the year

Mr Papila expects to start churn-

ing out easy-open cans for the

local market. Th e next generation

of the family is clearly as dynamic

as the last.

Bagci Balik Gida ve Ennerji Üretimi San ve Tic. AS Beyobasi Beldesi Merkez Mah.

3 Nolu Bulvar No. 367

Köycegiz, Mugla

Turkey

Tel.: +90 216 442 1272

Fax: +90 216 442 1273

[email protected]

www.papilagroup.com

Managing director: Hüseyin

Yavuz Papila

Activity: Farming and processing

trout

Facilities: Five trout farms, two

processing facilities

Volumes: 4,000 tonnes (capacity),

2,400 tonnes (production)

Products: Fresh, frozen, smoked

fi sh and fi llets

Markets: EU, Turkey

Certifi cations: Global G.A.P., IFS,

BRC

The trout farm draws its water from a river. After running through

the farm the water is filtered and returned to the source.

The farm includes a hatchery with tanks for the larvae as well

as adaptation basins. The hatchery is big enough to meet all the

farm’s requirements.

TURKEY


This year the Interna-

tional Taste and Quality

Institute (iTQi) based in

Brussels, Belgium presented its

Superior Taste Award to Camli’s

flagship products, seabass and

seabream. The products are

evaluated by a panel of 15 judges

selected from the most pres-

tigious European culinary and

sommelier associations. Camli

has been producing farmed fish

since 1985 and the award is a

welcome acknowledgement of

the taste and quality of the fish

they produce.

Complete control contributes to quality

One way of managing this is

to have complete control over

the entire production process.

In Camli’s case this is achieved

thanks to complete integration.

From broodstock to hatchery,

nursery, grow-out cages, process-

ing, and, last but not least, feed,

all the stages of the production

chain are carried out within the

company so that it can control

and monitor each step. In addi-

tion, the company is certifi ed to

Camli’s new packaging facility goes on stream

Making a serious effort to build a brandCamli is part of the Yasar Group, a holding company with interests in a variety of industries including food and beverages, agriculture,

paints, and paper. Within the group Camli is responsible for agriculture, livestock, fi sheries, and feed. The company farms seabass,

seabream and small quantities of meagre, which are mainly exported to markets in the EU.

Özgür Aracioglu, seafood sales manager is justifiably proud of the most recent award the company’s seabass and seabream won from an

international association of European chefs and sommeliers.

TURKEY


the ISO14001 standard for envi-

ronmental management and was

among the fi rst feed producers

in Turkey to be certifi ed to the

Global G.A.P. standard.

A recent reorganisation within the

company moved all the process-

ing operations for protein foods

under a sister company, Pinar

Meat, leaving Camli to concen-

trate on selling fresh, whole round

fi sh. Th e fi sh is sold overseas, and

on the domestic market, as well

as to Pinar Meat. Th e reorganisa-

tion exploits the long experience

that Pinar Meat has in producing,

marketing, and selling processed

products, says Özgür Aracioglu,

seafood sales manager at Camli.

Th e reorganisation also stream-

lines operations over the group

so that fi sh is treated the same

way as other raw material outputs

from the Camli agribusiness divi-

sions, such as milk and turkey,

which go on to be processed by

other companies in the group.

Evaluating the demand for meagre

Domestic sales of fi sh amount

to 30-35 of the total. Today the

company is producing about

6,000 tonnes of whole round fi sh,

a total that includes seabass and

seabream and some very small

quantities of meagre (Argyroso-mus regius), about 100 tonnes

a year. Meagre is a native of the

Mediterranean and is similar to

seabass in appearance. It is farmed

in a number of countries in the

region including Spain, France,

and Greece, though production

volumes are modest at around

500 tonnes in each country. In

Turkey too meagre is farmed, but

the production volume is so small

that it is grouped under “other” in

the offi cial statistics. Meagre is an

excellent fi sh to eat, characterised

by lean fl esh despite a diet rich in

fats. Th e meat is white with a fi rm

texture and forms large fl akes. Th e

fi sh grows rapidly and is suited to

the intensive production methods

typical of commercial facilities.

Despite these advantages produc-

tion of meagre has yet to take off .

Th e main problem seems to be

that the fi sh is still not well known

amongst consumers and thus

there is little demand. Th e price

for the fi sh has also been low, says

Mr Aracioglu, because some pro-

ducers put too many juveniles

in the cages. We have therefore

decided to start slowly with mod-

erate production volumes to see

how the market evolves. It seems

promising as customers who have

been introduced to the fi sh have

been asking for it and by the end of

the year the company should have

a good idea as to which direction

the market is moving.

Domestic sales go directly to the retail sector

Within Turkey Camli has good

links to the retail sector and so the

company does not make much use

of wholesale markets. Th e compa-

ny’s main customer is a big Istan-

bul distributor, who also owns a

chain of supermarkets, has fi sh res-

taurants, and operates fi sh coun-

ters in other national supermarket

chains. Th is is a model commonly

followed among supermarkets in

Turkey, where the fi sh counter is

rented out to a company that spe-

cialises in running such counters.

Th is distributor has some 60 to 70

counters. Camli has been working

with this company for the last 15

years. In addition, Camli also sells

fi sh, particularly seabass, directly

to other retailers in Turkey such

as Metro, Real and sometimes

Carrefour. Th ese sales to the retail

chains the company would like

to increase. In Metro for example

Camli’s products are advertised

in the catalogue, promotions are

carried out, and there are activities

to promote the product and the

brand. In general, however, Camli

wants to restrict its sales on the

domestic market to 30-35 of pro-

duction. Beyond that level the risks

start to increase disproportion-

ately. On the export market in con-

trast it is relatively easy to get credit

insurance and if the economic

conditions change in one coun-

try then sales can be redirected to

another country, where prices are

better. Sales are never curtailed

completely to a market, but it is

possible to make adjustments.

