FISH WASTE MANAGEMENT GROUP
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2004
AT KINGSKNOWE GOLF CLUB, EDINBURGH
Present:
Dave Wyman, SEERAD, Chair
Members:
Gillian Bain, COSLA (Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Group)
Clive Barber, Viridor
Trevor Hastings, Fisheries Research Services
Allan Jess, McKechnie Jess Ltd
Chris Jones, Scanbio (Scotland) Ltd
David Mack, UK Association of Fishmeal Manufacturers
Kevin Philpott, SEERAD - Waste Regulation
Malcolm Sangster, SEPA
John Shaw, Western Isles Aquaculture Association
Iain Sutherland, HIE
Sheila Voas, SVS
Secretariat:
Carrol Herbertson, SEERAD
Neil Sinclair, SEERAD
George Wyse, SEERAD
George Anderson, TSI
Michaela Archer, Seafish
Colin Clark, Chartered Institute of Waste Management
Jenny Lamont, Composting Association
Lena Leivsdottir, Hordafor
Douglas MacLeod, Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers
Martin Morgan, SEERAD - Animal Health Division
Andy Rosie, SEPA
John Webster, SQS
1. Apologies
The Chair began by welcoming everyone to the meeting and noting apologies received. He regretfully announced the death of George Russell, WRE. He welcomed Clive Barber, Viridor, to his first meeting.
2. Minutes of Last Meeting
These were agreed by the group and will now appear on the SEERAD website.
3. Matters Arising
All Action Points had been discharged unless mentioned below.
Alan Jess questioned Sheila Voas' paper on disposal routes for category 2 fish waste (Action Point 1). He felt the EC decision was too harsh in only allowing methods 1-5 to deal with category 2 waste. The Chair reported he had contributed to a letter Defra sent to the EC suggesting the parameters for category 2 fish waste should be different to those for terrestrial waste. Dave Wyman agreed to pursue this through SCoFCAH.
Action Point: Dave Wyman to pursue reclassification of fish waste with SCoFCAH
Action Point 4 had not been addressed, this should be carried forward to the next meeting.
Action Point: Dave Wyman to organise meeting between SEPA, SVS and SEERAD Animal Health Division to clarify steps for obtaining EC approval for fish waste options
On Action Point 5, Ian Sutherland to review paper on funding, the Chair asked if waste treatment plants would be eligible for ERDF funding. Ian Sutherland felt that in practice a proposal would be unlikely to receive funding due to the competition for the available funds. However, he will add the ERDF contact details to his paper.
Action Point: Ian Sutherland to review paper on funding routes
Dave Wyman asked about possible ways to influence the organisation making ERDF funding decisions. Ian Sutherland suggested writing to them. However, he asked if there was a specific fish waste disposal proposal which could go forward for funding. He explained that the deadlines for applications are the end of February and September each year and the programme was due to end in 2006. A decision had yet to be taken on whether funding would continue after that.
4. Outcome and Group Consideration of "Developing a Sustainable Fish Waste ManagementInfrastructure" Report
Dave Wyman thanked Malcolm Sangster for his efforts in compiling the report and asked for the group's comments.
There was a general discussion and the group highlighted two main problems. Firstly, the storage of the waste while sufficient was collected to make processing viable and, secondly the movement of waste from source to processing plant. It was felt that because the waste has to be collected from so many sites, it may not be commercially viable to collect and process.
Dave Wyman wondered whether local authorities should be approached to invite them to build category 2 capacity into the National Waste Plan. Gillian Bain thought that local authorities were struggling to deal with municipal waste. However she agreed to raise the matter with Colin Clark at Highland Council and with COSLA.
Action Point: Gillian Bainto raise matter of local authorities building category 2 waste capacity into the National Waste Plan with Colin Clark, Highland Council and with COSLA
Dave Wyman also felt concerns about lack of facilities for category 2 waste could be raised when proposals come forward to the Scottish Executive for funding. He will speak to Kevin Philpott about this.
Action Point: Dave Wyman to speak to Kevin Philpott about lack of facilities for processing category 2 waste and whether this can be addressed when proposals come forward for funding
Chris Jones felt it was important to find out if a commercially viable item could be produced from category 2 waste. David Mack suggested lobbying the EC to argue for re-classification to category 3 for certain category 2 fish materials. However, he was cautioned that this could be a very long process.
After discussion, it was agreed that, as an initial step, the group should set out clearly the derogations sought from the EC. Alan Jess agree to arrange a meeting with industry colleagues to take this forward.
Action Point: Alan Jess, David Mack and Chris Jonesto meet to discuss derogations sought from the EC
Sheila Voas suggested the option of on-farm incineration should be included in the report as a waste disposal means. She was aware that some fish farms already use this route.
The group went on to look at the report's recommendations. It was agreed that at recommendation 4 (clarify current status of approval process for available fish waste recovery options) SEERAD would produce a short document outlining the steps involved.
Action Point: SEERAD to produce a short document outlining the steps involved in obtaining approval for new technologies from the EC
At recommendation 6 (carry out detailed assessment of the storage and collection logistics require to deal with large-scale event mortalities) it was agreed that FRS would undertake a study outlining the infrastructure required. This could then be taken forward by industry who would look at the costs involved.
Action Point: FRS to undertake a study outlining the infrastructure required to deal with a large-scale event mortality. Once completed, industry to look at costs involved
Some minor changes were suggested to the report and it was agreed that a final version could be circulated and endorsed by email.
Dave Wyman felt a further meeting of the group could be held once we had a note of the derogation industry sought from the EC.
It was agreed the report should be retitled "A Framework for a Sustainable Fish Waste Management Infrastructure".
5. National Fallen Stock Scheme - Update
The group was informed that the state aid application for aquaculture was currently with the UK Rep's office. It was noted that the fallen stock scheme for terrestrial animals would start in October.
6. Update on Progress of Working Group on Aquaculture Waste Research and Development
Trevor Hastings gave the background to this project which involved collaboration between FRS and CEFAS to evaluate ensiling and composting as disposal routes for category 3 waste material. Basically three steps were involved. Firstly, calibration of equipment in both laboratories, this had been completed since the last waste management meeting. Secondly, screening of fish pathogens for susceptibility to heating, acid and alkali treatments and finally field trials.
Step two was now nearly complete. IPN virus had proved very resistant to ensiling but readily inactivated by alkaline. However, the composting trails had not gone so well. The composter used had faced a series of problems and did not provide a platform on which to carry out research.
David Mack asked about the next stage for the project. Trevor Hastings said that if the pathogens could be inactivated by composting or ensiling then this research could be presented to the EC to gain agreement as approved methods for dealing with category 2 waste.
7. Any Other Business
Dave Wyman reiterated the Action Points agreed. He will also minute the Minister with the group's findings.
He felt there was scope for bilateral meetings between individual companies and regulators. The companies present agreed to think about this. They were assured that anything said at the meetings would remain confidential.
Dave Wyman closed the meeting by thanking everyone for attending.