Two sides of life

By: Candice Jade Parkes

There are two sides to everything – two sides of a coin, two versions of a story, the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, so what’s the deal with tech? There is a running assumption that technology was developed for the good of humanity, but now that we have it, we have seen the double edge-sword of power.

On one hand, we have the fastest access to information right at our fingertips, connecting people from all areas of the world. On the other hand, we have experienced how addictive devices and apps are, comparisons, and the withdrawal from society.

But let’s look at this from the viewpoint of aquaculture. Technology has improved the state of farms by providing important data, statistics, accessibility to information, the ability to improve animal welfare and so on.

Since farmed fish has taken a bigger slice of our seafood choices, also because of the decrease in wild fish populations, integrated technology-based solutions bring the potential for reliable sources of information that promote eco-intensification and efficient fish farming. So, tech is not so bad, if used properly.

Still curious about Blue Fashion?

By: Wesley Malcorps

Check out the latest video on the GAIN2020 YouTube channel, ‘Fashion from the Sea II’.

The University of Stirling once again produced another interesting piece for the video series ‘Voices from the Water’.

Meet Daniel Hatton (founder and CEO at Commonwealth Fashion Council (CFC)) and Neishaa Gharat (founder and designer at House of Gharats).

They talk about circular economy, blue fashion and designs using fish leather, seaweeds and much more. The video includes an amazing showcase of fashion products and materials from James Ambani, CEO at Victorian-foods, Sheena Frida C and Barbara della Rovere.

Check out the GAIN2020 youtube channel and subscribe for more videos.

Blue Fashion

By: Wesley Malcorps

GAIN partner University of Stirling continues to share the produced videos for the series ‘Voices from the Water’.

These videos highlight interesting topics in the seafood industry.

Let me introduce you to Elisabeth Benonisen, a fashion designer and founder of STUDIO EBN – using salmon leather in responsible, handcrafted bags and accessories inspired by the Arctic nature.

You can check out her shop located in Bodø, Norway or online at https://www.studioebn.com/.

Check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel here to watch more videos.

We are One – Aren’t we?

By: Candice Jade Pa rkes

Sustainable farming sometimes seems like an unreachable glamorous idea. How do you feed almost 8 billion people in a sustainable way when we already know that habitats are being lost, species are going extinct, water resources are running out, etc. It seems like a fantasy.

But on a smaller scale, this may be possible. Using the ocean as a farming seascape is a great opportunity, but how do we make sure that we do not farm the sea in the same destructive way we have farmed the dry lands?

I recently worked on a project with the aim of intensifying fish and shellfish farms while improving animal welfare, all in an environmentally friendly way. This too seems like a glamorous idea. But with the help of local fishermen, scientists, software developers and, of course, you the consumer, this can be made possible.

Fundamentally, we need to realize that we do not function alone in this world, we are all part of a ‘bigger something’ that pulses and beats together, connected in one way or another. Two birds that communicate through songs, Blue Whales and Penguins that both eat krill, migrations, the metamorphosis and shedding of exoskeletons, the oxygen we breathe, the light we see, and the arms and legs that move us – we are all connected, and sustainability IS reachable is when we understand this connection.

Alternative Seafood- a sustainable food future?

Next 9th of December (1:00PM – 2:00PM GMT) the first seminar in the Big Fish Series, co-organized by GAIN partner University of Stirling, will take place. ALT seafood, plant-based, fermentation-derived and cell-based seafood, is emerging with the potential to help meet the growing seafood demand, but has attracted a mixed reaction by a range of stakeholders.

The format of these seminars is a short presentation of the key issues followed by an interactive discussion with a diverse panel of experts with opportunities for real time Q&A with registered participants.

This seminar will be co-hosted by WorldFish, a nonprofit research and innovation institution that conducts scientific research on aquatic  food systems with transformational impact on human well-being and the environment. Its research data, evidence and insights shape better practices, policies and investment decisions for sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries. 

As part of the preparatory work for the new aquatic foods program, WorldFish has conducted exploratory future-looking research on alternative seafood and its implications for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and the environment in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Aquatic foods are an integral part of the global food system that contribute significantly to food and nutrition security and livelihoods, particularly throughout low- and middle-income countries. The global supply of aquatic foods comes from capture fisheries and aquaculture, but there is concern about sustainability of the industry and its ability to meet future needs and demands.

WorldFish has identified priority research questions that need to be addressed to evaluate the alternative seafood sector and its potential implications, opportunities and challenges for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and the environment over the next decade in low- and middle-income countries.

Mark it on your calendar, and register here.

The GAIN objective

By: Andre Sobral Lopes

Yesterday we launched the official GAIN project Youtube channel:

The GAIN project

The GAIN project aims are to promote the eco-intensification of aquaculture. But what does this mean?

To sustainably farm more fish in the same area, i.e. to make more with less! With the combination of precision aquaculture, improved feeds and re-using secondary products while reducing waste, we aim to grow a healthier and environmentally friendlier fish.

A goodfish: tasty, nutritious, sustainable and happy.

To define this ’goodfish‘ we need to understand its economic and environmental sustainability, welfare as well as its nutritional and taste qualities. This way we can support consumers and businesses with metrics based on good data that compare seafood options and guide good choices.

This is the end game of GAIN: to help provide more and better seafood for the future.

Costs and benefits of innovative Eco-sustainable aquaculture practices

Authors: Cornelia Krei ß & Simone Brüning

The latest GAIN project developments on the impacts of eco-intensification innovations, found that novel feeds with commercially available emerging ingredients, could lead to farm profitability losses in most cases. This was especially true for diets combining different emerging ingredients, and in diets with smaller amounts of processed animal proteins (PAP) in addition to these new ingredients.

