SEP 2021 - International Aquafeed magazine by Perendale Publishers Ltd

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

LATAM FOCUS

- Imported tilapia in Mexico, finding a solution to an old problem - Supply problems during a pandemic - Growing with Ecuador's shrimp industry

International Aquafeed - Volume 24 - Issue 09 - September 2021

- Alternative and functional proteins - European seabass: Improving gut health with enzymatically processed soy - An assessment of the efficacy of different commercial sources of supplemental methionine over the growth performance of young whiteleg shrimp

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September 2021

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WELCOME

This month I had the opportunity to have a chat with our new General Manager - LATAM, Clarissa Garza de Yta, to discuss her goals and objectives now that she has taken over from the incumbent Ivan Marquetti, who has served the magazine well for over the past 15 years.

of our Fish Farming Technology magazine sector, looks at the development of the AquaNor 2021 event in Trondheim, Norway, which took place in August to a hybrid online and in-person audience to much acclaim. Our Spanish-language edition editor, Dr Antonio Garza de Yta (yes, the husband of Clarissa Garza de Yta), on page 6 discusses the Mrs Garza de Yta goes over her aspirations malpractice of ‘glazing’ whereby ice is added for International Aquafeed and Fish Farming to the weight of fish sold to consumers. This Technology on page 8 and highlights some Roger Gilbert is an issue that confronts the industry, and also interesting objectives. Publisher – International Aquafeed involves the capture fisheries industry as well, What strikes me is her desire to gain greater and Fish Farming Technology and needs to be resolved if we are to convince recognition for aquaculture - and those operating consumers to support and continue to value our within it - within the LATAM region, so that it can products as important dietary considerations. Dr Garza de Yta has some make a contribution and be recognised as a unique region for both fresh important observations to add. water and marine production of farmed fish. Dr Thierry Chopin, our regular columnist from the University of New Not every country in Latin America is like Equador, which has Brunswick in Canada, has once again delivered a thought-provoking a significantly developed shrimp production industry and export and insightful look at how the value of seaweeds is often hyped beyond businesses. Most countries in the region are growing their aquaculture expectations when we are faced with crises. production to meet local demand for farmed fish and like elsewhere in He also points to some examples where this has happened in the past the world, farmed fish is being recognised as a valuable source of highand encourages us to look at the science surrounding seaweeds, so that quality protein foodstuffs. we maintain continuity in their research and development to fulfil our That point is made very clearly by Pedro Encarnação, who worked more realistic expectations, without misinforming the wider population. for Jerónimo Martins Agri-Business as its Aquaculture Director, when Overall, this is an edition with a firm focus on Latin America, which he talks of the development of the group’s expansion into the supply of not only highlights our new regional Managing Director but also focuses farmed fish products in The Interview on page 64. on shrimp production in the region. Please look out for the five features Talking of interviews, please don’t miss Mrs Garza de Yta’s first focusing on this valuable farmed species and the articles that deal with interview at last month’s World Aquaculture Society meeting in San several aspects of its production under various farming regimes. Antonio, Texas where she represented the magazine for the first time. This is an exciting edition, reporting on two or more exhibitions which That interview with the organisers of the conference/exposition can be have taken place in recent weeks and which signpost a way forward to found on our website at: https://bit.ly/WASClarissa a more normal business future, as we come to terms with the Covid-19 virus, and how we can move about safely, minimising health risks while What else is in this issue? engaging with those that can help us develop our businesses. Our three Editors tackle totally different topics this month, with Finally, don’t forget you can secure your personal copy of International Professor Davies concentrating on the development of China both at Aquafeed-Fish Farming Technology magazine by using the QR codes home, abroad and in space - linking these developments to the UN’s 17 on our App Advertisement page at the back of this edition. Thank you major sustainability development goals. Meanwhile, Eric Hempel of the Nor-Fishing Foundation and the editor for supporting the work our team continues to do for the industry.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

PROTEINS: Alternative and functional proteins - page 16

Feed block technology - page 42

AQUACULTURE

The Aquaculture case study

Achieving consistency and sustainability in aquaculture production - page 24

European cuttlefish A potential species for aquaculture - what we know so far - page 48 www.aquafeed.co.uk

NUTRITION & HEALTH We have seen the Olympic Games end successfully in Tokyo and great successes for medals for many nations, despite the serious pandemic situation. Countries and regions have pulled together to overcome obstacles showing the power of the human spirit.

for drastic rises in sea level and erosion of our coastal areas and extreme weather patterns. Another pressure would be our feed resources such as the production of fishmeal, cultivation of important plant crops like soybean, corn, pulses and grains. For diets used for fish and shrimp we need a reliable and uniformly high quality supply chain from distant parts of the globe and appropriate energy efficient transport mechanisms.

I was enthralled by the aquatic centre and the Professor Simon Davies tremendous skills of the Chinese in swimming Nutrition Editor, International Aquafeed and especially the diving competitions. Anything to do with water is so attractive and this demonstrates how humans can adapt to different environments from We must make huge preparations for a secure future the ocean to space. Aquaculture cannot escape these changes and we must therefore Certainly, China is doing very well in space with their new space make huge preparations for a secure future. Our oceans, estuaries station and recent soft landing on Mars. In aquaculture, China excels and inland waterways bind us together. China, US, Europe, and all and I am amazed at their rapid advancement in farming such a diverse countries around the world must unite for our common destiny and range of species from shellfish, crustaceans and fish both in fresh lead together in unison. We always speak of sustainable aquaculture so water and marine systems. we must begin to meet these goals. In the aquaculture feed technology and nutrition arena, China In fact, the UN has listed 17 major sustainable development goals is undertaking very high quality science with a vast amount of (SDG’s) and goal number 14 is ‘Life below water’. This would publications and in the leading peer-review top rated journals in include protecting our biodiversity of aquatic and marine creatures and the aquaculture biosciences and I get to review many of these include more sustainable managed fisheries and of course aquaculture. submissions. A great and worthy aspiration and well within our combined The investment being made also in land based recirculation system capabilities to achieve. (RAS) will see China producing Atlantic salmon. They already culture Another thing catching my attention is the backlog of international sturgeon for both the fish itself and of course home produced caviar. meetings and symposiums that are now on the horizon. It is so There is keen interest too in the soft shell crab that is so popular difficult to plan ahead due to the Covid-19 virus mutation and the in Chinese restaurants and seen in stores and at railway stations Delta strain now causing new waves. This is very analogous to the throughout the country. viral diseases we see in land based farm animals such as poultry, I have been to China three times and greatly enjoyed the culture and swine and cattle. the kindness of the people. We must work close with China to achieve Fish and shrimp are no exception, and these pathogen strains are open and fair trade with many commodities and especially the seafood opportunistic and present ever varying but constant threats to our sector. When one considers the massive seafood deficit in the USA industry. The aquaculture industries are very responsible in the main with dependency on importation, it is obvious that it is necessary to and consequently we vaccinate our fish where possible or as we forge good relations with the PRC and other SE Asian countries to report frequently in IAF use novel feed additives and supplements work together. This will be increasingly the case with respect to global to augment our prophylactic measures through better management security and to mitigate the serious concerns of climate change. practice. In terms of aquatic health, I am intrigued by recent work reporting new evidence that shrimp have a much more complex immune system The planet is now on a red danger warning than previously thought possible. Even to the extent of having some The recent UN report makes for serious reading with respect to form of acquired immune response mechanism to specific pathogens. I climate change. The planet is now on a red danger warning. Even if am always aware of progression in our area and as a professor keen to we now stopped polluting our atmosphere, we are over the tipping learn more. Academia is a lifelong learning process and the more you point it seems with catastrophic outcomes. Imagine the consequences read the less it seems one knows. of the elevation of water temperatures for culturing fish? For cold We cover many case studies and in-depth species reports relating to water species like salmon the repercussions could be disastrous. Just farming, with many of the features in this edition relating to shrimp a few degrees higher we would see changes in fish metabolism and production, as well as a follow up article relating to feed for cleaner physiological processes that would manifest in elevated stress. fish, following a suggestion in an earlier edition of International We would also be subjected to more pathogens and possible new Aquafeed that such a solution does not currently exist for such emerging diseases from viruses, bacteria, parasites and those of species. fungal origin. Increased carbon dioxide already has caused ocean In IAF we bring you the latest news, interviews and reports as well acidification to rise and this affects our corals and also results in as technical and scientific developments globally. There is much in our de-calcification of the shells of molluscs and crustaceans resulting in current issue and please enjoy this late summer edition. weakness to their external defensive barriers. Fish nutrition and feed technology will continue to deliver Fish migration patterns would change and perhaps more algal sustainable options for quality aquaculture products in a safe and blooms and jellyfish populations threatening our sea farms. We are healthy environment. already observing the melting of our polar ice caps and potential 4 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY During the summer I have been working with preparations for Aqua Nor 2021, - the large aquaculture technology exhibition that is held in Trondheim, Norway in August. I have been impressed by the many exhibitors (over 700), and especially with the technology they offer.

Especially in marine aquaculture, the problem of escaped fish is at times serious, and it can to some extent be solved by the use of better technology. Better cages, more protected areas, automatic inspection of the nets etc. But what are the hot technologies that the industry talks about today? To get an idea about what is in the forefront, I looked at the three finalists for the Aqua Nor Innovation Award. The exhibitors come from 27 countries Erik Hempel The three finalists represent very different and represent a wide array of technology, The Nor-Fishing Foundation aspects of aquaculture technology. Noras from simple fish boxes to the most Global AS has developed a unique lifebuoy advanced electronics. I would have liked – U-Safe – which focuses on worker safety. The buoy can be to include the latest feed developments in this, but it appears that thrown into the sea where the buoy automatically activates. It none of the major feed companies will be present as exhibitors. is remotely controlled by a joystick to quickly reach a person in In the old days, the feed companies occupied huge areas and were danger. dominating parts of the exhibition. But now, for some reason, they The person then holds on to the buoy and can be moved into no longer exhibit. safety. The buoy has two effective turbine motors and is symmetrical, All this technology has made me wonder - what are the to ensure it works efficiently regardless of how it lands in the sea. challenges facing aquaculture today and in the near future that Searas AS has entered its new Aquasense system in the competition. technology can help solve? Obviously, some of the technology is SeaRAS Aquasense is a new method for measuring and monitoring meant to improve performance, not necessarily solve any global water parameters and special H2S on low values in fish farms and problems, while other technology is clearly invented to solve some tanks in well-boats. Values for H2S in water can be registered down of the serious challenges facing the industry. to 0.05 micrograms/litre. Alarms can be set to go off when the level of What quickly comes to mind, is of course the problem of H2S reaches the required levels set by the authorities. pollution. Pollution is a two-faced threat - on the one hand there is SeaRAS Aquasense is installed in many RAS-farms. pollution from the farms, both in the sea and on land. Whilst on the Measurements are done on new well-boats to control levels of H2S other hand, there is the much bigger and more general problem of in tanks before live fish is pumped on board and during transport/ pollution of the sea and of waterways. In the case of pollution from the farms, this appears to be possible treatment. This ensures safe quality water for the fish. An even more technically advanced entry comes from VAKI, Part to solve through the application of technology. For example, a of MSD Animal Health, which has introduced its Density Control number of different methods of collecting faeces and excess feed System. Within the VAKI SmartFlow system, the Density Control from under cages have been developed. Furthermore, closed monitors, controls, and automates fish density to maximise fish system cages in the sea and land-based solutions are also solving welfare, and to enhance grading, vaccination and counting. these problems. The Density Control solution maintains a consistent and prePollution of the ocean and of waterways is a much greater set ratio of live fish and water during the fish handling process. problem, because it involves just about everybody on this globe, The regulator thins out the flow if the volume of fish in the hose and it is very much a matter of attitude and awareness. Sure, surpasses a certain density. VAKI Density Control can also be technology may be able to clean up a limited area, but the ocean is combined with the VAKI Automatic Tank Water Level system. vast. I realise that an exhibition such as Aqua Nor presents the latest, Another problem facing the industry is of course disease and most advanced technology, not necessarily technology for smallparasites. This is a field where technology does play a great role in scale operations or traditional operating procedures. coming up with solutions. Different kinds of solutions: chemical, However, much of this advanced technology will at some point medical, “natural” solutions of various types. be applied even to areas that are not yet ready for it, and some Recently, the emphasis has been more on “natural” solutions, of the technology displayed may also give small-scale operators such as the use of cleaner-fish. Apparently, distant offshore some ideas that can be applied or adapted to their more primitive operations also avoid the lice problem, and in land-based operations. operations it can be controlled much easier.

This month on IAF TV This month we have an interview with Dr Antonio Garza aqfeed.info/e/1161

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September 2021 Volume 24 Issue 09

IN THIS ISSUE

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

International Editors Dr Kangsen Mai (Chinese edition) mai@perendale.com Prof Antonio Garza (Spanish edition) antoniog@perendale.com Erik Hempel (Norwegian edition) erikh@perendale.com Editorial Advisory Panel • Prof Dr Abdel-Fattah M. El-Sayed • Dr Allen Wu • Prof António Gouveia • Prof Charles Bai • Dr Daniel Merrifield • Dr Dominique Bureau • Dr Elizabeth Sweetman • Dr Kim Jauncey • Dr Eric De Muylder • Dr Pedro Encarnação • Dr Mohammad R Hasan Editorial team Prof Simon Davies sjdaquafeed@gmail.com Peter Parker peterp@perendale.co.uk Andrew Wilkinson andreww@perendale.co.uk Levana Hall levanah@perendale.co.uk International Marketing Team Darren Parris Tel: +44 7854 436407 darrenp@perendale.co.uk Latin America Marketing Team Clarissa Garza de Yta Tel: +52 669 120 0140 clarissag@perendale.com Oceania Marketing Team Jasmine Parker jasminep@perendale.com

REGULAR ITEMS 8

Industry News

46 Technology showcase 56 Industry Events 62 The Market Place 64 The Aquafeed Interview 66

Industry Faces

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The Aquaculture case study

48 European cuttlefish 52 The Sea cucumber

COLUMNS 3 Roger Gilbert 4 Professor Simon Davies 5

Erik Hempel

8 Clarissa Garza de Yta 10 Antonio Garza de Yta 12 Dr Thierry Chopin 14 Brett Glencross

LATAM FOCUS

LATAM MEXICO ECUADOR MEXICO ECUADOR PERU & CHILE

8 page 10 page 24 page 28 page 30 page 11 page

Regional focus and welcome to new Regional General Manager. Imported tilapia in Mexico, finding a solution to an old problem Shrimp Health management , by Dostofarm Supply problems during a pandemic, by Dr Zendejas Growing with Ecuador's shrimp industry, by Famsun IFFO report: Peru & Chile amongst just three countries reporting production increases in 2021

FEATURES 16 Alternative and functional proteins 20 European seabass: Improving gut health with enzymatically processed soy protein

24 Shrimp health management 28 Supply problems during a pandemic 30 Growing with Ecuador’s Shrimp Industry 32 An assessment of the efficacy of different commercial sources of supplemental methionine over the growth performance of young whiteleg shrimp

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY 40 Improving water quality in L. vannamei production

THE BIG PICTURE Aquapods are giant, free range fish farms that float deep under water and provide a sustainable and environmentally beneficial solution to the increasing pressure that the world’s seas are under.

