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AKVA NEWS
Visit us at Aqua Nor - Trondheim 13. - 16. August 2013 - Stand 324 Hall D and Skansen Docks
Cage farming
in Vietnam
Offshore farming
in Saudi Arabia
Polarcirkel plastic cage is best suited for both
sea warm water along coast line and a strong
current in Mekong River in Vietnam - PAGE 11
National Prawn is using new Norwegian technology for
large-scale production of finfish in the Red Sea
- PAGE 10
Mobile recirculation
- PAGE 6
New
Workboat
Design
AKVAflex, a complete mobile
recirculation system - PAGE 6
- PAGE 12
Expanded
landbased
aquaculture
Visit the world´s
largest feed
barge!
AKVA group is the main supplier of aquacultureequipment and techology to Denmark´s largest
land based salmon farm in Hirtshals.
- PAGE 6
New compact
all-in-one sensor
The new Multi Sensor compact instrument houses 6
water-quality sensors and measures 12 parameters.
- PAGE 6
AKVA group ASA recently signed a contract for the delivery
of a 650 ton Panorama feed barge to Bremnes Seashore AS.
Visit the world´s largest feed barge, with a holding capacity of
650 tons and five parallel feed lines, at Aqua Nor - PAGE 4
Russian advances in the north
New large cage farming in the Russian Sea will double the Russian salmon production - PAGE 10
AKVA NEWS
2
Trond Williksen,
CEO, AKVA group.
“Reliable and innovative aquaculture solutions
combined with professional service and support”.
During more than 40 years as innovator and provider of
technology and services to the global aquaculture industry,
we in AKVA group have learned what really matters to our
customers as well as to ourselves. Partnerships, good
partnerships - enabling us to contribute solutions and
services that make our customers successful in developing
and operating sustainable and profitable aquaculture
operations. Good Partnerships, where our contribution
to solutions and services earn us the opportunity to
develop AKVA group as a sustainable and profitable
company.
We will continue to build AKVA group with this as our
mission. We will be focused on our customers’ needs, being
attentive and responsive. We will develop and use our
knowledge to contribute solutions and services that lifts
our customers performance.
We will take pride in being reliable and honest in what
we do and how we act, and we will use our enthusiasm
to generate the energy and joy needed to bring our
customers as well as AKVA group forward.
In AKVA group we strongly believe that we can make a
difference. We are proud to be part of the global aquaculture
industry which is playing a crucial role providing healthy
seafood world wide.
”As a partner our mission is to improve your profitability
and sustainability”.
AKVA group is a solid partner with offices and facilities in
Norway, Chile, Denmark, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, Australia
Vietnam and Turkey. With 9 offices and several agents and
distributors around the globe AKVA group is present in all
markets worldwide. AKVA group is a unique partner with the
capability to offer both cage farming and land based aquaculture
operations with complete technical solutions and service.
The company holds strong, well-known brand names and the
product line range from plastic and steel cages, mooring systems, nets, net cleaners, work boats, feed barges, feed systems,
camera systems, environmental sensors, underwater lights,
production and process control software, recirculation systems,
PE piping systems, farm design, on-site services and training
courses.
Partnering with AKVA group allows customers to keep their
focus on fine tuning farm operations to increase profitability,
while sharing the technical challenges with a reliable partner
with the right people, the right technology and the right
knowledge to achieve excellence.
We are partners – and in it for the long run.
AKVA group facts:
• Renowned as a pioneer and global supplier of
aquaculture technology for over 40 years
• Offices in 9 countries
• More than 680 staff
• 2012 turnover of NOK 832 million
• Q1 – 2013 turnover of NOK 222,1 million
• Public company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange since 2006
Ignacio Petcovic
Technical Manager, Barges
AKVA group
New Feed Barge concept
with extra workspace
AKVA group is launching
two giant new feed barges.
The AC 650, the world´s largest feed barge which you can
visit at Aqua Nor and the AB
450 with extra workspace.
Larger scale, more exposed
localities and constant challenges
facing cage based aquaculture
operations is the reason AKVA
group continuously work with
product development and barge
design. The result is new and bigger feed barge concepts answering
the current needs of our customers
in terms of innovation and operation, capacity and comfort. The
new AB 450 is suitable for more
exposed sites due to large silo
capacity and an enormous storage
capacity on the barge.
Comfort and stability has been
taken into consideration and the
barge AB450 Comfort has been
designed to respond like a steel
con­cept barge and still behave
with similar characteristics as a
concrete barge.
The AB 450 Comfort is equipped
with six high capacity feeding
lines powered by a modern power
management system installed in
the engine room. Cargo handling is
done by a high capacity crane in the
middle of the barge, covering the
entire barge deck including loading into the cargo storage; a cargo
storage that is provided with a 6 m2
hydraulic hatch cover for ac­cess.
The cargo storage is designed to
have a forklift running over a flat
surface for moving, transport­ing
and relocating cargo inside the
barge, this solution provide the
farmers a whole new flexibility
when it comes to cargo handling
onboard the barge.
In early days the feed barges were
simply just a silo floating offshore.
Today they are offshore workspaces
for fish farmers with the comforts
of a home.
The AB 450 Comfort concept has
been developed as an answer to the
growing demand for remote and
isolated sites. This model provides
a large working environment
together with excellent storage
capacity for both feed and equipment.
AB 450 Comfort is fully equipped
with six high capacity feeding lines
powered by a modern power management system. Cargo handling is
done by the high capacity crane in
the middle of the barge. Valuable
secondary systems are installed
as a part of this barge such as
Ensilage system giving a possi­bility
of processing and storing the mort
onboard. Under the main deck there
is a huge warehouse with a 6 m2
access hatch providing a protected
area to keep valuable equipment.
Accommodation has been made
according to AKVA group standard,
giving you the feeling of staying at
a 4 star hotel.
AB 450 has 80m2
main deck with
100m2 storage
room below.
AKVA NEWS
3
Growing EcoNet sales
The non-fibre wire has very hard
surface that resists marine fouling
and makes it easy to clean in the
water using Idema Net Cleaners.
