Economy and diversity of aquaculture production in Bulgaria: status and trends

Aquaculture production in Bulgaria has increased over the last decade, reaching 16 442 tonnes in 2019. Fish production has doubled in comparison with 2007, while that of mussels has increased tenfold. The Bulgarian contribution to EU aquaculture production has been increasing significantly in both volume and value over the years, making up 1.15% of the volume and 1.0% of the value of EU production in 2019. Freshwater aquaculture accounts for 78% of total production. Common carp dominates with about 29.4% (4836 t), followed by rainbow trout with 29.2% (4820 t) in 2019. The cultivation of sturgeon species and caviar production are among the most dynamically developing aquaculture segments. Mariculture in the Black Sea has increased in recent years, with the production of Mediterranean mussel reaching 2932 tonnes in 2019. An average of 405 farms operated during the period 2010-2019. Four regions (Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas and Montana) account for 50% of the total fish production. Pond aquaculture is the dominant technology used in Bulgaria, and it serves as the basis for numerous other activities, including management of fish stocks in various water bodies mainly for recreational fishing. Approximately 35 net-cage farms currently operate in bigger dams. Recirculating fish farms output made up only 0.15% of the total amount of aquaculture for the period 2010-2019. The aquaculture sector exhibited difficulties in recovering from the financial crisis of 2007-2008, manifested by a slow growth for the period 2010-2014. From 2015 to 2019 there has been a significant growth, manifested in a sharp increase of total revenue and profitability, especially among the larger enterprises in the sector, as well as an increase in the number of employees, and the labour productivity. As a result, in 2019 the registered total revenue per enterprise and total revenue per employee were more than double the respective figures for 2010. The profits of larger enterprises increased more than three times on average, but smaller entities, micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees, operated at the border line between profit and loss. The COVID-19 crisis could have lasting consequences. Despite EUR 1.2 million direct payments in the sector in 2020, there has been a significant drop in the export of aquaculture products. Consumption of fish and other aquaculture products remains low compared to those in the other EU countries.

The Importance of Low-Cost Live Feed Culture Technology to the Marine Shrimp Industry during COVID-19

The importance of live feed as a beginning diet in marine shrimp (Penaeus sp.) is largely dependent on careful management during the early stages of larval growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on Malaysian aquaculture, which is critical for seafood supply and security. Cladocerans are an alternative live feed species that outperform Artemia nauplii in terms of nutritional value, economic value, availability, and reproduction rate. In terms of supplying live feed for commercial aquaculture, cladoceran culture and cultivation can therefore be an economically viable, sustainable, and desirable live feed species. The purpose of this study is to collect information on low-cost live feed for marine shrimp used in aquaculture and how COVID-19 affects the sector. Thus, a survey was conducted at a private hatchery and farm in Pekan and Badong, Pahang, Malaysia to investigate the importance of low-cost live feed culture technology to the marine shrimp industry during COVID-19. A total of 20 respondents took part in the survey. During the COVID-19 period in Malaysia, data were gathered using a questionnaire that was planned to be completed via an online form from August 2020 through December 2020. The software utilised was a Google application (Google Form). The data gathered revealed the importance of utilising live feed for maintaining shrimp larvae production in the sector. The current data are critical for developing policy actions to support seafood industries affected by the pandemic at both the national and international levels. Copyright©2023 by authors, all rights reserved.

COVID-19 impacts on United States crawfish. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

This research determines the impacts of COVID-19 US on crawfish production and consumption for 2020 and 2021 using an Equilibrium Displacement Model. In the US, crawfish is one of the seafood commodities where most production is consumed by domestic consumers (7% of domestic consumption is from imports). Crawfish and rice are complementary. Therefore, the impacts of COVID-19 on crawfish consumption simultaneously influence rice production and crawfish producers and consumers. In the first year of COVID-19 (2020), the reduction in crawfish retail demand caused negative effects on final consumers and producers. However, crawfish consumption recovered significantly in the second year (2021), which could compensate for the loss in 2020. Overall, consumer and producer gains ranged from $549 to $626 million if the COVID-19 pandemic only impacted retail consumption. However, in 2021, the increase in production costs due to higher oil/diesel prices and other input prices caused the farm supply to decrease. As a result, total welfare gains ranged from $200 to $228 million. If the demand in 2021 did not increase, but the crawfish farm supply decreased, consumer and producer losses ranged from $929 to $1045 million. Overall, the total effects of COVID-19 on consumers and producers for 2020 and 2021 depend on its effects in 2021. If the demand in 2021 increased following the decrease in farm supply, consumers and producers would benefit from the shocks of COVID-19 due to higher post-COVID-19 demand.

Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. seafood availability. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

Seafood is the food group with the highest share traded, and the U.S. is the world's largest seafood importer, importing 79% of the seafood consumed. Hence, a study examining the impacts of the measures to contain COVID-19 on U.S. seafood imports will not only show how U.S. seafood availability has been affected, but will also give strong indications of how resiliently the global seafood markets have worked through the pandemic. We find that U.S. imports of seafood actually increased in 2020 and 2021, suggesting supply chains were able to adapt to potential disruptions. Moreover, for the 14 largest product forms imported to the U.S., there are no strong price movements. Given that there is a global market for most species groups, this adaption also suggests that the markets have worked quite well beyond the U.S. Hence, while there have undoubtedly been market shocks associated with the COVID-19 measures such as the reduction in demand from the restaurant sector and the increased sales in the retail sector, opportunities seem to balance out challenges, and the supply chains for seafood to the U.S. have been highly resilient.

A brief overview of the issues faced by Harmful Algal Blooms along Johor straits

Urbanization of coastal areas worldwide has increased due to an increase in the global population. The production of sustainable aquaculture is greatly impacted by a surge of this urbanization. In certain countries, particularly for individuals with more limited space in metropolitan areas, such as along Johor's coastal area, aquaculture might well be a good strategy to maintain food availability (continuous production plus high-quality meals). Consequently, the adoption of aquaculture along the Johor's coastal area has lead to Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). This paper examines the evolution of the aquaculture industry of Malaysian Johor coastal areas in relation to HABs. In addition to HABs, the aforementioned metropolitan regions confront diverse economic and geographical obstacles when attempting to increase their aquaculture production sustainably. Those problems are therefore addressed using a variety of operations as well as surveillance techniques in this brief overview. Lockdowns and border prohibitions caused by the continuous COVID-19 infection have had a global impact. These logistical difficulties in the seafood industry have increased dependency on imported supplies. It is suggested that international decision- making, supervision, and knowledge exchange can successfully solve the challenges urbanized areas have in ensuring sustainable food security through the evolution within the aquaculture sector.

Fisheries and aquaculture products consumption in France: when the Covid-19 crisis did not lead to more sustainable purchases

In terms of food consumption, sustainability dimensions are often conflicting with purchasing power and practical purchases. France lands, farms, imports, and consumes large quantities of fisheries and aquaculture products (FAPs). The pandemic affected both domestic and foreign FAP supply through restrictions on trade and fishing conditions. Numerous sale points offering FAPs were closed during the pandemic. This general context has likely questioned the role of consumers on environmental, economic, and social matters. The aim of the paper is to assess whether the Covid-19 crisis has been an opportunity for French consumers to align their consumption at-home with the environmental issues by favouring domestic producers, short channels, or eco-friendly products. Quantitative data on at-home ordinary household purchases in metropolitan France from 2017 to 2021 was used along with t-test methods. It seems that fresh FAPs consumption did not truly adapt to the domestic fish production in defiance of import restrictions and available surpluses. While fresh shellfish at-home consumption did not change significantly in 2020, salmon and cod are still widely favoured by French consumers at-home, although their French production is virtually non-existent. On the contrary, domestically produced fish species remains poorly consumed at-home. The abundant supply of fresh salmon initially intended for other markets has permitted to consolidate the dominant position of this species on the French at-home consumption market. Initiated by supermarkets and hypermarkets and followed up by consumers, the trend of purchasing pre-packaged fresh fish has been substantially amplified by the pandemic and seems to persist over time. © 2023 EDP Sciences. All rights reserved.

Fish consumption in Brazil: State of the art and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

The offer and consumption of fish and other aquatic organisms in Brazil comprise a great complexity of interacting factors, from the origin and production of these goods, to their processing and marketing. Unexpected factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic might contribute for increasing the complexity of such interactions and shift consumption patterns. This study aimed at characterizing the consumption of fish in the Brazilian territory, identifying factors that influence such consumption and investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the country's consumption pattern. A closed and semi-structured questionnaire was applied and gathered responses from 1763 Brazilian participants from all the country's macro-regions, regarding fish consumption and factors affecting it. Data were presented descriptively and analyzed by means of a multivariate approach. Three patterns of fish meat consumption were identified in the study. Northern participants consume this foodstuff in recommended amounts by dietary guidelines in higher proportions than other regions. In general, during the pandemic most respondents did not change their fish consumption (59.7%) and declared that no risks were associated with consuming this foodstuff (65.6%). It was found that the origin of fish is a major driver of consumption, whereas from 49.2% (Southeast and Midwest) to 58.2% (North) of the population would increase their consumption in case the origin of the foodstuff was declared. Fish consumption in Brazil is influenced by multiple factors and it can be stimulated by exploring differences existing among the territory's macro-regions.

Impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale aquaculture of marine species in earthen ponds in Surat Thani Province, Thailand

Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has made adverse impacts on the economy of many countries, including Thailand where small-scale aquaculture was important for seafood supply and livelihood of the country. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of small-scale aquaculture, identify the impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale aquaculture and adaptation of farmers to cope with the impacts, and depict the support received by farmers. Face-to-face interview was carried out in Surat Thani Province with 110 farmers from three types of small-scale aquaculture (i.e. fish, crab, and shrimp farming) between August 2020 and April 2021. The results revealed that the characteristics of farmers among the three types of small-scale aquaculture were not different, while characteristics of farms among them were different. Most farmers (89%) was affected by COVID-19 with the major impacts such as decreased number of market channels, price of fish, and revenue from farm production. The farmers among the three types of small-scale aquaculture similarly adapted their farming activities (farm management and marketing strategies). There were similar proportions of farmers among the three types of small-scale aquaculture in receiving the support to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. The major support was financial assistance from the national government. Furthermore, the government bodies were the most important sector to help farmers to relieve the impacts of COVID-19, while non-government bodies should also get involved in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 as well as other pandemics or disasters in the future.

General fisheries commission for the Mediterranean. Report of the twelfth session of the scientific advisory committee on aquaculture, Casablanca, Morocco, 7-9 June 2022

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held its twelfth session in hybrid mode, in Casablanca, Morocco and online from 7-9 June 2022. The session was attended by delegates from 18 contracting parties, three cooperating non-contracting parties, one observer, as well as representatives of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, the GFCM Secretariat and invited experts. During the session, the Committee reviewed the work carried out during the 2019-2022 intersession, including within the framework of the GFCM 2030 Strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (GFCM 2030 Strategy) and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided advice on priorities in the field of aquaculture management and research.

Report of the FAO Vigo dialogue on social responsibility in the fisheries and aquaculture value chains - addressing current problems triggered by COVID-19

The 2020 FAO Vigo Dialogue focused on promoting human and labour rights to ensure better social practices along fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including emphasizing social problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The main issues and challenges that the sector is facing were discussed and identified. The Dialogue raised awareness of the situation faced by fish workers and the industry due to the pandemic, and allowed FAO to collaborate with relevant stakeholders by providing a clear outline of the significant challenges on social issues in fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

Aquaculture Production in the Midst of GHG Emissions in South Africa

The study ascertained the relationship between aquaculture production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in South Africa. The study used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag—Error Correction Model (ARDL-VECM) with time series data between 1990 and 2020. The results showed that the mean annual aquaculture production, GHG emissions, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the period were 5200 tonnes, 412 tonnes, and US$447 billion, respectively. There was a long-run relationship between GHG emissions and GDP. In the short run, GHG emissions had a positive relationship with GDP and a negative relationship with beef production. Furthermore, there was a bi-directional relationship between aquaculture production and GHG emissions. In addition, beef production and GDP had a bi-directional relationship. Beef production also had a positive relationship with aquaculture production. The study concludes that aquaculture production is affected and tends to affect GHG emissions. Aquaculture legislation should consider GHG emissions in South Africa and promote sustainable production techniques.

Impact of COVID-19's supply and demand shocks on the household economy of tilapia smallholder farmer

PurposeThis study aims to verify the impact of the supply shock (fall in harvested output) and demand shock (fall in household income) due to the pandemic on the consumption of necessities and household savings of tilapia's smallholder farmer.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers randomly chose 144 households as research samples using the proportional random sampling technique in Padang Jaya District, North Bengkulu Regency. Researchers collected data on household income, farm losses, household consumption for basic needs, labor demand, use of production inputs, the amount of output sold and saving both during and before the pandemic. The data were collected from the sample using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. This study used a simultaneous equations system for arranging tilapia's smallholder farmer household economic model.FindingsThis study verified that the demand shock phenomenon makes households more severe than the supply shock phenomenon. The demand shock phenomenon made worse-off tilapia smallholder farmers because it caused their household savings to drop during the pandemic. The fall in savings will disrupt the stability of consumption of household necessities (health, food, education and clothing) in the future.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study was providing empirical evidence about the impact of the demand and supply shock of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable entities in the Indonesian freshwater aquaculture industry, namely, smallholder farmer households of freshwater aquaculture fish.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2022-0554.

