CORDIS | European Commission
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Project no. 016869
Project acronym: RACEWAYS
Project title: A HYPERINTENSIVE FISH FARMING CONCEPT FOR LASTING COMPETITIVENESS AND SUPERIOR PRODUCTION
Instrument: Co-operative Research Projects
Thematic Priority: Food quality and safety
Final activity report for RACEWAYS 016869
Period covered: Whole project Date of preparation: 30 June 2008
Start date of project: 1st of May 2006 Duration: 25 months
Project coordinator name: Albert K. Imsland
Project coordinator organisation name: Akvaplan-niva
Revision [draft]
1. Project execution
Project summary
Aim of the project
The project will provide a scientific rationale for the establishment of a cost-effective rearing system (the Shallow Raceway System, SRS) and effective husbandry strategies for several highly priced cultured fish species. As the rearing system can be combined with recirculation systems, the concept will promote aquaculture in regions otherwise impedimented from this industry. The new farming concept will significantly reduce the overall logistic needs with respect to buildings and water supply system and through its compactness and extended automation, simplify the operation of the production process. The new concept may in fundamental ways open up for a new era in fish farming in Europe by substantially reducing start-up costs and operational costs. Due to the compactness, these farms can be building blocks in Industry Parks for Aquaculture. It will also be able to exploit almost unused resources like effluent heated water from a variety of industries and ground well water with a wide range of salinities. To ensure rapid industrial benefit and exploitation of the achievements, several European industrial farmers, culturing a wide range of species, will participate in the project. Subsequently the hyper-intensive technology may be implemented in commercial-scale by the SMEs involved and among other enterprises throughout Europe. The wide scope for further increase in productivity should prevent outsourcing of the aquaculture industry.
Main findings in the project
WP 1
Task 1.1 Water quality in hyper-intensive aquaculture – synthesis of critical parameters
In several short-duration experiments implications of passing threshold limits for water quality parameters will be quantified for turbot (at AP) organized in sub-populations and being exposed to gradually increasing use of water and thus experiencing gradually increasing levels of metabolites (i.e. ammonia and CO2). Through these experiments it will be possible to form an image of the metabolic activity of the fish, and the strain they put on the rearing water under natural production routines and identify the threshold values causing reduced growth performance. Such data may provide a tool for foreseeing carrying capacity in SRS facilities based on a species tolerance limit to critical water quality parameters. Globally, the results obtained point in the direction of no visible effects of water reuse when turbot is cultivated in 15+15 m long shallow raceways in series, with within-tank sedimentation in their outlet, solids settling boxes using recycled seawater and high oxygen levels. As no apparent effect of water quality was seen in juvenile turbot (even under the high level of CO2 registered at the outlet) this may be a result of a fish adaptation to the typical water quality values of the system. System stability, more than system WQ per se, might be the most important factor to consider in this context.
Task 1.2 The interaction of salinity and temperature on production performance
A growth experiment (halibut) was performed in cooperation with FISKEY, and consisted of three salinities (full seawater, 25‰ and 15‰), two photoperiods (LDN and LD24:0) and one temperature (12ºC). Growth was highest at 15‰ and 25‰. FCE was significantly higher compared to full salinity in these two groups. The fish were subsequently moved (Silfurstjarnan), divided in two groups and transferred to two salinities (15‰ and 30‰). An initial density effect was seen, i.e. higher growth at lower density, but afterwards (similar densities) a long term growth advantage (20%) was seen from rearing at low salinity. The fish were subsequently moved (Fiskey), divided in two groups and transferred to two salinities (15‰ and 30‰). An initial density effect was seen, i.e. higher growth at lower density, but afterwards (similar densities) a long term growth advantage (20%) was seen from rearing at low salinity.
- Another salinity trial with common sole was performed at LLYN indicating a limited effect of salinity on growth in sole.
Task 1.3 Metal toxicity studies
An experiment was carried out at the experimental facilities of Norwegian Inst. of Water Research in Norway in autumn 2006. The experiment demonstrated a generally high tolerance to iron in young turbot, and low acute toxicity was seen. Some mortality occurred at 1000 µg/l. There were some effects from the treatments reflected in blood gas physiology.
WP 2
Task 2.1: Extended use of water by restoring water quality en route and Task 2.2: Implement recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) in combination with SRS.
Growth and water quality studies on turbot conducted in shallow raceways coupled to the recirculation system at Aquacria Piscicola (Portugal) have demonstrated good growth rates and almost no mortalities recorded during the experiment. However, when combined with the fact that none of the water quality parameters measured approached critical values, the objective of this task (identifying critical water quality parameters) is not yet possible. The maximization of water resources when using shallow raceway systems (SRS) can be achieved by means of culture water recirculation, through the utilization of an effluent treatment loop. In a previous study, we have extensively characterized for a period of three months a combined shallow raceway-recirculation aquaculture system, with water reuse between raceways, used for the commercial nursery cultivation of turbot. It was concluded that i) the composition of the recycled water was the main parameter influencing raceways performance; ii) the treatment loop had an adequate layout for this SRS, but recycled WQ characteristics should be rechecked for confirmation of data; iii) some inconsistency in the performance of the biological filter was found, a fact that required deeper studies on the bacterial flora and factors affecting their behaviour; iv) the analytical tools used were efficient, but time consuming and further research was needed to simplify chemical procedures and enable automation. This can be done at the laboratory level, without fish, through specific sensor and software development using programming tools like LabVIEW. In addition, an extension of the project was achieved through the realization of three Master Thesis in the fields of molecular and applied microbiology and analytical chemistry.
WP 3
Task 3.1: Production of bottom-dwelling fish juveniles (forced settlement)
- Results from FISKEY´s trials with forced settlement of Atlantic halibut in shallow raceways were positive with high survival rates (up to 81%), but there are still some challenges as to the correct design of the raceways in terms of water inlet/outlet, water velocity (due to the unevenness of the salmon egg trays used as raceways), and the fact that the live feed (Artemia) used was transported through and out of the raceways very quickly.
- Forced settlement with turbot was also performed with good results.
Task 3.2: Behaviour characteristics of bottom-dwelling juveniles reared in SRS vs. juveniles from conventional tanks
- The experimental work focused on determining which hydrodynamic parameters define a shallow raceway, determining that the various parameters commonly measured (oxygen, velocity, etc.) should determine the depth of the raceway, not vice versa. Theoretic calculation of the laser/computer generated images of density and placement of fish within shallow raceways was performed. A model of fish dummy has been developed to assess the influence of flatfish distribution in the flow behavior in a shallow raceway.
Task 3.3: Scaling up of rearing systems for bottom-dwelling juveniles – testing of modules (density)
- Trial on turbot at ACC examining the effects of fish density in raceways (180, 180 dynamic, 240, and 300% coverage) as well as a comparison of growth and feed conversions of raceways vs. round tanks were performed. Fish reared at 300% initially exhibited poor growth rates but this was thought to be the result of gas bubble disease as their growth rates improved as the trial continued. Both growth rates and feed conversion rates were found to be significantly better in raceways as compared to round tanks.
- Rearing of young sea bream (41 days post hatch) in raceways was performed at TIMAR. These results of the study, which was carried out over 82 days (the fish increased from 18 mg to 200 mg during the course of the trial), were very promising as very high densities were attained. However, there were some challenges that will need to be addressed, including problems with the self cleaning of the raceways and problems due to supersaturation.
- Trial with Atlantic halibut was performed and the fish reared at high (300% bottom coverage), as compared to low (100% coverage), densities resulted in a solid long-term gain in biomass increase, even though the duration of the growth phase for each batch of fish increases. It is assumed that a further production optimization, and thus a reduced production time, may be achieved by introducing new feeding techniques specially designed for shallow raceways.
- Trial with different densities was performed at HLYRI examining the effects of density on the growth of wolffish in raceways. The findings show that optimal density of adult spotted wolffish in SRS is equal to, or higher than, 90 kg m-2 (corresponding to c. 310 kg m-3). Profitability of the culture will increase linearly in the density range investigated.
Task 3.4: On-growing of bottom-dwelling fish species in SRS
- In an trial performed with spotted wolffish at HLYRI growth of wolffish reared in shallow raceways with those reared in conventional round tanks was compared. After 100 days there was a significant advantage to the fish in raceways with regards to growth and feed conversion, in addition to an apparent reduction in the occurrence of size hierarchies.
