WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 1 VOLUME 45, NUMBER 1 THE MAGAZINE OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY MARCH 2014 W RLD AQUACULTURE Aquaculture in South Australia
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WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 1 WORLD AQUACULTURE MAGAZINE WORLD AQUACULTURE magazine is published by the World Aquaculture Society. The home office address is: World Aquaculture Society, 143 J.M. Parker Coliseum, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA. Tel: +1-225-578-3137; Fax: +1-225-578-3493; e-mail: carolm@was.org. World Aquaculture Society Home Page: www.was.org WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY OFFICERS, 2013-2014 Dr. Michael Schwarz, President Dr. Graham Mair, President-Elect Dr. Kevan Main, Past President Dr. Rebecca Lochmann, Secretary Dr. William Daniels, Treasurer DIRECTORS Dr. Jimmy Avery Dr. Juan Pablo Lazo Dr. Luís André Sampaio Dr. Sandra E. Shumway Dr. Francisco Gomes Mr. Roy Palmer CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVES Farshad Shishehchian, Asian Pacific Kathleen Hartman, USAS Antonio Garza de Yta, Latin America and Caribbean Kwang-Sik Choi, Korea HOME OFFICE STAFF Carol Mendoza, Director, carolm@was.org Judy E. Andrasko, Assistant Director, JudyA@was.org WORLD AQUACULTURE EDITORIAL STAFF John Hargreaves, Editor-in-Chief Mary Nickum, Editor Linda Noble, Layout Editor WAS CONFERENCES AND SALES John Cooksey, Director of Conferences and Sales World Aquaculture Conference Management P.O. Box 2302, Valley Center, CA 92082 Tel: +1-760-751-5005; Fax: +1-760-751-5003 e-mail: worldaqua@aol.com MANUSCRIPTS AND CORRESPONDENCE: Submit manuscripts as Microsoft Word files to Mary Nickum, Editor, World Aquaculture magazine. E-mail: mjnickum@gmail.com. Letters to the Editor or other comments should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief, John Hargreaves at jhargreaves@was.org. WORLD AQUACULTURE (ISSN Number 1041-5602) is published quarterly by the World Aquaculture Society, 143 J.M. Parker Coliseum, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 USA. Library subscriptions are $50 annually for United States addresses, and $65 annually for addresses outside the United States. Individual subscriptions are a benefit of membership in the World Aquaculture Society. Annual membership dues: Students, $45; Individuals, $65; Corporations (for-profit), $255; Sustaining, $105 (individuals or non-profits); Lifetime (individuals), $1,100; E-Membership, $10 (no publications, meeting discounts and not an active member in last five years). Periodicals Postage paid at Baton Rouge, Louisiana and additional mailing offices. Twenty-five percent of dues is designated for a subscription to World Aquaculture magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the World Aquaculture Society, 143 J.M. Parker Coliseum, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 USA. ©2013, The World Aquaculture Society. ■ W RLD AQUACULTURE VOL. 45 NO. 1 MARCH 2014 Cover: Net-pen aquaculture of southern bluefin tuna in South Australia. PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND REGIONS SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 7 Aquaculture is Losing an Icon: Gary Jensen, National Program Leader for Aquaculture at USDA, Retires Granvil Treece 10 World Aquaculture Adelaide Set for June 11 Aquaculture in South Australia 15 Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2013 18 Fish Farming in Land-Based Closed-Containment Systems Steven Summerfelt and Laura Christianson 24 Aquaculture without Frontiers 2003-2012: A Decade of Voluntary Service for the Poor in Developing Countries Michael Bernard New 41 A Review of Sportfish Pond Fertilization Studies at Auburn University Claude E. Boyd 47 Community-Based Aquatic Food Production in Waterlogged Areas of Noakhali, Bangladesh A.K.M. Ruhul, Amin Sarker, M. Shahadat Hossain and Nani Gopal Das 52 The Use of Egg Analogs to Increase Natural Production of Steelhead Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss James M. Barron, Ron Twibell, Heidi Hill, Michael Newsom and Ann Gannam 58 The Bin-Silo System: A Simple Spawning Method for Bivalve Shellfish Brenda J. Landau 62 Effects of Linseed Oil Supplementation on the Nutrient Composition of Fillets of a Sturgeon Hybrid Acipenser ruthenus x Acipenser baeri J.Káldy, Á. Szilágyi , G. Szilágyi, L. Szathmári 66 Use of Mikania cordata Extract to Control Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome Disease in Tripura, India Debtanu Barman, Vikash Kumar, Suvra Roy, Kundan Kumar and K.V.Rajendran (CONTENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)
2 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG President’s Column It is now becoming abundantly clear that writing WAS President’s columns is well suited to air travel as I am presently flying home (Norfolk, Virginia) from Aquaculture America 2014, held February 9-12 in Seattle, Washington. This was a great conference, led by the United States Aquaculture Society and hosting over 1,800 attendees and 135 booths. I also recently had the pleasure to attend APA 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, hosted by the Asia Pacific Chapter of WAS. We leveraged this opportunity to conduct the mid-year WAS board meeting at this venue. This APA meeting was likewise also very well attended, with over 2,500 attendees and 115 tradeshow booths. Within the next few months I will be representing WAS at the upcoming FEEDing Pakistan Aquaculture Conference in Lahore, Pakistan April 2-3 and the American Fisheries Society-Mexico Chapter Western Division Annual Meeting, April 7-11 in Mazatlán, Mexico. At that meeting, the WAS and the LAC Chapter will be co-sponsoring a special session titled “Emerging Opportunities for Culture of Marine Fishes in Mexico.” In keeping with the travel theme, prior to departing for Aquaculture America 2014, I had just returned from the inaugural Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), which was held February 3-5 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the UAE. The theme for the conference focused on agriculture innovations in arid-land regions, a natural fit for aquaculture. In the planning for GFIA, WAS became a Foundation Partner for the conference, participated on the Steering Committee, round-table discussions, and through organization of a “Power Forum” on aquaculture innovations. These aquaculture innovations included the Vellela open-ocean drifter cage, integrated multitrophic