Nexus. Skretting. Sustainable procurement of raw materials. Skretting s novel fish diets combat high temperatures

Transcription

1 Nexus Skretting no.13 - Spring 2012 Sustainable procurement of raw materials Skretting s novel fish diets combat high temperatures AGD research: local R&D and Skretting ARC update

2 Nexus Contact Information: 26 Maxwells Road Cambridge Tasmania Australia 7170 PO Box 117 Rosny Park Tasmania Australia 7018 Telephone: lauren.sproule@skretting.com Cover image: Taken from Skretting s Sustainable Feed Solutions booklet Nexus is published by Skretting and is distributed free to all our customers involved in the Australian and New Zealand Fish Farming Industry. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publishers. This publication is not intended to remove the need to take advice when dealing with specific situations and readers should contact the editor before taking any action in reliance on the articles in Nexus. About this issue Stephen Scott Commercial Manager - Skretting Australia Welcome to the Spring edition of Nexus. This edition is particularly interesting reading and focuses on Skretting s commitment to sustainability throughout our raw material procurement process, including the development of a general vendor policy and a specific raw material policy for marine raw materials. These policies were rolled out to suppliers at the beginning of As you will read, this commitment is in line with the Nutreco ambition of contributing to meeting the challenge of feeding nine billion people in 2050 in a sustainable manner. Also of interest, as summer approaches, is an article on the development and success, locally and elsewhere, of our high temperature (HT) diets. We also cover the ARC s research into fish defense systems in the gut, gill and skin and the article on our local AGD research will be of particular interest to our Tasmanian readers. As always we seek your feedback on Nexus and hope you find this edition of interest. Delivering sustainable feed solutions for aquaculture Skretting s vision for 2020 is that we will have significantly reduced our environmental footprint while contributing to feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. We are focused in the areas of ingredients, operation, nutritional solutions and commitment as outlined in the Skretting Sustainable Economic Aquafeed (SEA) program. It is also imperative we ensure the SEA is aligned with both our customers requirements and the emerging aquaculture certification standards, such as Good Agricultural Practice (GlobalGAP) Aquaculture standard, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). ed with aquaculture certification standards, specific issue statements or product declarations and additional copies of our brochures and catalogues so let Jenna know if you need more copies of Nexus for your team. A Skretting SEA leaflet was launched by Jenna in November 2012 and is available on request. Jenna Bowyer can be contacted on or Jenna.Bowyer@Skretting.com To ensure we deliver on these activities, we are pleased to announce that Dr Jenna Bowyer has joined Skretting Australia as our Sustainability and Communications Officer. Jenna has just completed her PhD in Yellowtail Kingfish nutrition at Flinders University in Adelaide and will be our local representative on both the Skretting global sustainability and communication teams. Jenna can be contacted directly to discuss Skretting s SEA program, local systems and documentation associat- 2 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012

3 Raw Materials Skretting applies sustainable procurement policy to marine raw material suppliers The Being part of Nutreco, Skretting is committed to continuously improving many aspects of sustainability. High on the priority list is the sourcing of raw materials. In particular, marine raw materils. These activities are now the subject of a Nutreco sustainable procurement strategy. This has led to a general vendor policy that applies to all suppliers and a specific raw material policy for marine raw materials. Developed in 2010, these policies have been progressively rolled out to suppliers since The sequence of events began in 2009 when the Nutreco Executive Board made a commitment to embed sustainability in the operations of all its businesses, which includes Skretting companies world-wide. Jaap Oskam, the Nutreco Chief Procurement Officer explains, This commitment is in line with the Nutreco ambition of contributing to meeting the challenge of feeding nine billion people in 2050 in a sustainable manner. The sustainability of the raw materials we procure influences the sustainability of every step in our value chains, through to the final consumer products. Also, procurement of feed raw materials accounts for a substantial proportion of turnover. Following our commitment to better sustainability, the development of a sustainable procurement strategy and related policies were essential next steps. We brought together a team, mainly sustainability of the raw materials we procure influences the sustainability of every step in our value chains, through to the final consumer products. purchasing managers, to develop them. A group of senior managers around the company acted as a sounding board, providing feedback on our ideas. VENDOR POLICY The team concluded there was a need for a general vendor policy that applies to every supplier and covers generic issues. There also was a need for specific raw material policies for raw materials with potentially higher sustainability impacts. We identified these as the marine raw materials fishmeal and fish oil, soya products and palm oil products, says Oskam. The policies address the issues specific to the category, for example addressing the issue of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. The strategy and policies were completed and validated by the Executive Board in 2010, ready for introduction in The vendor policy is our bottom line with regard to sustainability issues, says Oskam. Suppliers that do not meet its criteria are at risk of being delisted. It covers fundamental points such as being compliant with the laws and regulations of the country where the supplier operates. It includes fair treatment of employees and the ability to document compliance with a wide range of environmental requirements with respect to pollution and the use of resources such as water and energy. Vendors are also required to have or continued on page 4 Skretting Nexus Spring

