JUN 23 - International Aquafeed magazine

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

WELCOME

IAF was privileged to have the opportunity to join this year’s World Nutrition Forum, which was held in Cancun, Mexico from May 8-10.

This was the fifth time the WNF was being held. It was an extremely well-attended and on-point event for both its content and focus including aquaculture, which was a key part of the species breakout sessions.

Publisher

As we all know the WNF was first introduced by the Austrian Biomin company but has now been fully embraced by the Swiss dsmfirmenich company following the latter’s acquisition in October 2020. Covid obviously derailed any possibility of hosting the fifth event at its normal two-year rotation and the 2023 event was held Cancun which proved an excellent venue to re-launch this most informative nutritional event hosted by a commercial company.

Our report (see page 16) highlights key presentations from the conference.

The session for aquaculture also welcomed Ragnar Nystøy from Norway speaking on the challenges facing finfish aquaculture; however, you had to be present to get the best from each of the presentations made in this session.

I was particularly interested in the facts and views expressed throughout the conference on the question of sustainability in food production - and in particular the use of big data in providing the information we need to make informed and meaningful decision when coping with climate change and the demands from a growing world population. We will be presenting more from this event in later editions of IAF this year.

That takes me to an important feature from the same company on how we are bridging the feed protein gap in aquaculture (see pages 22) by Louise Buttle who is also from dsm-firmenich, and who has written quite extensively for us on the question of sustainability in aquaculture in the past (see May 2023 page 50 and see July 2022 page 50).

Also in this edition

However, this edition is not just about nutrition. We also look at the use of plastics in our fish farming environment.

Keeping with the theme of sustainability we look at the production of the world’s first fish pen made from recycled materials. It’s from the AKVA Group which has been working with plastics for over 50 years and is determined to provide sustainable products in this space. Its developments are showing promising results which it says will lead to more sustainable fish farming. See page 26.

And being sustainable is also under development at Symrise Aqua Feed in France (Page 32). This company is focusing on producing resilient models which are good for business, people and the planet. It says the circular economy model needs to address these goals by applying three principles - eliminating waste, circulate products and regenerate nature.

Fish Farming Technology

In this month’s Fish Farming Technology section, we publish

a feature by James Sibley of Biology and Genetics at the Northeastern University in the USA. He looks at CRISPR which is an acronym for unleashing the future genetic engineering potential in global aquaculture. The feature centres around Atlantic Salmon and how to minimise the opportunity of farmed fish from reproducing with their wild-type counterparts should they escape.

Dr Eckel Animal Nutrition of Germany has provided a useful feature on Improving the resilience in shrimp - with Muhammad Umar, Dr Temitope Aloba and Dr Bernhard Eckel once again addressing sustainability in aquaculture by considering ’stepping tones’ towards achieving that objective.

Our Events Section

We report on the first Indo-Norwegian Aquaculture Symposium, which was hosted in southern India in the heart of its aquaculture region.

This is an important development as International Aquafeed believes that the progress made by the fishing industries in norther Europe, such as those in both Norway and Scotland, can show the way for other farming industries in adopting technologies that improve feed and food safety while introducing greater controls over production and efficiencies that will ultimately lead to more affordable fish products for the consumer while progressing sustainable fish farming.

We also report on the Blue Food Innovations Summit 2023, which returned to London in May this year for its two-day annual event. It attracted just under 350 delegates which included 41 start-ups which included the production of sustainable fish feeds. Our managing editor, Jyothsna Nelloolichalil, was on hand to report on this event. Her report appears on page 52.

Our final event report covers the LACQUA 2023 gathering in Panama which took place towards the end of April in Panama City. This was a regional World Aquaculture Society event which attracted just under 1200 attendees from 48 countries. Some 65 companies had booths in the exhibition area and there was a lively atmosphere for this the biggest aquaculture event for Latin America.

IAF attended with its Spanish-language edition for distribution and presented an all-Spanish booth. We invited visitors to sign up to our Spanish version - which we have been producing monthly since January the year and which is finding a valuable place in the region’s aquaculture industry.

If you missed getting our free offer of an annual subscription to the magazine via our mobile app, please see the QR code below and the free Coupon to use to take advance of this offer. We welcome all readers to our magazine in our various languages - English, Spanish, Norwegian and Chinese.

Thank you for taking the time to read my editorial. I always value your feedback so please let me know if there is something the magazine can do to better serve your industry - write to rogerg@ perendale.co.uk

Good reading!

Roger Gilbert

– International Aquafeed and Fish Farming Technology

Of course, we farm fish to eat them such as salmon and trout and now many more different species globally. The Aquaculture industry is expanding on the basis of highly developed formulated diets that are bespoke of the different life stages encountered and the complex nutritional requirements for the array of farmed species of fish (salmon, seabream, and seabass) and shrimp. Fish is an invaluable source of high-quality protein, lean fillets with the ‘good fats’ and full of vitamins and essential macro and trace elements. There is now significant debate regarding the health of humans with increasing obesity, associated type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other ailments connected to diet.

Professor Simon Davies Nutrition Editor, International Aquafeed

as DHA, also plays a role in brain function and development. EPA is important for the regulation of inflammation in the brain, which can damage brain cells and contribute to cognitive decline. Studies have shown that EPA can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression, which may be related to its anti-inflammatory effects.

A retired colleague and eminent scientist at Imperial College London Professor Emeritus Michael Crawford (Director, Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition) has long advocated and actively campaigned to recognise the importance of omega-3 long chain fatty acids found primarily in marine organisms (i.e., algae, crustaceans like krill and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon) for human brain health. Professor Crawford has long argued that a reduction in our long chain omega-3 lipid consumption and disproportional increase in omega-6 fatty acids in our diets from refined vegetable oils is leading to a chronic state of mental health issues. The Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio becomes unbalanced and unfavourable to our bodies. His new book ‘The rise and fall of the human brain’ is impressionable and timely, given societal concerns for delinquency and learning retention disorders. In more specific terms, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are two types of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils that play crucial roles in human brain function and development. DHA is particularly important in the human brain, as it makes up a significant portion of the brain's cell membranes (myelin sheath). DHA is also essential for the proper functioning of neurons, which are the cells that transmit information within the brain. Studies have shown that low levels of DHA in the brain are associated with cognitive decline and an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's especially in the elderly. In infants, DHA is critical for brain development, particularly during the last stages of pregnancy and the first two years of life. During this period, the brain undergoes rapid growth and development, and DHA is needed for the formation of new brain cells and the development of neural pathways. Infants who do not receive adequate amounts of DHA during this critical period may be at risk for developmental delays and cognitive deficits. EPA, while not as abundant in the brain

A few years ago, a medical research group in the United States made controversy worldwide by attacking the image of tilapia. They helped coin a phrase describing this important farmed fish as ‘The Aquatic Hamburger’ implying that tilapia was unhealthy and had a very high omega-6 level in fillets and quite the opposite benefits to farmed salmon. Wild tilapia does have some Omega-3 lipids from their natural diets and also other fatty acids of the Omega-9 series as well as Omega-6. The farmed tilapia has energy and oil sources that satisfy their health and supporting growth and development but as warmwater fish require less Omega-3 long chain fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.

Fortunately, we can ‘lipid tailor’ fish body composition to a high degree and influence fatty acid make-up of storage lipids in and around muscle. The type of oil in the feed has a strong modulatory capacity and hence we have seen a large reduction in farmed salmon to nearly 50 percent less DHA and EPA due to the increased use plant oils from oilseed crops. Now, we see successful attempts to counteract this with a focus on marine algal oils such as Schizochytrium in several commercial products. There is even work on terrestrial crops using GMO to enhance the EPA and DHA levels in plant oils producing a profile very similar to that of marine fish oils.

With the tilapia issue I was quite determined to test if we could tailor the fatty acid profile of tilapia at harvest using a ‘finishing’ phase diet with a higher oil content and rich in DHA. My paper in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology in 2021 was entitled ‘Delivering a Nutritionally Enhanced Tilapia Fillet Using a Pre-Harvest Phase Omega-3 Thraustochytrids Protist Enriched Diet’. This showed the feasibility of reversing the Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio in favour of the DHA. This worked very well but cost will be a factor, and if the consumer is willing to pay for a ‘high end’ premium tilapia. With increased inflation and rising food costs this could be indeed a challenge.

It can be seen that aquaculture nutrition research must cater for changing scenarios and to meet consumer expectations whilst still adhering to a fair price. Another factor is taste and texture of fish and this must also be factored. I see much more work needed to examine the inclusion of novel ingredients on these traits and therefore universities and private and government agencies should offer facilities for taste panel assessment of products from aquaculture.

The beginning of May was a time of great historical happenings in the UK, culminating in the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. I watched it all on television, along with billions of others around the world.

But it was also a turbulent time in my homely political scene. The ruling Labour Party held its annual meeting, where they drafted their political programme and priorities for the coming years.

A British coronation and a Norwegian political party conference may not have much in common, but in this case they do. King Charles’ passion for the environment is well known. But it appears that the Norwegian Labour Part does not entirely share this. Oh, they may claim they do, when they introduce new taxes and restrictions, but then they make plans to exploit nature in totally new ways.

It was just announced by the Labour Party that they will promote seabed mining for minerals, provided the activities do not harm the environment. The press release stated that they will “explore the possibilities for sustainable extraction of seabed minerals…. The work to open the seabed must be knowledge-based and follow the precautionary principle.”

I immediately got worried because I have seen this before, and it is still happening. When I was working in Namibia some 15 years ago, the big diamond companies were mining for diamonds on the seabed outside the southern coasts of Namibia and South Africa. I expect it was a very lucrative business, and apparently the activities had less impact on the environment than mining on land. For the wounds that this activity inflicted on nature, on the seabed, could not be seen. It was all under water. But the effects could be seen as the fish began to disappear. The seaweed disappeared; the seabed was transformed into a desert with no plants. And when the plants disappeared, so did the fish. The juvenile fish had nowhere to hide any more, and the spawning grounds were destroyed.

