Is the aquaculture market of Kingfish growing?
Is the aquaculture market of Kingfish growing?
fish international highlights the opportunities and challenges of recirculation systems
Dr Andreas Mäck is convinced that aquacultures in land-based recirculation systems are one of the fish farming methods of the future. However, the managing director of Fresh Völklingen GmbH in Saarland is convinced that their economic success requires special conceptual and technical efforts. Rupert Baur, who has been breeding white tiger prawns in a recirculation system at his company HanseGarnelen in Grevesmühlen (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) since 2020 and is now building a second, likewise sustainable operation in Glückstadt (Schleswig-Holstein), takes a similar view. Both companies are among the exhibitors represented for the first time at fish international from 4 to 6 September 2022. They complement the sector that has so far been represented by companies such as Kingfish Zeeland and Förde Garnelen.
Sustainable fish and seafood products are popular
In Andreas Mäck's experience, fish farm products from sustainably operated recirculation systems are very popular with both commercial buyers and private consumers. "Customers are aware of the advantages for animal welfare, for the quality of the products and for the environment," the managing director sums it up. Equipped with the right water treatment and filter technology, such systems require very little fresh water. The animals bred in the closed and covered systems are free of introduced parasites and diseases: "There is no need to add antibiotics or other additives," explains Mäck.
Making better use of recirculating systems from an economic point of view
How the advantages of sustainable recirculation systems and fish pond farming can be used in everyday operations and how the products can be successfully marketed is one of the central aquaculture topics discussed at the fish international forum. As openly as Mäck expresses his conviction of the long-term success of closed recirculation systems, the Fresh Managing Director also talks about the challenges that still need to be overcome: "From an economic point of view, there are still only few examples of successful systems. Recirculation systems and the necessary technology cause high operating costs - this is one of the biggest economic challenges for recirculation systems. For Fresh Völklingen, Mäck is betting on a concept that could be the way out: At the facility in Saarland, he breeds Yellowtail Kingfish, which is mostly imported as frozen wild catch from waters south of the equator. "Our product comes to the customer fresh and in the best quality, so we can achieve higher prices than for mass-produced or frozen goods," explains Mäck.
Shrimp farmed regionally
As founder and owner of HanseGarnelen, Rupert Baur follows similar sustainability principles in shrimp farming as Mäck. Baur has already utilised a special advantage in his first recirculation system in Grevesmühlen. The certified mechanical engineer developed the recirculation system for his farming operation himself. "The water in the plant is not moved by electric pumps, but by a blower," Baur explains. The water of the circulation system, specially mixed from clean water and seawater minerals, is cleaned biologically and mechanically by a three-stage filter that was also developed in-house - like Fresh Völklingen, HanseGarnelen also manages without antibiotics and other additives. This is even ruled out per se, because it would also destroy the biology of the water treatment.
For the new plant project in Glückstadt, Baur has further expanded the sustainability principle that he has already successfully applied in Grevesmühlen. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, he uses the waste heat from a nearby factory to heat the hall in which the recirculation plant operates. In Glückstadt, he will cover the energy needs of the recirculation plant from the warm production water of a nearby paper mill. "This is twice as sustainable, because otherwise this warm water would first have to be cooled with additional energy expenditure and would still have heated up the environment or the Elbe River unused," explains the company boss.
Experts on aquaculture in exchange
In their fields, both Fresh Völklingen and Hanse Garnelen are thus pioneers of a future-oriented development in the fish industry. "Without land-based recirculation systems, we will not be able to meet the protein demand of the growing world population," both entrepreneurs are convinced. With this view, Mäck and Baur are sure to cause a stir at fish international. "They are good examples that visitors to fish international will find really competent discussion partners," emphasises Sabine Wedell, the project manager responsible for the trade fair.
Parallel to the products, fish international presents the necessary technologies and equipment for pond farming and recirculation systems Therefore, the Bremen trade fair is considered an important place of exchange between breeders, system manufacturers and scientists.
