Posted by Lee Drever on Fri, May 11, 2012 @ 03:15 PM
Canadian conservation organisations have expressed united concern over the undermining of the Canadian ‘organic’ label by a new organic standard that would allow net-pen aquaculture products to be certified.
By including open-net pen finfish in to the organic aquaculture standard, the standard fails miserably at one of its claimed principles, to ‘Protect the environment, minimize benthic degradation and erosion and water quality degradation, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health’.
“The finfish standards would allow conventional open net pen farmed salmon to be certified organic despite the large body of scientific evidence linking this farming practice to detrimental impacts on wild salmon and on the marine environment,” stated Matt Abbott from the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. “Organic producers and customers should be concerned as this weak aquaculture standard threatens the integrity of all organic labels,” concluded Abbott.
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Living Oceans Society and three other voting members including organic associations, formally voted ‘No’ to the new Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard as members of the standard committee. However the standard still passed the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB)’s requirement of 50% plus one vote.
The voting membership of the committee was heavily government and industry based, including salmon aquaculture companies and their associations. “The bias of the membership base, definitely aided this standard being passed,” said Kelly Roebuck from Living Oceans Society. “In fact the standard sponsor, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has been a major driver for obtaining an organic standard for open net pen farmed salmon” stated Roebuck.
“With growing consumer interest in sustainable, local and organic food – this organic labelling will undermine public confidence in all organic and sustainable labels,” stated Rob Johnson of the Ecology Action Centre. “With this standard for open net pen fish, we’re seeing greenwashing being taken to an entirely new level,” concluded Johnson.
Innovative technology such as closed containment systems can greatly reduce or eliminate environmental risks such as escapes, diseases and parasites, waste discharge and pesticide use, yet these aquaculture production systems that are more compatible with organic principles have not been prioritized within the standard.
The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR), Conservation Council of New Brunswick and Ecology Action Centre today launched the website organicsalmon.org to provide more information on the concerns associated with the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard and how shoppers can make a difference by supporting aquaculture producers who are farming more sustainably.
Posted by Christina Florencio on Fri, May 11, 2012 @ 12:17 PM
OMAN- KHALFA Al-Rashdi, a first-year research postgraduate student at the Institute of Aquaculture (IOA), University of Stirling, has been awarded the first prize for scientific innovation in the field of aquaculture for 2010 by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD).
This prize was awarded for his research on hatchery and seed production in an Omani species of Abalone, Haliotis mariae, carried out in the Sultanate of Oman before he started his studies in Stirling.
The award ceremony was held in the Sultanate of Oman during the 32nd AOAD General Assembly in the presence of all of the Arab ministers of agriculture and fisheries from the 22 member countries. These awards are designed to develop agricultural and fisheries research in Arab countries, and to recognise the achievements of researchers from these countries. There were more than 100 entries in the aquaculture technology field.
Al-Rashdi, who still holds a position as head of fish hatcheries technology at the Oman Aquaculture Centre, worked earlier as an abalone aquaculture specialist and research project leader for abalone seed production research project from 1999-2006 in Oman. The main conclusion of his research was that the Oman abalone is one of the fastest growing abalone species in aquaculture; it reaches an average shell length of 60mm over 13 months, which translates to an increment of 4.1mm per month.
Abalone are one of the most expensive seafoods in the world. Al-Rashdi has several scientific and extensional publications on abalone and sea cucumber seed production in both Arabic and English. He joined the genetics and reproduction group in the IOA last November, and is carrying out research on the assessment of body traits in tilapia, currently by CT scanning.
For the latest fish news, check out: http://www.fishnewseu.com/
Posted by Lee Drever on Thu, May 10, 2012 @ 04:32 PM
OTTAWA - With the release of the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard on May 10, Canadian consumers now have the opportunity to choose certified organic farmed seafood including finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants.
Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic plants and animals, is the fastest growing food production system in the world, producing about 50 percent of the seafood consumed today. Because aquatic farming relies on plant and animal husbandry, it is possible to apply organic growing and rearing principles to this system of food production. Like its organic terrestrial counterpart, the organic aquatic sector uses specific farming protocols which minimize the input of synthetic substances and maximize local environmental quality.
Specifically, the organic aquaculture standard prohibits the use of antibiotics, herbicides and genetically modified organisms, and severely restricts the use parasiticides, allowed only under veterinary supervision as a last course of treatment. The standard sets measurable requirements for practices that minimize the impact of waste. These include defining stocking rates, cleaning procedures and the cleaning and feed materials that must be used.
The new standard was developed with the Canadian General Standards Board and a stakeholder committee of industry members, consumer advocates, regulators and environmental organizations. The draft standard went through two extensive public reviews and countless changes before being published this week.
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| Just a few of the aquaculture projects that Octaform has worked on across the world. |
"The industry works hard to maintain its high standards," said Ruth Salmon, Executive Director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), "and organic certification will provide an opportunity for some of our farmers to apply organic standards to their methods of production."
To qualify for organic certification, Canadian aquaculture products must have been grown on farms operating in accordance with organic aquatic farming methods established by the new standards. Farms are inspected by third-party certifying bodies to ensure that the standard has been followed. The new national standard does not currently fall under the scope of Canada's Organic Products Regulations or Canada's trade equivalencies for organic products with the United States or European Union.
"Until now, organic claims could show up on aquaculture products from outside the country and consumers wouldn't know whether the claims were trustworthy or what standards they met," said Matthew Holmes, Executive Director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. "Now we have a made-in-Canada standard that clearly and verifiably defines the environmental and husbandry requirements, and meets consumers' expectations for a high-water mark for this quickly-growing Canadian sector."
Posted by Lee Drever on Tue, May 08, 2012 @ 02:53 PM
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| AgStar's commitment will help construct more on-farm anaerobic digesters like this one built by CCS-agriKomp, helping farmers generate energy while managing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. |
WASHINGTON – With the help of $3.9 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA), AgStar plans to increase its efforts to bring methane recovery to US farms.
Expanding the work of AgStar, a joint EPA-USDA program, this new interagency agreement will promote renewable energy generation and slash greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations for at least the next 5 years.
“We want to seize every opportunity to confront climate change and move into the clean economy of the future. This is a smart way to transform what would be a harmful greenhouse pollutant into a source of renewable energy -- and make a profit for American farmers,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We have the technology and the expertise, all we need now is to act. The AgStar program brings real benefits to our air and creates new opportunities for our farming community.”
“The farms and ranches that dot our countryside can contribute greatly to addressing America’s long-term energy challenges and the partnership we are announcing today will not only help generate renewable energy, but provide new income opportunities for farmers and ranchers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
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The EPA and USDA’s committment will provide up to $3.9 million over the next five years to help farms overcome obstacles preventing them from recovering and using biogas. The collaboration will expand technical assistance efforts, improve technical standards and guidance for the construction and evaluation of biogas recovery systems, and expand outreach to livestock producers and assist them with pre-feasibility studies.
Biogas is composed primarily of methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Biogas emitted from manure management systems called digesters can be collected and used to produce electricity, heat or hot water. Due in large part to AgStar’s efforts, about 150 on-farm manure digesters are now operating at livestock facilities across the U.S. In addition, EPA estimates there are about 8,000 farms across the United States that are good candidates for capturing and using biogas. If all 8,000 farms implemented biogas systems, methane emissions would be reduced by more than 34 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, roughly equal to the annual emissions from 6.5 million passenger vehicles. In addition, these projects could generate more than 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy.
Posted by Lee Drever on Fri, May 04, 2012 @ 01:59 PM
The newly renovated Dan Speas Fish Hatchery re-opened to the public last week with a new state-of-the-art rearing facility.
The hatchery's mandate is to show the public how fish are raised from eggs to large fish in a modern recirculating aquaculture system. It will also have a huge impact on increasing fishing opportunities for Wyoming anglers and allowing other fish hatcheries to expand their operations to meet diverse stocking needs throughout the state.