We tried to get the mining companies to make a commitment to regenerate the plant life after they were done mining, as a reasonably inexpensive tidying up of their mining fields. The diamond companies were not unwilling to do so, but the whole issue drowned in discussion, or silence. The seabed off southern Namibia and western South Africa is not the only place where similar destruction is going on. Along the coast of Norway, for example, as much as 80 percent of the aquatic plants may have been lost due to other activities, and it has been helped along by the invasion of sea urchins and king crab, which was moved by the Russians from the Pacific to the Barents Sea in north-western Russia decades ago. Petroleum exploration in the sea is another culprit.

There have been a number of proposals for rejuvenating aquatic plants in these areas, but it always boils down to: Who will pay for it?

In the case of seabed mining, my answer is obvious: Those who cause the damage must pay. But because nobody can see the destruction, there may be disputes over how great the damage is. And how do we repair it?

Some years ago I was in touch with a company that produced very efficient artificial reefs. Trials in Norway showed remarkable results. “Dead” fjords came alive again over a short period of just a few years, and the fish returned. The problem was, however, the same: who should pay? Unfortunately, the company did not succeed in finding a solution to this question and in the end it went out of business.

It is time that political parties and governments, and heads of state, too, address this problem in earnest, before we totally ruin our seas. The technology to save our oceans does exist.

So I hope somebody can interest King Charles in taking an initiative to have all this destruction repaired. Get in touch with your colleagues in Monaco, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia to create a high-level action group! Believe it or not: people still listen to royalty.

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Erik Hempel

The Nor-Fishing Foundation

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FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

4 Professor Simon Davies

5 Erik Hempel

38 Krill fishing in the Antarctic impacting predator population

THE BIG PICTURE

The Roll’Oyster by Seaducer is the first oyster-farming automated device able to reproduce the positive effects of the tidal system on oysters from the spat to fattening stages.

See more on page 33

FEATURES

16 The World Nutrition Forum 2023

22 Bridging the Feed Protein Gap in Aquaculture with Single Cell Protein

26 Unleashing the Future of Genetic Engineering in Global Aquaculture

28 How to build a sustainable aquaculture model?

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

34 World’s first fish pen made from recycled materials

VDS and Aller Aqua collaborate to provide high-quality RAS shrimp feed

As the aquaculture industry continues to grow, there is an increasing need for sustainable feed production and supply. Shrimp farming, in particular, has become increasingly popular due to the high demand for this species both domestically and internationally.

Aller Aqua are committed to providing high-quality feed to their partners and take pride in their role in supporting the aquaculture industry’s growth. In partnership with VDS, a premix specialist, Aller Aqua has developed a range of feed products that are specifically designed for use in shrimp RAS systems. These systems are becoming increasingly popular in Europe as they allow to produce high-quality, fresh shrimp products with short distances to market.

The new feed products developed by Aller Aqua and VDS are designed to provide rapid feed availability and high feed performance, addressing key concerns of shrimp producers.

“We look back at a long cooperation with VDS as experienced partner in shrimp feed production. Together, we noticed the same shrimp producer demands about feed availability and performance as well as physical quality. With the growing demand, we found it was time to get together and develop an optimal feed for shrimp farmed in RAS,” says Hanno Slawski, Group R&D Director of Aller Aqua.

“Feeds have been tested in our own RAS system, where we found faster growth and remarkably even size distribution of shrimp with the now market-ready products. Shrimp farmed in RAS is a growing market and our feed concentrate solution in combination with Aller Aqua’s experience in feed manufacturing, raw material selection, and high standard for physical pellet quality, have led to a range of products that have already gained customer attention,” says Koen Blanchaert, CEO of VDS.

The success of the on-farm trials conducted using the new feed products has generated significant interest among shrimp producers and the aquaculture industry. The new feed has proved to deliver faster growth and a more even size distribution of shrimp, improving the efficiency and profitability of shrimp farming operations.

Aller Aqua uses the highest quality raw materials in their aquafeed formulations. This ensures that their feeds not only supply the nutrition required for healthy growth and development but are also safe and environmentally sustainable, fostering responsible aquaculture practices.

Aller Aqua and VDS will continue to play a leading role in the development of new and innovative aquafeeds that support the expansion of the aquaculture industry as demand for high-quality, sustainable seafood grows.

Benchmark Genetics disease - free compartment in Chile opens for export

On May 19th, 2023, Benchmark Genetics Chile received the Disease-Free Compartment Certification from the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca). Thus, it has become the first genetic company in Chile to achieve this distinction, which recognises the high biosecurity standards by which the company operates. The certification also opens opportunities to export genetic material from Chile to salmon producers across the globe.

The Disease-Free Compartment Certification defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health, WOAH, is only given to aquaculture farms that can demonstrate an active surveillance system, with strict biosecurity measures enforced where the animals are free of certain listed diseases. The farms must have firm management practices to keep the animals healthy and safe from diseases to get the certification. The independent compartment of Benchmark Genetics Chile will in practice open for export and the disease status of our farms is independent of other activities in the country.

The CEO of Benchmark Holdings, Trond Williksen, expresses, “We are very proud to celebrate this milestone reached by Benchmark Genetics Chile. This is the most demanding standard in the world regarding biosecurity and demonstrates the unparalleled sanitary condition of our facilities in the country”.

Jan-Emil Johannessen, Head of Benchmark Genetics, is also delighted with the achievement and says, “This certification is very relevant as we now have the same health and biosecurity standards in Chile as in Iceland. Biosecure operations are an important differentiation factor for Benchmark and reduce the risk related to egg supply for our customers. Additionally, our Chilean production can now be considered a source of biosecure eggs for salmon farmers worldwide”.

Until today, there have only been four certified salmonid compartments in the world: two in Canada, one in Iceland (also belonging to Benchmark Genetics) and one in Chile (AquaChile). Benchmark Genetics Chile is adding two certified fish farms (Curacalco and Ensenada) to this exclusive list of biosecure operations with the new certification.

The national director of Sernapesca, María Soledad Tapia, says, “For the national authority and the country, it is positive to be part of this process where companies achieve this level of certification. Compartmentalisation, in very simple words, means that fish farms take extraordinary biosecurity measures to grow disease-free fish. This sounds so simple, but in practice, it is not. A large epidemiological surveillance program is required to ensure that there are no pathogens. It is a high standard, and as a government, we aim precisely to raise all standards, with an important focus on the operation of the aquaculture industry.”

ASC expands presence in South Korea

In line with the growing supply and demand of responsible aquaculture in Asia, the most productive region in the world for farmed seafood, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has stepped up its presence in South Korea.

ASC’s work in the country is already well established and is gaining strength steadily. There are now 73 ASC certified farm sites in South Korea—28 seaweed, 44 abalone and 1 shrimp, with overall annual ASC certified volumes of more than 11,000 tonnes. The largest number of ASC labelled seaweed and abalone products globally are farmed in South Korea.

“The uptake of responsible seafood farming practices in South Korea is a boon for responsible aquaculture in Asia and around the world,” says Esther Luiten, ASC’s Global Market Development Director. “South Korean distributors and brands like CJ Freshway, IKEA, Lottemart and Olga have made commitments to ASC certification that are creating real change in the retail market.”

ASC Firsts in South Korea

Late last year, ASC brought onboard a general manager to head operations in South Korea—Martin Lee, who came to ASC with robust experience in market development in sustainability sectors in Asia, including sustainability certifications.

“I’m very pleased to see how ASC certification is making South Korean aquaculture products more competitive within the global market,” says Martin Lee. “South Korea is a major producer of seaweed, and ASC certification is giving Korean farms a way to meet international market demands for seaweed that is responsibly produced.”

Industry interest in ASC certification was apparent at the first Korea Sustainable Aquaculture Seminar, held on 28 April 2023 in Seoul and co-hosted by ASC and Aquainfo Co., Ltd., a major South Korean aquaculture magazine. Sponsors of the event included the Korea Fisheries Association, Wando County, Lloyd’s Certification Agency, Pulmuone, DNV Business Assurance Korea, Morning Garden, Control Union Korea and SGS Korea Co., Ltd.

More than 85 attendees from South Korean farms, seafood suppliers, retailers, local governments and more gathered during the event to discuss the benefits of responsible aquaculture for the environment and local communities.

Milestones for South Korea in Responsible Aquaculture

Also at the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed by ASC and Wando-gun, a county on South Korea’s southern coast that has been an active supporter of responsible seafood farming. The MoU is an agreement for collaboration “with mutual efforts to develop responsible aquaculture industry” and “to promote understanding of responsible aquaculture to the market and consumers.”

“The signing of the MoU between ASC and Wandogun is a significant event. Through this agreement both organisations will cooperate to develop sustainable aquaculture,” says Woo-cheol Shin, Mayor of Wando County. “We believe that ASC certification is important for the development of the aquaculture industry in Wando-gun and for the promotion of our farmed seafood products in South Korea and internationally.”

Two players in the South Korean aquaculture industry were given awards by ASC at the Korea Sustainable Aquaculture Seminar: Eunha Marine and Chungsanbada. Eunha Marine was awarded for its leadership in promoting ASC certified products to South Korean processors and distributors. In 2020, they also launched the first ASC labelled salmon product on the South Korean market.

Chungsanbada, or the Chungsan Fishermen’s Organisation, is an abalone farm operation that was awarded for its commitment to responsible practices and becoming the first ASC certified producer in South Korea, back in 2018.

“Efforts by Chungsanbada corporations and fishermen to create a sustainable abalone industry have created awareness of responsible aquaculture in Korean society,” says Chungsanbada CEO Jiyeon Wi. “Thanks to the support and encouragement of WWF Korea, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Wando County Office, it was possible to achieve our successful ASC certification. We would like to express our gratitude to the distributors and consumers who choose seafood that is responsibly produced.”

Master in Sustainable Aquaculture

Pioneering biotech company MiAlgae launch new omega-3 product

Leading biotech company MiAlgae has officially launched its omega-3 product NaturAlgae to market thanks to recent expansion of its commercial production site in Scotland.