Turkish producers have been fol-

lowing developments in neigh-

bouring Greece with keen interest

sensing that the economic turmoil

in the country may off er an oppor-

tunity. In each of the last two years

Turkish companies have broken

with the undisciplined behaviour

of the past, where too much fi sh

was put in the cages. With fewer

juveniles in the cages the volume

of fi sh available today is limited, yet

demand is high, so prices have been

good for the last two years. Currently

Camli is concentrating on develop-

ing its brand. Fish after all is fi sh

and with so many producers farm-

ing the same two species the only

way for a company to distinguish

itself is by branding. Th e company’s

new packaging facility located at

the coast close to the farming site

will shortly be ready and each fi sh

will be tagged with the Pinar brand.

Branding the fi sh has become even

more important considering the

prize that the fi sh has received. Th e

tag will complement the Superior

Taste Award that has been given to

the fi sh creating a clear association

between the award and the brand.

Branding is only part of the over-

all strategy that Camli is following

to create a long term interest in

its fi sh among customers. We try

to develop partnerships with our

distributors, we try to work with

exclusivity, meaning we work

with one wholesaler in a coun-

try and they buy only from us in

Turkey, and we try and develop

our brand in partnership with

them, explains Mr Aracioglu. Th e

distributor will be the sole user of

the brand in that country and so

the stronger the brand the more

power it will give the distribu-

tor. Ultimately, the idea is for the

fi nal customer to be aware of the

brand. A strong brand will com-

plement perfectly Camli’s now

internationally acknowledged

repu tation for taste and quality.

Camli Feed Animal Husbandry Co..Eski Kemalpasa Asfalti, Pinar Sut

Yani

TR 35060 Pinarbasi - Izmir

Turkey

Tel.: +90 232 436 2021 (ext. 267)

Fax: +90 232 436 2022 1371

[email protected]

www.camli.com.tr

Seafood sales manager:

Mr Özgür Aracioglu

Products: Seabass and

seabream, meagre

Product forms: Fresh fi sh, frozen

fi llets, frozen ready meals

Other products: Fish feed,

juvenile fi sh (30m per year)

Annual volumes: 6,000 tonnes

(sea bass 70%, sea bream

30%); 100 tonnes meagre

Production capacity:

8,000 tonnes

Exports: 70% of production

New facility capacity:

5,500 tonnes (2017)

Markets: Europe, Russia, USA,

Middle East, Turkey

Customers on domestic market:

Tesco, Carrefour, Real and

Metro

TURKEY

Plain home cooking or exotic

gourmet adventure – some-

times it is only the season-

ing that makes the difference. The

sheer range of available spices,

from familiar ones like aniseed to

zatar (a spice mixture from North

Africa), is vast, and sometimes con-

fusing, but it offers creative chefs

and product developers enormous

possibilities. The smell and taste of

a fish product are at least as impor-

tant as its appetizing appearance.

No products are served today com-

pletely unseasoned. Already the

smell can awaken pleasurable an-

ticipation, stimulate the flow of sa-

liva, and sensitize our perception.

Stomach and intestines are acti-

vated and increase the production

of digestive juices which shortens

the subsequent digestion process.

The purpose of spices, herbs and

other aroma ingredients is not

limited to enhancing or reduc-

ing a food’s own flavour. Spicing

techniques such as marinating

can even be what makes it possi-

ble at all to eat certain fish prod-

ucts without suffering subsequent

digestive problems. Spices can

even influence the physiological

effects of some foods, weakening

or strengthening their effects. This

makes them interesting not only

as a welcome flavour component

but also as a possible remedy for

certain disorders. That some herbs

and spices really possess such skills

was already known several thou-

sands of years ago, as records from

China and Egypt have revealed.

Europe’s crusaders later got to

Fisheries and aquaculture already offer a huge selection of fish and seafood species but with the help of spices, herbs and other

ingredients the choice can be greatly expanded. A dish only becomes unique and distinguishable with the right seasoning. Finely

tuned and skilfully composed, spices whet the appetite, bring out a fish product’s own individual features, and make it more digestible.

Spices and herbs in fish processing

Door opener to the world’s kitchens

know and learned to appreciate

the opulence and sophistication

of Oriental taste… so much so that

some of them no longer wanted

to do without these pleasures and

took exotic spices back home with

them. The precious spices were

rare and accordingly expensive

and so were considered a status

symbol at that time. Anyone who

wanted to impress their guests at

a banquet made good, often lav-

ish, use of them. Historians, how-

ever, believe that this was not the

only reason why spices were used

excessively but that it was also in

an attempt to tackle the problem

of the unpleasant smell of slight

spoilage in fish and meat.

With a few exceptions spices are

usually of plant origin, with nearly

all parts of the plants being utilis-

able: mainly flowers, leaves, fruits

and seeds but also stems, roots or

bark. What part of the plant is used

as a spice mainly depends on the

content of aromatic ingredients.

Chemists divide spices into differ-

ent families. For example essen-

tial oils that can consist of more

than 100 substances, or alkaloids

such as piperine that gives pep-

per, cayenne pepper and paprika

their sharpness. The group of sharp

substances also includes capsai-

cin that can be found in extremely

high concentrations in some types

of chili. Some carotenoids, cou-

marins, flavonoids and glycosides

also have a certain pungency, the

best known representatives of this

group being mustard oil. These

and other spices are synthesized

by the plants themselves during the

process of metabolism.

Gentle processing preserves aroma and

seasoning power

Spices are either gathered as pure

wild natural products or produced

in agricultural cultures. Purified and

isolated, enriched or otherwise pre-

pared, they are available to us today

in an amazing range and quantity.

Through gentle, finely tuned pres-

ervation techniques they are often

even available throughout the year,

largely independent of their natural

harvesting season. Nearly all spices

are in the meantime prepared with

modern methods so that they are

suitable for use in private house-

holds, in catering, hotels and res-

taurants or by companies in the

food processing industry, and they

are available in all desired forms.

