Search for a better fish supper

Nicola Lower, a research scientist from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) in Lowestoft, has been awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to study how the use of pheromones might help to make the aquaculture industry more environmentally friendly. From mid-September 2004, Nicola will visit Norway, Australia and Thailand to meet with scientists and fish farmers in some of the world’s largest aquaculture areas.

Cefas has been at the forefront of the development and application of fish pheromone technology. It recently developed and patented a novel pheromone that increases the feeding activity in a range freshwater and marine fish. This and other pheromones are now marketed worldwide under the name of Ultrabite, for use by sports anglers. However, Nicola – who is co-inventor on the patent for feeding pheromones – is keen to explore the wider application of pheromones in an industry that at present is unsustainable.

One of the chief criticisms of fish farming is that species such as salmon, trout and cod are fed large amounts of wild fish such as sandeel. It takes up to three tonnes of wild fish to produce one ton of farmed salmon, and up to five tonnes to produce a ton of farmed cod or haddock. With wild fish stocks already depleted, the aquaculture industry will struggle to support the growing consumption of fish and seafood worldwide.

The addition of specific pheromones to the water will mean that farmed fish can be induced to feed on more environmentally friendly food. Such food might come in the form of pellets containing higher proportions of plant proteins than the traditional fishmeal. This in turn could lead to a decrease in food wastage from the farms, which is another cause for environmental concern.

“Pheromones play a vital role in the behaviour of fish, including reproduction, migration and feeding,” says Nicola. “Pheromone technology offers a novel solution to a growing environmental problem. Stocks of wild fish are depleted and over-fished yet worldwide consumption of fish continues to increase. Aquaculture should take some of this pressure off wild stocks, yet in reality it often contributes to it. Stimulating feeding behaviour with pheromones has the potential to re-address the balance.”

The Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship allows Nicola the chance to study the aquaculture and feeding habits of different species. She will visit cod farms and hatcheries on the west coast of Norway and meet with scientists from the University of Bergen. In Australia, Nicola will attend the Australasian Aquaculture conference in Sydney, and then meet with tuna scientists in Port Lincoln, South Australia, where the world’s largest farms for southern bluefin tuna are located. Finally, she will visit shrimp farms in Thailand and spend time at the Shrimp Biotechnology Business Unit at Mahidol University in Bangkok.

Regarding her travels, Nicola says: “I’m really excited at being able to see firsthand the aquaculture sectors in different countries. This will demonstrate the practicalities involved in applying pheromone technology, something which you cannot learn in a laboratory environment.”

Notes to editors

1. Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It became an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (formerly MAFF) in 1997.  
2. Cefas undertakes work on fisheries management, environmental protection and aquaculture. It offers a wide range of research, advisory, consultancy, monitoring and training activities to government departments (UK and foreign, central and local), international agencies, commercial companies and aid organisations.  
3. Pheromones play a pivotal role in the biology of fish, where they act as chemical signals and a means of communication between fish. In an environment where vision is often restricted, pheromones are released in minute quantities and are detected by other fish via the sense of smell.  
4. Ultrabite was developed by Cefas in partnership with Kiotech International plc, a London- based biotech company.  
5. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was established as a living memorial to Sir Winston Churchill. Its aim is to enable men and women from all walks of life to acquire knowledge and experience abroad. In the process, they gain a better understanding of the lives and cultures of people overseas and, on their return, their effectiveness at work and their contribution to the community is enhanced. In 2004, 100 Fellowships were awarded from over 1,000 applicants. The closing date for 2005 Fellowships is 21 October 2004. For more information about the Trust and its Travelling Fellowships see http://www.wcmt.org.uk/. 
6. Nicola Lower is available for interview during w/c 6 September, and on 20 and 21 September. She can be contacted directly on 077 86 568 465. Her colleague, Andy Moore, can offer further comment about pheromones and Nicola’s work in her absence. Contact the press office.