MiAlgae recycles the co-products from the Scotch Whisky industry, like pot ale, as a feedstock to grow omega-3 rich microalgae which can then be used as a nutritious fish feed and petfood ingredient.

The company’s pioneering manufacturing process aims to reduce global reliance on billions of wild-caught fish, the traditional source of omega-3.

Following the installation of eight new bioreactors north of Glasgow, MiAlgae will soon be producing 100’s of tonnes of nutrient-rich omega-3 powder per year.

NaturAlgae is a dry powder with a high concentration of DHA and other oils. This powder can easily be added to recipes for petfood and aquafeeds, providing the well-known health benefits that omega-3 provides.

This is the beginning of an exciting new phase for MiAlgae, which has headquarters in Edinburgh, as it continues to develop commercial relationships with customers across the petfood and aquaculture sectors.

With final commissioning underway, the vessels will enable MiAlgae to boost production capacity almost immediately with a growing waiting list of customers.

Douglas Martin, MD and Founder at MiAlgae, says, “This expansion of our commercial production site marks a huge milestone on our journey to champion the circular economy. With the addition of our new equipment, we are now able to take our product to market at a meaningful scale with significant headroom to grow.

“We are lucky to have a highly experienced and passionate team who share our vision of a more sustainable future. Huge thanks go to them for their hard work in getting to this exciting point.”

Using the outputs from a single distillery, MiAlgae’s technology has the potential to save 80k tonnes of CO2, recycle 14.4m litres of water and protect tens of thousands of

tonnes of fish annually.

Earlier this year, MiAlgae announced its partnership with Falkirk Distillery to drive forward a greener and more efficient whisky industry. The agreement will see Falkirk’s whisky coproducts transported to MiAlgae’s site where it will be used in MiAlgae’s processes.

Douglas Martin continues, “We’re committed to scaling quickly and have plans to work closely with a number of distilleries across Scotland where we can co-locate MiAlgae’s technology with the distilleries, creating an on-site water recycling solution for the distillery, and a greater production capacity for MiAlgae. This will allow us to expand rapidly and make a very real stride towards the sector’s environmental goals.”

To help drive its planned expansion, MiAlgae has appointed Polly Douglas as Business Development Manager.

Ms Douglas joins the company with strong expertise in aquaculture and nutrition and recent experience in the biotech start-up world. She joins MiAlgae from gasfermentation company, Deep Branch Biotechnology Ltd. where she was responsible for managing a portfolio of multimillion-pound grant funded projects. Previously Ms Douglas managed funding for several industry-lead research projects when at the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) in Stirling.

Discussing her new role, Ms Douglas says, “Having 20 years of experience ranging from innovation management, nutrition and aquaculture, this role helps me to consolidate my expertise and support the commercial activities at MiAlgae.

“Joining at this exciting time, as production is increasing and our technology is proven, it’s great to be able to get out there and engage with customers. My role will be to identify strategic partners and future development opportunities, as well as develop an understanding of additional products in as yet un-identified markets.”

Welcoming Ms Douglas’ appointment, Douglas Martin says “It’s great to have Polly on board at MiAlgae. She joins us at a time where we are making strides to full commercialisation of the technology. With her breadth of experience, Polly’s knowhow will be invaluable in helping us to achieve our growth aspirations.”

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BioMar signs deal with Agronutris to produce novel insect aquafeed

BioMar and Agronutris have signed a long-term partnership to develop the next generation of black soldier fly meals specifically designed for the aquaculture industry.

After years of R&D, insect meal is now seen as a promising new feed ingredient in the aquaculture industry. Identifying the suitability of black soldier flies as a novel feed ingredient, innovative aquafeed company, BioMar, has joined forces with Agronutris – a French biotech company specialising in black soldier flies – to produce the next generation sustainable insect meal designed for aquaculture.

“Black soldier fly meal has always been an interesting prospect that could be well suited for aquafeeds,” says Fernando Norambuena, BioMar’s global category manager – novel raw materials, in a press release. “In Agronutris we have found a partner that shares our mission and dedication to reducing the environmental impacts of our aquafeeds. They have developed a scalable model for black soldier fly able to meet the nutritional and sustainability profile required by us and the industry,”

“For insect meal to successfully make its way into aquafeeds, it must demonstrate high nutritional value and support good growth and health for the fish and shrimp. Our innovative product has a great nutritional profile that is well suited for the aquaculture industry,” adds Chris

Haacke, director of business development at Agronutris. Agronutris’ solution is to bring a stable, highquality product with a high sustainability performance demonstrated by a robust life-cycle assessment. The biotech company has created an approach whereby there is a clear vision of moving from a novel source of protein into an ingredient that has an impact at a scale relevant to the aquaculture industry.

“A truly sustainable insect meal should be decoupled from the human food supply chain and fed off a substrate based on waste foods and by-products. With Agronutris, we see a viable, scalable model for producing black soldier fly meal that could see this product become a good source of nutrition in aquaculture,” concludes Vidar Gundersen, global sustainability director at BioMar.

There is a strong strategic alignment between Agronutris’ mission to supply low environmental impact alternatives and BioMar, which has placed sustainability at the heart of its future strategy with the aim of 50 percent of ingredients from a circular and restorative economy and lowering its feed carbon footprint by a third by 2030.

Predicting the future is always full of uncertainties. However, when working out which options to take, it is always important to understand where you currently are and where we have been before you try and work out where you might end up. In essence it is something of a navigation exercise. It was in this light tha t an article was recently published in the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society that charts the history and prospects in aquaculture nutrition research. The work was the outcome of a four-year journey with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), where I was asked to assemble a global team to examine three key themes that underpin the feeds and feeding process (requirements/ ingredients/ management) and to review them in terms of that past–present–future context.

Whilst undertaking this review, it was noted that the top seven cultured species groups (carps, tilapia, catfish, shrimp, other freshwater fish spp., salmonids, and marine fish spp.) collectively comprise close to 90 percent of all aquaculture production and therefore these species, and the science underpinning them, formed the focus of the article. One of the things noted with these seven groups was that the use of compounded feeds was not equally applied among each. Indeed, the largest group by volume, the carps are still mostly produced in small-scale extensive, semi-intensive, and integrated polyculture systems with little to no manufactured feed inputs. Importantly, things like feed specifications, ingredient choices, and feeding management were noted to vary across each of the groups, but also with substantial variation regionally across t he world. However, increasingly it was noted that each of these species' groups is moving towards intensive production, where a greater reliance on feed is commanded.

In terms of reviewing the past 20 years of research into feed technology, it was noted that there had been substantial progress made in improving feeds and feeding technologies for most species. Some of the biggest gains had been made through improvements in feed conversion efficiency (through a better understanding of requirements and improved feed management) and ingredient sustainability (through increased capability to use a wider range of ingredients) were two notabl e achievements. Although the requirements of many of the main aquaculture species are now well understood, there remains much to do in defining requirements for many of the species being farmed in the developing world. There is an increasing need to be more precise in what we prescribe as the required levels of essential nutrients and various additives in the diet based on age, genotype, environment, and health status. We see this emerging as a “precision nutrition” approach to farming aquaculture species.

Notably, there remains a further need to diversify our ingredient options to provide greater resilience to feed supply. Increasingly the sustainability of different feed ingredient sources, including the influence of possible climate change impacts, is becoming a growing issue. It was clearly identified that what is needed to sustain future feed production are sustainable sources of cost-effective protein, some essential amino acid additives, some omega-3 fatty acid resources, and various minerals and vitamin additives. While the use of new and varied ingredients will mean that food safety remains a priority issue throughout the world. It was noted that feed manufacturing has evolved from a simplistic exercise to a highl y complex science with state-of-the-art engineering. However, the application of this technology has not been consistent, as ther e is still widespread use of pelleting, mash, and trash fish feed ing throughout the developing world. Similarly, we see a growing dichotomy in feed management between the developed and developing world, with a high reliance on manual skilled labour in the developing world, whereas more advanced aquaculture systems are becoming increasingly reliant on automated computer-controlled feeding systems.

In terms of the scientific journey, that we have embarked on over the past 20 years, we can see that science has underpinned massive changes in how we feed our fish. The ability to produce animals with the lowest FCR’s of any domesticated animal species is a clear testament to this progress. However, the path before us now highlights that it is the resources we need to use (the ingredients) that is perhaps our most urgent priority to address. Hopefully sowing the seeds of science will help us deliver a better future in that regard too.

Brett Glencross

How sowing the seeds of science delivers a better future...

Innovasea acquires Aquanetix

Innovasea, a global leader in technologically advanced aquatic solutions for aquaculture and fish tracking, has announced that it has purchased Aquanetix, a UK-based aquaculture software company, and moved its operations to a new office in Greece. Founded in 2015, Aquanetix’s cloud-based aquaculture management software provides customers with deep insights into farm operations.

“Acquiring a company of Aquanetix’s calibre presents an exciting opportunity for us,” says Innovasea CEO David Kelly. “By adding its powerful farm management capabilities to our suite of real-time aquaculture intelligence solutions, we’ll be rounding out our precision aquaculture platform and further helping our customers make data-driven decisions to improve operations, run more efficiently and sustainably and become more profitable.”

Aquanetix co-founder and CEO Diogo Thomaz and his team have been retained by Innovasea and the company will be hiring additional personnel to staff the new office in Corinth, Greece.

“We’re thrilled to become part of the Innovasea family and add our farm management software to its strong portfolio of egg-to-harvest aquaculture solutions,” says Mr Thomaz. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to make additional investment into our business to enhance our existing tools and better serve our customers.”

Terms of the deal, which closed earlier this year, were not disclosed. Aquanetix’s farm management software is in use at more than 200 farms in 31 countries and is currently being used to grow more than 30 species of fish and shrimp. By offering it alongside Realfish Pro, Innovasea now has a complete suite of precision aquaculture tools that can handle all aspects of running a fish farm – from real-time environmental monitoring and control capabilities to powerful analytics that improve operations and decisionmaking.

