November | December 2011 - International Aquafeed

Vo l u m e 1 4 I s s u e 6 2 0 1 1

BioMarine Business Convention Ecobiol Aqua

– A unique and highly effective single strain probiotic

Evaluation of probiotic bacteria in tilapia production Marine based protein hydrolysate

- Improve the performance of feeds containing a low level of fish meal

the international magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

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CONTENTS

An international magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

Volume 14 / Issue 6 / November-December 2011 / © Copyright Perendale Publishers Ltd 2011 / All rights reserved EDITOR’S DESK BioMarine Business Convention Interview with His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco

2 5 7

F: Probiotics Use of probiotics in aquaculture: Can these additives be useful?

8

F: Probiotic Ecobiol Aqua – A unique and highly effective single strain probiotic

10

F: Enterococcus faecium Application of Enterococcus faecium as probiotic strain in aquatic species

14

F: Probiotic bacteria Evaluation of probiotic bacteria in tilapia production

16

F: Protein hydrolysate Marine based protein hydrolysate-improve the performance of feeds containing a low level of fishmeal

20

F: Direct Cold Plasma Direct Cold Plasma: The innovative answer to odour control in the food and feed industry

22

F: Aquarium fish Aquarium fish feeding

26

F: Algal concentrates Algal concentrates in hatchery culture

Company profiles 2011-12

30 38

Feed Management Copper Alloy Mesh: Copper alloy mesh cage sustaining the world’s marine aquaculture Impact of rising feed ingredient prices on aquafeeds and aquaculture production

Classified Adverts

40 42 44

Book review Nutrition and Fish Health

Events

45 46

International Aquafeed is published six times a year by Perendale Publishers Ltd of the United Kingdom.

All data is published in good faith, based on information received, and while every care is taken to prevent inaccuracies, the publishers accept no liability for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of action taken on the basis of information published. ©Copyright 2011 Perendale Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed by Perendale Publishers Ltd. ISSN: 1464-0058

EDITOR’S DESK Professor Simon Davies Email: simond@aquafeed.co.uk

Associate Editor Professor Krishen Rana Email: krishenr@aquafeed.co.uk

Editorial Manager Nicky Barnes Email: nickyb@aquafeed.co.uk

Editorial Advisory Panel: • Abdel-Fattah M. El-Sayed (Egypt) • Professor António Gouveia (Portugal) • Professor Charles Bai (Korea) • Colin Mair (UK) • Dr Daniel Merrifield (UK) • Dr Dominique Bureau (Canada) • Dr Elizabeth Sweetman (Greece) • Dr Kim Jauncey (UK) • Eric De Muylder (Belgium) • Dr Pedro Encarnação (Singapore)

Subscription & Circulation Tuti Tan Email: tutit@aquafeed.co.uk

Design & Page Layout James Taylor Email: jamest@aquafeed.co.uk

International Marketing Team Caroline Wearn Email: carolinew@aquafeed.co.uk Sabby Major Email: sabbym@aquafeed.co.uk Lee Bastin Email: leeb@aquafeed.co.uk

Latin American Office Ivàn Marquetti Email: ivanm@perendale.com

More information:

Croeso (welcome in Welsh)

P

lymouth has many links to France with our city twinned with Brest in Britanny and a good ferry service linking our nations. It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity in September to attend the BioMarine event in the beautiful French city of Nantes, which is featured in this issue.

It was a splendid showcase and business forum for marine biotechnology and aquaculture attracting much interest and support.

Indeed marine biotechnology is now a major contributor to innovative developments in the biosciences and aquaculture is poised to benefit from numerous products as a result of enterprising companies across Europe and indeed globally. Delegations from the USA, Canada and Australia were in evidence offering new insights and opportunities for business and markets sorely needed in our times of economic gloom. I report on this event, and also a private interview with His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco who was the distinguished guest addressing the conference.

This edition of International Aquafeed contains the familiar mixture of news topics, specialist features and articles but we focus especially on probiotics as our main theme this month, since it is such an expanding sector of aquafeed technology. It is becoming both a key topic for fundamental research as well as having wider applications for many cultured species in aquaculture practice.

Indeed a specialised working panel at BioMarine discussed feed additives of this type in detail, debating advantages and disadvantages and the legislative hurdles.

As a member of many scientific journal editorial boards, I see numerous manuscripts appearing for scrutiny assessing the performance of selected probiotic agents as viable feed additives benefiting fish and shrimp growth rates, feed performance efficiency, immune stimulation and hence acting as a means towards elevating disease resistance especially with respect to bacterial pathogens. The mechanisms for probiotic action and their ability to modulate in favour of commensal bacterial populations of the aquatic animal gastro-intestinal tract is very complex and involves a cascade of interacting physiological and biochemical events. The gut is a primary interface and has an important role in the mediation of both the innate and acquired immune response of fish towards dealing with infective agents. Any malfunction at this level may lead to a breach of the delicate absorptive epithelial lining of the gut eliciting inflammatory events and thus In our next issue: destroying the integrity of the gut January | February 2012 morphology at the ultra-structural and macro level of organisation.

Nutrition/ingredient focus: Vitamins & Minerals It is therefore welcoming to have a selection of interesting articles from both academia and industry reporting developments in probiotics emphasising a positive shift of balance in favour of optimum digestive function in shrimp and fish.

Equipment Focus: Storage – Bulk Storage, Conveying and Packaging Industry focus: Flaked Fish Foods V's Pelleted Feeds Regional Reports: Asia/Pacific Feed Management: Oxygenation

Elizabeth Mayer of Biomin reports on the application of Enterococcus faecium as a probiotic strain for aquatic species with examples of trials involving trout and tilapia.

More specifically, Benedict Standen and Ali Abid from Plymouth review bacterial cultures suited for tilapia as potential probiotic feed additives We have a technical report from Rubinum in Spain demonstrating the advantages of their probiotic strain in trials with rainbow trout. Also Norel of Spain provide data for work undertaken in Mexico on shrimp (L.Vannamaei) showing the bactericidal properties of B. amyloliquefaciens (EcoBiol Aqua) in feeds producing higher survivability and disease resistance under intensive culture conditions.

Marine derived protein hydrolysates are another part of our arsenal of novel and natural bioactive weapons that can be used to enhance our fish production and health. It is interesting that molecules

International Aquafeed 7 St George's Terrace, St James' Square Cheltenham, GL50 3PT United Kingdom Tel: +44 1242 267706 Website: www.aquafeed.co.uk

November-December 2011 2 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MAGAZINE

Editor

Photograph © Fred Jonny Hammeroe

in Molde, Norway

Welcome to ISFNF 2012

4-7. June 2012

Welcome to Molde in 2012 for the 15th consecutive International Symposium of Fish Nutrition and Feeding

Key areas: ■ Sustainable resources ■ Health, welfare and ethics ■ New methods and working-tools ■ Feed technology and feeding regime ■ Nutrigenomics ■ ‘omics’ data and system biology models ■ Nutritoxicology

Photograph © Terje Rakke

■ Nutrition in whole life cycle

Some conference ingredients: ■ Get updated on the latest research on fish nutrition and feeding ■ Mingle with the 500 leading fish nutritionists in the world ■ Pre symposium tour to visit industry ■ 4 post symposium sight seeing tours in the beautiful coastal fjords

Nofima will host the event along with the Aquaculture Protein Centre (APC), the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB).

Please submit your abstract at www.isfnf.org by 20th January 2012

EDITOR’S DESK

continued

such as peptides, oligopeptides can influence animal physiological function at even low inclusion levels in feeds. Their ability to stimulate immune response, assist in the maintenance of local cellular homeostasis and also their unique attractant qualities in some cases make for further scrutiny. I am pleased to include a study by Aquativ on their marine based protein hydrolysate product used in conjunction with reduced fish meal inclusion in diets for sea bass (Dicentrachus labrax), which will be of considerable interest to our Mediterranean readers.

Functional feed additives are likely to come into their own when used at discrete levels in feeds containing inclusions of plant ingredients. The presence of anti-nutritional factors, the loss of that ‘fish meal factor’, causing reduced appetite, feed intake and possibly lower growth rate warrants more research investigations. As we proceed towards replacing fish meal with plant based by-products this will become important considerations in future feeds for carnivorous fish species.

The ornamental industry often gets neglected in terms of the scale of interest in feed development and the stringent demands for quality products by the home fish keeping hobbyist. We are delighted therefore in presenting a feature in this issue from a Polish perspective with an excellent review on the type of ingredients and technological advances in diets designed for ornamental fish species. Diets that not only sustain their maintenance requirements, but also aid in development, maturation and breeding as well as enhancing their immune systems and disease resistance.

I am a great fan of algae and we are all aware of their importance in the food chain of aquatic organisms, Dr John Clark based in Thailand give us his insight into their use in aquaculture with emphasis on hatchery production and management of concentrate algal delivery to larval fish.

Enjoy our latest issue.

4 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

BioMarine Business Convention - Nantes, France September 7-9th 2011

A report by International Aquafeed Editor Simon Davies

I

had the pleasure as the Editor of IAF and Professor at Plymouth University to attend this prestigious meeting in early September held at Nantes, France, which attracted more than 500 people from across the world to discuss the opportunities presented by the marine environment for a vast array of products within the marine biotechnology field.

BioMarine is a private Canadian and French initiative acclaimed by the French Presidency in 2008 as a platform for economic valorisation in the marine sectors.

Therefore, its core mission is to promote the interaction of science, industry and finance to accelerate economic development within the bio-marine sciences and associated industries.

This conference was superbly organised

by Pierre and Veronique Erwes and was distinguished by the presence of his HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco who gave a passionate speech on the importance of conserving our oceans precious bio-resources and a briefing on the excellent work of his foundation and continued commitment to the marine sciences.

This high level business convention was primarily focused on the commercial utilisation of marine bio- resources targeted to NGO’s, executives, marketing and sales, business development and R&D specialists, technology transfer as well as regulatory agencies and many other stake-holders.

There were a large number of CEO’s of established biotechnology companies, pub-

lic and private equity investors, research analysts, and investment bankers all focused on applications within the marine bio-resource sector.

The meeting included a trade show and stands, supporting a range of interests with several new SME companies and local education institutions also being present.

I was privileged to be a panellist to contribute to Simon Davies with Pierre Erwes and organising our two sessions on both staff of BioMarine business convention aquaculture and sustainability and feeds (prebiotics, probiotics and nucleotides) that was full to capacity with observers. This was expertly chaired by Roy Palmer from the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre and ‘Aquaculture Without Frontiers’ who collated our views into a final document, Think Tank on Aquaculture‘Building the production to meet the increasing demand’ and functional feed additives for aquaculture.

Professor Simon Davies with Dr Tony Haymet, Sea food was recognised Director of Scripps Oceanographic Institute and Dr Susan Avery, Director of Woods Hole as an important part of the Oceanographic Institute, USA diet and that aquaculture must further increase to satisfy of sustainability highlighted: environment, demand. Cultural changes are required economic and social. across disciplines and we need to share There was a clear need to promote the knowledge and experience to enhance benefits of aquaculture products with the opportunities. There were three pillars

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 5

"This lively debate highlighted the wide expertise in the room concerning the application of functional feed additives and supplements for the benefit of aquaculture animal production" Meeting delegates from the Dubai and Australian sea food industry

Simon Davies with Pierre Erwes

example of the essential omega- 3 fatty acids and essential nutrients such as trace elements and protein. The production of finfish raised on novel feed ingredients such as algae needed to be promoted over the use of terrestrial plant protein sources and especially the continued dependence on fishmeal.

I mentioned the potential of revisiting the use of animal proteins for carnivorous

role of peptides, probiotics, prebiotics and nucleotides as new technologies to enhance fish disease resistance, promote superior fish growth performance and feed efficiency.

We were joined by Fancisco Gomes of Novus International, USA, Peter Mussell of Blue Wave Marine ingredients, Peru, George Marco and Stéphane Frouel of Aquativ, Diana, France with Jean- Michel Pommet CEO Gate2Tech and Chairman of Probiotech, France as our session moderator.

This lively debate highlighted the wide expertise in the room concerning the application of functional feed additives and supplements for the benefit of aquaculture animal Simon Davies with the Erwes family Nicola, Pierre and production.

Antoine Peptides have been shown to fish species and that this needed to be promote appetite and assist immune moduconveyed to the wider public and their lation in many fish and crustacean species concerns addressed in the light of previous from recent scientific research. These can problems associated with the usage of such be derived from the waste trimmings of fish ingredients in Europe. resulting from the canning industry after The specific details of environmental being subjected to controlled enzymatic sustainable management were discussed. hydrolysis. These mixed peptides are then The term ‘sustainability warranted a better carefully spray dried and may have potent definition when applied to aquaculture. The properties in feeds at low inclusion levels inputs and outputs need to be qualitative when introduced into complete commercial and quantified methods based on more feeds for fish and shrimp. rigorous inspection was deemed necessary.

Francisco Gomes predicted that aquaThe other session concerning aquaculture will differ considerably from rumiculture was specifically focussed on the nant production in that high value feed

6 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

will become the preferred vector for the delivery of health to the animal.

He believed that both probiotics and prebiotics offered great potential in modulating gut bacteria, improving and protecting intestinal morphology and integrity. Stéphane Frouel reiterated that although probiotics were useful and had confirmed prophylactic advantages, they were nonetheless not a ‘magic bullet’ and in the last resort of persistent disease outbreak, antibiotics would remain a final solution.

I was able to explain the mechanism by which prebiotics produced from a variety of sources may work at a physiological level in aquatic animals based mainly on their complex carbohydrate type structures. Many originate from yeast cell wall extracts and some of these glucans possess immune-modulatory capabilities or preferentially serve as substrates for commensal microbial metabolism and production thus steering the gut microbiota in the right direction promoting tolerance and toning the digestive system towards optimal conditions.

To conclude the BioMarine 2011 meeting, an excellent gala dinner was held in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Château de la Pigossière.

The proceeds were all in support of the Albert II Foundation for commitment to marine protected areas and research into the health of our oceans. As Prince Albert has remarked ‘nothing is as contagious as example’ and his foundation is an excellent platform and conduit to build trust and engagement for the governance of our planets primary resource- i.e. the ocean.

■

Interview with His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco

by Professor Simon Davies, Editor of International Aquafeed I was introduced to His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco in a private meeting in the Nantes convention centre and we discussed several issues relating mainly to the current global fisheries situation and the emergence of aquaculture as an important food industry.

The Prince was most informed on these matters and was keenly interested in the aquaculture sector and the associated developments in nutrition and feeding of cultured fish species. Prince Albert’s Foundation is actively engaged in numerous projects that serve to increase our understanding of the oceans, the conservation of marine resources and their use to benefit humans in wealth, health and socio-economic development. The following questions formed the basis of our interview:

Q

: You have a passionate commitment to sustainability in relation to the marine environment: What is your main perception today of the problems of overfishing and what countermeasures do you think are needed to protect our vital fish stocks in the future?

A

: Overfishing is a complex global problem.

Subsistence fishing is an important factor in maintaining the coastal ecosystems. Fishing, or sadly very often industrial overfishing, must be controlled in such a way as to enable the natural replenishment of species.

Whatever the case, protective measures need to be taken with regard to deep-sea trawling and efforts pushed even further, even though we are beginning to take steps in the right direction to save endangered species: the bluefin tuna of course, but also across every sea, the various shark species and the list does not stop there.

Moreover, ocean acidification is also a major concern for crucial marine ecosystems preservation. Our understanding of the effects of ocean acidification is uncertain due to the difficulty of evaluating ocean acidification conditions in situ.

Therefore, my Foundation lent its support to a project run by the IAEA in partnership with the Plymouth University to measure at two different levels, fields of assignments and laboratory testing, the impact of this phenomenon on key Mediterranean species.

Q

: Aquaculture is recognised as the fastest growing sector of agribusiness with a global value of over US$106 billion. 47 percent of our sea food is derived from aquaculture. This industry is highly dependent upon quality protein rich feeds which have typically included by-products from marine sources: Are you, therefore, aware of the technological advances and challenges required to address these issues in order to make this industry more environmentally acceptable and what are your overall views on aquaculture?

A

: Aquaculture is a fantastic opportunity for providing the planet with food. However, intensive aquaculture, in particular of carnivorous fish, can create pressure on fisheries, as some species are used to produce fishmeal. I think it would be worthwhile seeing how aquaculture could develop by giving priority to herbivorous species and above all by developing the use of plant-based protein from algae. As far as the environmental aspects are concerned, we had the opportunity of broaching this subject at the second edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative and I feel that aquaculture fully fits into an ethical environmental model.