“Speas is now a showcase fish rearing facility that all the citizens of Wyoming can be proud of,” said Robin Kepple, information specialist for the Casper Game and Fish office. The facility, which began production in 1959, was and still is the largest fish culture facility in Wyoming.
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| This video, uploaded last year by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, shows the renovation. |
To provide more fishing opportunity for Wyoming anglers, the Game and Fish Department sought to improve the Speas facility through renovation, by the addition of new circular Octaform tanks for rearing fish, and a new hatchery building.
Prior to renovation, fish production averaged 90,000 pounds of fish per year. With the improvements, the facility produced 229,000 pounds of fish in 2011 and Speas can now meet the stocking needs for many Wyoming reservoirs and lakes.
The renovations bring Speas up to speed with new technology in fish culture. “Overall, it means more fish for Wyoming anglers to pursue,” Kepple said.
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| A demonstration of fish being pumped from Octaform tanks into stocking trucks at the new facility. |
The 2004 and 2006 Wyoming Legislatures allocated funding to renovate and expand the facility. Funding for construction of the new hatchery building was provided through the Wyoming Water Development Commission and the Water Development Account as mitigation for the Pathfinder Modification Project.
Landowners Brian and Susan Hunter granted the Game and Fish Department permission to drill a well on their property as a second water source for the facility. And Wyoming Fly Casters contributed to the purchase of 34.4 acres of land to meet effluent water treatment needs.
Posted by Lee Drever on Thu, May 03, 2012 @ 11:44 AM
OriginOil and Algasol Renewables to Develop an Integrated Algae Growth and Harvesting System
While the race to make algae a viable source of energy is still anyone's game, two players have bundled their technologies with the hope that the cultivation and harvesting of micro algae can reach a tipping point and compete with petroleum.
OriginOil, a developer of technology to convert algae into renewable crude oil, and Algasol Renewables, owners of patented low-cost cultivation process, announced today their plans to work together with NASA and Lawrence Berkley.
NASA, with the establishment of the Ames Research Center, has recently turned some of its assets to our own planet to develop clean technologies and mitigate climate change. They developed an algae bioreactor back in 2009 and have been working with the private sector since then to improve the cultivation process.
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| NASA’s OMEGA system consists of large flexible plastic tubes floating in seawater with freshwater algae growing in wastewater. The algae use energy from the sun, carbon dioxide and nutrients from the wastewater to produce biomass that can be converted into biofuels as well as other useful products such as fertilizer and animal food.Image credit: NASA Ames / Dominic Hart |
Algasol takes cultivation out of the lab.
Algasol’s floating bags or photobioreactors (PBRs) can operate in the ocean or in salt water ponds on land. Because they float, Algasol believes their PBRs achieve optimal light exposure with outstanding productivity results and avoid the high temperature and excess salinity often encountered in solar growth systems. Algasol has received a patent in 70 countries for its unique method of floating bags using relative water density.
“Algasol’s patented system focuses on how to grow algae in floating bags, and their testing has indicated this can be much more efficient than other cultivation methods,” said Riggs Eckelberry, OriginOil’s CEO. “Now with NASA and Lawrence Berkley working with Algasol, we are excited and eager to contribute our own breakthrough harvesting system to help us collectively achieve a cost breakthrough in the race to compete with petroleum.”
Algasol recently entered into a partnership with NASA and the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. They are also working with Arizona State University (ASU) and the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI).
“With customer demand for an integrated algae production process rising, we need to offer our customers a means of harvesting as well,” said Miguel Verhein, executive director of Algasol Renewables. “We plan to recommend OriginOil’s field-proven, chemical-free, high flow and low-energy harvesting system, and once available, the integrated biocrude system they are developing with the Department of Energy.”
OriginOil is working with the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to implement a downstream fuel conversion process which it plans to offer as part of the Algasol-OriginOil bundle.