The most pronounced losses were found for seabream production. This was partly due to the decreased feed conversion rates when using novel feeds. The already high feed costs per kg of fish produced, when compared with trout and salmon, was also a factor in profitability losses. PAP feeds, however, were more promising from an economic point of view, especially for Atlantic salmon production.

What would you pay for high quality produced fish originating from European waters GAIN aims to work on eco-intensified production for seabream and salmon amongst others?

These results illustrate the demand for more affordable alternative ingredients, such as the upcoming GAIN-developed by-products. Consumer willingness-to-pay for more sustainable grown fish might also play a significant role in order for producers to stay profitable or to reach break-even.

Room for improvement was also identified for the valorisation of fish and shellfish by-products, especially for species with lower production volume and market-share of processed products, such as carp. The costs and benefits of the next generation of novel GAIN feeds, focused in adding value to by-products and side streams will be addressed in the upcoming work within the project.

Carp aquaculture in Poland: an ancient tradition established by monks (part 2)

By: Wesley Malcorps, Piotr Eljasik, Richard Newton, Jacek Sadowski and Remigiusz Panicz

After the conference it was time to go into the field and meet some of the farmers in the center and north of the country. This area of Poland is relatively flat with some hills, and large water bodies, making it an excellent habitat for carp. In late February farmers are preparing to move their fish into ‘production ponds’, which they will occupy until the next winter. At that time carps are transferred to deep (approximately 2.5m) ponds to hibernate. This cycle is repeated in the second year until the fish reach a harvesting size of 1.5 kg to 2 kg.

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The carp sector faces many challenges, such as strict regulations, predators and consumer preference for other fish. Despite that, there are also many opportunities, such as better carp processing into multiple products and eco-intensification using novel formulated feeds. GAIN is exploring the sector to assess the impact of different innovations to support the sustainable growth of the industry: we are also looking forward to contribute and collaborate with everyone involved in the sector.

Carp aquaculture in Poland: an ancient tradition established by monks (part 1)

By: Wesley Malcorps, Piotr Eljasik, Richard Newton, Jacek Sadowski and Remigiusz Panicz

On February 17^th UoS colleagues arrived in Poland to start data collection on the carp aquaculture value chain together with Polish partners from ZUT. The main goal is to gain insight into industry practices and collect value chain and life cycle assessment data from Polish carp farming value chain.

ZUT has a large network in the sector and proposed to meet the industry players at the 25th National Conference of Carp Breeders and Training for Fish Producers. This event took place between the 19^th and 21^st of February 2020 in Slok, a small town in the centre of Poland- this was an excellent opportunity to talk with stakeholders and introduce them to the GAIN project.

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The Polish carp sector is considered ‘extensive’: traditional, functioning in large ponds (few hectares up to a few hundred hectares) with low feed or other inputs, while also exposed to predation from birds and other wildlife – as a result, these ponds are characterized by their natural production capacity. Intensification strategies like pond fertilization and feed application (e.g. grains or formulated feeds) are uncommon. This natural and traditional way of producing carp dates back to the middle ages where monks constructed earthen ponds to provide food for the communities. Such carp farming systems are unique to Eastern Europe and produce only a small share of the global carp production.

The majority of carp is farmed in China, using different production systems, of which some are considered ‘intensive’ – with high stocking densities, pond fertilization and formulated feeds. Most of these ponds use polyculture strategies where multiple species maintain the balance in an ecosystem – waste of one species is used as a feed input for the other.

Fig2 — Richard presenting on Chinese carp aquaculture, while Piotr translates in Polish.

Richard Newton substituted Wenbo Zhang (unable to travel from China due to the Coronavirus) and willingly gave the presentation while providing some interesting insights in the development of aquaculture in China and in particular the diversity in Chinese carp farming systems. Polish carp farmers were curious about it.

(end of part 1 – expect part 2 soon)

Surrounded by innovation

By: Meredith Burke and Catilin Stockwell

Over the past few decades, technological advances have completely revolutionized our society. It has influenced the way we live our lives, from the way we watch TV, to the way we conduct our scientific research. However, the aquaculture industry has fallen by the wayside. Big data, collected and distributed to our hands in the form of apps, have begun to dominate our world, so why is this not the case in one of the fastest growing industries in the world?

DSCN1889 — Farming fish with the Atlantic Canada in the background

Atlantic Canada has recently emerged as a global leader in ocean technology, as well as playing host to one of the largest aquaculture companies in the world, Cooke Aquaculture. We have the unique opportunity of being surrounded by innovation. We are able to work side by side with the developers, as well as the consumers, to field test new technologies, and optimize their performance prior to commercialization.

However, aquaculture is still a relatively young industry, often operating in remote places, so introducing the use of technology has been difficult. Through research projects, we have been able to merge two key industry partners: ocean technology via InnovaSea, and salmon aquaculture, through Cooke, in order to improve management practices.

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Meredith’s research focuses primarily on using real-time sensors to study water quality parameters, like oxygen and temperature, to understand how they vary through a farm, and what may influence these variations. At the same time, Caitlin uses acoustic telemetry to track fish movement in order to understand fish behaviour and improve welfare management. These two projects together allow us to provide a more holistic view of fish farming to create a more sustainable industry.

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We hope that our work will help inform other aquaculture industries throughout the world, to become more innovative, improve farming practices, and ultimately create happier and healthier fish, with the ability to feed a growing population.