Identifying juvenile and adult yellow perch females from males is no longer an obstacle for aquaculture producers of this high-value fish, thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. A new step-by-step procedure developed by the scientists makes it easier to separate fish by gender for growth performance, physiological studies and to manage broodstocks for reproduction and genetic selection.

Physiologist Brian Shepherd and his colleagues at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Dairy Forage and Aquaculture Research Unit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developed the systematic method to segregate yellow perch females from males during early growth stages. Because females tend to grow faster and larger than males, females could often be mistaken for males when being selected for genetic improvement prior to reproductive maturity. Previously, it was extremely difficult to identify gender until fish matured (up to two years). Read more …

Farmed salmon is rich in fat, but fillets of farmed salmon contain less marine omega-3 than previously, because a large fraction of the fish oil in the feed has been replaced by plant oil. Scientists have discovered a way of stimulating farmed salmon to convert plant oil in the feed to marine omega-3.

This means that farmed salmon may become a net producer of marine omega-3. Read more …

Demand for salmon is soaring and is driving expansion of aquaculture—fish farming. For years, environmentalists advised conscientious consumers to avoid farmed salmon, but that’s starting to change, thanks to an evolving industry.

Rich in protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fats, salmon is increasingly being marketed as a healthy food. Demand for salmon has risen more than 20 percent in the last decade. Consumption is three times what it was in 1980. Read more …

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is lifting the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Federal Order that was first issued in 2006 in response to an outbreak of the fish disease in the Great Lakes region.

After studying the disease, conducting surveillance and evaluating the latest science, APHIS has determined it can safely remove the Federal Order as long as states maintain existing VHS regulations and other practices to reduce risk.

By removing the Federal Order, which has become duplicative with state regulations, we can still protect the health of farmed and wild fish while also supporting the interstate movement needs of the aquaculture industry. Beginning June 2, APHIS will no longer prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of VHS-susceptible species of live fish from VHS-affected or at-risk states, including: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, APHIS will no longer restrict the importation of the same species of live fish from Ontario and Quebec, Canada into the United States. However, this action does not affect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s salmonid importation requirements as found in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Although APHIS will no longer regulate VHS, the Agency’s Veterinary Services program will continue to work with states and industry to promote sound biosecurity practices and share scientific updates regarding the disease.

Please find attached (PDF) a Federal Register notice announcing a series of public meetings to obtain comments on a proposed rulethat would establish requirements for shippers, carriers by motor vehicle and rail vehicle, and receivers engaged in the transportation of food, including food for animals, to use sanitary transportation practices to help ensure the safety of the food or feed products they transport. This may have implications for the commercial aquaculture feed manufacturing and transportation industries.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing three public meetings to discuss the proposed rule that would establish requirements for shippers, carriers by motor vehicle and rail vehicle, and receivers engaged in the transportation of food, including food for animals, to use sanitary transportation practices to help ensure the safety of the food they transport. The proposed rule is part of our larger effort to focus on prevention of food safety problems throughout the food chain and is part of our implementation of the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 (2005 SFTA) and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The purpose of the public meetings is to inform the public of the provisions of the proposed rule and the rulemaking process (including how to submit comments, data, and other information to the rulemaking docket) as well as solicit oral stakeholder and public comments on the proposed rule and to respond to questions about the rule. usa online casino echeck

World Fishing & Aquaculture interviews Norwegian modern fish farming pioneer, Bjørn Myrseth to discover what he believes the future holds for the fast growing industry.

Fish that do not require fish protein in their feed will become important in tomorrow’s aquaculture, says Norwegian fish farming pioneer, Bjørn Myrseth. “I will continue to work with marine fish that can be grown in cages, but at the moment I am also interested in taking a look at the herbivore or omnivore fish that are sold at low prices such as tilapia and pangasius.”

This is far removed from the farming of rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon in Norway, which is where Mr Myrseth began his long career in aquaculture. This career has taken him all over the world and has involved the farming of many species. Read more …

A young Chilean researcher was awarded a prize by a prestigious US institution for her research aimed at developing technology to obtain antibiotics substitute for farmed salmon.

The new technological solution is environmentally friendly. Its goal is to improve productivity in salmon farming through the use of a food additive with an active compound derived from indigenous marine bacteria off the coast of Valparaíso Region.

Due to her innovative research, co-founder of the company Micro Marine Biotech and researcher at the University of Valparaiso, Claudia Ibacache, received an award from MIT Technology Review, a magazine from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), reported Valparaiso University. Read more …

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are increasingly used to rear aquatic animals – as this use increases so does the potential for loss from disease. Unfortunately, few drugs are presently approved in the U.S. for use in RAS to control disease. This survey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Viterbo_RAS> seeks to develop information that will make it easier for safe and effective drugs to be approved for use in RAS.