WP 4
Task 4.1: The economics of the hyper-intensive farming technology system vs. conventional farming system (CFS)
The SRS is postulated to represent a resource-saving production concept and thus improve the overall economics of farming aquatic organisms. A variety of calculations will be made based on input data from the experiments and full-scale production to illustrate the potential of this technology. The intention is also to identify gains from specific production modules and prescribe the potential improvements to be observed through further innovation. Comparisons have been made with regard to economies of scale, as these are expected to be of particular importance.
Part 1. Economic analysis of a halibut farm.
In the base case, a farm with annual production capacity of 200 tonnes is analysed. Investments in this farm represent about € 1.9 million. To double the production capacity to 400 tonnes, which is also considered, additional investments of about € 1.35 million are required. A doubling in output to 400 tonnes per year will reduce the average cost per kg of halibut produced from € 6.78 to € 5.88, a reduction of 13.3 % per kg. This indicates fairly important economies of scale. As additional investment costs are relatively lower than the increase in output, this indicates a source of economies of scale. In addition, with larger output the labour force and management are utilised more efficiently, which will also bring down cost of production.
Part II. Economic analysis of turbot farm
In part II, results from an economic analysis of a turbot farm are presented. The base case is a farm with annual production capacity of 133 tonnes. Investments in a turbot farm with production capacity of about 133 tonnes per year represent about € 4.3 million. To treble the production capacity to 400 tonnes, additional investments of about € 1.80 million are required. In the base case with an annual output of 133 tonnes, average cost per kg turbot is € 7.54. An expansion in production capacity to an annual output level of 400 tonnes per year was also considered. This will reduce the average cost per kg of turbot produced to € 5.07, a reduction of about 33 % per kg compared to the smaller farm. This indicates quite substantial economies of scale. As additional investment costs are considerably less, relatively speaking, than the increase in output, this indicates a source of economies of scale. In addition, with larger output the labour force and management are utilised more efficiently, which will also bring down cost of production.
Task 4.2: Designing Industrial Parks for Aquaculture or Industrial Production Centres for Seafood (IPS) EU has as indicated a net import of seafood products of more then 10,000 million Euro when corrected for export of seafood products – and the trend is increasing. The ambition should be to reduce this import in parallel to an expected increase in seafood consumption among European consumers. This can only be achieved through a staggering expansion of within EU aquaculture production. Seeds for this expansion have been laid many places in Europe. Chile may illustrate the seed topic - as it started out during the early 1980s with salmon farming and reached 10,000 tonnes in 1990 – followed by an astonishing expansion in the next two decades – passing 700,000 tonnes in 2007 to a value beyond 2,000 million US$. A similar development might be achieved across Europe by drawing on strong regional and national motivation for sustainable enterprise expansion within aquaculture – with Greece as an encouraging European example of what can be achieved. A great part of this expansion could take place at land-based facilities and more so since the new technology launched in this project reduces land use to 10-20% of that needed with conventional technology. The rapid progress within auxiliary sectors for land-based aquaculture – such as efficient recirculation technology also for seawater, farming of marine organisms in fresh water and adding of new attractive fish and shellfish species to the list of potential species to be cultured – opens up for new business concepts and farming in clusters located closer to important markets. The development of the salmon industry is an excellent case to learn from - as it started out with a small production of a costly niche product and expanded into a commodity product accessible for almost any European citizen – due to efficient distribution and an affordable price. A similar trend may be expected for the next wave of seafood products from aquaculture - and more so if it is organised in a cluster structure that has diversification, competitiveness and sustainability as main priorities.
Task 4.3: Socio-economic implications of wide-spread installation of IPS for future European seafood industry
The topics dealt with in Tasks 4.1 and 4.2 have been analysed in a socio-economic context. The socio-economic implications of a massive implementation of SRS in numerous IPS throughout Europe should have a significant impact on future EU seafood markets, including imports and exports. The EU represents one of the three largest seafood markets in the world. Consumption, in particular of high valued species, is increasing because of increasing levels of income and population size, as well as shifts in demand towards more healthful diets. The EU is, however, dependent on a substantial level of import of seafood. Consequently the development of this new technology, a number of species currently imported might in the future be cultured within Europe. Thus, in the future, species in short supply in the global seafood market might be farmed within EU, both for domestic consumption to meet expected shifts in demand and for export to other parts of the world.
Task 4.4: Implication of IPS for European competitiveness in the global seafood market
The topics of Tasks 4.1 - 4.3 have been considered in the context of European competitiveness in the global seafood market. As already mentioned, there is increased demand for seafood, not only in Europe, but world wide. There is also a very considerable international trade in seafood. Catches of wild stock leveled off at the end of the 1980s, and even with improved management of fisheries, most of the increased demand for seafood will need to be met by expanded production from aquaculture. In this scenario, the EU may need to increase imports of seafood substantially. However, a competitive land-based aquaculture industry based on the SRS and IPS would contribute significantly to counteract this trend in the next decade. A number of scenarios have been investigated, looking into different models for future trends. As part of this the potential from installing IPS in three different levels of production, have been considered.
WP 5-6
The management structure with the RTD coordinating the work of ‘their’ (i.e. local responsibility) SME’s proved to work well in the first reporting period. Overall, the coordination of the project has been successful, although some modification in the DoW had to be done to meet the technical demands and challenges at each SME site. To monitor the work three meetings (panel and technical meetings) were held, and in conjunction to the trials at the SME sites several short field trips were performed by the RTD to the SMEs. Dissemination and exploitation was covered as planned with direct contacts with the aquaculture industry and by submitting manuscripts to peer review scientific journals as well as more industry oriented magazines.
Project objectives
• Objectives
1. To achieve lasting competitiveness for a European land-based aquaculture industry with emphasis on responsible farming solutions.
2. To create a solid knowledge platform of the vital biological conditions for land-based farming in an extremely compact rearing system: shallow raceways organised in racks combined with reuse or recirculation of seawater and with optional rearing at low and intermediate salinities.
3. Improve animal welfare aspects through a curtailing of the new farming system.
4. Develop a new sustainable rearing concept for several highly priced fish species and thus counteract outsourcing of the European Union aquaculture industry to low-cost countries.
5. Reduce land use to 10-20% of conventional land-based farming and due to the compactness make possible the establishment of Industry Parks for Aquaculture in conjunction with auxiliary industry.
6. Reduce seawater consumption to 5% of that used by a conventional flow-through farming system.
7. Launch a strategy for a significant reduction of both investments per kg production capacity and production cost per kg market-sized fish based on a thorough comparison with conventional farming systems.
In summary, all the original objectives, aims, and milestones have been reached within project period.
Contractors involved
|Partic. |Partic. |Partic. no.|Participant name |Participant |Country |Date enter |Date exit |
|Role* |Type | | |short name | |project** |project** |
|CO |RTD |1 |AKVAPLAN-NIVA AS |APN |NO |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |2 |A COELHO E CASTRO |ACC |P |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |3 |FISKELDI EYJAFJARÐAR EHF |FISKEY |IC |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |4 |HLÝRI EHF |HLYRI |IC |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |5 |LLYN AQUACULTURE |LLYN |UK |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |6 |TIMAR |TIMAR |P |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |7 |TUSTNA KVEITEFARM |TUS |NO |1 |25 |
|CR |SME |8 |AQUACRIA PISCÍCOLAS |AP |P |1 |25 |
|CR |RTD |9 |UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO |CIIMAR |P |1 |25 |
|CR |RTD |10 |UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH |CEMARE |UK |1 |25 |
|CR |RTD |11 |UNIVERSITAT POLITÉCNÍCA DE CATALUNYA |UPC |ES |1 |25 |
Project coordinator
Name: Albert K. Imsland
Address: Akvaplan-niva, Iceland Office, Akralind 4, 201 Kópavogi, ICELAND
Tel: + 354 562 58 00
Mobile: +354 691 07 07
Fax: + 354 564 58 01
E-mail: albert.imsland@akvaplan.niva.no
Web:
Work performed and results achieved
The RACEWAYS work-packages followed different aspects of the production and culture technique of five species investigated. Under the control of the Project Management Team, six work-packages have been carried out; three of them related to biological-technical approach, in order to achieve the intended research results, one related to the economic aspects of the hyper-intensive rearing system and another one related to the exploitation of the results. The programme was a succession of logical steps:
• In order to introduce a new hyper-intensive rearing system, the starting point was an up-grading of our understanding of both water quality and recirculation aspects. This effort is concentrated in WP1 and WP2. In WP1, important water quality aspects were scrutinized. WP2 deals with several important features of reuse and recirculation of water. Together these WPs made the core scientific and technical platform that was applied in WP 3. Knowledge that could be exploited or disseminated were obtained from WP1 and WP2. Results were managed through WP5.
