WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2012 19 leg cages (Darko Lisac of RefaMed) and testing of more robust surface pens and unanchored ‘drifter cages’ (Neil Sims, of Kampachi Farms). New advances in net pens and service vessels for exposed Norwegian salmon farm sites were presented by Finn Willumsen of AquaCulture Engineering AS, and Mats Heide of SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture, respectively. Individual farm sites in Norway are now up to 12,000 t production capacity, using 160 m diameter net pens, and serviced with boats over 80 m in length. On the last afternoon of sessions, Hayri Deniz of the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock gave an overview of the government’s role in supporting industry expansion, including regulations intended to foster farm growth further offshore, as part of integrated coastal management plans. Turkey now has the third fastest growth rate in aquaculture globally, he stated. This was then followed by two company presentations detailing the rapid expansion in seabass and sea bream production in Turkey. Oznur Yildiz of Kilic Sea Products described her company’s present rate of growth at over 40 percent per year. Ozlem Guzel of Camli Feed Products and Pinar Aquaculture outlined the vertically integrated approach of her company, and the broader Turkish industry. On the final day, conference attendees were give a first-hand Attendees at the Offshore Mariculture Conference in Izmir, Turkey. look at the booming Turkish aquaculture industry, as they were hosted on a tour of fish processing facilities; a boat trip out to exposed farm sites for seabass, seabream and tuna; and a walk-through of marine fish hatchery facilities in the Izmir area. Attendees at the Conference included both experienced and aspiring investors and entrepreneurs; fish farm owners, managers and operators; makers and distributors of net pens and mesh materials; feedstuff suppliers and feed manufacturers; and researchers into new species, new farm technologies, genetics, and fish health. Over 25 nationalities were represented at the Conference, including attendees from Chile, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, UK, USA, Australia, Israel and Lebanon. The Conference Gala Dinner on the super-yacht Lamia — hosted by the Turkish government — offered a superb sampling of Turkish seafood — mostly cultured, of course — and Turkish olives, cheeses, wines and music. Many new friendships were forged on the aft deck of the SY Lamia that night. The dates and venue for the 2014 Offshore Mariculture Conference will be released shortly. — Contributed by Isobel Roberts, Events Marketing Manager, Mercator Media Ltd. New Publication: Genetic Risks Associated with Marine Aquaculture A new technical memorandum has been published by NOAA and is available on the Northwest Fisheries Science Center website (www.nwfsc.noaa.gov). The technical memorandum, authored by Robin Waples, Kjetil Hindar, and Jeffrey Hard, is intended to provide an overview of potential genetic risks on natural populations from a conservation perspective. It identifies areas where additional studies are needed, provides a framework for balancing risks, and supplies examples of how adequate monitoring and evaluation might be done. In the Executive Summary, the authors summarize findings from previous experience with salmon aquaculture, hatcheries, marine stock enhancement, and agriculture as follows: 1. The most reliable way to ensure long-term sustainability is to conserve a diverse array of natural populations. 2. Some genetic change associated with artificial propagation is inevitable and can be desirable from a production standpoint; however, it is not inevitable that changes to cultured populations will have substantial genetic effects on natural populations. 3. A certain level of escapes probably cannot be avoided, particularly when production is scaled to increase profitability; therefore, risk assessments should accept this reality and account for potential effects on natural populations. 4. However, to make a genetic impact, escapes must survive and reproduce successfully in the wild. The capability of escaped fish to do this can vary widely, depending on a variety of factors. In general, fitness in the wild of captively reared individuals decreases with number of generations in captivity. 5. Some genetic risks are inversely correlated, such that reducing one risk simultaneously increases another. 6. An effective monitoring component is important but cannot compensate for failure to implement risk-averse strategies. Even ambitious monitoring programs might have low power to detect adverse effects before serious harm is caused. The memorandum characterize the risks and benefits of artificial propagation and marine aquaculture to natural populations. The publication includes a number of approaches that have been implemented to manage those risks, including an Aquaculture Genetic Management Plan described in detail in an appendix.
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