Follow me and take you to see the global farming consultation!
Do you know about offshore aquaculture? Offshore aquaculture, also known as "marine pasture", refers to the use of large-scale fishery facilities and systematic management system in a certain sea area, the use of natural marine ecological environment, the artificial release of economic marine organisms gathered, like cattle and sheep grazing on land, the fish, shrimp, shellfish, algae and other marine resources for planned and purposeful marine stocking.
Cages for offshore aquaculture
According to a new report released today by Rabobank, by the end of this century, more than half of the global aquatic supply is likely to be produced in offshore aquaculture.
Offshore aquaculture is intensifying, many new projects are in the works, especially in Norway, where the second offshore aquaculture centre is China. Although the geography of coastal areas is not satisfactory, the demand for seafood is surging.
On the surface, offshore culture patterns are the same, but the situation is very different in the two countries. In Norway, the transition from salmon farming to offshore aquaculture is a natural evolution of the current business model, while in China offshore farming requires an industry transformation, from small and medium-sized retail to large companies. But if that happens, it must be in China.
If successfully developed, offshore aquaculture also has the potential to significantly improve the biosecurity, sustainability and animal welfare of aquaculture, while reducing its environmental footprint and making a significant contribution to carbon peak carbon emission reduction. Environmental protection, population growth, and carbon emissions issues are likely to accelerate policy guidance by governments.
Meanwhile, new farms that are primarily remotely controllable are emerging, including floating, submersible, and semi-submersible versions. Although offshore aquaculture has been around for decades, most of the early innovations occurred in the United States, Mexico and Central America.
Fishermen work on cages
Obtaining a coastal aquaculture licence issued by the government is key to this innovation. Many innovators and entrepreneurs have worked tirelessly, but to date no large-scale offshore aquaculture has emerged. There are many reasons for this, such as inadequate funding, lack of supportive legislation and government policies, and lack of marine fish species. These fish are also required to have large, mature markets and are suitable for tropical waters.
The report indicates that coastal aquaculture in Norway is growing by 6% per annum. The Norwegian government's development licensing program, launched in 2017, has sparked a series of innovative new fishery designs. And The Norwegian private sector has a highly developed industrial cluster with capital, tools and technology, which makes Norway an ideal location for this development. Large farmers not only have the money to fund expensive R&D funds for offshore farming, but also fit their business models.
Offshore aquaculture, as the final step of aquaculture, is completed in factories and only in the final stage of the culture process to transfer fish offshore, which means that capital-intensive offshore aquaculture equipment is used efficiently at near full load, ensuring greater growth potential.
Fishermen at work
The industry is only in its infancy, and although the government has proposed more than 200 development permit projects and more than 70 projects have been accepted by the government, Norway's offshore aquaculture sector may only produce about 100,000 tonnes of seafood by 2030. At the same time, offshore farming in Scotland, Canada, Chile, the Faroe Islands and Australia is booming.
In recent years, due to overcrowding, disease and pollution, China's coastal space restrictions have been even more severe than in Norwegian farming areas. With China's catch fisheries peaking in 2016 and the growth of freshwater aquaculture has fallen to 1 to 2 percent per year, China's offshore aquaculture industry is also full of enthusiasm. But in China, the situation in the Yellow and East China Seas is far less bad than in the North Atlantic, and it is possible to build larger breeding equipment or reduce equipment maintenance costs, which shows greater potential.
Government-backed companies managing overseas projects will have a steep learning curve, but this will be followed by a technological leap forward. Given the strategic importance of offshore farming, we believe the industry will continue to experiment as long as there is government support. Many new projects will emerge in the coming years, as well as operational challenges.
In large economies, where unclear regulations can hinder the path to scale, small economies will have a greater advantage. The Faroe Islands are a small country of 50,000 people in the North Sea and the most dependent country in the world on mariculture. Therefore, it has the highest political will to support offshore aquaculture and currently has the most developed offshore aquaculture regulations.
The report concludes that China can develop an industry of enterprise scale in a relatively short period of time to rival the European salmon farming industry. This will increase demand for high-tech farming technologies such as high-quality feed, genetics and service vessels such as well boats, while reducing the activities of China's much-maligned fishing fleet.
Follow me and take you to see first-hand information on global aquaculture!