• In WP3 the hyper-intensive rearing system was tailor-made for several important aquaculture species. The system will be developed for bottom-dwelling fish species (turbot, Atlantic halibut, sole, spotted wolffish, sea bream). This WP was devoted to reach adequate production rates that make the new hyper-intensive culture system profitable for farmers. It is obvious that through this workpackage also the interplay of components of the farming system itself, the SRS, was improved and be more adequate to meet the special needs for different types of fish species included in the project.
• Commercialisation is the final purpose of the project, and the issue was tackled in WP4. In order to achieve a good response of the market, excellent quality product must be guaranteed. With this objective in mind, a thorough comparison of the economics of the hyper-intensive farming technology system vs. conventional land-based farming systems (CFS), was performed. Further, the lay-out for Industrial Parks for Aquaculture [Industrial Production Centres for Seafood (IPS)] based on the hyper-intensive farming technology concept with possible spin-off activities (cluster structure) were designed.
• The last two work-packages (WP5 and WP6) focused on the exploitation and dissemination of the results (WP5) and management of the project (WP6), and served as a show-case of the research and results obtained all over the project implementation. The work on this issue covered the full duration of the project, receiving a continuous flow of information from all work-packages in progress at each particular moment. All the partners participated and contributed under this topic. The advantage for SMEs in this issue were at least twofold:
- Establishing contacts with EU and Associated countries, which usefulness is beyond the scope of this project, and
- Strengthen the community acquisition.
Impact on industry sector
On a global scale, aquaculture is expected to be one of the fastest-growing industries in this decade. This growth might take place in a number of European countries. A significant part of this expansion is expected to take place on land. Land-based farming requires more resources for the construction as well as for the fish production compared to production in net-pens in the open sea. For that reason it is strongly needed to implement technology that is competitive and has the potential to be profitable also in the future. One important element in that context is to maximise the use of resources. With the conventional land-based technology, typical fish production per year in an industrial building is 20-30 kg/m2. As an illustration, a land-based production of 10,000 tons will thus demand about 400,000 m2 of industrial buildings. That is a huge challenge for this industry. With the technology launched in this project, the measure is to reduce need of buildings to less than 20%, or to produce the same quantity, i.e. 10,000 tons of fish and shellfish, on less than 100,000 m2. That implies an increase in production from 25 to more than 125 kg/m2 building surface, with a value output of more than 1000 Euro/m2 building with hyper-intensive production, compared to only 200 Euro/m2 with traditional technology. The hyper-intensive concept is also expected to reduce the consumption of other contributing elements like food, water, oxygen, energy and work-load, all considered per kg fish produced. Another important aspect is the production volume per employee. With conventional technology it is 20-50 tons/year per employee. With the hyper-intensive concept (i.e. the SRS technology) the goal is to increase production to 50-200 tons/year per employee, depending on the overall size of the farm. This higher production output is needed to maintain competitive salaries and stable high profit margins for the investors. As the SRS is designed to facilitate automation, it is easier to achieve ambitious goals with this technology.
It should also be considered as important that with the compactness of the farms, several of these, as mentioned above, can be built within an industrial park and form what might be called industrial production centres for seafood (IPS). Here the different units may enjoy common services like water intake and outlet, co-ordinated purchases and transport of juveniles and feed, a common slaughtering facility and a common maintenance team. Besides, some European governments have launched plans for numerous industrial parks for aquaculture. These centres will be able to produce at least five times more fish and shellfish biomass with the SRS technology than with conventional farming technology and thus their importance and impact on the industry should be far greater. Furthermore, the spin-off effects from a large cluster structure are also considered an advantage for future innovation and growth. Thus development and implementation of this hyper-intensive technology is in co-ordinance with the goal of European administrations, and most likely all regions along the European coast will desire to implement the same farming method as soon as their advantages have been demonstrated.
Important findings from WP 1-4 and their impact on the SME sector
Workpackage 1
Water quality in a hyper-intensive
aquaculture production system
Important findings – water quality
Task 1.1 Water quality in hyper-intensive aquaculture – synthesis of critical parameters
- The experiments were performed in a turbot production farm, with nursery and on-growth facilities. The nursery uses 80-90% recycled water and reuses it in groups of two raceways in series. A set of these raceways in series (Fig. 1) was used with within-tank sedimentation in their outlet, solids settling boxes using recycled seawater and high oxygen levels.
- Conclusion: Globally, the results obtained point in the direction of no visible effects of water reuse when turbot is cultivated in 15+15 m long shallow raceways in series. System stability, more than system WQ per se, might be the most important factor to consider in this context.
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Fig. 1 – Layout of extended reuse experiments, using two shallow raceways in series and four replicated chambers (only raceway side A shown). No fresh seawater was added to the bottom raceway.
Important findings – water quality
Task 1.2 –The interaction of salinity and temperature on production performance
Juvenile Atlantic halibut were reared at different salinities for different size groups.
Conclusion: 15-23% more weight gain at low and intermediate salinity compared to control
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Fig. 2. Mean weight (g) of juvenile Atlantic halibut reared at three different salinities. Vertical whiskers indicate standard error of mean (SEM). Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments within each measurement date (Student-Newman-Keuls test, P < 0.05).
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Fig. 3. Mean weight (g) of juvenile Atlantic halibut reared at two different salinities. Vertical whiskers indicate standard error of mean (SEM). Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments within each measurement date (Student-Newman-Keuls test, P < 0.05). Symbols, 15 ‰, filled triangles; 27 ‰, open squares.
Important findings – metal toxicity
Task 1.3 – Aquifer water quality – metal toxicity studies
Juvenile turbot were exposed to the following treatments in addition to controls without iron: 25 µg/L, 50 µg/L, 100 µg/L, 200 µg/L, 400 µg/L and 1000 µg/L. Environmental conditions during the experiment was16°C, 30.2 ppm salinity and 7,6-8,2 mg/l O2.
Mortality was only observed with the highest concentration of iron added. In total 3 fish of the 24 fish with this treatment died during the exposure. A significant increase in gill iron concentration was observed in the groups receiving 400 and 1000 µg/L of ferrous iron.
Conclusion: The acute toxicity of iron to turbot in sea-water was low compared to what has been observed in Atlantic salmon in freshwater.
Fig. 4. Accumulation of gill Fe in the different treatement groups. Significant differences are indicated by different letters (Tukey Kramer HSD test)
Workpackage 2
Water reuse and recirculation farming technology
Important findings – combined use of shallow raceways and recirculation systems
Task 2.1. Extended use of water by restoring water quality en route
- Two sets of two production raceways in series in use in a Portuguese nursery turbot facility were chosen to study the performance of two types of settlers as en route water rehabilitation units.
- Conclusions and recommendations. It is concluded that under the conditions assayed settlers placed at the end of the first raceway contribute to some WQ rehabilitation en route, between levels. Solids can be concentrated and better removed and up to 20% CO2 can be stripped. Nevertheless, regarding literature values and water quality needs, there is a good margin for improvement. On the other hand, the oxygen losses (up to 25 %) observed when using settling devices with cascading water between levels can be avoided if the farmer works with lower dissolved oxygen levels per raceway. Changing the actual O2 injection points (at the top raceways inlet pumps), adopting a distributed injection along the raceways, would help minimizing the problem.
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Fig. 5. - Diagrammatic views of the two types of settlers studied: Left - Type I, two staged; Right - Type II, single staged. Arrows point to the direction of water flow.
Important findings – fish wellbeing in different rearing systems
Task 2.1 Rearing system vs. blood physiology in turbot – a baseline study
- Blood was collected from turbot ranging in size from 10 g to 1600 g under several different rearing conditions. Rearing systems investigated in the survey included 2 different farms utilizing recirculation technology, 2 farms using a strict flow-through regime, 1 farm practicing limited re-use of water as well as data from a controlled laboratory trial.
- Conclusion: Results from the present study demonstrate that easily analyzed blood physiological parameters may be useful welfare indicators in turbot reared in land-based systems.
