I N C O R P O R AT I N G f i s h far m ing t e c h no l og y

March | April 2013 Escapes primarily caused by equipment failure

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ESCAPES
quipment failure or operational errors are behind three out of four farmed salmon escapes. Two out of three escapes are due to holes in sea cage nets according to a new study. Researchers working on the SECURE project (Securing fish farming technology and operations to reduce escapes) have analysed all escape incidents between 2006 and 2009 reported by Norwegian fish farms. Their efforts provide the industry and researchers with new insights into the factors leading to loss at Norwegian production facilities.

primarily caused by equipment failure

by Torkil Marsdal Hanssen, Norway

The escape incident reports reveal that equipment suppliers and fish farmers have managed to solve some of the equipment problems that previously led to a high number of escapes. Escapes caused by mooring or floating collar failure have become more and more rare. The greatest challenge now facing producers of salmon and trout is how to prevent wear and tear to the netting. Holes formed from chafing contact between the net and the sinker tube chain were responsible for more than 50 percent of total escapees between 2008 and 2010, Dr Jensen says.

escapes can be attributed to biological factors, one out of every four escaped farmed cod got out through holes in the nets caused either by predators or the cod themselves. In contrast to salmon and trout, cod will often bite the netting and tear the net wall. The cod also display more interest in such holes and are far more eager than salmon or trout to try to swim through them, adds Dr Jensen.

The Houdinis of the sea

Cod are better escape artists than other species of production fish, opting to swim through obstacles rather than around them. As part of the SECURE project, researchers at Norwegian Institute of Food, Fishery and Aquaculture (Nofima) have analysed the behavioural characteristics of cod which make them more likely to escape than other production species. Using controlled experiments, researchers have studied how they behave in sea cages. Cod constantly bite and nibble on the net threads, showing great interest in investigating anything that appears unnatural to their environment. This affects how net repair should be approached at cod-production facilities. Repairs are most effective when colours and shapes of the repaired netting conform to the original. The ends of threads need to be affixed so that the repair will not deviate in appearance from the rest of the netting.

Structural failures most common

Equipment failure or damage is the major factor behind the escape of farmed salmon. Figures from the SECURE project show that 68 percent of escapes occurred because of structural failure. An additional 8 percent were able to escape due to human error during operations. Eleven percent of escapes took place from land-based facilities and an equal percentage escaped due to external factors. All in all, the researchers have revealed clear explanations for 96 percent of the total escapes reported from 2006 to 2009.

Fewer large-scale escape events

Operational error during activities such as delousing or maintenance, combined with fish transfer, account for close to 20 percent of the escape figures. The last large-scale salmon escape event, in which 175,000 fish escaped a production facility in Trndelag, occurred in connection with delousing. Large-scale escape events in which more than 10,000 fish are involved comprise 19 percent of the total number of escapes during the period studied. As much as 91 percent of all fish that escaped can be attributed to large-scale events, says Dr Jensen. The reduction in the number of large escape events is the most significant factor behind the substantial reduction in the number of production salmon escapees from 2006 to 2009.

Factors changing over time

Common structural failures include problems with mooring lines, collapsed floating collars and holes torn in the netting of a sea cage. Bad weather is another factor contributing to structural failure and escape. We have also documented incidents of automatic feeding devices loosen and causing damage, says sten Jensen, research manager with SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture and project manager of the SECURE project.

Characteristics of fish likely to escape

Behavioural differences among the various species of farmed fish also play into the risk of escape. Whereas only one percent of salmon
26 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | March-April 2013

Improved reporting
Fish farmers are required to report all escape events to the Directorate of Fisheries. Jensen says that escape incident reporting has improved substantially since the Norwegian

