Risk and Aquaculture

Food Security – the Grand Challenge

• World food production needs to increase by >70% by 2050 to sustain the projected increase in population

• Arable crop production will likely meet demand but supply balance for meat (animal protein) is another story

Meat• Livestock production is the largest land user -

for pasture and feed production

• 500 million hectares for pasture more than twice the area for arable crops

• Increase in livestock

production would impact

arable crop production

Fish• Fish provide 16% of animal protein consumed

globally

• Fish = 30% of animal protein consumed in Asia, 20% in Africa and 10% in Latin America

• Decline of capture fisheries balanced by growth of aquaculture - reached 50:50 in 2011

• Average intake estimated to reach 25kg/person/yr by 2030

• Aquaculture output needs to

double to meet this demand

Aquaculture• Fish are highly efficient protein converters

• Salmon 1.5 kg feed/kg, Poultry 3kg/kg, Cattle 8kg /kg

• Fish rich in Omega3 FAs, HEALTHY

– protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, muscle and brain function, even reduce depression

• In EU aquaculture mainly marine species

• In Eastern EU and Far East more freshwater

• Western EU – Marine spp. generally farmed at sea

• Eastern EU – and far east – more freshwater spp. farmed in ponds

• Traditionally Carp but Tilapia and Catfish (Pangasius –”Basa” “River Cobbler”) now popular imports from Asia

Aquaculture Risk

• Aquaculture is often considered as a high-risk production activity

• Economists frequently characterize risk into the production (yield or technical), marketing(or price), and financial risk

Production Risks

This is like shooting fish in a

barrel!

Anglers left downcast as river teems with 60,000 trout... As many as 60,000 farm trout escaped into Hampshire's River Avon

Production risk -result of losses due to predation, disease, pollution/poisoning, oxygen problems, equipment failure, power outages or floods.

Feed IngredientsFishmeal is used in most aquaculture feeds – often at high % in “grow-on” feed

• Use of fishmeal in aquaculture has risen massively over last 50 years – now consuming 73% of total production compared to 10% in 1980 (+/- zero in 1960) but since 1980s the price of fish meal has risen approximately three-fold

Market Risk

• Market or price risk is created by variability in prices.

• Demand varies with consumer demand, incomes, exchange rates, export policies, supply of competing products, seasonal or cyclical trends.

Tilapia

Market Risk – New Species

• Tilapia farming in UK• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1an1mXsRoU

• TILAPIA LTD 08540457 - Dissolved on 30 December 2014• TILAPIA SEAFOODS LIMITED - Dissolved on 9 July 2013 • EAST ANGLIAN TILAPIA LIMITED - Dissolved on 6 May 2014 • VOLTA RAPIDS TILAPIA LIMITED - Dissolved on 23 October 2012 • HIGHLAND TILAPIA LIMITED - Dissolved on 28 January 2011 • SUSSEX TILAPIA LIMITED - Dissolved on 1 October 2013

• Poor consumer uptake – low cost of imported fish from Thailand and China

Financial Risk

• Financial risk results from fluctuations in those factors that affect loans and loan payments.

• Highly leveraged farms (higher debt) can lose net worth rapidly (e.g. due to Production or Market Risk). Less resilient to recovery

Sea Bass Crashes

Spectacular growth during the 1990’s led to an imbalance between production &market demand resulting in two price collapses ( 2001-2003 & 2007-2009)

Sea Bass Price Crashes1990s saw a massive investment in Sea Bass Production….then a price crash….WHY?Production related:• High cost and inconsistent quality of juveniles• High FCR (2.7:1 cf. salmon 1.35:1) i.e lots of feed needed

to make 1kg of fish• Emergence of significant diseases• Poor automation & economy scaleMarket related• Under developed markets saw a rapid fall inprice (50% fall between 1989 and 2005)

Water Quality

Marine systems – Little control but generally stable

Subject to environment – storms, algal blooms, pesticides, oil slicks

Success of a fish farm critically depends on water quality

Low tech. High volume approaches

Shrimp ponds -Thailand

Carp and Tilapia ponds -China

Low Tech – Trout farm – Drain and Dredge

VortexParticle filtersDrums

20

Biofilter Materials

21

22

Chemical Filtration• Remove undesirable substances from the water

• Carbon granules to remove ‘colour’ from water. (eg, Phenols give water a yellow colour)

• Zeolite can remove ammonia from freshwater and can be ‘recharged’ in salt water. (FRESHWATER ONLY)

• Phosphate removing granules for help prevent algae

23

Single pass flow-through culture systems –

Less system water quality management but input water quality very important.

