November | December 2009

Feature title: Aquaculture in the Americas - An overview

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The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

 FOCUS:Americas

An overview
Aquaculture in the Americas

by Dave Conley and Tor-Eddie Fossbakk, The Aquaculture Communications Group, LLC, Novi, MI, USA

Tilapia and catfish producers are experiencing difficult times in the US due to high feed costs in the case of
catfish producers and reluctant consumer spending in restaurants in the case of tilapia. These are just two of
several significant findings identified in our special report on Aquaculture in the Americas
Figure 2: US imports of Atlantic salmon 2006-2009, Figure 3: US cumulative Atlantic salmon imports,
by month January-July, 2006-2009.
Source: NMFS/Gunnar Knapp Source: NMFS/Gunnar Knapp

Canada
Canadian aquaculture production has
doubled from 82,487 tonnes 10 years
ago to 170,172 tonnes in 2007.
The corresponding value increased
from CA$392 million to CA$846 million.
Production had peaked in 2002, reaching
171,803 tonnes, but fell again in the follow-
ing years when the salmon production was
affected by an infectious disease.
Although production rebounded after
three years, it still hovers around the
2002 level (see Figure 1).
Finfish production grew at an annual
average rate of 7.4 percent over the past
decade and increased from 63,918 tonnes
in 1997 to 129,949 tonnes in 2007.
The share of shellfish production has
been smaller but it contributes significantly
to the stability and diversity of the sector.
Shellfish production grew at a higher rate,
8.2 percent, than finfish and more than dou-
bled to 39,365 tonnes over the past decade.
However, its production level in 1997 was
three and a half times lower than finfish, making
it difficult for the industry to keep pace with
"Nearly 90% of
Canada’s aquaculture
products are sold in
the growth of finfish production. The value of
the production in that period increased from
Other major food fish species are trout, Dr Knapp said the cumulative US not been able to benefit from the decline
CA$25,792 million to CA$70,018 million.
salmon, tilapia, hybrid striped bass, sturgeon, imports of Atlantic salmon for the year-to- in Chilean supply, most likely due to the lack
It is projected that with appropriate
walleye and yellow perch. Aside from fish, US date were remarkably similar to the past of available capacity in the Canadian Atlantic
strategic action, Canadian aquaculture out-
aquaculture produces freshwater crawfish, four years. Thus there appears to have been salmon farming industry. According to Dr
put could increase by approximately eight
mainly in Louisiana and shrimp in brackish relatively little change in total US Atlantic Knapp, cumulative imports from Canada are
percent to more than 214,000 tonnes
ponds in South Carolina, Texas and Hawaii. salmon imports.
within five years, generating farm-gate rev-
The industry also farms mollusc species such There has
enues of more than CA$1.1 billion. By 2020,
as abalone, oysters, clams and mussels. been a signifi-
sector output could exceed 308,000 tonnes
In 2008, the latest data available, US con- cant decline in
and generate total farm-gate revenues in
sumption of fishery products was 7.26kg cumulative
excess of CA$1.5 billion (see Table 1).
(16lbs) of edible meat per person, according imports from
Nearly 90 percent of Canada’s aquacul-
to the US National Marine Fisheries Service Chile. January-
ture products are sold in export markets
(NMFS) Fisheries of the United States July imports
in some 20 countries. The largest export
2008 report. This was down 0.14kg (0.3lbs) are down from
market for Canada is the United States with
compared with 2007. 60,434 tonnes in
96 percent of sales in 2007.
The same report stated that consumers 2007 to 56,984
Proximity to the US markets and conse-
spent an estimated USS69.8 billion for tonnes in 2008
quent lower transportation costs influence
fishery products last year, divided amongst and just 40,990
this market concentration.
food service (US$46.8 billion), retail sales tonnes in 2009,