No use of antifouling paints or
ongoing net changes.
Main benefits are:
Trond Severinsen
Chief Operating Officer – Export
AKVA group ASA
The unique Polarcirkel EcoNet
concept can totally change today’s
fish farming! This long-life net
technology .has been used to make
over 4000 nets in Japan for nearly
25 years, inaddition to many other
usages including: being virtually
escape and predator proof, with a
very long life span.
The EcoNet is made from very
strong but light weight PET and
has some superior characteristics,
including: being virtually escape
proof, predator proof and has a
20-year lifespan.
• Maximized water flow
• High durability
• Escape prevention
• No antifouling paint
• Easily recyclable
So far, close to 100 EcoNets have
now been sold to salmon farms,
mainly in Australia and Scotland,
with very good results. EcoNets are now fully certified under
NS9415 (Norwegian Standard for
aquaculture equipment). Nets are
also in the waters in many other
countries and for many other
species.
High durability and
escape prevention with
EcoNet.
Seals and sealions can easily damage most
fibre nets.
PET nets are also used as rock slide nets.
EcoNet withstands heavy icing.
The silo deck has 6 feed selectors and extra large workspace.
EcoNet can be hooked up onto the railing for shorter periods when dried up.
New automatic Mort Collection System
Morts have to be
removed quickly to create
and maintain a healthy and
bio-secure environment.
Increasingly large volumes of
biomass in the cages and more
focus on bio-security, fish health
and welfare have given incentives
to improve mort removal processes,
from the collection within the
cage to the silage system.
Compressed air is injected through a number of small holes in a separate air chamber.
AKVA group recently entered into
a strategic development and manufacturing collaboration with the
company ØPD Group AS, of Oslo,
Norway, to develop an improved
automatic mort collection system.
Experience has proven that this
business model gives a higher
innovation pace and shortens the
process from an idea on a drawing
board to a final product on the
market. The mort system will be
launched at Aqua Nor, August
2013, in Trondheim, Norway,
where AKVA group will be present
with a 144m2 stand in Hall D
as well as a large feed barge at
Skansen Docks.
The new system features a safer,
more reliable and efficient mort
collection process. The products are
distributed through AKVA groups
sales organization worldwide and
the service and maintenance is
handled by AKVA groups service
technicians, says Mr. Morten Malm,
responsible for strategic projects
within AKVA group. Mr. Karsten
Himmelstrup, which represents
ØPD Group AS, is pleased with
the agreement which also includes
emergency response equipment
for critical situations with mass
mortality. We could not dream of
a better partner than AKVA group
for this project. The company is
well known within the industry
worldwide and has a professional
sales and service organization
which we at this stage could not
possibly build up on our own,
says Mr. Himmelstrup.
200-1800kg weight incorporated in
suction head.
AKVA NEWS
4
The world´s largest
Stig Martin Bø
Sales Manager
AKVA group
AKVA group ASA recently
signed a contract for the delivery of a 650 ton Panorama
feed barge to Bremnes Seashore AS. This is the world’s
largest steel feed barge of its
kind, with a holding capacity
of 650 tons and five parallel
feed lines.
The barge is of a contemporary
design and offers modern facilities,
and among other things is equipped
with a large crane, automatic silo
hatches, Akvasmart feed system
and a 60 m3 mort silage system. The
barge will be located at Gissøysundet, west of Bømlo. The site has a
standing biomass permit for 3,210
tons of salmon, which results in up
to 30-35 tons of feed per day under
good conditions.
Bremnes Seashore currently operates three smolt production facilities
and has fish farms in several municipalities in Rogaland, Sunnhordland
and Hardanger. In total, Bremnes
Seashore operates from 20 locations
in nine different municipalities.
Bremnes Seashore has experienced
an increase in annual production
from approximately 10,000 to 30,000
tons over the past eight years. Most
of this production increase comes
from exposed sites in the outer
reaches of Boknafjorden to the
west of Bømlo.
“In the future, we foresee a need
for larger and more exposed sites
than those we are operating today.
To meet those needs, we need feed
barges that are suitable for these
locations. When we were choosing
the type of barge and the supplier,
the barge design, feed store capacity,
feed system and flexible silage solutions were the definite deal-makers,”
says Jørn-Rune Bruun, Regional
AC 650 Panorama – the world’s largest feed barge
Manager at Bremnes Seashore.
“We have worked closely with
Bremnes for many years, and we
see this new contract as a vote of
confidence in our partnership and
what we have delivered so far.
This contract also includes an
option for the delivery of a similar
steel barge in the early autumn
of 2013,” says Stig Martin Bø,
Sales Manager for AKVA group.
To date, AKVA group has supplied
more than 260 feed barges to
various locations worldwide.
Several decades of experience has
made AKVA group a qualified
partner and supplier of reliable
and cost-effective feed barges.
New automatic silo hatches will open safely and
easily with a patented hydraulic remote system.
Plastic or steel? An all-important decision
With 30 years of experience in the industry, AKVA
group is a world leader in the
production of Wavemaster
steel cages and Polarcirkel
plastic cages. It has now
established strategic partnerships with its clients
by providing comprehensive
advice on selection, instal-
lation and maintenance.
Several critical factors must be taken
into account when deciding which type
of cage to choose. AKVA group Chile’s
Commercial Manager, Christian Stange,
recommends considering at least the
following when making this decision:
Exposure level of the farm site
Environmental exposure is a crucial
determinant. For sites in high exposure
areas, with wave heights exceeding
3ft and 3 knots (1.5 m / sec) of current,
plastic cages are ideal. Constructed using flexible HDPE tubing, plastic cage
is an ideal platform for sites located in
extreme conditions. Steel cages, on
the other hand, are better suited to sites
with low or moderate exposure levels.
On-site operations
Anchoring
As far as installation and operation
are concerned, steel cages are more
user-friendly as they are installed in
modules of between four and 20 interconnected cages, providing a wider and
more stable surface area than plastic
cages, sharing walkways and anchoring systems. Plastic cages, on the
other hand, are installed and anchored
individually.