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Fig. 6. Measured and calculated blood parameters in live farmed turbot reared under either recirculation or flow-through conditions. Values are given as mean (SE).
Important findings – combined use of shallow raceways and recirculation systems
Task 2.2. Implement recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) in combination with SRS
This task was divided into several parts and main findings from three parts are highlighted here
I - Characterization of WQ in a combined SRS+Reuse+Recycling system
- WQ characterization was performed once a month, during a production cycle (3 months).
- Main findings and Conclusion. The average efficiency of the fish farm treatment loop during the study is shown in Fig. 7, in situations before feeding the fish (AC) and after feeding the fish (DC). It should be noted that presented data for nitrite removal by the biofilter represents an average of values ranging from 18 to 40% removal.
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Fig. 7. Average three month values of calculated Removal Efficiencies for different parts of the SRS+Reuse+RAS treatment loop. AC – Before Feeding; DA – After Feeding. Arrows point to the importance of ozonation for ammonium and nitrite removal in this system.
II – Studies on SRS and biofilter bacterial flora and on factors affecting their behaviour
In this study we intended to enumerate and characterize the viable heterotrophic planktonic and fixed bacterial populations present in the production system of a commercial turbot farm that combines shallow raceways with water reuse and recirculation technology. The dynamics of the attached bacterial population was studied using PCR-DGGE (Fig. 8).
- Main findings and Conclusion. Viable heterotrophic bacteria density changes in the first production year were followed along 221 days. Globally, planktonic heterotrophic bacteria numbers in this SRS system were higher than values found in other studies Cluster analysis performed to characterize the similarity between the DGGE profiles representing the total community at each site and at each sampling date enable the identification of four clusters, showing that a temporal/maturation factor was responsible for grouping the bacterial community
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Fig. 8. DGGE band profiles of 16S rDNA amplified fragments using the DNA extracted from the biofilm present in biofilter carriers collected at the biofilter inlet (Site A) and outlet (Site C), during the 221 days of the first year sampling period. Lane M: DGGE marker constructed using 16S rDNA fragments from environmental samples.
III – Laboratory SRS and On-line Water Quality Monitoring Prototypes
- A SRS with three levels for extended water reuse (considered a more compact, profitable and challenging layout), with mechanical and biological filters for water recycling (RAS), was built and a prototype WQ monitoring system (hardware and software, Waterscan) developed. The application Waterscan vs.1.0 can monitor, present and record the data of the SRS sensors/detectors: water level (10) and temperature (3), water flow (in the water delivery system), dissolved oxygen, pH, ORP and Carbon Dioxide. The state of the water recycling pump can be turned on/off from the graphical interface. There is the possibility of defining alarm levels for critical parameters that will trigger an email message and limited access to configuration parameters. All the data is recorded in a Microsoft Access database, so it can be read by other programs.
- Conclusions and Recommendations. A SRS+Reuse+RAS working with 7 cm water depth was implemented at the lab scale and a dedicated hardware and software monitoring system was developed for the on-line monitoring of the most important WQ parameters. The main achievement of this prototype installation is the possibility of getting a first insight on the challenges in design and operation of this particular aquaculture production system to the farmers and for on-line monitoring system development. The enlarged spectrum of the prototype on-line WQ monitoring system developed is already an important innovation for the aquaculture industry.
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Fig. 9. User interface Waterscan main screen.
Workpackage 3
Hyper-intensive production of
bottom-dwelling fish species
Important findings – forced settlement in SRS
Task 3.1 Production of bottom-dwelling fish juveniles in SRS
- Halibut larvae (initial weight 0.19 g, 48 days post first feeding) put in one raceway divided with perforated plates. Water depth varied from 6mm-20mm. Flow velocity adjusted 1 cm/sec, but divisions increase flow velocity and various water depths disturb flow patterns.
- Main findings and conclusions. Mean survival in the first trial was 81% which is acceptable. Mean SGR/day was 2.2% compared to 3.5-4.0% in standard production method. There was a difference in end size and survival between the three compartments in the raceway where the best results were seen in compartment A which was nearest to the feed and inlet (see Fig. 10). Later studies have indicated that further research is needed, especially on feed and feeding techniques before forced settlement in SRS can reach industrial scale.
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Fig. 10. End size and survival in the three compartments of thr raceway. Compartment A is nearest to the inlet of feed and water.
Important findings – behaviour in SRS
Task 3.2. Behaviour characteristics of bottom-dwelling juveniles reared in SRS
Three aspects were studied:
- (A) The mutual interaction between fish and flow in a Shallow Raceway was studied and evaluated. A laser scanner device, described in Oca et al (2007), was applied to quantify the height of the flatfish layer stocked in the tank. Parameters changed in order to evaluate their influence were: water depth reduction, water velocity increase, presence of baffles, oxygen gradient and feeding strategy change.
- (B) A comprehensive tool to define criteria for the design and management of shallow raceways was developed (see P2 report).
- (C) Analysis of the influence of fish distribution in the hydrodynamics of shallow raceways was performed (see P1 report).
- Main findings and conclusions. The concentration of fish in certain areas of the tank dramatically modifies the geometry of the tank bottom, which directly affects tank hydrodynamic characteristics. Changes in fish distribution also alter the ratio fish:water, in terms of water depth, which is an essential parameter in shallow raceway management. Water velocity has a marked effect on fish distribution, promoting a trend to congregate fish at the end of the tank when velocity is faster than 0.5 bl s-1. The heterogeneous distribution seen as a common tendency has been neutralized by changing the feeding strategy.
[pic]
Fig. 11: a) Map of fish distribution in centimetres of mean height for the control treatment. Values show the average of height every 10 cm in width b) the mean height and standard deviation of fish in each section of 10 cm through the tank. In all cases water flow went from the left to the right.
Important findings – density in SRS
Task 3.3 Scaling up of weaning system for bottom-dwelling juveniles – testing of modules
A. Trial with turbot
- The effects of different fish density in raceways (180, 180 dynamic, 240, and 300% coverage) for 500 g to 700 g was examined, as well as a comparison of growth and feed conversions of raceways vs. round tanks were performed.
- Main findings and conclusions. The performance of turbot in the raceways was satisfactory in the way that they had better growth and better FCR at higher fish density per tank surface then in the conventional tanks. If the results observed could be converted to a six-level-raceway with full-sized raceways assuming the same building surface as is now used at the SME site the production per surface tank 1.5 times bigger. The overall effect would be a six time high fish production with only 80% of the feed used per kg produced and with 50% of the work/kg produced. The cost of production calculated for variable costs per kg should thus be reduced with about 15-20% compared to actual level.
[pic]
Fig. 12. Biomass increment in turbot reared at four different densities in a shallow raceways system.
B. Trial with spotted wolffish
- The following experiment was designed to investigate the effects of different rearing densities (50, 70 and 90 kg m-2) on growth rate, feed efficiency ratio and blood physiology in spotted wolffish at near commercial size (3.5-5.0 kg).
- Main findings and conclusion. The 90 kg m-2 density group had the highest final mean weight (5.05 ±0.11 kg) and productivity increased almost linearly with increasing stocking density and was calculated as 24, 42 and 66 g m-2 day-1 at 50, 70 and 90 kg m-2, respectively. The results show that the optimum density conditions for farming large spotted wolffish, both with respect to growth rate, feed conversion and productivity is at densities equal to or higher than 90 kg m-2.
[pic]
Fig. 13. The relation between stocking density and productivity in spotted wolffish.
C. Trial with sea bream
- Main findings and conclusion. The activity at TiMar (Faro – Portugal) has been on larvae and juveniles of sea-bream. The activity was organised as pre-studies to learn about the fish and its performance in shallow raceways. The group studied had a size of 14 mm (20 mg) and was feed Artemia nauplii and weaned at an age of 48 days. After 82 days it had reached a size of 200 mg resulting in a SGR of 6% and with a density of 22 g/l. The survival was 96% and thus the fish performed well in all respects. Rearing sea bream in SRS seems to be at good option at least for the initial stages.
[pic]
Fig. 14. Illustration of general behaviour of sea bream juveniles in SRS
D. Trial with Atlantic halibut
- This study compared growth in juvenile halibut reared at three different densities. The control group had a density of 100% bottom coverage, which is the common practice in the facility studied. In addition a medium (200%) and a high (300%) density group were included.