Q

: I note that you have a strong commitment for the European Blue Fin tuna fishery; do you believe that aquaculture can play a positive role in this context for conservation of stocks?

A

: This is an issue that I hold close to my heart since, as you know, Monaco suggested that the bluefin tuna be added to appendix I of CITES in Doha in March 2010. I am aware of the cultural and traditional habits that exist in bluefin tuna consumption - therefore I hope that we can swiftly find a way to breed this fish in captivity. Aquaculture of pelagic species, such as the bluefin tuna, would be a great step forward.

In the meantime, this should not prevent us from paying particular attention to fishing quotas so that there is no risk of this emblematic species of the Mediterranean becoming extinct.

Q

: We need to promote our oceanic bio-resources as attributes to human well- being and health (for example: omega 3 rich oils from fish are essential to cardiovascular and neurological health). Are there any other topics you feel to be very important in this area by which investments in marine biotechnology can support and bring to market?

A

: Marine bio-resources will very likely show significant growth potential in the years to

come. Whether in the pharmaceutical or parapharmaceutical sector – in the biofilm industry enabling us to substitute chemical antifouling, micro-algae for the food industry and for biofuel... the list is long and augurs extremely well for future development. Let us focus first and foremost on preserving such potential. Let us ensure that it is naturally replenished and make certain beforehand that such promising prospects do not present any environmental risks.

Q

: Could Monaco rival Singapore in the future as Europe’s leading base for business centres, company headquarters etc to locate as gateways for both the aquaculture and marine biotechnology sectors? Would there be an incentive for such ventures?

A

: Due to its position in the Mediterranean, Monaco has a role to play in the marine and maritime economy. By launching the Monaco Blue Initiative, I was eager to get investors, industrialists and scientists to reflect upon and become involved in common projects. I am convinced that environmental protection is not incompatible with the economic development of off-shore activities. Our Principality has a large number of important assets to attract blue economy entrepreneurs and industrialists.

Q

: Being a small state, Monaco does not currently have an aquaculture presence on the global stage. As such, are there any plans to initiate educational and training schemes within schools and colleges as well as research institutions to promote the interdisciplinary sciences underpinning aquaculture and fish farming? How can other countries help Monaco in this regard?

A

: We are very much open to developing this sector. Even if Monaco does not aspire to becoming a key player in aquaculture, our research centre and my Foundation actively contribute towards the implementation of projects in this field.

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 7

F: Probiotics

Use of probiotics in aquaculture: can these additives be useful?

by E Gisbert, DVM, PhD, Researcher, Irta Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain and M Castillo, DVM, PhD, R&D and Customer Support Manager, Rubinum SA, Spain

P

robiotics are well known and routinely used additives in the main livestock species.

They claim to improve gut health by stabilising gut flora being their effect reflected in a better overall health status, welfare and performance of the animals.

However, their use in fish production is still scarce, being nowadays only one additive registered to be used in the European Union.

Different factors might be behind the lack of this type of products for aquaculture: 1) Gut microbiota and physiology of fishes cultured are still being studied and seems to differ in a high extent from one species to another 2) Probiotics used in monogastric and ruminants available nowadays are mainly based on bacteria or yeast that need temperature enough to develop in the animals’ gut.

It can be difficult to reach taking into account that fish are poiquiloterms and in some specific productions water temperature is extremely low

3) Up today, it is not well known if the microorganisms from probiotics can develop multiply as well as modify fish gut flora in these environmental and gut conditions 4) Feed fish processing is extremely hard in terms of temperature and pressure so, how to apply these alive microorganisms to fish pellets is still being studied. Their inclusion by coating after pelleting can be the solution, although the stability of this microorganism in this oily solutions as well as once reach water in tanks or sea needs still to be demonstrated Despite all this, and taking into account the increasing importance of fish production all over the world, Rubinum SA is investing a lot of effort in this field. In this regard, it recently ran a trial in collaboration with

8 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

IRTA to study the effect of the probiotic Bacillus cereus var. toyoi on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings.

In the trial, fingerlings of rainbow trout (4.2 ± 0.1g) were fed two diets, a commercial diet (Aller FuturaTM from AllerAqua, Denmark) and the same diet containing the probiotic B. cereus var. toyoi at the final concentration of 2*104 UFC/g, during 93 days.

Each treatment was tested in triplicate (400-L tank, 125 fish/tank, initial density: 1.3kg/m3). During the trial, water temperature, conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen were 13.2 ± 0.2ºC, 1800 ± 200 µS/cm, 7.5 ± 0.01 and 8.0 ± 0.3 mg/L (mean ± S.D.), respectively.

Tanks were connected to a recirculation system (IRTAMAR®) which maintained adequate water quality parameters. Fish were fed at apparent satiation (3.3 percent) with automatic feeders (ARVOTEC T-Drum2 0 0 0 T M , Finland). The proximate biochemical composition of diets was 64 percent protein, 12 percent fat and 11 percent ash (2.0 mm pellet size).

All fish from each tank were

F: Probiotics measured for their body size, and 45 specimens per condition (15 per replicate) sacrificed for histology (size of intestinal villi and number of goblet cells), assessment of digestive system functionality and quantification of the intestinal microbiota by RFLP.

Results At the end of the trial, fish fed the diet containing the probiotic were slightly significantly heavier and longer (43.9 ± 9.1 g, 14.4 ± 1.1cm) than those fed the control diet (42.5 ± 7.6g, 14.1 ± 1.1; n = 276).

Distribution of size classes in body weight were also affected by the incorporation of the probiotic in the diet.

The frequency of fish belonging to the 51-70g size class was higher in the group fed the probiotic (53.6 ± 1.1 vs. 47.1± 2.2%; t-test, P < 0.05; n = 3; see figure 1 and 2), whereas those trouts fed the control diet showed a higher frequency of smaller individuals (6.9 ± 0.5 vs 3.6 ± 0.7%; t-test, P < 0.05; n = 3).

The percentage of fish with intermediate weights (41-50 g) was also significantly higher among those fish fed the probiotic (16.2 ± 0.5 vs. 13.0 ± 1.5; t-test, P < 0.05; n = 3).

The above-mentioned changes in growth and size classes did not affect the proximal composition of fish fed both diets (protein: 40.0 ± 2.2%, lipids: 20.5 ± 2.0%, ash: 1.8 ± 0.5%).

The inclusion of the probiotic into the control diet did not affect the functionality of the digestive system, as indicated by the absence of significant differences in the specific activity of pancreatic (trypsin, chymotrypsin, total protease) and intestinal brush border (alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase-N, maltase) enzymes.

However, the number of goblet cells (1.6 ± 0.1 vs. 1.3 ± 0.2 cells/100 μm; n = 15) and height of villi (928.5 ± 137 vs. 527 ± 130 μm; t-test, P < 0.001; n = 15; see figure 3 and 4) in the intestinal mucosa was significantly higher in those fish fed the diet containing the probiotic. Goblet cells, or

so-called mucous cells, reside throughout fingerlings, as well as the organisation of the the intestine and are the main source of intestinal mucosa (number of goblet cells mucins production in the gut. and villi height), whereas did not affect the Mucins are considered to play important specific activity of selected pancreatic and roles in host defense by forming a physical intestinal digestive enzymes. barrier between the host and the contents Therefore, the inclusion of this probiotic in of the intestinal lumen. trout feeds could be beneficial and advantageous Thus, these results indicated that the in terms of the fish host, as well as for the inteninclusion of the probiotic in the diet prosive production of the species, although more moted goblet cell proliferation and posstudies are needed to study mode of action of sibly the immune response in the intestinal Gram positive bacteria in the gut as well as the mucosa. correct dosage to administer.

In addition, the intestinal microbiota was also affected by the diet, showing different RFLP results (clades) depending on the tested dieR tary group. These results indicate that the inclusion of the probiotic in The probiotic of choice for an optimal the diet was able gut function in farm animals to modulate host microbiota, although the molecular techniques used in this study did not allow the identification of the bacterial genus or species.

Beneficial and advantageous In conclusion, the inclusion of B. cereus var. toyoi at the final concentration of 2*104 UFC/g in a commercial diet promoted growth in rainbow trout

Avda. La llana, 123 . 08191 Rubí (Barcelona) Spain. (+34) 93 212 63 82 . Fax: (+34) 93 588 57 31 . rubinum@rubinum.es . www.rubinum.es

Active ingredients for healthy fish BENEO-Animal Nutrition capitalizes on BENEO‘s unique expertise in the food world. It offers a broad range of ingredients from a natural source that improve the nutritional and technological value of fish food. It covers speciality products such as vegetable proteins, functional carbohydrates and prebiotics from chicory. www.BENEO-An.com Connecting nutrition and health

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 9

F: Probiotic

Ecobiol Aqua

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A unique and highly effective single strain probiotic

by Waldo G Nuez-OrtĂ­n, DVM, MSc, Aquaculture Technical Manager at NOREL S.A, Spain, Email: wnuez@norel.es, Website: www.norel.es

A

quaculture nowadays is facing a number of challenges: high stocking densities and the consequent proneness to pathogen transmission, the increasing limited - or even banned - use of antibiotics and the feeding of less degradable plant-based diets. As a result reduced survival, as well as lower efficiencies and growth, lead to unprofitable aquaculture practices.

rearing temperature, antagonistic properties against key pathogens, capacity to produce extracellular enzymes that improve feed utilisation, viability under normal storage conditions, and acceptable survival under processing conditions. Ecobiol Aqua, which contains spores of a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, follows the above-mentioned criteria of selection. When compared to other probiotics containing Bacillus spp, two properties make Ecobiol a unique product; first, a higher survival rate of the sporulated form after pelleting When confronting this situation (see Table 1), making Ecobiol Aqua the inclusion of Ecobiol Aqua in both an excellent alternative for shrimp fish and shrimp diets stands out as a Figure 1: Multiplication rate of Ecobiol Aqua as opposed to other strains of Bacillus feed production and second, a faster natural tool to stimulate health and (measured by optical density) activation and high multiplication rate growth in aquaculture practices. A of the vegetative form (see Figure 1). probiotic application for aquaculture Depending on processing conditions, (2010). Among them; essential properties practices can be defined as a live microbial farm management and purpose of applicaas being a non-pathogenic microorganism, supplement that administered via feed or tion, Ecobiol Aqua can be added directly to being free of plasmid-encoded antibiotic directly into the rearing water, provides a the mash, mixed with oil and coated after resistance genes, and being resistant to bile benefit to the animals by enhancing nutrient heat treatment, or being administered via salts and low pH. Other favourable properutilisation, health status, stress response, the rearing water. When applied in feed, ties are adequate and rapid growth at host disease resistance and performance and some prothis is in part biotic will achieved by leach from optimizing feed and the microfeces and bial balance will provide within the a benefit on animals the water and water environenvironment m e n t , ( M e rr i f i e l d while when et al. 2010). a d d e d A list of Figure 2: Enzymatic and growing response of Litopenaeus vannamaei to a diet containing directly characterisECOBIOL Aqua into the tics for potential probiotic bacteria has been reported by several authors (Farzanfar, 2006; GĂłmez and Balcazar, 2008; Vine et al.

2006) and extended by Merrifield et al.

10 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

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Tel: +31 (0)26 - 479 06 99 Fax: +31 (0)26 - 479 06 98 info@wynveen.com www.wynveen.com

l Natunrautrition

NOREL,S.A. • Jesús Aprendiz, 19, 1º A y B • 28007 Madrid (SPAIN) Tel. +34 91 501 40 41 • Fax +34 91 501 46 44 • www.norel.es

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 11 AN. REV. 90X132.indd 1

02/08/11 13:13

F: Probiotic population. Ecobiol Aqua is capable to secrete 0.9g of lactic acid per gram of sugar present in the media. Within the Mash Pellet gastrointestinal tract of the animal, this (UFC/g feed) (UFC/g feed) lactic acid will reduce pathogenic bacteria while is used by beneficial bacteria 2.60 x 106 2.25 x 106 such as Lactobacillus as substrate to grow.

1.68 x 106 1.50 x 106 In addition, the vegetative form of B. amyloliquefaciens produces barnase, a bac1.27 x 106 1.36 x 106 teriocine. These effects have been revealed Table 3: Performance parameters in Litopenaeus vannamaei in an in vitro experisupplemented with 1kg Ecobiol Aqua/ton feed (trial conducted in ment conducted by a semi-intensive culture in Sinaloa) Katsetsart University Control ECOBIOL Difference (Thailand), in which Aqua (%) Ecobiol Aqua showed inhibitor y activCulture days 80 80 ity against Aeromonas Average weekly gain (g) 1.33 1.51 + 13.5 hydrophila and Vibrio Size 15.4 16.7 + 8.4 parahameolyticus at different pHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Data Survival (%) 67.5 66.5 - 1.5 presented at WAS 2011 Biomass (kg/Ha) 829 887 + 6.9 conference). At the Classification Large Large same time, this inhibiSales price (US$/kg) 3.56 3.56 tory activity reduces Feed (US$/Ha) 887,8 898,4 + 1.1 nutrient competition and avoids pathogen Income (US$/Ha) 2,841.0 3,046.4 + 7.2 colonization of the gut, leading Table 2: Performance parameters in Litopenaeus vannamaei supplemented to improved with 1kg Ecobiol Aqua/ton feed (trial conducted in a semi-intensive culture absorptive surin Peninsula de Villamoros) face area.

Control ECOBIOL Difference Aqua (%) Table 1: Ecobiol Aqua survival after processing (90° during one minute)

Number of ponds

4

Total surface (ha)

33.02

Total animals

2,727,600

Density (shrimp/ m2)

8.26

Total days cultivation

101

Survival (%) Biomass (kg/ha) Average weight at 95 days (g) FCR

80.90 986.90 13.30 1.18

Feed costs (US$/Ha)

1070.7

Income (US$/Ha)

3245.2

water, some probiotic will reach the gastrointestinal tract of the cultured animal.

A wide range of modes of action have been described for Ecobiol Aqua; it is the combination of all of them what results in animal benefit.

Modes of action Antimicrobial properties Probiotics release chemical compounds that may have bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects on the pathogenic

4

-

20.40

-

Digestion enhancer

It is also known that 1,836,000 probiotic bacteria can 9.00 9.0 r e l e a s e 97 - 4.0 extracellular 83.90 + 3.7 enzymes that 1,110.20 + 12.5 help in the 13.83 + 4.0 digestion process. In a study 1.19 + 0.8 conducted by 1162.6 - 8.0 the University 3618,8 + 11.4 of Sonora (Mexico), the protease activity in hepatopancreas of shrimp was measured when Ecobiol Aqua was supplemented at 1kg/tonne of feed (see Figure 2). Results showed increased enzymatic activity during the first four hours after feed intake, suggesting enhanced digestibility and consequently better growth performance.

Secretion of amylases, cellulases and xylanases has also been reported for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (data presented at ASAIM Southeast Asia Aquaculture conference 2010).

Other benefits Another mode of action reported in Bacillus spp is the ability to stimulate the non-specific immunity by increasing the activity of phagocityc cells and lysozyme (Y-Z Sun et al 2010).

Probiotics are also used as bioremediation agents. Bacillus spp. have been demonstrated to be efficient convertors of organic matter back into CO2, especially when administered directly into the water. In the case of Ecobiol Aqua, this benefit can be explained by the secretion of exo-enzymes that help in organic matter degradation. The result is greater penetration of oxygen into the sediments, making burrowing by shrimp easier. At the same time, probiotic bacteria are eaten by zooplankton, which is eventually grazed by shrimp or fish.

Trial data The efficacy of dietary supplementation of Ecobiol Aqua on performance parameters at a commercial scale has been evaluated in shrimp. In a trial carried out in semi-intensive farm located in Peninsula de Villamoros (Mexico), the shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) diets were supplemented with one kg Ecobiol Aqua per tonne of feed. Results (see Table 2) showed significant improvements in survival (+3.7 percent), average weight gain at 95 days (+4 percent), and income (+12 percent) relative to the non-supplemented diet. The same dosage was used in a second trial conducted in semi-intensive culture of Litopenaeus vannamei in Sinaloa (Mexico). As shown in Table 3, Ecobiol Aqua enhanced average weekly gain (+ 13.5 percent), size (+8.4 percent), final biomass (+6.9 percent) and income (+7.2 percent).