FOOD CHAIN
In Europe, France is a distinct desti-
(US$22.7 billion) and industrial fish prod- about a 16,000
export markets in some nation. In Asia, Japan and Taiwan stand
ucts (US$389.4 million). The industry con- tonnes decline
out among a few other countries. Total
tributed approximately US$35 billion (value from last year.
20 countries" value of export was CA$570 million in
2007 (Statistics Canada, 2008). Exports of
added) to the US GNP.
Commercial landings of fish to US ports
At the same
time, cumulative From Farm to Table
aquaculture products from Canada have
were 3.76 billion kgs (8.3 billion lbs), valued imports from
Figure 1: Source: Statistics Canada (2008) been consistently greater than aquaculture
at US$4.4 billion in 2008. The volume was Norway are up
imports. Imports accounted for less than
about 11 percent less than the previous d r a m a t i c a l l y,
four percent of total aquaculture trade
Table 1: Projected growth in Canadian aquaculture through 2020 year, while the value increased five percent. by about 9000
Overall US aquaculture production is about tonnes over last
Date Salmon Trout
Other
Mussels Oysters
Other
Total
United States US$1 billion, of which only 20 percent year. Imports
Finfish Shellfish Aquaculture production is composed of
is marine species and the balance being from the Faeroe
Production (000 tonnes) food fish, ornamental fish, baitfish, molluscs,
freshwater species. Islands and the
2013 140,000 10,700 10,400 31,700 18,400 2,600 213,800 crustaceans, aquatic plants and algae, and The premier meeting point for the feed and food industry in 2010.
United Kingdom Addressing common concerns and identifying opportunities.
some reptiles such as alligators and turtles.
2020 197,000 16,000 15,600 47,700 27,600 4,000 307,900 Salmon increased 4000
The catfish industry is the largest sector, Join us in Cancun, Mexico!. For more information visit:
Dr Gunnar Knapp, a scientist at the tonnes and
Value ($ million)
2013 850,000 60,000 72,000 46,000 27,000 24,000 1,079,000
accounting for over 40 percent of all sales.
Catfish production in open freshwa-
University of Alaska in Anchorage, has com-
pared US imports of farmed Atlantic salmon
2200 tonnes,
respectively.
www.globalfeed-food.com
2020 1,200,000 90,000 108,000 68,000 41,000 36,000 1,543,000 ter ponds is concentrated in Mississippi, Hosted jointly by in co-operation
for 2009 and 2008, through the month of Canadian FAO & IFIF
Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana. with Conafab
Source: Fisheries and Oceans (2009) July (the most recent data available). exporters have

22 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | november-December 09 november-December 09 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 23