- Main findings and conclusion. In summary, rearing Atlantic halibut at high (300% bottom coverage), as compared to low (100% coverage), densities will result in a solid long-term gain in biomass increase, even though the duration of the growth phase for each batch of fish increases as individual growth is lower at the higher density, whereas the biomass growth is much higher. It is assumed that a further production optimization, and thus a reduced production time, may be achieved by introducing new feeding techniques specially designed for shallow raceways.
[pic]
Fig. 15. Total biomass increment at three different densities.
Task 3.4 On-growing of bottom-dwelling fish species in SRS
Important findings – comparison of rearing system (SRS vs. conventional tanks)
- We investigated the effects of different rearing units, i.e. shallow raceways (0.72 m2) and circular tanks (bottom area, 0.78 m2), on growth rate, social interactions and feed efficiency ratio in juvenile spotted wolffish.
- In conclusion, the present study indicates that growth and feed conversion efficiency can be improved in spotted wolffish culture by rearing the fish in shallow raceways.
[pic]
Fig. 16. Mean weight (A) and specific growth rates (B) of juvenile spotted wolffish reared in shallow raceways and circular tanks. Vertical line indicating SE may be obscured by symbol. Different letters indicate statistical differences (two-way nested ANOVA, P < 0.05), with ‘a’ as the highest value. Symbols, A: Shallow raceways, whole line and filled diamonds; circular tanks, dashed line and open squares; B: Shallow raceways, black bars; circular tanks, white bars.
Workpackage 4
Guidelines for the future expansion of
the European Union seafood industry
Important findings – markets and productivity
Task 4.1: The economics of the hyper-intensive farming technology system vs. conventional farming system (CFS) (see also DL 13)
Background and main findings
In part I, an economic analysis of a halibut farm was undertaken. In the base case, a farm with annual production capacity of 200 tonnes is analysed. Investments in this farm represent about € 1.9 million. To double the production capacity to 400 tonnes, which is also considered, additional investments of about € 1.35 million are required. A doubling in output to 400 tonnes per year will reduce the average cost per kg of halibut produced from € 6.78 to € 5.88, a reduction of 13.3 % per kg. This indicates fairly important economies of scale. As additional investment costs are relatively lower than the increase in output, this indicates a source of economies of scale.
In part II, results from an economic analysis of a turbot farm are presented. The base case is a farm with annual production capacity of 133 tonnes. Investments in a turbot farm with production capacity of about 133 tonnes per year represent about € 4.3 million. To treble the production capacity to 400 tonnes, additional investments of about € 1.80 million are required. A number of sensitivity analyses were undertaken. An increase in the growth rate so that the average weight per fish per harvest is 1.5 kg as opposed to 1.2 kg in the baseline, leads to a reduction in production cost to € 4.32 per kg, or 15% less than in the base case.
In part III, a market analysis for sole, turbot and halibut is presented. Dover sole is currently farmed in very small quantities in countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece. The production increase over the next five years is expected to be limited; total production may possibly reach 1,000 tonnes. The average price is currently (May 2008) € 14 per kg, but fluctuates a lot. Cost of production is believed to be similar to that of turbot, although the juvenile cost will be higher. Dover sole is a popular product and has a very large market potential.
Galicia is the largest producing area for turbot in the world. The production is expected to increase from 5,900 tonnes in 2007 to 7,500 tonnes in 2008. World production of turbot was 7,800 tonnes in 2007 and is expected to reach almost 9,500 tonnes in 2008. Cost of production for large farms is € 5.00 – 5.50 per kg in Galicia. Packaging and transport is another € 1.00 on top of this. Smaller farms will, however, have higher costs of production. Turbot prices have been high over the past few years. The price has, however, shown a reduction in 2008; in July the price was recorded as € 7.00/kg.
Production increases for halibut are likely to be limited in the near future. Thus, the impact on price should be limited.
Important findings – designing Industrial Production Centres for Seafood
Task 4.2: Designing Industrial Parks for Aquaculture or Industrial Production Centres for Seafood (IPS) (see also DL 14 and 15)
THE EUROPEAN VISION FOR MARITIME AND AQUACULTURE CLUSTERS
The Aquaculture Cluster
EU has as indicated a net import of seafood products of more then 10,000 million Euro when corrected for export of seafood products – and the trend is increasing. The ambition should be to reduce this import in parallel to an expected increase in seafood consumption among European consumers. This can only be achieved through a staggering expansion of within EU aquaculture production.
Seeds for this expansion have been laid many places in Europe. Chile may illustrate the seed topic - as it started out during the early 1980s with salmon farming and reached 10,000 tonnes in 1990 – followed by an astonishing expansion in the next two decades – passing 700,000 tonnes in 2007 to a value beyond 2,000 million US$. A similar development might be achieved across Europe by drawing on strong regional and national motivation for sustainable enterprise expansion within aquaculture – with Greece as an encouraging European example of what can be achieved.
A great part of this expansion could take place at land-based facilities and more so since the new technology launched in this project reduces land use to 10-20% of that needed with conventional technology. The rapid progress within auxiliary sectors for land-based aquaculture – such as efficient recirculation technology also for seawater, farming of marine organisms in fresh water and adding of new attractive fish and shellfish species to the list of potential species to be cultured – opens up for new business concepts and farming in clusters located closer to important markets.
The development of the salmon industry is an excellent case to learn from - as it started out with a small production of a costly niche product and expanded into a commodity product accessible for almost any European citizen – due to efficient distribution and an affordable price. A similar trend may be expected for the next wave of seafood products from aquaculture - and more so if it is organised in a cluster structure that has diversification, competitiveness and sustainability as main priorities.
A cluster structure for aquaculture might be rather similar to that of many other sectors organised as clusters – although it is not without dangerous pitfalls. On one side the activity is co-located to take advantage of geography and interaction across a wide range of topics. On the other side individual clusters can be part of a web under an umbrella of a far larger structure to further take advantage of synergy effects. Numerous “umbrella clusters” are spread across Europe and to mention some few in the maritime sectors, you have ship building, maritime services, shipping, off-shore and fishing. A thorough and updated presentation of maritime clusters is given in the report “DYNAMIC EUROPEAN MARITIME CLUSTERS” (editor Wijnolst, 2006). The strong focus on maritime clusters has resulted in the formation of numerous EU instruments for dedicated enhancement of the sector, such as “Cluster linked over Europe (Cloe)” and as Waterborne In other important sectors of European economy similar structures exists with the “Paper Province” cluster between Sweden and Finland as one example. There even exists a cluster for better city planning in EU, as the BaltMet Inno for the Baltic region.
Important findings – socio-economic implications of the new rearing system
Task 4.3: Socio-economic implications of wide-spread installation of IPS for future European seafood industry (see also DL 14)
Better use of resources
In general seafood production with the shallow raceways technology will give 5-10 times more biomass/m2 surface of land than conventional farming technology. The far higher biomass production within this type of cluster might make it possible to establish a variety of auxiliary enterprises that might as well serve smaller neighbouring clusters or individual aquaculture companies in the same region, thus making the bigger cluster to an important resource for the region. The topic of the general lay out and the associated auxiliary industry are illustrated in Table 1 for an Aquaculture Cluster on 75ha of land with either conventional farming technology (CFT) or the shallow raceways technology (SRS).