Conclusion Current aquaculture practices are exposed to high risk of disease and reduced performance due to the high stocking densities and use of plant-based diets.

Thus, aquafeed formulations must focus not only on nutritional specifications but also on the health status of the animal and an adequate feed utilisation.

Ecobiol Aqua is a natural alternative that by providing an inhibitory effect against pathogenic microorganisms, by enhancing the digestion process and by likely having a beneficial effect on the immune system and the pond environment, facilitates the maximum performance to the animal, leading to safe and profitable practices.

References Available upon request

12 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

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November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 13 ET-211B.indd 1

10/26/11 1:47 PM

F: Enterococcus faecium

Application of Enterococcus faecium as probiotic strain in aquatic species

by Elisabeth Mayer MSc, Biomin, Austria

W

ith the rapid developments in aquaculture fish and shrimp farming industries are constantly under threat due to the outbreak of infectious diseases.

tance since the digestive system of fish and shrimp is an important entrance point for infections. Hence, selection criteria of probiotics for aquaculture should be based on their antagonism towards pathogens (through competitive exclusion), their growth, attachment to intestinal mucus and production of beneficial compounds (Vine et al., 2004).

Since fish and shrimp are cultured under different conditions the optimum temperature range should also be considered for selection of the right probiotic strain. Another important factor is that probiotics always lack pathogenicity.

After all, probiotics should contribute to efficient production in a sustainable way, promoting healthy and robust animals (Brittain et al., 2002).

Members of the genus Vibrio and Aeromonas have been described as being among the most common pathogenic species in shrimp and fish causing serious losses in larval and growout phases throughout the world. Use of antibiotics to control these agents has led to problems of drug resistance and resulted in trade restrictions in export markets.

Picture 1: Microscopic As an alternaPotential picture (1000-fold tive strategy to probiotic magnification) of Enterococcus faecium these antimicrocandidates bial compounds, Lactic acid the prophylactic bacteria (LAB) use of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) has are potential probiotic candiemerged to improve health and zootechnidates in aquaculture and are cal performances such as survival, producalso known to be present in tion, feed conversion the intestine of healthy fish. and growth rates Enterococcus faecium is one of cultured aquatic of the most commonly used species. lactic acid producing bacteria Probiotic bacteria in animal nutrition and has are a sustainable approach to modulate become a focus of attention the gut microflora towards a favorable for use in commercially farmed composition, which is of utmost imporaquatic species.

Enterococci are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic bacteria which are widely distributed in nature and considered as bacteria of low pathogenicity (Klare et al., 2003).

Probiotic enterococci infections have not been reported in the veterinary medicine, so the risk appears to be limited (Rinkinen et al., 2003). Eaton and Gasson (2001) found that E. faecium strains were also generally free of virulence determinants. Concerning possible acquired antibiotic resistances, testing the antibiotic profile of enterococci used as probiotics is of relevance.

However, these antibiotic resistances are species- or genus-specific properties (Klare et al., 2003). Once the probiotic enterococci are accurately identified, they can be tested for specific resistances.

Several important ways in which probi-

Picture 2: Microscopic pictures (1000-fold magnification) of Vibrio harveyi, Yersinia ruckeri, Streptococcus agalactiae and Aeromons veronii

14 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Enterococcus faecium Table 1: E. faecium in tilapia´s intestine and faeces at day one and day 10 after stopping to feed probiotics including this probiotic strain Experimental group

E. faecium in tilapia´s intestine (x 108 cell/g intestine) Day 1

Day 10

: Intestine with faecal materials

: Faecal material

: Intestine w/o faeces

Control group

0

0

0

Probiotic group

1.37 ± 0.85

1.52 ± 0.98

1.33 ± 0.28

otics producing lactic acid (such as E. faecium) can provide a performance benefit are improving intestinal microbial balance (Fuller, 1989), stimulating the immune system and decreasing pH as well as the release of bacteriocins (Rolfe, 2000).

Bacteriocins are small peptides which are characterized by their ability to inhibit pathogenic bacteria; whereas, some have a

narrow spectrum of activity while others inhibit a wide variety of bacteria.

The use of the bacteriocin-producing E. faecium with probiotic properties alone or in combination with other beneficial intestinal bacteria was investigated in different studies.

In vitro studies using the agar spot method (Rosskopf, 2010) have shown that Enterococcus faecium (strain IMB 52) has inhibition properties against a wide spectrum of aquatic pathogens including Yersinia ruckeri, Vibrio harveyi, Streptococcus agalactiae and Aeromonas veronii.

Similar observation was made by Swain et al. (2009) who proved the inhibitory activity of E. faecium isolated from brackishwater fish against V. harveyi and V. parahaemolyticus. This demonstrates the potential applications of E. faecium from fish intestine for controlling pathogenic vibriosis in shrimp culture. It has also been reported that survival rates of European eels (Anguilla Anguilla L.) fed with E. faecium were significantly higher than in the control groups after challenged with Edwardsiella tarda (Chang and Liu, 2002).

Wang et al. (2008) demonstrated that the addition of E. faecium (1 x 107 CFU/mL) in aquaria water could significantly increase final weight and daily weight gain (DWG) of tilapia. Since certain immunological parameters (myeloperoxidase and respiratory burst activity) of tilapia were improved as well, the increased growth performance might be attributed to less bacterial challenge, confirming the benefit for the non-specific innate immunity of this kind of fish.

Panigrahi et al. (2007) examined immune modulation including cytokine gene expressions of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and demonstrated that these parameters were improved by probiotic feeding of freezedried Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Enterococcus faecium or Bacillus subtilis (109 CFU/g) after 45 days. Particularly the fish fed the E. faecium strain showed better performance which could possibly be linked to the suitable ambient temperature conditions of this strain.

Temperature is a major environmental factor controlling microbial growth and the ideal conditions differ among microorganisms. E. faecium was found to be more psychrotolerant than the other two bacteria, growing well at temperatures ranging from 12 to 30 °C. Rosskopf (2010) showed that the optimum temperature range for E. faecium (strain IMB 52) reaches as far as to 37 °C. Using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, Supamattaya et al. (2005, 2006) have demonstrated in a series of in vivo studies that E. faecium (strain IMB 52) is also able to populate the intestine of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (see Picture 3 and Table 1) and induce a positive impact on bacterial ecology of the gut by inhibiting Vibrio spp. through competitive exclusion.

E. faecium was even detected in the fish gut and faeces 10 days after product administration. In addition, it was observed that dietary application of E. faecium (strain IMB 52) alone or in combination can improve growth performance, enhance the immune response (by increasing granular hemocytes level) (Supamattaya et al., 2005) and increase survival rate in shrimp contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Krummenauer et al., 2009).

Means ± SD. Using Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), 5 - 15 microscopic fields were counted.

From these studies it was concluded that Enterococcus faecium (strain IMB 52) is a safe and promising probiotic candidate for aquatic species which can be applied in different combinations.

Conclusion Maintaining the balance of critical parameters and effective disease control remain fundamental requirements for successful aquaculture. In order to withstand the high stocking densities in shrimp and fish production probiotics are a promising feed additive to stimulate animal growth and advance disease resistance.

Enterococcus faecium as probiotic strain in aquatic species is increasingly recognized as safe and can be applied in different combinations. E. faecium can grow at a wide range of temperatures and thus has an advantage over other bacteria considering that fish and shrimp are reared at different temperatures and conditions.

The current paper illustrated with in vitro studies and performance trials the potential benefits of E. faecium as probiotic feed additive for fish and shrimp, either by stimulating the development of a healthy gut microflora or by inhibiting pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio spp., Yersinia spp. and Aeromonas spp.

References Available on request

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 15

F: Probiotic bacteria Figure 1: de Man, Rogosa & Sharpe (MRS) plates of digesta from fish fed a control diet (top plates) and a P. acidilactici supplemented diet (bottom plates)

Evaluation of probiotic bacteria in tilapia production

by Benedict Standen & Ali Abid, Aquatic Animal Nutrition and Health Research Group, The University of Plymouth, United Kingdom

F

reshwater fish culture has traditionally been dominated by various carp species but recently tilapia production has increased significantly; as a result tilapia are currently being cultured in over 70 countries with an estimated annual output of over three million tonnes (FAO, 2010).

This rapid growth suggests that tilapia may become one of the most important cultured fish species in the future.

Although tilapia are relatively resistant to infection and disease compared to other finfish, intensification of tilapia production has resulted in an increase of bacterial infections which frequently causes mass mortalities, leading to severe economic losses in major fish producing countries.

Traditional practices involve using antimicrobial compounds to treat disease outbreaks and control infections in aquatic animals.

However, a number of issues exist with these measures, namely the increasing problem of emerging antibiotic resistant pathogens with the threat of resistance transfer to human pathogens as well as food and environmental contamination.

Consequently, in recent years there has been considerable effort to evaluate the feasibility of using alternative methods, particularly probiotics to enhance growth, stimulate the innate immune system and/or prevent disease in the host.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, including many yeasts and bacteria, which

when administered in adequate amounts can enhance the growth and health of the host, as well as the quality of its ambient environment beyond inherent basic nutrition (Fuller, 1989; Merrifield et al., 2010a).

These measures help facilitate consumer perceptions of bio-security and eco-friendly aquaculture.

Aquatic animals are constantly in contact with the composition and changes in their surrounding environment.

Potential pathogens are able to maintain themselves in the external medium and proliferate independently of the host causing disease or rendering aquatic animals immunocompromised.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the key sites of interaction with the external world and is considered one of the major portals for pathogenic invasion in fish (Ringø et al., 2007). The GI microbiota provide a number of functions that benefit the health of the host by promoting nutrient and enzyme supply, enhancing innate immune function, preventing colonisation of pathogenic microbes (by either competition or production of inhibitory compounds), energy homeostasis and are also involved in localised morphological development and maturation of the intestine.

Culture dependent and independent studies indicate that bacteria are the main colonisers of the GI tract with early studies recording the predominance of anaerobes in the GI tract of tilapia (Sugita et al., 1989).

We now know that in freshwater fish, Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Cetobacterium somereae are major

colonisers of the intestine followed by Pleisomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, Micrococcus spp., Actinobacter spp., Clostridium spp., Bacteroides spp. and Fusarium spp. . Also present in tilapia intestine are Burkholderia spp., Chromobacterium spp., Citrobacter spp. and Flavimonas spp. (Molinari et al., 2003).

Despite being prevalent in mammalian and avian intestines lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present, but generally sub-dominant, in fish.

Modification of microbial composition The GI tract is available to microbial colonisers upon opening of the mouth of larval fish.

In this sense the commensal microbiota reflects the microbiota of the eggs, rearing water and the microbiota of any dietary intake during the first-feeding. It has been proposed that any probiotic supplementation at this stage has a significant advantage, whereby good microbes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;get there firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

However, at any developmental stage the microbiota can shift as a result of farming practices, rearing environment, seasonality and diet. Furthermore, the administration of a probiotic may also cause a shift in the microbial composition.

For example, Oreochromis niloticus fed a diet supplemented with a mixture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus subtillus showed an altered composition, lacking Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens which were present in control fish (Marzouk et al., 2008).

16 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Probiotic bacteria Ferguson et al. (2010) used more accurate and reliable molecular techniques to demonstrate that diets supplemented with Pediococcus acidilactici exhibited alterations in GI microbiota. PCR-DGGE revealed direct antagonism of P. acidilactici with an uncultured bacterium (closest known relative was a bacterial clone isolated from the intestine of Atlantic salmon) during a period of reverting to nonsupplemented feeding.

Recent work conducted at the Aquaculture and Fish Nutrition Research Aquarium, University of Plymouth supports this (see Figure 1). Here fish fed a P. acidilactici supplemented diet exhibited considerably higher LAB populations in their digesta, which, were identified as P. acidilactici. This colonisation of the GI tract (at least during continual supplementation) is thought to be a major advantage for potential probionts.

Growth performance and effect on digestion and nutrient utilisation Improved growth performance has been observed in tilapia fed diets supplemented with a number of probiotics including S. cerevisiae, Micrococcus luteus, B. subtilis,

tilapia can obtain their essential amino acid requirements from GI microbiota alone when dietary sources are low or absent.

Other authors have isolated gut microbes that can produce other enzymes involved in digestion (carbohydrases, esterases, lipases, phosphatases, peptidases, cellulases), some of which are being assessed as potential probiotics.

Anaerobic microbes can produce shortchain fatty acids (which can elevate gut motility and be used for energy purposes or further lipid synthesis) by fermenting dietary carbohydrates. Obligate anaerobes, primarily Cetobacterium somereae and Chlostridium spp. can produce large amounts of vitamin B12, thus tilapia do not require a dietary source of this vitamin because of the microbial production capability. Another mechanism which may improve digestive function is the enhancement of the morphology of the GI tract.

Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus pumilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus faecium as well as various mixtures of these candidates.

However, other studies have failed to show a difference in growth parameters with the use of various probiotics. Contradictory results may reflect the differences in rearing conditions and diet where fish reared under near optimal conditions are unlikely to benefit from probiotic applications.

Probiotics can improve growth performance by increasing nutrient utilisation and uptake, production of enzymes, amino acids, short-chain fatty acids and vitamins.

However, the specific mechanisms in scientific evaluations are often hard to elucidate, due in part to the ethical and methodological limitations of animal studies, together with complex relationships between possible modes of action.

Bacteria commonly found in the gut, including Aeromonads, are known to produce proteases and other gut microbes produce amino acids which could be used by the host.

This helps to explain the findings of Newsome et al. (2011) who showed that

Morphological effects on the intestine It has been reported that probiotics can affect fish GI function and morphology. In this respect, a study by Pirarat et al (2011)

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F: Probiotic bacteria demonstrated that L. rhamnosus application as a dietary supplement encouraged the development of the intestinal structure of Nile tilapia.

The authors found the length of villous in the proximal and middle sections of the intestine were greater in the group of fish fed the probiotic. On the contrary, Nile tilapia that were fed P. acidilactici at 107 CFU /g for 32 days (Ferguson et al., 2010) showed no gross morphological differences in the intestine of fish fed the probiotic in

response of Nile tilapia were positively affected by P. acidilactici. The authors found that the serum lysozyme activity was significantly higher in the fish fed the probiotic diet in comparison with the control fish; furthermore, the total number of circulatory leucocytes was also elevated. In addition, another study examined the potential probiotic effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on tilapia immunity. After being fed a probiotic supplemented diet for 30 days, nonspecific parameters were significantly enhanced in the probiotic group (Pirarat et al., 2011). It is noteworthy that the activity of "The intensification of tilapia innate immune parameters can be affected by several external production has caused an increase and internal aspects, including handling, crowding stress and in bacterial infections and issues temperature changes. associated with the over usage of The dietary supplementation of probiotics can enhance antibiotics has highlighted the need both systematic and localised immunity in a wide range of fish to fight disease using more robust including tilapia, rainbow trout, and sustainable methods, namely gilthead seabream, European seabass and grouper. the administration of probiotics" The effectiveness of probiotics in terms of protection against infectious pathogens is often attributed to elevated immunity. In tilapia, numerous probiotics comparison with the control group of fish. have shown increased protection against However, a study with rainbow trout Edwardsiella tarda and Aeromonas hydrophishowed that dietary P. acidilactici may la infections. In other aquaculture species, improve microvilli length and enterocyte protection against enteric red mouth endocytic activity (Merrifield et al. 2010b), disease, edwardsiellosis, furunculosis, which has yet to be studied in tilapia. lactococcosis and several other diseases have been documented with probiotic Stimulating the innate feeding. immune response Furthermore, probiotic treatment may It is well documented that the modulaprovide ‘herd immunity’ from multiple distion of the nonspecific immune system is eases. Protection against viral and protozoan one of the most important modes of action infections has also shown some successes in for probiotics. the fight to control Ichthyophthiriasis in In general, growth inhibitors, natural rainbow trout and iridovirus in grouper. antibodies, cytokines, antibacterial peptides, chemokines, various lytic enzymes and components of the complement pathways Conclusion are considered to be components of The intensification of tilapia production humoral parameters of the innate immune has caused an increase in bacterial infecsystem whereas nonspecific cytotoxic cells tions and issues associated with the over and phagocytes constitute innate cellular usage of antibiotics has highlighted the components (Magnadóttir, 2006, Gómez need to fight disease using more robust and and Balcázar, 2008). sustainable methods, namely the administraPrevious studies, have generally demtion of probiotics. onstrated some visible benefits on either Current literature clearly demonstrates the immune function, disease resistance, that probiotics can benefit tilapia production. or both.