Because high temperatures have

a detrimental effect on pepper,

ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves

and other spices, for example, these

are crushed or ground in cryogenic

processes under continuous cool-

ing with liquid nitrogen. This gen-

tle technique preserves the aroma

and the characteristic flavour of the

spices particularly well. In order to

kill microorganisms and microbes

that could be present in natural

raw materials the spices are heated

briefly during processing using

steam which guarantees optimum

hygiene and product safety. Regu-

lar inspections and analyses, com-

puter controlled high performance

mixers and automatic weighing,

dosing and filling systems today

enable the production of a variety

of spice products that stand out for

their natural flavour, their consist-

ently high seasoning power and

top quality standards. This is not

only true of raw spices but also

spice mixtures, marinades and

special additives of which some

are produced to fit the customer’s

The variety of spices and aromas – many of them in paste form – on

Asian markets is an impressive sight for visitors from western countries.

[ PROCESSING ]


requirements right down to the last

milligram.

Perhaps parsley, celery and other

herbs will also soon be available as

seasoning pastes which come par-

ticularly close to the aroma of fresh

plants because the volatile essen-

tial oils of these herbs are hardly

lost during production. To this pur-

pose the herbs are either ground

when fresh from the harvest and

briefly blanched or heated with

electricity for a few seconds to 100

degrees to kill germs and destroy

quality degrading enzymes in the

plant. Unlike mustard, horseradish

or pesto that are already offered as

pastes it is said that the new paste

products will be able to do without

salt or oil.

Choosing suitable spices is often a

problem for amateurs

The days in which some cooks got

by with just salt and pepper are

gone. Fish and seafood in particu-

lar are ideally suited to a wide range

of cooking methods, be it grilling,

frying, boiling or steaming. Nearly

everything is possible with seafood

– from intensely fruity and sharply

exotic, to Mediterranean, Asian or

Creole and Indian inspired curry

aromas. People who like fish can

go on a culinary trip around the

world without having to leave their

own dining table. If people tended

to make rather restrained use of

seasoning in the past, some have

in the meantime done a complete

turnaround and now, instead

of salt, use expensive imported

alternatives from faraway places

around the world. The old princi-

ple that many things are possible

but not everything is actually use-

ful and helpful also applies to the

flavouring of fish dishes. Top chefs

compare this with a concert that

ultimately only convinces listeners

when all the instruments are per-

fectly coordinated and the drum-

beat comes at exactly the right time

and with precise volume. That is

why there is no universal pana-

cea for the addition of herbs and

spices but just some basic rules that

should be followed when prepar-

ing soups and sauces, marinades,

stews, salads, casseroles and other

fish dishes.

The classic school of seasoning fish

is more purist and calls for no more

than a little salt and freshly ground

pepper. Lemon is dispensable as

long as the fish is really fresh for the

sourness really only serves to neu-

tralize the “fishy” smell of the bio-

genic amines in the fillet. Fresh dill

nearly always fits, as does ground

paprika and a pinch of cayenne or

chili if a slight sharpness is toler-

ated and desired. Fresh herbs such

as dill or parsley should be added

only shortly before serving because

they quickly lose their aroma. Asian

and oriental fish dishes rarely

get by without star anise, mint,

cardamom, lemon grass, saffron,

coriander, lemon balm, ginger or

curry. For Mediterranean dishes

oregano, marjoram, thyme, rose-

mary, tarragon and sage are prac-

tically indispensable. Anyone who

wants to prepare a versatile fish

stock can hardly do without root or

leaf parsley, chives, celery, chervil,

thyme, tarragon, marjoram, garlic,

mustard seeds, bay leaves, onions –

preferably leeks – juniper berries

and pimento. Although they go

well with a lot of fish dishes, sour-

piquant capers, lemon or lime zest

and vanilla, which can intensify

the aroma of a fish soup or a mus-

sel dish if finely dosed, are seldom

used.

The barely conceivable flood of

spices is simultaneously a bless-

ing and a curse. Who can judge

in advance whether or how they

fit together or with which herb

the desired flavour will best

be achieved? Once overdosed

it is hardly possible to correct

something. That is why a lot of

people rely on ready mixed spices

that are a perfect fit for a particu-

lar product or dish. These kinds

of mixtures enable even amateur

cooks for whom the choice and

dosage of individual spices is dif-

ficult, to prepare professional look-

ing fish specialities simply, quickly

and successfully. Such mixtures are

also quite economical because they

free one from the need to buy large

quantities of herbs and spices fresh

of which only small quantities are

sometimes needed. On the other

hand, spice mixtures have the dis-

advantage that they limit the cook’s

creativity in the kitchen. They offer

what one might call an off-the-shelf

flavour, which is then hard to vary.

To get around this trap and set one’s

own mark where flavour is con-

cerned a lot of food producers have

the spice mixtures put together

precisely according to their speci-

fications. This saves own storage

space and investments in mixing

technology, prevents dosage errors

when mixing and guarantees high

consistency of flavour, which is of

course a must where brand prod-

ucts are concerned.

Pre-flavoured batters and crumbs for fish products

A good way to combine season-

ing and seafood product is to use

coatings, for example crisp bread

crumbs or delicate batter. Such

product forms are particularly

suited to lean fish species. The

coating protects the product from

heat during cooking, the result is

crisp on the outside and, in con-

trast, still tender and juicy on the

inside. The common standard is

still fine bread crumbs but there are

also flavour alternatives that often

produce even crisper products. For

example cornflakes, corn meal or

panko, a light Japanese variety of

bread crumbs. A lot of producers

already mix the breading raw mate-

rials with spices, herbs and other

components, for example grated

cheese, coconut flakes or finely

chopped nuts which opens up

numerous possibilities for different

flavours. The variety ranges from

tandoori to Provençale, from BBQ

to hot ‘n’ spicy or garlic & herbs, to

name but a few. If the herbs, spices

and other ingredients are evenly

spread in the coating the consumer

will later experience the same taste

with every bite.

With coated products, however, it

is not only a question of the flavour

of the breading or the batter. It is

also important that the fish is com-

pletely covered with the coating

and that this sticks well and evenly

everywhere. Currently the food

industry chooses liquid coatings

that are trickled onto the seafood

product or into which the product

is completely dipped. Excess coat-

ing is blown off by an air curtain

before the coating is fixed onto the

product by heating briefly. There

Coatings protect sensitive fish fillets from heat during cooking. The result

is crisp on the outside and, in contrast, tender and juicy on the inside.

