reLAKSation 11.
Sea-Lice: Members of the Scottish Parliament, who were invited to an informal industry meeting in Edinburgh were lobbied by activists from Friends of the Earth. They handed out a mock menu, which included such unlikely dishes as 'smoked salmon slices marinated in ivermectin' and 'quarter pounders served with cypermethrin coulis'.
Although their action was intended to highlight a range of environmental issues, the inclusion of named (and in some cases, unlicensed) sea lice treatments, emphasised their particular concerns about this one issue.
The salmon industry has suffered from the problem of sea lice for several years and it is only now that a number of licensed treatments have started to come to market. As part of the licensing process, the manufacturers of these products must be able to demonstrate that they are of the right quality, they actually do what the manufacturers claim and most importantly, they are safe to use. This means that they are safe to handle, safe for the fish, safe for the consumer and safe for the environment.
Clearly, if Friends of the Earth have concerns about these products, they should address them to the licensing authorities who are ultimately responsible for determining whether the products can be used on salmon farms or not. However, rather than try to undermine this important industry, surely Friends of the Earth would be better served if they could demonstrate alternative methods of removing lice, which they believe could be more friendly to the environment. This does not mean that the current range of products is neither environmentally friendly nor safe, because clearly the manufacturers have had to show that they meet such criteria.
FoE appear to have a different perception of the acceptability of these products, however it must be preferable if they work with the industry rather than against it.
The salmon industry has previously pursued some alternative treatment methods. These include the use of cleaner wrasse intended to graze the lice off the salmon. However, the problem with this approach is that there are often insufficient lice to sustain the wrasse in the cages.
There has also been discussion about the use of fresh-water as a treatment. Lice naturally fall off returning wild salmon when they enter the river systems to spawn. It may be possible to capitalise on this natural occurrence to rid farmed salmon of these parasites.
Another proposal, and one not yet really investigated, is the idea of attracting fish to the bottom of the cage away from the surface layers. This is where the free swimming infectious stages of the lice congregate and where most salmon catch their feed. Floating feed could be administered from the bottom of the cage, encouraging the fish to stay well below the layers where they may be prone to lice attack.
However, the most realistic solution is that as farms continue to increase in size, they will be moved away from the near shore sites where lice predominate. A move towards more open water farming could bring about a decline in overall sea lice infestations.
Whilst the salmon industry must clearly stand firm against the often inaccurate and misleading misinformation originating from Friends of the Earth, there may well be other reasons to look for alternative lice management strategies.
In an interview with the Fish Information Services, Norwegian vet Aud Skrudland has suggested that there is an increased risk that sea lice may become resistant to these latest chemical treatments. Some signs of resistance are now starting to appear in Norway.
As with antibiotic therapy, another FoE target, the most effective disease control is not just about treatment with the latest veterinary product. Instead, the most potent solutions are those which combine a variety of different management strategies, of which such treatments are just part.
Free Trade: Jan Petersen, leader of the Norwegian Conservative party, believes that Norway should be allowed to trade fish freely with the European Union. An article in IntraFish suggests that it may be necessary to bargain with agricultural products in order to gain better market access for Norwegian fish.
Some processing companies, such as Firda Canning, have recognised that salmon is subjected to much lower duties than other fish and have concentrated on developing processed salmon to gain better market access.
Unfortunately, much of the salmon industry have discounted this route into the EU, believing wrongly that processed salmon is subjected to the higher tariffs applicable to smoked salmon products. Equally, these products fall well outside the terms of the EU Norway salmon agreement, which limits the volume and price of Norwegian salmon to the EU markets.
The development of a range of added value products could offer the Norwegian salmon industry an alternative entry into the EU market. This will increase the opportunities for trade, irrespective of whether any future Norwegian government can improve trading conditions for fish, or whether the unnecessary constraints of the EU salmon agreement can be removed.
Promotions: A report in IntraFish states that the French supermarket chain Carrefour has rejected an approach by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council to help promote their fish. A spokesman from the supermarket giant responded that they promote their own fish because they know where it is produced and that it is a good product.
By comparison, the fish buyer for Auchen would have liked NSEC to provide more information on the salmon they sell, instead of advertising how easy it is to prepare.
This raises the issue of how best to promote salmon to the consumer. Is it preferable to demonstrate how easy it is to cook, its nutritional value, its origin or its quality? These are all parameters, which have been used in previous salmon promotions, yet their effectiveness is open to question.
For example, the International Salmon Farmers Association's first market survey concluded that country of origin is one of the least important factors to consumers when making their buying decision.
Equally, an article in the Sunday Herald reports that a representative of leading British retailer Marks & Spencer has said that most of their customers are unable to recognise a specific quality mark when applied to the packaging on fresh salmon.
Many consumers now take an interest in the nutritional content of food and clearly salmon can give some benefit associated with improved health. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon have a positive effect on heart disease, however, this is applies to all oily fish not just salmon.
Recipes are the most common way in which salmon has been promoted. They have been mostly made available at the point of sale, but the problem is that this assumes that consumers will visit the appropriate counter or fishmonger to pick up the recipes. Unfortunately, many potential consumers do not even get as far as the fish counter and therefore fail to even appreciate how easy salmon is to cook and how versatile it can be.
This is because the younger consumer is not really that familiar with the idea of buying or cooking fresh fish. They certainly would not consider visiting a fishmonger and usually steer well clear of the fish counter in any of the multiple retailers. Instead, these younger consumers prefer to buy into the convenience ideology and this might range from ready made meals to ready to cook dishes, more and more of which are now starting to appear on the supermarket shelves. The advantage of these is that the range may include a variety of different proteins and not just fish. One example would be the Enjoy range, which was mentioned in a previous reLAKSation. Potential consumers may be more tempted to try fish this way than through heavy promotion of the benefits of the fresh fish itself.
Yet long-term observations of the retail market have clearly shown that it is not industry promotions which have been responsible for boosting salmon consumption. Instead, consumers, recognising that salmon now represents a value for money meal option, have responded to the lower prices. The relatively low price of salmon is sufficient incentive for many existing consumers to increase their purchases of salmon, yet further incentive may be necessary if new consumers are to be encouraged to buy salmon. The simplest way that this can be achieved is by further capitalising on the low price through special deals such as 'buy one, get one free' or two for the price of three, etc. This can apply just as equally to salmon steaks as it can to the most sophisticated recipe dish.
Some might consider this to be not especially cost effective, however it is also necessary to recognise that even the simplest promotion can be very expensive if it is to make the necessary impact.