Posted by Lee Drever on Tue, May 01, 2012 @ 03:36 PM
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| Bell Aquaculture have found another way to profit from their RAS-raised yellow perch. |
Bell Aquaculture, the United States' largest yellow perch (perca flavescens) farm, has added soil fertilizer to its product line.
Advocates for aquaponics have always known that the effluent from recirculating aquaculture systems makes great plant food. Bell are now offering this nutrient-rich fertilizer to its customers.
"Fish have been used as soil fertilizer since the Native Americans first began farming our nearby land centuries ago. Our natural plant fertilizers, marketed as the Fish Rich brand, are made from the remains of the Bell Perch processed at our aquaculture facility in Indiana," says Norman McCowan, president of Bell.
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The new line, branded Fish Rich, is made from toxin and mercury-free fish, has a very mild fish odor and is good for any soil. It contains these three major nutrients:
- Nitrogen – to promote green leaves, and quicker growth response.
- Phosphorous – for root growth, disease resistance, promoting seed and fruit growth, and for blooming and flowering.
- Potassium – to increase root growth, and offer disease and drought resistance. Fish Rich and Fish Rich+ are also a good source of calcium — which plants need for cell wall development and growth.
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Fish Rich products are made on-site at Bell Aquaculture's Redkey, IN, processing facility. The fertilizer building houses a 5,000 square foot production floor and a state-of-the-art lab where the Yellow Perch "leftovers" are processed.
"Our fertilizer lab and production facility can specially produce most any fertilizer design a customer deems necessary -- any grade or level," McCowan said.
"Not only is our business a sustainable way to feed people, we are responsible with every aspect of our operation. We have become a true vertically integrated facility: nurturing our fish from egg to full-grown fish right here at the farm," McCowan explains, "And because we have our own broodstock, the genetic health of the fish can be protected before new fish are born. Plus, our fish are grown indoors in recirculating aquaculture systems, minimizing danger from outside contamination."
Fish Rich is available for purchase at: bellaquaculture.com
Posted by Lee Drever on Tue, May 01, 2012 @ 01:58 PM
New York’s Largest On-Farm Biogas Project Generates Renewable Energy for Nearly 1,000 Homes
COVINGTON, N.Y.- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) joined state and local officials today at the grand opening of New York state’s largest on-farm, ‘co-digestion’ biogas power project, marking an important boost to the state’s renewable energy production and sustainability efforts. The facility is located at Synergy Dairy, a 2,000-head dairy farm in Covington, Wyoming County, southwest of Rochester.
By anaerobically digesting waste from local food processors in addition to the dairy’s cow manure, the 425 ton per day, mixed-waste facility is more cost-effective. The facility has created about a half dozen jobs while enhancing the efficiency of the 30-employee farm’s operations and sustaining area food manufacturers and haulers.CH4 Biogas LLC built, owns and operates the project under the name Synergy Biogas LLC. The Synergy Biogas LLC plant also is the state’s first biogas project specifically designed for the co-digestion, or processing, of animal and food wastes. The biogas created in the 120,000-gallon co-digester is fueling a GE Jenbacher J420 biogas engine to generate 1.4 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is providing $1 million in incentives for the facility.
“This Synergy co-digestion biogas project is the cutting edge of energy technology and is an absolute revenue-producing game changer for our dairies and local economies. By recycling agricultural waste in biogas plants, dairies can reduces disposal costs, produce affordable renewable energy to run their operations and gain a revenue source by selling excess power to the grid. I’ve been proud to help keep this project on track to ensure it crossed the finish line,” said Senator Schumer, whose office helped coordinate federal and local funding for the project.
Schumer’s office also worked with the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency to help Synergy Biogas LLC complete the facility and partner with Cornell University and Rochester Institute of Technology to evaluate the project’s performance.
The project is expected to reduce the dairy farm’s baselood greenhouse gas emissions by about 8,500 tons of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of 1,700 automobiles. The facility also will produce an estimated 17,500 cubic yards of bedding material for livestock while reducing manure odors and helping the farm manage nutrients applied to cropland.