48 Feed block technology: Introducing an innovative sea lice solution that benefits the general health, welfare and efficacy of lumpfish & wrasse

LATAM FOCUS

"It is extremely important and necessary to show the reality of Latin American aquaculture, which accounts for 3.82 percent of world aquaculture production"

IN THIS ISSUE LATAM page 8 MEXICO page 10 ECUADOR page 24 MEXICO page 28 ECUADOR page 30 PERU & CHILE page 11

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Sistemas de extrusión de doble tornillo : Permite una amplia variedad de productos que se adaptan a los requisitos nutricionales de los animales 8 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

Clarissa Garza de Yta International Aquafeed’s new LATAM General Manager

larissa Garza de Yta, based in Mexico, is IAF’s new General Manager for the Latin American region and brings with her communication skills, a keen aquaculture interest and the experience gained from her time spent working with the country’s locally based arm of the charity, Aquaculture without Frontiers. We asked Mrs Garza de Yta what her priorities would be for the magazine, its readers, supporters and for the Spanish-language version in particular. We asked her what she would like to see, more articles and information coming from contributors in Latin America to reflect the development of fish farming in the region, or other topics? “It is extremely important and necessary to show the reality of Latin American aquaculture, which accounts for 3.82 percent of world aquaculture production. Since it is a region with diverse ecosystems, there are countries with multiple bodies of water and with all the conditions needed to develop aquaculture. “In addition, those that border the ocean already carry out mariculture; this allows the production and study of various species within the region. “However, the industry, the economic situation and the development of the countries reflect the potential that we still have to grow. The different perspectives of researchers, producers, entrepreneurs and high-profile people related to the sector, will allow us to present a more precise vision and situation of aquaculture in Latin America.” When asked if she would like to see more regional issues addressed in the Spanish-language edition, her response was immediate.

“Definitely! Our reality is very different from what is seen or experienced in regions such as Europe, Asia or the United States. In Norway, for example, we find impressive technological advances, in China the highest percentage of the worldwide production and in the United States relevant research. “Of course, these are excellent models to which we as a region aspire, but in general we do not identify with them when we see so much distance between their reality and ours,” she says. But how significant is aquaculture and its development in Latin America? we asked. Is it the export market for fish products that is growing strongest or is the local demand for farmed fish? “It is very significant not only for the production of food with the best protein quality that helps the nutrition and well-being of the population, it is also a very transcendental economic activity that benefits the entire value chain involved; millions of families participate in the aquaculture industry, whether on a small or large scale. “In general, I do not believe that there is a noticeable growth in exports, the exception without a doubt can be Ecuador. It has been working hard on its production and sales in foreign market, regardless of the economic effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Ecuador has not lowered its guard with the commercialisation of shrimp worldwide. Over time there has been an increase in the local consumption of aquaculture products. “In some places there is still a lack of information about the aquaculture industry, which has led to the promotion of a bad reputation for the sector. It is wonderful to have the immediacy of digital media, social networks and electronic media that move information from one point of the planet to another in seconds. “However, we have to be aware that not all the information that circulates is correct and can seriously affect people who depend on this activity. Hence, the importance of checking the sources and authorship of articles, videos or material disseminated on the web is essential. “I plan to generate more regional content, present the state of Latin American aquaculture to the rest of the world. Work as a team and create links with all participating organisations in the sector. I will work in collaboration with academics, producers, companies and members of the sector, so that they have the certainty that International Aquafeed-Fish Farming Technology is their magazine, for them, passionate and committed to aquaculture. “It is not only about focusing attention on the Latin American but on the potential, we have for development, growth and investment and to promote aquaculture in Latin America and the rest of the world.”

To celebrate our LATAM edition we are giving away over 100, year long digital subscriptions to the LATAM version of International Aquafeed for FREE! Visit the link below (or use the QR code) to sign up, and use the promo code below to receive a 12 month subscription free of charge

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This offer is only valid until October 31, 2021 Free subscriptions are offered on a first come first served basis, once they are gone they are gone! The above promo code entitles you to one 12 month subscription to the digital version of the magazine. This includes access to full editions of the magazine both on our app (available in your app store of choice), and our subscription web service on www.magstand.com.

International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 9

Other language versions available

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LATAM FOCUS

News

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Adopting a new position

Antonio Garza de Yta Imported tilapia in Mexico, finding a solution to an old problem

ecently, in one of the WhatsApp groups that I belong to that includes passionate Mexican aquaculturists, many producers were complaining about tilapia imports. It’s very important to comment that the discussion was not focused on imported tilapia itself, but the way that it is marketed and sold. Today I would like to make a proposal on how, at least in Mexico, the malpractice of selling 700 grams of tilapia as a kilogram could be prevented, preventing final consumers from being misled and harming domestic producers. Let’s start by defining what I mean by glazing. Glazing is a term to describe protective layer of ice that is formed over the surface of a frozen product whenever it is sprayed or submerged in clean marine water, freshwater or water with approved additives. It is a process that is commonly applied to frozen products to prevent the loss of its organoleptic qualities. Regularly, the weight of the glaze is around five to 10 percent of the total product weight. So, in general, a kilogram of product that has been glazed usually contains from 900 to 950 grams of real weight of the product that is being sold. A processing plant can manipulate the percentage of glazing and, if asked by its buyer, can add up to 30 percent of the total weight in water, which is what is commonly imported in Mexico.

A great swindle

So, practically, every kilo of imported tilapia that is sold in Mexico (or any other imported frozen seafood) weighs 700 grams. Table 1 illustrates how glazing percentage affects the weight per piece and the real price of tilapia. So, when anybody buys a “one kilogram” tilapia, with a 30 percent glazing at 60 pesos (~US$3), in reality they’re buying a tilapia of 700 grams at 86 pesos (~US$4.3)per kilo (42% more expensive than the marked price). It looks like a great swindle, right? Well, that’s because it is. Unfortunately, the ones that have been blamed for this scheme are the importers of tilapia, which, to be honest, declare the price in which they are buying their product and the percentage of glazing in both the import petition and the invoice, information that is public and it is owned by the responsible of the sales point, that could be retailers or wholesalers, including supermarket chains, that for some reason do not communicate to the buyer what they are actually paying for.

Today I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that nobody has told them this before and that starting today, they will all adopt a new position and stop cheating their loved consumers. So for them, with all respect, I have a proposal. Starting as soon as possible, in every sales point where seafood is sold, regardless of the size, the drained mass of the product and the price, based on the drained mass would be indicated. Also, the origin of the product and if it has been previously frozen should be specified, the last to avoid the common malpractice of selling a recently thawed products as fresh. The previous recommendations could be officialised with a small amendment to the Mexican Norm, NOM-242-SSA1-2009, which not only makes sense, but it is common sense. Another alternative, in case we want to discourage the imports of products with high percentages of glazing the following tariff method could be applied. With the above tariffs, any product that has 10 percent glazing or less, which is what could be considered normal, would only pay tariffs equivalent to its glazing percentage. The second group would pay a tariff that would double the glazing percentage. So for example, a tilapia with 15% glazing would pay a 30% tariff. Finally, the third group would pay three times the glazing percentage, resulting in a product with 30% paying 90% tariff, which should discourage the import of tilapias with a high glazing percentage. These are just a couple of proposals of many that currently exist to solving this old problem. What is really needed to resolve this issue is transparency, communication, and professionalisation within the sector; and above all, participation and willingness to modify the status quo. Let’s keep defending and advocating for aquaculture, today, more than ever, in these difficult times, we should stand together and work as a compact sector, which would be the only way that tilapia producers in Mexico can compete on a level playing field. Table 1: Example of weight variation per piece and real price per glazing percentage. Real weight per piece (g)

Price $ (pesos)/ kg (sold)

Glazing %

Modified weight per piece (g)

Price $ (pesos)/ kg (real)

500

526

500

556

500

588

500

625

500

667

500

714

350

500

700

1000

Table 2: Proposed tariff to seafood imports based on glazing percentage. Glazing percentage (Range)

Tariff

0-10%

(Glazing %) x1

11-20%

(Glazing %) x2

21% or more

(Glazing %) x3

Antonio Garza de Yta, Ph.D in Aquaculture from Auburn University, President of Aquaculture Global Consulting, Director World Aquaculture Society and creator of the Certification for Aquaculture Professional (CAP) Program. He is currently Rector, Universidad Tecnológica del Mar de Tamaulipas Bicentenario. 10 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

Less raw materials use reported As expected, total raw material in June 2021 was smaller than the tonnage reported in June 2020 by around 40 percent. This is mainly because the first fishing season in Peru in 2020 had its peak in June (as operations only started on May 13, 2020), although most of the regions analysed in the IFFO Monthly Report indicate less raw material in June 2021 than in June 2020. The only exceptions were Chile and the African countries. The total cumulative productions of the countries considered in this report during the first six months of 2021 were higher year on year. China’s fishmeal production remains low, driving increased imports Domestic fishmeal production between May and September relies only on by-products, therefore volumes remain low. Fishmeal imports continue to grow, while stocks in the ports´ warehouses continue to fall thanks to the aquaculture consumption of marine ingredients. Typhoons have delayed the clearing of some cargos, keeping stocks at ports 'warehouses lower than expected. Seafood demand and prices remain strong, although shrimp prices in July almost flattened due to high supply and low demand. Domestic aquafeed output continues to increase as China enters into the peak of its aquaculture season. You can read the full report here: https://www.iffo.com/ iffos-analysis-marine-ingredient-market-trends-june-2021

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recent IFFO report indicates that Peru, Chile and India were the only countries to register a higher cumulative production during the first six months of 2021, with respect to the period January-June, 2020. Containing a taste of the many statistics and analyses that can be found in the market intelligence reports that IFFO dedicates to its members, these publications cover the organisation’s analysis on marine ingredient market trends. They also include an analysis of both the supply and demand sides of the market, with research focusing also on the global trends of animal farming and fish catches, agri-commodities, commodities’ prices and general macroeconomic conditions.

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IFFO: Peru & Chile amongst just three countries reporting production increases in 2021

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 11

News

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Dr Thierry Chopin Seaweeds are finally getting their moment. How do we translate it into a momentum beyond the present hype?

he western world is finally waking up to the idea that seaweeds have many nutritional, health, environmental, economic and societal benefits and ecosystem services to offer, which is one of the reasons for their sudden popularity and much hype. Seaweeds are amazingly versatile, multi-purpose, unequalled organisms and have been the unsung heroes of the oceans and this planet for far too long. Without falling into the trap of calling them the new climate change warriors and underwater forest superheroes that will save the planet without risk of fire, let’s mention some of the key attributes and uses of seaweeds that make them truly remarkable and key contributors to making the blue economy greener, entering the era of the “Turquoise Revolution,” within a circular economy approach.

Seaweeds: - are safe, sustainable, nutritious and healthy seafood providing food security not only for proteins, carbohydrates, fibres and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids), but also for vital minerals, oligoelements, micronutrients, macronutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, bioactives, antineurodegeneratives, prebiotics, probiotics, etc.; - are a part of the dietary shift towards food production systems with a lower carbon footprint than terrestrial ones, by responsibly producing and consuming sustainable, safe, equitable, resilient and low-carbon sources of food from the ocean; - can be part of feed formulations and improve animal welfare

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and well-being (gut balanced microbiome and immune system health); are agrobiostimulants improving soil conditions and crop quality and production; are ingredients in more than 1000 diverse applications (edible and non-edible uses): from orange juice at breakfast to toothpaste before going to bed, from pencil lead to drilling mud, from pimento paste in cocktail olives to skin protectants, from dental impressions to textiles, and so much more; can be used to produce new biomaterials and bioplastics; do not require irrigation, arable soil, land transformation (deforestation), fertilisers and agrochemicals (when Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) practices are implemented); provide ecosystem services (among others, nutrient biomitigation, which should be valued through nutrient trading credits); provide oxygen available to other organisms and to avoid coastal hypoxia; create/restore habitats benefiting wild populations (some commercially valuable); remove/transiently sequester inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, etc. to transform them/re-incorporate them into organic compounds; improve water quality and biomitigate excess nutrients; are the inorganic component of IMTA. They represent 51.3% of the total world mariculture production and 55.9% of the marine extractive aquaculture. However, to better balance extractive and fed aquaculture, seaweed aquaculture will have to be more evenly distributed worldwide as, presently, 99.5% of seaweed aquaculture is taking place in only nine Asian countries and territories; harbour and stimulate biodiversity; participate in adapting to and reducing climate change and in the decarbonisation of this world; could contribute to reducing methane emissions in terrestrial livestock; participate in coastal deacidification; provide environmental and societal benefits (gender equality, resilience and self-sufficiency of local coastal communities); foster sustainable economic growth, diversification, risk mitigation and resilience in the aquaculture sector, particularly in coastal communities and regions; increase consumer trust and the societal/political license to operate of the aquaculture industry as a whole; when associated with IMTA systems and wind and hydro-

Line of the sugar kelp, Saccharina latissima, cultivated in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, by Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc and Magellan Aqua Farms Inc (photo credit: Steve Backman).

12 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

It is interesting to see seaweeds finally getting their overdue recognition as part of the solutions for food and beyond, because of these many applications, products and opportunities that they are a part of, along and across the supply and value chains, and for the ecosystem services that they provide to both nature and humanity. Knowing all of these compounds, properties, applications, markets and the wide range of values that seaweeds have, it is also important to look at the hype, fantasies and promises we are currently being inundated with in the social networks and media. The multitude of applications using seaweeds is certainly amazing, but seaweeds cannot be the silver bullet for everything. It is also our collective responsibility to identify and, when necessary, to denounce the new Snake Oil Salesmen of today the Seaweed Silver Bullet Solution Salespersons, as we should remember that in between periods of promising the moon, there are periods of “purgatory” that are difficult for scientists and

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Translating the seaweed moment into a momentum

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turbine farms, reduce the cumulative footprint of these combined activities and increase their societal acceptability; - contribute positively to reaching 11 of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), not only SDG 14 (Life Below Water) but also SDGs 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15 and 17.

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News

entrepreneurs who still believe in a rational development of the field. We had a hype period after the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. Promises were made of bountiful biogas/biofuel production from seaweeds; however, we have not seen a commercial drop of it yet. Several questions still remain unanswered. Will the extent of the needed areas of cultivation be societally acceptable? How do we store a product that is highly seasonal when the demand is constant? Will it ever be economically competitive with existing fossil biofuel (i.e. petroleum)? Is it worth pursuing when the solution is more and more clearly to move away from the “C” (carbon) world? The hype period after the 1973 and 1979 crises was followed by 35-40 years of purgatory. Have we learned anything? The present period of hype and fantasy definitely has a taste of déjà vu for those old (wise?!) enough to remember the 1970s-1980s. Will the bubble burst again, in a few years, and will there be another 40 years of purgatory for another generation of scientists and entrepreneurs? Instead of these boom-and-bust seaweed cycles, we need more sustainable cycles for the long-term, with economic contractions and troughs reduced by avoiding untenable promises. All of that could be avoided by reducing the rhetoric and sticking to the science so that the momentum for seaweeds is maintained, instead of witnessing another fleeting moment of interest.

Dr Thierry Chopin is Professor of Marine Biology, and Director of the Seaweed and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Research Laboratory, at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He is also the owner and President of Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc, since 2016.

International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 13

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Brett Glencross Are we really optimising our omega-3 application? It ’s all relative…

was recently perusing my copy of the Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp (NRC, 2011) book to review where we were at with recommendations on requirements/specifications for the different essential fatty acids by various aquaculture species and noted several key points. My first point is that a lot of what is in that book is seriously out of date and we are overdue for an update. Secondly, most of the requirements suggested for the different species had a range, not a value like many of the other nutrients. And thirdly, that the requirements were expressed based on a percentage of the diet. On the first point, well given that the book was published a decade ago, that is not surprising. The second point was a little more alarming, but the process of defining recommendations for critical levels of nutrients is far from an exact science, with vagaries due to environmental, biological, and other dietary factors all common sources of variation. More notably, a study by Houston et al (2017) showed in a study with European seabream that the “optimal” level of omega-3 in the diet changed as the animal grew, decreasing as the animal got larger. This probably isn’t a huge surprise to most nutritionists as it is well known that demands for many nutrients change through an animal’s life and the early, fast-growth stages, tending to be the most demanding. So, having a range in the suggested requirements is quite realistic, as the data used to define those recommendations no doubt came from various studies using animals of different sizes. So, the idea of a one-size-fits-all for nutrient requirements is not really apt (something else we need to fix in the next version of the book). The third point, how to define requirements for essential fatty acids is one that has been kicked back-and-forward by nutritionists for decades. However, I am only aware of three studies ever actually trying to specifically define this issue. The original one, by Watanabe (1982) examined this story with rainbow trout and found that as the level of lipid in the fish’s diet changed, that they also had to increase the level of linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to deliver the optimal omega-3 dose.