The design, materials and time needed
for anchoring differs for each type
of cage. Steel cages are anchored in
groups (modules) while plastic cages
are anchored individually. Thus, more
time and materials are needed to anchor
plastic cages than steel cages, which
translates into a higher anchoring cost.
Durability
Once the type of cage has been determined, the correct size must be defined.
Regular maintenance is needed in order
to maintain cages in optimal conditions. For plastic cages, care is limited
to a periodic check of all brackets and
attachment points, welded joints in
floating pipes and anchor connections.
In the case of steel cages, maintenance
will include, at the very least, inspection and possible replacement of the
hinge pins along walkways, the flotation system, as well as checking the
condition of the galvanizing for possible wear and tear caused by abrasion.
Cage size
It is important to review and consider
operational activities needed to carry
out and complete the production process. In this regard, Christian Stange
highlights the importance of at least
the following considerations:
The production plan
The correct cage size will be determined by the production plan as this
defines the harvest volume and density
for each species. Choosing the correct
size will maximise growth and
harvest.
Installation
Assembly time for each type of cage
may also influence the decision.
Assembling plastic cages takes three
to seven days, depending on size and
location, while steel cages can be
assembled in one day.
Strategic partner in cage production for fish farming sites.
As the graph indicates, the cost ratio per square metre of cultivation decreases relative
to the increase in size of the cage.
AKVA NEWS
5
Expand export measures, Giske
Minister of Trade and
Industry, Trond Giske (Labour)
has very little power over
the exchange rate, which is
unfavourable for exports.
However, he has promised
to help businesses continuing to struggle against trade
barriers.
“There are many more gains to be
had, as the Russians are developing
a strategy for growth in fish
farming. This is also the case in
many other countries.”
“It is important that both you
and the government continue
to work to strengthen export
opportunities, including through
the export finance scheme and the
dismantling of trade barriers. In
Russia, for example,” argued Trond
Williksen, who said that AKVA
group is exporting Norwegianproduced equipment worth NOK
150-200 million. Williksen noted
that AKVA group had recently
been awarded an exciting contract
in Murmansk.
During the spring, he will present
a Government Report concerning
support for small and mediumsized businesses. “On the export
side, there will be proposals to
strengthen Innovation Norway
internationally,” said Giske to
Aftenbladet.
“The new export financing scheme
will be rock solid. With regard
to trade barriers, we are working
to open up markets through
negotiations with countries such
as Russia, India, China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam and South
Korea,” explained Giske.
Odd Pilstrøm/Kent Skibstad (photo)
Stavanger Aftenblad
Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske (left) listened carefully to the information and impassioned pleadings coming from industry leader
Trond Williksen of AKVA group (centre) and Tønnes Helge Kverneland of TKS AS.
Extract from article in Stavanger Aftenblad, 22 March 2013.
6 sites, 117 cameras, 1 control room
Steinvik Fish Farm is the first to use
such a system on a full scale. The aim
of the system is to make only a few
people responsible for feeding in order
that the other staff can concentrate on
other important duties.
Slow broadband
Steinvik Fish Farm has been working
with Industridata in Florø, AKVA
group and EWOS in order to establish
the connections, stretching from
Klavelandet in the north to Kviteskjer
in the south, which is something that
has not been a simple process. It is
well known that slow broadband is
hampering industry in the outlying
parts of Norway, particularly in
Sogn og Fjordane with its many high
mountains. Obtaining high-quality
live images requires a lot of bandwidth
and a direct line of sight between the
various locations. The largest EWOS
silo at the company’s factory in Florø
has therefore been used as one of the
hubs. An antenna has been located
there 52 metres above the ground as
part of the large Steinvik network.
300 megabytes
Alex Vassbotten, Managing Director of Steinvik Fish Farm.
“Rationalisation has
never been the most
important driving force.
The goal is to perform
the various tasks in a
better way.”
Hans Brundtland/
Egil Aardal (photo)
Forum/EWOS
Extract from article in Forum no. 6 - 2012.
Remotely controlled feeding
A working day at the centre starts
with a visual inspection of all
locations in order to make sure that
everything is in order. The employees
then start the remotely controlled
feeding, e.g. at Vetesundet, where 18
tons of EWOS Opal are used per day.
The employees can see that the feed
spreaders are operating as they should
be on screen, while at the same time
monitoring the appetite of the fish
via the underwater cameras. This
continues until the fish settle and
are full.
Appetite-based feeding
Steinvik Fish Farm uses appetitebased feeding. The team leaders
at the control centre quite literally
have a good picture of the appetite
of the fish via all the cameras. “The
company is among the best in its class
when it comes to using MTB,” says
EWOS’ representative, who considers
the prospect of delegating feeding
responsibility to just a few selected
individuals exciting. “It can of course
sometimes be the case that situations
a rise at one of the facilities which
means that the feeding is given less of
a priority. In such cases, there is a risk
that both growth and potential are not
exploited or that overfeeding occurs.”
Trial and error
The boss himself, Alex Vassbotten,
comes into the “command centre”, as
he calls it. He explains that it has been
three years since the idea of having a
central system was conceived, and all
16 employees at Steinvik Fish Farm
have been involved in the project to
get the system up and running. “There
has been an element of trial and error,
especially with the antennae. But
it’s always like that with pioneering
projects,” says Alex, and he knows
what he is talking about.
“Rationalisation has never been the
most important driving force. The
goal is to perform the various tasks
in a better way. Use each individual
in the way that they fit best in order
to improve the flow of the work.
There has also been less weekend
work, which is something that our
employees appreciate.”
The people at the control centre can
choose between 117 camera locations,
and a connection of up to 300 MB
provides live images that are just as
clear as on a feeding barge where
the rings are located wall-to-wall.
“We have a camera unit in each cage.
These have three objectives and
transmit live images of life both at the
surface and at depth.” The equipment
is so good that he can have several
systems running at the same time and
still have full video quality.
Feeding at six different locations can be carried out from the centre at Steinvik Fish Farm.