Large throughput prevents extensive treatment of input water higher risk of contamination from pathogens, fertilizers, pesticides

Output water quality must be monitored to stop environmental contamination – waste, escape fish (especially non-natives)

Flow-through trout farm

Water Quality

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)

RAS is biosecure, allows control of pathogens and parasites without antibiotics or chemicals

Highly controllable allowing control of growth-rates

Costly - RAS is currently used for high-value species (sea bass, bream)

Integration and optimization will reduce cost

Water Quality

Integrative approaches to farming

• Integrating fish farming with other animals and/or plants can add value and reduce overall cost –

• This approach as old as aquaculture

But water quality may suffer – Heavy metals and antibiotics (growth promoters) may pass from manure into fish

Many examples: • Waste of fish farm used to fertilize fields• Polyculture of fish and rice (tilapia in paddy fields)• Manure used to fertilize water plants grown to feed fish• Polychaete worms fed on fish waste, fed to fish• Fish farm waste fermented with crop waste to generate

biogas and compost

Integrative approaches to farming

AquaponicsFish produce waste – broken down by bacteria – nitrates feed plants, in turn cleaning waterInputs – Food and Energy (heating and pumping). Outputs – Fish, crops, compostable solids

Fish

Solids

Crop

Plants Nitrate

NitrobacterBacteria

Nitrite

NitrosomosBacteriaAmmonia

Fish

Water

Food

Energy

Energy

Educational Aquaponics Unit

University of Liverpool

Guild of Students Experimental Rooftop Farm

University of Liverpool

Guild of Students Experimental Rooftop Farm

Ness-Gardens

Educational Urban Farming Greenhouse

Ness-Gardens

Educational Urban Farming Greenhouse

Ness-Gardens

Educational Urban Farming Greenhouse

Installation of aquaponic systems onto Alder Hey in the Park Hospital Play decks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34411212 (from about 1:10)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-34416104 (0.25)

CAST - Projects

• Since 2012 – CAST involved in securing funding total value of >£5M

• FFINN –– Developing new sustainable fish feed (TSB £150K)

• RAZone –– Environmentally sensitive water treatment for Aquaculture (EU FP7 for SME - £300K)

• ZebraWel – Automated fish behaviour monitoring (BBSRC £450K)

• BiFFio –Anaerobic Digestion – Biogas and fertilizers from fish waste (EU FP7 SME associations £2.2M – UoL £400K)

• AQUA-MMS – Micro-Mass Spectrometer toxin and contaminant sensors (EU FP7 for SME £1.2M UoL £400K)

• HiSeaS – High Sensitivity Sensors – tainting compound sensing

• Plus – Ecotoxicology, Nutrition, Genomic Approaches to Breeding

Case Study: FFINN Sustainable Protein for fish feed

• Problem – Carnivorous fish are fed food containing fishmeal –up to 4kg wild capture fish to make 1kg salmon – Unsustainable

• Consortium: Skretting (fish food), Anglesey Aquaculture (fish farm), Eminate (ingredient manufacture)

University of Liverpool and UHI RTDs

Case Study: FFINN Sustainable Protein for Seafood

• Eminate manufacture fermented vegetable protein• UoL & UHI conduct lab feed trials, nutrition tests &

measure protein incorporation (bioavailability)• High quality protein sources selected• Feed manufactured by Skretting• Commercial scale trials at Anglesey Aquaculture

Diet supplemented with 50%2H7 leucine

Isolate proteins

Muscle samples taken at1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 weeks

LTQ-MS

Feed with ‘Heavy’ Diet

1D or 2D Gel Electrophoresis or LC

LC-MS/MS

Sample Collection

High Science to address problems: Protein Turnover by Stable Isotope labelling

Case Study: RAZONE – optimise ozonationfor water quality control

• Problem – Increasing production and fish welfare require high fish density (they like to shoal) – waste difficult to deal with –ozonation improves protein removal but changes water chemistry

• Consortium: SMEs: NORMEX (ozone systems) AS Statiflo(dynamic mixers) EDUR-Pumpenfabrik (pumps),SALMAR SETTEFISK, ANGELSEY AQUACULTURE (End Users)

• RTDs -, University of Liverpool (Integrative Biology, Environmental Science), TI Norway and Fraunhofer Institute

Case Study: RAZONE – optimise ozonationfor water quality control

• UoL conduct lab tests to determine effect of ozone on sea water chemistry and verify there is no effect on fish