[ PROCESSING ]

www.eurofishmagazine.com56 Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2015

are many new developments in

this area, too, which considerably

extend the production methods

and possible applications of coated

products. Some breading types can,

for example, be sprayed onto the

products, and gel-like applications

that stick to the product particularly

well are also possible today. Some

producers have launched ready-to-

cook products with special bread-

ing or batter that is said to be crisp

even after preparation in the micro-

wave or steam cooker. For low-

calorie light products water-based

product coatings have been devel-

oped to enable uniform application

of spices and herbs. Whilst they

stick to the fish fillet the carrier sub-

stance evaporates and “disappears”

when heated. Of course there are

also ready seasoned breading and

batter types with which hobby

cooks can produce perfectly crisp

fish dishes. They already contain all

the necessary ingredients including

spices and binders so that the fresh

or frozen fillets just have to be rolled

in them before they go into the fry-

ing pan or oven.

Marinating can be used for both seasoning

and maturing

Marinating is probably the most

versatile and most complex

method for seasoning fish. Origi-

nally the French term meant to

“pickle” as in the placing of fish

in brine or a mixture of herbs and

spices but today it is understood

much more broadly. It is not only

used for preserving fish but also as

a means of giving a product flavour

or as a cooking method to render

fish and numerous other foods edi-

ble through treatment with vinegar,

acids, salt and other ingredients.

In the classic variety fish is usually

placed in a sour marinade. The acid

penetrates the muscle tissue and

decomposes the connective tis-

sue which is poorly developed in

fish, making it even more soft and

tender. This means that the spices

in the marinade can penetrate

more deeply into the fillet. If mari-

nating is only used for the purpose

of flavouring the fish is usually

subsequently fried, grilled, baked

or cooked in some other way. If,

however, the fillet is left in the mari-

nade for a longer time, the result

is a “cold cooked” product that is

equally suited to direct consump-

tion. From a chemical point of view

vinegar and other acids cause the

denaturation of muscle protein

which corresponds to the processes

that are achieved through thermal

effects during cooking. In the sea-

food sector we are familiar with a

lot of products that are rendered

edible through marinating alone…

for example gravlax, pickled her-

ring, kronsild, Bismarck herring or

ceviche, a Peruvian dish consisting

of raw fish pieces marinated briefly

in lime juice and mixed with finely

diced onions and pepper-like vege-

tables. In Indian cuisine milk prod-

ucts are also used for marinating.

So where marinating is concerned,

too, there is no universal solution

that covers all tastes and individ-

ual ideas. The variety of marinades

is accordingly wide and they are

offered for various different appli-

cations and purposes. In addi-

tion to the classic vinegar and salt

marinade it is also possible to use

seasoning salts, herb oils, sauces

that suit the product flavour or a

rich herbal butter to pickle fish. It

should be noted that marinades

should be twice as concentrated

and flavoured as the finished

product should later taste. Anyone

who does not trust their own abil-

ity to prepare a marinade can rely

on industrially produced ones.

These ready mixtures are available

as powder that just has to be sus-

pended in oil or water before use,

or in liquid form whose viscosity

does not, however, always meet all

requirements. Marinades that are

too thick can be thinned slightly

with a little oil, water or vinegar,

but if they are too thin this presents

more of a problem. Salt should not

be used in marinades because it

draws part of the tissue fluid out

of the fish through osmosis and

renders it dry. This makes it more

difficult for spices and aromas to

penetrate the muscle tissue. Brine,

as used for marinating salt herring,

is an exception to this rule.

Fruit and lactic acids can replace vinegar

Irrespective of the recipe and pur-

pose of marinating, three basic

components are generally required

for a marinade: oil, acid or acidic

liquids, and spices. The choice

of oil demands certain experi-

ence because some oils (e.g. olive

and rapeseed oil) have their own

intense flavour which can overlay

more subtle flavours. With regard

to acid, where fish is concerned it

doesn’t always have to be vinegar

since wine, sour cream, butter-

milk or lemon juice, which also

hides the fish smell, are equally

suited. Fruity acids, like those that

are characteristic of orange or

lime juice, are an excellent fit for

fish marinades. For the choice of

spices the cook can choose his own

favourites. Classic spices for fish

marinades are pepper, pimento,

dill, bay leaves, onions and mus-

tard seeds, but garlic and coriander

seeds can also be used depending

on the desired flavour. For sweet

‘n’ sour fish dishes sugar, honey or

other sweeteners are mixed in. The

finer and more tender the fish, the

more careful one should be when

preparing the marinade. An excess

of herbs and spices can really kill a

mild aroma.

During marinating the fish fillets

have to be fully submerged in the

liquid, and preferably contained in

an air-tight dish that is stored in a

cold place. Depending on the fish

species, size and product the pieces

should remain in the marinade for

several hours to several days. For

small, tender fishes or prawns one

hour is usually sufficient because

they quickly become crumbly and

can fall apart during subsequent

cooking. Because the exposure time

is critical and has a strong influ-

ence on the final quality process-

ing companies often prefer other

methods when marinating fish, for

example tumblers or injectors. In

the tumbler the fishes are mixed

with the marinade under vacuum,

the injector injects the spice solu-

tion directly into the muscle tissue

through numerous needles. Both

techniques have their advantages

and disadvantages. They do not

only influence the yield and the

flavour but also the maturation and

preservation effect. For that reason

it can only be decided on an indi-

vidual basis whether they are suit-

able for a particular product. mk

Gravlax is a marinade product that is rendered edible without the

use of heat through treatment with vinegar, food acids, salt and other

seasoning ingredients.

[ PROCESSING ]


[ TECHNOLOGY ]

Intelligent weighing technology can save time, money, and trouble

Fields of application for weighing scales in the fish industry and fish tradeGravimetric determination of mass using weighing scales of different design is today indispensable in all areas of life, whether commercial, economic or personal. Weighing technology is used everywhere, for example to check catch volume, to register or trace the movement of goods, or to enable adherence to exact recipes as well as to promote honest trade. The range of available weighing scales is accordingly large and there is a solution for almost every application and measuring range.