AKVA NEWS
6
Industrial copepod farming
can change global aquaculture
Copepods are the saviour
of aquaculture. They are a
natural food source for fish
larvae, and if copepods can
be produced on an industrial
scale, fish farmers worldwide
will be able to increase their
production of edible fish.
Denmark leads the world when it
comes to knowledge and technology
within landbased fish farming and
RAS technology. A new development
project will provide a production
facility that will produce copepods
for use as feed for the aquaculture
industry. The Danish National
Advanced Technology Foundation
has invested DKK 7.5 million in the
project. Copepods are the saviour
of aquaculture. They are the natural
food of fish larvae, and copepods can
Expanded
Copepods (Calanus).
be produced on an industrial scale,
fish farmers worldwide will be able
to increase their production of edible
fish. Global demand for fish has long
since exceeded the catch potential.
Thanks to further focussed development, aquaculture plays a key role
in the global supply of fish.
The sector is the fastest growing
animal-producing food industry
with an annual growth rate of 8.8%
over the last 30 years. More than
50% of all fish for human consumption comes from fish farming, and
there is nothing to suggest that this
trend will abate – on the contrary.
A high proportion of the global
growth in aquaculture is based on
fish farming involving marine
species. Most marine species of fish
produce many small eggs and the
newly hatched, almost microscopic
fish larvae are unable to eat dry food.
- They need natural live food.
Recirculation technology
goes mobile
Romanias first turbot
farm opened in April
If you want to move
the unit to another site or
recirculate another tank,
simply lift the unit to its
new position, hook it up and you are ready to go!
AKVAflex is a brand new concept
that integrates our well known
recirculation technology and
sophisticated AKVAconnect
control system in a flexible and
easy installation. As a result of
innovation and recent developments it is now possible to get
an industrial size recirculation
system pre-installed with a
All you need in one compact container.
minimum on-site setup time no matter where you want to
install it worldwide.
Our state of the art recirculation
system coupled with the new
market leading control system
AKVAconnect secures an uncontested security in production
considering water quality and
fish welfare. AKVA group also
offer a wide selection of flexibe
Polyethylene tanks and filter
types that reduces both transport- and installation costs.
AKVAflex is a competitive alternative to permanent installations
and the perfect solution for salt
water recirculation. AKVAflex
modules are produced in PE or
Polyethylene, a light, durable
material that is maintenance free
and easy to transport. AKVAflex
can be integrated with existing
equipment on the site or delivered
with additional equipment.
Can be handled by a single person.
Spain and Portugal have
been the leading producers
of turbot in Europe, but
now Eastern Europe is
following.
The popularity of turbot in Europe
is encouraging other producers
to enter the game. In Romania,
Elcomex, a company with interests
in the power sector, has invested
in a turbot farm, called Seaqualia.
Gabriel Popescu the managing
director recalls how he discussed
the pros and cons of
different species with
his principals.
Recirculation systems are the best
suited to high value species as the
technology entails a high initial
investment and running costs.
Among the species that where
dicussed were tilapi, eel, sturgeon
and turbot.
It was the AKVA group´s offices
in Fredricia, Denmark, where he
met the former manager of a turbot
hatchery, that led to the decision
to go with the AKVA group. “Not
only did they have experience with
recirculation system for turbot, they
were also building a similar system
for a company in China, and in
addition the system they where
offering could produce 150 tons
of fish, which was our target.”
AKVA NEWS
7
landbased aquaculture
Jacob Bregnballe
Sales Director, M. Sc,
Land Based Aquaculture
AKVA group Denmark.
AKVA group is the main
supplier of aquaculture
equipment and technology
to Denmark’s largest landbased salmon farm.
Ever more stringent environmental
requirements in Denmark concerning
the restricted discharge of industrial
waste into rivers and lakes resulted
in fish farms initially being relocated
offshore. Now, more advanced systems
with closed circuits and no impact
on the surrounding environment are
back for real.
The biggest company is Danish
Salmon A/S, which has just commissioned Denmark’s largest landbased
facility for salmon on the outskirts of
Hirtshals. This facility consists of three
halls containing round tanks in which
The new 10,000 m2 landbased salmon
farm cost DKK 75 million to build and
will produce 2,000 tons of salmon.
Construction took a year and production
started in July 2013.
the fish live from the time they are
fertilised as eggs until they are salmon
ready to be harvested. There are two
large and three small treatment plants
and a 150 m2 administration building.
AKVA group Denmark has acted as
a turnkey consultant and supplier
of equipment for water treatment,
oxygen control, feeding and sensors
from the preliminary outline and draft
stage through to completion of the
project. “Danish Salmon is a fantastic
opportunity for us. We are now able
to invite customers from Russia and
the United Arab Emirates to see the
technology in operation,” says project
manager Erik Odgaard for AKVA
group Denmark.”
Mechanical filters at Danish Salmon.
Intensive indoor shrimp farming Hands-on experience
incorporated
Shrimps have been
produced in aquaculture
for decades, often with
great success due to high
harvesting yields and
fair prices.
Unfortunately, shrimp farming is
also known as the “boom and bust”
industry as this extensive technology
is exposed to all kinds of hazards
such as flooding, pollution, outbreaks of disease etc. In recent years
it has become clear that the shrimp
farming industry will need to revise
its production methods to become
a steadily performing industry.
AKVA group has recently developed
a bio-secure super intensive indoor
shrimp production system by the
use of recirculation aquaculture
technology. The system has been
developed together with Charoen
Pokphand Foods Co. Ltd. (CPF) in
Thailand, the biggest producer of
shrimp in Thailand and the largest
producer of shrimp feed in Asia.
The research and development work
has been taken place at the CPF
Shrimp Culture Development
Centre in Samutsongkram, Thailand.
The results have been overwhelmingly positive with harvest output
of around 25 kg per m2, equivalent
8-10 kg per m3 of tank volume.
Intensive shrimp farming in recirculation is now ready for development
into large scale productions, and
AKVA has just begun the design
of such pioneering systems.