• Commercial trials at Anglesey Aquaculture

Marine ozone test systemTwo identical 5 x 400 litre marine recirculation systems.Protein skimmer with variable ozone, as well as particulate filter, suspended sand filter, trickle bio-tower

Case Study: BiffiO – Nutrients and Energy from fish and cattle manure

• Problem – High fish density increases waste – difficult to deal, High value fish often require higher temperatures – consumes energy

• Solution – Anaerobic digestion of waste produces biogas for energy and yields nutrients for soil conditioners - fertilizer

• Consortium: SMEs: British Trout, Scottish Salmon producers, A-witte, Anglesey Aquaculture, Distributers and Farms

• RTDs -, University of Liverpool (Integrative Biology, School of Veterinary Science, Plant Science) TI Norway and Aqua-Consult

Case Study: BiffiO – Nutrients and Energy from fish and cattle manure

• UoL – day to day running of Anaerobic Digesters, plant growth trials, scaling of AD. AD sited on University Farms

Case Study: BiffiO – Nutrients and Energy from fish and cattle manure

Assess Biogas Quality (composition – CH4, CO2, CO, O2, H2S) and Quantity

Assess Fertilizer (NPK and Growth Trials) –Grass trials (pasture, utility, sports, quick results – multiple replicates) Barley trials (crop growth)

Model Gas uses and Economics

Model Gas uses and Economics

Recommend best practice based on input properties, costs, handling considerations and legislation

Slurry

Digestate

Case Study: BiffiO – Nutrients and Energy from fish and cattle manure

n3 n1 n2 n3 n4

Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6 Conc 1 -6

n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2n1 n2 n3 n1 n2 n3 n1 n2

Reactor 1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4 Reactor 1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Control Group

10% Fish waste 20% Fish waste 40% Fish waste 60% Fish waste 80% Fish waste 100% Fish wasteInorganic Fertiliser

Reactor 1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4

Case Study: AQUAMMS – Making sense of Water Quality

• Problem – Intensification and reliance on natural water supplies puts fish at risk from toxins and metabolic waste products (fish and bacteria). Often difficult to detect – 10 pptrillion Geosmin (muddy taste)

• Solution – Integrated sensor array - advanced approaches: mass spectrometry and optical technologies, to measure a wide range of substances – early warning for farmers

• Consortium: Q-tech (UoL spinout) – Faaltech (Ireland), BAMO (Germany),

• Anglesey Aquaculture (Sea Bass), Telemarkroye AS (Arctic Char)

• RTDs -, University of Liverpool , TI Norway and Cork Institute of Technology

Case Study: AQUAMMS – Making sense of Water Quality

• UoL – (EEE and IIB) Development of MMS and fluorescence sensors, testing and validation

Introduction: Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) ionizes chemicals then “sorts” the ions by their mass to charge (m/z) ratio. This “Quadrupole Mass Analyzer” oscillates electrical fields to stabilize or destabilize the paths of the ions passing between four parallel rods. Only ions of a certain range of m/z ratio pass through at any one time. Changing the potentials changes the m/z values of the ions that reach the detector so you can scan a range of m/z rapidly

Ion Source

Mass Analyser

Detector

Mass Analyser

Detector

Advances in MS

Cooks et. al. Science 2004, 306, 471-473; Science 2006, 311, 1566

vacuum

APCIESI

Ambient IonisationMethods

Analyte Sampling from their Native Environment without Sample

Pre-treatment

VacuumEXTRACTION

Ion Source

Mass Analyser

Detector

VacuumVacuum

Recent innovations in mass spectrometry allow us to record mass spectra on ordinary samples, in their native environment, without sample preparation or pre-separation by creating ions outside the instrument: Ambient Ionisation

Goal: “analysis of samples in situ using mass spectrometry”

Parameters: (1) ambient surfaces (2) no preparation (3) instant data

Target: Crude Real-World sample, Outside the lab (“Take the lab to the sample” and “Analyze samples in their original form”)

Approach 1: Ionize sample in situ transport ions to MSApproach 2: Transport the MS Ionize the sample in situ

Research Overview

•Highly sensitive and specific

Ex-situ water analysis methods : GC-MS or HPLC-MS

•Time consuming

•Samples need to be taken to the Lab

•In field in-situ analysis is highly desirable

GC/HPLC-ESI/APPI/FDI

Mass Analyser

Detector

Vacuum

ESI

MALDILC

Extraction

MS Analysis

Raw Sample

Ambient Ionisation

Analysis of Complex Water Samples-

1 –60 s

1 s

1 s

0.1-1 hr

1 - 3 hr

Ambient Ionisation

Ambient Ionisation: Paper Spray

PAPER SPRAY [V, solvent]