Through its partnerships with local food manufacturers, Synergy Biogas LLC already has diverted more than 1.14 million gallons of food waste from landfills and wastewater treatment facilities, highlighting another environmental benefit of the project.
“We are excited to launch our new co-digestion biogas project that will optimize the recycling of agricultural biomass waste into a valuable renewable energy resource to help reduce our operational costs,” said John Noble, president and CEO of Synergy Dairy.
National Grid is supporting the project as part of its broader strategy to help upgrade New York state’s energy infrastructure, promote further economic growth in the region and encourage the development of renewable energy resources. Under its renewable energy marketing program, the utility is purchasing the electricity generated by the biogas plant, which it states will produce approximately 10,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy per year—enough electricity to power nearly 1,000 homes. National Grid provided a $750,000 grant through the company’s Renewable Energy and Economic Development Program to cover the cost of building the substation that connects the facility to the grid.
Outlook Promising for More N.Y. Dairy Farm Digester Projects
The Synergy Biogas LLC operation is the first of several N.Y. dairy farm digester projects that CH4 Biogas and GE Energy plan to build. Such projects illustrate how the state’s food and beverage industries can utilize their on-site waste streams to produce free fuel for power generation.
According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in 2011 the state had 5,300 dairy farms with more than 600,000 dairy cows. However, less than 20,000 of those cows were being utilized in energy production, through the use of 17 digesters that produce a combined 3 MW. As of 2011, an additional 17 digester systems were awaiting installation to generate a combined 6 MW.
The Synergy project illustrates how incentives offered by NYSERDA are supporting the purchase, installation and operation of more anaerobic digester gas-to-energy systems to help the state create a more sustainable agricultural sector.
In addition to NYSERDA and National Grid‘s respective financial support, the Synergy Biogas LLC project also qualified for a 30 percent investment tax credit (ITC) under the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005. As part of the 2009 federal stimulus initiative, the U.S. Treasury will pay this tax credit as an ITC cash grant for qualifying projects that began construction before the end of 2011.
Posted by Lee Drever on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 02:41 PM
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| Manure from dairy cattle is largely an untapped source of renewable energy in the United States. |
WASHINGTON— The American Biogas Council is pleased with the Obama Administration for connecting biogas to its "all-of-the-above" approach to America’s energy challenges. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack announced just last week, a $5 million payment from his agency to support the construction of a new biogas system at a cattle farm in Oakley, KS.
The completed project will replace almost 90 percent of the fossil fuels currently used by the farm and is expected to create 15 full-time positions and almost 100 additional construction opportunities.
In announcing the grant, Secretary Vilsack underscored the role biogas plays in meeting renewable electricity and gas needs. Biogas systems produce a continuous stream of methane-rich gas that can be used for baseload renewable electricity and as a renewable substitute for natural gas. “Projects such as this are a key part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy that is supporting the development and usage of renewable energy, revitalizing rural economies and creating an America built to last,” said
Vilsack.
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| CCS-agriKomp's brand-new anaerobic digester connected to Ontario's electric grid in April of this year. |
Biogas systems utilize mature technology that has been used for decades in a small part of a niche sector: wastewater treatment. However, biogas plants have much wider rural and urban applications anywhere there is organic waste, such as food scraps, restaurant greases, farm waste, wastewater sludge and more.
“The biogas market is essentially untapped in the U.S., which presents a huge opportunity for American businesses to turn garbage into green energy using a contained, natural, biological process,” said Patrick Serfass, Executive Director of the American Biogas Council.
The American Biogas Council has identified 2,200 operational biogas projects and over 12,000 potential sites yet to be developed in the wastewater (3,300), agriculture (8,200), landfill (500) and industrial and commercial sectors. Biogas could replace 10% of America’s electricity needs with renewable, 24-7 power.