Tank for intensive shrimp farming of P. vannamei.
Tankdesign.
The Danish company Chr.
Jørgensen Aps and AKVA group
have established a partnership
for land based aquaculture
services and equipment.
The key driver is direct support of
customers with an even wider range
of easy to install products and
practical services. Fish farmers will
have lean solutions and consultancy
based on hands on experience.
The combination of AKVA groups
“large company” advantages with
global presence, in house resources
for research and development
combined with Chr. Jørgensen´s
practical approach will result in a
broader range of services and products offered by one supplier. Both
companies “keep things simple and
make them work”, understand their
business and daily operational work
of fish farms. As Chr. Jørgensen
says: “Together we will be able to
offer solutions that fit better to
customer requirements and their
long term business goals.
Satisfied business partners.
The partnership is a natural continuation of a long relationship between
the two companies, with focus on
an open constructive development
with the highest possible focus on
what supports the customer´s business. During our dialogue about the
agreement, we have experienced that
also with regard, internal values,
culture and focus, we have a great
match and will support and supplement each other in a very positive
directions. We expect a lot from this
partnership, both with regard to the
offerings our customers will get and
with regard to development of our
business individually and together.
AKVA NEWS
8
Should large salmonids be bred
on land or offshore?
Karl Iver Dahl-Madsen,
President, Dansk Akvakultur
The international salmon
and trout fish farming sector
has seen a lively debate for
and against the production
of large salmonids offshore
or on land.
to see the operating results of these
facilities in the coming years.
Our principal view is that the wrong
question is being asked. It is not a
question of either / or, but one of
both. We advocate development and
investment in both forms of fish
farming. The offshore fish farming
of large salmonids has been a great
success for food production. There
has been annual growth of 8% over
many years, and a production level
of around two million tons per year
with a value of DKK 60 billion and
good earnings.
Experience with land-based recirculating production facilities for
the farming of smaller fish such as
portion trout and smolt has generally
been good. The so-called ‘model 3’
fish farm with a high level of recirculation now produces around a third
of Danish portion trout. It is positive
that water intake and organic substances have reduced by more than
90%, that nitrogen emissions have
reduced by 50% and that the modern
compact design has boosted productivity significantly. However, this
has come at the expense of a major
investment of around DKK 25-30
per kg of fish and an additional cost
for operations of around 2 kWh per
kg compared with an ordinary
raceway facility.
The farming of large salmonids onshore has not been a success to date,
primarily because of high construction and energy costs. Two modern
land-based production facilities have
recently been built at Hvide Sande
and Hirtshals with high recirculation
levels and lower energy consumption. These production facilities
allow the control of temperature,
etc., benefiting the well-being and
growth of the fish. It will be exciting
For salmon smolt, which is a highvalue product, the experience has
been predominantly positive, to such
an extent that up to 50% of all Chilean salmon smolt is now produced in
facilities supplied by Danish facility
manufacturers. The reason for the
success of offshore fish farmers
compared with the land-based production of large fish is financial. The
level of investment needed in a landbased fully recirculating system is
Jacob Bregnballe,
Chairman, AquaCircle
around four times that of an offshore
fish farm, i.e. roughly DKK 50 per
kg of produced fish. There are also
additional energy costs of
2 kWh per kg.
There are obviously still many
factors in favour of offshore fish
farms, and we believe that most
large salmonids will continue to be
produced in this way. Landbased
production is also expected to
increase in the future because:
1. There is demand from some
consumers for salmon produced
onshore
2. Fresh fish can be supplied to all
parts of the world without using
air transport
3. Offshore fish farm sites are
difficult to find close to the coast
4. The biomass restriction of
Norwegian salmon farming
requires large fingerlings
5. Danish seasonal production
requires large quantities of fingerlings produced onshore over a
short period.
The Danish aquaculture industry
wants to see a financial and environmental framework which ensures
that we have fair competition with
producers in other countries.
Salmon cage offshore.
Production facilities with low impact
levels, e.g. offshore fish farms in
open water or offshore fish farms
that capture their nutrients using culture capture systems and land-based
production facilities in harbours
opening into robust waters and fully
recirculating systems should therefore receive the highest (environmental) subsidy rates.
By way of introduction, it was noted
that the question of onshore versus
offshore is not one of either / or,
but of both. A holistic approach is
required with regard to environmentally equal conditions that accommodate both offshore fish farms as well
as land-based production facilities.
This will allow increased production of fish from aquaculture that is
entirely in line with the best possible
management of the environment and
optimal solutions from a technical
production perspective.
About the authors:
Karl Iver Dahl-Madsen is the President of Dansk Akvakultur (www.
danskakvakultur.dk), the industry
association for the primary producers: fish farmers and mussel and
seaweed farmers. Jacob Bregnballe
is the Chairman of the AquaCircle
association (www.aquacircle.org):
companies that supply equipment
and systems to fish farmers.
New compact all-in-one sensor
The new Multi Sensor
compact instrument houses
6 water-quality sensors and
measures 12 parameters.
AKVA group has long experience
in development of solutions to
monitor environmental parameters
on site.
In cooperation with NORTEK, a
well-known company within the
sensor, industry, AKVA group can
now offer profiling current sensors
based on Doppler technology.
Current and oxygen levels are reached through a website, where customers can login
and read all the values online. The view on the site can be customized according to
the customer needs.
A profiling Doppler sensor gives
measurements of the current in several layers of the water mass flowing
towards the cages. Standard measurement depths are at 5, 10 and 15
meters deep. This sensor solution
can be combined with up to three
oxygen and temperature sensors.
Continuous measurements and access to current data is highly important in any fish farming operation.
Ex, by use of lice skirts, when lice
removal, when feeding, or when
large boats arrive to unload fish feed
or collecting fish. Knowledge of
current data and oxygen levels can
also help optimize feeding if utilized
correctly.
Environmental current knowledge will
help you to prevent feed waste.
Historical data can be exported to
Excel for further analysis. Data from
the sensors can also be integrated
with AKVAconnect and Fishtalk
for control and analysis.