HV

Solvent Charged droplets

with analyte

To Mass Analyser

Paper

Paper Spray Method: Blood Spot Analysis

1. Prick Finger

0 s

15 s

30 s 40 s

50 s

60 s

3. Apply HV

4. Apply Solution

2. Load Sample[M+H]+

5. Acquire Data

6.Report Results

60s Analysis of Biological Samples

He Wang et al Ouyang, Angew. Chem. 2010

Paper Spray: Quantitation

Quantit. accuracyand precision

< 10% at 1ng/mLand above

Reactive PS Analysis: Metaldehyde in Raw Water

Maher, Young et. al. Nature Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 35643

Metaldehyde is found in drinking water above the 0.1 μg/L European and UK standard. Metaldehyde is not filtered out in water treatment beds for many weeks. Current detection methods are expensive and slow (ex-situ). Our PS-MS approach offers cheap, rapid analysis with added potential for use as an online continuous metaldehyde monitoring system that can raise the alarm if metaldehyde concentrations breach a threshold limit.

Reactive PS Analysis: Corrosion Inhibitors in Industrial Boiler Waters

LOD: 0.1 pg Dynamic Range: 5 orders RSD < 10%

Jjunju et. al. Anal. Chem. 2016

The addition of corrosion inhibitors is a well-established preventative approach -aliphatic and aromatic amines are known to reduce corrosion. However, “green chemistry” requires formulations should be low toxicity, soluble and biodegradable Toxic aromatic amines should be avoided. There is a pressing need for analytical methods for rapid, on-site analysis and quantification of these corrosion inhibitor residues

On-Site Analysis?

There are huge advantages to being able to measure ions rapidly, in their native environment, without sample preparation or pre-separation:Rapid diagnosis, on-line – close to real time measurement, early warning of problems……

Membrane Interface

Membrane Interface

=

Hydrophobic membrane

Micro-porousfrit

• Hydrophobic membrane forms the interface between liquid sample at atmospheric pressure and the vacuum system.

• Highly polar compounds such as water do not migrate through the membrane with any appreciable efficiency.

Maher, Young et. al. Spectrosc. Eur. 2014

On-Site Testing

Anglesey Aquaculture: 500 tonne Biomass Seabass farm. State-of-the-art Recirculation Aquaculture System

Telemark-Roye: New Freshwater Arctic Char farm in Norway. State-of-the-art Recirculation Aquaculture System

Low dissolved oxygen levels kills more fish than any other cause.

Dissolved Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide measurement

Optical Methods

Array of functionalized sensingelements affords flexibility &simultaneous detection.

Controlling fluorophoreconcentrations immobilized in thesensing membranes allows theeffective dynamic range for sensinga particular analyte to beincreased.

Fluorescent images can give arapid, holistic and single shotindication of heavy metal contentin water.

Portable Fluorescence Array

Maher, Young et. al. IEEE Sensors. 2016

Heavy Metals

LOD: low nM. Response Time: ~2s.

Maher, Young et. al. IEEE Sensors. 2016

My School

Slowing the flow http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-7zucqy

Slowing the flow is a project

Slowing the Flow scheme http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-7zucqy in North Yorkshire relies mainly on better land managementIn North Yorkshire – DEFRA, Forest Research, Forestry Commission England, The Environment Agency, The North York Moors National Park Authority, Durham University, Natural England and the wider community.

The project includes planting native woodland, leaving woody debris in (headwater) streams, construction of timber “bunds”

Biological/Natural Approaches

Woody Debris Timber Bund Leaky Dam

Grouse Moors (North Yorks Moors) are burned back to encourage heather regeneration. This destroys biomass that can absorb water – slowing run off.

Natural cycles accumulate debris controlling the flow. No-burn areas can help accumulate biomass. Blocking streams with heather bales and dams can mimic natural accumulation in the meantime.

Woodlands evaporate more water and add debris slowing run-off streams

Biological/Natural Approaches

Heather Bales Blocked moorland stream Tree Planting

The “Slowing the flow” land management interventions were predicted to protect Pickering from at least a 1 in 25 year flood, reducing the chance of flooding in the town from 25% to less than 4% in any given year

Biological/Natural Approaches

Heather Bales Blocked moorland stream Tree Planting