4 from page 3 be preparing a sustainability policy of their own. In 2011 the Vendor Policy was sent for signing to the top 100 suppliers, identified by value of purchases made. Each vendor has a Nutreco account manager allocated to discuss the policy and, if necessary, help them reach the point when they can confirm their compliance. In 2012 the policy will go to the rest of the top 300 suppliers and in 2013 it will be rolled out to any remaining suppliers. New suppliers are immediately given the policy as a requirement for becoming a supplier. MARINE RAW MATERIALS The specific raw material policies apply in addition to the general vendor policy, addressing those issues relating to the particular raw materials concerned. The marine raw materials policy covers fishmeal and fish oil made from fish and crustaceans harvested for the purpose and fishmeal and fish oil made from trimmings or by-products coming from factories processing fish and crustaceans for human consumption. Stig Roar Sandvik, Global Procurement Director Skretting Group, gives more detail. We draw attention to issues identified, for example, in the IFFO Code for Responsible Supply and by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). These include, for example, recognition of the concern in society about over fishing. Landing and processing illegal, unregulated and unreported fish reduces the biomass and jeopardises the long-term stability of fish populations. It is essential these practices are eliminated. We encourage suppliers to adopt the IFFO Code of Responsible Supply or obtain the MSC fisheries certification or an equivalent way of demonstrating their sustainability. Suppliers must document the species used in the production of fishmeal and fish oil delivered to Skretting companies. They must also indicate any content of meal by-product included. No species from the UN endangered species list or any that are classified as Critically Endangered or Endangered in the IUCN Red List can be included. Those fish from the wild stock that are included must come from fisheries that have a management plan to ensure continuity of a stable biomass of the fish resource. In addition, the suppliers must be able to provide full traceability for fishmeal and fish oil back to the specific fishing vessels involved and processors should be certified to Good Manufacturing Practice. All suppliers of marine raw materials received the specific vendor policy as well as the general vendor policy in 2011, starting with those in the top 100 list. Non-compliance can lead to de-listing. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT & COMMITMENT Sustainability is not a fixed end goal. It is a process of continuous improvement. Our sustainable procurement strategy and its related policies will be subject to review and updated every year, says Jaap Oskam. Nutreco has further emphasised its commitment to sustainability by making senior managers available for industry initiatives. For example, Jaap Oskam is spending a significant proportion of his time in his role as Chairman of the Round Table on Responsible Soy and Knut Nesse, Nutreco Executive Vice-President Skretting Group, is on the Supervisory board of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. 4 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012

5 Raw Materials Left: Nutreco s Vision for 2020 includes goals for sourcing sustainable ingredients, establishing sustainable partnerships and reducing dependence on individual ingredients. Right: Skretting s Sustainable Feed Solutions brochure contains information about Skretting s plans for sustainability into the future. For copies, please contact Jenna Bowyer (jenna. bowyer@skretting.com). Skretting Nexus Spring