By choosing AKVA group the farmers are ensured a reliable partner
and reliable technology making the
operation run smoothly.
To simplify installation and the
operation and to improve the
quality of the current data a special
reference buoy has been developed.
The buoy is placed with some
distance from the cage and sends
the information through a satellite
network available at most locations
in Norway and abroad.
The collaboration project between
NORTEK and AKVA group is a
good example of AKVA groups
focus on strategic cooperation with
specialized disciplines. Strategic
projects will enable AKVA group
to continue to stay on top of the
game and provide a complete range
of technology.
AKVA NEWS
9
Photofish, awarded
color analyser
The company PhotoFish was established in
2003 to develop a photo box that could evaluate
the color of salmon and trout. The company
received the “Reodor Award” from“Innovation
Norway” in 2003.
The industrialization of the solution ended in 2005 but in
2012 AKVA group Software AS and PhotoFish AS signed
a contract where AKVA group Software AS was to continue
developing a solution for analyzing color and fat by the help
of PhotoFish AS and Maskon AS. The box is smaller than
earlier version but is more flexible. The first test series is
ready for the market, controlled and verified by Nofima.
A group of customers tested both box and method during
summer and early fall.
What is Photofish?
Plastsveis is now a
part of AKVA group
The acquisition is a natural
step to strengthen the land
based business operations,
and it will give AKVA group a
strong position in the market
place when it comes to delivering a range of solutions for
land based facilities.
Plastsveis AS was established in 1988
and provide PE equipment, installation
and services to the fish farming, agriculture and other industries. The company
is located in Sør-Helgeland and has
around 40 employees.
The core business entails delivery and
installation of tub and pipe plants to
land based fish farming facilities as well
as processing of pipes in polyethylene
plastic for the fish farming industry, for
agriculture and oil services. The company also participates in development
project for the fish farming industry.
The company holds significant synergies
with our existing land based activity
as well as with our existing activities in
Helgeland Plast AS” states Trond
Williksen, CEO of AKVA group ASA.
The analysis of each sample of fish with calibration information and photos is managed in a database to make sure
that the analysis is traceable and can be revised in the
future.
Why use Photofish?
Photofish is measuring color in Fish filets objectively.
Documentation of smooth and correct coloring before
harvest is of high value for the customer buying the fish.
The reliable documentation is also helpful when controlling
and administering feeding strategy and pigmentation
in the growth periods of fish on sites.
When the device and analysis are available locally, you can
analyze the color of the filet just before ordering feed and
thereby adjust the pigment content in the feed if necessary.
By having controls systematically, the method will result in
valuable data of experience, which can be used in feeding
strategies.
Plastsveis, a well managed-company
“The acquisition is a natural step to
strengthen the land based business area,
and will give AKVA group a strong
position in the market place when it
comes to delivering a range of solutions
for land based facilities to aquaculture. Plastsveis AS is a well-managed
company with strong competence and
operational capability in its field.
Photofish measures objective values of the intensity of
color. The box contains a camera that register color values.
The values are analyzed using “Salmo-fan color scale” as
a reference and is independent of the types of pigment.
You instantly receive the result of color in each individual
fish in the sample. In this way, you avoid uncertainty that
can be a consequence of collecting analysis (small/big fish),
homogenization of samples and or extraction of
pigments. Fat content is measured if weight and length
are available in the sample.
Plastsveis have designed and delivered
complete hatcheries, special tanks, mort
collector tanks, hatchey tubs, water towers,
silage tanks and transport tanks with
excellent feedback.
The box is smaller than
earlier version but is
more flexible. The first
test series is now ready
for the Norwegian
market.
AKVA NEWS
10
Large cage farming projects in Murmansk
Harald Jelsa
Export Director
Cage Farming Aquaculture
AKVA group Norway.
Russian Sea Group, a lead- - Our first contact was done during
the spring of 2010, when Rusing Russian consumer food
sian Russian Sea managers visited
AKVA group’s head office in Bryne,
company that specialises in
Norway, says Harald Jelsa, Export
the production and distribuDirector at AKVA group. So, all in
tion of seafood products, has all, we have been working closely
the company for over 1,5 year
chosen Norwegian equipment with
before signing contracts.
for a new aquaculture project
Largest delivery to Russia so far
in the Murmansk region.
In February 2012 Akva group ASA
and OJSC «Russian Sea Group»
announce the signing of the contract
for complete AKVA Cage Farm to
be installed in the operations of
Russian Sea-Aquaculture in the
Murmansk region. The farm will
have annual production capacity
up to 5,000 tons of salmon.
The contract total value stands at
25.4 MNOK and is to be delivered
in Q1 and Q2 2012.
- Russia is a very promising region
for expansion of the salmon industry
and a focus area for AKVA going
forward. We are proud to work with
a leading player such as Russian
Sea-Aquaculture in the development
of the industry in Russia and the
contract is a milestone for AKVA
group ASA, states Trond Williksen,
CEO of AKVA group ASA, in the
company’s press-release.
The Russian company announced
their plans on launching the first
farm in Q2 2012. They confirm that
they see strong advantages in working with an established player in the
field, and are sure that this contract
represents an important step towards
the development of the aquaculture
industry in Russia, states the pressrelease. But before the contract was
signed, AKVA group and Russian
Sea Group have been working
closely together.
In addition, AKVA group has been
working hard to establish relations
and sales in the regions of Russia
which the company finds interesting
at the moment.
- I see the North West, Central
and Southern District as the most
interesting for us as of today. Russian Far East will come, says Jelsa.
He confirms that AKVA group has
alredy made several deliveries to
Russian customers, but that the
newly signed contract is the largest
delivery to Russia so far.
- Yes, that is correct. A delivery like
this gives us the possibility to prove
that AKVA group is able to deliver
in time and according to agreement.
And yes, it is a considerable sum,
even if we during a normal year will
have several contracts involving
more money.