IFIF QP AD.indd 1 19/06/2009 15:34
FOCUS:Americas
about the same as last year for the first seven
months of the year.
Based on recent wholesale price data
from the Alaska Department of Revenue,
Dr Knapp said the market picture is varied
for Alaska wild salmon species.
Compared with the period May-August
2008, in May-August 2009, frozen H&G
sockeye salmon prices were higher, while
they were stable for pink and chum, and
sharply down for chinook and coho.
Prices for fresh H&G salmon showed
increase for pink salmon, stable for sockeye
and chum, while down for chinook and coho.
Prices for canned pink and sockeye
salmon were up and the prices for salmon
roe were sharply down for all species.
Trout
The US Department of Agriculture’s
Statistics Service (NASS) reports farmed
trout in number of fish, not volume, and value.
The 2008 production value was about nine
percent lower than the previous year, and
totalled US$79.7 million. Idaho is the largest
single trout producing state and accounted
for 44 percent of the overall value.
The number of trout 30.5cm (12 inches)
and longer sold during 2008 totaled 40.4
million fish, down 31 percent from the
previous year. The value of sales for the
2008 marketing year was US$72.4 million,
down nine percent from 2007.
The number of 15.2-30.5cm (six-12
inch) trout sold during 2008 totaled 4.61
million fish, a decrease of 15 percent from
2007. The total value of sales was US$5.78
million during 2008, an 11 percent decrease
from the previous year.
The number of 2.54-15.2cm (one-to-six
inch) trout sold during 2008 totaled 9.53 mil-
lion, a six percent decrease from the previous
year. The total value of sales was US$1.50
million, down 17 percent from last year's total.
Catfish
US farmed catfish processed during
August 2009 totaled 18 million kg (39.5
million lbs) round weight, down four per-
cent from August 2008, according to the
US Department of Agriculture’s National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
September 2009 report.
Cumulative processed catfish (round
weight) reached 145 million kg (319.5 million
lbs) through August 2009; about 11 percent
less than for the same period last year.
The US catfish industry has been
plagued by increasing cost of produc-
tion, primarily from increased feed
prices. Farms have shut down with
resulting job losses. It was reported that
some farmers were losing 25 cents for
each dollar spent raising the fish.
Mississippi and Arkansas, the two largest
catfish farming states, have seen their pro-
duction areas shrink over the last few years.
Catfish pond acreage in Mississippi was only
about 28,328ha (70,000 acres) as of late July
this year, compared to more than 45,730ha
(113,000) acres in 2001. Arkansas’ catfish
pond acreage fell to an 11-year low of only
10,117ha (25,000 acres) by the end of 2008.
The declining trend is expected to continue.
Tilapia
US tilapia producers have had a
hard time with the recession during
the past year, according to Dr Kevin
Fitzsimmons, Professor at Arizona State
University.
Some long established farms in New
York and California have ceased operations,
as input prices rose while sales (prices and
volumes) stagnated.
The live sale market to Asian restaurants
and stores has been soft, with fewer cus-
tomers and less spending per customer. The
restaurant demand for fresh fillet imports
has also been soft and imports have slowed.
However, demand for frozen, value-add-
ed fillet products has increased significantly.
It appears that cash strapped US con-
sumers have spent less in restaurants but
have increased purchases of frozen fillet
products in grocery stores. Many super-
markets now carry a dozen or more tilapia
products and tilapia trails only salmon in
grocery store sales volume.
Across Latin America additional farms
have opened and production has increased.
In early 2008, the drop in production
from China enabled the Latin American
farms to increase prices and sales volume,
according to Dr Fitzsimmons.
As China came back online and the credit
crises hit, many smaller farms and exporters
were hurt at the end of 2008 and early 2009.
Larger farms with established credit lines
and long term supply contracts were not
greatly affected. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia,
with strong domestic markets, have done
relatively well and continue to increase yield
per farm and number of farms.
Technology improvements and better
broodstocks have allowed farms to con-
tinue profitably even as input costs have
FOCUS:Americas
risen faster than tilapia sales. Northern and biological inputs, complemented technology; diversifying and increasing farm fish farmers and about 1000 marine shrimp
Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana are hot spots by creating new financing schemes scale; increasing marine fish culture (cobia, farmers. Brazil has 90 research institutions
for new production. • Enabling market development puffers, snappers, etc.); encouraging cultiva- involved in aquaculture.
Mexico competes with Brazil as the through organizing business meetings tion of native species; undertaking water Although the industry has been growing
largest producer of tilapia in the Americas, between producers and buyers (such quality certification of areas for shellfish steadily during the past decade (15 percent
and considering the additional imports of as stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.) culture (oyster) and funding seed, juvenile per year), its expansion potential has not
tilapia from China, Mexico is the second • Technology development and trans- and fry genetic development. been well exploited. Aquaculture research
largest consumer of tilapia products after fer for commercial-scale production is dispersed and is characterised by a lack
the US. to take advantage of aquaculture and
Brazil of integration between the various sectors,
Brazil’s aquaculture industry can be divid- research institutions and aqua-farmers.
mariculture opportunities; done in
Mexico connection with various educational
ed into six main sectors defined by the type Brazil’s aquaculture production increased
Aquaculture production in Mexico has of cultured organism: freshwater fish, prawn from 4000 tonnes in 1980 to 20,000 tonnes
institutions primarily with high value
experienced growth recently, mainly due to and frogs; marine
species such as: shrimp, tilapia, mack-
the growth and development of shrimp mari- shrimp, mussels and
erel, snapper, octopus, sole and mussels
culture. The current trend is towards produc- oysters. Total produc-
tion of other species, such as tilapia, trout, Significant efforts are being made, but tion was an estimated
catfish, carp, oysters and ornamental fish. the road ahead is still long. 270,000 tonnes in
Aquaculture’s share in Mexico’s total The National Umbrella Program for 2006, representing
fisheries production has grown steadily, Fishing and Aquaculture encourages stra- US$460 million gross
becoming 20 percent in 2008, with a volume tegic projects be undertaken to harness revenue.
of 290,000 tonnes. the productive potential of aquaculture Freshwater fish
Of the 284,000 people directly involved and mariculture in Mexico by: integrating leads production,
in fisheries, 25,000 (about nine percent of projects from biological inputs to consoli- followed by marine
the total) are engaged in aquaculture. dated marketing; cultivating commercially shrimp.
Figure 4: Fish production (capture fisheries and aquaculture)
important species in intensive systems (tila- There are about
The Mexican government’s policies to in Brazil between 1980 and 2007 (FAO 2006)
pia, trout and catfish); increasing use of 100,000 freshwater
boost aquaculture production include:
• Strengthening Federal aquaculture
centres to provide seed for produc-
ers as well as for stocking reservoirs
for aquaculture
• Genetic improvement of aquaculture
organisms to provide alternatives to
coastal fishing communities; species
include: tilapia, trout, catfish, carp,
bass and Cataño
• Support for breeding centers of
tilapia fry, shrimp post-larvae and
oyster seed
• Providing for strategic capital infra-
structure, machinery and equipment
and biological material for genetic
improvement.
• Support for rural aquaculture
projects, benefiting 193 farmers and
their families
• Strengthening restructuring in the
Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to
promote aquaculture production in
the Campeche Sound
• Creating Productive Systems
Committees, which are participatory
planning mechanisms, to determine
the strategic requirements for
projects to be competitive
• Promoting integrated production
and marketing companies; business
models that reduce production costs,
especially with the purchase of food