“We thank President Obama, his Administration and especially Secretary Vilsack for recognizing the valuable opportunity we have to build our economy by building systems that turn organic waste into versatile, reliable renewable energy,” said Paul Greene, Chairman of the Board for the American Biogas Council. “This announcement has been a key ingredient in the recipe we’re using to accelerate the U.S. biogas industry. The project exemplifies the combination of factors needed: public awareness, willing investors, community support and an open mind to approaches for waste management. ”
The grant was made under USDA Rural Development’s Repowering Assistance Program. The American Biogas Council urges Congress to reauthorize and fund these important energy programs in the next Farm Bill.
The non-profit American Biogas Council represents 150 companies (including Octaform) dedicated to maximizing the production and use of biogas from organic waste. Members include anaerobic digester developers/builders, engine and turbine manufacturers, farmers, wastewater utilities, landfill operators, engineering and law firms, financiers, non profits, universities and the entire biogas supply chain.
UPDATE:
Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee just voted to provide $800 million in mandatory funding for the Energy Title of the 2012 Farm Bill proposal. Before voting to approve the bill, the committee approved an amendment offered by Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) to provide mandatory funding over five years to energy programs that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in rural America.
Farm Bill Energy Title programs leverage billions of dollars in private investment. In 2011 various USDA programs helped develop over 60 dairy-based biogas systems, using anaerobic digesters. Last year the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) alone provided nearly $21 million in assistance for biogas systems which leveraged over $110 million in project development. Farm energy projects, like biogas systems, promote agricultural economic resiliency by providing additional revenue streams and by mitigating the costs of fluctuating energy prices and waste disposal. Biogas systems use a natural process to produce a continuous stream of methane rich gas that can be used for baseload renewable electricity and as a renewable substitute for natural gas.
ABC Executive Director Patrick Serfass said, “We commend the efforts of Senators Conrad and Lugar and of the numerous co-sponsors for ensuring funding for these crucial farm energy programs. While the continued funding of these farm energy programs is far from guaranteed at this point in the legislative process, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s vote was an encouraging show of support for farm energy programs that foster new agricultural markets and support rural economic self-sufficiency. We appreciate Chairwoman Stabenow’s and Ranking Member Roberts’s leadership in moving forward with the reauthorization of these important programs.”
See: www.americanbiogascouncil.org
Posted by Christina Florencio on Thu, Apr 26, 2012 @ 04:38 PM
We wanted to share a success story about an Octaform customer, Dave P. Hofer, a carpenter from the Hutterite community of Springwater Colony. A few years ago, he approrached us with the terrible news that their wooden barn had burned down.
After weeks of research and comparing the construction benefits of traditional wooden barns with more modern concrete barns, the colony chose Octaform.
Octaform, Hofer decided, was perfect for a colony build. The stay-in-place PVC forming system assembles with minimal training and doesn't require heavy equipment to construct. This and the added value of a built-in, premium finish made building with Octaform the best choice for Springwater Colony.
With Octaform, these Hutterites managed to build a 25 thousand square foot hog barn in just 61 days.
Since moving into the new barn, Springwater Colony has seen a reduction in their heating costs due to the insulated concrete walls which help regulate the temperature inside. The hogs, in turn, are not affected by extreme heat conditions so they are always on feed.
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When we called Dave to follow up on the Octaform barn was performing, he shared, “There is no comparison from our old wood barn to our Octaform barn. The insulated walls with the Octaform barn, have helped regulate temperature changes and we’ve seen over a 35% reduction in our heating costs, yearly. This significant reduction in savings has been beneficial to the overall operational cost to our colony."
We also got feedback from Andy Hofer, the Hog Boss of Springwater Colony. “With the Octaform Barn, the walls are easy to wash and keep clean. Because of this, we’ve experienced a 25% reduction in our cleaning time. There has also been a difference in the growth rate of the hogs. An average hog raised in the wooden barn took 6 months for full growth at a weight of 225-240 lbs compared to the hogs raised in the Octaform barn that now take 5 months for full growth at an average weight of 250 lbs per hog. At Springwater Colony, we have happy hogs”.