- I suppose that Russian Sea have
been considering other suppliers
of equipment, yes… But they did
chose us. AKVA group was established in 1980, we are today over
700 employees in many different
countries, with a turn over close to
NOK 900 Mill in 2011. Our clients
are giving us challenges, and to be
able to fulfill complicated contracts
there is a need that we as a supplier
have the needed personnel available,
during contract work, implementation and training phases, says
Jelsa.
AKVA Group chosen for a perspective Russian aquaculture project.
Growing potential
Involvement in Russia
Representatives of Russian Sea have
visited our facilities many times. In
Rogaland county area where AKVA
group have the head office, there are
a lot of companies involved in the
sector of industrial aquaculture, like
research station for both Skretting
and EWOS feed manufacturer, technology companies, production farms
with the latest implemented cost reducing technology, and big processing plants/slaughter facilities.
All that attracts interest of potential
buyers, and the potential is growing.
Jelsa notices a considerable increase
of interest from Russian aquaculture companies towards Norwegian
products and technologies. He says
it is natural and happening due to
increased interest within Russia to
produce more of their own fish, for
its domestic market.
- In the beginning of March we had
several visits from Karelia to our
company. A week after we were in
Murmansk, for meeting and exhibition. The week after that I went to
St. Petersburg, for new meetings.
So, yes, the interest is there, smiles
Harald Jelsa. - In addition we are
working every day to be in contact
with potential customers, arranging
meetings, be present in exhibitions,
having speeches and participate in
seminars and similar.
Talking about AKVA group’s
involvement in Murmansk projects,
Jelsa underlines that their aim is that
their deliveries will be an advantage
to the Russian aquaculture industry,
reducing their cost per kilo produced fish, and secure the biomass
for company’s customers, which is
vital since the biomass is the capital
of the company.
- Without any success for our
Russian friends, AKVA group will
not be successful in Russia, our track
record have to be very positive.
We are using specialists in project
management, logistics, mooring
systems for the cages, in nets, feeding technology, training in the use
of our AKVA control production
software etc. This could be between
10 and 15 persons involved at site,
and in addition personnel in the
main office.
Murmansk is not the only region
in Russia where aquaculture has
received an impact during the last
year. St. Petersburg and Leningrad
Region are also keen on developing their fish farming projects. And
Norwegian suppliers are ready to
participate with their knowledge
and equipment. Interested parties
are welcome to take contact so that
AKVA group can match them with
the right offer, developing solutions
according to customers’ needs,
says Jelsa.
- AKVA group have delivered technology to fresh water aquaculture
for many years, in many different
countries, and many different species globally. All deliveries from us
are adapted to the need of the customer, and nothing else, says Jelsa.
- AKVA group are at the same time
designing and delivering RAS
(recirculation) systems for hatchery,
nursery and on growing plants on
land in many different areas and for
various species, so we have many
solutions.
More time-consuming
Working in Russia is different, but
it is important to continue working, gain experience and things will
become easier, according to Jelsa.
- Contracts between Russian companies and AKVA group are more
time-consuming, compared to all
other countries. That is a fact! says
Jelsa. - As we are getting more
experienced with this part of the
game, it’s getting easier, as we now
know what is expected and what is
ahead of us. However, it is important to follow the situation day by
day - but that we do in all markets.
Major offshore finfish expansion in the Red Sea
AKVA group has confirmed
a new contract with National
Prawn Co in Saudi Arabia.
The total contract value is
USD 10,160,700 and will be
delivered in 2013.
“This is the first large contract for
delivery of advanced and proven
cage farming technology to the Middle East region, and we are of course
honored that NPC has chosen
AKVA group to supply this for their
large offshore fish farming projects
in the Red Sea”, says COO Export at
AKVA group, Mr. Trond Severinsen.
Mr. Ahmad Al Ballaa, Managing
Director of NPC furthermore states,
“Our company have now started
the first building phases of a major
offshore finfish aquaculture expansion in the Red Sea, with a planned
total production of 100,000 tons/
year within 10 years. This in order to
grow our business from land based
prawn farming to offshore cage
farming of finfish in a secure and
sustainable manner.
Mr. Ruben Alvarez, who is the Fish
Business Director of NPC, adds, “We
chose AKVA group as a supplier of
this important part of our operations
due to their long track record and
quality products. Our company is
founded on highly qualified people,
best technology available, healthy
and safe seafood products and a
high respect and care for the environment in which we operate, which
is the main asset for our company.
Consequently, NPC is determined
to use the most modern technology
available, of which AKVA group has
a leading position.
Mr. Ruben Alvarez at the helm of NPC’s first high-tech Catamaran.
AKVA NEWS
11
Polarcirkel are conquering Vietnam Full on-site
equipment control
AKVA group is selected
to deliver a full cage and net
system with Polarcirkel plastic cages being best suited
for the warm seawater
conditions found along the
coastline of Vietnam, as well
as the strong currents of
the Mekong River.
With high dynamic loads of the
choppy sea and warm sea water
whole year long conditions, the
all plastic cage are preferred by
Vietnamese government to choose
for their fish farm supporting
program and the Polarcirkel cage
itself with strong record in PE
injection moulded bracket which
perfectly eliminate corrosion, and
substantially increase cage life span
compared to steel brackets, finally
convinces all decisions.
Satisfied cage installers.
There are 18 complete Polarcirkel
cages and Egersund nets to be
installed successfully all over
Vietnam in 2012 which particularly
four of them are placed in Mekong
river as the first time the cage
experience in one of the strongest
current river in the world, it is
approximately 4 knot current (more
than 2 m/sec) in the floating season
(flood season) in Mekong river.
The cages themselves have been
perceived highly by the local farmers
and bring a promising future for
AKVA group for cage farming
deliveries.
Fishtalk Equipment is
a new software system
that can manage operations and equipment and
at the same time.
What is Fishtalk Equipment?
Fishtalk Equipment is a software
Polarcirkel cages with Egersund nets are
now being installed all over Vietnam.
for operation and maintenance of
equipment. With Fishtalk Equipment, you can manage all types of
equipment, from moorings, cages
to boats and ropes. The flexibility
is to create all components and
connect them to the maintenance,
documentations and
history.