Before a fishmonger can

name the price he places the

fish fillet on the weighing

scales. Individual ingredients for a

planned dish are often weighed out

on kitchen scales, and after a good

meal weight-conscious consumers

will get onto the bathroom scales

themselves. But weighing takes

place in many other areas, too. Most

of us are indeed quite unaware of

just how much modern life is based

on weighing. Without these pos-

sibilities for accurate weight deter-

mination our existence would be

inconceivable in its present form.

Whether in freight traffic, import,

export, buying or selling – nearly

everything is precisely weighed to

a gram or a tonne. Customs and

taxation authorities use weighing

scales, they are required in research

laboratories, in medicine, at the

chemist’s and in private house-

holds… No sector of the economy,

no company, no commercial estab-

lishment can get by without weigh-

ing technology today. And so the

range of available scales is accord-

ingly large, from small pocket scales

to multifunctional tabletop scales

and huge standalone floor scales

on which full containers and com-

plete trucks can be weighed. Some

of them are firmly installed, others

are transportable, older models

are perhaps analogue devices, but

most of them are today digital. They

are fast, precise, and can in addition

be linked to computer technology.

During everyday use of scales it is

mostly ignored that strictly speak-

ing it is an object’s mass and not

its weight that is determined by

weighing. The right term would be

weight-force since weight does not

only depend on the object under

observation but also on the force

of gravity in the location of weight

determination. Consequently an

object at the top of a high mountain

would have a slightly lower weight

than it would down in the valley

below. Its mass (measured in grams

or kilograms) is, in contrast, inde-

pendent of place, i.e. is the same

everywhere. In everyday general

use, however, the word “weight”

is used, as it is in the commercial

sector, too. On product labels, for

example, there are often details on

the fresh, raw or drained weight.

From the point of view of physical

definition that might not be quite

correct but it is not unreasonable

for in everyday life it is more the

weight than the mass which corre-

sponds to the matter we are dealing

with. Apart from that, laws and reg-

ulations mostly refer to the weight

and not the mass.

Industrial weighing scales have to meet robust requirements

Weighing is required frequently

in industry, and often for very dif-

ferent purposes. Typical applica-

tion fields are the documentation

of incoming and outgoing goods,

weight controls when mixing

ingredients, quality and efficiency

checks during ongoing produc-

tion processes, or the monitoring

of product pack weights. There are

special designs of weighing scales

for almost every field of applica-

tion and they are optimally aligned

to the respective purpose. Most of

them are probably suited to vari-

ous different weighing functions

but some of them were developed

for very special applications, for

example, for moisture determi-

nation in raw materials and fin-

ished products, for dosage of cer-

tain ingredients, or to enable the

achievement of predetermined

target weights. Checkweighers are

used to determine whether pack

weights are within the permissible

tolerances and show the results

with a plus or minus sign, other

scales count product pieces on the

basis of their individual weights,

or control dispensing and filling

systems independently. A lot of

Caviar weight is checked time and again for accuracy during the

filling process by means of sample weighing of individual jars.


[ TECHNOLOGY ]

scales can today do much more

than simply measure weight. They

are an integral part of the pro-

duction lines and their potential

application areas are becoming

increasingly broad.

Regardless of the task or applica-

tion area, the demands placed

on industrial scales are generally

very high. They have to function

reliably under adverse condi-

tions, have to cope with dirt, high

humidity levels or difficult tem-

perature conditions and yet still

be fast and accurate. This also

applies to scales used by compa-

nies working in the food industry,

for example in the fish industry.

Weighing scales in this sector are

often exposed to ice, water and

salt, they have contact with slime

and scales from the fish, have to

tolerate processing smoke, oil,

vinegar and edible acids. For that

reason alone scales that come

under consideration for use in

the fish industry mostly have to

be very robust, and largely insen-

sitive to dust and splash water.

Not only the weighing process

itself but also the transmission of

measured data has to be guaran-

teed at all times. A lot of scales,

among them simple industrial

models, already have interfaces

for feeding the measured data

into a company’s computer net-

work where they can be stored

and used for tracing individual

product batches, or for enabling

capacity and efficiency controls

in individual production sec-

tions. The software of most scales

manufacturers in the meantime

includes counting options that

can add up individual weighing

results over longer periods and

networking the scales with the

central computer then also facili-

tates sporadic checks in between

or annual inventories. Precise

measurement data that are read-

ily available and accessible do

not only save time and money

but can also support decision-

making at management level.

Automatic zeroing simplifies net weight

measurement

The first time products have to be

weighed in a company is usually

upon entry of the raw materials.

Where fish is concerned it is not

only the cooling temperature dur-

ing transport that has to be checked

but also whether the quantity of

delivered fish corresponds to that

ordered. Different weighing scales

are used here, depending on the

size of the company and graduation

of incoming goods from single

cartons and pallets to containers.

Firmly installed vehicle scales and

weighing bridges that can weigh

trucks complete with their freight

are probably only rarely found in

the seafood industry. When the

need arises, however, there are

transportable systems that can be

set up quickly and provide pre-

cise measurement data. Another

option for heavy or bulky loads can

be weighing modules, weighing

feet and load corners. These sepa-

rate weighing elements are placed

below the four corners of a crate or

container and in interaction with

one another display the weight.

For some weighing tasks, for exam-

ple when harvesting fishes in

aquaculture, cranes or suspended

scales are a good solution. They

are simply fixed to the crane rope

above the net and then measure

the weight of the fish contained

in the net. The possibility of auto-

matic zeroing is of advantage here

and most electronic scales offer

this today. It enables the setting

of the weight of the net and other

gear to zero so that only the fish

weight is measured. This option

is also very useful when measur-

ing weight using floor scales that

are mainly designed for weigh-

ing medium to heavy loads. These

Hand packaging enables attractive positioning of the smoked salmon

slices, and simultaneous weighing prevents over and underweight

tray packs.

Some fishmongers like to use suspended scales that are particularly

space-saving and hygienic at service counters.

Intermediate electronic weighing units and the automatic zeroing option

make it possible to determine the fish’s net weight already at harvesting.