Table 1 An Aquaculture Cluster on 75 ha of land with Conventional farming technology (CFT) and shallow raceways technology (SRS) and their resulting production characteristics.
|Production system |Net tank surface |Harvest kg/m2 |Production |First hand value in |Tonnes per |
| |m2 | |Per Year |Mill €/Year (8€/kg) |employee |
| | | |tonnes | | |
|1. New rearing concept, |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2007 |No patents foreseen |General knowledge and no |
|shallow raceways in | | | | |specific owner |
|racks, for demersal fish | | | | | |
|species | | | | | |
|2. Effects of reduced |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2007 |NA |NA |
|salinities on growth, | | | | | |
|feed conversion | | | | | |
|efficiency and blood | | | | | |
|physiology of Atlantic | | | | | |
|halibut | | | | | |
|3. Significant |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2007 |NA |NA |
|improvement of growth and| | | | | |
|feed conversion in SRS | | | | | |
|compared to conventional | | | | | |
|tanks | | | | | |
|4. Definition of metal |Technical knowledge |Aquaculture |2007 |NA |NA |
|toxicity tolerance for | | | | | |
|turbot | | | | | |
|5. Production of |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|bottom-dwelling fish | | | | |specific owner |
|juveniles in SRS | | | | | |
|6. A comprehensive |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|synthesis of water | | | | |specific owner |
|quality in SRS | | | | | |
|7. Blood physiology in |Biological knowledge |Aquaculture |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|different rearing units | | | | |specific owner |
|8. A SRS+Reuse+RAS system|Biological knowledge, |Aquaculture |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|and restore water quality|technical devise | | | |specific owner |
|en route | | | | | |
|9. Economic study of |Economic and technical |Aquaculture, fish |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|aquaculture in the SRS |knowledge |economics | | |specific owner |
|10. Prescription of |Economic and technical |Aquaculture |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|Industrial Parks for |knowledge | | | |specific owner |
|Aquaculture | | | | | |
|11. Market analysis for |Economic and technical |Aquaculture, fish |2008 |NA |General knowledge and no |
|sole, turbot and halibut |knowledge |economics | | |specific owner |
1. New rearing concept, shallow raceways (SRS) in racks, for demersal fish species
The consortium intends to exploit the results to improve competitiveness through introduction of the new rearing concept for European aquaculture. It will also promote the utilisation of the findings with respect to defined growth optima. In addition to the SME partners involved in the project, numerous private companies will be kept updated on the progress made in both pilot and industrial scale. The advantage of the SRS will be validated in a commercial scale trial, and made available for the aquaculture industry in Europe through scientific publications and presentation on trade conferences.
2. Effects of reduced salinities on growth, feed conversion efficiency and blood physiology of Atlantic halibut
It has been demonstrated that growth and feed conversion efficiency of juvenile Atlantic halibut can be improved by rearing fish at intermediate salinities. The general trend with lower plasma: sodium, glucose, pCo2, pH and HCO3- at 15‰ correspond to the observed higher growth and feed conversion efficiency in Atlantic halibut at this salinity. The results clearly show that the optimum conditions for farming Atlantic halibut, both with respect to growth rate and feed conversion, is at salinities lower than 32‰ with optima between 15-25‰.. This is an important finding for the halibut industry. The result will be made available to the European aquaculture industry through scientific publication.
3. Significant improvement of growth and feed conversion in SRS compared to conventional tanks
Our findings clearly show that that growth and feed conversion efficiency can be improved in turbot and spotted wolffish culture by rearing the fish in shallow raceways. These findings may have important consequences for optimization of commercial production of these species and could be applicable to other bottom dwelling species. The result will be made available to the European aquaculture industry through scientific publication and by feature article in a non-technical trade magazine.
4. Definition of metal toxicity tolerance in turbot
In Task 1.3 (metal toxicity studies) an experiment was carried out at the experimental facilities of Norwegian Inst. of Water Research in Norway in autumn 2006. The experiment demonstrated a generally high tolerance to iron in young turbot, and low acute toxicity was seen. Some mortality occurred at 1000 µg/l. There were some effects from the treatments reflected in blood gas physiology. Depending on the success and quality of the results scientific publication will be considered with recommendation of iron values to be used in land-based culture of turbot.
5. Production of bottom-dwelling fish juveniles in SRS
- Results from FISKEY´s trials with forced settlement of Atlantic halibut in shallow raceways were positive with high survival rates (up to 81%), but there are still some challenges as to the correct design of the raceways in terms of water inlet/outlet, water velocity (due to the unevenness of the salmon egg trays used as raceways), and the fact that the live feed (Artemia) used was transported through and out of the raceways very quickly.
- Rearing of young sea bream (41 days post hatch) in raceways was performed at TIMAR. These results of the study, which was carried out over 82 days (the fish increased from 18 mg to 200 mg during the course of the trial), were very promising as very high densities were attained. The knowledge obtained in these studies may be utilized by fish farmers and scientist both within and outside the consortium once published.
The results are not exploitable per se, but contributes to the biological knowledge already accumulated within the field of rearing biology, and may thus form a platform for further research and optimization of production in land-based intensive facilities.
6. A comprehensive synthesis of water quality in SRS
In several short-duration experiments implications of passing threshold limits for water quality parameters will be quantified for turbot (at AP) organized in sub-populations and being exposed to gradually increasing use of water and thus experiencing gradually increasing levels of metabolites (i.e. ammonia and CO2). Through these experiments it will be possible to form an image of the metabolic activity of the fish, and the strain they put on the rearing water under natural production routines and identify the threshold values causing reduced growth performance. Such data may provide a tool for foreseeing carrying capacity in SRS facilities based on a species tolerance limit to critical water quality parameters. Globally, the results obtained point in the direction of no visible effects of water reuse when turbot is cultivated in 15+15 m long shallow raceways in series, with within-tank sedimentation in their outlet, solids settling boxes using recycled seawater and high oxygen levels. This agrees with the first year experiments using one raceway partitioned in 4 replicated chambers. As no apparent effect of water quality was seen in juvenile turbot (even under the high level of CO2 registered at the outlet) this may be a result of a fish adaptation to the typical water quality values of the system. System stability, more than system WQ per se, might be the most important factor to consider in this context.
7. Blood physiology of turbot in different rearing units
It has been demonstrated that easily analyzed blood physiological parameters may be useful welfare indicators in turbot reared in land-based systems. The following observations of physiological alterations related to production system and water supply may be used for practical purposes in monitoring of turbot welfare:
➢ Blood ions: Na+ and K+ are influenced by salinity and decreases when salinity decreases. Baseline values of both in full salinity water are well known.
➢ Blood gases: Partial pressure of CO2 in blood increases when CO2 in water increases. A similar increase may be observed under hyperoxic conditions due to a reduction in gill ventilation frequency
➢ Acid-base balance: An increase in blood pH may indicate an increase in water CO2 content. The pH increase is a compensatory effect arising ionoregulatory adjustments that lead to a rise in plasma HCO3- concentration.
➢ Urea content: An increase in blood urea content may indicate an increase in water ammonia content, and is a detoxification process where ammonia is converted to the less toxic urea compound.
8. A SRS+Reuse+RAS system
A SRS+Reuse+RAS working with 7 cm water depth was implemented at the lab scale and a dedicated hardware and software monitoring system was developed for the on-line monitoring of the most important WQ parameters. The main achievement of this prototype installation is the possibility of getting a first insight on the challenges in design and operation of this particular aquaculture production system to the farmers and for on-line monitoring system development. Maintaining a stable SRS operation is difficult and it requires a correct tank design and careful monitoring of various system parameters. The enlarged spectrum of the prototype on-line WQ monitoring system developed is already an important innovation for the aquaculture industry, but its tailoring to the specific demands of SRS is by far more significant. It was also intended to be versatile, with the capability of integration of other parameters (e.g., aeration pressure or ammonia, as soon a transducer adapted to aquaculture recycle systems is available). Although this system was developed based on a real situation, it was not yet conveniently tested. Its future adaptation to a full-scale production farm should be done after a pilot-plant study.
9. Economic study of aquaculture in the SRS
The SRS is postulated to represent a resource-saving production concept and thus improve the overall economics of farming aquatic organisms. A variety of calculations will be made based on input data from the experiments and full-scale production to illustrate the potential of this technology. The intention is also to identify gains from specific production modules and prescribe the potential improvements to be observed through further innovation. Comparisons have been made with regard to economies of scale, as these are expected to be of particular importance.
Part 1. Economic analysis of a halibut farm.
In the base case, a farm with annual production capacity of 200 tonnes is analysed. Investments in this farm represent about € 1.9 million. To double the production capacity to 400 tonnes, which is also considered, additional investments of about € 1.35 million are required.
A doubling in output to 400 tonnes per year will reduce the average cost per kg of halibut produced from € 6.78 to € 5.88, a reduction of 13.3 % per kg. This indicates fairly important economies of scale. As additional investment costs are relatively lower than the increase in output, this indicates a source of economies of scale. In addition, with larger output the labour force and management are utilised more efficiently, which will also bring down cost of production.
Part II. Economic analysis of turbot farm
In part II, results from an economic analysis of a turbot farm are presented. The base case is a farm with annual production capacity of 133 tonnes. Investments in a turbot farm with production capacity of about 133 tonnes per year represent about € 4.3 million. To treble the production capacity to 400 tonnes, additional investments of about € 1.80 million are required.
