[ AQUACULTURE ] Sustainable, affordable and ethically acceptable
New protein sources for aquaculture feed Algalimento
About 70 percent of fish and crustaceans produced in aquaculture are fed with protein-rich feed. If the aquaculture sector is to reach its growth targets by 2025, annual feed production must increase by approximately 38 million tonnes. This is not possible with today’s protein sources. The search for alternatives has become the central question in feed research on which the further development of aquaculture depends.
With their high protein and lipid content some microalgae species can potentially be used to replace plant and animal ingredients in fish feed. But production levels are tiny and the price correspondingly high. Shown, dried and powdered Tetraselmis produced by Algalimento, a company on the Canary Islands.
G
lobal production of fishmeal is currently fluctuating around 4.5 million tonnes per year, of which 69 is used for fish feed. For fish oil, there is even less room for manoeuvre, as aquaculture already uses 75 of the annual production of around 0.9 million tonnes. Both resources are
therefore scarce and correspondingly expensive. In order to meet the rising demand for protein sources for fish and shrimp feed, economical alternatives must be found that fulfil several criteria. By far the most important of these are nutritional properties, as the feed must reasonably meet the nutritional requirements of
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the animals and should be easily digestible and promote the growth of the fish. The fish must like the taste too, in order for them to willingly consume it, and it cannot negatively affect their physiology and health status. Protein alternatives should be available in large quantities, physically stable and easy to handle, so that they can be
stored, processed and transported without problems. Using them for feed cannot have significant negative effects on the environment and must be ethically acceptable. This means that new raw materials and ingredients must not compete with food for humans or contribute to overgrazing, water scarcity and loss of natural biodiversity.