[ TECHNOLOGY ]

scales are among other things used

for weight control of live fish, and

speed is of particular importance

here. To start with the fish farmer

gets onto the scales himself with

all his gear and the empty net and

then sets the scale to zero. Every

time he subsequently walks over

the floor scales with a full net only

the weight of the fish is recorded.

Today such scales usually have a

memory function for summing

the individual weights so that their

total weight is also immediately

recorded. This makes it possible to

control at any time how much fish

has already been loaded or moved.

Some scales can even be pro-

grammed so that upon exceeding a

set critical weight limit an acoustic

or visual signal will be given.

Integration of weight measurement in

production processes

These and other additional func-

tions can greatly enhance the

efficiency of weighing systems.

Whether they work in the milli-

gram range or with heavy loads,

modern industrial scales often

offer helpful additional functions

that facilitate accurate dosing,

mixing or checking and can thus

prevent individual measurement

errors. Some manufacturers even

advertise with the promise that

their scales can be exactly tai-

lored to the specific needs of their

customers. If the design and con-

struction allow, electronic weigh-

ing modules and cells can often

be directly integrated into existing

production lines, vehicles, lifting

platforms or other neuralgic points

within the workflow. Where pal-

lets have to be weighed frequently

upon arrival at the company or

prior to dispatch, U-shaped pallet

scales can be useful that are avail-

able in almost all dimensions for

standardized Euro pallets, stand-

ard aircraft pallets, and even spe-

cial designs of different size. As an

alternative there are also mobile

weighing systems that are directly

integrated into the forks of the pal-

let- or fork lift truck. Such scales

are available in numerous varie-

ties for different weight ranges.

They are particularly time and

money saving because they do not

only transport the goods but weigh

them at the same time. If this solu-

tion is not attractive there are also

drive-through flat-bed scales that

usually have a built-in ramp. These

scales do not have to be sunk into

the floor but can simply be posi-

tioned on it. The flat construction

with a ramp allows one to push

rollable transport devices from

wheelbarrows to carts manually

without great exertion over the

scales. These weighing scales also

usually have an automatic zero-

ing option which makes it easier to

weigh the pure net load.

Not only is there a great variety of

designs and dimensions for scales

but also of options for their instal-

lation and the materials of which

they are made. They can be mobile

or fixed to the floor, suspended

or reclining constructions. For

the food industry they are mostly

made of hygienic stainless steel

but they can also have galvanized

zinc or robust plastic coatings.

Due to the huge variability of

weighing systems it is today pos-

sible to integrate them into pro-

duction processes wherever they

are deemed necessary or seem

useful. The fish industry, too, has

need of weighing scales at various

processing stages for sorting fil-

lets and portions by weight, add-

ing sauces and marinades in the

right weight proportion, batch-

ing finished products to target

weights, or marking self-service

packs for retail sale according to

weight. Such weight measure-

ment is frequently carried out in

continuous processes at a high

speed but should still be accurate

and reliable. However, powerful

modern weighing systems meet

these difficult requirements, too.

Electronic options considerably expand the

use range of scales

Investments in complex and

accordingly expensive weighing

systems are particularly worth-

while for big companies with con-

tinuous production processes and

high product throughputs. In con-

trast, in small artisanal businesses

multifunctional scales are sooner

found that are equally suited to dif-

ferent tasks and universal usage. As

a rule these are transportable tab-

letop scales that can be used in very

different production areas. They

are usually marked by high accu-

racy and frequently offer numer-

ous options that are normally

sooner expected from big, complex

(and accordingly expensive) sys-

tems. This means that users do not

have to do without the possibilities

of modern measuring electronics.

Depending on the chosen version

multifunctional tabletop scales

are used, for example, for portion-

ing and for control purposes, e.g.

to monitor correct pack weights. A

signal sounds when products are

overweight or underweight and

Pricing is based on weight at Asian markets, too, although the scales

used there are mostly very simple constructions and rarely absolutely

precise.

These scales have a display on the customer side that can show

recipes, suitable wines or additional product information.


[ TECHNOLOGY ]

they can be automatically sorted

out. Some scales models can also

be linked to databases and used for

marking the product prices. Partic-

ularly large scales manufacturers

optionally offer suitable software

packages that enable the user to

design the labels on the computer

himself and then print them using

a suitable printer.

Additional flexibility is sometimes

possible with special scales that

have two or even more weigh-

ing and resolution ranges. A two-

range device can for example

weigh accurately to one gram up to

3 kilograms and in the second fur-

ther reaching measurement range

the weights will be displayed with

slightly less accuracy. The combi-

nation of highly powerful weigh-

ing systems with the possibilities

of modern electronics and filling,

dosing, portioning stations today

enables even their use within

dynamic processes. A difficult

usage area that poses huge logisti-

cal requirements. The flavour and

quality of the finished product

can depend on accurate dosing of

individual components, under-

weight packed products would

constitute deception of the con-

sumer, overweight product packs a

loss for the producer. When filling

flowable/pourable products the

target weight must be calculated

in advance and the filling valve be

closed when the last little bit of the

necessary quantity is still falling

into the product, so that it trickles

onto the product after the valve

has closed. By including the scales

in electronic industrial terminals

this demanding task can in the

meantime be solved to everyone’s

satisfaction. These weighing ter-

minals thus not only calculate the

weight of every individual pack but

also guide the engines and valves

of the dosing systems and regis-

ter all production relevant data.

Some terminals are even capable

of learning and can record the

specific flow behaviour of indi-

vidual products and take this into

account when opening and clos-

ing the valves. They are so to speak

“self-optimizing” systems.