6 Skretting s novel fish diets counter high temperatures for Atlantic salmon, sea bass & rainbow trout It is widely understood that each fish species has an optimum temperature range and will lose appetite and grow more slowly when water temperatures go much above that range. Until recently the physical effects on the fish leading to these symptoms were not understood. Scientists at Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) identified the changes caused by high temperatures and developed a feed solution to the problem that can be applied across species. Following validation trials showing benefits in growth and feed conversion ratios, high temperature (HT) grower diets have been developed for various species, including Atlantic salmon, sea bass and rainbow trout. New Optiline HT salmon grower feeds were introduced by Skretting Australia in October 2011, in time for the southern hemisphere summer and became available in Europe in July The research journey began in 2010, in a joint research project funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project was in anticipation of potential problems from climate change bringing warmer waters to the coast, especially in the south of Norway, but was also developed keeping in mind the annual challenges faced by Tasmanian salmonid farmers during summer. Skretting joined Marine Harvest, the Norwegian Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) and the Institute of Marine Research (NOFIMA) to investigate. A focus of the research was to investigate the effects of high temperature on gut integrity. Previous investigations from the EU-funded AquaMax project demonstrated that the gut wall is more permeable at higher temperatures, making the fish more vulnerable to invasion by pathogens. The Norwegian project showed that higher temperatures lead to faster metabolism of anti-oxidants and that disruption of the gut wall leads to loss of appetite. That prompted the ARC team to consider ways of counteracting these effects through a modification of the diet. Optiline HT at Tassal David Kiemele, Head of farming at Tassal, was encouraged to use Optiline HT for salmon production over the Australian summer based on the ARC knowledge of improved fish performance and the potential benefits of reduced nitrogen outputs. We had a very challenging summer this year, water temperatures reached as high as o C in most of our production areas, Kiemele says. Optiline HT has helped us maintain performance during this difficult period, he reports. The HT diet was fed in commercial cages as water temperatures climbed above 15 o C and from then on all the way through the summer months. Compared to the conventional summer diet, fish fed Optiline HT showed 8% improvement in growth as well as reduced FCR and increased feed intake. We are very pleased with the results of the commercial trials this past summer, and plan to incorporate the HT option into how we manage fish performance through warm summers in the future. 6 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012

7 We could counteract the loss of anti-oxidants by adding an appropriate anti-oxidant to the feed, reports Ingunn Stubhaug, who led the research project at ARC. The real challenge was to identify micro-ingredients that would stabilise the gut. We ran high temperature trials with several blends at our Lerang Fish Research Station. By January 2011 one combination really stood out. The fish were healthier, ate more, grew better and had a lower feed conversion ratio. Then, using new digitised histology equipment, Charles McGurk from the ARC Fish Health team, revealed that this blend reduced disturbance of the gut wall, which explained the positive effects seen in the trial. That blend is the basis for the HT feeds. The fish were healthier, ate more, grew better and had a lower feed conversion ratio Sissel Susort, Senior Product Manager Skretting Norway and a member of the Skretting global Standard Feed Team, translated the results into commercial grower feeds for salmon. Fellow team member, Rhys Hauler, Marketing Manager in Skretting Australia, saw an opportunity. We began Product Update selling Optiline HT in October 2011, reports Hauler. We also took the opportunity with HT competence to challenge the high protein formulations conventionally used over summer in the Australian salmon industry. Unfortunately these lead to higher excretion of nitrogen. Optiline HT, however, has less protein, subsequently nitrogen outputs are less and therefore the diet delivers sustainability benefits as well. Having the knowledge from the ARC and the practical experience with Atlantic salmon, we began formulating HT feeds for sea bass and rainbow trout, says Umberto Luzzana, Product Manager, Skretting Southern Europe. Optibass HT is recommended for use when water temperatures exceed 26 C. Optiline HT for rainbow trout is for when water temperatures reach 18 C. The HT formulations became available to Skretting operating companies in Spain, France, Italy and Turkey in June Trout trials in Italy Trials in Italy with rainbow trout demonstrated the advantages of HT feeds. Rainbow trout weighing 180g were fed either Optiline HT trout or a conventional grower diet, both given at 0.8% of body weight per day. The water temperature during the trial was in the range C. After 54 days the Optiline HT trout showed a specific growth rate 18% higher and an economic feed conversion ratio 14% lower than with the conventional diet. An additional benefit was observed with outbreaks of RTGE (rainbow trout gastro-enteritis). The interval between the outbreaks in the Optiline HT trout batch was 40 days but 25 days with the conventional diet. Also, mortality for Optiline HT trout was 1% compared with 2% with the conventional feed. Skretting Nexus Spring