Omega-3 requirement is relative to lipid level

About twenty years after this, Glencross et al (2002) examined the issue in black tiger shrimp and also observed that the

requirement of omega-3 was relative to the level of lipid in the diet; as you increased the lipid so to did you need to increase the level of omega-3, but this time it included an optimised mix of 18:2, 18:3, EPA and DHA in their diet. Despite these two earlier studies producing quite clear results, it is kind of obvious that many folks had not understood the story, as the whole percentage of diet thing kept on persisting in the literature. Roll on to the present day, and now we have an update with another clear representation of the story, but this time in Atlantic salmon. Using a simple two-by-two factorial design, Huyben et al. (2021) was able to show by using diets containing either of two lipid levels or two omega-3 levels that requirements really are relative. The take-home message from this being that as we increase the lipid in the diets of the animals, we need to also increase the omega-3 level. So, how do we take all this forward? Here we have two competing factors, the first being demands decrease as animals get larger, whilst the second point is that if we up the lipid level in the diet (as we often do for larger animals) then because requirements are relative to the lipid level, we need to also increase the amount of omega-3 in the diet. Perhaps part of the solution is to rethink the way we express requirements. As we’ve shown already it has been proven at least three times that the way to express fatty acid requirements is actually as a percent of total fatty acids (or relative to lipid content). When you consider this further, it kind of makes more sense anyway. Just like we consider amino acids either relative to dietary energy density or total protein level it is clear that most nutrients are not “required” as a percent of diet, but in reality, in relation to other key defining dietary parameters like energy or protein intake. To try and interpret all this confusion Huyben et al (2021) put together a wonderfully colourful figure in their paper to help explain all this (Figure 1). While this figure shows the story of how things change with changing lipid level, it doesn’t (yet) include the change in demands with animal size. Perhaps that is the next evolution in this story?

Figure 1. A stylised summary of the change in %TFA of diets with varying lipid levels. The colour contours show how the %TFA level changes (right axis) against the changing diet lipid levels (x-axis). On the left axis is the equivalent level of omega-3 (n-3) LC-PUFA. The change in colours is representative of a change in doseresponse as indicated in the overlaid bar-graph. Figure adapted from Huyben et al. (2021).

Dr Brett Glencross is the Technical Director of IFFO - The Marine Ingredients Organisation. Over the past 25 years he has worked in various academic, institutional, and industrial roles across Australasia, the Middle East and Europe.

14 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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ALTERNATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL PROTEINS Ensuring the efficient & sustainable use of marine bioresources

by Ronan Flaherty, Proinsias Hernon, Simon J Davies, Cecilia Valente Souza, Mark Johnson, Neil Ruane, Alex H L Wan & Liz Ryder, Marine Institute Ireland, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

quaculture is the fastest-growing food production technology in the world and has revolutionised the way in which seafood is produced, consumed, and traded globally. As the growing human population places increasing pressure on global food stocks, aquaculture will play an essential role in food production systems of the future. The rapid growth in aquacultural production in recent years was supported by improved aquafeeds and better farming practices. However, this has also led to a higher demand for protein sources in aquafeeds. Finding new sources of dietary protein that can be produced in a sustainable manner is therefore of great interest to the aquaculture sector.

functionality for critical stages in Atlantic salmon production. HYDROfish is built upon a robust framework of prior knowledge taken from the scientific and technical literature). The programme uses biotechnologies, such as the hydrolysis of

HYDROfish commercial partner Bio-marine Ingredients Ireland Limited’s state of the art biorefiney plant.

Developing new protein sources

The disruptive technology innovation project- HYDROfish project (funded by the Irish Government’s Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment with administrative support from Enterprise Ireland through the Disruptive Technology Innovation fund under Project Ireland 2040) was started in order to validate a number of protein products (hydrolysed fish proteins from fisheries bycatch) and optimise their 16 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

National University of Ireland Galway, Carna Research Station, recirculating aquaculture systems used for HYDROfish feed validation.

fish protein from bycatch or processing waste, to transform lowvalue food fish species into high-value nutraceuticals for Atlantic salmon diets. Hydrolysed fish proteins possess highly bioactive compounds, such as functional peptides, that serve as excellent nutrients and functional feed additives. These bioactive compounds promote a robust and natural gastrointestinal tract, with paramount importance for salmon critical life stages, including the smoltification process. The bioactive fish-based protein hydrolysates also boost the salmon immune system and promote healthy gut microbiota composition, thus increasing salmon resistance against diseases and decreasing the dependency on antibiotic therapy. The programme is creating a foundation to launch a new generation of products based on the managed fractionation of naturally occurring marine proteins. Novel bioactive peptides and functional molecules are offering advancement on derivatives from fish processing and associated by-products. HYDROfish is an accelerator programme that embraces the concept of nutraceutical biotechnologies to advance the global aquaculture industry. The project is a collaboration between Biomarine Ingredients Ireland, National University of Ireland Galway, Marine Institute Ireland, and Teagasc (www. hydrofish.ie). Like HYDROfish, the InEVal project

GEPRO has developed into a constant and successful player in the aquafeed and the petfood industry for more than 50-year history and always meet challenges with innovative solutions. Our head office and production site is located in Diepholz, Lower Saxony - in the immediate vicinity of the largest poultry production and processing facilities in Germany. In addition to our headquarters in Diepholz, GEPRO has other locations around the world for your best possible service. Consistency and a high degree of reliability are essential. Already some years ago our logo appeared in a new design. This is now also incorporated in our product portfolio. Consistency, innovation and a high degree of reliability are essential.

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 17

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(supported by Marine Institute, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Science Foundation Ireland funded by the Irish Government under the BlueBio ERA-NET co-fund) aims to establish new markets and increase the value chain for marine bioresources, with a focus on echinoderms (sea cucumber, sea urchins and sea stars). The InEVal project approaches diverse value chains related to increasing and adding value to echinoderm biomass to create new products, processes, and industries, including aquafeeds. The project, coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, includes partners from Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Italy. You can find out more by visiting: https:// www.awi.de/en/science/special-groups/aquaculture/aquacultureresearch/projects/ineval.html

Increasing market & consumer awareness

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Naturally ahead

The development of projects such as HYDROfish and InEVal highlight the efforts made to efficiently use marine bioresources and nutraceutical technologies to sustainably produce highquality proteins for use in aquafeeds. A survey was developed for HYDROfish and InEVal to capture the public, consumer, and industry opinion about the sustainability of the aquaculture industry and help inform future long-term planning for the growth of this industry in Europe and beyond. This survey will also capture the consumers and industries opinions/perceptions of the feasibility of the use of alternative species as aquafeeds and to increase the value chain for

18 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

Marine Institute Ireland, Lehenagh Pool fish trial test site for HYDROfish and InEVal.

echinoderms to support the growth of aquaculture. A mixed-method survey was developed using a questionnaire, which aims to assess the following: Consumer and industry opinion about aquaculture. Explore consumer’s opinions on the use of echinoderm species for: (A) Diets for aquaculture animals, (B) Human food sources and (C) Marine bioremediation services. Measures consumer and industry opinion of the use of an alternative to aquafeeds, such as Fish Protein Hydrolysate (FPH) in aquaculture systems. Assessment of consumer and industry opinion on the long term planning needs for the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry and markets.

How to get involved

You are invited to participate in the online survey InEVal and HYDROfish Consumer and Market Analysis and share your views on the long-term planning needed for the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry. The survey is available in English, Irish, German, and Italian and we encourage you to get involved by following the links below: English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPPGMX8 Irish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPPGMX8?lang=ga Italian: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPPGMX8?lang=it_IT German: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPPGMX8?lang=de_DE International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 19

EUROPEAN SEABASS

Improving gut health with enzymatically processed soy protein

by Rocio Robles, Laura Bermúdez, Testing Blue SL, Spain & Simone Husballe, Hamlet Protein A/S, Denmark

ith aquaculture production projected to reach 109 million tonnes in 2030, the aquafeed industry is hungry for protein. The need for high quality protein is increasing, particularly to feed high-value species such as shrimp, marine fish and salmonids. This trend is expected to be further accelerated with population growth combined with the “rise of the middle class” and increased affluence (mainly in China and southeast Asia), all resulting in a shift to diets that incorporate an increasing proportion of protein from higher value animal sources. Traditional protein ingredients such as fishmeal and soybean are increasingly under pressure due to availability and sustainability issues. The search for alternative protein sources of high quality is on and supported by decades of academic and private research in aquaculture nutrition around the globe. The first industrial projects to produce tens-of-thousands of metric tonnes of novel protein sources, including insect protein and single-cell protein, are expected to start up in the coming years. Although promising in terms of sustainability, these novel ingredients will require time and significant funding to reach a scale large enough to impact global protein supplies. Meanwhile, the optimisation of traditional protein ingredients may contribute to the sustainable use of protein resources by improving the protein efficiency and/or reduce the negative impact on fish performance and health of anti-nutritional factors (ANF), traditionally present in vegetable ingredients.

Figure 1: Specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of European seabass fed the different diets. Bars represent the average and standard deviation of four replicate tanks.

Figure 2: Global score for the anterior (AI) and posterior intestine (PI) of European seabass fed Control, HP AquaSure M0 and HP AquaSure P0 diets. Represented values correspond to the average and standard deviation of 8 fish per diet (higher values indicate higher incidence of the histopathological conditions).

Increasing the efficiency of soybean use in fish diets

Bioprocessing, fermentation or enzymatic treatment are some of the processes developed to increase the utilisation efficiency of soybean in fish. Enzymatic hydrolysis decreases the content of ANFs and promotes nutrient utilisation.

20 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

Figure 4: Faeces volume of European seabass fed the different diets. Data indicate average volume of faeces collected per tank during three consecutive days, expressed per 100g of fish biomass per day. Significant difference indicated with an asterisk.

Figure 3: Section of posterior intestine with IP/EP ratio of 3.89 (left image from a specimen belonging to the Control group) and 4.93 (right, specimen from HP AquaSure M0 group).

Hamlet Protein A/S is a feed ingredient company producing specialty soy protein for young animal nutrition. HP AquaSure is an enzyme-treated soy protein produced from dehulled and fatextracted soybean meal. The unique processing method reduces the content of the ANFs with emphasis on trypsin inhibitors and the antigen β-conglycinin, known to cause adverse effects on animal health and performance. HP AquaSure has an average crude protein content of 52 percent and the typical contents of ANFs are two mg/g trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) and 103 ppm β-conglycinin. This study reports on the evaluation of HP AquaSure in a feeding trial for the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax. The trial has been carried out at the facilities of Testing Blue S.L. (Cádiz, Spain). HP AquaSure has been tested at 10 percent inclusion level in two formulations: HP AquaSure M0 and HP AquaSure P0; in the first case HP AquaSure replaced soybean meal (SBM) in the formula and in the case of HP AquaSure P0,

soy protein concentrate (SPC) was replaced. Both diets were evaluated against a Control diet including SBM and SPC. The formulations were made according to the current practice of using a mixture of vegetable protein sources in fish feeds (Table 1). Fishmeal has been included at 25 percent in all the diets. European seabass fingerlings of 7.30±0.08 g average individual body weight were stocked in a RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) equipped with 12 units of 150 litre-tank and the appropriate solid separation system and water treatment and biofiltration. Each diet has been tested in four replicate tanks, with the trial lasting 12 weeks. No issues related to palatability were found during the trial. Feed intake was very similar for the three diets. Production results (Figure 1, Table 2), namely specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion rate (FCR) were very similar among the three diets and no significant difference was found among diets (ANOVA p>0.05).

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www.almex.nl International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 21

Replacing SBM by HP AquaSure resulted in a six percent increase in the hepatosomatic index whereas replacing SPC resulted in an eight percent lower hepatosomatic index. For each HP AquaSure diet, there was no significant difference with the Control (Table 2).

Histopathological evaluation indicates improved intestinal health

The study included the histopathological evaluation of the complete intestine (anterior and posterior region) and the evaluation of three oxidative stress biomarkers in the intestinal tissue: lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT) and the ratio reduced glutathione/oxidised glutathione (GSH:GSSG) as indication of the oxidative stress (lower ratio indicates lower oxidative stress). No significant difference among diets was found for any of the three oxidative stress biomarkers. For this trial, two histological assessments have been carried out: 1) a semiquantitative histopathological index and 2) the ratio of internal/external perimeter (IP/EP) of the intestine as an indication of available absorption surface. The semiquantitative histopathological index was calculated using a score system that evaluated six epithelium conditions: mucosa infiltrate; lamina propria infiltrate; lamina propria increased thickness; intraepithelial degenerated forms; submucosa mixed infiltrate and submucosa congestion. These six conditions have been graded according to a scoring method based on the incidence of the condition: 0= not affected, 1 = mild incidence, 2 = moderate incidence and 3 = marked incidence. A global score has been calculated for all the diets and the results are shown in Figure 2. The global score is the summatory score for all assessed conditions (maximum incidence score would be 18). As it is shown in Figure 2, the global intestinal score is lower (better condition) in HP AquaSure diets than in the Control diet for both intestinal regions. In the case of the histopathological evaluation of the intestinal epithelium, HP AquaSure sustains a better condition in the intestines of the seabass fed HP AquaSure products compared with the Control diet. This finding is highly relevant as it indicates that the enzymatic treatment of the soya shows an improved intestinal health in European seabass fingerlings.

Higher amount of vili

Within the histological findings in the trial, an increase in the ratio internal/external perimeter (IP/EP) of the intestine has been found in the seabass fingerlings fed HP AquaSure diets. As it can be observed in Figure 3, the amount of villi in the transversal section of the posterior intestine is higher in the fish receiving HP AquaSure diets. The ratio IP/EP for the HP AquaSure M0 and P0 were seven percent and two percent higher than the IP/EP ratio for the Control diet. This result together with the global intestinal index result indicate a healthier intestinal epithelium and greater surface area for nutrient absorption in sea bass fed the HP AquaSure diets probably leading to improved nutrient utilisation efficiency. Another remarkable finding of the trial was the significantly reduced volume (p< 0.00032) of faeces produced by the HP AquaSure P0 diet compared with the Control diet. HP AquaSure M0 and P0 had a 2.6 and nine percent lower faeces production than the Control (Figure 4). This result points to the potential advantage of using feeds including HP AquaSure to reduce the amount of solid waste in RAS.