Contrary results may stem from differIn order to explore an improvement of ences in the species and strain of probiont, the immune system due to probiotic applidosage, species and age/size of host fish, cation, Ferguson et al (2010) confirmed that mode of application, feeding management, some aspects of the nonspecific immune duration of supplementation, environmental

conditions, farming practices and stocking densities.

Therefore, in order for the probiotics concept to be beneficial and cost-effective, future work must address these issues associated with the application methods and must be used in concert with suitable farm management.

References FAO (2010) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010 (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2010).

Ferguson RM, Merrifield DL, Harper GM, Rawling MD, Mustafa S, et al. (2010) The effect of Pediococcus acidilactici on the gut microbiota and immune status of on-growing red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). J Appl Microbiol 109: 851-862.

Fuller R (1989) Probiotics in man and animals. J Appl Bacteriol 66: 365-378.

Gómez GD, Balcázar JL (2008) A review on the interactions between gut microbiota and innate immunity of fish. FEMS Immunol Med Mic 52: 145-154.

Magnadóttir B (2006) Innate immunity of fish (overview). Fish Shellfish Immun: 20: 137-151.

Marzouk MS, Moustafa MM, Mohamed NM (2008) The influence of some probiotics on the growth performance and intestinal microbial flora of Oreochromis niloticus. Proceedings of 8th International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, Cairo, Egypt, pp. 1059-1071.

Merrifield DL, Dimitroglou A, Foey A, Davies SJ, Baker RT et al. (2010a). The current status and future focus of probiotic and prebiotic applications for salmonids. Aquaculture 302: 1-18.

Merrifield, DL, Harper, GM, Dimitroglou, A, Ringø, E, Davies, SJ (2010b) Possible influence of probiotic adhesion to intestinal mucosa on the activity and morphology of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) enterocytes. Aquacult Res 41: 1268-1272.

Molinari LM, Scoaris D, Pedroso RB, Bittencourt N, Nakamura CV, et al. (2003) Bacterial microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, cultured in a semi-intensive system. Acta Sci Biol Sci Mar 25: 267-271.

Newsome SD, Fogel ML, Kelly L, Martinez del Rio C (2011) Contributions of direct incorporation from diet and microbial amino acids to protein synthesis in Nile tilapia. Funct Ecol (in press).

Ringø E, Myklebust R, Mayhew TM, Olsen RE (2007) Bacterial translocation and pathogenesis in the digestive tract of larvae and fry. Aquaculture 268: 251-264.

Sugita H, Oshima K, Tamura M, Deguchi Y (1989) Bacterial flora of gastrointestine of freshwater fishes in river. B Jpn Soc Fish 49: 1387-1395.

18 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

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F: Protein hydrolysate

Marine based protein hydrolysate improve the performance of feeds containing a low level of fish meal

by V Fournier, M Herault, M Hervy, Aquativ, ZA du Gohélis 56250 Elven, France, Email: vfournier@diana-aqua.com

D

uring the last 20 years, fishmeal and fish oil replacement has become a major concern for the aquafeed industry to anticipate the exceptional aquaculture growth and the lack of marine raw materials availability forecasted for the coming years.

The dietary level of fishmeal remains a key driver of the feed performance, affecting feed palatability and feed utilization.

Year after year, the level of fishmeal in feeds designed for carnivorous species tends to decrease and is closed to reach a critical level for growth and feed utilisation.

Plant and land-based feedstuffs are now commonly used in aquafeed formulations with success as an alternative to fishmeal but many studies have shown that balancing the dietary amino acid profile of plant rich diets to meet the fish amino acid requirements is not enough efficient to get satisfying fish and feed performances.

Fish are highly responsive to the low molecular weight nitrogen compounds coming from marine raw materials. They stimulate feed intake, growth and immune system.

Plant-based and land-based raw materials are poor in these highly soluble compounds which could explain their lack of performance when used at a high level of incorporation in diets. A solution to balance the level of soluble compounds and the feed protein molecular weight profile would be the incorporation of an adequate level of marine based protein hydrolysate.

Aquativ is specialised in the production of protein hydrolysate from raw materials from different origin through controlled enzymatic hydrolysis. The core expertise of Aquativ makes possible to closely control the size of peptides generated during the process to reach the highest performance.

Many studies have been conducted by Aquativ to demonstrate the effectiveness of the application of hydrolysate at graded dietary level of fish meal. Some results are presented below.

Materials and methods Three diets have been formulated to contain a graded level of fish meal (five percent, 10 percent and 20 percent, corresponding to diets FM5, FM10 and FM20 respectively) while meeting all the dietary requirements for European seabass (see Table 1). A fourth diet (FM5 + 5%MH) was formulated from the diet FM10, five percent powder marine hydrolysate replacing five percent fishmeal, both raw materials having the same nutritional profile (CP: 65 percent protein; crude fat: 12 percent). All the feeds had the following specifications: crude protein: 46±0.5 percent, crude fat: 16±0.5 percent, crude energy: 4900±50kcal/kg.

The trial was conducted in the experimental flow-through facilities of IFREMER, centre de Brest, France.

Seawater (salinity: 35g/l) was filtered (high pressure sand filter) and thermoregulated (water temperature: 20 ± 1°C). Triplicate groups of 40 juvenile European seabass (initial mean body weight: 7.6±0.1g) were reared in 24 tanks of 80 one capacity (flow rate: three litres per minute; photoperiod: 12 hours light: 12 hours dark).

Three tanks were allotted at random to each diet.

The diets were distributed in excess to the fish, by automatic feeder (Arvotech, Finland), 10 times a day, for 56 days.

Uneaten feed were collected every day by home-made feed waste collectors, pooled and kept frozen till the end of the trial. Fish were counted and weighted at the beginning of the trial, every four weeks and at the end of the trial. Before every weighing, fish were fasted for 24 hours. Survival was daily checked. Dead fish were counted and weighed.

Over the growth period, the following parameters were followed and calculated: survival, specific growth rate, voluntary feed intake and feed efficiency.

All data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Fisher

Figure 1: Feed intake in European seabass fed the dietary treatments for 56 days

Figure 2: Growth performance in European seabass fed the dietary treatments for 56 days

Figure 3: Feed conversion ratio (FCR) in European seabass fed the dietary treatments for 56 days

Figure 4: Level of soluble protein and protein molecular weight profile (MW, % of soluble protein) of fishmeal and marine hydrolysate test. Differences were considered significant at P<0.05.

Results and discussion No significant difference in fish survival was noticed at the end of the trial. Feed

20 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Protein hydrolysate

Table 1: Feed formulations

Raw materials

Fish meal LT

FM5

5.00

FM10

FM20

10.00

Marine hydrolysate

0.00

0.00

Corn gluten meal

17.00

15.00

Wheat gluten meal

19.71

18.92

Rapeseed meal

11.15

9.00

Soyben meal (48 CP)

17.00

15.00

Wheat meal

10.00

12.83

DL methionine

0.57

0.53

Lysine HCL

1.58

1.44

Monocalcium phosphate

2.48

2.08

Fish oil

13.20

12.88

Premix

2.31

2.31

intake was not significantly influenced by the feed treatments (see Figure1).

After 56 days of trial, the growth performance was significantly decreased (see Figure 2) in fish fed the feed containing the lowest level of fishmeal (FM5).

This result is mainly explained by a significant deterioration of the feed utilisation while the dietary fishmeal decreased (see Figure 3).

Interestingly, the application of five percent marine hydrolysate allowed restoration of the growth performance at the same level than

FM5 + 5%MH

the feed containing the highest level of fish meal 20.00 5.00 (FM20).

This gain is explained 0.00 5.00 by an improvement of the 12.00 15.00 feed utilisation compared 13.00 18.92 to the treatments with no 7.00 9.00 hydrolysate (FM5). In the 13.00 15.00 same way, the substitution of five percent fishmeal 17.68 12.83 by five percent of hydro0.47 0.53 lysate in the treatment 1.09 1.44 FM10 resulted in a better 1.19 2.08 feed utilisation but not 12.26 12.88 significant.

2.31 2.31 If the marine hydrolysate and fishmeal have very closed amino acid profiles (see Figure 3), the analysis of the protein quality of both raw materials showed that the soluble protein and peptide contribution are higher for the marine hydrolysate (see Figure 4).

The dietary inclusion of a high level of peptide had a clear positive effect on the feed utilization by the animal, demonstrating the importance of the protein molecular weight profile in the performance of raw materials and finished feeds

Natural (hydrolyzed) proteins for aqua feed

Amino acids profile of a Marine hydrolysate and a Fishmeal LT (% of product)

Conclusions Protein hydrolysates represent key ingredients to sustain the development of highly substituted fish meal feeds. It could enhance significantly the feed nutritional value, providing a high level of essential small soluble compounds not found in most of the non marine origin raw materials.

Improvement by nature

Whether you’re looking for a natural EU and USDA approved pellet binder for your production of stable pellets or nature’s best alternatives for fish meal, you can contact Sonac.

Sonac produces valuable and essential ingredients for the production of aqua feed.

• Pro-Bind Plus a nutritional, gelatin based pellet binder, especially for pelleted (shrimp) feed.

• Gelko an ideal combination of hydrolyzed proteins and fat (68% protein, 18% fat).

• MucoPro high content of hydrolyzed proteins, amino acids and peptides (>70% protein).

• Hemoglobin Powder high protein content and good digestibility, for better feed conversion.

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 21

F: Direct Cold Plasma

by Havard Vetrhus, Director Sales & Marketing, Applied Plasma Physics AS, Norway Tel: + 47 5160 2220 Email: havard.vetrhus@app.no

I

ncreasingly, feed manufacturers are being required to address the issue of release of odour and harmful contaminants into the surrounding community.

Local communities, special interest groups and government legislation all bring pressure to bear on factories to minimise real or perceived risks of contamination.

There are no universally applied standards for odour or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions and to provide solutions that fit specific factory needs can be complex.

There is no single solution but understanding the feed manufacturers problems certainly helps a great deal.

In recent years, there have been numerous changes regarding where production facilities are situated. Factory closures and relocation of manufacturing units has become commonplace. At the same time urban sprawl has resulted in residential areas being built closer to previously remote industrial areas.

Another pressure companies face is meeting local environmental needs.

So what does the industry need from its odour abatement equipment? This is a complex question and the answer needs to include: • A compact design minimizing space requirements

• • • •

End of pipe solution Low running cost Minimal maintenance Ability to operate at normal feed manufacturing temperatures, to avoid cooling costs • High odour removal efficiency • No chemical additions and need to maintain chemistry • No liquid effluent waste • Instant on/off – no warm up time • Modular construction, ease of relocation if change of production location and ease the ability to add on modules according to required capacity • Competitive capital cost This is a tall order but there is a technology can answer most of these needs: Cold Plasma.

of high voltage technology and non-thermal plasma systems for industrial processes.

APP has now delivered more than 200 systems, most running on difficult applications.

APP has experience on ultra-high odour applications – where odour levels can be over 200,000 odour units per m³ - and the company achieved odour removal efficiencies of up to 97 percent. Another advantage that is unique for this specific technology is that both odour and dust are removed from the production emissions.

Direct Cold Plasma – A high-tech, highvoltage solution In 2003 a global petfood manufacturer tested a new technology for odour removal, referred to as Direct Cold Plasma, on drier and extruder flash-off exhausts.

The technology had obvious advantages over more conventional solutions. As a result the petfood manufacturer looked for a suitable technology partner for collaboration on the application of cold plasma on petfood applications.

In 2003 they formed such an agreement with APP (Applied Plasma Physics AS).

APP is both an R&D and equipment supply company, specialising in the application

Cold plasma technology – Nature in a box Odour bearing gases enter the cold plasma module, where care is taken to distribute gases evenly as it enters the reaction chamber. The reaction chamber comprises a cluster of hexagonal cells.

Running centrally through each cell is a corona wire, which is isolated from the rest of the chamber.

The high voltage generator distributes

22 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Direct Cold Plasma once a month would be recommended.

Operating costs are very low and mostly associated with the cost of electricity; 10-20kW for a standard 20,000m³/h cold plasma unit.

A costing exercise produced by one of APP’s customers, is shown below. This is based on a 10-year period, including both investment and operating cost for a volume of 20,000 m³/h. The operating costs for the scrubber alone or scrubber biofilter do not include cost of water. a modulating high voltage supply to each corona wire, and this process results in a discharge between the corona wire and the cell wall. The discharge promotes the emission with high-speed electrons, which collide with background gas molecules creating chemically active species known as radicals and charge carriers.

This is actually identical to what happens with pollution in the atmosphere. Reactions occur with the odour bearing compounds in the gas to be treated. Ambient air may be injected just prior to the reaction chamber to optimise humidity and temperature as well as adding ions to the gas stream.

In essence the cold plasma process encourages ‘oxidation’ of the odour bearing compounds at low temperature by creating discharge (cold plasma).

A closed-loop cooling unit ensures that operating conditions within the High Voltage Generator are maintained within controlled limits. A proprietary control system monitors the high voltage passed to each of the corona wires in the reaction chamber, and controls the voltage modulation that generates the cold plasma. The system also detects arcs between the corona wire and the cell wall, automatically shutting down electrical supply for a fraction of a second before power is reinstated.

The reaction chamber may be operated with the gas flow passing upwards or downwards depending on site layout. The unit is capable of operating on emissions with relative humidity close to 100 percent, although the closer to 100 percent RH the unit operates, the higher the possibility of arcs and consequently risks of reduced efficiency. The unit can be operated with emission temperatures up to 70°C. In most cases in the feed industry, the emission temperature from dryers will be less than this temperature limitation.

Maintenance is minimal, if the unit is used as a dust collector as well as odour abatement system, then the unit would have a ‘wash-down’ maybe once per week and an internal inspection

Testing in the petfood and fish feed industry Since 2003, extensive testing with a pilot system both on extrusion flash-off, driers and coolers has been carried out. All possible variables have been reviewed to determine the optimum operating conditions for the cold plasma system.

colds plasma module will handle around 20.000Am³/h.

Higher efficiencies may be achieved by using a final polishing module.

During testing, both high and low odour concentrations were experienced; nonetheless cold plasma achieved real odour reductions even on very low inlet concentrations, something that is not always the case on alternative technologies.

Overall the tests indicated that the cold plasma unit operated most effectively without a scrubber either at the inlet or outlet. Dust removal was very effective (99 percent reduction).

As a result of these tests, several petfood sites have now installed cold plasma technology for their processes.

As per today, 50 units are in operation in the petfood industry, a figure that will increase substantially in the years to come.

The experience of the environmental needs of the feed industry, and APP’s approach to innovative design is combined to offer a competitive alternative solution to a problem that is of increasing significance to the food and feed industry.

Variables tested: • Residence time (determines volume to be handled by a standard module) • Effects of water scrubber at inlet or outlet of cold plasm • Cold plasma unit operating alone • Adding water to humidify inlet or outlet gas • Air infiltration volume (ion enrichment) • Intensity of cold plasma generation • Geometry and Our compact but powerful Aerox®-Injector uses arrangement of Injection Technology to treat up to 80.000 m3/h. reaction cells The pilot plant is designed to handle 1600m³/h and tests were repeated to check validity. Independent olfactometry testing was used as a means of determining odour reduction efficiency.

Test results indicate that odour removal efficiencies of up to 90 percent are achievable within the food and feed industry and that the standard

Cold Plasma

The major advantage of the Aerox®-Injector is that it radiates clean, ambient air sourced from outside the process duct, which it then injects into the process duct.

Suitable for saturated exhaust gas flows!

Unit is placed outside the process duct Cold Plasma unit remains clean

to exhaust

Compact and easy to install No pressure drop Easy maintenance Runs on electricity No waste products

ambient air

powerpack

WWW.AEROXINJECTOR.COM

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 23

from process

THE AQUAFEED PHOTOSHOOT

24 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

Copper alloys in marine aquaculture Increasing productivity and sustaining the future

Benefits from using copper nets: · Improve fish health and production · Prevent predator attack and escapes · Minimise maintenance cost and efforts · Support sustainable fish farming · Copper delivers benefits for fish farmers For more informationa visit: www.aquaculture.org

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 25

F: Aquarium fish

AQUARIUM FISH FEEDING

A

quarium fish hobbyists can enjoy an impressive range of species, whose number is increasing every year.

In response to the growing aquarists’ needs manufacturers introduce foods with more and more sophisticated formulas. However, data concerning dietary habits of wild specimens are rudimentary and extremely hard to obtain.