A Multiplexed, Tiled PCR Method for Rapid Whole-Genome Sequencing of Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus (ISKNV) in Tilapia.

Tilapia farming is one of the most important sectors in aquaculture worldwide and of major importance to global food security. Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) has been identified as an agent of high morbidity and mortality, threatening tilapia aquaculture. ISKNV was detected in Lake Volta, Ghana, in September 2018 and spread rapidly, with mortality rates between 60 and 90% and losses of more than 10 tonnes of fish per day. Understanding the spread and evolution of viral pathogens is important for control strategies. Here, we developed a tiled-PCR sequencing approach for the whole-genome sequencing of ISKNV, using long read sequencing to enable field-based, real-time genomic surveillance. This work represents the first use of tiled-PCR for whole genome recovery of viruses in aquaculture, with the longest genome target (>110 kb dsDNA) to date. Our protocol was applied to field samples collected from the ISKNV outbreaks from four intensive tilapia cage culture systems across Lake Volta, between October 2018 and May 2022. Despite the low mutation rate of dsDNA viruses, 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms accumulated during the sampling period. Droplet digital PCR identified a minimum requirement of template in a sample to recover 50% of an ISKNV genome at 275 femtograms (2410 viral templates per 5 µL sequencing reaction). Overall, tiled-PCR sequencing of ISKNV provides an informative tool to assist in disease control in aquaculture.

Overview: the value chain of tra catfish in Mekong Delta region, Vietnam

Aquaculture of Tra catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) of Mekong Delta has a record production of 1,525 million tons in 2022. It is one of the largest single-species based farming systems that is restricted to a small geographical area, in the world. The product (frozen fillets) that has been exported to over 138 countries with a value of about 1.6 billion USD is an acceptable alternative to white fish. Tra catfish is farmed in earthen ponds, up to 4 m in deep, in nine provinces in the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam. Over the years, the Tra catfish farming and processing industry in Vietnam has been constantly developed and become a spearhead economic sector of Vietnam which has become a leading part of international economic integration. However, due to the global impact of the Covid-19 epidemic with increasing competition pressure and product quality requirements, the Tra catfish industry is facing both challenges and opportunities. Therefore, in this paper, the Tra catfish such as species, anatomical composition, and chemical composition is briefly reviewed. After that, the value chain of Tra catfish in the Mekong Delta as well as demand forecasting and development orientation in the future is further analyzed.

Reviewing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the Kenyan aquaculture sector and future adaptive strategies

For many Kenyans, the aquaculture business provides a vital source of food and work. However, information on Kenya's aquaculture sector's resilience in the face of emerging global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic requires additional examination. Prior to the epidemic, Kenya's aquaculture industry had grown from a tiny participant to a critical component of the country's fish food system, with fish and fisheries products becoming the most extensively traded food commodity in Kenyan market places. However, as indicated in the review, the aquaculture value chain has not been scrutinised since the onset of COVID-19. Lockdowns enacted during the pandemic had a significant influence on access to aquaculture inputs, fish commerce, and the socio-economic livelihoods of stakeholders and players in Kenya's aquaculture value chain. Thus, initial and long-term adaptive strategies, particularly those implemented by governments, could help to the development of COVID-19 specific and generic resilience to numerous shocks and stressors among stakeholders and players involved in the country's aquaculture industry. Some of the measures include a government incentive package to help the fisheries and aquaculture sectors recover, improve farming operations, and gain market trust, as well as the adoption of new methods to reduce labor intensity, such as intelligent sensors, camera systems, and automated or remotely controlled monitoring/feeding strategies. Such strategies and policies can protect the sector from future shocks triggered by pandemics and other unforeseen circumstances.