Table 1: Formulation of the three evaluated diets for European seabass. Ingredient (g/100g)

CONTROL

HP AquaSure M0

HP AquaSure P0

Fishmeal 70 LT

25.0

Corn gluten1

20.0

SBM2

10.0

SPC3

10.0

Wheat gluten4

8.4

7.7

10.3

Wheat5

13.0

13.7

11.4

10.0

HP AquaSure Fish oil6

11.0

10.8

Premix7

0.25

Lecithin

0.5

MAP

1.85

1.75

1, 2 DTI, Denmark; 3 X-Soy600, CJ-Selecta, Brazil.; 4 Beneo-Orafti SA, Belgium; 5 Danish Agro, Denmark;6 DTI, Denmark;7 Aller-Aqua, Denmark

Table 2: Performance of European seabass fed the different diets during 10-weeks. Values are the average and standard deviation corresponding to 4 replicate tanks. Values with a different superscript indicate significant difference at p< 0.05. CONTROL

HP AquaSureM0

HP AquaSureP0

p value

100.00 ± 0.00

97.50 ± 3.19

100.00 ± 0.00

Initial weight (g)

14.07 ± 0.13

14.02 ± 0.06

14.04 ± 0.16

Final weight (g)(*)

53.86 ± 1.47

53.46 ± 0.61

53.45 ± 1.80

Survival (%)

Weight gain (g)

39.79 ± 1.43

39.44 ± 0.65

39.41 ± 1.71

Specific Growth Rate (%/d)/ind

1.92 ± 0.04

1.91 ± 0.02

1.91 ± 0.04

Total feed/ind (g)

41.60 ± 0.85

42.15 ± 0.42

41.45 ± 0.99

Feed intake (%Average Body Weight/day)

1.75 ± 0.01

1.78 ± 0.01

1.76 ± 0.01

Feed Conversion Rate

1.05 ± 0.02

1.07 ± 0.01

1.05 ± 0.02

Protein Efficiency Ratio (%)

1.79 ± 0.05

1.81 ± 0.02

1.78 ± 0.05

Hepatosomatic index (**)

1.97 ± 0.14ab

2.09 ± 0.23a

1.81 ± 0.13b

0.0171

Viscerosomatic index (**)

8.03 ± 0.38

8.68 ± 0.64

8.90 ± 0.42

(*) n = 120 (**) n = 12

A significant reduction in faeces volume

The main conclusions of this study indicated that the inclusion of HP AquaSure product at 10 percent of the diet for European seabass did not affect palatability, which was equivalent to the Control diet containing the same level of SPC or SBM. Growth and FCR was not affected by the replacement of 10% of SBM or SPC by 10% of HP AquaSure. The hepatosomatic index was reduced in 8% by replacing 10% of SPC by HP AquaSure. Furthermore, histological results showed an improved intestinal score and the ratio IP/EP of the posterior intestine in the fish fed diets including HP AquaSure, indicating a better gut health and condition of the intestinal epithelium. The incorporation of HP AquaSure instead of SPC significantly reduced (with 9%) the faeces volume in European seabass, confirming a reduction of the anti-nutritional effects from soybean protein.

22 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

We protect it We protect them We protect ourselves As a result of innovation and continuous improvement, Dibaq Aquaculture takes advantage of the arrival of summer to announce a new product line: Dibaq AquaSafe®, in which we have been actively working in recent months. It is an internal quality seal to differentiate our high-value products. Dibaq Aquaculture brand has always been of a valuable company, specialized in the manufacture of special and differentiated products, using high quality raw materials, micronutrients and functional components. However, as a result of the innovation and needs of our global market, we have managed to go further and improve the quality of our nutrients, additives and formulas in our products with this new seal that aims to provide value and differentiation to our clients and achieve them the maximum performance in their production.

Why have we called it AquaSafe?

This concept includes the sustainability and safety of water and Planet Earth, as well as the health and safety of fish fed with our products, stimulating the immune system, protecting them against internal and external parasites and improving productive performance. Therefore, it is a global concept that offers and focuses on the safety of the planet and fishes.

Visit us: dibaqaquaculture.es

LATAM FOCUS

AQUACULTURE

SHRIMP

HEALTH MANAGEMENT

Achieving consistency and sustainability in aquaculture production by Fabián Jijón Tinoco, Dostofarm, Ecuador ince it is a major food resource for human consumption, for the last few years world aquaculture has been leading its operations towards more sustainable practices. Amongst these newly adopted considerations, consistency in results remains a factor that the industry is constantly searching for. Consistency of results involves achieving the lowest variation as possible in every crop, with this always traceable back to the producer’s chosen strategy and farming technology. Based on oregano essential oils, Dostofarm products are shown to not only support sustained growth, the positive results are evident in every growth phase – from the hatchery, pre-growth, raceways and grow out ponds, with these resusing stocking or transferring shrimps too. To put it simply, the overall aim is to have annual constant growth from farm to fork.

Those sustainability goals are also transferred to the health management of shrimps, where every phase of production deal with their own challenges like bacterial, viral, nutritional, environmental, and some others that affect the production indicators. The most commonly used strategies for health management in aquaculture have been reoriented since the last few decades, introducing improvements on responsible antibiotic applications, or even replacing them completely and open spaces for new more environmentally friendly and final consumer technologies, this way the well documented bacterial resistance in animal production can be successfully avoided. Strategies like the use of probiotics, yeast by-products or their components, organic acids and essential oils are the most widely additives incorporated in actual animal health management strategies in aquaculture.

Figure 1: Fingerprint “Fingerprint of DOSTO® Oregano Essential Oil. Every number represents one of the more than 30 components and demonstrate how complex an standardized essential oil is.

24 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

AQUACULTURE For the last 21 years Dostofarm GmbH has focused its R&D into oregano essential oil, developing the technology required to get a natural, standardised and consistent component both in composition and concentration. With this technology and development based on pure and natural oregano essential oil with the lowest variation ratio on its composition, Dostofarm is a pioneer in this industry. Their products have been incorporated in aquaculture operations since 2015, warranting results in shrimp producer countries and supporting sustainability of shrimp production in all the crop phases. The contents of Dosto® Concentrate 500 and Dosto® Gold 500 are 50 percent pure and natural oregano essential oil from their own crops, offering a high grade of standardisation of their composition, which can be demonstrated by gas chromatography test. From the more than 30 components present in a natural oregano oil, Dostofarm has standardised 12 of them, including carvacrol, thymol and 10 more – making this oil essential and establishing a substantial difference from other synthetic sources and other similar offerings that are currently on the market, the company states. Dostofarm GmbH produces its feed additives in Germany, from where they provide the worldwide market with their natural solutions, which afford producers consistency in the results obtained in every production phase, a statement that is supported by the following testimonials.

Figure 2: Management Plan and suggested dosage for different production phases on shrimp aquaculture.

HATCHERY Use rates: 0.5 to 1g/kg of feed

RACEWAS/NURSERY Use rates: 0.3 to 0.5g/kg of feed

GROW OUT Use rates: 0.3 to 0.5g/kg of feed

Hatchery results & testimonials

“I’m delivering my crop and in about 16 days I stocked at 180 nauplii/lt, I got 300 Pl/g. I applied DOSTO products as part of the protocol with Complex B for increase feed intake and the post larvae were really “satisfy.” Such a way of eating and digesting the feed! My clients came and checked all the tanks in one day and I sold them all out – 70 million post larvae. The crop were highly homogeneous, even sizes and clean tank bottom”. Hatchery manager, Ecuador “We have been using 0.5 gr/Kg as preventive strategy, that eliminates the mortality we call “events.” The tank water looks healthy and clean. Gut looks full, high feed intake.

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 25

Bacterial control and good health and good pigmentation is what we saw as a product of the high feed assimilation.” Hatchery manager, Ecuador “I can qualify DOSTO® Gold 500 product as a high efficiency feed additive. My shrimp larvae production has improved by reducing the mortality events with a dosage of 0.5 gr/Kg of feed. I see my post larvae with full gut, feed intake has increased, better pigmentation, feed is assimilated really faster, water pollution has been reduced and it’s notorious a better health of the population” Hatchery producer, Ecuador

Result and testimonials in grow out

Challenge of Dostofarm additives compared to a control group with probiotic additives and organic acids (Positive Control Group), and a control group without additives (Negative Control Group). The improvement in production was remarkable.

Raceways/nursery results & testimonials

“We got to control mortalities due to pathogenic bacteria in our tanks by using DOSTO® Gold 500 added at the top of our protocol with traditional additives, we got to increase the survival in mortality events, going from 63.5 to 97.07 percent.” Raceways manager, Ecuador

Figure 3: DOSTO® Oregano in shrimp raceways. (Ecuador, 2017).

Figure 4: DOSTO® Oregano in shrimp grow out ponds (Ecuador).

In every shrimp aquaculture production phase, hatcheries, raceways/nursery or grow out, Dostofarm GmbH inputs deliver consistent results for industry sustainability. A natural and standardised composition, warranted concentration, a solution with a sole quality worldwide for a sustainable aquaculture production. DOSTO® Concentrate 500 and DOSTO® Gold 500 have been developed as highly efficient tools for all the aquaculture phases. Their concentration of pure natural oregano essential oil, and their standardised composition are monitored for every single production batch using Gas Chromatography test, with the results and testimonials contained within this article providing further evidence of this claim.

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LATAM FOCUS Supply problems during a pandemic Pointing the way to the future of the aquaculture industry

by Dr Jesus Zendejas, Director at Zendejas Aqua Feed, Mexico hen you have worked in the aquaculture sector for over 40 years, in both the public and private sectors, and have the academic qualifications to back up your commercial experience, you could be forgiven for thinking you

had seen it all. It is fair to say though that the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it a few surprises, and some important lessons for the future of the industry. The best part of my job is that I get to work directly with farmers on real life applications and get their feedback so that we can fine-tune the nutritional approach and continually improve diets. However, that process was interrupted by Covid-19 and supply chain issues which meant that we were unable to get a reliable stream of key ingredients from our usual suppliers. Traditionally, ingredient costs have been the most important aspect of aquaculture production, but the pandemic has shown us that a reliable supply and the integrity of the feed formula are more important, if we are to maximise performance and return on investment. During the pandemic, I began to use Evonik’s aquaculture amino acid Aquavi® Met-Met with my customers in Mexico and found it to be more effective for shrimp than the DL methionine (DL-Met) I had previously used. I have tracked the performance of the shrimp fed diets including Met-Met and found that quality improved when using measures such as hardness of shell and

cleanliness. Aquavi Met-Met is an exciting product and I have continued to use it even when DL-Met sources became available again. I have been able to reduce protein levels in the diets and maintain, or even improve, performance. I personally believe that this approach points the way forward for the sector as it moves to more sustainable approaches, reducing the reliance on fish meal and utilising more plant driven protein sources. Achieving and maintaining optimal feed is one of the biggest challenges that we face. We can’t just set the formula and machinery and expect consistent results. We need to be adaptable to change in the ingredient profiles. As an industry we need to be more creative and proactive, especially when it comes to managing the planet’s resources. This certainly includes evaluating more feed additives, including amino acids and probiotics, such as Ecobiol. I believe these functional additives will help us to vastly reduce our reliance on marine ingredients and significantly improve our year-on-year performance.

About the author:

Dr Jesus Zendejas is a Director at Zendejas Aqua Feed and an ingredients consultant. He also works as Aquaculture Research Director at Cargill and has held several positions at the Mexican Ministry of Fisheries. He holds a Master of Science, Aquaculture Nutrition from the University of Stirling.

28 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 29

LATAM FOCUS

SHRIMP

Growing with Ecuador’s Shrimp Industry

W by Famsun, China

ith a state-of-the-art shrimp feed plant that came online April 20, 2021, the China-based aquafeed giant HAID Group is getting ready to serve the shrimp industry and give it a strong impetus in Ecuador and the neighbour countries for a post-Covid rebound. Delivered as a turnkey project from FAMSUN, the amazing project is situated on an area of 34,800m3 and strategically located at the centre of the famous shrimp farming zone Duran in Guayaquil. It is HAID Group’s first feed mill project in Ecuador, and also the company’s first feed production base in Latin America.

Productive, controllable & transparent

Formed from a predecessor that was founded in 1998, Guangdong HAID Group Co, Ltd (hereinafter referred to as HAID Group or HAID) was founded in south China’s Guangdong Province in January 2004. Starting from aquafeed manufacturing, the company has now expanded into five business segments including animal feed, seedlings, animal healthcare, animal breeding and food, whilst also establishing a complete farm-to-food service chain. HAID Group also operates feed, hatchery and food production bases in 23 provinces and cities in China, as well as Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Ecuador and other countries, with annual feed sales volume of more than 10 million tons. On November 27, 2009, HAID Group was listed on the A-share SME board of Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Stock Code 002311). After 20 years of continuous and rapid development, HAID Group has become a high-tech enterprise among China’s top

three and the world’s top ten feed sellers. The company commits to taking its expertise and advantages in aquaculture to provide services with the whole value chain, whilst also supporting the development of a safe, productive, controllable and transparent value chain in the world’s key aquaculture markets.

Focusing on quality feed for shrimp

In the early of 2019, HAID Group announced the first phase of its investment in excess of US$50 million in Ecuador, with the ground-breaking ceremony of a 120,000 tones shrimp feed mill. The investment also includes a 50,000-tons white shrimp processing plant that collects shrimp from local farmers and process them into value-added products that will be exported to China and other markets. As HAID had worked with Famsun on many projects in China and other key aquaculture markets with great success, the company decided to entrust the state-of-the-art shrimp feed mill project to its long-tern technology partner Famsun with the aim of continuing its success story in Ecuador and Latin America. By fully understanding HAID’s requirements and their operation characteristics, Famsun design a reasonable, efficient and energy-saving leading- edge comprehensive shrimp feed plant for HAID. It is a biosecurity conceptual plant with clear functional zone division and stringent safety and environment protection measures. The auxiliary facilities are constructed near the main tower to facilitate maintenance and enhance steam efficiency. Whilst the in-plant logistics are optimised to improve raw material

30 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

receiving and product delivery with efficient quality and hygiene control. It mainly accommodates two raw material receiving systems, two raw material grinding systems, three dosing and mixing systems, four ultra-fine pulverisers, three pelleting and cooling systems, an extrusion and drying system, a crumbling line, seven bagging lines and two intelligent palletising and stacking lines and is able to produce a full range of feed pellets for shrimp in all of the different growth stages - from larvae to adult. The products are provided as crumbles or extrudates or regular pellets with proper nutrition and pellets with good physical quality that ultimately contribute to a higher shrimp survival rate, improved productivity and low feed costs for farmers, whilst also contributing towards good water quality for sustainable aquaculture.

Famsun worked closely with HAID to maintain normal level of construction of the project throughout the pandemic, which was supported by the implementation of a closedoff construction mode, stringent health care measures, the efficient Flowless Project Delivery (FPD) management system and its local experience, as well as a steady supply of both local and global resources and support from its partners and suppliers. Once put into full operation, the shrimp feed mill will create 150 job opportunities for local communities and bring further benefits to the livelihood and good quality life of local shrimp farmers.

Maintaining construction progress during the pandemic

Besides all the sophisticated processing machines, Famsun’s supplies also include the whole plant automation system, four steel silos and three small steel silos for storing wheat and soybean meal that matched HAID’s production capacity, as well as the steel structure main tower, two warehouses, and the procurement of all related accessories such as the weighbridge and the boiler.

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 31

CHINA

JUVENILE

LITOPENAEUS VANNAMEI

An assessment of the efficacy of different commercial sources of supplemental methionine over the growth performance of young whiteleg shrimp

by Tahir Mahmood and Waldo G. Nuez-Ortín, Adisseo, France

hile some studies have demonstrated that the bioefficacy of the crystalline amino acids (CAAs) is similar to that found in protein-bound amino acids, other researchers have found lower bio-efficacy values for the former. DL-Met is a racemic mixture of D- and L-isomers of Met and despite its wide application in aquaculture feeds, a debate still remains among nutritionists on its bio-efficacy (biological efficiency). The lowest CAA bio-efficacies were found in studies with marine shrimp due to water leaching issues. Among different supplemental sources of methionine, studies have indicated that a methionine-hydroxy analogue (OH-Met) can be as efficient as DL-Met in meeting the dietary Met requirement of juvenile whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, when fed low fishmeal diets (Foster and Dominy, 2006). The present study aimed at validating the similar bio-efficacy of DL-Met and OH-Met in fishmeal-restrained diets fed to juvenile L. vannamei reared under high density in a green-water rearing system. The study was conducted in the experimental aquaculture facilities of the Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Nutrition of Labomar (Figure 1), the Marine Sciences Institute of the Federal University of Ceará in Portugal.