The knowledge about fish’s needs comes from observation rather than rigorous research.

Therefore, the common practice is to use research carried out on fish for human consumption instead despite the fact that it is not possible to create and maintain natural network of feeding relations in aquarium and many species-typical behavior patterns are simply not observed.

No wonder that a diet of aquarium fish is becoming more universal.

In the wild fish feed on insects, molluscs, crustaceans, fish, plants, algae, etc. These foods differ in terms of quality and quantity of nutrients.

In addition, fish’s diets vary throughout the year, as food availability varies depending on the season. In the absence of their primary food, fish are forced to resort to less palatable alternatives, which they have declined so far.

It’s not possible to imitate natural living conditions of wild fish but you can compose a diet based on products with nutrient-rich compositions to diversify their diet, hence prevent nutritional deficiencies and numerous medical disorders. The most vulnerable is the hatch. Any deficiencies it experiences during this period can lead to deformities and developmental disorders.

For instance, Artemia nauplii, commonly used for rearing fry, lead to the decalcification of bones and reduction of the survival rate, if not supplemented by other foods.

Nutritional requirements In terms of their nutritional requirements

ornamental fish can be divided into herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.

Prepared foods for herbivorous fish should be characterised with high content of plant material, including spirulina, chlorella, Kelp algae, spinach, nettle, etc.They should also be fed with fresh or frozen plants, mostly spinach, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, etc.

For carnivorous fish, which in the wild feed on fish, roe, fry and invertebrates, there’s a choice of frozen foods (krill, shrimps, fish fillets, squid, Daphnia pulex, Artemia, bloodworms, Tubifex etc.) and live foods (fish, Daphnia, Artemia, bloodworms, Tubifex, glassworm etc.) and multi-ingredient and high-protein prepared foods.

tablets. Fish feeding in the middle layers of the tank or at the bottom prefer slowly sinking granules, which turn out particularly effective in multi-species tanks with fish eating in various parts of the aquarium.

Fish with small mouth eating under the surface of water will choose flakes, which prove highly effective in tanks where intraspecific competition takes place and weaker fish have a limited access to food. Flakes, floating all over the tank, are easily accessible even for smaller and weaker fish.

Tablets are recommended for timid fish, as they can be placed in fish’s favourite hiding places and for feeding the fry, due to the small particles that make up the tablet.

Prepared foods for aquarium fish

Immunity enhancing components

Prepared foods available on the pet market can be divided into: multi-ingredient universal foods, used in feeding of most popular aquarium fish species and specialist foods, dedicated to particular species or groups of fish with sophisticated dietary demands, such as Tropheus cichlids, Malawi cichlids of mbuna group which feed on periphyton, breeding discus, goldfish, red parrots and algae-eaters from Loricariidae family etc.

A special group of foods are products enriched with various natural resources that improve fish’s health, enhance their coloration and increase their resistance to diseases.

The diversity of formulas is accompanied by a variety of forms in which prepared foods are available, so you can choose product perfectly adjusted to the size of your fish’s mouth and their way of feeding (from the surface of the water, its middle layers or from the bottom - see Figure 1).

The best feeding solution for bottom-feeders are granules and

Prevention in fish is more effective than medical treatment. Well-nourished fish with a strong natural resistance to diseases is more likely to cope with stress (transport from farms to wholesalers, store, the customer’s home) and pathogens. In prepared foods for ornamental fish one can find numerous substances and resources, whose components enhance the immune system, for example stabilised

26 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Aquarium fish

by Aleksandra Kwaśniak-Placheta1 and Leszek Moscicki2 1 Tropical - Tadeusz Ogrodnik, 25 Opolska Street, 41-507 Chorzow, Poland 2 Lublin University of Life Sciences, 44 Doświadczalna Street, 20-280 Lublin, Poland

vitamin C, beta-glucan, unsaturated fatty acids, spirulina, Kelp algae, chlorella, etc.

Stabilised vitamin C is a L-ascorbyl-2polyphosphate resistant to high temperatures.

Vitamin C reduces stress, stimulates the immune system, strengthens blood vessel’s walls and accelerates wound healing.

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), including long-chain fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, accelerate the regeneration of tissues, including skin, improving its function as a protective barrier.

Moreover, they are a building material of hormone-like cellular messengers - prostaglandins and reproductive cells. Part of the demand for Omega-3 and Omega-6 fish cover themselves by producing them from simple UFAs, which they obtain from food.

However, carnivorous and marine fish should be supplied with Omega-3 fatty acids, because their ability to process them from simple UFAs is small.

Beta-1.3/1.6-glucan - a polysaccharide derived from yeast’s cell walls - is a natural immune stimulator that directly affects macrophages, increasing their capacity for phagocytosis of alien cells and their own cancer cells.

Extremely valuable components of foods for aquarium fish are algae and spirulina (Arthrospira platensis).

The share of the latter in fish feed depends on, inter alia, a very high protein content (55-70 percent) characterised by a high digestibility (90 percent).

In addition, protein of Spirulina contains most essential amino acids for fish (if not all).

The cell’s walls of this cyanobacterium are composed of mucopolysaccharides, which act as immunostimulators. In the cells of spirulina one should find three times more chlorophyll than in plants. Chlorophyll reduces the number of putrefactive bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The high content of carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, makes foods with spirulina intensify coloration in fish, which is essential in case of colourful breeding

forms. Thanks to so many different substances spirulina enhances vitality and encourages the immune system.

Other relatively common algae supplements of aquafeed are chlorella and Kelp algae.

Chlorella is known for its high concentration of chlorophyll (seven percent in the dry matter) and large protein content (50 percent in the dry matter), rich in essential amino acids.

Health benefits are attributed to Chlorella Growth Factor, rich in nucleic acids. Kelp algae is a mixture of marine seaweed belonging to the brown algae, which are rich in minerals, including well-assimilable organic iodine compounds, UFAs, and vitamins. Their addition has a beneficial effect on metabolism and general condition of the fish.

Herbs in the aquarium Not only have the herbs been applied to treat people, they are also commonly used as a dietary supplement in feeds for livestock and domestic pets. Herbs enhance food palatability, stimulate animals’ appetite, aid digestion and improve overall health.

They also act as an anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal and bacteriostatic agents.

Herbs are also present in the aquarium.

They play an important role in the preparation of water and are used as a component of both prepared foods and those produced in house conditions.

In Europe there are 25 species of basic herbal raw materials, including garlic and common nettle, which are used in foods for ornamental fish.

To manufacture prepared food producers also use plants rich in the so called fitamins, which act on the

body in a manner similar to vitamins. But unlike the vitamins, they do not have to be delivered each day. Fitamins are present in vegetable and herbal plants. They regulate metabolic processes, detoxicate body and enhance overall condition. Fitamins include among others: polyphenols (flavonoids and phenolic acids),

sulfur compounds (such as allin in garlic), tannins and carotenoids. The exceptional sources of fitamins in foods for fish are garlic, spinach, spirulina and Kelp algae.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a well-known spice and herbal plant. Its cloves are composed of sulphur-containing compounds, inter alia, allin which becomes allicin when garlic is crushed. This is allicin to which garlic owes

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 27

F: Aquarium fish its strong antiseptic properties and its characteristic flavour. Garlic also contains flavonoids, pectins, mucilages, several vitamins and trace elements.

Before it started to be widely used in prepared foods for fish, it had been added by fish enthusiasts to mixtures they had prepared in their homes, especially the ones for the discus, often targeted by gastrointestinal parasites.

Foods for ornamental fish also utilise nettle (Urtica dioica). The active substances in this plant are organic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, tannins and others. Thanks to them, nettle regulates digestion. As a food supplement it has a beneficial influence on digestion and provides a number of fitamins, vitamins and trace elements.

Invertebrates used in feeding of ornamental fish Before fish enthusiasts could take advantage of convenient and easyto-store prepared foods, they had had to use natural foods, which they fished or bred themselves.

Despite many advantages the use of living organisms in the aquarium has one fundamental flaw – the organisms derived from nature can be a source of dangerous pathogens. To avoid this threat you can chose frozen, dried and freeze-dried products. Invertebrates have also become the essential ingredient of prepared foods (see Table 1).

Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba) is a source of easily-digestible protein, rich in essential amino acids. It is readily consumed by fish, especially in its processed form as an additive in flakes, granules and tablets. It is also characterized by a high palatability, resulting from the presence of amino acids (glycine, proline), nucleic acids and TMAO (trimethylamine oxide). These substances affect the taste

and smell of the food. This is of particular importance in case of feeding wild caught specimens and commercial farming fish, which aren’t used to eat prepared foods and need encouragement. Apart from valuable protein Krill provides fish with unsaturated fatty acids, out of which 40 percent are PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), including 14.7 percent EPA and 8.3 percent DHA. Krill is also a great source of carotenoids ‒ natural pigments that enhance fish’s coloration.

Chironomids – red mosquito larvae – constitute a high-protein food, which contains around 60 percent crude protein and 10 percent fat in the dry matter. Due to the low content of unsaturated fatty acids (approximately 14 percent) and high content of saturated fatty acids (approximately 28 percent of palmitic acid) the food cannot be used too often, because it can cause fatty degenerations and deficiency of PUFAs. Due to its high protein content it is a perfect food for spawners and fish weakened by illness or long transport, especially that fish take it very eagerly.

Tubifex (Tubifex tubifex) lives in bottom sediments, where they feed on organic matter, algae and bacteria that live in them.

These organisms are very resistant to various pollutants that can accumulate in them.

However, using Tubifex from polluted environment can lead to poisoning of fish.

Tubifex and chironomids are both added to prepared foods and subjected to freezedrying process.

Daphnia is a source of protein and fat (including UFAs).

However, it contains a small number of highly unsaturated fatty acids: EPA and DHA. Protein content (20-25 percent) and fat content (2.4-20 percent) vary widely depending on the feed base of the tank, where crustaceans live and on the season.

The composition of Daphnia resembles freshwater shrimp: Gammarus pulex, which contains similar amount of valuable protein. It is a good source of unsaturated fatty acids, including n-3 acids, and carotenoids.

One kilogram of dry matter of Gammarus pulex contains about 700-800mg of carotenoids (with astaxanthin share of 40 percent).

Artemia salina (Artemia sp.) is a popular food for ornamental fish. It is used in its larval form (also independently hatched in house conditions), frozen or freeze-dried adult forms, or as an additive to prepared foods. Newly hatched larvae of Artemia contain 89 percent water, 6.7 percent crude protein, 2.1 percent fat, 1.1 percent ash and after drying ‒ 58 percent protein, 20 percent fat and 10 percent ash.

Adult Artemia contains 60 percent protein, 13 percent fat and 12 percent ash in the dry matter.

When composing a diet for your fish, follow the basic nutritional principles, taking into account the nutritional value of main nutrients.

Compacted information concerning this issue is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

When composing a diet for your fish, take into account the proportions of multiingredient, vegetable and high-protein foods in the diagrams shown on Figure 3.

Conclusive remarks Manufacture of aquaristic feeds which meet high quality standards require an extensive know-how, the accuracy of processing and the

28 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Aquarium fish use of a modern and sophisticated technological equipment.

It is much more complicated than the production of aquafeed for fish farming.

The quality of aquarium foods is immediately visible after the application, in the literal sense.

Aquarist will immediately notice the loss of every single fish or the contamination of water in the tank caused by the dust from crumbled food, quickly decaying wastes or colorants.

Despite the wide range of various foods on the market, only few of the offered products meet the highest nutritional criteria, can guarantee safety of feeding and do not contaminate the aquatic environment.

The form and functionality of the packaging units are equally important. The expectations of the customers in this aspect are justifiably high as the options are impressive: containers acting as feeders, helping keep food in sterile conditions, transparent, but at the same time protected from ultraviolet radiation (see Figure 4). These challenges can be met only by few companies.

Literature Bernard J.B., (1997), Feeding captive insectivorous animals: nutritional aspects of insects as food, Nutrition Advisory Group Handbook, Fact Sheet 003;

Ciferri O., (1983), Spirulina, the edible microorganism, Microbiological Reviews, December, 551-578;

Table 1: The content of crude protein, crude fat and ash in selected aquatic invertebrates (% of the dry matter)

Crude protein

Crude fat

Ash

Artemia - adult form

60,0

13,0

12,0

Artemia larvae - nauplii

58,0

20,0

10,0

krill

70,0

10,4

12.6

Chironomidae

60,0

10,0

11,0

Daphnia

50,0

2,4

19,0

Tubifex

47,8

20,1

4,5

Raw material

Clifford Chan, (2003), Exotic Discus of the World, Clean Ace Printing Press, Singapur; Floreto E.A.T; Brown P.B.; Bayer R.C., (2001), The efects of krill hydrolysate-supplemented soya-bean based diets on the growth, colouration, amino and fatty acid profiles.; Aquaculture Nutrition 7; 33-43; Gaillard M. et al., (2004), Carotenoids of two freshwater amphipod species (Gammarus pulex and G. roeseli) and their common acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B 139,129–136; Ghioni C., Bell J.G., Sargent J.R., (1996), Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Neutral Lipids and Phospholipids of Some Freshwater Insects, Comp.

Biochem. Physiol.Vol. l14B, No. 2, pp. 161-170; Hasik J., (2001), Usprawnienia dietetyczne procesów metabolicznych. Co to są fitaminy?, (in Polish), Postępy Fitoterapii nr 6, (2-3); Kibria G. et al., (1999), Utilization of wastewater-grown zooplankton: Nutritional quality of zooplankton and performance of silver perch Bidyanus fed on wastewatergrown zooplankton, Aquaculture Nutrition 5, 221-227; Lutomski J., (2001), Znaczenie ziół w terapii i dietetyce (in Polish), Postępy Fitoterapii 6, 2-3;

Opuszyński K., (1979), Podstawy biologii ryb (in Polish), PWR i L, Warszawa; Sushchik N.N. et al., (2003), Comparison of fatty acid composition in major lipid classes of the dominant benthic invertebrates of the Yenisei river, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B 134, 111–122; Tacon A.G.J., (1987), The nutrition and feeding of farmed fish and shrimp - a training manual 2. Nutrient sources and composition, A report prepared for the FAO Trust Fund GCP/RLA/075/ ITA Project Support to the Regional Aquaculture Activities for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations, Brazil;

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 29

F: Algal concentrates

Algal concentrates in hatchery culture

by John S Clark PhD, Aquatic Animal Health and Nutrition Technical Consultant, Bangkok, Thailand

C

ulture of uni-cellular algae is a pre-requisite for successful operations in hatchery practices for shrimp, crab and most fish.

Problems with algal culture and inherent disadvantages are described here, with their advantages in many cases being overcome by these disadvantages. The current study describes a novel, industrialised approach to negate these disadvantages and to place hatchery culture methods on a more consistent and stable platform.

This strategy was designed and implemented by Meriden Animal Health of the UK and is presented in the form of the Phyconmmix range of products.

The important factors It is estimated that over 40 species of uni-cellular algae are in use in the aquaculture sector.They are generally recognised as difficult to grow in mass culture, particularly in low light (cloudy) or rainy conditions.

The most important factors to consider in algal culture are temperature, salinity, pH, light intensity, photoperiod and nutrient

composition; the major expense in algal culture comes in the nutrient component.

Algae can require up to 17 different trace components in their culture medium.

The cost of production is further increased due to the requirement for specialist technicians. Large-scale culture increases the likelihood of breaches in bio-security, as pathogens can easily be transmitted from nearby culture tanks or via inadvertent introduction of insects etc.

Generally speaking, only one algal species tends to be cultured per single farmed species, therefore nutrient composition becomes a critical factor especially when algae is entering its decline and death phases, and composition can therefore vary widely.

Since single species algae cannot provide all of the nutrients required by larval shrimp and fish, careful selection of a range of algal species which cover the spectrum of larval

nutrient requirements would seem a logical progression. Said species of algae can be grown in a sterile, hermetically sealed, bio-secure environment, then harvested at pre-determined times during the log phase of growth to optimize nutrient quality and consistency.

30 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

F: Algal concentrates Such algae can then be concentrated via centrifuge then packaged and stored prior to use.

Such a system is flexible in terms of algal composition in that formulations for fish and shrimp larvae can be tailored to meet the requirements of the larvae.

These concentrates are easily stored and applied to tanks and can also be used to enhance and enrich living feeds such as rotifers and Artemia nauplii. Its use reduces the need for mass culture tanks which can then be turned over to larval and nursery rearing and also reduces demand on labour time and equipment.