8 Gut, gill and skin research contributes to fish health diets The latest scientific techniques of quantitative histology and DNA-pysrosequencing are bringing Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) valuable insights into fish defence systems in the gut, gills and skin. These insights are being used to extend and refine Skretting s health diets such as the Protec range of feeds. Veterinarian Charles McGurk is Manager of the Fish Health Department at ARC in Stavanger, Norway. He illustrates current work by using the gut, also known as the intestine, as the example. As well as being the focus of digestive and absorptive processes, the intestine is also a massive surface area for potential infection to take hold. Pathogens whether viral, bacterial or parasitic can pass through the gut wall and find their way to other target organs. Therefore the immune mechanisms in the intestine are a first line defence, alongside those of the other exposed surfaces; the skin and gills. We know non-specific immunity is fundamental in protecting fish, and these mechanisms are particularly suited to modification by immune-modulators that can be delivered in the feed, which explains our interest. Conventionally, a wide range of health assessments are made by the examination of specially stained thin slices of tissue under a microscope. These histological methods are essential for diagnosis of disease but they also can reveal subtle changes in tissue structure that might be beneficial. However it is notoriously de- Charles McGurk conducts quantitative histological appraisal of fish guts using the image analysis system at Skretting ARC 8 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012

9 manding and potentially inconsistent for human operators to make subjective assessments. Various semiquantitative methods have been documented but they are still highly laborious and generally limited to relatively small-scale specialist research studies. HIGH RESOLUTION SCANNING the blend of micro-ingredients in the newly developed HT diets was shown to reduce subclinical changes in gut morphology At ARC we invested in the latest advance in quantitative histology; a high resolution histology slide scanner that can digitise microscope slides, says McGurk. The system is used in human medicine and, as the data is digitised, it enables specialised pathologists to examine samples from patients anywhere in the world. ARC is now pioneering its use in fish health and nutrition research and it is enabling us to generate masses of data with relatively little user input. In addition, we are using customised image analysis software to extract quantitative data from the tissue sections. This refinement has revealed previously undetectable differences in gut structures. For example, the blend of micro-ingredients in the newly developed HT diets (see GILL HISTOLOGY ARC News pages 6-7) was shown to reduce subclinical changes in gut morphology in fish reared in water temperatures above the optimum. The potential of this approach is not limited to studying intestines, adds McGurk. Image analysis of specially stained thin sections of gills is being developed at ARC as a means of semi quantitatively assessing subtle changes in gill structure. Gill structure may alter in response to different environmental perturbations and endogenous and exogenous factors and these changes may lead to changes in gill function. Environmental changes include such things as changes in water temperature, salinity and oxygenation. Examples of exogenous factors are chemical bath treatments and exposure to different pathogens in the water, such as Neoparamoeba perurans, the causative agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD). Currently, ARC researchers are looking at the effects of diet upon gill structure and will assess gills from fish which were exposed to AGD in the trial we recently concluded at the University of Tasmania (see page 10). a b a b Figure 1. (a) A histological image of the distal intestine of salmon. (b) Image analysis discriminates between specific structures, labelling them by colour classification. Figure 2. (a) Differentially stained histological image of salmon gill. (b) Gill image analysis; labelling specific structures by colour classification. Skretting Nexus Spring