Composed of independent outdoor tanks

The rearing system adopted in this study was composed

of independent outdoor tanks (1.5 m3) subjected to natural fluctuations in temperature and light (Figure 1). In order to mimic pond water conditions, water preparation consisted of applying liquid sugar-cane molasses along with ground commercial shrimp feed at a 1:1 ratio (20g/m3, as is basis) over a five-day period. Shrimp of 1.32 ± 0.07g body weight (BW) were transferred to outdoor tanks and stocked under 100 animals/m2 (165 shrimp/ tank). After stocking, shrimp were allowed to grow for 11 days on a single commercial feed after being fed the experimental diets. A total of 3 experimental feeds were prepared. Feed composition and analysed nutrients are shown in Table 1. One diet acted as control without any supplemental Met. In this case, analysed total dietary Met reached 0.46% and the total Met + Cys reached 0.94%. From the CONT diet, two other diets were prepared to contain different supplemental sources of Met. For both feeds, analysis showed a total Met of 0.67%, and total Met + Cys of 1.23-1.29%. Total dietary lysine (Lys) and threonine (Thr) were found at 1.921.97% and 1.29-1.36%, respectively, in all experimental feeds. Pellet water stability was measured using a horizontal orbital shaker. Initially, shrimps were fed using a feeding dispenser device. The feeding dispenser operated by dropping feed over the water surface during a 10-h period from 07:30 AM to 05:30 PM. Feed rations were adjusted daily assuming an estimated 0.38 percent weekly drop in shrimp survival across all the diets. Feed rations were adjusted daily assuming an estimated 0.38% weekly drop in survival across groups and by biweekly weighing of 10 shrimp per tank. No feed leftovers were collected during the

32 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

rearing period. Water quality parameters (i.e., pH, temperature, and salinity) were measured once daily starting at 0900 in all tanks. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for mean comparison. In case of significance, means were compared twoby-two with Tukey’s HSD test. A significant level of five percent was set in all statistical analyses, with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) package 23 used.

The variation in water salinity was consistent

Mean water salinity, pH and temperature reached 32 ± 2 g/L (2339, n = 2,200), 8.2 ± 0.3 (7.3-8.6; n = 2,200), and 25.6 ± 0.6°C (24.0-28.8°C, 2,200). Values did not differ statistically between dietary treatments (P > 0.05). However, these parameters varied significantly during culture (Figure 2). Variation in water salinity was consistent with the dry period that occurred during the trial. Although tanks were sheltered and protected with a lid on top to avoid shrimp escaping, high water temperature during the day and the limited water exchange favoured an increase in salinity. As a result, salinity increased from 31 g/L on day one of culture to 34 g/L a day prior to shrimp harvest. The is-osmotic point for the whiteleg shrimp ranges from 21 to 26 g/L salinity. However, the species is widely farmed in salinities that can range from less than three to more than 50 g/L. Although observed salinities during the trial period did not fall within the optimal range for L. vannamei, it did not appear to be detrimental to shrimp performance. Weekly variations in salinity ranged from less than one consistent drop as the culture period progressed. In the first

Figure 1. Outdoor tanks (1.5 m3) used in the present study

Figure 2. Variation in water salinity (g/L), temperature (°C) and pH over the culture period. Each data point represents the mean of 50 readings

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 33

month of culture, the temperature ranged from 24.9 to 26.3°C but dropped to 25.2°C in the last week of rearing. Variations in water pH likely reflected the accumulation of feed remains and shrimp excreta in the tank bottom during culture. No pH values were detected below seven or above nine during the experimental period. Water stability for all feeds remained above the recommended level of 80 percent (Figure 3). The CONT feed had the lowest stability compared to the OH-Met and DL-Met supplemented feeds (P < 0.05). Importantly, the water stability of both Met supplemented feeds was statistically similar. Since physical stability remained high for all feeds and more than adequate levels (80%), it is unlikely that differences played any effect on shrimp performance. Shrimp survival at harvest was high with a mean of 89.7 ± 7.3 percent (Figure 4) and was not significantly affected by dietary treatment. Likewise, no statistical differences were found in growth performance between the two methionine sources. In relation to the non-supplemented group, weight gain was around eight and four percent higher in the groups supplemented with OH-Met and DL-Met, respectively. A similar numerical trend was detected in SGR, with improvements of four percent and two percent by OH-Met and DL-Met, respectively. Only OHMet showed a numerical and positive improvement of six percent in relation to non-supplementation.

Figure 3. Mean (± standard error) water stability of tested feeds as measured by the orbital shaker method. Dotted line at recommended level of 80%. Columns with the same letter denote non-statistically significant differences at p< 0.05.

No difference between OH-Met and DL-Met was observed

In conclusion, the present study has shown that juvenile white leg shrimp fed diets formulated to contain a total of 0.67% Met (1.23 -1.29% Met + Cys) with supplemented sources of Met achieved a higher BW than those fed a non-supplemented diet with 0.50 percent Met (0.94% Met + Cys). Among the different supplemental Met sources, no difference between OH-Met and DL-Met was observed, demonstrating the equal bio-efficacy of these Met sources in maintaining the growth performance of white leg shrimps. Table 1. Ingredient composition and analyzed nutrients of experimental feeds INGREDIENTS (%)

CONT

OH-Met

DL-Met

Soybean meal

38.00

Salmon meal

10.00

Wheat flour

25.00

Soy protein concentrate

3.73

Vital wheat gluten meal

2.50

Salmon oil

3.00

Cassava starch

2.99

2.67

2.70

Yellow kaolin

3.00

Calcium carbonate

2.20

Soy lecithin oil

2.48

Vitamin-mineral premix

1.00

Sodium monophosphate

1.62

L-Lysine, 54.6%

0.71

Potassium chloride

0.82

Magnesium sulphate

1.25

Synthetic binder

0.50

Salt coarse

0.85

L-Threonine, 98.5%

0.30

Stay C, 35%

0.06

OH-Met Liquid, 88%

0.32

DL-Methionine, 99%

0.28

Moisture (%)

9.39

9.45

10.42

Ash (%)

12.01

12.15

12.02

Crude Protein (%)

33.63

33.68

33.47

Crude Fat (%)

7.17

6.75

7.05

Methionine

0.46

0.67

Methionine + cystine

0.94

1.23

1.29

Lysine

1.97

1.92

Threonine

1.29

1.36

ANALYSED NUTRIENTS

Figure 4. Effect of dietary treatments on weight gain (WG%) feed conversion ratio and specific growth rate/ day (SGR/d) of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). No significant differences between means (p>0.05).

34 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Tech update Fish Attracting LED Lights

Specifically designed fish attracting LED Lights can be used for fish growing lights in the aquaculture industry, with the findings of previous studies suggesting that the use of high intensity artificial lighting in salmon pens can be used to suppress early maturation during the on-growing stage. This is because Atlantic salmon is very sensitive to light, both for smoltification during the freshwater stage and during the on-growing stage in sea water because fish require a hormone called melatonin to properly sync their biological rhythms. This information enables the fish to determine night from day, the current season and time of day, which is vital to many species as it often dictates when they rest, mate, hunt, or perform other functions needed for their health and survival. LED Lights also attract smaller bait fish into sea pens, which in turn provides a natural food source and reducing production costs, bringing a welcome boost to feed conversion ratios.

37 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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Shrimp probiotics Improving water quality in L. vannamei production by Sarah He, TSM and R&D Manager, Aqua – Evonik Industries, Germany

Probiotics are being increasingly used in a range of food production systems, including poultry, livestock and aquaculture, for their positive effects on gut health, immune system and the environment.

The primary aim is to improve animal health, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, disease resistance and, of course, profitability, without recourse to antibiotics. The latest target for this emerging technology is shrimp farming. A collaboration between Evonik and the Qingdao Vland Biotech Group, known simply as Vland, has resulted in the development of a new probiotic – the result of about two years of joint development work – that promises to significantly enhance shrimp farming. Prior to the study, both companies had their own bank of bacterial strains and used these to identify three that could be combined to improve water quality by removing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from shrimp ponds. Already proven in the laboratory and in field trials, the new product, Aquavi® Pro-Pond is now being piloted in a commercial setting in the world’s largest shrimp farming market: China.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of shrimp

China has become the largest producer and consumer of farmed shrimp globally. Total shrimp production grew to an annual total of 4.6 million tons by some 14 percent between 2016 and 2019, accounting for about nine percent of the country’s aquaculture industry by volume and 24 percent of its revenue (in 2017). Not surprisingly the sector is concentrated along the coast, with Guandong province accounting for about a third of the total output. Due to its high economic value, low susceptibility to disease, and short culture duration to reach market size, L. vannamei is the main cultured shrimp species in China, accounting for about 50 percent of the 1.82 million tons produced in 2019 and generating about 40 percent of revenue in 2017. Unfortunately, the rapid growth and expansion in shrimp farming have also resulted in degradation and pollution of the aquaculture fields and surrounding environment. Disease outbreak usually caused by unstable water quality has become a major concern of shrimp farming and can significantly affect farm profitability. Determining how to produce shrimp in a more environmentally benign, economically profitable, and socially acceptable manner has created significant concerns in China. 40 | September 2021 - Fish Farming Technology

Ammonia & nitrite toxicity

In pond water, a dynamic equilibrium between the toxic ammonia form (NH3) and the non-toxic ammonium ion (NH4+) is established, the sum of which is known as total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) resulting from excretion by cultured animals and mineralisation of organic detritus like unconsumed feed and faeces. TAN may be used as a nitrogen source by heterotrophic bacteria, phytoplankton, algae and plants, and as an energy source by nitrifying bacteria. However, when ammonia levels in water exceed the tolerance limit of shrimp, it could cause direct damage to tissues such as gill and hepatopancreas, as well as affect respiration, metabolism, immunity, osmotic regulation, excretion, molting and growth, further attenuate resistance to pathogenic infections and cause mortality of shrimp. In addition, ammonia toxicity or stress also results in oxidative damage and increase in the levels of free reactive oxygen species (ROS) in shrimp. Nitrite is an intermediate product of ammonia either in the bacterial nitrification of ammonia or in the bacterial denitrification of nitrate. Accumulation of nitrite in pond water may deteriorate water quality, reduce growth, increase oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion, and even cause high mortality of shrimp. Operators needing to maintain water quality and to keep toxins below critical levels have needed to perform regular water exchanges. This not only takes time and money, but also represents a waste of water resources and creates an effluent discharge problem. In recent years, deteriorating water quality has caused massive financial losses to farmers and has become one of the major bottleneck factors slowing output and breaking the production

process. Moreover, legal regulations concerning the discharge of effluents from culture farms have become increasingly strict. One of the major challenges facing sustainable development of shrimp farming is maintaining the optimal water quality, therefore, developing a sustainable product for improving water quality is an important task for shrimp culture.

A combination of three different strains

Together Evonik and Vland systematically searched for bacillus strains from over 750 bacterial strains to remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and thus maintain water quality. The result was a combination of three different strains which were found in the laboratory to convert toxic nitrogen compounds to molecular nitrogen. This unique multi-strain probiotic has since been proven to work in aquaculture systems and is now being piloted in the commercial setting in China – the most exacting shrimp industry in the world. The probiotic is being commercialised under the brand name Aquavi® Pro-Pond and in China aimed chiefly at shrimp production based on different culture conditions including earthen pond, high-altitude lined ponds, and highly intensive engineered re-circulating ponds. It is easy to store and dose with one package per pond generally sufficient. Aquavi® Pro-Pond not only promises to improve water quality, shrimp health and performance, and reduce production costs, but also to make a significant contribution to the environment by reducing the frequency and impact of water exchanges. The new product is one key building block in Evonik’s “System Solutions Strategy”, providing customers with a full range of products and services ranging from nutrition, health and environment to eSolutions.

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FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Feed block technology

Introducing an innovative sea lice solution that benefits the general health, welfare and efficacy of lumpfish & wrasse

by Nigel Dawson, World Feeds Ltd, UK

The innovative solution to sea lice coming out of the UK VAF feed blocks are designed to provide cleaner fish with a complete, balanced diet that aims to eliminate health and welfare concerns just as effectively as they deal with parasites. The use of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) as a primary form of biological control of sea lice has increased dramatically over the past two decades - Norway alone is estimated to have deployed around 50 million cleaner fish in 2020. Whilst their effectiveness as cleaners is comparable to wrasse, lumpfish have proven relatively easier to breed and maintain. There is however inevitable concern regarding the health and welfare of these distinctive animals once deployed in the sea pen. Historically, high mortality rates have been recorded among the species within the commercial environment and this has been heavily linked to malnutrition and starvation, among other contributing factors. Another key indicator of suboptimal welfare, particularly within lumpfish, is the severity of cataract development. It has become increasingly apparent that the supplementary feeding of commercially deployed cleaner fish is necessary to maintain nutritional condition, welfare and efficacy (Imsland & Reynolds. et al, 2018).

An innovative feeding system

In 2019, UK-based feed manufacturer World Feeds Ltd launched VAF (Vita Aqua Feeds), their innovative solution to cleaner fish management and sea lice control. Following extensive studies and trials with sites in Norway and Scotland, their VAF feed blocks are becoming well-established as the go-to solution for cleaner fish managers in the Northern hemisphere. The feed blocks themselves are complete and balanced diets, tailored to lumpfish and wrasse. Produced using low-temperature extrusion techniques, the feed retains moisture, making it soft, malleable and highly digestible. This same process means that the sustainably sourced, high quality ingredients are not denatured and preserve all of their nutritional integrity. Those key dietary

components include mollusc and crustacean powders, whole fish meal, tailored vitamin and mineral mixes and a unique blended fish oil profile. The core principle of the feed block design is to promote and facilitate natural grazing behaviour and decrease the likelihood that the lumpfish would consume the pelleted salmon feed, as has been known to occur. This form of feed presentation also means that the feed block remains untouched by the salmon livestock and ensures all of the nutrition is utilised by the cleaner species. The elongated “log” shape is also grooved from end to end all around the circumference, a texture specifically implemented to benefit the shape of the lumpfish jaw and allow the fish to gain greater purchase while feeding. The feed blocks are designed to remain water-stable for up to 24 hours - though during studies it was found that the block was completely consumed in around three-to-four hours as fish were observed eating intensely from the feeding station. A key aspect of the VAF feeding system is the way in which feed is physically deployed and presented to the animals. Using the bespoke MLD (Manual Line Deployment) feeding station, end users can suspend the feed block at a variety of optimum positions and depths around the sea pen. In creating multiple feeding stations, this encourages lumpfish to widen their range, occupying more areas where the salmon are and thereby increasing their exposure to sea lice rather than keeping to the periphery or within hides. This strategic method of feeding also allows users to monitor cleaner fish feed intake to safeguard health, welfare and sea lice grazing activity. Studies comparing a group of lumpfish fed with VAF feed

42 | September 2021 - Fish Farming Technology

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY blocks in comparison to a group fed with another commercially available pelleted feed recorded considerable improvements to general health and welfare while simultaneously improving their efficacy in the control of sea lice.

Growth & mortality rates

It has been established that high growth rates are not ideal for lumpfish deployed as commercial cleaners. Studies have shown that smaller lumpfish tend to consume a greater amount of sea lice compared to larger fish. On that premise, it was asserted that if steady growth rates could be maintained and controlled, the operational window of lumpfish would be extended. Proteins are essential for growth and welfare and the balanced marine protein levels contained within VAF feed blocks have proven to promote a steady and healthy growth rate in lumpfish when compared to those fed on a pelleted diet. During the comparison studies, it was recorded that lumpfish had a relatively short acclimation period to begin feeding on the feed blocks. Data showed that the feed block fed group attained a mean weight of 53.8g at day 93 while the pellet fed group attained a mean weight of 102.5g during the same period – representing a difference of 48 percent lower mean weight for those fed with VAF. Using growth modelling, the pellet fed fish would have achieved 200g at day 144 whereas the feed block fed fish would have done so at day 182. This increases the window of optimal size by 38 days in which to graze sea lice at higher capacity – enhancing their potential and efficacy as cleaner fish. It was even recorded that mortality rates in the feed block fed group were much lower over a 23-week period. These growth and mortality rates allow users to alter their stocking strategies and reduce the number of

times restocking of lumpfish is required as the fish are kept in better condition and for a longer period of time.