In the base case with an annual output of 133 tonnes, average cost per kg turbot is € 7.54. An expansion in production capacity to an annual output level of 400 tonnes per year was also considered. This will reduce the average cost per kg of turbot produced to € 5.07, a reduction of about 33 % per kg compared to the smaller farm. This indicates quite substantial economies of scale. As additional investment costs are considerably less, relatively speaking, than the increase in output, this indicates a source of economies of scale. In addition, with larger output the labour force and management are utilised more efficiently, which will also bring down cost of production.
10. Prescription of Industrial Parks for Aquaculture
EU has as indicated a net import of seafood products of more then 10,000 million Euro when corrected for export of seafood products – and the trend is increasing. The ambition should be to reduce this import in parallel to an expected increase in seafood consumption among European consumers. This can only be achieved through a staggering expansion of within EU aquaculture production. Seeds for this expansion have been laid many places in Europe. Chile may illustrate the seed topic - as it started out during the early 1980s with salmon farming and reached 10,000 tonnes in 1990 – followed by an astonishing expansion in the next two decades – passing 700,000 tonnes in 2007 to a value beyond 2,000 million US$. A similar development might be achieved across Europe by drawing on strong regional and national motivation for sustainable enterprise expansion within aquaculture – with Greece as an encouraging European example of what can be achieved. A great part of this expansion could take place at land-based facilities and more so since the new technology launched in this project reduces land use to 10-20% of that needed with conventional technology. The rapid progress within auxiliary sectors for land-based aquaculture – such as efficient recirculation technology also for seawater, farming of marine organisms in fresh water and adding of new attractive fish and shellfish species to the list of potential species to be cultured – opens up for new business concepts and farming in clusters located closer to important markets. The development of the salmon industry is an excellent case to learn from - as it started out with a small production of a costly niche product and expanded into a commodity product accessible for almost any European citizen – due to efficient distribution and an affordable price. A similar trend may be expected for the next wave of seafood products from aquaculture - and more so if it is organised in a cluster structure that has diversification, competitiveness and sustainability as main priorities.
A cluster structure for aquaculture might be rather similar to that of many other sectors organised as clusters – although it is not without dangerous pitfalls. On one side the activity is co-located to take advantage of geography and interaction across a wide range of topics. On the other side individual clusters can be part of a web under an umbrella of a far larger structure to further take advantage of synergy effects. Numerous “umbrella clusters” are spread across Europe and to mention some few in the maritime sectors, you have ship building, maritime services, shipping, off-shore and fishing. A thorough and updated presentation of maritime clusters is given in the report “DYNAMIC EUROPEAN MARITIME CLUSTERS” (editor Wijnolst, 2006). The strong focus on maritime clusters has resulted in the formation of numerous EU instruments for dedicated enhancement of the sector, such as “Cluster linked over Europe (Cloe)” (Table 1) and as Waterborne (Table 1). In other important sectors of European economy similar structures exists with the “Paper Province cluster between Sweden and Finland as one example. There even exists a cluster for better city planning in EU, as the BaltMet Inno for the Baltic region.
11. Market analysis for sole, turbot and halibut
Dover sole
Dover sole is currently farmed in very small quantities in countries such as Spain (Galicia and the Canary Islands) and Greece. The production increase over the next five years is expected to be limited; total production may possibly reach 1,000 tonnes. The average price is currently (June 2008) € 14 per kg, but fluctuates a lot. Cost of production is believed to be similar to that of turbot, although the juvenile cost will be higher. This is because while turbot is harvested at a size of 1.0 – 2.0 kg per fish, sole is harvested at a weight of 350 g.
Dover sole is a popular product and has a very large market potential. As production increases in coming years are expected to be modest, they are likely to have a very limited impact on market price.
Turbot
Galicia is the largest producing area for turbot in the world. The production is expected to increase from 5,900 tonnes in 2007 to 7,500 tonnes in 2008. World production of turbot was 7,800 tonnes in 2007 and is expected to reach almost 9,500 tonnes in 2008. Among other things, as a consequence of Acuinova’s establishment of a turbot with a 7,000 tonne production capacity in Portugal, world output is expected to reach 15,000 tonnes in 2010. Cost of production for large farms is € 5.00 – 5.50 per kg in Galicia. Packaging and transport is another € 1.00 on top of this. Smaller farms will, however, have higher costs of production. Portugal may possibly have lower cost of production than Galicia. One reason for that are better transportation routes. Turbot prices have been high over the past few years. In Galicia, average ex-farm price was € 8 per kg or more for most of the period 2003-07. The price has, however, shown a reduction in 2008; in July the price was recorded as € 7.00/kg. One reason for this is likely to be the current the recession which, among other things, may reduce restaurant consumption. In addition, some companies appear to experience problems, which mean they must sell. This puts pressure on the price. According to the forecast mentioned above, turbot production may increase by more than 50% from 2008 to 2010. Turbot is a very popular product, and many markets remain to be exploited, in Europe and elsewhere. Nevertheless, such a large production increase in a two year period is likely to put a downward pressure on the price. The impetus is therefore on the producers to develop new markets.
Halibut
In terms of aquaculture, three countries globally record figures for the production of Atlantic halibut, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Norway (Fig. 3.3). Production globally has grown substantially since its take-off, and although Icelandic production stopped in 2003-2004, it continues to grow. UK production has increased from 1 tonne in 2000 to 272 tonnes in 2005. Similarly, Norwegian production has increased from its uptake at 424 tonnes in 2002 to 1,185 tonnes in 2005. In 2005 EU production equated to 23% of global production. The value of production has also increased, although not by the same extent (Fig. 3.4). Between 2002 and 2005 the value of United Kingdom output increased by only 11% and Norwegian output by 121%. The corresponding global increase was only 58%. When prices in the form of Euro per kg are derived (Fig. 3.5), however, there is some consistency in the price obtained by the three countries, with less than 10% divergence between them. Production increases for halibut are likely to be limited in the near future. Thus, the impact on price should be limited.
B. Dissemination of knowledge
Overview table
|Planned/actual| |Type of audience | |Size of |Partner responsible |
|Dates |Type | |Countries |audience |/involved |
| | | |addressed | | |
|May 06 |Press release(press/radio/TV) |General public |Iceland |60000 |B1 |
|May 06 |Media briefing |General public |Norway |10000 |B1, A6 |
|Jan 07 |Publications (Aquaculture) |Scientists, students |Several |10000 |B1, A2 |
|Feb. 07 |Publications (peer review journal,|Scientists, students |Several |1000 |B1, A3 |
| |PRJ) | | | | |
|Mar. 07 |Posters (World Aquaculture |General public |Several |2000 |B1 |
| |Society) | | | | |
|Jun 07 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1 |
|Sept 07 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1 |
|Nov 07 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B2 |
|Dec 07 |Presentation in national meeting |Scientist, student |Portugal, Spain |100 |B2 |
|Feb 08 |Presentation in national meeting |Scientist, student |Portugal, Spain |100 |B2 |
|Jan 08 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1-B4 |
|Feb 08 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1-B4 |
|March 08 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1,B2,B3 |
|Jun 08 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1-B4 |
|Sept 08 |Publications (PRJ) |Scientist, student |Several |1000 |B1-B4 |
|May 08[1] |PhD study (finished) |Scientist, student |Spain |50-100 |B2 |
|May 08[2] |Master study |Scientist, student |Portugal |50-100 |B2 |
|May 08[3] |Master study |Scientist, student |Portugal |50-100 |B2 |
|May 08[4] |Master study |Scientist, student |Portugal |50-100 |B2 |
In the first half of the project, dissemination of information about the project was limited to the consortium partners. During the second half of the project, articles have been submitted and published in scientific journals as well as in more industrially oriented magazines. These publications will include all scientific results in all areas of the projects. The SMEs, Universities and Research Institutes will allow the free use of scientific results obtained through the proposed project after their presentation through publications, international conferences and open workshops. These results will be available to all EU aquaculture industry.
Publications (peer review journals, PRJ)
In cooperation with the SMEs involved, data from both small scale laboratory trials and large scale industrial trials will be published, when feasible and agreed between all partners, in acknowledged scientific journals. Candidate journals are Aquaculture, Aquaculture Research, Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, Aquaculture International, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and Journal of the World Aquaculture Society.