As part of the drug approval process, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration assesses not only the efficacy of the drug for its intended purpose, but also its potential direct and indirect effects on the treated animals and the environment. There is little information currently available that summarizes how the various types of RAS are actually operated and the conditions under which a drug might be applied in those RAS. There is even less information available on how drugs might affect RAS biofilter operation and function; this information is important for determining the fate of drugs within RAS facilities, their potential effects on water quality, and for evaluating how much of the drugs might be released in RAS effluents. The lack of this broad baseline information on RAS and biofilters complicates the FDA’s assessments of potential risks to both the treated animal and the environment.

Viterbo University (La Crosse, Wisconsin) developed this survey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Viterbo_RAS> to describe current RAS operations and procedures, which, when combined with other drug effects information, will help inform the decisions FDA makes in regards to the approval of drugs to control disease in animals reared in RAS.

* Most respondents will complete the survey in about 30 minutes.
What information will you be asked to provide?

* Information about your RAS (biofilter type/media/volume or size; rearing tank volumes; water flow/replacement/clarification/chemistry; species reared and feed protein level)
* Information about oral or waterborne drugs used or considered for use in your RAS including
* Drug impacts on biofilter function
* Annual number of treatments administered, treatment timing, number of tanks treated
* How treated water is handled within the RAS – i.e., can tank water bypass the biofilter and be discharged, etc.
* Pathogens/diseases that impact your facility
What if I don’t have time to complete the survey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Viterbo_RAS>?

* We understand time is precious and you might not be able to complete the entire survey. If you can’t complete the entire survey, please complete Section 1 and the first two questions of Section 2.
How will the information be used?

* Viterbo University will summarize the information at national and regional scales; individual facility or state summaries will not be developed
* National summaries of RAS characteristics will be provided to FDA; regional summaries will be submitted only if needed. Individual facility or state information will not be submitted.
Who should complete the survey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Viterbo_RAS>?

* All facilities that operate RAS, whether operated for profit, public fish stocking, education, or research, are encouraged to complete the survey.
How will my information be protected?

* Individual and facility identity and responses will be kept strictly confidential.
* Facilities that respond to the survey will be assigned a unique facility identification number.
* Individual facility information (name or location) will not be submitted to FDA; only nationally or regionally summarized data will be submitted to FDA.
* Viterbo University will retain completed and coded surveys on secure media accessible only to the survey coordinator
Why is Viterbo University completing this survey?

* Students and faculty from Viterbo have supported several research projects to enhance access to safe and effective drugs for use in aquaculture through collaborations with the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.

* Our involvement with this survey furthers the mission of the Biology Department at Viterbo to train the next generation of scientists by engaging students outside the classroom through involvement in real-world research problems to tackle science challenges
How can I get more information?

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) is presenting a free webinar, “Fish Nutrition 101: What Fish Farmers Need to Know about Feeds and Feeding”, on November 19, 2013.

Feed represents the largest cost of production in aquaculture, and there are very few aspects of aquaculture that aren’t directly or indirectly influenced by feeds and feeding practices. Growth and efficiency, broodstock performance and gamete quality, product value, water quality and effluent management, budgets and business planning, environmental impacts, etc.—what you feed and how you feed it affects virtually everything from egg to plate.

In this webinar, we will discuss the basic nutritional requirements of fish and how these differ from terrestrial livestock, attributes of feeds and how to choose the best one for your operation, and feeding strategies to maximize efficiency. Special topics, including fish meal/fish oil sparing and omega-3 enriched products will also be discussed.

Please join us at this free National Aquaculture Association webinar to learn more about the practical aspects of fish nutrition, aquafeeds, and feeding practices.

Dr. Jesse Trushenski is an Associate Professor with the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences (CFAAS) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale where she heads a research team dedicated to aquaculture nutrition and fish physiology. Holding degrees from Western Washington University (B.S., 2002) and Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Ph.D., 2006), Dr. Trushenski is also President of the Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society.

Linda ODierno has over 25 years of experience working with the fish and seafood industry and is currently the Outreach Specialist for the National Aquaculture Association. Prior to that, she served as Coordinator of Fish and Seafood Development for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and was a Regional Seafood Specialist with New York Sea Grant.

Host:
This is the third in a series of webinars presented by the National Aquaculture Association. The NAA outreach program provides educational programming for the U.S. aquaculture industry, foodservice professionals, nutritionists and dieticians, retailers and wholesalers, and consumers. Webinar topics are selected with industry input to meet actual information needs. Recorded webinars are available on the NAA website:www.thenaa.net

Registration Link:

Here is the link for people to register for the https://naa.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/event.pl?int=1. To register for the event “Fish Nutrition 101: What Fish Farmers Need to Know about Feeds and Feeding” check the name to register and then click the “Register” button below the list of items.

Please see the information below on a new decision support tool for screening non-native freshwater fishes is now available on the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture (CEFAS) website. Thanks to Jeff Hill with the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory at the University of Florida for providing this information.

This is the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) v2.03 developed in a collaboration between UF Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Hill and Larry Lawson), CEFAS (Gordon Copp), and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Scott Hardin) with assistance of Lorenzo Vilizzi (La Trobe University/Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Center).

This risk screening tool has been used in several international projects and published journal articles and is now freely available online (Excel spreadsheet tool and user guide pdf).