aquaculture, aquaponics, biofuels, enabling technologies, and much more. This was a very exciting and successful conference that brought together over 2,000 participants from 60 nations as well as 20 governmental delegations, demonstrated over 150 agriculture innovations, and hosted a tremendous trade show that ran for the duration of the program. The importance of food safety and security in the region was made evidently clear, balanced by a suite of emerging enabling technologies towards sustainable agriculture development in arid-land regions. The organizers of this conference (Turret Media) are already making plans for a bigger and better GFIA conference in 2015 and WAS is planning to enhance its participation in this next event. Now I wish to address a very important issue relating to the benefits of WAS membership, with special reference to publications. At present, through the Publications Committee and our editors and editorial boards, WAS publishes the magazine World Aquaculture, the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society and topical books on a regular basis. Presently the WAS Board is conducting an in-depth assessment of these publication member benefits. As part of this assessment, a survey will be sent to all WAS members to determine how these services are valued, if they are meeting membership needs and expectations, and to see if there are things that can be done better or differently to enhance publication benefits to members. You should expect to see this survey sometime in March 2014. I strongly urge you to take the time to complete this survey and to let us know your thoughts on the present WAS member publication benefits and what we can do to make them better. We on the WAS Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and Home Office are here to serve you, the members of WAS, as best as possible and to do so we need this important information from the membership. Once the survey results are compiled, they will be incorporated, along with input requested from the Past-Presidents Committee and past and present WAS publication editors into ongoing analyses and considerations within the WAS Board and Publications Committee. All input will contribute to proposed actions that will be considered during the upcoming annual WAS board meeting that will be held in conjunction with WA 2014 in Adelaide, Australia. Hopefully many of you are planning to attend what is developing into an exceptional program in an amazing location. This will be the first time since 1999 that Australia is hosting World Aquaculture, with the meeting being a joint event co-hosted by the WAS and the highly successful biennial Australasian Aquaculture. Be sure to mark your calendars, take advantage of early registration rates, and consider participating in some of the amazing tours that are being arranged by the organizing committee. — Michael Schwarz, President Contents (continued) Society 2 President’s Column 3 USAS Report 3 Latin American and Caribbean Chapter Report 4 Asian Pacific Chapter Report 5 Editor’s Note 6 In Memoriam 69 Future Conferences and Expositions 70 Conference Calendar 72 Advertisers’ Index 72 Membership Application
WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 3 CHAPTER REPORTS I am writing this column just a few days before the start of Aquaculture America 2014 in Seattle. In contrast to my funk when writing my last column (because of dead fish), I am like a child shortly before Christmas. Although I truly look forward to the technical presentations, I get most excited by the prospect of seeing all the new advances in equipment at the trade show. Although my excitement could be dismissed as “boys and their toys,” I learned many things at the trade show that have led to marked improvements in my aquaculture practices and courses. The Aquaculture America annual meetings are invaluable to our members and should be on all of our travel schedules (if at possible). Organizing our annual meetings requires an enormous amount of work, by our professional staff, headed by John Cooksey, and our volunteers. For Aquaculture America 2014, we owe particular gratitude to Wendy Sealey, who willingly took on the roles of both Conference Chair and Program Chair. Whoever said, “When the going gets tough, ask a woman” must have had Wendy in mind. One of the most pleasant roles that the USAS President has is to present the USAS professional achievement awards. I am very pleased that our Professional Awards Subcommittee selected two long-time friends and former classmates. Carole Engle will receive the USAS Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her outstanding personal contributions to the USAS and the US aquaculture industry. She is a USAS Past-President and has served on numerous Society committees. Further, Carole has made many contributions to the field of aquaculture economics and was instrumental in the development of the world-class aquaculture program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Gary Jensen is this year’s recipient of USAS Lifetime Achievement Award that recognizes an individual who has made contributions and broad impacts throughout their career to aquaculture in the United States through research, education, extension and/or industry development. Gary has been active in fisheries and aquaculture since 1970, first as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador, to several university posts and then on to USDA. He was appointed in 2010 to serve as chair of the federal Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture. Gary’s work and dedication to US aquaculture exemplifies commitment and passion. I am proud to call Carole and Gary friends and colleagues. This is my last column as USAS President and I will be passing the gavel to the able hands of Kathleen Hartman. I want to thank everyone who helped me during my term of office. Some of the goals I set as President were met and others just started. We are financially stable, thanks in large part to Secretary/Treasurer Reg Blaylock. We are moving more rapidly into social media by teaming up with AquacultureHub and are in the process of improving our website. The future of our industry is looking more positive as government officials and many of our friends in the environmental community have recognized that aquaculture can play a significant role in the sustainable production of food and energy. This change is due, in large part, to the efforts of our members in promoting our industry and dispelling falsehoods. I look forward to continuing to serve USAS in other