Innovasea’s move into Greece is its second major expansion in the last three years. In 2020 it opened a full service office in Puerto Varas, Chile. Headquartered in the United States, Innovasea also has offices in Canada, Norway and Australia.

Mr Kelly says Innovasea’s footprint in Greece will help it execute on its growth strategy in key markets like the Mediterranean and Middle East while better serving existing customers in those areas. “Those regions have demonstrated a strong appetite for aquaculture and really seem to recognise the potential of fish farming to feed the planet’s growing population, so we want to continue helping companies establish and broaden the industry in those markets,” says Mr Kelly.

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The World Nutrition Forum 2023

The World Nutrition Forum (WNF), hosted by dsm-firmenich, saw more than 800 delegates gathered for this the fifth hosting of this unique, biannual international event, which served as a platform to discuss modern advances in intensive livestock production, its trends and challenges.

The theme for this year’s WNF was ‘GENiUS’, which specifically focused on the need for new technologies and research.

First launched by Biominn in 2004, WNF has become more than just a company-sponsored conference. Introduced by Biomin as a platform for critical thinking, opinions and addressing challenges, it has become widely regarded as a much-attend event by leading decision makers in animal nutrition and related fields.

It is a global opportunity for industry professionals to engage with each other, address important issues, and look to create a successful future which addresses a growing global population and has been fully embraced by dsm-firmenich which acquired Biomin in October 2020.

Previous editions have taken place across the globe, from places such as Salzburg and Munich in Europe, Singapore in Asia and

prior to the Covid pandemic in Cape Town South Africa. This year’s three-day event took place in Cancun, Mexico from May 8-10, 2023.

The event, located in a picturesque spot overlooking the Caribbean Sea, at the Cancun International Convention Centre, was dsm-firmenich’s first opportunity to host the event and presented a thought-captivating conference with significant opportunities for delegates to meet and exchange views - what a phenomenal job it achieved. All this while as DSM announcing on day two its merger with the Swiss company Firmenich, which operates in the fragrance and flavour business, to become dsmfirmenich.

Firmenich employs 10,000 people across 46 manufacturing plants and has six research and development centres. The company has created perfumes for over 125 years and produced a number of well-known flavours.

Big data on Day 1

The Forum started with a one question survey for delegates (participating by scanning the QR code on their name badges) to identify in a word what attendees felt was the most impactful area directing agriculture development – and the result was a clear focus on ‘data’.

Ivo Lansbergen presenting the four sectors of innovation and focus for the new company dsmfirmenich

Professor Qendrim Zebeli received the DSM-Firmenich BRAIN award for outstanding contribution to animal nutrition.

Ivo Lansbergen, Executive Vice-President for Animal Nutrition and Health at dsm-firmenich opened the Day 1 with a clear message that the livestock industries could make the impossible possible but only with the gathering and use of data.

While climate change, reducing the production of greenhouse gasses would continue to be positively impacted by developments within the agriculture and aquaculture sectors, sustainability and meeting the food needs of a growing world population were also upper most in the minds of delegates.

In fact, the whole two days kept reflecting the importance of gathering and the use of data and how it has become central in all areas of progress occurring in the livestock sectors.

The first conference presentation was made by Mr Bob Langert, McDonalds Corp’s retired VP of CSR and Sustainability who spoke on ‘The Evolution of Corporate Sustainability and What it Means for You.’

In this he highlights for delegates from across the intensive livestock sector including the aquaculture industry, how corporate sustainability is central to growing a business.

He encouraged businesses to be proactive in reaching this goal, as it provides many benefits to a company. Roger Gilbert, Publisher of International Aquafeed Magazine, spoke with Mr Langert about aspects of his presentation which is available to

view on IAFTV YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ internationalaquafeed9386

Frank Mitloehner spoke on ‘Meeting the Grand Challenges of Animal Agriculture on the Environment and World Food Security’. He covered how eating habits can affect climate change and the benefits of feed additives in methane reduction. He states that feed additives have the greatest potential sectorwide in methane reduction and can be feasibly implemented in existing operations. His firm view is the dairy industry can meet methane reduction goals with ease.

Talking on ‘The economics of Sustainability in Animal Protein – A Banker’s perspective’ was Brenda De Swart. Talking on behalf of RaboBank of The Netherlands, she believes that respecting planetary boundaries when doing business has become a precondition for long term commercial success and told delegates that it’s in the finance sector’s ‘best interest’ to commit to decarbonisation in various agriculture sectors.

Timo Küntzle, a journalist and author, gave a talk on ‘Agribusiness and the Media: What’s the Story?’. In his presentation he demonstrated how the public image of the industry can be volatile and shaped by misconceptions.

To create a better understanding for consumers it’s important to talk, taking concerns and beliefs seriously. He says industry

Lisa Laprade, Senior Manager Microbiome Sciences, at DSM

Todd Appelgate

Aquafeed - June 2023 | 17

should keep its messages simple and use trusted experts to explain the facts.

Following the presentations, Professor Qendrim Zebeli received the dsm-firmenich BRAIN award for his outstanding contributions to animal nutrition. The award was presented by Dr Gerd Schatzmayr, Dr Eva Maria Binder and Dr Aaron Cowieson.

Professor Zebeli is the 7th person to receive this award, with the committee referring to his lifetime achievements in the field of research in ruminant nutrition with a focus on mycotoxins and gut/rumen health.

The afternoon held various livstock and aqua breakout sessions, delving into the more specific categories of poultry, swine, livestock and aquaculture issues.

Alexandre Berndt from Abrapa gave an insightful presentation on ‘Sustainability Actions for Low Carbon Meat’, specifying actions that could be taken, including emission reduction technologies for carbon balance and methane mitigation strategies. He warns that sustainable production systems should not exclude smaller producers from livestock activity.

The merger on Day 2

On the second day of the conference, Ivo Lansbergen announced the merger of DSM with Firmenich, creating a company called dsm-firmenich that brings together a 30,000-strong team in nutrition, health and beauty.

International Aquafeed Magazine sat down with Ivo Lansbergen, during the day, to talk about his reflections on the event and the company (which is available to view on our IAFTV YouTube channel and on our website at: https://www. aquafeed.co.uk/world-nutrition-forum-2023-interview-with-ivolansbergen/ )

The metrics of sustainability

Metrics must be established if we are to measure our progress towards sustainability, Louise Buttle, dsm-firmenich’s aquaculture lead for SustellTM told Milling and Grain during the World Nutrition Forum 2023.

“When it comes to sustainability, the three key points I raised at the World Nutrition Forum, were first metrics; can you measure it? Second, are farmers willing to pay for it? And third who in the value chain are you prepared to work with?”

Dr Buttle says ‘storytelling’ is no longer enough when it comes to deciding how industries must develop sustainability and the animal protein industry needs metrics in place to establish today’s baseline and importantly set targets for future reduction.

“A lot of companies have set science-based targets (www. sciencebasedtargets.org) on their greenhouse gas emissions, based on Scope 1, 2, and 3, of between 30-39 percent reductions. But how are you going to measure reductions towards those targets without credible baselines?”

That’s were Sustell comes in, she says.

Ivo Lansbergen

Ivo Lansbergen introduces this year’s World nutrition forum, and announce the merger of DSM with Firmenich

Tuti Tan of Milling and Grain magazine, with Rudolf Krska

- International Aquafeed

It’s a comprehensive sustainability service aimed at all animal protein producers, that measures full lifecycle assessment (including carbon footprint and feed used) so customers can look at ways to reduce the impact by identifying hotspots, evaluating all farm inputs, and using interventions, therefore reducing environmental impact to help achieve targets.

“Everybody in the stakeholder chain is interested in that. Whether its consumers wanting more sustainable seafood, or farmers wanting more efficient production systems, or bankers and investors looking to credit their green loans. There’s lots of interest and engagement in improved transparency, but also in a uniform way to measure environmental impact,” she adds.

“There needs to be more active communication, but we have to keep the messaging simple.

“A lot of sustainability is driven by reputation issues, and we’ve heard here from a journalist’s presentation, how the strategy for bad news travels fast.

“Using a winning reputation within sustainability is a good way forward. On top of that if we think about eco-labelling at retail level, where a consumer can get a food product, such as salmon, that is graded ‘A’ on a score from ‘A to E,’ I think that message, if it’s done correctly, gives the consumer a good benchmark on where that salmon is from, giving an environmental perspective in their purchasing decision.

Beside Sustell having established land-based farming platform, dsm-firminech launched its salmon and cage farming module of SustellTM in June 2022, of which there is a lot of interest. It is probably the only solution of its kind developed specifically for the salmon industry. We were very lucky to have Bakkafrost, a Faroese producer from the Faroe Islands, as the development partner in the salmon module.

“We are also working on a marine fish module, so that’ll be for sea bass/sea bream and then also very soon we’re going to deliver a shrimp module,” says Dr Buttle.

EXTRUSION AND EXPANSION TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN TRUST

Bob Langert, Retired VP of CSR and sustainability, presenting his talk on corporate sustainability

Brenda De Swart presenting on the economics of sustainability in Animal Protein

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Challenges to Finfish aquaculture

Speaking on global finfish aquaculture, Ragnar Nystøyl talks about the declining growth rates seen lately.

“I think the opportunity of aquaculture is overlooked. It’s an efficient converter of protein if you use raw materials, and it’s healthy. From the consumer side, it lacks the controversies that agricultural and dairy production have.”

Mr Nystøyl highlights the license to produce as a common denominator. There are often conflicts to get access to marine sites, and Finfish aquaculture suffers from the increasing price of feed, which in turn is rapidly increasing the cost of production in aquaculture, he says.

“There is this strong belief and trust in aquaculture being a positive industry when it comes to providing food security. It’s a truly a global industry, most of countries have some kind of aquaculture practices, whether it be coastal, ponds, or lakes, and there are more aquaculture initiatives and incentive programmes lately, primarily in developing countries.”