10 Local R&D Update Skretting Australia AGD research update The effect of an immunostimulating and immunosupporting diet on the response of Atlantic salmon to amoebic gill disease (AGD) in an experimental challenge trial In the previous issue of Nexus we presented the inital exciting results of this challenge trial which concluded in July. The study investigated the use of experimental diets to mitigate mortality caused by Neoparamoeba perurans, the causitive agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD). Further data supporting initial results have become available. Test diets 1 and 2 resulted in a delay in mortality caused by amoeba and in significantly improved survival at the time of trial termination (Figure 1). Feed intake drops off as mortality increases postchallenge. Significantly reduced (from day 0 post-challenge) feed intake was observed from day 22 in Control and Test diet 2 and from day 24 in Test diet 1 (Figure 2). At trial termination, fish fed the Control diet had significantly higher blood sodium levels than fish fed Test diets 1 and 2 (p<0.05). This suggests that fish fed the test diets had increased osmoregulatory ability (Figure 3). A semi commercial trial evaluating Test diet 1 is in progress. We will keep you updated! Day 17 Day 24 % Survival Feed intake (% BW) Control Test Diet 1 Test Diet 2 Control mortality = 67.1% Control mortality = 67.1% Control Test Diet 1 Test Diet 2 Days post-challenge Figure 1. Survival rates in fish fed trial diets and control diet Day 17 Day a fish fed ability b RPS = 27.1% b RPS = 26.8% * the test diets had increased osmoregulatory Control Test Diet 1 Test Diet 2 Days post-challenge Figure 2. Feed intake in fish fed trial diets and control diet 10 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012 Figure 3. Blood sodium levels in fish fed trial diets and a control diet

11 Protec & AGD a commercial trial The Tassal Crew always with a happy smile! In a commercial trial, the effects of Protec on the fish s response to AGD were examined. The trial used four cages of Atlantic salmon (average weight 700g) and two different diets, Protec and a control diet. Mortality and growth, gill scores and blood parameters were measured. After 5 weeks of feeding the trial diets Carlos Zarza (Fish Health Manager, Tassal) took Nicole Ruff, Product Manager, out to the farm to help with a gill check and examine the fish closer. Gains in RGI, SGR and FCR as well as reduced mortality were recorded for the two cages fed Protec. Gill scores revealed that fish of all groups were at a stage where they were relatively unaffected by amoeba and most fish of all cages had gill scores of 0 and 1. Blood of fish fed Protec was more saturated with oxygen than the blood of fish fed the Control diet (Figure 1). Blood sodium levels were lower in Protec fed compared to Control fed fish, suggesting improved osmoregulatory capacity in Protec fed fish (Figure 2). Blood buffering capacity (HCO3) and energy status (glucose) were elevated in Protec fed fish (Figure 3) Protec Control Protec Control Protec Control % mmol/l mmol/l Oxygen saturation Saturation Sodium 0 KHCO3 Glucose Figure 1. Oxygen saturation in fish fed Protec and a control diet Figure 2. Blood sodium levels in fish fed Protec and a control diet Figure 3. Blood buffering capacity (HCO3) and energy status (glucose) in fish fed Protec and a control diet Skretting Nexus Spring

12 ARC R&D Update Protec & AGD treatment with hydrogen peroxide Currently, the salmon farming industry in Northern Europe is facing severe challenges from a complex of gill diseases including the insidious spread of amoebic gill disease (AGD) northwards through Western Europe, with the disease now being endemic in Ireland and more recently Scotland. As reported on page 10 of this issue, Skretting Australia conducted a controlled AGD challenge at the University of Tasmania. Feeding of a newly developed diet led to a highly significant reduction in fish mortalities in the trial, and the test diet is now being assessed on salmon farms in Australia and Scotland. Skretting s Protec diet to mitigate any damage. ARC s novel quantitative histological methods showed a clear reduction in gill mucous cells after the chemical treatment. Such changes could not have been quantified with previously available traditional approaches. Moreover, the salmon that were fed Protec in advance of the treatment showed quicker recovery of mucous cell numbers, meaning more potential for restoration of the crucial mucus barrier that protects the fish from potential disease-causing organisms in the water. The chemical hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is widely used as an effective but problematic bath treatment to combat salmon parasites including sea lice and amoeba in Europe. The Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) has been running various research studies over the last 3 years developing gill assessment methodologies including a doctorate project at Stirling University in Scotland. Julia Mullins managed a trial at ARC to gauge the impact of H 2 O 2 exposure on the gills and skin of salmon and to measure the potential of Average mucous cell area Pre treatment 4h Protec Control 24h 3d 7d 14d the salmon that were fed Protec in advance of the treatment showed quicker recovery of mucous cell numbers, meaning more potential for restoration of the crucial mucus barrier that protects the fish from potential disease-causing organisms in the water Time post treatment Figure 1. Gill mucous cells after hydrogen peroxide bathing. p<0.01 at 14 days post treatment 12 Skretting Nexus Spring 2012