capacities. — Kevin Hopkins, President U.S. Aquaculture Society I am really happy about the results of the WAS Mid-Year Board Meeting that took place in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, during the Asian Pacific Chapter regional meeting (Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2013). I would like to formally congratulate the APC and the Home Office for their incredible job organizing such a significant event. I am looking forward to further cooperation between the LACC and APC. During the conference in HCMC, I was able to participate in a meeting between authorities from Mexico and Thailand, seeking to exchange experiences on the way both governments are facing the Early Mortality Syndrome that has affected shrimp culture in both countries. This kind of exchange should happen more often and WAS should be a big promoter of it. Interregional workshops and experiences are extremely valuable, especially on topics as sensitive as the one treated in Vietnam. Coming back to the results that took place in HCMC, the most important of which is that, starting July 1, the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter and the APC will each have an Executive Officer to support chapter activities. The role of this Executive Officer will be crucial to improve the organization of our regional meetings and especially the services offered to our members. The main tasks of this permanent member of LACC will be to open channels of communication between the membership and the Board and to promote WAS and LACC membership in the region. As has been said repeatedly worldwide, our region is where new aquaculture is going to develop, and the LACC must provide an array of high-quality services to support members in their day-to-day activities of facing new challenges. In the near future, we will be organizing the committees that will perform the main activities of the LACC during the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)
4 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS LACC Column, continued from page 3 next couple of years. Please let us know which of the committees you would like to join and about any innovative idea that we should add to our work plan. As a reminder, the committees and their chairs are: Rules and Regulations (Maria Celia Portella), Publications (Pablo Gonzalez), Student Activities (Marcelo Shei), Awards (Patricia Moraes Valenti) and Promotion and Membership (Lorenzo Juarez). We plan to have the basic structure and goals of these committees on the LACC webpage very soon. In the next issue of World Aquaculture, we will be presenting details about our next LACQUA conference, which will most likely take place in November. Stay tuned and mark your calendar; we are planning for an unforgettable event. I look forward to hear any comment you have about our chapter. — Antonio Garza de Yta, President It might be a big surprise to see me as PresidentElect writing this note instead of Amrit Bart, who was announced as President during the recent APA 2013 meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Amrit Bart had to relocate to Georgia in the US and therefore has had to resign as President of APC. This has automatically put me on the spot as the presumptive new President, but confirmation will be made at the next APC Board meeting. It is a great honor to be able to contribute to the World Aquaculture Society and the Asian Pacific Chapter. To briefly introduce myself, I am President and CEO of Blue Aqua International Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based company providing one-stop solutions for aquaculture. Concurrently I am also the Founder and President of the Asian Aquaculture Network (AAN), a regional professional network of communication and knowledge-sharing of practical information in aquaculture. The Asia Pacific Aquaculture 2013 Conference and Trade Show, held in Ho Chi Minh City from 10-13 December 2013, was a huge success. With more than 2500 participants, over 120 exhibitors and 9 conference sessions from more than 20 countries, participants expressed their satisfaction overall. There were seminars, workshops and farm tours. We believe that this event has brought in new perspectives and built greater and stronger relationships for the APC. Thanks go to the organization committee, especially Lukas Manomaitis, and everyone else who made it possible for the great achievement of APA 2013. I would like to give special thanks to all of our sponsors as well. As the new year of 2014 has started, I would like to highlight some of the activities planned for this year. First, we are continuing with the plan to have a full-time Secretariat for the APC on a five-year trial basis with shared support and funding from WAS and the APC. This will result in full-time support and focus on our membership and events. We are also creating a new APC website (targeting a rollout in May) that will be more attractive with more frequent updates. Throughout my time as a board member of the APC, I would like to bring in more challenging responsibilities. I would like to create more regional small symposia related to the Asia Pacific region. I am going to apply full effort to focus more on current issues, especially on diseases such as Early Mortality Syndrome in shrimp. I will also give effort to expanding the APC and getting new members, including from South Asia and the Middle East. The APC is growing and expanding at a fast pace and there are exciting events coming up. The next event in the region is World Aquaculture 2014 in Adelaide, Australia on June 7-11. Another event to look out for is World Aquaculture 2015 that will be held on Jeju Island, South Korea in May 2015. Will be looking forward to meeting you all there! Last but not least, I would like to thank all the past and present members who have helped with the Chapter, especially APC Directors and board members. I want to thank Roy Palmer, APC Events Managers and special thanks to Lukas Manomaitis, Immediate Past President. Lukas has created major changes in our chapter and I can frankly say that he was the most devoted and enthusiastic WAS Chapter president I have seen. I understand that a lot of responsibilities and pressure comes with the position that I am holding. I cannot promise that I will be best but I promise that I will give full support to our team. — Farshad Shishehchian, President Asian Pacific Chapter ABOVE. From left to right, Roy Palmer, Lukas Monomaitis, Antonio Garza de Yta, Farshad Shishehchian and Amrit Bart at APA13 in Ho Chi Minh City.
WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 5 Editor’s Note I have been in recent discussion with colleagues, most editors of aquaculture journals, about the generally poor quality of manuscripts that are being considered for publication in the peer-reviewed literature. Fortunately, as editor of this magazine, representing the gray literature, the quality of papers submitted has been generally good, but quite variable, at least as far as a magazine is concerned. My journal editor colleagues are, however, rather frustrated and are casting about for solutions; some are looking for a collective response. There are many dimensions to the problem and there are no easy answers. One relatively recent development is the push by the Chinese scientific establishment to require scientists to publish in the top journals in their field. Apparently advancement in the Chinese academy is contingent on publication in such journals. Cash bonuses are awarded to scientists that publish in Nature or Science. Needless to say, this creates some perverse incentives that lead to short-cuts of many kinds on the part of contributing authors. Another dimension to the problem is the trickle-down of manuscripts from the top (or specialized) journals to those with lower impact factors or reputation. Leaving aside inherent problems with impact factors, manuscripts that are rejected from the top journals are resubmitted (often with little or no revision) to multiple journals before all options are exhausted. It is not just bad writing, but bad science, that is behind the high rejection rate and the poor quality of submitted manuscripts. Bad writing is really a symptom of the larger problem of bad science. It is truly remarkable that in this day and age, of global communications and a large, generally well-trained cadre of professional scientists worldwide, that basic skills like formulating and executing a research plan are lacking. Furthermore, there is far too much research involving reinventing the wheel, splitting hairs by refining this or that nutrient requirement and not enough creative thinking about major information gaps in the field. The discussion among our group veered from a specific focus on the quality of submitted manuscripts to the broader issue of professional conduct and standards. Again, given that bad writing is a symptom of bad science, how can these standards be raised? One of our group suggested that the problem for aquaculture scientists in developing countries is associated with the lack of support and mentorship by the larger aquaculture research community. Often, aquaculture scientists in developing countries are operating as islands or as part of very small, poorly-funded research groups with a highly hierarchical structure. This scenario is not conducive to professional development. Several of my editor colleagues have conducted seminars and made presentations on how to publish a scientific paper. These are invariably well attended and well received. This topic has been an element of almost every student session at WAS conferences. However, it seems as though this effort has been insufficient at raising the bar of submitted papers. Similar to other gaps between rich and poor nations, the quality of science from developing countries seems to be falling ever farther behind that of more developed, wealthier countries. What can be done? There are doubtless more aquaculture scientists alive now than there ever have been in human history. Like all scientific establishments, the body of knowledge grows and scientists advance in their careers. The senior ranks of aquaculture scientists around the world represent our collective memory and experience. Of course, there is no obligation that these scientists transmit their knowledge and wisdom to a younger generation. However, we often talk about aquaculture sustainability but don’t talk much about the sustainability of aquaculture science, something for which active mentorship is an integral component. Senior aquaculturists must become more involved, especially in developing countries, with the development of their junior colleagues. In a way, this is similar to the cycle of poverty, where the poor tend to stay poor because of entrenched institutional factors. Somehow, scientists must find a way to break the cycle of bad science begetting bad science and improve their performance and skills. One problem within the traditional academic establishment is that students are provided with a technical education but not provided the kind of skills training (generically) that allows them to become good scientists. Many of these issues, such as scientific integrity, cut across every topic in a typical curriculum. Rarely are they dealt with explicitly. Curriculum reform and changes to teaching methods can help address this issue. Returning to my editor colleagues and the specific issue of improving the quality of submitted manuscripts, one option to consider would be the creation of an International Committee of Aquaculture Journal Editors, patterned after other boards established for similar purposes. This mechanism might allow concerted and coordinated action to reach aquaculture scientists. It is clear that the effort must be continuous and sustained for any real change to occur — John A. Hargreaves, Editor-in-Chief Robinson Wins Best Paper Award To entice contributions of high-quality articles describing original work, the WAS Board of Directors has committed to support a “best paper” award for articles published in World Aquaculture magazine. The WAS Awards Committee concurs that the article written by Georgina Robinson will receive the award as the best paper of those published in the four issues of 2013. The article, “A Bright Future for Sandfish Aquaculture,” provided an excellent global overview of sea cucumber aquaculture. Georgina also arranged for the delightful photograph that graced the cover of the March issue. Georgina is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, working in collaboration with Rhodes University in South Africa. Potential contributors should take note that this award will be ongoing and made annually. Developing Professionalism Among Aquaculture Scientists