General health & welfare

When examining lumpfish, health status is determined by physiological condition. Their health and welfare in commercial cages remains a prime concern, lumpfish have been known to lose condition within six weeks of transfer to sea cages. Research has posited that this can be alleviated by the supply of robust fish and providing a suitable supplementary feed source more suited to their dietary needs than has previously been available. This is precisely what the VAF feed block is scientifically tailored for. Operational welfare indicators (OWIs) developed for lumpfish used in the comparison study showed that feed block fed fish had lower mean scores – indicating better health condition than those on the pelleted feed.

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43 | September 2021 - Fish Farming Technology

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY It was suggested that feeding lumpfish with VAF feed blocks may alleviate health issues due to an enhanced nutritional intake and better controlled growth compared to the pellet fed group. Similarly, ballan wrasse in Scotland were recorded to have exceptional colouration and general physical condition following a regular and consistent feed block diet. In order to maximise the nutritional benefits and acclimation to feed blocks, World Feeds developed smaller sized blocks for use during earlier stages of the lumpfish lifecycle. This feeding strategy is being implemented to maintain healthy lumpfish populations from the hatchery all the way to the commercial salmon pen. Furthermore, the company are currently in the process of developing larval and broodstock feeds for hatchery use.

Combatting cataract development

Lumpfish are visual feeders and so eye health is vital. Cataract development reduces their efficacy as sea lice control as the fish are unable to navigate and hunt as well. The comparison study recorded the VAF fed group had significantly less cataracts by comparison to the pelleted group – with 87 percent less cataract prevalence after 93 days. It was observed that there could likely be a correlation between high growth rates and cataract development, but also in the type of nutrients the fish are consuming and how they utilise those nutrients. It was surmised that those lumpfish with higher cataract prevalence may be consuming the pelleted feed intended for the salmon. Whereas commercial salmon feeds generally have less protein and higher fat content, VAF feed blocks are 100 percent marine profile with higher and lower inclusion levels of protein and fat respectively by comparison. The attractants within the feed block diet encourage the lumpfish to feed primarily from the blocks and subsequently this reduction in cataract development can be attributed to the nutrients obtained from the VAF feed.

Saving time & money

Another significant advantage that VAF poses to fish farms is the multitude of time and cost savings afforded by these unique feeding systems. The large feed blocks (which are supplied individually foil wrapped within an easily carried and fullyrecyclable bucket) can be stored in a “cool, dry place” – requiring no refrigeration. One company noted that each of their sites had removed their large chest freezer systems which were no longer needed - subsequently eliminating the 24/7 electricity cost of running of each unit and saving on space. Energy savings such as this naturally pose a hugely positive long-term impact on a site’s

daily operational costs as well as their carbon footprint. The company noted that the minimised need for medical treatments and restocking of cleaner fish (a result of the nutritional benefits of the feed block diet) combined with the reduced energy costs had saved them more than double the annual cost of the blocks themselves. These feed blocks even boast a two-year shelf-life, meaning fish farmers are able to house several months’ worth of cleaner fish feed without the need to constantly re-order. Consequently, these time savings allow staff to reallocate their time to more productive on-site tasks In comparison to other products on the market, such as gel diets, the feed blocks require no mixing or preparation and can simply be loaded onto the bespoke MLD feeding station in-situ at the side of the pen, directly out of the pack. This in turn saves time in unpacking, preparing, recycling and transporting the feed to site. The MLD itself is also far more practical, efficient and quicker to use than the net bags that might otherwise be employed. Once a block has been consumed, the bright yellow float indicator is designed to float to the surface; enabling staff to easily keep track of when feed needs restocking.

Future developments

World Feeds believe the key to aquatic nutrition is a synergy between high quality feed and optimised presentation methods. While the MLD system provides a simple and effective bespoke solution to deploy the feed block diets, the company are in the midst of developing an altogether grander delivery system for larger and more remote sea pens. This buoyant, self-powering feeding station is intended to be loaded up with a stock of several feed blocks. The station will be fully programmable so that end users can modify the feeding schedule to their site’s requirements and leave the station to feed automatically over the course of the week with minimal supervision and maintenance, further freeing up personnel to pursue other objectives. With scope for the feeding station apparatus to be integrated with a variety of attachments such as cameras and environmental monitoring sensors, the system also poses almost limitless potential for operational data collection and research applications. The research has shown clearly that feed blocks can give more controlled growth, increased survival and better overall health status in lumpfish in sea pens with Atlantic salmon. VAF feed blocks and their strategic feeding systems could truly revolutionise the daily operational mechanics for fish farms. Simultaneously providing a better standard of nutrition and welfare for lumpfish and thereby a significant advantage in the war against sea lice.

44 | September 2021 - Fish Farming Technology

TECHNOLOGY SH Innovations this month September 2021 This year sees the first digital exhibition in Aqua Nor’s history take place from August 23-27. Described as an interactive exhibition program with professional debates, it also features reports and exciting exhibitors. The products featured below represent just a small sample of the wide range of aquaculture technology products and services that feature in this year’s show. If you would like your product or service to appear in a future edition of International Aquafeed magazine, then be sure to email us at: editorial@perendale.co.uk

Winmate M900P Rugged Tablet PC from Recab Due to its solid enclosure with MIL-STD-810G certification and IP65 rating, the Winmate M900P Rugged Tablet PC from Recab is well suited to harsh environments. It also features genuine Intel graphics for high processing performance, low power consumption and extended battery life. Weighing approximately 900g, this product is engineered to deliver lightweight mobility in a compact tablet form factor. The eight inch sunlight-readable display features a user-friendly projected capacitive touch screen. The M900P is a Windows 10-based device coming with an Intel Pentium N4200 Apollo Lake processor and its wide operating temperature range ensures reliable operation under extreme conditions. Tailored for mobile workforces, its display also features optical bonding, 1280 x 800 resolution and PCAP multi-touch – all of which delivers a user-friendly multi-touch experience and outdoor viewability. Meanwhile, it supports rain/stylus/glove modes, meaning the touchscreen remains responsive in all conditions. https://recab.com

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Servi CleanPump With no permanent net pen installation or sharp edges that can tear holes, the Servi CleanPump significantly reduces the risk of fish escape. Its effectiveness also results in less time spent on dead fish handling, leaving more time for profitable tasks. The Servi CleanPump primarily prevents the most common cause of escape from net pens, which is holes in the net. All parts that are immersed in the net have rounded corners to ensure that the pump does not tear any holes upon introduction and extraction. Preparation for louse treatment is also simplified because there is no permanent device installed in the net pen. Further ease of use is ensured by its compatibility with most boats, whilst the plug-and-play solution utilises the hydraulic energy of today’s work boats and it can also be operated with a remote control when linked to crane hydraulics. www.servi.no

Do you have a product that you would like to see in our pages? Send products for consideration to editorial@perendale.co.uk

The Ozone disinfecting system from Redox Redox is a complete supplier of disinfection solutions to fisheries and the aquaculture industry. Its solutions aim to ensure good hygiene and water quality, in addition to preventing disease contamination at the plants. For intake water, the company uses both ozone and UV – often in combination. When moving brood stock into the sea, its solutions are used to clean pipes and tanks, remove biofilm and to disinfect before the next batch of fish. Ozone is well-suited for disinfection in the food and marine industries as it kills viruses and bacteria such as E coli and Listeria faster than other chemical agents, whilst bacteria do not develop resistance against repeated use of ozone. All processes are controlled and monitored from a user-friendly touch screen that is installed at a central location. The data is stored in the logging system and can be printed or sent directly by e-mail. www.english.redox.no

fishfarmingtechnology.net 46 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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The 880P work boat from Skarsvaag A boat that’s designed with seaworthiness of paramount importance, the 880P from Skarsvaag also helps fish farmers to move quickly and safely from A to B. The boat’s wheelhouse sits on vibration dampers to insulate it from the hull, which ensures a quiet and comfortable indoor environment. Featuring a strong fender that is available in aluminium or in an elastic material around the boat and the stern, its deck only has railings, which ensures that it is easy to get on and off. It is also built and constructed from aluminium according to the stringent Nordic Boat Standards applicable to vessels of this size. The ship comes complete with a comprehensive instruction guide. With a length of 8.8 metres and width of 2.8 metres, the 880P from Skarsvaag has enough capacity to comfortably transport as many as eight people. https://skarsvaag.com

Leiber® Beta-S – β-glucans for: Exact Mini Feeder from VARD Developed with precision and predictable feeding in mind, the Exact automatic feeder can be used with a number of species of fish including wrasse and lumpfish. Operators of the Exact Mini Feeder can accurately increase and reduce feed quantities, whilst its hopper is a clear container made from hard plastic. This design allows you to always know exactly how much feed is left in the hopper, whilst also preventing the feed from getting stuck and the feed is protected from moisture and humidity in the air. Available in four different sizes including one litre, three litres and five litres, it is also easily connected to and calibrated against either Vard’s or your existing control system. The mounting system for the mini feeder is highly flexible, which means you can easily reposition the feeder to adjust the feeding point. The compact feeding robot is easy to clean and maintain. https://vardaquaculture.com

Improvement of the cellular & humoral defence mechanisms Support of immunological competence in larval & juvenile stages Improvement of feed conversion

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 47

CS Aquaculture case study

European cuttlefish

A potential species for aquaculture - what we know so far

The European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is a marine mollusc, belonging to the class Cephalopoda, of which octopuses, squid and nautiluses are also members. Cuttlefish is one of the most economically valuable cephalopod species due to their high protein content and for being a source of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

by Rónán Ó Flatharta, Ellie-Ann Conneely, Cecilia S Valente, Majbritt Bolton-Warberg & Alex H L Wan, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Cuttlefish are especially popular in Far-East Asian and Mediterranean markets, making them ideal candidates for aquacultural production from a market perspective. The viability of cephalopods in aquaculture has long been of interest. This is largely due to a global decline in finfish stocks over the last century, which has subsequently led to an eight-fold increase in cephalopod catches over the same period. An ever-growing demand from major fish consuming countries for greater diversity in edible fish species further emphasises cephalopods potential in filling a niche in the seafood market. Non-edible by-products of the cuttlefish can be used as fish meal, bait or even in the pharmacological industry. Excreted nitrogenous compounds can be utilised in integrated aquaculture systems to promote algal and bivalve production, showing their sustainable and additional economic potential. Cuttlefish are also valuable model species in scientific research. Their complex nervous system and advanced sensory organs have been studied in the fields of physiology, neuroscience, immunology and molecular biology.

lengths (measured as mantle length) of up to 45cm. Subtropical populations tend to achieve smaller sizes, e.g. ~2 kg and ~30 cm.

Natural habitat & biology

The viability of farming cuttlefish

In the wild, the European cuttlefish is a demersal species found in the shallow, temperate waters of the Eastern Atlantic from the North and Baltic seas to warmer waters such as those of the Mediterranean and South Africa. Seasonal migration (predominantly vertical) occurs across its geographical range which often coincides with various stages of the life cycle, including mating and spawning. Both mating and spawning typically occur between March and July, triggered by water temperatures of 13-15°C. Males carry up to 1400 spermatophores while females can lay between 150 and 4000 eggs, depending on their size. Eggs are laid in clusters and are attached to floating debris and seaweed in the water column. They have an incubation period of between 30 and 90 days, depending on water temperature. Cuttlefish are visual predators, feeding on small molluscs, crustaceans and young demersal fishes. If food becomes scarce, they will often resort to cannibalism as a survival strategy. Juveniles may consume as much as 30 percent of their body weight daily that in turn leads to high growth rates. Growth rate also depends on water temperature, and average weights of adults in temperate regions can reach four kilograms and

Recently, studies have shown that it is possible to rear cuttlefish in medium-scale extensive aquaculture settings in Europe. However, commercial farming of cephalopods has yet to be achieved at scale due to bottlenecks limiting their upscaling from laboratory to commercial production. The following factors are key to their successful culture: • Behaviour (such as - stocking density, sex ratios). • Growth and feeding rates (nutritional requirements). • Environmental parameters (including temperature, salinity and light intensity). The culturing of cuttlefish is of interest due to their high growth rates and the potential to rapidly-produce juveniles in a relatively short period of ~40-60 days. Juveniles are highly sought after in many countries, particularly in Portugal where they are considered a delicacy. A drawback is that conventional aquaculture systems are not designed to facilitate cuttlefish production. Like most aquaculture species, cuttlefish can be housed in open, semi-open or closed seawater systems, and they require tanks with large bottom areas to accommodate their benthic behaviour. Unlike shoaling fish such as sea bream and salmon, cuttlefish

48 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

CS require varying stocking densities at different life stages. Hatchlings require stocking densities of 500 individuals per m2 and tanks with a minimum bottom area of 0.06 m2. Stocking densities for juvenile to adult life stages can range from 20-400 individuals per m2, with average tank bottom areas of one metre depending on the seawater system used. For the reproductive life stage, cuttlefish are reared in tanks up to 9000L, with stocking densities of four cuttlefish per m2 and a sex ratio of two females to one male to avoid territorial conflicts and aggressive behaviour. Other external factors including temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration, and water quality can also influence growth and reproduction. Mimicking wild-like conditions in the laboratory and, ultimately, on an industrial level has proven difficult to date but is attainable.

Nutrition, the key to successfully farming cuttlefish

Nutrition is one of the main bottlenecks to scaling up cephalopod aquaculture. This is because crucial research on nutritional requirements (including protein, lipid, and energy) in cuttlefish is lacking. Finding the correct balance of these requirements is key for commercial production. Cuttlefish are protein-rich, with body compositions ranging from 75-80 percent protein on a dry weight basis. Thus, they require diets containing high levels of protein and amino acids to sustain growth and fulfil their energy demands. Previous studies have stated that the particular metabolism of cephalopods must be considered when creating compound diets, ensuring optimal productivity and somatic growth in juveniles and reproduction in adults at later stages. Protein synthesis and retention are efficient in cephalopods, while protein degradation rates are often low. This allows some species to invest as much as 92 percent of their synthesised proteins into somatic growth. Characterisation of the amino acid profile in the cuttlefish is important to understand the nutritional value of their diets and the additional roles of amino acids aside from metabolism. For example, certain free amino acids such as taurine, play important roles in their osmoregulation and the early developmental stages. More research is required to understand the importance of other dietary macronutrients such as lipids and carbohydrates, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and trace minerals. Recent research has led to the discovery that lipids and fatty acids are essential in the form of polar lipids (obtained from low lipid-containing prey such as crustaceans) for the production and maintenance of the nervous system in the planktonic life stage. Little research has been carried out on the role of carbohydrates in the European cuttlefish’s metabolism, however, it is understood

International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 49

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CS that they may only play a minor role in egg composition and metabolic function of the animal. Producing artificial compound feeds for cephalopods has had varying results to date. As previously stated, cuttlefish are visual predators and trials using feed pellets instead of live prey have often led to lower growth rates, cannibalism and aggression in the culture setting. An artificial diet that is palatable, visually enticing and meets the optimal nutritional requirements of the European cuttlefish has yet to be designed but could prove revolutionary in the upscaling of cuttlefish production. So far, cuttlefish have been successfully cultured by feeding a diet of live and frozen mysid grass shrimp from hatchling to reproductive stages. These studies have shown potential increases in somatic growth as well as individual and overall fertility when fed frozen grass shrimp. This may be a result of the lower energy expenditure needed when feeding. The use of live feeds such as shrimp is not without its issues, most notably the fact that the availability, maintenance, and storage of live feed candidates expend as much as 50 percent of the total labour required for cuttlefish aquaculture, indicating that live feed diets are not yet economically viable when considering commercial cuttlefish aquaculture. More research is needed in the areas of cuttlefish physiology, metabolism, and raw materials to develop diets that are inexpensive, easily storable, and meet nutritional requirements for commercial production.

