Investor Presentaiton
Biodiversity Conservation
Rearing Conditions, Biological and Veterinary Safety
Sustainable Development
The conservation of marine ecosystems
and the maintenance of biological diversity are one
of the most important tasks of Russian Aquaculture
Group.
The Group mainly operates in water areas of sea water
bodies. In this regard, all programmes for the commercial
rearing of Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and mussels
in the Group's fish-farming areas are subject to approval
from the Federal Agency for Fishery for activities that
affect aquatic biological resources and their habitats.
The Barents Sea water area is characterized
by the presence of cetaceans and pinnipeds,
some of which are classified as protected species.
One of the main ways to conserve biodiversity
in the areas of the Company's activities
is the implementation of the Industrial Environmental
Monitoring Programme ensuring the comprehensive
monitoring of the state of the environment, including
the components of the natural environment, natural
ecological systems, processes and phenomena
occurring in them, as well as the assessment
and forecast of changes in the state of the environment.
The Programme is implemented by the Company in all
fish-farming areas.
Fish-farming areas are located in water areas of bays
and reservoirs, outside the boundaries of specially
protected natural areas, but they are not adjacent
to high biodiversity areas or protected natural areas.
When implementing the principle of caring
for the ecosystem and constantly improving approaches
to its use the Company interacts with the leading
universities of the Russian Federation, including those
in the regions where the Company operates.
In 2021, together with the Polar Branch of Federal
State Budgetary Institution "Russian Federal Research
Institute Of Fisheries and Oceanography", the study
of routes and periods for the migration of wild Atlantic
salmon in the areas within the location of the fish
cages complexes of the Group, was performed, while
the project for monitoring the occurrence
of aquacultured salmon in the rivers of the Kola
Peninsula was launched.
In 2020, as part of the activities to recover
aquatic biological resources, the Group
released juvenile Atlantic salmon into
the Onega River in the White Sea basin.
In 2021, whitefish underyearlings were released
into the Vyg River in the White Sea basin.
Biodiversity Conservation Activities
The Group regularly takes environmental measures
•
to reduce and prevent any negative impacts on aquatic
biological resources and their habitat, which include:
Compliance with the applicable veterinary
requirements and hygienic standards when
using stocking materials, as well as compliance
with the biological engineering standards
of fish farming by ensuring vaccination and physical
treatment of fish from sea louses, as well as other
measures to ensure a favourable ichthyopathological
environment;
• Implementation of the fallowing process'
in order to ensure a favourable ichthyopathological
environment;
• Use of high-quality fish products (without any signs
of diseases) for rearing purposes, prohibition of using
transgenic forms of fish;
•
Implementation of the industrial and environmental
monitoring of risks of infectious and/or parasitic
diseases, risks of contamination of water areas
and bottoms with excess feeds, waste products
and decomposition of farmed fish;
Quarterly epizootic and ichthyopathological
examination of the fish cages complex performed
together with specialists from the State Veterinary
Service of the Murmansk Region;
Quarterly sampling of fish from all fish cages
complexes and their study at Federal State Budget
Scientific Institution "All-Russian Research Institute
of Experimental Veterinary Medicine named after K.I.
Scriabin and Y.R. Kovalenko".
Russian Aquaculture Group complies with the best
modern standards in the field of fish rearing and reducing
risks of diseases. All fish cages complexes are equipped
with modern high-technology equipment and comply
with the highest level of biological safety.
The Group implements the following approaches
and practices in order to maintain the health of farmed
fish:
Fallowing: it is kept without fish for at least
2 months after the completion of catching fish
from the fish cages complex
Monitoring of stocking materials: salmon smolts
and trout juveniles are monitored by an independent
veterinary laboratory at the fish-rearing station
and subject to additional testing for a range
of pathogens prior to shipment.
Vaccination: in the rearing process implemented
at the fish-rearing station, all stocking materials
are vaccinated against the most dangerous
diseases
Separation of year classes: only fish of one year
class may be in each fish cages complex
Observations and examinations during
the rearing process: fish of each fish cages
complex is periodically examined in independent
laboratories, regardless of the presence of signs
of any disease
Proper waste management: all process waste
is removed from all fish cages on a daily basis
(every two days during the cold season)
Disinfection: in the fish rearing process,
the equipment used is subject to regular
disinfection. Then, following the completion
of the cycle, all equipment of the fish cages
complex is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
Vessel and personnel assignment: workboats
of fish farmers and fish-farmer watches are
assigned to each fish cages complex, while
personnel and equipment are not rearranged
between fish cages complexes
Fish cages complexes are located in water areas
with the most favourable conditions for fish in terms
of water flow, temperature, wave-impact load and ice
conditions. In fish cages complexes located in such
areas, each fish may feel itself as comfortable as wild fish
in natural conditions.
The depth of arrangement of separation nets reaches
35 meters, which allows the fish to choose the most
comfortable depth. The number of fish in each fish cage
is determined in order to prevent a high density in case
of further growth.
The high-quality feeding of fish is the most important
element of ensuring biological safety. The relevant
feeding process is implemented depending
on palatability: underwater cameras are installed
in each cage, and the fish farmer, who manages
the feeding system, visually monitors the saturation
of the entire population in the cage. It ensures
the regular and complete feeding of fish and reduces
competition between individual fish.
In its activities, Russian Aquaculture Group uses
non-GMO feeds that comply with the principles
of sustainable production and are certified according
to the international quality standards (ISO 9001,
ISO 14001, ISO 22000, GLOBALG.A.P, ASC COMPLIANT,
ORGANIC, GLOBALG.A.P NON-GMO).
1 Fallowing: keeping the fish cages complex without fish for at least 2 months after the end of catching.
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PJSC Russian Aquaculture | Annual Report 2021
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