Progress on the National Aquaculture Policy Process

10 May 2009 marks a day of celebration for the Aquaculture Sector when the new President, Jacob Zuma, announced his new cabinet and ammendments to the cabinet. After many many years of being fragmented and regulated by seperate government departments (DEAT and DoA), and after many requests for a united aquaculture policy and strategy (see some letters below), the Aquaculture Sector has new hope of being united under the new Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

1.In 2005: Letter from the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa (AASA) to Government
2. In 2005: Letter from the Southern Aquaculture Workgroup (SAWG) to Government

3. In 2005:Letter from the Northern Aquaculture Workgroup (NAWG) to Government

4. In 2007: Letter from the Aquaculture Institute (AISA) to the Head of the Presidential Policy Unit

The Aquaculture Sector is looking forward to the new DAFF with new hope for the amalgamation of the two draft polices mentioned below.

1. The formerly known National Department of Agriculture (NDoA) draft aquaculture policy is available from Pontsho Moji (pontshom@nda.agric.za).

2. The formerly known DEAT: Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) draft marine aquaculture policy is availabe from Mashebane Thosago (mcthosago@deat.gov.za).

Progress on the Western Cape Aquaculture Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan

The Western Cape inter-governmental Aquaculture Technical Task Team is working in collaboration with AISA and the Provincial Development Council (PDC) to develop an Aquaculture Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan that will provide the sector (fresh water and marine) with one departure point in the Western Cape. The draft policy has been completed and is heading to cabinet, the strategy has been launced on 14 April 2009 (copies available from Mr Werner Harms - see contact details below). The Implementation plan still has to be completed with stakeholder inputs.

Watch this space to notices of the next workshop and draft documetns !

For more information contact:

Werner Harms at the DEDT: wharms@pgwc.gov.za

Jobs Available:

None at the moment

Seeking Jobs:

Roderick Donald' Profile:

I am currently looking for work for 2010.

I have previously studied a BSc as well as a 2 year post grad in Aquaculture. I also have some experience working on an abalone farm as well as a salmon farm in Scotland.

I would be moving back to Cape Town/Blouberg next year but would consider anything...
Contact:

Roderick Donald
roderick.donald@gmail.com
+44(0)7947234960

Laurence Evans' Profile:

Aquaculture specialist in production management and system design (especially shrimp/prawns). A business, project and technical manager specialised in operations and production management, HACCP implementation, animal nutrition and feed manufacture, staff management & training, technical writing of training materials, business plans & financial models, company productivity, software tools and websites, environmental & EIA procedures and implementation. Sales and marketing experience.

Contact Laurence Evans, web@ecotao.com for full CV.

Post graduate students looking for a job opportunities in Aquaculture:

Please contact Melanie Smith for a CV at:

Tel: +27-(0)21 671 4244

Cell: +27- (0)72 3375924

Email: melanie.smith@uct.ac.za or melaniepangea@hotmail.com

Please contact Mashifane Brilliant for a CV at:

Cell: +27-(0)82 055 8946

Email: e-mail-brilli4ever@yahoo.com

Mari-louise van den Berg has a degree in Zoology, Tourism and Geography and Honors in Environmental Management and

is urgently looking for a job in the Cape Town area.  

Please contact her for a CV at:

Email: marilouise4@yahoo.com

Cell: 072 293 3817

Road map for when you encounter fish health problems (see also above bullet point no 5 for assistance):

(compliments from Lesley Termorshuizen)

To avoid inappropriate treatments based on a speculative diagnosis and to quickly get to the root of the problem.  

1. Ongoing system management.

Health management does not begin with a sick fish, it begins with a routine approach to monitoring the environment in which the fish are held and the fish themselves.  

1a. Regular water quality tests should be undertaken to ensure that the various levels, most notably dissolved oxygen, ammonia and pH, are correct for the species of fish being farmed.  The frequency with which these variables are tested is a function of the stocking density of the fish, system design and associated risk.  

1b. A weekly parasite check should be conducted on a few (3 to 5 is fine) fish from each system.  Look for fish that appear weak or unhappy, as these are the most likely to be carrying parasites.  

1c. Observe the fish.  Monitor their behavior, physical appearance, colour and response to feed; if anything seems inappropriate then investigate further.  

2. Problem identification. 

When a specific problem is suspected or encountered, proceed as follows:  

2a. Check the water quality first.  In many instances the health problem simply relates to a water quality problem, or associated environmental stresses, and once you know what the problem is you can remedy it.   2b. Whether or not the water quality investigation reveals a problem, do a parasite check on the fish.  If any parasites are present they will proliferate on the fish stressed by water quality, making their presence more obvious.  Check the body slime and a small segment of gill filament under a microscope at 100x and 300x magnification.  Also investigate the body cavity for potential parasites.  