Weighing systems as complete solutions for

the retail sector

Although more and more prod-

ucts arrive at the retailer’s ready

weighed, ready packed and

marked with price according to

their weight, supermarkets and

other retailers continue to be one

of the most important user groups

for scales. They are not only found

at service counters but also as self-

service and control scales for the

customers or – hardly recognizable

as scales – as integrated weigh-

ing modules at the checkout. All

of these scales have special abili-

ties that make them suited to their

respective application field. Scales

at service counters, for example,

have to be easy and quick to clean

in between times – hygiene and

efficiency are key here. A lot of

scales are fitted with a receipt or

label printer and a computer unit

that calculates the price and gener-

ates the product-specific barcode

which can then be scanned for pay-

ment at the checkout. If however

the product is to be paid for directly

at the counter as is often the case

on markets and at the fishmon-

ger’s the scales can also be fitted

with a cash drawer or function. The

options for service counter cash

desks are huge and they are availa-

ble both in normal standing and in

space-saving suspended versions

that are often preferred particu-

larly at fish retail counters. Manu-

facturers pay attention that their

scales will not prevent eye contact

between the sales assistant and the

customer, for example.

Modern scales can even support

communication at the sales coun-

ter for some of them are fitted with

a computer display on the custom-

er’s side that shows recipes, suit-

able wines and other information

on the product. But even without

screens the scales displays can

be designed in various different

ways. Vertical or flat, with a swivel

arm or with displays on both sides

that can be seen directly by both

customer and the service staff.

Because weighing technology

and its periphery are today mostly

modular certain elements can

be arranged in the counter area

so that the technology is largely

“invisible”. This reduces potential

soiling and hygiene risks of course,

too. Depending on their design

such weighing systems can be real

complete solutions that take some

of the work load off the retailer

and support him in the numer-

ous tasks he has to fulfil: weigh-

ing, calculating prices, taking the

money, recording, printing, docu-

menting, advising the customers,

drawing attention to other prod-

ucts, informing. Some scales can

even be accessed directly via the

internet so that the maintenance

technicians can repair the systems

quickly in the case of disturbances

or errors. A further option of

modern weighing systems that

helps save time, money and

trouble. mk

Scales of mobile fishmongers at weekly markets have to meet special requirements because they are

moved so often during transport.


GUEST PAGES

EBCD strives to ensure science based solutions and full stakeholder participation in policy making. It aims to build partnerships

and reach consensus on issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. In this regard, EBCD

has been contributing to the development of policies that reflect these priorities mainly through a) the European Parliament

Intergroup on Climate Change Biodiversity and Sustainable Development and b) the Fisheries Expert Group (FEG) of the

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission of Ecosystem Management.

A bridge between fisheries stakeholders

As an NGO that supports the sus-

tainable use of Europe’s seafood

resources, how does EBCD con-

tribute to the development of pol-

icies that reflect these priorities?

EBCD provides the secretariat

for the European Parliament

Intergroup on Climate Change

Biodiversity and Sustainable

Development. This inter politi-

cal and inter committee group of

MEPs consists of various working

groups, including one for fisheries

and aquaculture. The intergroup

provides a platform for repre-

sentatives of the scientific com-

munity and all stakeholders and

policy makers to discuss complex

issues on biodiversity and the sus-

tainable use of natural renewable

resources. As such, MEPs are able

to learn, debate and create policy

geared towards sustainable devel-

opment, in the presence of the

European Commission and Mem-

ber States representatives. Over

the years and during the reform

of the Common Fisheries Policy

(CFP) this intergroup has held

high level discussions on several

aspects of the CFP and has made

the science-policy-stakeholders-

society interface a reality.

The Fisheries Expert Group

of the IUCN Commission of

Ecosystem Management, which

I coordinate and to which EBCD

has been providing the secretar-

iat, is a multidisciplinary group

of fisheries experts that focuses

on the interface between

fisheries management and bio-

diversity conservation. This is

achieved by bridging institu-

tions, synthesizing and convey-

ing scientific conclusions on

issues related to the ecosystem

approach to fisheries manage-

ment. FEG, is today recognized

as an important partner of

both the Food and Agricultural

Organisation (FAO) and the

Convention of Biological Diver-

sity (CBD). It has contributed to

global and EU debates, as well

as initiated scientific reflections

and debates on several issues,

such as governance (a book

produced by FEG was recently

published by Wiley Blackwell on

“governance for marine fisher-

ies and biodiversity conserva-

tion”), bycatch, selectivity and

balanced harvesting, MPAs and

fisheries, and other topics.

EBCD has existed since 1989.

What are the main changes that

you have noted in the debate

on fisheries, aquaculture, and

sustainability over the last

25 years and how are these

European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD)

Despina Symons Pirovolidou, Director, European Bureau for

Conservation and Development and Coordinator, IUCN/CEM/FEG

changes reflected in European

fisheries policy?

One of the most important

changes we have witnessed has

been the serious consideration

of environmental aspects and

sustainability in fisheries;

this, through the Marine Strat-

egy Framework Directive, has

become an important pillar of

the EU’s Common Fisheries


GUEST PAGES

Policy. Another change has been

the progressive shifting from

single species management to

ecosystem-based management.

We also note a growing focus on

economics and in particular mar-

kets and macroeconomics, with

concern amongst environmen-

tal NGOs that conservation has

been pushed on the back burner

in favour of growth, either blue or

green.

We have seen an increased dia-

logue between stakeholders – the

industry and NGOs, fishermen

and scientists; 20 years ago they

did not speak to each other. This

has changed, and the Regional

Advisory Councils (now Advi-

sory Councils) of the European

Commission, established after

the 2002 reform of the CFP, have

contributed a lot to this process.

As a result, we note an increasing

awareness of the responsibility

of fishermen to keep their fisher-

ies ecologically sustainable and

respect the environment together

with a better understanding

between industry and NGOs.

However, there is still long way to

go to build the necessary trust to

ensure optimum collaboration.

Increasing attention is being paid

to the International Environmen-

tal Agreements and Conventions

on fisheries and marine biodi-

versity conservation (e.g. Con-

vention on Biological Diversity,

CITES, Convention on the Con-

servation of Migratory Species,

IUCN and others) and this is

reflected in the EU through closer

collaboration – not always with-

out tension – between DG Mare

and DG Environment. Ocean gov-

ernance has now become a prior-

ity for the new Commissioner

Vella, who recently launched a

public consultation on this issue,

and what will follow globally will

undoubtedly have an impact on

the implementation of the CFP in

the years to come.

