8 SEPTEMBER 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS Forecast Seed Supply to Manage Production of Olive Flounder, Laver, and Abalone It is expected that it will be possible to predict the supply and demand of Neob-chi (olive flounder in Korean, Paralichthys olivaceus), Gim (laver, Porphyra/ Pyropia), and Jeon-bog (abalone, Haliotis) seeds, which will increase the accuracy of seafood supply and demand and help stabilize prices. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) announced it will use the forecasting model to supply and demand fisheries seeds in fisheries policy. The model was developed for about six months, from August last year to February this year, and used as a pilot for three months. The prediction model was developed through collaboration between the Integrated Data Analysis Center of the MOIS and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA) under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. It was conducted on three representative species in Korea: Neob-chi (olive flounder), Gim (laver), and Jeonbog (abalone). All are high-production revenue and consumption items. The need for systematic supply and demand management has been raised at the seed stage due to the significant impact of prices on people’s lives. Still, more attention should be paid to them than other distribution stages. Accordingly, the government plans to conduct seed supply and demand forecasts for these items and to start long-term production and price management. In this model development process, ten types of public data were used, including data on the supply and demand status of fish seeds and farms related to the three species analyzed, data on fry discharge performance, and climate statistics data. It is a concept that predicts future seed sales unit prices, production, and demand through analysis and learning of past seed data, such as survey data on the actual condition of the fishery seed production industry, sales unit price, and seed production, which has been conducted since 2021. The model’s predicted values include the sales unit price and production volume from the survey conducted by the FIRA, showing high field utility. The model, developed earlier this year, was first utilized to improve the accuracy of the annual survey on the raw fish seed industry, conducted as a national statistic, during a pilot utilization process until May. The FIRA, a research institute, increased the accuracy of statistics through in-depth investigations if there was a significant difference between the forecast confirmed through the model and the survey value. The supply and demand prediction service for each fishery seed is expected to be widely used. “The model development process utilized data from halibut, laver, and abalone, but it can be used to predict the supply and demand of other fish, seaweeds, and shellfish, so it is expected to become a useful seed supply and demand management tool for the entire fishery industry,” said an official from the MOIS. It is also expected to help secure the price stability of fisheries products by enabling systematic management from the seed stage based on predictions of future sales prices and supply and demand conditions. The FIRA plans to provide stable services to seed production and distribution-related institutions, fisheries seed industry officials, and fishermen by installing this model in the ‘Integrated Fisheries Seed Management System (tentative name),’ scheduled to be built in the future. Source: MOIS Press Release, June 14, 2024 NIFS & NOAA Collaborate to Find Solutions to Current Aquaculture Challenges The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS, President Choi Yong-seok) participated in the 17th KoreaUS Marine Science and Technology Cooperation Aquaculture Panel Meeting held at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Headquarters (Silver Spring) from June 25-27. Since 2002 the Korea-U.S. Ocean Science and Technology Cooperation Aquaculture Panel has provided opportunities for researchers to collaborate in areas of common interest to both countries. It has contributed to the advancement of aquaculture technology, such as improving the quality of aquaculture feeds and developing up-flow facilities for the intermediate cultivation of shellfish seeds. At the meeting, the status of aquaculture research and strategies for responding to climate change in both countries were shared. In particular, researchers from both countries confirmed that significant progress has been made in developing seaweedbased aquaculture feeds and decided to develop them further. In addition, Korea proposed developing energy-saving smart aquaculture technology and customized disease treatment for cold-water fish as new tasks for 2025 and agreed to cooperate. The energy-saving smart aquaculture research cooperation will be promoted to reduce the amount of energy and carbon dioxide generated by aquaculture farms due to the recent increase in electricity prices and global warming. As a support measure, it is planned to develop an optimized system through smart aquaculture operation and design and lay the foundation for its dissemination. The research cooperation on developing customized disease treatments for cold-water fish aims to support the development of aquaculture technology to replace the recent increase in salmon imports with domestic ones. The goal is to develop a plan to shorten the technology development period and increase productivity by cooperating with the U.S. in the development of bacterial treatments for cold-water fish and disease management. Kim Jong-hyun, head of the Aquaculture Industry Research Division at NIFS, said, “In the future, Korea and the U.S. will do their best to strengthen each other’s research capabilities through practical cooperation in marine science and technology and develop sustainable aquaculture. Source: NIFS Press Release, June 27, 2024 WOAH Recognized Korea as a Shrimp Yellowhead Disease Clean Country The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF, Minister Kang Kang-hyung) announced that Korea has been recognized by the Korean Chapter
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