FAO supported investigation of COVID-19 impacts on aquaculture in China

In order to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entire aquaculture value chain in China and what strategy and measures have been taken to support the stakeholders to address the impact of the pandemic on the sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supported the Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre (FFRC) in carrying out a preliminary investigation. The investigation focused on channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) farming in Hubei Province and tilapia farming (Oreochromis spp.) in Guangdong Province. The results indicated a significant difference in the impact of the pandemic on different stakeholders in the two subsectors. The investigation also identified the most significant specific impact of the pandemic on production and operation at different value chain links. The investigation also covered the impact of the pandemic on the livelihood of households engaged in the value chain, which significantly reduced income due to lower payment and business revenue. As an important output of the study, a set of strategies and measures were recommended for supporting the aquaculture sector and stakeholders in the value chain to cope with the pandemic and other similar risks in the future.

Impact of the "coronavirus" emergency on Italian livestock systems

This report describes the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the productive and economic aspects of livestock and aquaculture production in Italy, including farm management, labour, income, marketing and consumption of animal products (meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products), consumer behaviour, food safety, agrotourism and disease control.

Restocking of small water bodies for a post COVID recovery and growth of fisheries and aquaculture production: socioeconomic implications. (Special Issue: Technology and innovation for a post COVID recovery and growth: the contribution of industry and academia.)

Restocking of fish in Small Water Bodies (SWBs) is one of the technologies that can be used to enhance fish-food production for post Covid recovery and growth in food security, and national development. The current study aimed at assessing the socioeconomic impact and stock performance of restocked Nile tilapia fingerlings in SWBs in 15 counties in the Western and Central regions where the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) is implemented. The study employed both primary and secondary data from socioeconomics, environmental characteristics and fisheries and aquaculture aspects. There was no restocked dam with a low (<1.66) socioeconomic impact, indicating the potential for restocking. The majority (n = 27;79%) of the restocked SWBs had a moderate (1.66-2.33) impact, owing to the inherent constraints of adoptability by the local community. Twenty one percent (n = 7;21%) of the SWBs had a high (2.34-3.00) impact and with better environmental conditions. The average condition factor (K) of tilapia in restocked SWBs was 1.24 +or- 0.53 SD, suggesting excellent fish growth condition. Notably, restocking the SWBs could benefit riparian fishing communities by improving their livelihoods and providing food and nutritional security. Given the limited exploitation of fish in most SWBs in the developing countries, additional community awareness and capacity building interventions are needed to enhance optimal use of SWBs in post Covid era.

Capturing Secchi disk depth by using Sentinel-2 MSI imagery in Jiaozhou Bay, China from 2017 to 2021

Water clarity is a key parameter for assessing changes of aquatic environment. Coastal waters are complex and variable, remote sensing of water clarity for it is often limited by low spatial resolution. The Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) imagery with a resolution of up to 10 m are employed to solve the problem from 2017 to 2021. Distribution and characteristics of Secchi disk depth (SDD) in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) are analyzed. Subtle changes in localized small areas are discovered, and main factors affecting the changes are explored. Among natural factors, precipitation and wind play dominant roles in variation in SDD. Human activities have a significant influence on transparency, among which fishery farming has the greatest impact. This is clearly evidenced by the significant improvement of SDD in JZB due to the sharp decrease in human activities caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Impact of COVID-19 on the productivity of ornamental fish farmers: a case of ornamental fish farms in Colombo district in Sri Lanka

Ornamental fish production in Sri Lanka has become a valuable foreign exchange earner during recent past years. However, COVID-19 pandemic has been explored worldwide and it has affected the world trade and economy from different perspectives. This study was conducted to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ornamental fish production., Moreover, study on present status of ornamental fish farmers' major constraints and suggestions to overcome those constraints of ornamental fish farmers were also conducted. In Colombo district, four important Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions were purposely selected for the study, as they are the main ornamental fish production areas of the district. The data was collected from a randomly selected 60 farmers using a field survey from July to October 2020. Descriptive statistics, two sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test and chi-square test were used to analyses the data. Results revealed that, there are both negative and positive impacts on ornamental fish production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ornamental fish farmers have to face mainly production and marketing problems. Some of them have engaged in coping strategies and resilience methods during COVID-19 period. Coping strategies have shown a significant association with the income and the production capacity of the farms. However, the majority of ornamental fish farmers haven't engaged in resilience methods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than the COVID-19 pandemic, the major constraints of ornamental fish production were lack of market information about the changes in the overseas markets and demand, the low price given for the product and lack of communication between farmers and exporters. Ideal "ORNAFISBIZ" model is suggested for overcome those constraints in order to protect the ornamental fish farmers in this area.