Larval quality is improved and development is accelerated, resulting in healthier, stronger larvae which can be sold at a premium, thereby improving returns on investment.

"Anectodal evidence suggests that Zoea 2 Syndrome commonly experienced in many hatcheries is nutritional in origin but complicated by secondary invasion by bacteria or viruses (Li. Pers. Comm.)"

Materials and methods A trial was run comparing live Chaetoceros with a commercially available algal concentrate (Meridens Phyconmmix

Shrimp ZM) as food sources for larvae of the white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in Thailand.

There were three control treatments and three test treatments in each study

group, tank size was five tonne and stocking density at nauplius was 200/litre. As well as their conventional feeds the test groups were fed on Shrimp ZM two times/day to Mysis 3 and then three times/day to

Good Agricultural Practice New Delhi I Mexico City I Cape Town I Sao Paulo I Cairo I Warsaw I Atlanta I Bangkok

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Then please see www.tour2011.org or contact Nina Kretschmer: kretschmer@globalgap.org Follow us on Twitter@GLOBALGAP!

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November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 31

F: Feature

PL15 following the manufacturers feeding instructions.

Survival, length, weight, length/weight ratio, gut/muscle ratio, feed consumption, hepatopancreatic Vibrio count, formalin stress test were all recorded during this trial. Scanning Electron Microscope studies of the harvested post-larvae were also conducted.

The accumulated data allowed for a return on investment calculation to be

made between the use of live and concentrated algae during larval shrimp culture.

Results

By Zoea 2 an obvious size difference was noted (Li, pers. Comm.).

At the same time, controls experienced an outbreak of Zoea 2 Syndrome and a significant mortality occurred. It was noteworthy that water quality in the test tanks was viewed as superior to that observed in live controls. This has been mirrored in other trials (Pota, pers comm.; Somhathai, pers.comm).

Figure 1 shows mean survival in the three concentrate treatments to be significantly higher than in the live controls.

Animals are significantly greater in length

(see Figure 2) and significantly heavier (see Figure 3) than controls, which results in a significantly more favourable length/weight ratio (see Figure 4).

Similarly, feed utilisation seems superior in that the gut/muscle ratio favours muscle in the test groups (see Figure 5) and this is manifested as an increased Artemia nauplius and flake feed consumption (see Figures 6 and 7).

The final post-larvae are significantly stronger and more resistant to formalin stress as evinced by survival rates displayed in Figure 8. Scanning Electron Microscope studies show significant differences in exo-skeletal structure and strength (Plates 1 and 2) as well as in development rate of the compound eye (Plates 3 and 4).

Such differences in stress survival and the structural improvement in the animals fed concentrates has significance to the grow-out phase of farming operations.

Finally, cost and return on investment figure prominently in the vocabulary of any hatchery operator. It can be seen from Table 1 that use of concentrates does in fact lead to more profitable production of post-larvae and that this, coupled with the many advantages relating to ease of use make algal concentrates very attractive to hatchery operators.

Discussion Anectodal evidence suggests that Zoea 2 Syndrome commonly experienced in many hatcheries is nutritional in origin but complicated by secondary invasion by bacteria or viruses (Li. Pers. Comm.). This study, in which no outbreak was experienced in the test groups, would tend to support that premise. The nutritional profile of a multialgal species diet will be more complete

than a single species diet and this will aid in the protection of target animals.

The improved water quality using concentrates may simply be a function of improved shrimp larval health leading to improved vigour and appetite; it was noted feed consumption rates were higher but were non-detrimental to the larval environment. In such an environment and with a much more complete, nutritionally balanced dietary regimen, it is not surprising that survival, growth, feed intake and resistance to stress are all significantly improved.

The developmental and structural advantages seen in the harvested postlarvae are of considerable interest to grow out farmers. In Plate 1 an examination of the carapace by SEM reveals the carapace to be thin and pliable, and therefore more prone to damage. By contrast, the carapace of animals fed on concentrate appears much denser and stronger, and would therefore be capable of resisting much more handling stress. Such considerations are of vital importance to farmers.

Even in the case of the compound eye, the eye seems incomplete in the controls (Plate 3) and this will of course impact on feeding behavior. It seems in general the concentrate fed animals are more developed than controls (Plate 4) and therefore more suited to the rigours of pond life.

Advantages are therefore not restricted to simple survival and growth; there are many subtle advantages that may escape direct attention but become evident on deeper study.

This developmental advantage is also observed in trials with concentrates in the nutrition of larval fish. In a recent study on larval sea bass (Lates calcarifer) apart from the advantages in terms of survival and growth, significant developmental acceleration was observed in development of dentition (Plate 5), taste bud (Plate 6) and buccal microbial flora (Plate 7).

When factors such as ease of storage, ease of use, nutritional consistency, absence of potential pathogens, reduced labour cost and freeing of tank space are considered alongside the aforementioned performance superiority, the future of algal concentrates as a significant tool in hatchery culture seems secure.

Acknowledgements The author would like to thank all concerned for their support during the development of the products and those involved in the demonstration of the product performance.

32 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED

2011-12

NutriAd International Nutri-Ad is a global prime supplier of specialty feed additives and ingredients based on state-of-the-art production technologies, flexible customer services, and continuous product development.

Nutri-Ad’s Aquaculture Feed Additives Division works side-by-side with aquaculture feed producers and integrated aquaculture operations to allow them to reach better profitability, sustainability and product quality for the consumer. Nutriad’s team of aquafeed experts has over a decade of industrial experience in formulation and processing of aqua feed for different species and farming conditions. Continued research and development in specialized aquaculture test centers and in collaboration with aquaculture producers has resulted in a diversified product portfolio organized under five programs: (1) Performance Enhancement, covers key issues such as the replacement of marine ingredients, maximizing feed cost efficiency by optimizing feed conversion and minimizing harmful waste effects in the environment; (2) Health and Well-being, centers around supporting good health condition in animals through reliable immunostimulants, anti-microbials,

Rising feed cost

Escalating fish meal price

Opportunistic diseases

Environmental impact

Low Shrimp & fish prices

Tired of hearing only bad news?

Feed is the main cost in most aquaculture operations … and the most difficult one to reduce when ingredient prices are rising …

AQUAGEST® maximizes digestibility and feed utilization efficiency AQUABITE® enhances palatability and appetite SANACORE® GM improves growth and productivity by promoting a healthy gut microflora

applying nature for a healthy and sustainable future

anti-parasitics, ammonium binders, and key vitamins; (3) Preservation and Stabilization, provides feed additives for avoiding spoilage of ingredients and finished feeds; (4) Feed & Food Safety for prevention of harmful effects developed by micro-organisms and toxins; (5) Sensory Improvement, for improving physical characteristics of aquafeed including water stability, smell and color.

Specialized product lines for aquaculture include: AQUAGEST®: Improves digestibility and feed efficiency AQUABITE®: Enhances palatability and appetite SANACORE®: Promotes growth and productivity by maintaining a healthy gut microflora AQUASTIM®: Immunomodulators to stimulate the non-specific immune defenses APEX® Aqua: Natural phytogenic complex with broad spectrum antimicrobial/antiparasitic activities NUTRI-BIND: Low inclusion binders with proven pellet quality.

www.nutriad.net

info.aqua@nutriad.net www.nutriad.net

Wynveen International BV Wynveen International BV is a Dutch based producer of a high professional range of machines for production of fish feed, pet food and animal feed. Our versatility in feed processing allows us to advise and recommend the correct solution for your applications. From raw material processing, mixing and extruding/pelleting to drying.

Our dual approach of being both a machine manufacturer and/or a turn key supplier, enables us to provide our customers with a wide product range and the solution(s) they need. We deliver hammer mills, cryloc sifters, mixers, coaters, dosing systems (micro, midi and intake), all kinds of conveying equipment and complete pellet/ cooling/drying lines. Beside delivery of our equipment we also install it on site making use of a broad team of highly skilled and experienced supervisors.

Your partner in technology, equipment and plants for animal- and aqua feed and petfood.

Wynveen for: • Dosing and weighing of

Within our organisation we facilitate our projects with an experienced engineering staff, working with both 2D and 3D designs.

Whether it is a sole engineering job or a complete feed mill design, our expertise

raw materials • Grinding and mixing • Pelleting lines • Extrusion lines • Finished product handling Wynveen International b.v.

Postbox 38 6666 ZG Heteren The Netherlands

Tel : +31 (0)26 479 06 99 Fax : +31 (0)26 479 06 98 info@wynveen.com www.wynveen.com

will serve you to the best. Our production facilities make use of latest technologies to ensure high quality finish, to suit the demands in aqua feed industry. These are a.o. dust tightness, pellet friendly and yet high capacity.

Reflection of 2011: Wynveen International BV has successfully completed their new premises. By doubling her offices and production floor, Wynveen International BV is ready to meet the new challenges in the future. With our international approach, we look forward to present to you our possibilities on a word wide level. Of course you are also most welcome to visit us.

Thoughts for 2012: Wynveen International BV is looking forward to launch new innovative and cost effective products for the aquaculture and livestock industry. Hereby we focus on an improved Hammer mill to meet higher capacities combined with fine grinding and to a new coater design with bomb doors suitable to stand vacuum without making use of an under hopper.

www.wynveen.com

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 33

Biomin BIOMIN, a leading company focusing on Health in Animal Nutrition, develops and produces feed additives, premixes and services to improve animal health and performance, in an economically viable way. Leveraging on the latest technologies and extensive R&D programs, BIOMIN offers sustainable quality products which include solutions for mycotoxin risk management, a groundbreaking natural growth promoting concept as well as other specific solutions which address dietary requirements for aquaculture.

Mycofix® the solution for mycotoxin risk management The Mycofix® product line represents specially developed feed additives that protect animals by deactivation of mycotoxins. Its modular system consists of three strategies: Adsorption, Biotransformation and Bioprotection

Established solutions:

Biomin® P.E.P. , phytogenics for improving digestion & feed conversion.

• Mycotoxin Risk Management (Mycofix®) • Probiotics (AquaStar®) • Phytogenics (Biomin® P.E.P.) • Acidifiers (Biotronic®)

Biomin® P.E.P. is a synergistic formula, made with a unique blend of essential oils and prebiotics to maintain a healthy gut microflora. It supports digestion and improves

Biotronic®, the acid spice for fish feed.

Biotronic® is a line of products that include a powerful combination of organic acid and salts on a Sequential Release Medium (SRM). Biotronic® assures a complete and balanced acidification, thereby improving feed conversion and reducing mortality.

AquaStar®, high performance probiotic strains to enhance gut and pond environment.

Multiple bacteria strains, well adapted to the aquatic environment, were carefully selected due to their superior probiotic and biodegrading features.

AquaStar® stabilizes water quality and supports gut health of fish and shrimp, thereby improving performance and efficiency in production.

aqua.biomin.net

www.biomin.net

Ad_IAF_CIL_10_2011.indd 1

feed conversion. The Biomin® P.E.P. line has a specific formulation for fish and shrimps that improves performing production.

28.10.11 10:56

Bühler Aqua feed Whether for fish or crustaceans, whether sinking or floating feeds – for every aqua feed product Bühler offers the perfect solution from raw material processing, mixing and extruding to drying. Process expertise combined with cutting edge technology solutions guarantees a cost- and energy-efficient process solution from stand-alone machines to complete plants.

Fatten up your bottom line. Bühler high-performance animal and aqua feed production systems are used by leading companies around the world. These producers know they can rely not just on the technology itself, but also on the support that accompanies it. A service combining local presence with global expertise both lowers feed mill operating costs and increases capacity utilization. To find out more, visit www.buhlergroup.com

Innovation Our innovation is based on the art of engineering. Yet innovation can occur in every job, everywhere around the world. In this connection, the issue of job rotation is very important to Bühler. Exchanging ideas and experiences among different cultures and work styles is a must today.

Company Profiles 2011-12

Bühler AG, Feed & Biomass, CH-9240 Uzwil, Switzerland, T +41 71 955 11 11, F +41 71 955 28 96 fu.buz@buhlergroup.com, www.buhlergroup.com

road everyday in the different markets. Bühler reacted early to the need of offering local adapted solutions, especially for the emerging countries. We have built new plants and expertise in China, in India, in South America and in South Africa to engineer and produce solutions adapted to local needs and requirements.

Quality leadership This attribute is manifested in quantifiable and transparent quality targets which are defined in an open dialog with our customers so that promised performance is achieved and the edge in confidence can be further increased.

Global reach Bühler has been a global player for many decades, with a multicultural team and a local presence extending across all the major markets of the world. Our service organizations have more than 1,000 people on the Innovations for a better world.

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28.07.2011 12:23:44

www.buhlergroup.com

34 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

Chemoforma Chemoforma is a Swiss based producer of a unique range of innovative and pioneering feed supplements for aquaculture. All supplements are: • maintaining general health • enhancing development of young animals • managing the deleterious effects of stress • improving performance as well as productivity Upon challenging situations during rearing or growth of fish and crustaceans the demand for specific nutrients is drastically increased. Besides basic as well as essential nutrients sufficient amounts of the conditionally essential nucleotides must be available for physiological processes either requiring active multiplication of cells or involved in e.g. the repair of damaged cells or tissues. This increased demand for nucleotides is ensured by the addition of Chemoforma’s unique formulations of natural active ingredients. The benefits are achieved by providing basic components for physiological processes that otherwise

would be retarded or precluded.

The products of Chemoforma must be regarded as management tools with proven physiological benefits supporting increased performance, development and regeneration as well as facilitating immune response.

They fit into the classification of nutraceuticals and must be considered essential for the development of functional feeds in aquaculture.

Reflection of 2011: Chemoforma has again successfully passed recertification according to GMP+B1 and ISO 9001:2008. The development of new products was initiated and appropriate trials are going on at the moment.

Thoughts for 2012: For 2012 CHEMOFORMA is focusing on the extension of the worldwide network of distributors spreading the benefits of natural enhancement of performance and disease control as well as the usage of functional feeds in animal production to fulfil the consumer’s demand for high quality animal products without potentially harmful residues. Chemoforma is looking forward to launch new and cost effective products for livestock industry and aquaculture.

www.chemoforma.com Lallemand Lallemand range of science-based, fieldapproved solutions for sustainable aquaculture.

Your natural partner for aquaculture We offer a range of innovative microbial-based solutions for sustainable aquaculture:

Probiotics

Yeast Mannan-Oligosaccharides (MOS)

Purified Nucleotides

Lallemand Animal Nutrition- 19, rue des Briquetiers BP 59 31702 Blagnac Cedex − France e-mail: aqua@lallemand.com Tel.: +33 (0)5 62 74 5555 Fax:+33 (0)5 62 74 5500

www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com

Lallemand Animal Nutrition has developed a range of microbial-based nutritional solutions to support performance and health of aquatic species in a natural way. Lallemand’s aquaculture solutions are based on specific yeast and bacteria strains grown in the company’s own production plants. Each product’s origin, safety and concentration are guaranteed.

Development and validation of our products are based on scientific research and performance trials conducted in partnership with leading international research centres, universities and commercial firms around the world:

Alkosel®, a yeast product containing elevated levels of selenomethionine, the highest bioavailable form of selenium. Alkosel is recommended as a source of natural selenium for fish and shrimp production.

Bactocell® (live bacteria strain Pediococcus acidilactici CNCM MA18/5M), the first probiotic strain authorised for use in aquaculture in the European Union. Performance trials have proven beneficial effects in terms of growth enhancement, feed utilisation, and improved resistance under challenging conditions in salmonids, shrimps and other marine fishes.

Laltide® is a combination of available nucleotides specifically formulated for aquaculture applications, and particularly recommended during periods of intense metabolic needs.

Agrimos®, a concentrated source of yeast cell wall mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) obtained through a specific production process guarantying its purity and consistent quality, and one of the highest MOS concentrations on the market.

Levucell® SB, a probiotic yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii

www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 35

Company Profiles 2011-12

Selenium Enriched Yeast

CNCM 1079). Its modes of action in the gut are well understood, creating a real “shield effect”, reinforcing the microbial ecosystem and protecting the digestive tract. Levucell SB is also a source of beneficial nutrients particularly useful to promote the growth of certain aquaculture species.

Meriden Animal Health Meriden Animal Health is a UK company that specialises in safe, natural feed products for livestock and aquaculture producers worldwide.

Animal Health Worldwide: Meriden Animal Health recognises that, in general terms, despite the similarity of the problems faced by intensive livestock & aquaculture producers, factors such as environmental and climatic conditions create specific problems and requirements in each market.