Unlike terrestrial farming, aquaculture may require a bigger investment to get it started. International Aquafeed magazine asked Ragnar Nystøyl if he considered that to be a factor limiting its take-up.

“Yes, but it does depend a lot on the species or the type of culture. For the higher value species, what we see is that for those aiming to hit niche markets or use advanced technology, it’s extremely expensive, and often coupled with a long production cycle.”

The forum held several breakout sessions across different sectors in the industry, covering a wide range of topics in aquaculture, including a session by Mr Nystøyl himself. One challenge he mentions involve the lack of visibility in aquaculture.

“It’s not as tangible as most agriculture productions, where you can see the individual animals’ and the different challenges they pose. You need to treat this as a biomass flock rather than individual animals,” he states.

“This forum has also confirmed the extremely strong development that takes place in research and innovation in companies that are here to help the industry. In terms of vaccines, additives, and feed, there are both reactive and proactive service lines around the industry that I think are gaining more and more experience.

“There are always new challenges arising, but I think in the end, you can see that there are hopes for the future and aquaculture can contribute to both healthy food and more of it,” he concludes.

Blood talks through big data

Drawing the two intensive days of conference presentations together, Dr Aaron Cowieson, spoke on ‘Blood Talks: Signatures, Patterns and Themes’ which are being revealed by big data analysis of biomarkers from commercial broiler chickens.

He stressed the importance of digital tools, data handling and biomarkers in providing insights for development.

Dr Cowieson mentioned the launch of dsm-firmenich’s new digital precision farming platform – which has started in broilers and is now expanding to laying hens, swine and ruminants.

WNF aqua speakers LtR Benedict Standen Louise Buttle Albert Tacon Lukas Manomaitis Ronnie Tan Ragnar Nystøyl Ester Santiagosa-Culi

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Bridging the Feed Protein Gap in Aquaculture with Single Cell Protein

by Louise Buttle, Global Key Account Manager, dsm-firmenich

ecause aquafeed accounts for up to 70 percent production costs and up to 80 percent of a producer’s environmental footprint, the opportunity for more sustainable aquaculture through greater efficiency encompasses costs savings, risk mitigation and an enhanced environmental profile. Recent aquafeed price increases of up to 30 percent reflect more than simply price increases of commodities such as fish meal, fish oil, wheat and soy. The severity of this raw material price impact on feed prices is also related to a limited raw material basket, and the fact that our drive to extend the raw material basket with novel, more sustainable proteins is only partly successful.

For example, the Norwegian salmon industry has diversified its use of marine ingredients by increased use of trimmings meal in the last decade. There has also been the use of guar protein as a new raw material in recent years. At the same time, there is still a large reliance on soy protein concentrate as a key raw material in salmon feeds in Norway, for example. The limited availability of sustainable proteins –referred to as the protein gap or protein crunch– highlights a potential limitation to the industry’s future sustainable growth. In the last years, many companies are also making a commitment towards decarbonization and have signed up to science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

by 2030 (www.sciencebasedtargets.org). This list of companies also includes aquafeed and salmon farming companies, and the pressure is on as time is moving fast towards 2030 (Table 1). Feed ingredients with lower environmental footprints will be a critical part of the industry’s strategy to meet science-based climate targets.

Novel proteins

The aquaculture industry’s progress on sustainability relies

Table 1: A selection of salmon and aquafeed companies’ commitments to Science Based Targets Source: www.sciencebasedtargets.org

heavily on diversifying its raw material basket for proteins but these new or novel raw materials must have a lower footprint. So, it’s fair to say that the baseline criteria of novel protein ingredients to gain industry acceptance include concentrated protein levels, digestibility and an essential amino acid balance to meet aquaculture species’ needs, sufficient volumes, the right price and a lower environmental footprint.

Examples of novel ingredients recognised as potential candidates include algal oil, insect meal and single-cell protein. Algal oils, such as the EPA + DHA product VeramarisTM, are the frontrunners when it comes to the commercial use of novel raw materials. While in 2021 less than one percent of raw materials in Norwegian salmon feeds were classified as novel, several large salmon feed companies in Norway made commitments in 2022 to the use of algal oil in the future. Although insect companies have caught attention recently and have been the darling of capital investment since EU regulations allowed their use in aquafeeds in 2017. However, single cell proteins have also been demonstrated to deliver performance in fish and have the greatest potential to improve the sustainability of aquafeeds and aquaculture production due to its potential to reach appropriate scale, meet expectations on market conditions and deliver a net zero greenhouse gas footprint.

Yeast 30-50% Different feedstock choice possible Production of vitamins and micro-nutrients. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Candida utilis

Bacteria 50-80% High protein content Growth on C1 substrates.

Micoalgae 60-70% Phototropic growth & production of omega 3 fatty acids.

Methylococcus capsulatus Cupravidus nectar

Chlorella vulgaris Desmodesmus sp.

Fungi 30-50% Different feedstocks possible Myrothecium verrucaria

The promise of single cell protein

Microbial or single cell proteins (SCP) are the frontrunner when it comes to emerging proteins. The category covers various types of micro-organisms and there are over 1 billion species spanning bacteria, fungi, yeast and algae and from this 1 billion there are a number of candidates with potential for industrial application. Single cell proteins or microbial proteins produced by fermentation technology have a massive potential for scalability. In addition, they are regarded as a protein production powerhouse; having very high growth rates these organisms

can produce a considerable amount of protein compared to their initial weight. Other advantages include factors such as shorter generation times, the ability to use different feedstocks or substrates, no requirements for land and the possibility to produce continuously throughout the year in any part of the world. In addition, single cell proteins generally have a high protein content and contain all or most essential amino acids required by fish for growth and development. Flexibility in the use of different feedstocks is important, and examples include glucose, agricultural waste, and gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Some examples of single cell proteins used for potential novel ingredients are given in Table 2.

Environmental picture

Single cell protein production has the potential to be net zero for the aquaculture industry in terms of carbon emissions and resource usage. This means that its production does not contribute to the increase of greenhouse gas

Table 2: Overview of single cell feed proteins by species and organism type.

Great upgrade of your feeds!

emissions or consume a significant amount of nonrenewable resources.

The sustainability of single cell proteins for use in aquafeeds are often attributed to zero land use, and with a picture of a large industrial fermentation unit this is easy to imagine. And in the future it will not just be about GHG emissions, there is also an increasing focus on biodiversity as an indicator of environmental impact and initiatives towards science-based targets for nature are already established. However, we also must consider the environmental impact of the feedstock used to feed the single cell proteins. The choice of feed stock, as with choice of raw materials in aquaculture feeds, also drives the footprint as well as the economics of the single cell protein.

Salmonid feeding trial results

Early prototypes of a single cell protein produced by researchers at the DSM Bioscience Centre in Delft, The Netherlands showed excellent performance comparable to feeds containing fish meal and soy protein concentrate. Rainbow trout were grown for 12 weeks on different inclusions of SCP ranging from 0%, 5%, 10% to 20% on extruded feeds, with single cell protein replacing a combination of fish meal and soy protein concentrate. The data is shown in Figure 1, indicating that single cell protein inclusion has no negative impact on fish performance measured by final body weight.

Proving environmental footprint reduction

To gain acceptance in today’s industry, novel raw materials will also have to have a low environmental footprint and especially with the focus on a shift to green energy – the potential to deliver at scale, with zero carbon intensity and with zero land use. Stakeholders along the value chain are expecting the industry to measure its environmental impact and reduce it. Accurate footprint measurement is essential and full life cycle assessment is becoming more important. But how to measure? DSM has been working with leading animal protein producers to accelerate the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) in their operations. DSM’s intelligent sustainability service, SustellTM, is an ISO 14040/44 assured system that combines measurement with practical, sciencebased, proven solutions to unlock the value of sustainability across different animal species and farming systems. Today, full LCA footprinting is becoming more commonplace to assess and improve the sustainability of aquaculture operations.

Conclusion

Whilst aquaculture feeds have reduced their dependency on marine ingredients from fisheries and trimmings there is still a significant reliance on soy protein. Availability of novel raw materials rich in protein would bring with it stability of supply and economics as the aquaculture industry grows. If the production of novel protein raw materials at scale with market conditions was easy, we would have these technologies available today. It will take industry-wide commitment and capital investment, possibly co-investment by stakeholders to make this a reality. Collaborating across the value chain is key to drive the continued sustainable production of aquaculture, every member of the value chain has a role to make this happen and enable production at scale of single cell protein.

CRISPR:

Unleashing the Future of Genetic Engineering in Global Aquaculture

by James L. Sibley, Biology and Genetics, Northeastern University, USA

As the global population continues to expand, the pressing demand for sustainable food sources grows apace. Simultaneously, the depletion of our terrestrial resources for food production has accelerated the expansion of the aquaculture industry. This relentless growth trajectory has served as a clarion call for innovative solutions to secure the future of seafood production without overtaxing our ocean's resources. A frontrunner in this race is the technology of genetic engineering (GE), a promising means to enhance production and profitability in an environmentally conscious and sustainable manner.

While GE has traditionally been met with scepticism due to potential ecological impacts, recent advancements, particularly those involving the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, suggest a sustainable and viable path forward. In a transformative twist to aquaculture practices, researchers are harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 to tackle challenges inherent to the industry.

The CRISPR Revolution in Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture:

Arguably, the most conspicuous application of GE in aquaculture is found within Atlantic salmon farming. Traditional sterilisation techniques, such as triploidization, have been used to curtail potential ecological damage from escaped farmed fish. However, these methods often result in compromised growth rates and skeletal deformities. To circumvent these issues, scientists are deploying CRISPR-Cas9 to produce germ cell-free (GCF) salmon—fish that are physiologically nearindistinguishable from their wild-type counterparts but incapable of reproduction.

The novel approach involves the targeted knockout of the

"dead-end" (dnd) gene, essential for primordial germ cell migration during embryogenesis. This action results in salmon that grow normally, with superior growth rates due to their perpetual immaturity, but are effectively sterile, posing less risk to wild populations in the event of escape. Preliminary experiments offer a reason for optimism: CRISPR-edited salmon develop typically and, from a histological perspective, are virtually identical to wild-type salmon.