An ideal candidate for aquacultural production

The European cuttlefish has the potential to fill the market niche for an alternative marine protein source. Its short lifecycle makes it an ideal candidate for aquacultural production. While

steady progress has been made, it is evident that the information available is still not sufficient to support the commercial farming of this species. Nutrition continues to be the predominant bottleneck affecting its upscaling, largely due to its fundamental role in cuttlefish metabolism and growth and its linkages with secondary bottlenecks such asoptimal environmental perameters and behavioural tendencies. Holistically approaching these limiting factors, with a focus on nutrition will be key to ensuring the viability of commercial cephalopod aquaculture in the future.

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CS Aquaculture case study

The

Sea cucumber Sustainable farming is the only way forward

Sea cucumber, a luxury marine treasure of Chinese cuisine, has been traditionally fished by many nations for centuries. An explosion in demand over recent decades has massively depleted wild populations, sowing disharmony in delicate ecosystems. Sustainable farming of sea cucumber is the only way forward, and with aquaculture becoming more competitive, such a transition now relies on early-moving visionary businesses to lead the way.

by Brandon Hargraves, CEO and Founder, The Aquaculture Group, Singapore

Feeding on decaying organic matter in the seabed, sea cucumbers play a crucial role in marine ecosystems as effective cleaners. Populations dutifully clear impressive amounts of algal, invertebrate, and waste particles that would otherwise slowly build up. Their important role improves ocean health in various ways, even helping to prevent serious problems such as algal blooms and coral bleaching. Whilst other organisms in the ecosystem may undertake similar roles, any disruption to balanced populations will send ripples across the entire food chain. Fisheries do not belong in the seafood industry of tomorrow as the market is utterly incapable of responsibly managing wild stocks. The global market exponentially demands more seafood, and a virtually unlimited supply of industry actors are more than happy to deplete wild resources for quick and easy cashflow. Complex multi-party value chains for sea cucumber are prolific across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, enabling a million autonomous tentacles of the market to comb the seabed day and night. In countries with government controls, illegal poaching and smuggling is rampart, sometimes involving international criminal organisations.

The very decentralised nature of the industry

Though while the market may act like an unfeeling and cruel machine, it is hundreds of thousands of everyday fisherfolk, processors, logisticians, and wholesalers, that make up the very human reality. Whilst wild stocks are significantly depleted, the high price per sea cucumber ensures it is well worth one’s time. It is this very decentralised nature of the industry, fuelled by the need to feed one’s family, coupled with government ineffectiveness at fishery regulation, that unfortunately makes fisheries incapable of responsibly managing wild resources. The increasingly addressable problem with the sea cucumber market is the lack of substantial supply from aquaculture. This is due to poor technical and scientific understanding of how to effectively breed and farm sea cucumber, high capital requirements, high risk exposure to environmental phenomena, and the fact that research and development is spread thin over several different species. Throughout the 21st century, a collective library of scientific and technical knowledge has been growing. The two most expensive species, apostichopus japonicus and holothuria scabra, sport the

most substantial amount of knowledge. While there are wildly varying levels of growth success between operations, it is possible to be competitive if staffed by experienced technicians and managers. The industry is not yet at a point where small household-run farms can exist like in the case of some other aquaculture species, but the industry trajectory is certainly favourable. The viability of sea cucumber aquaculture is gradually improving, with the industry slowly maturing into professional operations. Operations that are large-scale, professionally managed, scientifically driven, and vertically integrated from egg to export, can absolutely outcompete fisheries in every conceivable metric. That not only includes price, volume, and supply reliability, but also quality, sustainability, food safety and workplace safety.

Aquaculture is the sensible way forward

There are numerous reasons for which aquaculture is the sensible way forward for sea cucumber. Environmentally, it’s the obvious choice. Popular species like japonicus and scabra are globally endangered, with populations further decreasing. A successful hatchery program can produce many millions of juveniles in a year, allowing a huge aquaculture operation to be entirely self-sufficient in supply. As aquaculture becomes more commonplace, the number of trained hatchery technicians will increase globally, enabling additional hatcheries to be built, further reducing reliance on wild stocks. In an integrated multitrophic aquaculture setting, the sea cucumber can be included to great effect at the benthic level in certain farm configurations. While they can’t be included in carnivorous fish farms due to sea cucumber’s herbivorous diet, they pair excellently with seaweed, abalone, and shellfish. To reduce the environmental impact of such intensive farms, sea

52 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

CS cucumber can consume fallen organic matter. It’s important to determine an ecological balance for a multi-species farm, so that the operation has an appropriate number of sea cucumber for the waste that is generated. Too much waste could cause overfeeding and subsequent health problems. Another benefit of sustainable aquaculture over the fishery status quo is higher quality. In the wild, sea cucumbers can receive scars from the harsh environment and crab attacks. If they’re being fished, they are very likely to be improperly handled, causing great stress and the quick emergence of white sores. Additionally, at the processing stage, processors often are not trained properly to produce high quality dried specimens. Wholesalers receive varying degrees of quality and size, often not up to standard. In an aquaculture operation, all these factors can be controlled with effective company management to produce vast quantities of high-quality dried product. Size, in terms of length and weight, is a primary determinant of value alongside processing quality. Due to overfishing, it is now exceptionally difficult to catch holothuria scabra that are over one kilogram in drained weight, meaning most caught vary in weights from 100 to 700 grams. An aquaculture operation utilising best practice methods can

achieve such an average weight in around 24-30 months, though we at The Aquaculture Group proudly reach an average one kilogram in under a year through our world-leading farming methods. There is an exponential relationship between price and size, so aquaculture operations will be able to generate very high revenue from their large specimens.

Extremely inefficient complex value chains

The complex value chains that support sea cucumber fisheries are extremely inefficient. Multiple layers of middlemen exist, each taking a cut, hence increasing the final price to end consumers. The value chain is filled with opportunistic agents unconcerned with grand business strategy. A vertically integrated company from egg to export directly eliminates supply chain inefficiencies, providing additional competitive advantage and room to compete on price. By controlling most of the supply chain, traceability is much more easily introduced. The reality is the sea cucumber market is tainted with illegally sourced and smuggled product, coming from regions with a modern occurrence of fishery slavery. As consumers and wholesalers around the world are demanding to know more about the origin of their products, sustainable aquaculture operations will be able to benefit the most from the implementation of supply chain traceability. Professional aquaculture operations also improve greatly in occupational health and safety. Sadly, the hundreds of thousands of impoverished fisherfolk worldwide who make up the workforce supplying wild sea cucumber are increasingly risking their safety to catch the remaining sea cucumber. With shallow populations almost completely wiped out, fisherfolk must delve deeper, usually not having appropriate

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CS equipment to do so. Many people have been injured or have died, with no concern from the exploitive agents who increasingly demand more. A professional aquaculture operation will have strict management, well-developed procedures, and proper equipment in place to provide a safe working environment. Additionally, well-developed aquaculture businesses will be able to pay excellent salaries for workers due to the luxury status of sea cucumber, far beyond what is considered normal for rural areas of developing countries where sea cucumber typically originates. This attracts the best workforce, able to achieve higher productivity.

The future is sustainable, and truly glorious

Food safety is the primary concern alongside price for consumers around the world. As sea cucumber is a luxury good, consumers expect high quality, safe, and honest product. Unfortunately, in some cases, various actors in the value chain may use dishonest and even unsafe practices to inflate the value of their product. This could include things like steroids, chemicals at the processing stage, or simply not drying the product as much as it should be to prevent spoilage. A sustainable aquaculture business with a reputation will pragmatically have honest business practices, ensuring the high investment needed will not go to waste due to a bad reputation. Consumers will naturally gravitate towards good reputation. The final main reason why sustainable aquaculture is the future of sea cucumber is higher supply certainty. The simple reality is that controlled production in well-managed operations will be able to supply expected quantities of product, at expected weights, at regular intervals. Fishery value chains commonly face supply chain problems as there is no level of certainty at any

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point. Wholesalers must factor this into their prices, negatively affecting end consumers. All in all, a sustainable aquaculture operation that is vertically integrated, professional, scientifically driven, and well-managed and led will be able perform extremely well in the sea cucumber market. They will be able to outcompete their competition, even going as far as undercutting them with ease. This is the vision that we at The Aquaculture Group are striving towards every day. The future of sea cucumber is sustainable, and it is truly glorious.

About the author:

Brandon Hargraves is the Founder and Chief Executive of The Aquaculture Group, a Singapore-based international group of companies setting the gold standard for corporate sea-based aquaculture. Their multi-species operations are designed from the ground up to be environmentally sustainable, professional, vertically integrated, data driven, and mass scale. The Aquaculture Group is best known for its world-leading growth rates of the luxury sea cucumber Holothuria scabra.

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www.ottevanger.com International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 55

Industry Events

2021

5-8 World Aquaculture 2020 Singapore www.was.org

Status updates for industry events amidst global effects of COVID-19 2021

September Starting September 4th OMS Aquafeed Production School www.onlinemillingschool.com

28-29 Aquaculture Innovation Summit Online www.aquacultureinnovationsummit.com 2021

11-14 Aquaculture Africa 2021 Alexandria, Egypt www.was.org

October

2-4 Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show 2021 Taipei, Taiwan www.taiwanfishery.com

5-8 Aquaculture Europe 2021 Madeira, Portugal www.aquaeas.org 13-15 Vietstock 2021 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam www.vietstock.org

12 Week Program

September 14 - Europe and Asia September 17 - US and Latin America

www.onlinemillingschool.com 2-4 Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show 2021 Taiwan www.taiwanfishery.com POSTPONED TO 2-4 December 2021

2022

2021

January 12-14 Victam Asia Bangkok, Thailand www.victam.com

20-22 Lanka Livestock 2021 Colombo, Sri Lanka www.lankalivestock.com

Session 1: Raw Materials - Process interaction and function of use

December

November 11-13 Livestock Taiwan 2021 Taipei, Taiwan www.livestocktaiwan.com 3-5 AFIA Equipment Manufacturers Conference 2021 New Orleans, LA, USA www.afia.org/events/emc-2021/

7-10 Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2021 Surabaya, Indonesia www.was-apc.org

aqfeed.info/e/1024 2022

February 16-17 Aquafarm 2022 Pordenone, Italy www.aquafarm.show

14-17 SPACE 2021 Rennes, France http://uk.space.fr

2022

March

15-16 Seagriculture Conference 2021 Online www.seagriculture.eu

TBC ILDEX Vietnam 2022 Vietnam www.ildex-vietnam.com

15-17 VIV Qingdao 2021 Qingdao, China www.vivchina.nl

24-26 Aquafuture Spain 2022 Santiago De Compostela, Spain http://en.aquafuturespain.com

22-23 Aquaculture New Zealand Blenheim, New Zealand www.aquaculture.org.nz

30-31 RASTECH 2022 Hilton Head Island, USA www.ras-tec.com

22-24 VIV Asia 2021 Bangkok, Thailand www.vivasia.nl 26–29 WAS North America & Aquaculture Canada 2021 St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada www.was.org POSTPONED TO 15-18 AUGUST, 2022

7-9 AlgaEurope 2021 Europe www. algaeurope.org 8-12 World Aquaculture 2021 Mérida, Mexico www.was.org 22-24 VIV MEA 2021 Abu Dabai, UAE www.vivmea.nl

☑ See The International Aquafeed team at this event 56 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

2022

April 26-28 Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global 28th Edition Barcelona, Spain www.seafoodexpo.com

2022

May 3-5 Aquaculture UK 2022 Aviemore, Scotland https://aquacultureuk.com

DA NEW TE S

World Aquaculture 2020

NEXT GENERATION AQUACULTURE INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY WILL FEED THE WORLD

December 5-8, 2021

Singapore EXPO Convention & Exhibition Centre and MAX Atria

November 8-12, 2021

The Annual International Conference & Exposition of World Aquaculture Society

Mérida, Mexico Centro International de Congresos de Yucatán, CIC

Asian Paciﬁc Aquaculture 2020 – Annual Meeting of Asian Paciﬁc Chapter, WAS Hosted by Singapore Food Agency

Annual global meeting of the World Aquaculture Society

Conference Sponsors Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Technological University National University of Singapore, James Cook University Republic Polytechnic 3rd International Symposium on Perch and Bass WAS Premier Sponsors

WA2020 Partner

@Wa2020

@WA2020

WASAPC

WAS Premier Sponsors

Associate Sponsors Aquaculture Engineering Society International Association of Aquaculture Economics & Management WorldFish

Aquaculture 2022 Come one, Come all for Aquaculture Large and Small

February 28 - March 4, 2022 Sustainable Aquaculture – Feeding Africa

Town and Country Resort & Conference Center San Diego, California

AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2021 Alexandria Egypt • December 11-14, 2021 The 1st Annual International Conference & Exposition of the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (AFRAQ2021) Egypt is the biggest aquaculture producer in the continent. Both local and international aquaculture delegates will converge for the event at the beautiful City of Alexandria, the Pride of the Mediterranean Sea.

CO-SPONSORS

Hosted by

Conference Management Exhibits & Sponsors WAS - African Chapter worldaqua@was.org Mario Stael Blessing Mapfumo Chapter Founding Gold Sponsor Conference Sponsor and www.was.org mario@marevent.com africanchapter@was.org Egyptian Aquaculture Society (EgAS) AFRAQ 2021 Gold Sponsor

PREMIER SPONSORS

Silver Sponsor

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ASSOCIATE SPONSORS Aquacultural Engineering Society Aquaculture Association of Canada Aquaculture Feed Industry Association California Aquaculture Association Catfish Farmers of America Global Aquaculture Alliance

International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management Latin America & Caribbean Chapter WA US Trout Farmers Association World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association Zebrafish Husbandry Association

For More Information Contact:

Industry Events

AFIA’s annual PISC brings industry colleagues together again This week, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) welcomed over 275 feed ingredient buyers and sellers from across the country to Orlando, Florida, for its annual Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference (PISC), which was postponed from March earlier this year. The three-day program offered attendees the ability to reconnect with industry colleagues, make new connections, conduct business and engage in professional development. “Since March 2020, our members have been solely focused on safely manufacturing animal food to keep the US food and pet food supply chain stable amid many pandemic-induced challenges,” says AFIA’s President and CEO Constance Cullman. “Although our industry has adapted well to the new business environment, it thrives on personal relationships and we knew our members longed to reconnect with their industry colleagues in a professional forum. Whilst we have certainly missed those who could not be with us inperson this week, we heard from PISC attendees that they relished the time spent learning about the current market forces that could impact their businesses and networking with their industry colleagues.”