FEATURE FEATURE a partial dietary substitute for fish oil within ies have been recently reviewed (Nasopoulou Aquaculture Escapes Commission (AEC) introNeed for novel and Zabetakis, 2012). compound feeds. The same is true of linseed duced a notification template five years ago. sources New, alternative and in a way nonoil and rapeseed oil, although to a lesser In order to reduce orthodox, sources of lipids need to be extent. dependence on fish oil, sigPlacing responsibility on suppliers identified and valorised in order to achieve Furthermore, the use of palm oil in diets of nificant breakthroughs have Two problem areas stand out in the efforts occurred over the past few Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout has given sustainable production of fish feeds and thus to reduce the risk of escapes in Norwegian aquaculture. years in replacing it with plant Jensen believes that both can oils. By substituting feeds with be solved by the suppliers of aquaculture B) plant oils, it also serves to reduce equipment. costs due to the fact that vegetaIf the aquaculture industry is ever going ble oils have steadily increasing producto realistically realise its vision of zero escapes tion, high availability and better economic from sea-based production facilities, it must value. Several have been carried out solve two studies big challenges. The first is that to investigate certain vegetable oils as posweighting systems currently in use to maintain sible sustainable partial substitutes for fish the shape and volume of the net pens lead oils in compounded fish feeds. The most to wear and tear in the netting. The second common vegetable oils used for fish feed prois finding ways to decrease the incidence of duction have been soybean, linseed, rapeseed, operational or human error. Figure 2: Representative optic micrographs x 100 of aortic wall sections stained with sunflower, palm oil and olive oil. haematoxylin and eosin from the two experimental groups, where atherosclerotic Soybean and rapeseed oil are considered Solutions can be developed lesions appear as foam cells (). (A) Group A (atherogenic diet); (B) Group B (atherogenic diet enriched with sea bream polar lipids) (adopted from Nasopoulou et possible alternative lipid sources for salmoDr Jensen points out that the key to al., 2010). Copyright, Food Chemistry Elsevier nids, freshwater and marine fish they solving both challenges can be since found in the are rich in PUFAs, especially linoleic (18:2 supplier industry. enabling the further development of aquaculdoes not always carry the greatest force. We 6) and oleic acid (18:1 9), but devoid growth and feed utilization efficiency compaon the market and can purchase nets and Improved product design and procedures ture applications. Such promising lipid sources rable to fish fed with equivalent levels of fish have found examples where a low-crested of n-3 PUFA. However, in some cases, fish floating collars separately. It is by no means can mitigate and, in part, prevent both wear are vegetable oils (VO). The use of VO based Olive oil could also be chosen used as a partial wave exerts much greater force on a facility oil and tear as well as human error during operasubstitution by 60 percent rapeseed oil oil. automatic that the net will suit the aquafeeds has some strong advantages. Olive for dietary fish oil in European than a steep wave. Twice the force is not has been found to decrease European sea substitute selected floating collar when assembled. We tions at sea. Much of the equipment in use in (OP) and olive pomace oil (OPO) sea bass culture, during growth out phase, pomace unusual, and this should obviously be incorpobass (Dicentrarchus labrax ) growth. Soybean need to have a more integrated approach to sea-based facilities should be redesigned and are natural by-products of olive oil producsalmon salmo salar) and rainbow rated into the specifications for the design and oil simplified to make it difficult or impossible to appears to be a better plant lipid source Atlantic the design of ( fish-farming systems to ensure which contain constituents with Oncorhynchus mykiss) with data showing tion, dimensions of a micro production facility, Jensen regarding gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata ) trout ( that components are compatible, explains Dr use incorrectly. Under the SECURE project similar growth rates to the ones when fish was concludes. growth while considerable savings in feed to Jensen, who believes the introduction of facil- atheroprotective (substances) activity such as we have acquired the knowledge needed fed on 100 percent fish oil diet. All these studMore information: www.forskningsradet.no costs could be achieved if it could be used as ity certification is a step in the right direction. PAF-inhibitors and phenolic/polyphenolic moldevelop better and more secure solutions. The next step is up to the suppliers. Suppliers have already begun applying Providing the documented findings from the SECURE input for project to test new solutions. The Research regulations Council of Norway allocated funding to two As of January new research projects this year (Towards sus- 1, 2013, all fishtainable fish farming at exposed marine sites production facili[SUSTAINFARMEX 2011-2014] and Exposed ties in Norway Farming) that have carried out modelling tests must have cerusing nets with integrated sinker tubes. tification stating that the facility is 4th BioMarine Business Convention using compatible Certification scheme Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre components. improves safety Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada The The SECURE project has documented a number of factors significant for avoiding net SECURE project has provided abrasion and tearing: Are you a decision-maker looking for business opportunities in one of the manyweighting biomarine industries? Are you a biomarine knowledge of Insufficient of net-cages, use company looking for a research partner or financing? importance to of exceedingly large nets, sea-current the on design of conditions and biofouling lead to net Join us at BioMarine 2013 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada regulations deformation and risk of abrasion and September 9-12, 2013. Meet CEOs, R&D partners and discuss the that latest advances in: that will form tearing. the basis for Washing nets by machine reduces the Aquaculture and Aquafeed facility certificastrength of net threads by 10-20 percent Marine BioTechs for Health & Environment Algae and Seaweeds tion, among after 4-5 washings. Marine Ingredients & Nutraceuticals other things. Attaching the sinker tube to the net has The comprehensive information Bioprocessing We have seen proven to be a more secure solution Biorefinery & Biofuels source for the biomarine industry that the layout than using sliding connectors. For more net information about the program to register: Conic pens create more distance andof a facility combined with wave between the net and the chain, reducing Visit www.biomarine.org size can have or the risk of abrasion and tearing. In spite contact us at Biomarine2013@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca unforeseen conof this, the majority of net pens are Thecurrently cylindrical in shape. fourth edition of the BioMarine International Business Convention is co-organized The sequences. with the National Research Council of Canada. Fish producers are able to buy freely highest wave http://www.biomarine-resources.com

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