6 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG In Memoriam The U.S. aquaculture industry lost a great friend with the passing of Richard Nelson, who with his cousins Chris and Dana Nelson, operated Nelson & Sons, manufacturers of premium fish feeds in Murray and Tooele, Utah. Richard, or Dick to his family, spent his entire career working for Nelson & Sons, starting after he graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree (English Language and Literature, magna cum laude) until his retirement in 2012. Richard suffered a cardiac arrest while shoveling snow in his driveway on December 19. He was 60 years old and enjoyed excellent health prior to his death. Richard was more than well known in the U.S. aquaculture community; he was an influential player who was as active as anybody else in the field. He held leadership roles in a number of professional organizations, such as the U.S. Trout Farmer’s Association (Vice President), the National Aquaculture Association (Secretary) and the National Organic Aquaculture Working Group (Co-Chair), over a span of decades. Richard exerted his influence in a unique way. He was never a dominating or forceful advocate for a given position or side in a debate, but rather a thoughtful, eloquent and positive colleague who advanced discussions using logic to illuminate problems and possible solutions. He tended to take a holistic view rather than getting lost in the details. However he also knew the details. In short, he was someone who was gifted at getting a group to consensus using his knowledge and intellect, coupled with his calm demeanor. By the end of discussions, everyone was usually on his side and happy to be there. Richard’s personality and approach to life set the tone for the business practices of Nelson & Sons, especially in connection with relations with clients. He approached every issue assuming that fairness and reason would prevail, and a mutually-satisfactory resolution would be found. He was clear-headed in his business dealings but never cynical or dismissive of the motives or opinions of others. As a result, Nelson & Sons was always viewed as a market leader in the fish feed business. They were rightly perceived to be a quality company that made quality products. Richard was always interested in research, a fact that endeared him to fish nutrition researchers like me. Over the years, he served as an advisor to several working groups doing fish nutrition research for the Western Regional Aquaculture Center. He saw to it that we could obtain feed ingredients from Nelson & Sons for our research projects, even if it meant sending someone (maybe himself) out with a shovel and bag to collect a kilo or two of some ingredient from a large bin. He was always available to discuss our research ideas and to assist in designing feeding trials so that they would be relevant to the fish feed industry. No matter what was happening at the office, when we called he Richard Nelson (1953-2013) would calmly listen to our questions and openly discuss possible solutions. He never made people feel as if he did not have time to listen to them. On a personal note, conversations with Richard provided me with new and valuable insights that enhanced my research and my understanding of the ‘real world’ of fish nutrition. Although most of us in the aquaculture community called him Richard, we all considered him to be good friend and he made us feel we were part of his extended family. He will be greatly missed. — Ronald W. Hardy, University of Idaho Richard was a strong tireless advocate for domestic and international aquaculture. He gave of himself and his business (Nelson and Sons Silver Cup Feed). Profound, always precise and certainly pragmatic, Richard was an articulate and persuasive defender of aquaculture and the promise it has always offered. He recognized early that there was value in organic certification and served diligently in the effort to define organic aquaculture for domestic fish and shell fish farmers. He and the Nelson’s worked tirelessly in support of aquaculture development, particularly in the search for environmentally sustainable feed ingredients. He was a firm believer in the application of the scientific method to help foster technologic development in aquaculture. Yet, he recognized that trial and error were part of the process. He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and seemed to welcome requests to track things down. He was often called “sleuth” as a consequence. Richard, on behalf of Silver Cup Feed, invested in various aquaculture associations, believing each had value for promoting aquaculture and helping it to thrive. He believed that education of policymakers and aquaculturists would be essential if aquaculture was to prosper in the US. As such, he and the Nelson’s were longterm financial supporters of various aquaculture associations including the National Aquaculture Association. Richard served many years as a board member and secretary of the NAA. He was always a keen advocate for all species and above all wanted to ensure the board fairly considered all sides of an issue. He was firm in his advocacy but always civil towards differing views. The richness and philosophical insight of Richard Nelson will be missed. — Randy MacMillan, Clear Springs Foods Richard Nelson was a strong and persistent driving force for organic aquaculture for many years. Richard participated in the first organic aquaculture workshop in 2000 at the University of Minnesota that began the process for establishing USDA standards for organic fish and shellfish. In 2004, Richard, along with Gary Jensen and me, co-founded the National Organic Aquaculture Working Group (NOAWG), an unofficial, ad hoc association of almost 100 aquaculturists interested in organic aquaculture. Over (CONTINUED ON PAGE 72)
WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 7 Gary Jensen is leaving his position as national program leader for aquaculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture after 32 years of service with the Department and two Land Grant universities. Gary has dedicated his career to working with industry organizations and the university community to address critical needs, including farm worker safety, national effluent regulations, national organic aquaculture standards, seafood HACCP training, new animal drug approvals and more. Gary became interested in aquaculture as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador in 1970-72. After technical training at Oklahoma State University, he was a member of the first group of volunteers to initiate a nationwide fish culture program in research and extension. He left the School of Fisheries at the University of Washington to join the Peace Corps and later returned to complete his B.S. degree, then followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Auburn University. He led technical training programs in numerous Latin American countries while at Auburn University in cooperation with the US Agency for International Development. He was a member of a technical assistance team that developed a national aquaculture center in Egypt in 1981-1983 while working for the International Center for Aquaculture at Auburn. Gary was the first aquaculture extension specialist for Kentucky State University, from 1983 to 1985. He served as state aquaculture extension specialist for the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center from 1985 until 1990, when he became USDA’s first full-time national program leader for aquaculture. At USDA While at USDA, Gary administered, evaluated and coordinated aquaculture research and extension programs in partnership with the Land Grant university system, other client organizations and government agencies for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. He managed a significant part of the research portfolio and collaborated with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service on national aquaculture stakeholder workshops, including recent webinars to solicit stakeholder input on critical problems and priorities. He was federal manager for the Regional Aquaculture Centers and assisted the USDA Small Business Innovation Research Program. He collaborated with Land Grant and Sea Grant partners to form the National Aquaculture Educators Network, create the Aquaculture Network Information Center (AquaNIC), and establish the USDA-NOAA National Aquaculture Extension Steering Committee. He worked with NOAA Sea Grant in organizing five national aquaculture extension conferences and with NOAA’s Office of Aquaculture and USDA Agricultural Research Service on the alternative feeds initiative and report, The Future of Aquafeeds. Gary helped lead a collaborative project with the United States Aquaculture Society, American Fisheries Society Fish Culture Section and National Shellfisheries Association to evaluate aquaculture education at postsecondary institutions in the United States. He led several external reviews of university departments with recommendations to improve research, extension and higher education programs and functions. He has authored book chapters, scientific publications, technical papers and extension materials and had many opportunities over the years to present and share experiences, visions and information at national and international conferences. Interagency Task Force He was appointed by the Administration in 2010 to serve as chair of the Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture, where he led interagency efforts to advance aquaculture development in the nation. He helped lead the Working Group on Aquaculture Drugs, Biologics and Pesticides (for more than 15 years) and led the National Effluents Task Force (for 5 years) that assisted US Environmental Protection Agency develop national effluent limitation guidelines and standards for aquaculture facilities. Recent work focused on a National Strategic Plan for Federal Aquaculture Research and a new Aquaculture Regulatory Task Force to improve permitting for shellfish aquaculture and new operations in federal waters, considered milestones in the National Ocean Policy’s Implementation Plan. Efforts have focused on building a federal aquaculture community to leverage expertise and mobilize interagency efforts to address issues of national scope and importance. International Efforts International experience included chairing the external evaluation panel and member of evaluation teams for the US Agency for International Development to review their aquaculture programs; and assistance to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service for post-Hurricane Mitch assessment of agriculture sector in Central America, program manager for integrated farmed shrimp initiative in Central America, aquaculture feasibility study in Nicaragua, and water quality and effluents management in China. He was an invited lecturer at the last UN FAO Global Conference on Aquaculture in Thailand and a member of three US delegations to the UN FAO Subcommittee on Aquaculture. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) Aquaculture is Losing an Icon Gary Jensen, National Program Leader for Aquaculture at USDA, Retires Granvil Treece
8 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG Involvement with Professional Associations and Awards He served on the Board of Directors of the World Aquaculture Society and as President of the United States Aquaculture Society. He has received recognition and numerous awards from his work at USDA and his involvement with professional associations. He received four Honor Awards from the Secretary of Agriculture and the National Performance Review Award from Vice-President Gore. Gary has been recognized by the Secretary of Agriculture for his federal-wide leadership and sustained commitment to aquaculture development in the United States. He was honored by an Exemplary Service Award from the United States Aquaculture Society and National Aquaculture Association and a recent Distinguished Lifetime Contributions Award from the National Aquaculture Association. Gary has also been honored by his extension peers (National Association of County Agricultural Agents) and by producer groups (the US Trout Farmers Association and Louisiana Catfish Farmers Association). A Personal Appreciation I had a number of opportunities to work directly with Gary over the years, including the USDA FSA Emerging Democracies Program and the assessment of aquaculture in Nicaragua, USEPA work on aquaculture effluents, and Hurricane Mitch Recovery Sustainable Aquaculture Training in Nicaragua and Honduras. All experiences with Gary were great. This industry is going to miss this man. Although he is leaving USDA, Gary hopes to continue contributing to advance aquaculture in the United States with industry, university colleagues and professional organizations. He will be working with colleagues to complete several manuscripts for publication. He hopes stronger political will and more united industry coalition efforts will improve conditions for aquaculture to grow in the US, driven by sound investment opportunities and positive economic factors. Gary considers it to be a privilege and honor over the years to collaborate with and meet so many dedicated individuals from all occupations