Why use Fishtalk Equipment?
All inspections, service, recertification and other maintenance
operations is logged and specific
documents attached. Traceability
and documentation is fundamental
part in all Fishtalk solutions and in
Fishtalk Equipment. Further development gives opportunities to
integrate with planning in Fishtalk,
quality systems and deviation
system.
Frozen waters and loads of snow in Alaska
The harvesting of
salmon in Alaska has been
a major focus in the area
since the late 1800s, even
though returns have
been very cyclical.
In 1971 after several years of very
low returns a coordinated salmon
enhancement program was developed; and since the wild stocks
were still believed to be healthy,
and just experiencing a period of
low returns, it was designed in a
way that did not focus on supplementing or rebuilding the wild
stocks, but rather as a way to
supplement the fisheries opportunity. Since its inception the
program has added an incredible
amount of fishing opportunity and
has proved to be a resounding
success.
have proven to be an excellent
platform to work upon as well as
showing exceptional durability in
this extremely harsh environment
where snowfall totals can exceed
500 inches (13m) per winter and the
cages themselves can be frozen into
a lake for months at a time.
“We are very proud to partner with
these enhancement operations in
Alaska, by providing them with an
exceptional quality product that
helps them to achieve their production goals year after year, as well
as being able to share in the magnificent beauty of their surroundings”
says Keith Richford - Sales and
Marketing Manager for AKVA
group North America.
AKVA group’s Wavemaster cages
have been the “go to” cages both
for the seawater and lake rearing stages of this endeavour, and
Cages in Alaska can be frozen into a lake for months at a time.
AKVA NEWS
12
New workboat design
The new Polarcirkel
785 and 845 models are
now available with a
new hull design that
offers better lift and
forces the spray out
to the sides.
The cabin of the new Polarcirkel 1050
now contains four padded designer
chairs.
For further information please
contact Mr. Christian Schafer
at the AKVA group stand.
Christian Schafer
[email protected]
Polarcirkel Diving 785 (25.7’) and Polarcirkel 1050 (32’).
During the winter, we
developed a new prototype
for a more spacious and
even faster cabin workboat model.
This boat has been built around an
entirely new concept. The boat has
double pontoons made from 500 mm
PE pipe. The hull is essentially the
same as on our other boats, with a
21-degree V-shaped bottom. However, the hull has three pressuretested chambers. This makes the
boat very buoyant.
The boat can be fitted with many
different propulsion options: inboard
drive, inboard and water jet, or an
ordinary outboard motor. The boat
can also be fitted with twin engines.
The prototype was fitted with two
MerCruiser 3.0 TDI 265 hp engines
with Bravo III drive. This propulsion
option gives the boat a top speed of
around 40 knots.
The boat has a large walk around
cabin with a rear exit. Inside the
cabin, there are four padded seats
and a large bench with space for
three people. The dashboard is clear
and there is plenty of storage space.
The prototype has been fitted with a
fridge, a small sink with cold water
and a large storage room, which
provides potential for a toilet to be
fitted. Windscreen wipers have been
fitted to all of the front windows.
The cabin interior can of course be
adapted for specific boats.
The prototype has also been fitted
with an external helm, rescue net,
chart plotter and radar from Raymarine, in addition to a bow thruster.
John-Atle Figenschau
Sales Manager - Polarcirkel Boats,
AKVA group
Visit AKVA group at Stand 324 in Hall D
New Land Based and Cage Farming Catalogues
Visit the world´s largest Feed Barge!
AKVA group will exhibit the new AC 650 Feed Barge at
Skansen Docks, and you are welcome to visit the barge during
the exibithion. The feed barge is ready for delivery
to Aqua Nor. Contact AKVA group sales department
on phone 51 77 85 00 for more details.
www.akvagroup.com
Award Shortlist Announced
Aquaculture Supplier of the Year
1. AKVA group Scotland Ltd
2. NAFC Marine Centre
3. Orbit GMT
Crown estate to decide
its biennial aquaculture
champions.
Organizers of the Scottish Marine
Aquaculture awards have announced
this year’s finalists after receiving a
record number of entries. The Crown
Estate awards celebrate the achievements and success of an industry
that is vitally important to the local
economies of coastal communities.
Two new categories have been introduces; seafood product and community initiative, to acknowledge the
wider scope of industry engagement
and business. The awards ceremony
and gala dinner took place at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh Tuesday
13th of June. AKVA group Scotland
Ltd was awarded 1st place as the
Aquaculture Supplier of the year.
The Scottish salmon company nominated Inverness-based AKVA group
Scotland Ltd for the Aquaculture
Supplier of the Year Award. “It is
really a pleasure to be nominated as
this shows that people appreciate our
products as well as our backup and
support. A huge part of this honor is
due to our service and support team
who deserves most of the recognition. We are not just an equipment
supplier; our team helps with efficiency of farming operations and
performance” says Douglas Johnson,
AKVA groups sales director.
“This award is a testimonial to our
work and commitment to improve
our customers´ profitability and
sustainability by providing services
and solutions that add value to our
customers”
New Giant
AC 650
Feed Barge
AKVA group - 5.000 - 2013 - Design: www.khvic.no
New bow and hull design.
Officially since march 2013,
a new AKVA group Australasia
office has begun its operations
with base in Hobart, Tasmania.
This new office will cover the
Australia and New Zealand
region.
Due to the sustained growth of
the Australasia industry in the
recent years AKVA group has
decided to open this new office to
have local presence in the region
and support the industry closely.
Following feedback from our
customers, we started designing
and testing a new hull design
for the Polarcirkel boats in the
spring of 2012.
The result was an entirely new
hull design. The boats were
lengthened by 25 cm and the
bow was raised by 25 cm. This
has given the boat a sharper
keel that cuts through the waves
better, which also resulted in
the models being renamed.
The Polarcirkel 760 is now the
785, while the 820 has become
the 845. In addition to this, we
have modified the hydrofoils so
that they now spray the water
out to the sides more.
New office in Tasmania