The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/39567
couple of years, to the point where the solution costs far less than most insurance policies. In the case of the marine samples, there is no value. They are priceless." SALMON GENOME SEQUENCE WILL TRANSFORM INDUSTRY Norway is cooperating with Canada and Chile to sequence the salmon genome. The knowledge could answer several issues involving Norwegian farmed salmon and lead to major competitive advantages for companies taking part in the project. "As project participants, we gain access to the sequence before it is published and made widely available," says Dr Petter Arnesen of Marine Harvest ASA, the world's largest producer of farmed salmon. "This gives us the opportunity to search for genetic sequences that code for desired traits, which could give us a competitive edge. "Of course our primary motivation for contributing to the sequencing was for researchers to have access to the genome, which will benefi t the entire industry and society at large." Genomic knowledge would form a basis for entirely new solutions for preventing disease, improving product quality and utilising previously untried feed ingredients, not only for salmon but also for other production species. Norway has actively promoted the sequencing of the salmon genome and is contributing 35 percent of the project's cost of NOK60 million (approximately $12.8 million). Marine Harvest has chipped in NOK2 million, along with other Norwegian contributions from the industry. Once the genome is fully sequenced, the research possibilities are endless, says Arnesen. "By combining knowledge about the salmon genome and the sea lice genome, which has also been sequenced, scientists will hopefully gain the upper hand in relation to this problem." Arnesen says it is realistic to expect a solution to the problem of sea lice within fi ve to 10 years. The Norwegian company Aqua Gen SALMON NEEDS BETTER MARKETING The staff at the British company Callander McDowell wondered how long it would be following the recent fall in prices before someone brought up the word "over-supply" again. According to the website www. seafoodnews.com, one Norwegian newspaper has written that salmon prices are declining sharply because of over-supply. This is nonsense. The salmon industry has simply failed to persuade suffi cient consumers to buy and eat salmon. We have been unsuccessful in getting the message across that salmon is good to eat and consumers should buy more, not less. We have also allowed salmon to be priced out of the marketplace and thus, without any incentive to buy the fi sh, consumers have just walked away. Before we are besieged by comments from Norway that a great deal of money has been spent on promotion, we should mention there is a big difference between promoting salmon and promoting Norwegian salmon, as the focus is completely different. Unfortunately, high prices always seem to mask the need for future investment in market and product development to has already found a key gene for salmon resistance to the costly viral disease infectious pancreatic necrosis. It is now applying gene technology to selected broodstock individuals with this trait, resulting in a specialised fi sh-egg product that provides the starting point for salmon with high resistance to the IPN virus. The knowledge gained from sequencing the salmon genome will soon be made publicly available. "The entire salmon industry is battling with the same issues, regardless of where in the world the companies operate," says Arnesen. "This is why it's so important that research activities are international and lead to useful and accessible knowledge all over the globe." continue to stimulate demand. A former analyst with DnB Nor Markets, Klaus Hattlebrekke, said the current drop in prices showed when global supply grew by more than six percent, prices fell. This happened in 2001 and 2007, with prices falling between 20 and 30 percent, he said. Without investment in market development, continued growth will always result in weakened prices. Consumers are not prepared to pay more on price alone. There is no doubt the recent price fall will be used as further evidence that the salmon industry is cyclical. This is not true, yet! But it does show salmon farming is no different from any other business in that the market requires constant stimulation. Demand is not the limiting factor for salmon production, it's just that demand changes, and the salmon industry must respond accordingly to ensure a long-term and successful future. CHANGES WILL UNLEASH MAORI AQUACULTURE A supplementary order paper to the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill offers iwi and the Crown more fl exibility in negotiating settlements under the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, says Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples. Aquaculture could boost wealth and jobs, especially in the regions, but the 2004 act created an unworkable solution to settle Maori claims, he said. The SOP allowed iwi and the Crown to negotiate regional settlements of commercial aquaculture claims, and iwi could negotiate a package that suited their circumstances. A time limit would stop discussions from getting bogged down. The SOP would allow a marine farming zone to be created in the Hauraki Gulf, by amending the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan, he said. The zone was suitable to try raising hapuku or kingfi sh in sea cages, and iwi would get 20 percent. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 5