Expanding the Horizons: Tilapia and Oysters

However, the possibilities of CRISPR-Cas9 extend far beyond salmon. As this technology continues to mature, researchers have begun implementing this powerful tool in other significant aquaculture species.

Take, for instance, tilapia, one of the most farmed fish globally. The species' extensive farming has been historically plagued by disease susceptibility, significantly impairing yield, and profitability. In a bid to address this concern, scientists are employing CRISPR to enhance disease resistance, targeting specific genes related to immune response. The prospect of creating disease-resistant strains could radically improve the sustainability and economic viability of tilapia farming.

Meanwhile, in the realm of shellfish aquaculture, CRISPR technology is proving instrumental in addressing an insidious threat: ocean acidification. This phenomenon, a direct consequence of rising atmospheric CO2 levels, is particularly devastating for species like the Pacific oyster, which depend on carbonate ions to build their shells. Scientists are exploring CRISPR's potential to increase the resilience of these shellfish to acidified waters by targeting genes associated with shell formation and acid-base regulation. By engineering oyster

strains that can flourish even in hostile waters, researchers could safeguard the future of this critical industry.

The Future of CRISPR in Aquaculture

The future potential of CRISPR technology in aquaculture seems boundless. Its versatility could allow us to create climate-resilient strains, enhance growth rates, improve feed conversion ratios, and bolster disease resistance, presenting a myriad of opportunities to augment productivity and sustainability.

CRISPR could even enable us to expand the range of species suitable for aquaculture. For instance, certain species currently overlooked due to their slow growth rates or sensitivity to environmental conditions could be modified for better adaptability, opening new avenues for diversification in the aquaculture industry.

The Challenges Ahead

Despite these tantalising prospects, the path to widespread implementation of CRISPR technology is fraught with challenges. Foremost is the ecological concern. While GCF organisms drastically reduce the potential for uncontrolled interbreeding with wild populations, the implications of introducing GE organisms into the environment still need thorough investigation. From a regulatory standpoint, managing and monitoring GE organisms is a complex issue,

HEALTH IS AT THE HEART OF OUR CONCERNS

requiring the careful navigation of both safety and ethical concerns. Regulations around the world vary significantly, and moving towards a unified, science-based regulatory framework is a colossal undertaking. CRISPR as a more subtle ‘gene editing’ technique will present different ethical considerations to standard GE statues currently available for animals, including aquatic organisms by government and legislative bodies. Furthermore, while CRISPR-Cas9 technology itself has become more accessible, the expertise required to design and implement successful editing strategies is not as widespread. This discrepancy points to the need for increased investment in education and training to equip the next generation of scientists with the necessary skills.

We stand at the precipice of a revolution in sustainable aquaculture, with CRISPR technology poised to redefine the industry's boundaries. The initial results from experiments with salmon, tilapia, and oysters are a harbinger of the sea change that's coming. As we continue to refine this technology, navigate its challenges, and broaden its application, CRISPR may indeed prove to be the catalyst for a new era in sustainable aquaculture. Despite the waves yet to be navigated, one thing is clear: the future of aquaculture will be shaped, in large part, by our mastery of the genome.

(References available upon request)

RESTRICT inappropriate use of antibiotics and chemicals

REDUCE losses from subclinical disease and outbreaks

INCREASE economical and ecological sustainability

BOOST feed perfomance and farm productivity

How to build a sustainable aquaculture model?

by Gwénola Jan Lafage, Quality, Regulatory & Sustainability Manager, Symrise Aqua Feed, France

The aquaculture industry has always been trying to find answers for the questions on integrating sustainability to aquaculture practises. How to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, water scarcity, waste, and pollution? How to build a resilient model, good for business, people, and the planet? The circular economy model helps to address these stakes, by applying three principles: eliminate waste, circulate products, regenerate nature.

Circular economy

Symrise Aqua Feed specialises in developing, testing and manufacturing sustainable ingredients and palatability enhancers that help aquafeed manufacturers produce highperformance diet and feed with low carbon footprint. What makes Symrise Aqua Feed’s model circular? How does it bring marine co- products to their highest value? How does it help the industry to tackle their own challenges for more sustainable aquafeed? How can their solutions create value to the aquaculture industry?

Symrise Aqua Feed’s activity forms a part of a virtuous model. It collects organic leftovers from the fish and shrimp Human

What is circular economy - Ellen MacArthur Fondation

industry, circulates valuable products along the aquaculture value chain, participating in nature regeneration. This sustainable life cycle of the products comes with a low carbon footprint.

100 percent co-product raw materials

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about one third of all food produced around the world gets lost or wasted: It seems simply unthinkable to continue today to lose so many valuable nutrients.

Symrise Aqua Feed collects raw materials such as shrimp heads, tuna viscera, tilapia heads and bones or other marine by-products, which are not used for human consumption, and are left over in fish and shrimp processing plants. At the same time, they contain many precious proteins, which got previously discarded. Symrise Aqua Feed collects more than 30,000 tonnes of these by-products annually in their three manufacturing sites in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Thailand.

Legal business advice:

• Mariculture and Aquaculture leases

• Aquaculture and mariculture disputes

• Commercial fishery issues

• Acquisition and ownership of fisheries

• Registration of fishing rights

• Defence of fisheries prosecutions

• Seizure of fishing vessels

• International fishing licenses

• High seas fishing

raw material. The locations also help to optimise the logistic and minimise the carbon footprint of the raw material transport. Symrise Aqua Feed asks all their suppliers to follow the principles of responsible and sustainable sourcing, building on their Supplier Code of Conduct and program of certification. Also, by using by-products, fewer wild stocks need to be caught, which would otherwise go into

Example of a fish feed formulated with a Symrise Aqua Feed hydrolysate manufactured from shrimp head. The utilization of a hydrolysis process allows producing a high palatable product with higher protein quality than the classical meal processing method. This allows including less marine protein in fish feed while using novel protein sources and to grow more fish with the same quantity of marine raw materials.

The Future Awaits

Built on partnership and innovation, Wenger is providing more opportunities for client success.

For almost a century, Wenger has delivered extrusion-based innovations to our partners. We’ve worked alongside you to develop new processing solutions and better products, providing our industry-leading expertise and ongoing support every step of the way.

We don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Wenger’s global food processing family is growing, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. We will continue to deliver even more innovations and technologies to benefit companies that share our vision of tomorrow.

Wenger.com

www.kaeser.com/aquaculture

The process, optimisation of nature.

Symrise Aqua Feed processes, transforms, and increases the functional value of the by-products, thanks to a worldwide knowledge acquired in the last two decades. They master enzymatic hydrolysis, aiming at highly standardised hydrolysates in liquid and powder form, with multiple benefits such as nutrition, palatability, health.

Likewise, they minimise the environmental footprint of our industrial activities. To reach carbon neutrality from 2030 onwards (scope 1&2), they mobilise people, measure energy and water metrics, improve the manufacturing process and define plans for the coming years. As an example, all Symrise plants have implemented operational optimisation, for reducing energy and water consumption with defined quick wins and best practices sharing.

As they follow the objective to value any single fraction of by-products, they also pay attention to their own organic waste. The waste amount varies from 1 percent to 25 percent, according to the level of the solid fraction in the raw material. They valorise the left-over material in the feed chain as much as possible, with the further processing into fish or shrimp meals. When the process into meal is not the best option, other alternative solutions come into play, such as composting with anaerobic digestion or biostimulant in agriculture. Doing such valorisation, Symrise Aqua Feed avoids landfilling or incineration. All in all, it is always seeking to find the highest value of fish and shrimp by-products.

The products, a key for ensuring palatability, nutrition & health in the aquafeed.

The ingredients use in aquafeed helps to substitute fish meal at high level, enhances feed palatability, standardises fish and feed performances by reducing deviation, enhances fish health status and fish resistance to environmental and pathogen challenges. With better digestibility and better absorption, the ingredients help to reduce “fish in” whilst maximising “fish out” (FIFO).

Sustainable aquafeed for sustainable farming

The zootechnical performance of Symrise Aqua Feed’s ingredients are proven in Aqualis: (performance measurement centers), by scientific partners, and in aquaculture farms. While guaranteeing high performance, the ingredients also help to reduce the environmental impacts in aquaculture. With high palatability, the company ensures high feed consumption while reducing feed wastes.

With good nutrition, they improve the whole feed digestibility to reduce the release of non-digested feed in the environment and improve FIFO.

With health benefit thanks to bioactive compounds, they enhance resistance to stressful events, improve gut health, increase survival, and help to reduce synthetic inputs.

Commitments and vision

Symrise Aqua Feed produces ingredients with a low carbon footprint and high positive social impact. Societal aspects are likewise crucial for the company. It implements local initiatives to promote health at work. Also, safety is the number one priority in daily operations.

In a nutshell, Symrise Aqua Feed is fully embedded in a circular economy model and committed to reduce its environmental footprint. They get the best value from fish and shrimp byproducts, and participate to improve the aquaculture supply chain, sustainably.

Sustainable ingredients and palatability enhancers

Craftsmanship in the aquafeed processing industry.

Ottevanger Milling Engineers is a leading global supplier of processing lines and production equipment for the aquafeed, grain processing and compound feed industry. Our expertise in project management, engineering and production ensures the successful realization of your complete project.

Would you like to know more about our approach? Let’s talk aquafeed.

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY Tech update

The Roll Oyster

The Roll’Oyster by Seaducer is the first oyster-farming automated device able to reproduce the positive effects of the tidal system on oysters from the spat to fattening stages. The Roll’Oyster, internationally patented has no equal abroad in terms of innovation in the field of oyster-farming. Fully automated, the Roll’Oyster enables farmers to reach new quality standards and enhances the oyster-farmer’s know-how.

