Aquaculture in the Americas- An Overview
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 following 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 doubled 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 the growth of finfish production. The value of the production in that period increased from CA$25,792 million to CA$70,018 million.
It is projected that with appropriate strategic action, Canadian aquaculture output could increase by approximately eight percent to more than 214,000 tonnes within five years, generating farm-gate revenues of more than CA$1.1 billion. By 2020, sector output could exceed 308,000 tonnes and generate total farm-gate revenues in excess of CA$1.5 billion (see Table 1).
Nearly 90 percent of Canada’s aquaculture products are sold in export markets in some 20 countries. The largest export market for Canada is the United States with 96 percent of sales in 2007.
Proximity to the US markets and consequent lower transportation costs influence this market concentration.
In Europe, France is a distinct destination. In Asia, Japan and Taiwan stand out among a few other countries. Total value of export was CA$570 million in 2007 (Statistics Canada, 2008). Exports of aquaculture products from Canada have been consistently greater than aquaculture imports. Imports accounted for less than four percent of total aquaculture trade.
The catfish industry is the largest sector, accounting for over 40 percent of all sales.
Catfish production in open freshwater ponds is concentrated in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Other major food fish species are trout, salmon, tilapia, hybrid striped bass, sturgeon, walleye and yellow perch. Aside from fish, US aquaculture produces freshwater crawfish, mainly in Louisiana and shrimp in brackish ponds in South Carolina, Texas and Hawaii. The industry also farms mollusc species such as abalone, oysters, clams and mussels.
In 2008, the latest data available, US consumption of fishery products was 7.26kg (16lbs) of edible meat per person, according to the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Fisheries of the United States 2008 report. This was down 0.14kg (0.3lbs) compared with 2007.
The same report stated that consumers spent an estimated USS69.8 billion for fishery products last year, divided amongst food service (US$46.8 billion), retail sales (US$22.7 billion) and industrial fish products (US$389.4 million). The industry contributed approximately US$35 billion (value added) to the US GNP.
Commercial landings of fish to US ports were 3.76 billion kgs (8.3 billion lbs), valued at US$4.4 billion in 2008. The volume was about 11 percent less than the previous year, while the value increased five percent. Overall US aquaculture production is about US$1 billion, of which only 20 percent is marine species and the balance being freshwater species.
Dr Knapp said the cumulative US imports of Atlantic salmon for the year-todate were remarkably similar to the past four years. Thus there appears to have been relatively little change in total US Atlantic salmon imports.
There has been a significant decline in c u m u l a t i v e imports from Chile. January- July imports are down from 60,434 tonnes in 2007 to 56,984 tonnes in 2008 and just 40,990 tonnes in 2009, about a 16,000 tonnes decline from last year.
At the same time, cumulative imports from Norway are up d r ama t i c a l l y, by about 9000 tonnes over last year. Imports from the Faeroe Islands and the United Kingdom increased 4000 tonnes and 2200 tonnes, respectively.
C a n a d i a n exporters have not been able to benefit from the decline in Chilean supply, most likely due to the lack of available capacity in the Canadian Atlantic salmon farming industry. According to Dr Knapp, cumulative imports from Canada are 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.
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 million, 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.
The US catfish industry has been plagued by increasing cost of production, 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 production 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.
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 customers 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-added fillet products has increased significantly.
It appears that cash strapped US consumers have spent less in restaurants but have increased purchases of frozen fillet products in grocery stores. Many supermarkets 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 continue profitably even as input costs have risen faster than tilapia sales. Northern Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana are hot spots for new production.
Mexico competes with Brazil as the largest producer of tilapia in the Americas, and considering the additional imports of tilapia from China, Mexico is the second largest consumer of tilapia products after the US.
• Strengthening Federal aquaculture centres to provide seed for producers 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 infrastructure, 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 and biological inputs, complemented by creating new financing schemes
• Enabling market development through organizing business meetings between producers and buyers (such as stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.)
• Technology development and transfer for commercial-scale production to take advantage of aquaculture and mariculture opportunities; done in connection with various educational institutions primarily with high value species such as: shrimp, tilapia, mackerel, snapper, octopus, sole and mussels
Significant efforts are being made, but the road ahead is still long.
The National Umbrella Program for Fishing and Aquaculture encourages strategic projects be undertaken to harness the productive potential of aquaculture and mariculture in Mexico by: integrating projects from biological inputs to consolidated marketing; cultivating technology; diversifying and increasing farm scale; increasing marine fish culture (cobia, puffers, snappers, etc.); encouraging cultivation of native species; undertaking water quality certification of areas for shellfish culture (oyster) and funding seed, juvenile and fry genetic development.
Freshwater fish leads production, followed by marine shrimp.
There are about 100,000 freshwater commercially important species in intensive systems (tilapia, trout and catfish); increasing use of fish farmers and about 1000 marine shrimp farmers. Brazil has 90 research institutions involved in aquaculture. Although the industry has been growing steadily during the past decade (15 percent per year), its expansion potential has not been well exploited. Aquaculture research is dispersed and is characterised by a lack of integration between the various sectors, research institutions and aqua-farmers.
Brazil’s aquaculture production increased from 4000 tonnes in 1980 to 20,000 tonnes in 1990 and to 290,000 tonnes in 2007 (see Figure 4), representing 26 percent of Brazilian fish production (see Figure 5).
The industry is based on small-scale production 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 reservoirs has increased and currently is a priority of government agencies.
Mollusks are raised in long-lines, lantern nets and baskets placed in shallow coastal waters.
More than 60 species have been cultured in Brazil but commercial production is dominated by a few species in the two main sectors: freshwater (tilapia, carpa tambaqui, pacu and tambacu) and marine aquaculture (shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; mussels, Perna perna; oysters, Crassostrea gigas and C. rizophorae).
