Updated Thursday 17th May 2012.
A
Personal Summary
of 2009
& Our Plans For 2010
So much has happened during the last 12 months that it's difficult to know
where to start. We set ourselves some impossible targets for 2009 and
miraculously, despite some errors on my part, we managed to achieve just
about all of our targets thanks to the hard work and commitment of everyone
associated with Diobas Ltd.
The future of any research company is dependent on two factors, the first
being the success of the new technology itself and secondly the belief that
somehow, whatever the problems, it will all come together for the benefit of
everyone, both financially and ethically. The potential rewards for our
success were too great to ignore so, with all guns blazing, we embarked on a
program which given the financial circumstances that prevailed at the start
of the year was perhaps more of a challenge than any of us realised at the
time.
My first mistake was to assume that once we had solved the myriad of
problems related to our new freshwater/marine technology the fish farming
industry would fall over themselves to embrace the new future of
aquaculture. I was of course fully aware of the fact that many large
companies involved in producing fish for the consumer had heavy investment
in out of date methods . . . the idea of sending trawlers out to catch
species pretty much at random whilst throwing back dead and endangered fish
that were not part of a quota, as set by ridiculous government inspired
experts and I use the term loosely, is after all about as ridiculous as it
gets. Cramming fish into over-stocked inshore pens is just as irrational, as
is the current problems associated with farm reared Salmon etc.
One particular supplier to our supermarkets does after all lay great claim
to their responsible approach to 'sustainability' as do many others who feel
they can gain a greater market share by assuring all of us that they have
the future of our oceans at the heart of their drive for profit.
Surely then, even though they have money invested in somewhat wasteful
technologies elsewhere, it was reasonable to expect that they would be eager
to be part of a new solution to the many problems that currently plague the
need to supply an ever growing world population with food.
Not the case unfortunately.
The term 'sustainability' seems to apply only to their profits, not the
planet we live on. On reflection it was pretty stupid of me to expect
anything else.
We even contacted every single MP in the house of commons as well as the
entire House of Lords but for the most part we were lucky to receive an
'auto response' let alone the opportunity to discuss what we had achieved.
Then there's the High St banks but it would seem that we are all here to
finance them rather than the other way around.
In other words we received absolutely no help whatsoever. For a small
company such as ours to finance all that we needed to achieve in 2009
without so much as an overdraft facility was a daunting challenge and in
many ways a totally irrational one to expect of us given all the 'green'
claims of both governments and commerce. Perhaps the term 'green' should be
applied more to the colour of the Cabinet Ministers, MP's and senior company
executives of the nations 'responsible' supermarket chains and banks when
faced with the prospect that they may actually one day be accountable for
their greed driven blindness. The quest for money and votes seems to
override any sense of logic.
Nothing new there.
So, faced with the usual situation of having to go it alone we had no choice
but get on with it or throw in the towel. Thankfully, and to their immense
credit, there are both individuals and companies that have ethics and vision
interwoven within their need for profit and it is these that we owe a
genuine 'Thanks'.
As for the others they would be better suited to being covered in hair and
advertising tea bags, with a suitable bonus irrespective of performance of
course.
So with 95% of the Diobas shares retained within the company and in excess
of £250k expended on research, additional premises and our film series,
Second Mouse Media, new research tanks etc during 2009 I guess we have ample
justification in feeling quite satisfied with the last 12 months.
We can also announce that earlier today we acquired
more premises, giving us three units in a row.
This new property will provide us with a
larger fully equipped bio-secure laboratory.
On site we will now have our main office,
quarantine facility, new research tanks
and a fully equipped
laboratory.
There are problems of course, there always is. We now face a new future
that to be frank just doesn't appeal too much to me personally. The trouble
is that I am now spending all of my time on business rather than research, a
situation that I have no enthusiasm for. To cope with the enquiries that are
now coming in from all over the world as well as overseeing the licenses
granted to use our technology, excavations for new tanks, installation of
our freshwater/marine units for a whole variety of species from Soon Hock to
Giant Grouper, Sea Bass etc etc will inevitably lead to a major expansion of
both staff and office premises . . . a future that we are neither equipped
for or willing to embrace. We simply do not have the infrastructure or the
desire to be major players in the aquaculture world. Research and solving
problems is what we are good at, not administration, 20 storey office blocks
or employing overpaid suit-clad Porsche drivers with ego problems.
Overseeing the profits from the 15 year licenses alone is not
something we could cope with easily without curtailing our other research
programs.
The only option perhaps would be to sell Diobas Ltd in its entirety whilst
retaining our research capability. Again, not easy. We have had several
approaches from companies whose only interest is in sinking our technology
until they have had time to get a return from their current investments,
buying us out purely to protect themselves in case another major company
uses our technology to severely hit their market share. Not ideal is it.
Jean, our MD, also has other priorities for 2010. Having allowed Diobas Ltd
to completely control her life for some considerable time Jean now needs to
dedicate more time to family and having a life in general so will be
stepping down as MD from the 1st of February.
In preparation for this we have interviewed several potential MD's but sadly
none have inspired us with confidence. As a result I will be taking over the
Managing Directors role . . . not something I relish. My own management
style is certainly not conducive with an easy life.
I admit to being grumpy, in fact it's my nickname on a variety of fishing
sites, have little time for the niceties of corporate etiquette and dislike
the time wasting wriggling that seems to be essential when negotiating
contracts. Why not put an honest price on the table ? Take it or leave it.
Why spend endless hours on travel and meetings just to end up with what
everybody wanted in the first place ? Why spend time scoring corporate
points, having needlessly time-wasting and expensive lunches plus being in a
room with people that you would not select by choice in board meetings etc ?
Just get on with the business in hand and get the projects underway.
Needless to say I doubt 2010 will be without it's problems.
Apart from selling Diobas Ltd, if we can find a suitable partner who has
both profit and ethics at their heart, 2010 has much in store including yet
bigger premises to expand our research, new laboratory facilities, servicing
our license holders, construction of our freshwater/marine units worldwide,
more patent applications, exploration of the endless uses of the
Ciren technology and of course our research
into yet more technological breakthroughs in fish welfare, rearing and the
general profitability and ethics, genuine ethics rather than lip service, of
providing fish for the consumer.
In other words 2010 is yet another year of trying to make sense of the
outdated and irresponsible aquaculture industry that so many people rely on
whilst ignoring the technology that could put a valuable and affordable
protein source on the table of those that desperately need it.
2010 for us however does have a significant advantage to 2009. This year we
have both the money and the technology to make an impact.
As an unconventional MD I also have a voice, one I am not afraid of using.
Mp's, Lords, Banks, Fish processors, Supermarkets,
Governments . . . take note.
Get on board with our
technology or forever hold your peace.
Diobas Ltd , in one form or another, is here
to stay, live with it or forever explain why you didn't
embrace it
Steve Marriot
Managing Director
Diobas Ltd
Diobas USA
Diobas Research