Conferences and exhibitions
Data obtained in the project that are not subject to limitations, i.e. industrial protection, may be presented orally or as posters in national (within each country in question) and international conferences such as the annual meetings of the European Aquaculture Society.
Section 3 - Publishable results
The project will in the next reporting period produce rearing protocols in the form of scientific publications that will greatly contribute to the exploitation of turbot as an important aquaculture species in Europe. The biological part of the project will result in a number of distinct protocols for turbot rearing and ongrowing. However, it is important to acknowledge that the biological knowledge and expertise generated in the project is not seen as patentable and cannot be seen as an exploitable result in the same manner as technical innovations can.
C. Publishable results
Peer review publications
1. Imsland, A.K., Foss, A., Gunnarsson, S., Sparboe, L.O.. Øiestad, V. and Sigurðsson, S. 2007. Comparison of juvenile spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor growth in shallow raceways and circular tanks. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 38, 154-160.
2. Imsland, A.K., Gústavsson, A., Gunnarsson, S., Foss, A., Árnason, J., Jónsson, A., Smáradóttir, H., Arnarson, I. and Thorarensen, H. 2008. Effects of reduced salinities on growth, feed conversion efficiency and blood physiology of juvenile Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.). Aquaculture 274, 254-259.
3. Imsland, A.K., Jenssen, M.D., Jonassen, T.M. and Stefansson, S.O. 2008. Best among unequals? Effect of different size grading and social environments on the growth performance of juvenile Atlantic halibut. Aquaculture International (in press).
4. Magnussen, A.B., Imsland, A.K. and Foss, A. 2008. Interaction of different temperatures and salinities on growth, feed conversion efficiency and blood physiology in juvenile spotted wolffish Anarhichas minor Olafsen. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 39, 000-000.
5. Imsland, A.K., Gunnarsson, S., Foss, A. Sigurðsson, B. and Sigurðsson, S. 2008. Stocking Density and its influence on growth of spotted wolffish, Anarhichas minor, in shallow raceways. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 40, 000-000.
6. Imsland, A.K., Gunnarsson, S., Ásgeirsson, Á., Kristjánsson, B., Árnason, J., Jónsson, A.F., Smáradóttir, H. and Thorarensen, H. Long term rearing of Atlantic halibut at intermediate salinities: effect on growth and blood physiology. Journal of World Aquaculture Society (submitted).
7. Matos, A, Peixe, C, Borges, M-T, Henriques, I, Pereira, CM, Castro, PML, 2008 - Molecular and multivariate approach to the microbial community of a commercial shallow-raceway-marine recirculation system operating with a Moving Bed Biofilter. Submitted to Aquaculture.
8. Borges, M-T, Peixe, C, Matos, A, Pereira, CM, Castro, PML, Øiestad, V - Water quality and water reuse effects in shallow raceways combined with recirculation technology for the production of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). In prep.
9. Borges, M-T, Santos, I, Restivo, T, Gabriel, J, Pereira, CM – Waterscan – a prototype application for water quality evaluation in shallow raceway systems. In prep.
10. Matos, A, Borges, M-T, Castro, PML - Classical, molecular and multivariate analysis of bacterial diversity in a shallow-raceway-marine farm with water reuse and recirculation. In prep.
11. Borges, M-T, Ribeiro, H – Controlled evaluation of nitrification rates and carrier nitrifier enrichment as tools to improve MBBR performance. In prep.
12. Reig, L., Oca, J. A comprehensive tool to define criteria for the design and management of shallow raceways for flatfish culture. In prep.
13. Oca, J., Duarte, S., Reig, L. Laser scanning, a reliable method to assess flatfish distribution in a raceway. In prep.
14. Almansa, C., Reig, L., Oca. J. Evaluation of changes in flatfish distribution in shallow raceways according to changes in several rearing parameters evaluated by laser scanning. In prep.
15. Masaló, I., Moyà, A., Reig, L., Oca, J. Analysis of the influence of fish density and water depth in the hydrodynamics of a shallow raceway, using flatfish dummies and Residence Time Distribution analysis. In prep.
Proceedings, conferences, workshops, book chapters
16. Øiestad, V., Foss, A. and Imsland, A.K. 2007. Industrial aquaculture parks offer intensive alternative for land-based seafood production. Global Aquaculture Advocate 10 (5), 66-70.
17. Imsland, A.K. and Gunnarsson, S. 2008. Hlýri - Kjörin eldistegund við íslenskar aðstæður? (Spotted wolffish – An ideal candidate for fish farming in Iceland?). Náttúrufræðingurinn 76, 132-138 (in Icelandic with English abstract).
18. Matos, A, Borges, M-T, Castro, PML, 2007 – Microbial community distribution and dynamics in a shallow raceway recirculating mariculture system. Congress Micro’07-Biotec’07-XXXIIIJPG, Lisbon 30 Nov-2 Dez 2007, Abstract Book (Escola Superior de Biotecnologia Ed.), p. 136.
19. Peixe, C, Pereira, CM, Silva, F, Borges, M-T, 2008 – Sensor for amperometric determination of ammonia in seawater. IJUP08 – Young Researchers of University of Porto Meeting, Porto 20-22-Feb 2008, Abstract Book p. 127.
20. Oca, J., Duarte S., Reig, L. 2007. Evaluation of spatial distribution of flatfish by laser scanning. Aquaculture Europe 2007, "Competing claims" (Istanbul – Turkey). Book of abstracts, pp 157.
21. Reig, L., Oca, J. Tecnologies apropiades per l’aqüicultura a Catalunya. I. Simposi d’Aqüicultura. De Catalunya. XRAq de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Barcelona (Spain) 6-8 febrer 2008.
22. PhD course, The Economics of Salmon Aquaculture, CEMARE, University of Portsmouth, 1-5 September 2008: Presentation of “An Economic Analysis of a Turbot Farm” (T. Bjorndal).
23. The Economics of Salmon Aquaculture (T. Bjorndal and F. Asche, eds; Blackwell, 2009 forthcoming); section based on “An Economic Analysis of a Turbot Farm”.
24. Øiestad, V. and Bjørndal, T. 2007. INDUSTRIAL PARKS FOR AQUACULTURE, The International Symposium on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, 10th - 14th June 2007, Arendal, Norway, Book of Abstracts, p. 142.
25. Øiestad, V. and Bjørndal, T. 2007. PARQUES INDUSTRIALES DE ACUICULTURA, The International Symposium on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, 10th - 14th June 2007, Arendal, Norway, Book of Abstracts, p. 142.
26. Øiestad, V. 2007. Industrial Parks for Aquaculture – now launched in Spain. Presentation during the conference “Farming the Sea”, Refsnes Gods – Moss (Norway), 21st and 22nd of August 2007
27. Øiestad, V. and Pérez Carracasco, L.A. 2007. Nuevos sistemas de producción en tierra: Una oportunidad para el liderazgo tecnológico, Ruta Pesquera, Nov 2007, pp 18-19.
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[1] Masalo, I.. – Hydrodynamic characterisation of aquaculture tanks and design criteria for improving self-cleaning properties. PhD thesis in Food and Agriculture Biotechnology. Department of Food and Agriculture Engineering and Biotechnology of the Technical University of Catalonia. Castelldefels. February, 2008. Supervisor: Oca, J.
[2] Matos, A. – Classical, molecular and multivariate analysis of bacterial diversity in a shallow-raceway-marine farm with water reuse and recirculation. MSc in Ecology, Environment and Territory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 2007-2008. Supervisors: Borges, M-T (DZA-FCUP and Ciimar-UP), Castro, PML (ESB-UCP). Thesis submission: July 2008. Public presentation: to be scheduled. (Executive Summary in Annex I)
[3] Peixe, C. – Preparation and characterization of ammonium ion sensors. MSc in Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 2007-2008. Supervisors: Pereira, CM (DQ-FCUP and CIQ-UP), Borges, M-T (DZA-FCUP and Ciimar-UP). Thesis submission: to be scheduled. Public presentation: to be scheduled. (Executive Summary in Annex I)
[4] Ribeiro, H. – Studies on nitrification in biofilms of a MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) biofilter operating in a marine fish farm. MSc in Environmental Science and Technology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 2007-2008. Supervisors: Borges, M-T (DZA-FCUP and Ciimar-UP), Castro, PML (ESB-UCP). Thesis submission: October 2008. Public presentation: to be scheduled. (Executive Summary in Annex I)
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