Meriden has structured its operations in pursuit of providing solutions to the problems wherever they occur.

100% Natural products…

Improves FCR Boosts immunity Increases bodyweight gain = Higher returns An exclusive product range which mirrors optimal larval diets encountered in the wild. for more information,visit:

…that make economic sense

www.meriden-ah.com

Quality: Meriden Animal Health’s principal production site is GMP licensed and its whole system is set up to adhere to the principle of total quality. Meriden ensures that all its products are produced from the finest ingredients.

This, together with careful quality control of finished products, is intended to make the

Aquaculture: Meriden’s 100% natural feed additive Orego-Stim® AQUATRACT products are ideal for use in aquaculture, especially if you are looking to boost immunity, increase bodyweight gain and improve liveability and FCR rates.

PHYCONOMIX is a range of 100% natural algae based products manufactured as a precision mixture engineered to fulfill the nutritional requirements of growing shrimp and fish larvae.

Meriden has combined its manufacturing skills and highly extensive research to develop this exclusive innovative range of ready to use algae products. All PHYCONOMIX products are a unique combination of natural uni-cellular algae, is designed to fulfil the nutritional needs of growing Zoea and Mysis stages of Penaeid shrimp, Crab, Marine and Freshwater Fish.

10/28/11 10:58 AM

Aquativ Aquativ is the international specialist of the conception, manufacturing and sales of functional hydrolysates dedicated to fish and shrimp feed.

A strong expertise in the fields of hydrolysis and nutrition together with a unique international sales and production network allow Aquativ to provide feed manufacturers with competitive and local products under its commercial brand ACTIPALTM. Aquativ functional hydrolysates have three essential attributes generating aquafeed performance improvement thus farming productivity enhancement:

FOR FISHMEAL REPLACEMENT

Palatable: functional hydrolysates are naturally attractant and allow feed intake increase Nutritional: functional hydrolysates contain nutritional elements easily assimilated by the animal improving FCR Functional: functional hydrolysates stimulate the animal growth mechanisms increasing biomass production

FRANCE / 00 33 2 97 40 42 09

Company Profiles 2011-12

Technical Support: Meriden’s technical team embrace the varied disciplines applicable to animal health. Their combined knowledge, hands-on experience and training provide Meriden’s customers with a superb technical back-up service that takes into account the commercial considerations of the livestock & aquaculture producers.

www.meriden-ah.com

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Functional Hydrolysates for Aqua Feed

The superior performance of ACTIPALTM range of functional hydrolysates is principally due to their high content of Natural Active NutrientsTM (NAN) which boosts animal growth.

These NAN are low molecular weight active compounds mainly composed of active peptides, amino acids and nucleotides, generated through a smooth hydrolysis process that avoids protein denaturation and preserves the raw material complete and balanced nutritional profile.

Aquativ functional hydrolysates can be used: • To increase Natural Active NutrientsTM level in the feed formula • To boost feed performance • To offset fishmeal quality variation • In substitution for fish meal • To restore an efficient Natural Active NutrientsTM level • To maintain feed performance In addition to the palatable and nutritional properties of the functional hydrolysates that allow feed manufacturers to decrease fish meal inclusion in feed and farmers to reduce feed waste while limiting water pollution, Aquativ exclusively based its raw material strategy on the valorisation of co-products coming from aquaculture and fishing in order not to impact scarce resources.

Aquativ functional hydrolysates improve aquafeed performance while supporting a sustainable growth of aquaculture.

www.aquativ-diana.com

Contact us at : +33 2 97 93 89 36 contact@aquativ-diana.com

www.aquativ-diana.com

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Meriden brands synonymous with quality all around the world.

16/08/10 16:44

36 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

Yara Animal Nutrition, Sweden Supporting sustainable enabling growth

aquaculture,

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production system in the world and it places high demands on sustainability and safety. Meet these challenges and capitalize on growth opportunities with our BOLIFOR® products for sustainable aquaculture.

• Our BOLIFOR® AQUA, BOLIFOR® MSP and BOLIFOR® MCP feed phosphates ensure the highest available phosphate sources for aquaculture diets with the highest biological digestibility.

This lets you accurately meet, without exceeding, the requirements of fish and shrimp – minimizing excretion of excess phosphorous into the water environment, and reducing feed supplement cost and environmental impact.

• Our BOLIFOR® FA 2300S is the optimal feed acidifier, consisting of a unique formula of organic acids precisely encapsulated by a carrier of Diatomaceous Earth and protected by a sorbic acid coating. Developed by a dedicated team of chemists and

nutritionists, this patented system acts as an excellent feed preservative and promotes better overall animal health and performance.

Yara international ASA is the world´s leading chemical company in converting energy, natural minerals and nitrogen from air into essential products for farmers and industrial customers. Yara Feed Phosphates, a division of Yara International ASA since 2007, produces and sells inorganic feed phosphates under the BOLIFOR® trademark.

Global sales presence: Yara´s complete, world-class global sales, sourcing and distribution network enable us to create sustainable solutions for your business and to capitalize on the future together.

Business model: Our self-sufficient business model, with our fully integrated mine-tomarket concept, enables reliable availability and outstanding quality control.

Quality: Yara´s mining operation in Finland makes Yara Feed Phosphates the most reliable supplier in market and guarantees a final product with the lowest content of undesirable elements available on the market.

www.yara.com Evonik Industries Evonik Industries is the only company in the world to produce and market all four important amino acids for the advanced animal nutrition: MetAMINO® (Dl-methionine), Biolys (L-lysine), ThreAMINO ® (L-threonine) and TrypAMINO ® (L-tryptophan).

MetAMINO® is DL-methionine manufactured at purity levels exceeding 99 % and plays a central role in ensuring balanced nutrition and optimum growth of poultry, swine and various aqua cultured fishes and shrimps.

feed-additives@evonik.com www.evonik.com/feed-additives

Choosing the right nutrients for your aquafeed

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MetAMINO ® for aquaculture allows for reducing aqua feed costs by providing better options to balance the amino acid composition of pure vegetable and fishmeal containing

Due to its low water solubility, risk of leaching is minimized, particularly in comparison to competitor products.

Particle size distribution ensures homogenous mixability in aquafeed and high availability to fish and shrimp confirmed by growth responses in various aquatic species.

In over 100 countries of the world the company delivers innovative services and products, and contributes to customers’ profitability while enabling healthy and environmentally friendly animal nutrition.

www.evonik.com/feed-additives 25.10.11 15:35

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 37

Company Profiles 2011-12

Amino acids

aqua diets. While reduced nitrogen pollution will be a considerable contribution for environmental protection, an optimized diet will reveal better growth and feed efficiency.

Sonac: Improvement by nature

Natural ingredients for aqua feed

Sonac is a leading producer of reliable ingredients of animal origin. Thanks to an active R&D programme, reliable processes and sustainable products, Sonac continuously responds to the changing market needs. By helping in improving recipes, techniques and processes, Sonac adds value in every case. A good geographical spread in locations and a wide range of fats, proteins, minerals and specialties make Sonac a partner for many international producers of medicines, food, pet food, compound feed and fertilizers, worldwide.

Improvement by nature

• Pro-Bind Plus a nutritional, gelatin based pellet binder, especially for pelleted (shrimp) feed.

• Blood meal a fish meal alternative, especially for carnivorous fish species.

• Muco-Pro® high contents of natural proteins, amino acids and peptides.

• Hemoglobin Powder high protein content and good digestibility, for better feed conversion.

Natural ingredients for aqua feed

Whether you’re looking for a natural EU and USDA approved pellet binder for your production of stable pellets or nature’s best alternatives for fish meal, you can contact Sonac. Sonac produces valuable and essential ingredients for the production of aqua feed.

• Pro-Bind Plus a nutritional, gelatin based pellet binder, especially for pelleted (shrimp) feed.

• Blood meal a fish meal alternative, especially for carnivorous fish species.

• Muco-Pro® high contents of natural proteins, amino acids and peptides.

• Hemoglobin Powder high protein content and good digestibility, for better feed conversion.

Whether you’re looking for a natural EU and USDA approved pellet binder for your production of stable pellets or nature’s best alternatives for fish meal, you can contact Sonac. Sonac produces valuable and essential ingredients for the production of aqua feed.

www.sonac.biz Wenger

Company Profiles 2011-12

Wenger_AQ11_58x90mm

10/26/11

Multiply extrusion capacities for small diameter aquatic feeds with patented new Wenger technology.

Always Changing To Meet Customer Needs Back in 1935, when Wenger was established as a local manufacturer of mixers and feed milling machinery, the 10:42 AMcompany’s Page 1 main objective was to add value and palatability to low-quality feed.

Today, as the world’s leading supplier of aquatic and pet food processing systems, Wenger is helping customers meet a new, more-timely list of objectives, like increasing production rates, lowering energy costs and expanding viable recipe options. In 2010 alone, Wenger introduced 23 new innovations and was issued 11 new patents in response to rapidly changing needs in the industry.

Innovative designs Available in both single screw and twin screw configurations, Wenger extruders boast capacities as high as 22 tonne/hour. Two new innovations - Wenger diverging cone screws and oblique die technologies - make extrusion the superior choice for production of even high capacity micro aquatic feeds.

Knowledge, research, training and sup-

port Wenger customers have access to the 2,500-square-meter Wenger Technical Center for testing ideas and formulas.

Wenger technical support also includes pre- and post-installation engineering assistance, operator training and on-site attention to quality control and operational needs.

Extensive inventories of replacement parts are maintained for prompt shipment to customers. Service after the sale is standard with Wenger products.

Operating around the globe Wenger engineering, manufacturing, research and administrative facilities are located at the company’s Sabetha, Kansas, USA headquarters. Plus, Wenger extension research sites are available at a number of universities and research centers around the world. Sales and service is available through Wenger offices in Kansas City, Missouri; U.K.; Taiwan; Brazil; Belgium, and China, as well as independent agents in strategic locations around the world. In fact, Wenger serves producers of hundreds of different agri-food products in more than 90 countries.

Inventing the new original since 1935.

WENGER.COM

785-284-2133

www.wenger.com 38 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

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Swivel Valve Cooler MkII No hollow spaces | No cross contamination Excellent cleaning access | Filtered air inlet Temperature control | Moisture control | Cleaning in Place

cool and dry

clean and lean

Geelen Counterflow

info@geelencounterflow.com

Holland / USA / Argentina / China

www.geelencounterflow.com T +31-475-592315

Feed Management

COPPER ALLOY MESH

Copper alloy mesh cage sustaining the world’s marine aquaculture

G

iven that supply of natural resources in the oceans is under increasing pressure, the marine aquaculture industry is growing and looks set to overtake traditional fishing industry as a major source of edible seafood.

In Europe, Asia and Latin America the emphasis is on transforming the current industry into a sustainable industry.

In fact, China has become the only country in the world whose aquaculture production volume exceeds that from traditional fishing. The country’s annual output for aquaculture constitutes as much as 20 percent of global production output.

However, owning to constraints placed by out-of-date aquaculture technologies and facilities, as well as a series of unfavorable natural environmental conditions, China’s marine aquaculture faces challenges with respect to ensuring the adequate supply of healthy and high-quality aquaculture products.

Given this background, International Copper Association China (ICA) and the European Copper Institute (ECI) are introducing copper alloy mesh into China, and respectively Europe, following its great success in introducing the new technology into Chile Salmon farming to contribute to the sustainable development of the world marine aquaculture.

The blue revolution In China, a trial targets improving the professional standards of China’s agricultural

Pseudoscisena crocea otakii

Sebastodes fuscescens

technology and fostering a ‘Blue Revolution’ for Chinese food production, through meeting Chinese’s growing needs for protein.

This trial kicked off through a partnership with the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, a subsidiary organization of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences and ICA. They jointly embarked on a research project, evaluating the effectiveness and potential to introduce copper alloy mesh into China’s marine aquaculture, as well as exploring innovations to adapt this technology to the marine environment of China.

During the past two years, this project has initiated a series of R&D efforts, focusing on verification, design, production and trial run of copper alloy mesh cages tailor made for Chinese local marine environment.

To-date 10 pilot cages have been successfully placed in Dalian, Weihai, Taizhou and Fangchenggang for testing and on-going research. The types of fish bred in these cages include large yellow croaker, black rockfish, bass and greenling, etc.

Along with this trial, ICA and ECI also rolled out a series of promotional activities, to educate Chinese and European stakeholders and audiences on the benefits of adopting copper alloy mesh.

"It’s an exciting time for this proven product, we are seeing increasing inter-

Hexagrammos

Lateolabrax japonicus

est in copper alloy cages resulting in significant sales in several parts of the world and important trials in areas where we are rolling out the experience” says Nigel Cotton of ECI. “Forward thinking companies see the need for consolidation of their resources to gain efficiencies, leading to larger cages, the need for better security from predicators, escapes and better stock keeping”

40 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

In September of 2011, International Copper Association (ICA) joined efforts with the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute (ECSFRI), to demonstrate the significant outcome of introducing copper alloy mesh into China’s marine aquaculture through their partnership at the Fuzhou Strait Fishery Expo, one of the most influential fishery trade events in China

The European Copper Institute (ECI) attended AquaNor 2011, in Trondheim, Norway. ECI demonstrated copper alloys for use in both near and offshore marine aquaculture enclosures at Booth C-226, “Copper Alloys in Marine Aquaculture: Increasing Productivity, Sustaining the Future”.

The exhibit highlighted the use of various forms of copper alloys and provided scientific evidence that copper alloys nets in marine aquaculture help improve fish health and production, prevent predator attacks and escapes, maintain cage volumes and minimize maintenance costs and efforts.

Copper alloy mesh technology began in 1975 with small salmon farming enclosures in Northeastern USA. Since then, alloy technology has evolved and now is being successfully used in Japan, Australia and Chile, providing productive and sustainable solutions for fish farmers. Development of future applications and trials of improved copper alloy materials, mesh forms, and aquaculture system configurations are underway with a variety of species in China, Korea, Panama, Turkey, South Africa, and the United States.

“Copper alloy mesh cages have improved the sanitary conditions, productivity and sustainability of operations for aquaculture farmers raising salmon, trout and many other species for years,” said Nigel Cotton of the European Copper Institute.

In August 2011, ECI presented the copper alloy cage solution at AquaNor and presented a trial case deployed in Turkey over the summer. In September of 2011, ICA joined efforts with the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute to demonstrate the significant outcome of the their trial project at the 11th Five-year National Fishery Technological Innovation Exhibition, a major activity of the Strait Fishery Expo, one of the most influential fishery trade event in China.

These activities significantly raised awareness of copper alloy mesh in the

marine aquaculture industry, which opened up a favorable condition for further exploring the potential of this technology in Europe and China.

More

information:

Irina Dumitrescu European Copper Institute Avenue de Tervueren 168 - box 10 Brussels, B-1150 Belgium Tel: +32 2 7777082 Email: id@eurocopper.org Website: www.eurocopper.org Website: www.aquaculture.org

VIV/ ILDEX India 2012 February 22 - 24, 2012

Register now fo r free entrance!

Special theme

Feedtech Croptech

www.viv.net Your portal to India’s Feed to Meat trade Bangalore, India

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 41

The dedicated event for the Indian Milling industries

Feed Management Impact of rising feed ingredient prices on aquafeeds and aquaculture production: Coping strategies and management measures to strengthen national capacity to ensure aquafeed supply can be reviewed under government policies, through regional and international organizations and the private sector

by Krishen J Rana, Sunil Siriwardena and Mohammad R Hasan

The fifth article in a series, taken from a new aquaculture book

T

his report provides a brief overview of coping strategies and management measures to strengthen national capacity to address aquafeed supply and to mitigate against rising costs of aquafeed ingredients in terms of policies, research and private sector and farmers’ initiatives.

Government and policies • Research institutes should build ‘institute– industry research partnerships’ with feed manufacturers to improve stability of feeds and to increase dietary nutrient retention • Given the current limited capacities of national, highly decentralised institutions to conduct the necessary research, development of networking between regional and national institutions appears to be essential. Policies to foster collaboration among the various stakeholders must be formulated and nurtured. Collaboration among local and international research centres, universities, non–governmental organisations and the private sector must also be strengthened • Government must formulate policy guidelines that encourage the private sector to participate in research and to build institute–industry partnerships in research. Roles and activities that require public support and those that need to be left to the private sector need to be identified • Research policies in aquaculture must reflect present and future incentives for feed manufacturers and incorporate links to other policies regarding taxes, tariffs

feed manufacturers to compensate for price rises • Other sectoral policies regarding credit and investments continue to play significant roles in promoting the expansion of aquaculture throughout the country.

