AQUACULTURE IS TODAY THE FASTES GROWING FOOD INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD
This year the global production of fish and shellfish will exceed 123 mio tons out of wich 24 mio tons will be bivalves and crustacean. For the first time in history, aquaculture will bypass wild-fishing in production volume.
The initial focus in developing global aquaculture has been on the primary production, but the industry will in the future also require logistical solutions and technologies that can help to take the industry further, that is where we see our place in the industry:
Bridge the logistical gap between major shellfish production clusters and high density markets of consumption
Replace the airfreight of live shellfish with more competitive and environmentally sustainable ocean freight
Create new standards in food safety and animal welfare by closely managed and monitored supply chain management
Bridge the logistical gap between major shellfish production clusters and high density markets of consumption
Only 20 years ago global aquaculture production represented only 10% of the global fish production, the industry has since then experienced a year on year growth unprecedented in the food industry.
As wild fishing is being challenged by decreasing quotas and declining wild stock, global aquaculture will continue to experience growth.
The international trade in fish products represents a value of approximate 75 Bill USD or 40% in volume of the total global production. International fish trade has increased more than 50% the last decade. More than 1 Bill people in the world depend on fish proteins in their daily diet, the aquaculture will also in the years to come experience growth and the international trade in the industry will continue to grow.
Approximate 24,000 mio ton of the global production is bivalves and crustacean, in volume this represents 20% of the global production and in value an estimated 30%. Out of this 15,000 mio tons is produced in China.
The major production clusters of bivalves and crustacean are more than often located far from where the products are consumed. This imposes a challenge for the producers that wishes to have a presence in the value added fresh market rather than be limited to the production of low value frozen products.
Bivalves and crustacean have to be live to be fresh, therefore Aqualife is focused on developing technologies that cost effectively and with respect for the environment can transport live shellfish from the production clusters to the major urban areas where the products often are consumed.
Replace the airfreight of live shellfish with more competitive and environmentally sustainable ocean freight
A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.
Transportation by ocean freight in containers delivers 70 times better energy efficiency than airfreight and therefore a significantly better carbon footprint. A product´s carbon footprint will become an increasingly used parameter in a company´s future marketing stratergy.
International retailers are now introducing labels on foods that have been imported by air. This label (displaying a small airplane) will, together with the carbon foot print measurement, inform customers about the impact their planned purchase will have on the environment.
British retailers have already started to delist products transported by air. A couple of major UK retailers have delisted imported North American-Canadian lobster for the 2007 Christmas sales campaign. This decision has been made purely on the basis of the high carbon foot print impact of air freight. It is expected that the US will follow the UK’s lead in this development and that 2008 sales of fresh and live shellfish in North America will be seriously affected by this development.
In Aqualife we will work with major retailers and producers in converting their air freighted product over to ocean based transport. It is our intention to inspire customers to use labeling that can inform consumers, when products are transported in the Aqualife system, thereby informing the consumer of his or her contribution to the environment.
Create new standards in food safety and animal welfare by closely managed and monitored supply chain management
Over the last decade international fish trade has increased with more than 50%, the increased movement of product across the world is imposing new challenges to both food safety and Aquatic Animal Health.
When transporting live shellfish across the globe there are a number of Aquatic Animal Health issues that need to be considered.
Our most important task is to identify and detect toxicological, pathobiological and biochemical agents in both in the animals and the water we use for transportation and storage. The risk management programs documented and enforced as part of a given infrastructure shall assure that we do not pollute seawaters in the receiving country with disease or invasive spices.
We meet those challenges in the following ways:
- Assure that the country or area of origin has an adequate animal health surveillance plan in place and that the fishing areas are free of disease.
- All systems are recyclable closed systems where than animals and seawater does not come into contact with open waters in the receiving country.
- The waste water from the transportation is treated before disposal, either by using the Aqualife membrane filtration or by chemical breakdown.
We are aware that there can be no trade off on environmental issues and that our efforts to reduce carbon dioxide shall not result in compromises being made in other environmental areas of concern.