26 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | november-December 09 november-December 09 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 27


FOCUS: Americas
Figure 5: Brazilian fisheries production divided into
four main sectors: Marine Fishery, Inland Fishery,
Marine Aquaculture and Inland aquaculture
Figure 6: Fresh water aquaculture production:
Statistical data gathered from the 11 Brazilian
states’ producers
Figure 7: Marine aquaculture production. Statistical
data gathered from the five Brazilian states’ producers
in 1990 and to 290,000 tonnes in 2007 (see
Figure 4), representing 26 percent of Brazilian species include tambaqui (Colossoma macro-
fish production (see Figure 5).
The industry is based on small-scale pro-
duction units with more than 85 percent of
farms being smaller than two ha, while less
than 0.1 percent are greater than 50ha. The
exception is marine shrimp with about 25
percent of farms greater than 10ha.
Generally, farmers buy seed from private
hatcheries and grow-out of fish, marine
shrimps or freshwater prawns is done in
earthen ponds. Fish cage culture in reser-
28 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | november-December 09
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the two main sectors: During the past decade, much effort has
freshwater (tilapia, focused on introducing responsible aquac-
carpa tambaqui, pacu ulture practices. Several Best Management
and tambacu) and
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Practices have been established and the
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(shrimp, Litopenaeus few years ago but has some way to go.
vannamei; mussels,
Perna perna; oysters,
Acknowledgement:
Crassostrea gigas and Now an established, major event, Aquaculture UK will be held again in May 2010.
C. rizophorae).
Mexico With visitors from 18 countries as far afield as Sweden, Chile and the United States,
Freshwater fish
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percent of total aquac- Ulises Estrada-Ley, Press Sub-director of
CONAPESCA, Government of Mexico.
decision makers from the aquaculture industry worldwide.
ulture production (see
Figure 6) and is domi-
nated by tilapias (42 Brazil
percent) and carps (27 Adapted from information and graphs by Rodrigo Here’s what exhibitors said of the 2008 exhibition...
percent) (see Figure O.A. Ozório and Wagner C. Valenti, in Current
6). Carp species are status and future perspectives of the Brazilian
frequently farmed in aquaculture sector (2009).
polyculture integrated
with swine production. Canada
“The show went well for EWOS - our
The state of Ceará Information supplied by Aquaculture Management costs were much lower than Glasgow
is the larger freshwater Directorate, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. and we got the audience we wanted”
aquaculture producer,
Fisheries and Oceans. (2009). National Aquaculture Douglas Low - MD Ewos
mainly tilapia (25,600
Strategic Action Plan Initiative – Strengthening
tonnes/year), followed Sustainable Aquaculture Development in Canada.
by Rio Grande do Sul Ottawa. Available at, http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/
(23,300 tonnes/year), aquaculture/lib-bib/nasapi-insapa/nasapi-inpasa-eng.
São Paulo (21,800 htm#ch2
tonnes/year) and Santa Statistics Canada. (2008). Aquaculture Statistics
Catarina (20,000 tonnes/year). Potential native 2007. Ottawa. Available at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ “Aviemore was a good location and the “Many thanks for delivering a very
bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=23-222-XWE&lang=eng show had a certain spirit which is always successful exhibition and return to
pomum) and Pintado (Pseudoplatystoma hard to create”. Aviemore”
corruscans). Guy Mace - MD Biomar Alan Stewart - Director Landcatch.
Brazil also produces turtles (Podocnemis More inforMation:
expansa and P. unifilis), alligator (Caiman The Aquaculture Communications Group, LLC
crocodiles) and algae (Porphira sp and 22483 Ennishore Dr., Novi, MI 48375, USA
Gracillaria sp) but these are of minor Tel: +1 248 305 9339
and
economic significance.
154 Gray Crescent, Kanata, ON K2K 3L9,
Other native species such as pirarucu Canada “The feedback regarding Aviemore
(Arapaima gigas), matrinxã (Brycon cephalus), Tel: +1 613 294 3078 seems to have been very positive
piracanjuba (Brycon orbignianus), pintado
(Pseudoplatystoma coruscans) and cachara
Website: www.aquacomgroup.com
The solution behind the solution. and it had a much better atmosphere
than Glasgow”
Will Jewison - Skretting
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