3. Treatment.

It is vital to identify with accuracy the condition that is affecting the fish in order to be able to deal effectively with the problem.  If a water quality or environmental problem exists then address this problem as quickly as possible without the solution itself becoming a stressor.  If the water quality is fine but a parasite or pathogen is present, then identify the most appropriate treatment for that species from your disease text references.  

3a. If a chemical treatment is to be used, then determine accurately the volume of water to be treated.  Most chemicals function by providing an environment that is toxic to the parasite, or part of its' life cycle, but is sub-lethal to the fish.  Holding the fish in the chemical soup for a time period that exceeds the life cycle of the parasite means that the parasite should then have been eliminated from that environment.  However, the dosage that is toxic enough to kill the parasite is often close to the level at which the chemical becomes toxic to the fish as well, so be sure to accurately calculate the volume of water to be treated.  

3b. During treatment provide plenty of aeration to ensure that the dissolved oxygen levels do not decrease to sub-optimal levels.  This is especially important with chemicals that oxidise organic material as they strip the oxygen from the water.  

3c. After treatment do a series of water changes to dilute the chemical out of the water as quickly as possible.  With treatments that breakdown naturally within a short time period, such as hydrogen peroxide, this is unnecessary.  

4. Monitor the fish. 

After treatment monitor the fish carefully to ensure that the water quality is within the desired range and that parasites do not reappear on the fish.  If water quality was the problem then initiate measures to prevent the problem from reoccurring.  

How to obtain a BEE Rating:

First get an Idea how you will Score!

Small Businesses and New Companies do not need a BEE Rating Certificate!

1. If you are a new company or have a turn-over of less than R5m p.a, you do not need to obtain a BEE Rating/Verification  Certificate. You only require a Statement qualifying that you are Exempted from BEE Verification.

2. On the other hand, if your company has a turn-over of between R5m and R35m, you are defined as a Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE).

The QSE BEE Scorecard has 7 Elements: i.e. ownership, management control, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and socio-economic development. QSE’s only need to comply with 4 of these elements. 

3. Companies with a turn-over of in excess of R35m p.a. must comply with all the elements of the Generic Score Card.

           Please Note:

When you approach a Verification Agency, by law it must only request you to submit the required documentation reflecting your current status and under the Codes, they’re not allowed to assist you with the strategic preparation of    implementing your BEE Policy.

It’s advisable to first get an idea as to what your potential status could be, by conducting an initial assessment before obtaining a Rating Certificate.

 An initial assessment will give you indicators as to what action plans you should implement prior to obtaining a final rating. Without conducting an initial assessment you could be spending thousands with a Rating Agency and your compliance could be far from achieving the minimum targets on the Score Card.

4. Click Here to receive a Free Initial BEE Assessment Form

            Please Note: This Free Assessment should not be regarded as an actual Rating.

For further enquiries, contact

Gerrit Davids

Director

Taranis Empowerment Facilitation (TEF)

8th Floor, 33 Heerengracht

Cape Town, South Africa, 8001

Tel. +27 21 419 9641

Fax. 021-4188 772 / 086 684 8254

Mobile +2782496 1657

Skype: gerrit2112
e:mail: promax@mweb.co.za/ advisor@taranis.co.za

Events

Seafood Expo, Dubai, 12 to 14 October

www.dubaiseafoodexpo.com

Global Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Conference and Exhibition, Cairo, 24-26th October 2009.
Global Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Conference. Challenges facing the growth of
Fisheries and Aquaculture Production. Cairo International convention
center.
If you have a research paper please send it to Hussein Elghobashy helghobashy46@yahoo.com
Phone: +202 24501591 +20224528528
Fax: +202 22566653
E-mail: conference@fishtechexpo.org
Website: www.fishtechexpo.org

ASIA PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2009 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - November 3-6, 2009

Postponement of Fish Africa 2009 – Fish Africa and Aquaculture Africa, the 7th International
Fishing Industry Exhibition, Southern Africa’s event for the commercial fishing and Aquaculture
industries scheduled for 16 -18 March 2010 organised by Exhibition Management Services
announced its postponement from October 2009 to March 2010.

AQUACULTURE 2010 - San Diego, California, USA - March 1-5, 2010

AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2010 - Porto, Portugal - Oct 6-8, 2010

WORLD AQUACULTURE 2011 incl Giant Prawn 2011 - Qindao, China - June 6-10, 2011