Freshwater fish represent about 70 percent of total aquaculture production (see Figure 6) and is dominated by tilapias (42 percent) and carps (27 percent) (see Figure 6). Carp species are frequently farmed in polyculture integrated with swine production.
The state of Ceará is the larger freshwater aquaculture producer, mainly tilapia (25,600 tonnes/year), followed by Rio Grande do Sul (23,300 tonnes/year), São Paulo (21,800 tonnes/year) and Santa Catarina (20,000 tonnes/year). Potential native species include tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) and Pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans).
Brazil also produces turtles (Podocnemis expansa and P. unifilis), alligator (Caiman crocodiles) and algae (Porphira sp and Gracillaria sp) but these are of minor economic significance.
Other native species such as pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), matrinxã (Brycon cephalus), piracanjuba (Brycon orbignianus), pintado (Pseudoplatystoma coruscans) and cachara (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) have been farmed in pilot scale and found promising.
At present, marine fish farming is experiencing expansion, particularly cobia (Rachycentron canadum) farming.
Brazil’s 90 research institutions involved in aquaculture (including universities) indicate a strong scientific base to support development.
However, extension services are inadequate and likely the main constraint to industry growth. National research priorities and strategies include multi-institutional research programs focused on regional necessities along with projects promoting more integration between research institutions and aquaculture producers.
During the past decade, much effort has focused on introducing responsible aquaculture practices. Several Best Management Practices have been established and the industry is more responsible than it was a few years ago but has some way to go.
Information supplied by Aquaculture Management Directorate, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Fisheries and Oceans. (2009). National Aquaculture Strategic Action Plan Initiative – Strengthening Sustainable Aquaculture Development in Canada. Ottawa. Available at, http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ aquaculture/lib-bib/nasapi-insapa/nasapi-inpasa-eng. htm#ch2 Statistics Canada. (2008). Aquaculture Statistics 2007. Ottawa. Available at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=23-222-XWE&lang=eng
As the co-author of this article about Aquaculture in the Americas. I was interested to read everyones comments. Our company, The Aquaculture Communications Group www.aquacomgroup.com, facilitates information and technology transfer and perhaps there is a role for us in helping farmers in your country.
Also, as a board member of Aquaculture without Frontiers www.aquaculturewithoutfrontiers.org I suggest that you contact the head office about submitting a proposal to organize a workshop on aquaculture feeds and or production methods appropriate to your region.
Regards,
Dave
The American aquaculture and EU aquaculture is growing for obvious reasons. There is awareness and people are willing to invest in findings. Nigeria has so many people in the industry and yet very poor production per person. The high production rate Nigeria records is much as a result of gross production than per farm. There is over dependence on the research centers. Most of the research centers are not really moving forward with modern techniques. They are really carrying out no research and the professional field work know how is lacking. Consequently many advisers without practical knowledge of the day to day operations with concomitant vagaries becloud the industry. If Nigeria will move forward there must be extrication of fish farmers from dependence on research institutes. I have carried out several consultancies within Nigeria and know exact problem of farmers. I have made quality feed for farmers in the eastern part of Nigeria to their greatest surprise at minimal cost. I heard that fish seed is also a problem, but here in Finland, this year alone I have discarded thousands of African catfish juveniles. I offer to help any fellow that is willing and ready for meaningful profit and progress in Nigerian aquaculture.
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Good research about Aquaculture in Americas. i agree with Igwe that local fish farmers are not really making it like their counterparts in other countries but i am suggesting that we now have locally made feed that can also float.These feed is made by Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.So many research works are going on and we shall get there.
Sorry for the observed typographical errors in this article about aquaculture in Americas. For example, I meant to say that there are NO researh instituitions in Nigeria but there are in US and a few other omissions.
Chief D.A. Etaluku
Interesting article abput aquaculture in Americas. I share in Dr Igwes write up bring a Nigerian fish farmer who have lost so much momey over the years but refused to quit. The biggest problem is high cost of scarce feed. there is no way one can recover his cost during harvest sale. What spent in feeding the fish is always more than the sale.
The only way the international community, especially the Americas help us is to teach us how to formulate feed using grass and other suitable weeds which are abound and readily available here to make feed. Sure, some of these weeds and grasses can be eaten by fishes like Clarias that include heterobranchus if mixed with other ingridients which can form 30-40[percent] of such feed. There are researching institutions in Nigeria that can help farmers but ther are so many Universities in the US that can help as there other research centres with the know how but doing nothing to assist. The United Nations has a food agency (FAO) has not directed its attention to this direction and helpless satisfied with glassy and comfortable office while we face hunger.
The US and Europeans are going to the moon or the Orbit to search for live out there when they have not cared about the lives on earth. What a silly and funny world. How I wish they can divert some of those billions used in building space craft to assist us to find a cheap way of producing fish feed to the benefit of makind so that man can be truly kind to man.
Chief D.A. Etaluku
Fish Farmer in Nigeria.
The article is an interesting one and those of in the developing countries will like to know the secret of the success of aquaculture in Americas.
In Nigera what we have is high rate of mobility of fish farmers in and out of the Industry.Every so often new farmers invest in aquqaculture with high hopes of making a living out of the business but the story changes after one or two harvests characterised by woeful failures. They pack up their tools and continue in search of other means of livelihood. We will like our colleagues in the Americas to tell how they overcome high cost of feeding/production and their selling price. The problem in our own setting is high cost of feeding and low pricing by middlemen who can not pay more than $2.2/KG or even lower for those weighing below 1kg at harvest.
Aquaculture is dying in Africa and therefore the help of other countries like Americas where the growght is phenomenal.
Dr Igwe U Eddy
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