Credit is still needed to finance differ-

and subsidies. Import tariffs on feed ingredients and on equipment should be reduced or removed to lower the cost of producing fish feeds and to maintain and improve the country’s competitiveness in the world market • Government should grant tax holidays for

Farmer response to rising aquafeed prices As of December 2007, farmers and feed producers in the Mekong (Cuu Long) delta region were faced with serious losses as the price of fish feed continued to rocket.

The director of a domestic feed-producing company said that the crux of the problem was the rising costs of raw materials such as bran, soybean residue and saltwater fish.

“They are becoming just too expensive, especially imported material. Producers in the region are looking for replacements but it’s a challenge to find products with a high enough protein content,” he said.

During November 2007, the prices of basic ingredients increased by 30 percent, pushing up the cost of feed by VND13,000-VND13,500 per kg (US$0.620.65/kg).

For fish farmer Le Thi Thu from Tan Khanh Trung village in Dong Thap Province, the accelerating prices had a huge impact on her spending, as she needed at least three tonnes of feed per day to maintain her two ponds.

“It means I have to spend an additional VND1.8 million (US$86.50) per day if I want to buy my favourite brand Pro Conco,” she said.

Things were just as bad in the neighbouring provinces of An Giang and Can Tho, where fish farmer Nguyen Thi Tien in Thot Not District, Can Tho, complained.

“With the current price of feed, my family has to spend about VND120 million (US$5760) extra to maintain our pond, which is capable of producing 100 tonnes of fish.”

Many farmers were reduced to taking out high-interest bank loans to cope with the crisis, while others were turning to home-produced feed. One fish farmer in Chau Phu District, An Giang Province, said he invested VND500 million (US$24,000) in setting up a feed production-line and was reaping the rewards.

“I can make as much as I want when I want,” he said.

Experienced farmer Sau Huu, from Thot Not District, said he heads to border areas to barter for cheaper materials. Being the owner of a pond capable of producing 8000 tonnes of catfish a day, his needs were great.

“I go to the border area near Cambodia to buy soybean residue and place orders with domestic seapor ts to get cheaper seafish,” he said.

42 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

1-4 2 01M 1-4 May 2 Melbo ne MelbourConven ion & ConventExhibit Cen Exhibition 1- 4 May 2012 Victori ust A Melbourne Victoria,

Convention & Exhibition Centre

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Victoria Australia

The private sector

The full publication can be found at: http://www. fao.org/ docrep/012/ i1143e/ i1143e00.htm

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 43

Hosted by

Naming Rights Sponsor 1- 4 May 2012

Sponsored by

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Victoria, Australia

e: sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org.au // m: +61 437 152 234

• The private sector should establish small-scale feed producers/manufacturers’ associations catering to farm clusters and the concurrent organisation of clusters of small farmers in aquaclubs and/or farmers’ associations • To reduce production costs, farmers should conduct a technical audit to optimise feed management techniques – the selection of appropriate feed, (for example, extruded vs. sinking pellet), quantity of feed used and feeding methods (for example, increasing feeding frequency) • To reduce production costs further, farmers should minimise other operating costs • The private sector should improve natural productivity (for example, the use of fertilizers) in the relevant production systems to offset costly micronutrients and, therefore, feed costs

4 m: +61 437 2 23234 7 15152 m: +61 43

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1- 4 May 2012

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’ y e a r s

u ture.org.a

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n e x t

y e a r s ’

e: sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org.au // m: +61 437 152 234

t e n

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‘ t h e

n e x t

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• Research to replace proteins and lipids with alternate plant sources, and to produce nutritionally balanced diets in a cost effective manner needs to be coordinated at a regional and international level • Promotion of low polluting feeds such as low phosphorus diets, improvement of food conversion ratios (FCRs) and reduction of nutrient release to the ecosystem should be given higher priority • There is a knowledge gap about the dietary requirements of many commercially important cultured species which is evidenced by fish feeds which lack the balanced nutrient regime required by target species and may well inadvertently increase feed costs • Solutions to fishmeal substitution are multifaceted. Recently, microbial and algal species have provided new innovative

‘ t h e

e: sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org.au // m: +61 437 152 234

Regional/international organisation

sources of proteins and land-based animal by-products are being investigated.

Research on these new protein sources needs to continue with special emphasis on the issue of the cost of manufacturing • To address the critical information gap and to establish networking among the various stakeholders, it would be useful to develop a web–based information network, focusing on aquaculture nutrition and feed resources together with guidelines on how to use and apply the information. The information network would also include analysis of the availability and accessibility of aquaculture feed and feed ingredients and commodity prices as part of a program to understand the impact of soaring feed prices. The database would be linked to the market prices of feed and commodities and would assist the various stakeholders in devising coping strategies under different scenarios and with different options

www.australian-aquacultureportal.com

ent aquaculture activities, including feed manufacturing and feed operation costs of farmers. An appropriate credit program should be devised to serve these functions. While private investment should be encouraged, considerable public investment in infrastructure, capacity building (of farmers and small–scale feed producers) and institutional strengthening are needed to sustain the growth and development of the aquaculture sector • Capacity building of small–scale farmers should particularly be targeted towards improved feed management at the farm level, including selection of appropriate feed, quantity of feed and feeding methods • Water scarcity due to climatic changes has triggered food crisis in many regions of the world and led to recent food shortages and an increase in prices, including prices for ingredients such as grains used in fish feeds. Therefore, agriculture needs to be more efficient to reduce water consumption. Increasing population, pressure on limited land and increasing industrialisation and urbanisation require agriculture to increase productivity and yield. Thus, the key solution is to improve water use ratio and efficiency. Therefore, governments should invest in innovative technologies for water efficient practices in agriculture to face the food crisis. This in turn will benefit the aquaculture feed industry

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44 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

Book review

Nutrition and Fish Health

T

here are two major issues in aquaculture that are important to the success of breeding fish: The health of the species and diet it is fed on and both of these are interrelated. This book covers topics of nutrition and the interrelationship between nutrition and the immune function as well as disease resistance of economically important fish.

Nutrition and Fish Health was published in 2001 and was edited by Dr Chhorn Lim and Dr Carl D Webster. Dr Lim has more than 25-year experience aquaculture nutrition and feed development research. Dr Webster has worked in in aquaculture nutrition and diet development research for more than a decade.

In recent years aquaculture production has increased, and fish have become less dependent on natural food and more dependent on prepared diets. The development of diets at low cost needs to be nutritionally balanced which is critical to the success of the aquaculture industry.

Subjects covered in various chapters are as follows: • Fish diseases • Viruses of Penaeid shrimp • Nutritional strategies affecting the health of marine fish • Nutritional deficiencies in commercial aquaculture • Immunity and disease resistance in fish • Dietary ascorbic acid requirement for growth and health in fish • The role of dietary phosphorus, zinc, and selenium in fish health • Immunostimulants in fish diets • Mycotoxins in fish feeds • Feed alowance and fish health • Modulation of environmental requirements of finfish through nutrition • Vaccines: prevention of diseases in aquatic animals This was the first book of its kind to bring together nutrition and the well-being of aquatic animals and the interrelationship of infectious disease, resistance and the ability of their immune systems to control diseases. For aquaculture and the aquaculture industry this was an extremely important book. A well-written book, that is as important now as when it was first written. It will be a valuable resource and excellent reference for fish nutritionists, fish health specialists and aquaculturists as well as students.

ISBN: 1-56022-887-3

VIV/ ILDEX India 2012 February 22 - 24, 2012 Visit our website n for more informatio

www.viv.net www.ildex.com Your portal to India’s Feed to Meat trade

Special themes

Eggs!

Feedtech Croptech

The dedicated event for the Indian Milling industries

Bangalore, India

November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 45 adv-ildex-india-2012-90x132-V2.indd 1

06-07-11 13:03

Events EVENTS 2011 10th - 12th November 11 * Expo Pesca & AcuiPeru, Jockey Convention Center, Peru Contact: JKUMAR ( J K), 674/6 UE, Karnal, India Tel: +91 9812 390009 Fax: +91 1844 030999 Email: jkumar@thaiscorp.in Web: www.thaiscorp.com

15th - 16th November 11 4th Algae World Asia, Novotel Beijing Xinqiao, Celebrities Hall, 5th Fl, Wing A, Beijing, CHINA Contact: Ms Fu Huiyan, 80 Marine, Parade Road #13-02, Singapore Tel: +65 6345 7322 Fax: +65 6345 5928 Email: huiyan@cmtsp.com.sg Web: www.cmtevents.com

23rd November 11

*

GLOBALG.A.P TOUR2011 – Bangkok Contact: Nina Kretschmer, c/o GLOBALGAP Foodplus GmbH, Spichernstr 55, D-50672 Cologne, Germany Tel: +49 221 57993693 Fax: +49 221 5799389 Email: kretschmer@globalgap.org Web: www.tour2011.org

1st - 2nd December 11

*

5th International Algae Congress, Berlin, Germany Contact: Mrs Paulien Hoftijzer, Stationsplein Noord 4, 3554 AD Woerden, The Netherlands Tel: +31 348 484004 Fax: +31 348 484009 Email: paulien.hoftijzer@dlg-benelux.com Web: www.algaecongress.com

1st - 3rd December 11 IAI Expo, NDRI, Karnal, India Contact: Ms Shweta Baweja, 923, Sector-9, Urban estate, Karnal, India Tel: +91 9991 705009 Fax: +91 1842 231050 Email: iai@pixie.co.in Web: www.iaiexpo.co.in

Events Key: * = See our magazine at this show • = More information available

1st - 4th May 12

EVENTS 2012

*

7th - 9th February 12 EuroKarma 2012, MTPolska Center Ul. Marsa 56 c, 04-242 Warszawa, Poland Contact: Agnieszka Niemczewska, PO BOX 73, 32-332 Bukowno, Poland Tel: +48 514 544048 Email: info@eurokarma.eu Web: www.eurokarma.eu

8th - 9th February 12 Ildex Bangkok, BITEC, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Bangkok, Thailand Contact: Mr. Jobe Smithtun, N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd., (NEO), 60 New Rachadapisek Rd, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 – Thailand Tel: +662 2 293000 Fax: +662 2 293001 Email: info@qsncc.com We:b: www.ildex.com

15th - 17th February 12

*

FIAAP, Victam & GRAPAS Asia 2012, BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand Contact: Andy West, Victam International, P O Box 411, Redhill, RH1 6WE, United Kingdom Tel: + 44 1737 763501 Email: Andrew.west733@ntlworld.com Web: www.victam.com

22nd - 24th February 12 VIV/ILDEX India 2012, BIEC centre, Bangalore, India Contact: Guus van Ham, PO Box 8800, 3503 RV Utrecht, The Netherland Tel: +31 30 2952302 Fax: +31 30 2952809 Email: viv.india@vnuexhibitions.com Web: www.viv.net

28th February 12 - 3rd March 12 Aquaculture America, Las Vegas, USA Contact: John Cooksey, PO Box 2302, Valley Center, CA 92082, USA Tel: +1 760 7515005 Fax: +1 760 7515003 Email: Worldaqua@aol.com Web: www.was.org

*

Skretting Australasian Aquaculture 2012 International Conference and Trade Show, Melbourne Convention Centre, Australia Contact: Sarah-Jane Day, PO Box 370, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, Australia Tel: +61 437 152234 Fax: +61 249 841142 Email: Sarah-jane.day@aquaculture.org,au Web: www.australian-aquacultureportal.com

1st - 5th September 12

13th - 16th November 12

*

EuroTier 2012, Hannover / Germany Contact: Dr Karl Schlösser, DLG, Eschborner Landstrasse 122, 60489 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Tel: +49 6924 788259 Fax: +49 6924 788113 Email: EuroTier@DLG.org Web: www.EuroTier.com

*

Aqua 2012, Prague, Czech Republic Contact: Mr Mario Stael, Marevent, Begijnengracht 40, 9000 Gent, Belgium Tel: +32 9 2334912 Fax: +32 9 2334912 Email: mario.stael@scarlet.be Web: www.marevent.com

IPACK-IMA 2012: no better place to trade IPACK-IMA is the top global exhibition dedicated to the processing, packaging and logistics industry taking place at the Fiera Milano exhibition center in Milan, Italy, from February 28th to March 3rd 2012.

A comprehensive showcase for machinery, technology and materials, which enjoys the support of the Italian Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the UN food agencies, WFP and UNIDO. The 2009 edition featured 1,400 exhibitors and attracted a record 54,000 visitors from 116 countries. For further information visit their website: http://www. ipack-ima.com

VIETSTOCK 2011 Expo & Conference Vietnam's Premier International Feed, Livestock & Meat Industry Show will open IN 2 WEEKS at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City from 9-11 November 2011. See and experience the latest technological advances and products on display by more than 180 exhibiting companies from 23 countries at the VIETSTOCK 2011 Expo, and keep yourself up-to-date in the industry trends by attending the concurrent conferences on Feed, Pig Production, Poultry Production, Aquafeed Conference and Panel Discussion on Animal Health, whereby high level panel speakers from local and foreign will share their expertise and knowledge Make sure you bring along your business card / invitation ticket and proceed to the Registration Counter for Free Passes. See you at VIETSTOCK 2011! For free admission to the Expo, please log in now at www.vietstock.org

22nd - 24th March 12 Ildex Vietnam, The New Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Contact: Mr. Jobe Smithtun, N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd., (NEO), 60 New Rachadapisek Rd, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 – Thailand Tel: +66 22 034241 Fax: +66 22 034250 Email: info@qsncc.com Web: www.ildex.com

46 | International AquaFeed | November-December 2011

The Aquaculturist A regular look inside the aquaculture industry

Hi my name is Martin Little. I am the Aquaculturists, with a background in Marine Zoology and eight years working in the field as a consultant fisheries observer in the North Atlantic, I am now part of International Aquafeed magazine, and as well as my column in the pages of the magazine I will be running an accompanying blog that can be found at http://theaquaculturists.blogspot.com/

I

Also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Aquaculturists

n October we published over 60 news stories that reached our readers immediately after we wrote them through our distribution networks that includes Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. Each month we are finding more and more to write about.

News doesn't happen on the days that suit our magazine's publishing dates, nor do they take account of our postal delivery.Thats why we put insignificant effort into our maintain our blog on a daily basis so that you the reader of IAF, can be kept up to the minute on developments and news that happens in and around our industry no matter where you are. Why not sign up to our news service its free. Why not let us deliver these short news items direct to your business or social website account? Just visit our blog and click the link to sign up. I'm here to keep you informed. I look forward to welcoming you to our service! you can find our blog at http://theaquaculturists. blogspot.com/

http://theaquaculturists.blogspot.com/ November-December 2011 | International AquaFeed | 47

v

In every issue of International Aquafeed we will be providing a list of companies and web links related to key stories & topics within each specific issue.

If you would like information on how your company can get involved, please contact our Marketing Team.

Tel +44 1242 267706

Aerox B.V. = www.aeroxinjector.com

Applied Plasma Physics AS = www.app.no Muyang Group = www.muyang.com Arvotec = www.arvotec.fi Nofima = http://www.nofima.no BENEO-Animal Nutrition = www.BENEO-An.com Norel SA = www.norelnature.com Biomin Holding GmbH = www.biomin.net NOREL&NATURE = www.norel.es Buhler AG = www.buhlergroup.com Nutri-Ad International nv = www.nutriad.net Chemoforma Ltd = www.chemoforma.com Ottevanger Milling Engineers B.V. = www.ottevanger. com Dishman Netherlands B.V = www.dishman-netherlands.com Rubinum SA = www.rubinum.es European Copper Institute = www.eurocopper.org sonac = www.sonac.biz Evonik Degussa GmbH = www.evonik.de SPF (activite Aquativ) = www.aquativ-diana.com Extru-Tech = www.extru-techinc.com Tapco Inc = www.tapcoinc.com Extru-Tech Inc = www.extru-techinc.com University of Life Sciences in Lublin = Geelen Counterflow = www.geelencounterflow.com Wenger Manufacturing Inc. = www.wenger.com GePro Gefluegel Protein Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG = www.ge-pro.de

Lallemand Animal Nutrition = www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com

Meriden Animal Health Ltd = www.meriden-ah.com

Wynveen International B.V. = www.wynveen.com

Yara Helsingborg AB = www.yara.com

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