Last but not least, the co-deci-

sion powers allocated to the

European Parliament, making

it a co-legislator along with the

European Council, has brought

a new dynamic in the decision

making process.

Stakeholders are increasingly

being asked to contribute to

policy formulation. While this

makes it more representative

does it also make it better?

Or are there too many

contradictory voices involved

in the discussion to get a result

that will for example secure

fish stocks in the future?

In principle, a wide stakeholder

consultation is a good thing.

However, getting more people

involved automatically increases

interaction costs. There is a

limit beyond which such costs

compromise any progress. We

need to find the right level of

consultation and it is important

to consult those who are most

affected by the policy.

Will this make it better in the

future? In the past there has

always been concern about bring-

ing the fox in to the hen house,

however, in an economically glo-

balized world, not collaborating

with the private sector is as if not

more dangerous than involving

it in the decision making pro-

cess. EBCD strongly believes that

working with fishermen and pro-

ducers and not against them is

the only way to achieve policies

that will benefit both the stocks

and the society.

Climate change is having a

significant influence on fish

stocks and will continue to do

so in the foreseeable future.

Which currently are the most

important threats to fisheries

and aquaculture that stem from

climate change and what can be

done to mitigate their impact

and build resilience?

Although EBCD is not work-

ing closely on climate change,

we are well aware of the threats

it poses. Temperature rise and

meteorological disasters can

change stock behaviour and

migration patterns; they can

change resource abundance

and location, causing a mis-

match between present coastal

infrastructure and the location

of future resources. This will

be more serious for small scale

fisheries and local communi-

ties. Also, threats to marine cap-

ture fisheries are likely to be less

than significant compared with

threats to small water bodies and

to aquaculture. In the ocean, fish

mobility could help them tackle

changes; aquaculture installa-

tions, however, are less easy to

relocate and changing target spe-

cies will not happen overnight.

Certain communities are par-

ticularly vulnerable to threats

and the consequences of human

responses to these threats need

to be assessed and accounted

for, which is not the case today.

Building resilience is easily said,

but without knowing the timing

and level of the expected impact,

it is difficult to plan and develop

resilience in advance. Opportun-

istic behaviour might be useful:

e.g. developing the capacity to

switch targets of production pro-

cesses easily, developing poly-

culture (combining species with

different preferences), develop-

ing more versatile vessels with

multispecies fishing abilities.

Finally, rigidities in consumer

habits and displacement of

human activities will become an

issue. The Global Partnership for

Climate Fisheries and Aquacul-

ture (PaCFA) under FAO has been

working on climate impacts, mit-

igation and adaptation issues.

Extensive efforts are being made

to bring seas and oceans, includ-

ing fisheries and aquaculture,

high on the agenda at the climate

negotiations in Paris later this

year, it will be interesting to see

what comes of this.

NGOs in general play an

important role in the debate on

fisheries with an ability to exert

pressure that is unmatched by

other stakeholders. This is partly

thanks to their skilful use of the

media, passionate volunteers,

and funding from members

contributions as well as donors.

But how are NGOs themselves

policed? What ensures that

there are no hidden agendas

that are being pursued?

This is indeed an important issue!

In debates on transparency,

NGOs call for transparency in

governments and intergovern-

mental institutions but usually

refuse to provide any transpar-

ency themselves, arguing that

this is not required for private

institutions. Various decisions

such as changes in objectives

and approaches etc., are usu-

ally available and are willingly

shared. However, information

on changes in high manage-

ment staffing is usually opaque

and large strategic shifts are not

always as transparent as they

should be. Thus, it is difficult to

actually police NGOs and diffi-

cult to avoid “hidden agendas” in

any set up.

For aquaculture to be sus-

tainable it needs to minimise its

impact on the environment by

reducing water use, decreasing

the discharge of nutrients into

nature, and using sustainably

produced fish feed. These efforts

contribute to increasing the

costs of farmed products making

them unable to compete with

similarly produced imports.


GUEST PAGES

How should this trade-off

between sustainable production

and market share be reconciled?

Eliminating the environmental

externalities will undoubtedly

increase costs. If all produc-

tion systems do not internalize

costs in the same proportions,

the free riders will benefit. This

is an issue of much discussion

in the EU the last few years; the

European producers demand

a “level playing field” and that

the imported products need to

respect the same rules the EU

imposes to them. One way to rec-

oncile the trade off between sus-

tainable production and market

share would be to have import

legislations that request cred-

ible ecolabels prior to allowing

imports. This is one of the issues

that will undoubtedly be tackled

by the new Aquaculture Advisory

Council that is in the process of

being established.

Increasing numbers of

fisheries as well as aquaculture

production sites are seeking

certification to show that they

are sustainable. However,

the number of different cer-

tifications is bewildering for

consumers and expensive for

producers. How can this system

be improved for the benefit of

all the participants?

In the past already eco-labelling

has led to abuse (forestry); the

same is already happening or is

likely to happen with fish, both

wild and farmed. Some FAO-

agreed international standards

might help levelling the field,

but the present state of labelling

of market products is not a good

omen for what can be done with

fish. In the EU, this issue is still

under discussion. It is unclear

what the European Commission

will do following their recent

consultation and whether they

will come up with a proposal.

The opinions are divided –

even amongst the producers

and fishermen – on whether

a global, EU, regional or local

certification would be better. We

believe that the EU should set

minimum standards for ecola-

bels, and the EU should control

organizations that set technical

standards.

From the consumers’ side, al -

though they increasingly demand

products that are produced

under sustainability criteria, the

majority is unaware of the sus-

tainability issue. The specific

challenge of the sector is to find

ways to communicate with con-

sumers. Easily understandable

communication, with short and

simple messages supported by

catchy labels and preferably in

national languages, could help

both producers and consumers.

There is need for effective label-

ling to reassure the consumer as

to the origin and integrity of the

products. This will most likely

be one of the issues that will be

tackled by the Market Advisory

Council, which is in the process

of being established.

Aquaculture using closed recirculation systems such as this one has little impact on the environment, but the costs are high.

Par

nu L

att


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