that make up the US aquaculture community. Gary’s contact email address is now gljensen7@gmail.com. The Texas Aquaculture Association wishes Gary all the best in his new venture. We will certainly miss him and appreciate all that he has done to support our industry through the years. U.S. AQUACULTURE SOCIETY Sponsored Publications Request for Proposals The USAS is seeking proposals for publications, including books, conference proceedings, fact sheets, pictorials, hatchery or production manuals, data compilations, and other materials that are important to U.S. aquaculture development and that will be of benefit to USAS members. Individuals wishing to have a project considered for funding by the USAS should prepare a proposal — guidelines are available on the website www.was.org. Conditions for Publication: The USAS Board of Directors will rate proposals and select projects for publication. The successful applicant will serve as co-author; however, depending on contribution to the publication, the applicant may not necessarily serve as chief or sole author. The USAS will cover general publication and distribution costs for one or more projects up to $5,000 each year. However, special consideration will be given to worthwhile projects that exceed this limit. No compensation will be provided to the authors for their time spent in writing the publication. The publication will be property of the USAS and will be sold through the WAS bookstore. See details on submitting a proposal on the next page or contact: DR. WADE O. WATANABE Tel: 910-962-2941 • Email: watanabew@uncw.edu
WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 9 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 62)
10 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG For the first time since 1999, Australia will once again be hosting the World Aquaculture Conference and Trade Show. The event will take place at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia, from 7 to 11 June 2014. It will be jointly organized by the World Aquaculture Society and the National Aquaculture Council of Australia and hosted by the Government of South Australia through Primary Industry and Regions South Australia as a major sponsor, with Skretting Australia, a world leader in the nutritional solutions for farmed fish and shrimp, as title commercial sponsor. Other conference sponsors making the event possible are the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre. In addition to their sponsorship, the FRDC is also partnering with the National Aquaculture Council to offer young farmers the opportunity to attend through the Young Leader Bursary Scheme. The event will be the largest gathering of international aquaculture professionals in the Asia Pacific region for 2014, and is expected to attract several thousand delegates from the international aquaculture community – including academics, industry researchers, market and industry analysts, government officials, policy makers and industry representatives. With an extensive program featuring local and international species and disciplines, the conference offers delegates an opportunity to present their work, exchange ideas and develop a vision for the future of the aquaculture industry, focusing on the theme “Create, Nurture, Grow.” Graham Mair, Conference Chair and incoming World Aquaculture Adelaide Set for June President of WAS, wants this conference to be a forum to “discuss and debate the issues, ideas, mechanisms and hands-on practical approaches towards building a better industry.” There will be a number of associated workshops, including AquaEd, Water Treatment and On-Farm Diagnostics (sponsored by Seafood CRC), Scientific Writing, Recirculation & Aquaponics (sponsored by Pentair), Business Skills with Debbie Mayo-Smith (sponsored by Agrifood Skills), Women in Aquaculture, and Spatial Planning (sponsored by Seafood CRC) as part of the Aquaculture Innovation Hub Trans-Tasman Salmon Workshop. Of course, there will be the regular and expected student activities and business meetings, including the annual board meeting of the World Aquaculture Society. The Skretting Australia Farmers Day, a special session on the opening day of the conference, will focus specifically on subjects related to continual improvement of farming practices by concentrating on generic concepts that will benefit all. Special Farmers Day passes are available to further encourage producers, ensuring that, irrespective of size, producers will find an affordable option to attend. Be sure to watch for details on the Sushi Connoisseurs Gourmet Day. Three aquaculture-oriented post-conference tours have been arranged: 1) Port Lincoln aquaculture highlights, 2) abalone, yabbies and oysters and 3) Arno Bay Hatchery and Marine Science Center. Additional information can be found at WAS.org and aquaculture.org.au. DESTINATION SOUTH AUSTRALIA Adelaide was just named one of the World’s Top Ten cities to visit by the world’s largest private travel publisher, Lonely Planet. This cosmopolitan city has many art galleries and museums and is surrounded by parklands. The conference will coincide with Australia’s Queen’s Birthday long weekend, the perfect opportunity for delegates and their families to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of Adelaide and its surrounds throughout this activity-filled weekend. Beyond the attractions of Adelaide itself, South Australia and the access it opens to the rest of Australia has plenty to offer every tourist – the perfect opportunity to make the most of your time down under. South Australia is home to stunning beaches, award-winning wine and events and festivals. It is the wine and seafood capital of Australia, where the Murray River meets the sea and the gateway to Outback South Australia. The Barossa and McLaren Vale, both only a short drive from downtown Adelaide, are the main vineyard areas. The Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island are unique and spectacular. They are on the Australian National Landscapes register as places of great cultural, natural and spiritual significance. World Heritage Listed caves are found at Naracoorte on the Limestone Coast. Post-conference tour options include arranged visits to have experiences with great white sharks, sea lions, or leafy sea dragons. Fishing charters will also be available. Of course, no visit to Australia is complete without going on a tour to see kangaroos and koalas. Visit southaustralia.com or aquaculture.org.au for more information.
WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 11 South Australia boasts an international reputation for guarding a clean and unpolluted environment. This vital asset is especially true with aquaculture in coastal waters because the State has extensive areas of coastline with little or no urban development. The availability of land in a range of climates and with suitable coastal and fresh water provides the potential to farm a range of species for domestic and export markets. Inland there are saline and freshwater aquifers and warm geothermal waters; offshore there are coldwater upwellings. South Australia features a coastline stretching 3700 km. The State has many sites suitable for the development of a variety of forms of aquaculture. Aquaculture is an emerging industry, with significant production already occurring along the coast, particularly on the Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. There are six ‘types’ of sea-based aquaculture sectors in South Australia: • Southern bluefin tuna (wild-capture for ranching) • Marine finfish (e.g. yellowtail kingfish and mulloway) • Intertidal shellfish (e.g. oysters) • Subtidal filter-feeding shellfish (e.g. mussels and scallops) • Subtidal non filter-feeding shellfish (e.g. abalone) • Algae (e.g. macroalgae) There are also three types of land-based farming sectors: yabby and marron crayfish, barramundi, and coastal abalone farms and hatcheries. The aquaculture industry has firmly established itself as a significant contributor to South Australia’s primary industries and regional communities. In 2010-2011 more seafood was produced in aquaculture than capture fisheries. Aquaculture contributed about 54 percent ($229 million) of the State’s total value of seafood production ($426 million). This value increased by 5% compared to the previous year. Aquaculture production in South Australia is about 200,000 mt. One-third of all farmed seafood produced in the country is produced in South Australia. Tuna continues to be the largest single sector in the industry. The Southern bluefin tuna sector accounts for almost 55% of the State’s gross value of aquaculture production — a 22 percent increase on the previous year — with total production valued at $125 million. This is followed by the oyster and marine finfish sectors, which account for 16 percent and 12 percent of total production value respectively. Overall, there has been positive growth across most sectors, with the value of production increasing for tuna, finfish, oyster, abalone, marron and yabbies while the mussel and freshwater finfish sectors recorded a slight decrease. Eyre Peninsula also maintains its position as the center for aquaculture in South Australia, employing 67 percent of the 1,113 full time equivalent positions directly employed by the sector. These are exciting times for aquaculture in Australia. The first “green crude,” sustainably produced from marine microalgae, has just been unveiled in South Australia by publicly listed Muradel Pty Ltd. West Australian Resources Limited has commenced Project Sea Dragon to develop a new transformational natural resources/food industry in Australia through the sustainable development of large-scale, industrialized, land-based, marine protein production systems. Aquaculture contributes to economic and regional development through: • The development of export products and markets for South Australia. • Support for other regional industries benefiting from aquaculture developments including processing, transport, tourism and other related services. • Provision of new youth job opportunities as the majority of people employed in aquaculture are less than 30 years old. • The injection of incomes and jobs into the regions of South Australia, many of which are economically and socially disadvantaged. • Diversified training and employment opportunities in all aspects of the industry from research and development through to farming, value adding and marketing. Legislative Framework The South Australian aquaculture industry is leading the way in implementing dedicated aquaculture management legislation. South Australia has in place good governance and procedures to (CONTINUED ON PAGE 12) Aquaculture in South Australia LEFT. Oyster racks in high-quality water. RIGHT. Net pen for yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi aquaculture. Photos: Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia.
12 MARCH 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG regulate and facilitate the sustainable development of aquaculture industries. The framework established by the South Australian Government and industry stakeholders ensures ecological sustainable development while providing certainty and opportunity for industry investment. The industry has taken a cooperative approach to research, planning, management and environmental monitoring processes that is seeing the industry make significant inroads in international and domestic markets with continued growth expected. The State Government has developed a rigorous aquaculture resource management framework that ensures the ecologically sustainable development of aquaculture while providing certainty and opportunity for industry investment. Central to the framework is the Aquaculture Act 2001, which recognizes and balances environmental, social and economic benefits. This is supported by the Aquaculture Regulations 2005, which outline the operational requirements of aquaculture activities. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) is responsible for administering the Act and Regulations. This is implemented through a science-based, consultative and transparent resource management framework that includes three key elements: aquaculture zones, leases and licenses, and environmental monitoring programs. Aquaculture zones are the primary planning tool for marine aquaculture development in South Australia. The zones are established to ensure a co-ordinated approach to aquaculture development in State Waters. To determine suitable areas for aquaculture zones, a twophase zone investigation process is conducted. In phase one, an assessment is conducted to determine which areas are suitable for aquaculture. Once an area is identified, a second phase of investigation commences that involves collecting a range of areaspecific data, including biological properties and the presence of environmentally sensitive habitats. Aquaculture leases give operators secure access over defined areas of State Waters. Aquaculture licenses permit certain farming activities on the leased area and restrict the types of activities through specified license conditions. Each new license application undergoes a risk assessment based on Australia’s National Ecologically Sustainable Development Framework for Aquaculture. This assessment evaluates risks associated with a range of issues, such as disease, wildlife interactions and environmental effects. Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP) are mandatory for all aquaculture licence holders and allow for ongoing assessment of environmental performance. The marine-based aquaculture EMP process focuses on the health of the seafloor and includes underwater video monitoring and examination of seafloor animal communities. EMP reports must also contain farm management information relating to feeding practices, chemical usage and details of any known wildlife interactions. In land-based aquaculture sectors, the EMP process focuses on the quality of discharged water. Monitoring requirements depend on the scale of the aquaculture operation, the degree to which wastewater is treated prior to release and discharge location. For some sites this requires water quality to be tested by laboratories for organic pollutants, with the concentration limits defined by South Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority. General interest in the aquaculture industry has been high in South Australia. As a consequence, there is an active dialogue between government and industry on the development of strategies for this sector to grow. Research and the Future PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture faces the challenge of ensuring that the Government of South Australia remains at the forefront of aquaculture planning and management and that future industry growth continues in an ecologically sustainable way. Research is a key element of South Australia’s effort to continually improve its resource management framework. The Innovative Solutions for Aquaculture Planning and Management Program has been established in conjunction with Australian Government Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, with the aim of developing tools and management responses to further enhance ecological sustainability and competitiveness. The outcomes of initiatives conducted through the program are integrated into PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture’s decisionmaking processes associated with zoning, disease control and managing interactions with protected wildlife species. Because of the special advantages as a location for aquaculture production, South Australia will remain an attractive option for the location of aquaculture businesses compared to other States and overseas. With advantages offered by a unique coastline, access to resources and globally competitive expertise, the industry is expected to grow, if it can continue to be sustainable, productive, competitive and innovative. Editors Note: This article is based on information published by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. ABOVE. Land-based tanks for abalone aquaculture. Photo: Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia.
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