Tag fishmeal

Libby Woodhatch says responsible sourcing and safe raw material production is “vital” if fishmeal and fish oil are to remain credible aquafeed ingredients. 

At the Barcelona Seafood Summit, an expert panel discussed a sustainable future for aquafeeds. What stands between us and that future? 

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids to human health are well known. Fish need them too. To supplement current supplies from wild-caught fish, one innovative venture is turning to the corn fields of Nebraska – yes, Nebraska – for answers.  

Aquaculture is the “winning protein,” according to a new Rabobank report that its author, Gorjan Nikolik, said is intended to draw the bank’s agro-industry clients to opportunities in the fish farming business. 

To position aquaculture for future growth, it needs tools to evaluate a growing spectrum of alternative ingredients and formulated diets designed to optimize fish health and efficient production. 

Formed in 2015, following Cargill’s acquisition of salmon feed specialist EWOS to complement its own warm-water aquaculture feed business, Cargill Aqua Nutrition produces feed for salmon, tilapia and shrimp in 20 countries around the world. 

The latest Fish In:Fish Out (FIFO) ratios calculated by IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation shows that every kilogram of wild fish utilized in aquafeeds results in a total of 4.55 kilos of farmed fish produced. 

Fishmeal is still the most nutritious source of protein for aquaculture diets, having a wide range of essential amino acids and a high digestibility, while fish oil is still the only commercially available source of long chain omega-3 for aquaculture diets – both are the foundation of aquafeeds. 

The SeaWeb Seafood Summit, held June 5-7 in Seattle, Wash., convenes seafood industry executives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and ocean advocates from all over the world. 

Aquafeed manufacturers and alternative feed ingredient suppliers from all over the world gathered in Silicon Valley for F3, the Fish Free Feed contest. In the hub of innovation, solutions to a global problem were on full display. 

Giovanni Turchini, associate professor at Deakin University (Australia) spoke at the GOAL 2016 conference in Guangzhou, China, and gave a comprehensive historical look at global fishmeal usage. 

Studies demonstrate that hydrolyzed soy protein can be well digested and utilized by Pacific white shrimp, and that digestibility is improved through a bioprocess with the bacterium Lactobacillus spp. 

In the second part of our interview with the associate head of research at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University (Australia) he discusses the various alternative sources of omega-3 fatty acids coming on to the market and why research is crucial to advancing aquaculture. 

One of the world’s leading fish nutrition experts talks about how aquaculture can learn to survive, and even thrive without depending on fishmeal and fish oil. It’ll take a lot of innovation, but Giovanni Turchini is confident that the industry is on the right path. 

During an informative pre-GOAL special session, several marine ingredient and aquaculture experts discussed the challenges of responsible sourcing of fishmeal and fish oil supplies – essential ingredients in the aquaculture industry’s explosive growth over the past three decades and its future prospects.