A diverse line-up of speakers

The event included two days’ worth of educational programming, with a diverse line-up of speakers, including: • Temple Grandin, PhD, of Colorado State University, who challenged the industry to leverage the expertise and innovation from small players in agriculture to help the US achieve its sustainability goals and address consumers’ demands for locally produced products • Cassandra Jones, PhD, of Kansas State University, who discussed the ways the feed industry can mitigate the risk of spreading the African swine fever (ASF) virus via their manufacturing facilities to US swine herds and the implications of the first ASF cases in the Dominican Republic on US agriculture

AquaFuture 2022 expands exhibition space by 80 percent due to huge demand The international aquaculture fair AquaFuture Spain, which will take place March 24-26, 2022 at the Feira Internacional de Galicia ABANCA venue, has eight months of its celebration with more than 80 percent of its available space already reserved. These figures have lead the company organising the event, OK Eventos, to expand the exhibition space initially planned for this event. There are already more than one hundred companies that have confirmed their presence at this fair, which will become the first with this theme to be held in Spain since 2010. The exhibitors are from 18 countries both in Europe and Asia, whilst there will also be representation from Latin

• Former US ambassador Gregg Doud, of Aimpoint Research, who described how “disrupters” in the marketplace can change the future trade environment for animal protein and dairy foods • Eric Mittenthal, of the North American Meat Institute, who spoke on changing consumer attitudes toward animal protein and plantbased foods • Richard Brock, of Brock Associates, Inc, and Joseph Kerns, of Partners for Production Agriculture, who provided expert economic analysis of the future grain and animal production markets. • Kim Bremmer, of Ag Inspirations, who spoke on the need for agricultural companies to play an active role in their local and state civic organisations to correct misinformation • Lt Colonel Dan Rooney, a fighter pilot and PGA professional, who spoke on how individuals can find purpose by following their dreams despite their fears of failure. For the first time, the AFIA conducted a blood drive to assist in the nationwide blood shortage, collecting over a dozen units of blood with the potential to save 30 American lives. A recording of the educational program will be made available for purchase in the AFIA Online Store starting in September and photos from the event are available on AFIA’s social media channels. The AFIA thanks its sponsors: diamond sponsor Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production; platinum sponsors Barchart and The F.L. Emmert Company; gold sponsors Adisseo USA, Ardent Mills, CJ Bio America, Nutrien and Watt/Feed Strategies. The silver sponsors Alfagreen Supreme, Animal Agriculture Alliance, Baymag, Central Life Sciences, Diamond V, DSM Nutritional Products, Huvepharma, International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc, International Nutrition, Micronutrients, Mosaic, Phileo by Lasaffre, Premier Magnesia and Zinpro Performance Minerals. Next year’s edition of PISC will be held in San Francisco, California, March 8-10, 2022. For further information, visit the PISC website: https://www.afia.org/events/pisc-2021/

America, North America and South Africa. Likewise, the vast majority of the main Galician and Spanish companies in the sector have supported this project, which is on its way to becoming an international benchmark. These companies will make up the socalled ExpoFuture, an exhibition area that grows to 11,000 m2, where the latest products on the market will be presented and the establishment of business lines and synergies promoted. Both the productive sector and official bodies and public institutions will be present, as well as new entrepreneurs and start-ups, who will have the opportunity to present their projects.

Large number of presentations

Added to this growth in exhibitors are the proposals from many private entities and companies to make presentations of projects, research and products in the InnoAqua space. Thus, in addition to two keynote

conferences and eight round tables organised by the fair, there are already twelve companies that will participate in this forum, whose objective is to promote innovation and knowledge transfer. ExpoFuture and InnoAqua will be joined by AquaPoint, a dynamic space for meetings, contracting and business meetings between all the stakeholders that make up the aquaculture value chain. In addition, other experiential ways of showing the product will join, through tasting sessions and cooking shows, which will teach attendees about the various uses of aquaculture products in modern and traditional cuisine. In addition, AquaFuture Spain'22, which has the Morenot company as official sponsor, and the companies Hipra, Abanca, Acuiplús and JJChilolino as collaborators, will be a point of reference for professionals in the international aquaculture sector to learn about the latest technological innovations, market strategies and sustainable resource management.

58 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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Industry Events

Aquaculture America 2021 The World Aquaculture Society (WAS) is back in business with in-person meetings by Clarissa Garza de Yta, LATAM General Manager, International Aquafeed magazine

After more than a year of cancelling or postponing its meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 14th Aquaculture America took place in the beautiful city of San Antonio, Texas, USA. Taking place on August 11, the event’s venue was the Marriot River Center, with approximately 1000 participants in attendance from many regions of the world. The event started with a remarkable Plenary Session, “US Aquaculture and the Pandemic: Impacts, Near Misses, the Future?” by Carole Engle. During this plenary, Dr Engle described what US farmers experienced throughout the pandemic and what could be learned from it. She also commented on what the future holds for aquaculture in the United States, as well the opportunities that are arising, whilst also highlighting what farmers, researchers, extension specialists, and land-grant university administrators have to do in order to be adequately positioned so that they can take full advantage of upcoming opportunities.

Dr Engle sent a very clear message regarding the importance of joining aquaculture associations and being active, the importance of the communication between all aquaculture stakeholders, staying true to the land-grant mission, not letting go extension positions and working towards providing what the farmer needs. The most important message was that individuals can make a difference in aquaculture and that we all should get involved and do our best.

Seeing old friends and familiar faces

During the three-day event there were 39 sessions, where 343 papers were presented by 280 speakers. Some of the sessions included topics like nutrient requirements, technology and engineering, feed ingredients and gut health, finfish nutrition, alternative feeds, ras and bioflocs and of course, shrimp, tilapia, catfish, shellfish and ornamental aquaculture. Renowned experts like Dr Claude Boyd, Dr Allen Davis, Dr Michael Schwarz chaired their respective sessions, whilst many WAS past presidents could be seen in the hallways, including Dr Joe Tomasso, Dr Michael Masser, Dr Charles Bai, Lorenzo Juarez, as well as the current US Chapter President Dr Dennis McIntosh and the current WAS president, Dr Antonio Garza de Yta.

"Excellent vibes could be felt during the whole meeting, as everybody that was present expressed their happiness to be able to see old friends and, familiar faces"

60 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

Industry Events

Excellent vibes could be felt during the whole meeting, as everybody that was present expressed their happiness to be able to see old friends and, familiar faces.

Comradery and willingness to support the aquaculture industry

Regarding the exhibition, 89 companies in more than 100 booths participated. All of the exhibitors, including International Aquafeed, were very pleased to see their friends and clients face to face for a very long time, and although the meeting was not as big as a regular WAS Conference, the comradery and willingness to support the aquaculture industry was present - everyone who attended left with a smile on their face.

The pandemic is still affecting many parts of the world, although, vaccination rates are increasing in pace in many countries, with in-person events like the one in San Antonio once again serving the aquaculture sector. In the coming months, the WAS will have events in Singapore and Egypt in December, as well as San Diego, California and Merida, Mexico in February and May of 2022 respectively. The feed and the feed ingredient industry are without a doubt a key component for the aquaculture sector to keep thriving in the future. We will continue being present in the most relevant events globally and we will make sure to update you with the latest news. See you very soon.

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Equipment for sale

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62 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

The Anderson Inc +1 419-897-6758 www.andersonsgrain.com

Feed Mill Clextral +1 813 854 4434 www.clextral.com Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com

Fish counters Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr

Soon Strong Machinery +886 3 990 1815 www.soonstrong.com.tw

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Buhler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com

Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr

Clextral +1 813 854 4434 www.clextral.com

Fish Stunning Aqua Future + 49 27 32 / 65 35 www.aquafuture.de

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl

Fish Stunning

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Ace Aquatec + 44 7808 930923 www. aceaquatec.com

Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com

Hammermills Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl

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Ferraz Maquinas e Engenharia +55 16 3615 0055 www.ferrazmaquinas.com.br

Yemmak +90 266 733 83 63 www.yemmak.com

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Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com/eng

Predator Defence Ace Aquatec + 44 7808 930923 www. aceaquatec.com

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Probiotics

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Paddle Mixer Anderson www.andersonfeedtech.com

Pellet binders Borregaard +47 69 11 80 00 www.borregaard.com

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Vacuum Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl Ferraz Maquinas e Engenharia +55 16 3615 0055 www.ferrazmaquinas.com.br Wynveen International B.V. +31 26 47 90 699 www.wynveen.com Yemmak +90 266 733 83 63 www.yemmak.com

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International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 63

To include your company in the International Aquafeed market place in print, and a company page on our website contact Tuti Tan +44 1242 267700 • tutit@perendale.co.uk To visit the online market place visit: www.aqfeed.info/e/1130

the interview Pedro Encarnação Pedro Encarnação is an aquaculture expert with extensive experience in the aquaculture field around the world. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology and MSc in Aquaculture and a PhD in fish nutrition. In 2005, moved to Asia (Singapore) as Technical and Business Development Director for the feed additive company Biomin. After 10 years in Asia, he returned to his home country of Portugal to join the Jerónimo Martins Agri-Business division as its Aquaculture Director to develop the group expansion in this new area. He is now focusing on developing aquaculture projects, to supply the group extensive supermarket network.

You have worked extensively in aquaculture following the completion of your Marine Biology degrees and your PhD in Fish Nutrition. Has that provided a sound foundation for the work you now do with Jeronimo Martins AgriBusiness?

Definitely, my education gave me a good foundation for the work I’ve been carrying out during my career in aquaculture and the work that I presently carry out at JM, but I believe that it was the practical and field experience of being involved with all levels of aquaculture projects around the world that gave me the best skills and background to better perform my work at JM.

Like others you have moved from fish nutrition and fish production into the distribution sector for aquaculture products. Do you feel this transition, of skills from production to further along the food chain, has a benefit for the aquaculture industry? Should we be encouraging greater connections between these two aspects of the food chain?

Definitely, there is a benefit for the aquaculture industry when nutrition and production interact and have a direct connection with the retail and distribution sector. This is because often the retail and distribution sector are not aware of the specifics of the production sector; their main concern is price and to be attentive to consumer’s needs and concerns which puts pressure on producers to follow these requirements. By working directly and in collaboration with them, we can also present the point-of-view of producers, what are the constrains, and also all the efforts and improvements that are being made to produce a product of the highest quality so that they can take the producer’s point-of-view into their market considerations.

You are speaking at Aquaculture Europe 21, which I believe is to be held next month in October 4-7, 2021. Can you highlight the points you wish to make as they relate to aquaculture production?

The point that I want to highlight in my presentation is that with this integrated model between production and retail, we can bring production closer to the customer needs and expectations. There is a reduction in the supply chains leading to fewer players, shorter distances to transport fish, greater quality control and food safety, and even more shelf time which increases the period for sale thus reducing the risk of generating food waste. We achieve this by developing projects and adjusting our production to the expectation of our customers, in terms of availability, quality, sustainability and also by creating differentiation for those products produced locally.

From a retail point-of-view how are aquaculture products being received by consumers? Is there increasing demand for fish by consumers - as we suspect - and if so what are the key factors driving this trend?

I believe that more and more consumers are perceiving aquaculture products as part of their normal fish purchase process, thus the issue wild versus farmed fish is fading. There are still concerns about the farming process and the sustainability of the industry, but I believe the industry has moved in the right directing to address these concerns and

show that fish can be farmed sustainably. Farmed products are considered good quality products and the consumer benefits from a regular supply. As they can always find these products available in their local supermarket, it becomes part of their regular consumption. This regular availability of a quality product, together with the fact that fish is perceived to be a more healthy choice in terms of food, drives the consumption and demand higher.

What is your view on the development of aquaculture as a significant protein source in consumer diets? Are we capable of meeting demand or are issues of sustainability, the use of fishmeal (although declining) and the image of aquaculture impacting the acceptance of farmed fish?

If an increasing human population wants to keep and or increase its fish protein consumption, I believe aquaculture will be the major source of that fish and it will continue to grow. Nevertheless, it will need to find solutions to keep pace with growth and to fulfill demand in a sustainable way. As I mentioned earlier, at the moment the issues of sustainability and a “bad reputation” are the main challenges facing the aquaculture industry regarding acceptance from consumers. I believe the aquaculture industry is quite aware of this and it has been working hard at different levels to make changes and improve its overall sustainability of all its production process, from implementation of best management practices to improving its track record in terms of environmental impacts (IMTA, RAS), use of antibiotics and even animal welfare. I believe it will continue to improve in these areas. Raw materials to feed an increasing amount of fish is a challenge, but the feed manufacturing industry is putting significant effort into finding alternative raw materials. With the introduction of the FI:FO ratio and the need to have it close to one, I believe the issue of using fishmeal to feed farmed fish is becoming a lesser problem, and to those that still bring this issue to the table we should ask what do wild fish eat and what is their FI:FO, so they really understand which source of fish is more sustainable.

Is the aquaculture industry, particularly where it involves feeds, meeting the high demand from the retail sector?

There has been a great effort from the industry, and in particular the feed sector, to follow the demands of the consumers and regulatory entities, which ultimately reflect the demands of the retail sector; in particular, the issues of both sustainability and traceability. As for the feed companies, also a great deal of effort has been done to increase the quality and sustainability of feeds. This is not an easy task, when the fish nutritionist needs to adjust the nutritional requirements of fish to concepts like FI:FO, while not using animal proteins or meeting requests for 100 percent vegetal feeds. Nevertheless, the industry has stepped up and is looking for new raw materials (insects, single-cell proteins, seaweeds, etc) and selecting ingredients that are more sustainable. It is also looking at a ‘circular economy’ to make use of highquality protein such as fish trimmings or fisheries by-catch, or looking at the life cycle assessment of feeds to select the type and origin of ingredients. Sometimes, what is missing is that this information is passed to the consumer without explanation who are not then aware of all these efforts being made by the industry.

64 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

International Aquafeed - September 2021 | 65

THE INDUSTRY FACES ASC announces its new markets and communications leader

he Aquaculture Stewardship Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Willem de Bruijn as its new Senior Director of Markets and Communications.

Mr De Bruijn will provide leadership and direction to the ASC’s newly restructured Marketing and Communications, Market Development and Market Research and Insight departments.

Willem de Bruijn

He will also support the organisation at the executive level, working directly with the Chief Executive, Chris Ninnes to deliver the ASC value proposition, brand, and business model and expand the ASC’s global market presence. The appointment of Mr De Bruijn follows the development and implementation of a Strategy Review in 2020 that saw the ASC Board sign off its primary recommendation to strengthen the ASC as a marketing organisation. “Willem brings with him an impressive history of international market, product, and consumer success,” says ASC Chief Executive Chris Ninnes, welcoming his appointment.

Zinpro Corporation promotes new Chief Financial Officer

inpro Corporation, a provider of animal and fish nutrition solutions, has promoted Candyce Trautwein to chief financial officer.

In this role, she will be responsible for outlining the strategic direction for the company's global Accounting and Finance teams and building the financial tools and processes to support the company's growth in the years to come.

Candyce Trautwein

Ms Trautwein also will leverage her established relationships and business knowledge of financial planning with leaders across the global organisation. "Candyce has built a world-class finance team during her time here at Zinpro," says Rob Sheffer, president and CEO of Zinpro. "She is an exceptional leader and will use her enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit to inspire our organisation to achieve business goals. "Candyce lives our Zinpro core values daily as she builds trust and partnerships with our employees and customers," concludes Mr Sheffer.

Delacon names experienced business leader as new Chief Operating Officer

ith more than 25 years of experience in the food industry, Michael Fischer has been part of executive boards for 13 years.

In his new role with Delacon he will guide the organisation in implementing its vision to unlock the plant universe for better lives.

Michael Fischer

“I see a very bright future for phytogenics and can highly identify with Delacon’s values: make a difference, grow together, impact life,” says Mr Fischer. “I look forward to growing Delacon’s global footprint and make the world a little bit better with our concepts and solutions, every day,” he concludes. “With Michael joining our C-Suite, we are strengthening our top management as a base for Delacon’s future growth and development. Together, we will pursue our mission of making phytogenics for health and nutrition available to all,” adds Delacon's CEO Markus Dedl.

The Wenger Group names Vice President and Chief Information Officer

he Wenger Group has announced the addition of Hubert Twigg as Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Following his recent appointment, Mr Twigg will be responsible for leading the Wenger Group’s Information Technology Department and will report to Tim Appleby, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Michael Fischer

Prior to this role Mr Twigg held roles of increasing responsibility throughout his 18 years with Harsco Corporation. Most recently he served as Director of IT and Development at Lighting New York. At the Wenger Group, Mr Twigg will oversee a team of more than 20 team members. “In his previous roles, Hubert had responsibility for infrastructure, applications, data management, the global program management office, and eCommerce,” notes Mr Appleby. “I am confident that he will be an asset to our organisation and drive our IT strategies forward,” he concludes.

66 | September 2021 - International Aquafeed

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