Founded in France in 2016 by 2 international experts in aquaculture, Seaducer favours innovative practices in oyster-farming. In the context of fast environmental and social changes, our tools and processes aim at introducing a more reliable production model, both sustainable and highly productive. It makes output more secure, improve quality and working conditions and last but not least respects the environment. Seaducer’s strong team relies on more than 70 years of numerous experiments in R&D and production, in aquaculture and oyster farming. Since 2017, on their technical platform located near La Rochelle, they have been developing innovative devices and processes in order to achieve a sustainable, reliable and profitable oyster producing model close to present day modern aquaculture methods.

WORLD’S FIRST FISH PEN MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS

Fifty years ago, AKVA group developed the world’s first pen in PE plastic. Two years ago, they helped develop walkways in recycled plastic, and last year they removed styrofoam their pens. Now, AKVA group is developing the world’s first recycled pen. AKVA group wants to give plastic eternal life. What does it take to succeed in such sustainable pioneering work?

AKVA group’s pens are designed to withstand challenges in tough environments. Load-bearing structures in pens must be of high quality, and therefore virgin plastic that has not been used or recycled before is used. AKVA group wants to prove that recycled plastic from a previous fish farm facilities meets the requirements of NS 9415:2021.

Therefore, AKVA group is collaborating with Plasto and Oceanize in a project to investigate how recycled materials work compared to virgin materials. AKVA group already uses recycled plastic in the walkways in the pens, and preliminary findings show that it is essential to control the quality of recycled plastic before it can be used in new pens. Initial tests of recycled plastic are very promising.

Sustainable fish farming

Jøran Strand in AKVA group has many years of experience in aquaculture with calculation, dimensioning, and sales of pens and mooring. Mr Strand is an engineer from NTNU and has worked in AKVA group since 1996. Since 2006 he has worked as a Sales Manager in the North region of Norway.

In February, the fish farming company Nova Sea started collecting discarded plastic pens to a collection point on land. Oceanize has cut up the pens and transported them to Rørvik

for granulation. The granulate will be sent to Plasto for the production of staples and to AKVA group’s facility in Mo i Rana for the production of pipes. Then the pen will be assembled at its own assembly site before being towed to the customer.

“By establishing short, national value chains with all players in Norway, AKVA group is helping to reduce the environmental impact of the fish farming industry. I am proud to work for AKVA group and our commitment to sustainability. By using recycled plastic in the production of pens, we are utilising discarded pens in a high-quality way and reducing CO2 emissions from pen production by two-thirds. This gives me a sense of making a difference and contributing to a more sustainable future,” says Mr Strand.

The aquaculture industry generates up to 12,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, which can be recycled or reused. By handling plastic waste nationally, it can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50 million kg CO2 by preventing combustion and export of resources. Discarded pens are not currently a waste problem but are handled in accordance with current regulations.

Comprehensive testing

According to Innovation Engineer for pens, Dag Ove Antonsen at AKVA group, tests show that clamps made of recycled plastic provide good strength, in fact better than those made of new material. In addition, pipes extruded from recycled material show good strength and flexibility and are easy to produce.

To ensure good quality of recycled plastic, extensive quality control and quality assurance are required as it can be challenging to know what kind of quality the plastic has. Some plastic components are better suited for recycling than others. Feed hoses that are full of fat and certain walkway plates with a different plastic type are examples of parts that are less suitable. In floating

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pipes, PE80 was used until around 2007 when it was replaced by PE100 which provides higher strength and stiffness.

“For every process where the plastic is heated to its melting point, there is a breakdown of additives. To ensure that the plastic is suitable for recycling even more times, new additives such as antioxidants and UV protection are added to achieve the best possible plastic quality,” says Antonsen.

AKVA group aims to give plastic eternal life. Although the recycled material often becomes a mixture of PE80 and PE100, it turns out that the material quality is well suited for floating pipes, clamps, walkways, railings, and other components.

Solid construction and long durability

AKVA group does a lot to make pens more sustainable. For all pen models, they have replaced the traditional use of styrofoam in the floating pipes with sectional watertight chambers.

Maintenance and monitoring of the pens are important to ensure long durability and optimal function. This includes regular inspection and repair of damages, replacement of equipment when it is worn or outdated, and implementation of preventive measures to reduce damages and wear.

Sustainability also involves HSE.

“With wide recycled walkways and solid railings, fish farmers will be able to move around with greater freedom and safety, and ensure a safer workplace. Additional equipment such as safety ladders can be mounted on the pens walkway to ensure that people who have fallen into the sea can easily get back up, regardless of the weather,” says Mr Strand.

AKVA group continues to be a pioneer in sustainable fish farming technology by finding new ways to use recycled materials.

“This is a key component in the company’s long-term sustainability strategy. I look forward to joining the journey ahead,” says Mr Strand.

The project that investigates how recycled materials perform compared to virgin materials is supported by Handelens Miljøfond and SkatteFunn.

“The fish farming industry is an exciting sector and well suited to establish closed plastic cycle. By using old fish farming pens as raw material in new pens, AKVA group can contribute to a significant reduction in the use of virgin plastic. We are pleased to contribute to making one of Norway’s most important industries greener,” says Cecilie Lind, Managing Director of Handelens Miljøfond.

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

Innovations this month

June 2023

In this month’s Product Showcase we address water quality in aquaculture, which is particularly crucial in RAS facilities, including a drain waste collection system, a smart monitoring system and a UV disinfection system, all to improve water quality in fish farming.

If you would like your product or service to appear in this section in a future edition of International Aquafeed and Fish Farming Technology magazine, then please contact us at editorial@perendale.co.uk

Single Shaft Paddle Mixers by Anderson Feed Technology

The strict demands placed on the mixing operation in feed mills built the foundation for the design standards of the Anderson Feed Technology line of high accuracy mixers. One of the most widely used solutions is the Anderson Feed Technology single shaft paddle mixers. All Anderson Feed Technology paddle mixers are designed for mixing dry ingredients regardless of their bulk density or shape with the option for liquid addtion as well.

The Anderson Feed Technology paddle mixers are equipped with pneumatic operated bomb doors under the full length of the mixing trough. This shortens the discharge time to approximately 15-20 seconds. The mixing plant can operate fully automatic with a capacity up to 15 batches per hour.

www.andersonfeedtech.com

Learn more – Learn onsite

Optima Single Screw Extruder by Wenger Engineered for Performance, Productivity, Efficiency & Return. More than 40 years of experience have resulted in refinements to Optima Single Screw Extruders. Today, these extruders assure greater production potential with more available energy through the unique design of the screw flighting and barrel ribbing. They bring a 30 percent to 50 percent increase in production capacity, as well as improving control of product textural attributes and bulk density, reducing sensitivity to component wear, and improving mechanical energy utilisation. Wenger re-engineered the extruder's drive components and preconditioning assembly, without compromising extruder control capabilities, finished product quality, ease of operation, or life of critical extruder components. Greater production output results in reduced capital equipment cost per unit of throughput.

https://wenger.com

A-BIOMASS™ by Ace Aquatec

A-BIOMASS™ is an advanced underwater camera designed to bring more efficiency and precision to biomass measurement and distributions of a range of fish species. Using the power of machine learning A-BIOMASS™ can help you gain an accurate insight into your pens without handling or manual intervention. Accurate weight estimation can lead to a better understanding of total biomass, which can help your farm stay within its stocking density quota.

The A-BIOMASS™ underwater camera helps farms more effectively monitor fish welfare, prevent mortalities, and provide transparency and traceability over the fish lifecyle and supply chain.

The system contains two stereoscopic cameras calibrated to take images synchronously. Through machine learning. Artificial Intelligence identifies fish and critical points, such as tail and fins, to measure fish height, weight, and length accurately. A-BIOMASS™ tracks multiple fish simultaneously, day or night, collecting significant amounts of data in a short period.

SHOWCASE

ADVANTAGE SERIES - UV STERILIZER by Aqua Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet Water Sterilizers are a versatile technology used for disinfecting water, other opaque liquids, hard surfaces and air. Using the same germicidal rays as the sun, but hundreds of times stronger, Ultraviolet water sterilisers offers a reliable, cost effective, environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals and their resulting biproducts. UV lights for water use a purely physical process so they don’t alter water’s chemistry, taste, smell or pH levels.

The Advantage Series UV light for water is compact and lightweight, ideal for small ponds, aquariums, and water features. Advantage Series units are slim, lightweight units designed for maximum UV effectiveness. Aqua Ultraviolet UV Sterilizers will eradicate these organisms without any harmful residuals.

The UV light for water controls the spread of fish disease, viruses, and other harmful pathogens, as well as keeping your water clear by destroying free floating algae. https://aquaultraviolet.com

Fish pump Pescamotion 10 by Faivre

Optimised by powerful digital simulation tools, the Pescamotion 10’s performance matches its exceptional design. Its 12 m TDH (Total Dynamic Head) make it easy to adapt to any situation. With our exclusive “Direct Drive” system, the impeller is held directly by the motor. There is no need for maintenance to manage belt tension or lubrication of the bearings as in a standard pump on the market. The Direct Drive system considerably reduces the number of moving parts. With 92 kg on the scale, our pump is one of the lightest on the market. Perfectly balanced on its wheelbarrow, it is easy to move, even over long distances.

The compact 67 cm width makes it easy to drive through doors and between ponds in a hatchery. The carrying handles can be folded down, which makes the pump even more compact. www.faivre-aqua.fr

Improved resilience in shrimp: a stepping stone towards sustainable aquaculture

by Muhammad Umar, Dr Temitope A. Aloba and Dr Bernhard Eckel, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition, Germany

One of the main trends in modern aquaculture is the growing demand for sustainability. Sustainable production implies that animals are raised in a way that promotes their health and welfare and that resources are used responsibly and efficiently. Meeting these market-driven demands while running a profitable and successful enterprise is often a great challenge for farmers, especially in light of rising production costs and the increasing number of regulations.

Intensive shrimp farming is a complex and often unpredictable industry, with a range of environmental and biological factors that can affect shrimp health and growth. These factors include changes in water quality (such as salinity, temperature or oxygen level), disease outbreaks and extreme weather events (Fig 1). Nevertheless, animal health and welfare are compromised when shrimp are exposed to prolonged, repeated or unavoidable stress. Such stress can result in direct and indirect effects, including

loss of appetite, growth depression and suppressed fertility and reproduction. These stressors also contribute to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause oxidative damage since the shrimp are unable to detoxify ROS. Furthermore, oxidative stress can have an immunosuppressive effect and make animals more susceptible to infectious diseases, such as Vibrio spp. in shrimp. The animals’ defence mechanism reacts to such stimulants with activation of inflammatory pathways, leading to poor nutrient utilisation and subtracting energy from the growth process. At pond level, this manifests as variable growth, decreased feed efficiency and high mortality rates. Resilience is, therefore, a critical factor in this regard. It refers to the ability of a shrimp farming operation to adapt and recover quickly from these challenges, enabling it to withstand stressors and continue producing healthy shrimp even in the face of adversity. Shrimp farmers may take several

Figure 1: Impact of environmental and biological stress factors on shrimp

Aquaculture case study

Location: Wesley Vale, Tasmania, Australia

Product: Aqua feed: Dosing

“In Tasmania, they had plans to convert a former cardboard factory into a fish feed factory. And so it happened.”

steps to improve resilience at the farm level. These may include investing in infrastructure and technology that supports optimal environmental conditions, implementing best management practices to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and maintaining a diverse stock of shrimp that can better withstand stressors.

In addition to management measures, phytogenic feed additives can improve shrimp tolerance to environmental and inflammatory stress and thus enhance growth performance. In particular, flavonoid-rich feed additives have accumulated substantial scientific support in improving shrimp health by enhancing their immune system, reducing stress levels, improving digestion and nutrient utilisation and controlling pathogenic bacteria. Dr. Eckel strives to help shrimp farmers minimise stress-related losses by

developing innovative phytogenic solutions. Anta®Ox Aqua, with its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mode of action, boosts resilience and improves the animals’ ability to fight infections.

It all starts with the robustness of the immune system

Nutrition plays a vital role in modulating the stress response and enhancing the stress resistance of aquatic species. However, unlike higher vertebrates, the defence mechanism in crustaceans is not well developed. More specifically, shrimp lacks an adaptive immune system and cannot produce immunoglobulins. The innate immune system and environmental stress responses are the only defensive mechanisms to combat infectious diseases and

World Leaders in Microwave

Figure 2: Anta®Ox Aqua improves the immune response (SOD = superoxide dismutase; THC = total haemocyte count) and hepatopancreatic health of shrimp under stressful conditions.

environmental stresses. Antibiotics are commonly used in the treatment of bacterial infections in shrimp. However, the use of antibiotics is a complex issue for several reasons. Firstly, there are only a few approved drugs available in the market. Secondly, the clinical signs of disease are often non-specific, hindering the selection of the right antibiotic and timely application. Practically, only group medication or metaphylaxis is feasible, but in many cases, the onset of anorexia (lack of appetite) following an infection prevents the use of medicated feed. Most importantly, the unjudicial use of antibiotics can harm beneficial bacteria in the shrimp gut and cause intestinal dysbiosis. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternative approaches to enhance shrimp robustness against biological stressors.

Adaptogens are natural immunomodulators that enhance the ability of aquatic animals to confront pathogens by augmenting non-specific defense mechanisms. Many studies have reported the use of flavonoids in aquaculture to stimulate the activity of immune system components. Anta®Ox Aqua has been shown to improve the stress resilience of aquatic species by positively affecting their immune and metabolic systems (Fig 2). When shrimp were challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, increasing doses of Anta®Ox Aqua led to an enhanced immune response against the biotic stress imposed by Vibrio, compared to the control treatment. In addition, inflammatory cell necrosis of the hepatopancreas was reduced by 25 percent.

Enhanced tolerance against environmental stressors

Feed and shrimp seed constitute a significant proportion of the expenses in shrimp farming. Depending on the region, it may account for up to 60 to 70 per cent of the total production cost. Therefore, optimised animal health and a decrease in the mortality rate are vital not only to profitability but also to resource efficiency. To this effect, a scientific study was conducted to test the efficacy of Anta®Ox Aqua in a specialised shrimp aquaculture laboratory against hypoxic and salinity stress. Compared to the control group, the supplementation of Anta®Ox Aqua enhanced resilience against environmental stressors and reduced mortality losses (Fig 3).

Anta®Ox Aqua; the much-needed solution

To ensure animal welfare and animal health while at the same time keeping profitability high, aquaculturists around the world are looking for solutions that can help to master the challenges

of intensive production systems. Improving resilience in shrimp farming is critical to maintaining a sustainable and profitable industry. It can help ensure that farmers can continue to produce healthy, high-quality shrimp for consumers. Anta®Ox Aqua has proved its effectiveness in numerous international feeding trials and under commercial farm conditions in vivo – demonstrating a breakthrough for the profitability of shrimp farms worldwide. Anta®Ox Aqua is cost-effective even under competitive market conditions in Southeast Asia and Latin America. It is highly concentrated and works at low dosages, leaving enough space in the feed formula for maximum energy and nutrient density. Anta®Ox Aqua offers a natural solution meeting the demand for healthy and efficient fish and shrimp production – perfectly in line with today’s consumer expectations regarding food safety and animal welfare.

Figure 3: Anta®Ox Aqua enhances the livability of shrimp in the face of environmental challenges

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW FROM FEED TO FOOD FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Animal proteins and fats as sustainable feed materials

For more information, visit us online:

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• SEA LICE POPULATIONS

• CATARACT PREVALENCE

• AGGRESSION DURING FEEDING

• ENERGY CONSUMPTION

• STORAGE SPACE & COSTS

• MEDICAL TREATMENTS

• FISH HEALTH & WELFARE

• MORTALITY RATES

• STABLE, CONTROLLED GROWTH

• LONGEVITY & EFFICACY

• PRACTICAL FEEDING METHODS

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Industry Events

Status updates for industry events amidst global effects of COVID-19 2023

2023 June

21-22

Seagriculture Conference EU 2023

Trondheim, Norway

https://seagriculture.eu

2023 July

5 - 6

Aquaculture Philippines 2023

Pasay City, Philippines

www.livestockphilippines.com

8-10

VIV Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

www.vivturkey.com

2023 August

23-25

Aqua Nor

Trondheim, Norway

https://aquanor.no

2023 September

6 - 7

Seagriculture USA 2023

Portland, USA

https://seagriculture-usa.com

6 - 8

Expo Pesca AcuiPeru

Lima, Peru

www.thaiscorp.com

11 - 13

Seafood Expo Asia

Singapore

www.seafoodexpo.com

18 - 21

Aquaculture Europe

Vienna, Austria

www.aquaeas.org

2023 October

3-5

Pet-Aqua Conference

São Paulo, Brazil

https://victamlatam.com

October 3-4, 2023 São Paulo Brazil

Two half-day conferences for millers

5

FEED MILLING MAXIMISED Conference

São Paulo, Brazil millingandgrain.com/event /feed-milling-maximised-2023

FEED MILLING 20 23

MAXIMISED

October 5th, 2023

A CONFERENCE FOR FEED MILLERS

São Paulo, Brazil

11 - 13

Aquaculture Vietnam 2023 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam https://aquafisheriesexpo.com

23-25

Victam LatAm

Sao Paulo, Brazil. https://victamlatam.com

23 - 26

Aqua Expo 2023

Guayaquil, Ecuador https://aquaexpo.com.ec

2023 November

1 - 3

Aquaculture Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan, www.aquaculturetaiwan.com

13- 16

AFRAQ - Aquaculture Africa

Lusaka, Zambia www.was.org

14 - 17

Fenacam

Natal, Brazil

www.fenacam.com.br

20 - 22

VIV MEA 2023

Abu Dhabi

www.vivmea.nl

2023 December

12 - 15

AlgaEurope 2023 Prague https://algaeurope.org

First Indo-Norwegian Aquaculture Symposium; Hosted in the heart of India’s fish farming region

The Society of Aquaculture Professionals, in collaboration with Aker BioMarine, recently kicked off the first edition of the IndoNorwegian Symposium. This exclusively fish farming-focused event was held on 24 February 2023, in the heart of India’s largest fish farming region – Vijayawada.

The in-person symposium was attended by more than 75 experts from across the industry, including government research institutions and renowned aquaculture scientists. The main topics presented by the event’s eight presenters ranged from recent developments in Indian fish farming to the process of growing commercially valuable fish in India.

Keynote speaker from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research

The keynote address was held by Dr. J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General of Fisheries for the India Council of Agricultural Research, who spoke after the opening remarks were made by Mr. Björn Wallentin of Aker BioMarine and Dr. Victor Suresh, the President of the Society of Aquaculture Professionals.

Dr. Jena spoke about fish farming in India, a country responsible for 8 percent of global fish production and where there is a strong focus on commercially valuable fish such as seabass, tilapia, and freshwater rainbow trout. With marine catch rates stagnating, Dr. Jena reported solid growth in Indian aquaculture and a growing trend in terms of the export of marine products from the country. “India has ambitious targets for aquaculture going forward, with carp serving as an important species to meet domestic demand and shrimp as key to the country’s export targets. Their success will hinge on the industry’s ability to diversify the types of species raised, as well as the increased use of non-conventional intensive systems and the culture of non-food species”, Dr. Jena shared.

Session topic 1: Alternative ingredients in aquaculture

Dr. Brett Glenncross, Director at International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO) in the U.K., spoke to the audience about aquafeed trends and new perspectives on ingredient development. He said that marine diets are increasingly based on nutrients, not ingredients, to ensure the animals get what they need to grow. He mentioned that the industry will require new ingredients going forward, including additional sources of omega-3 and protein. Dr. Glenncross spoke about palatability of the ingredients and how this will be key to feed formulations, also sharing how sustainability will grow as an important factor in ingredient selection.

Session topic 2: Cost efficient feed strategy

Dr. Alberto Nunes, a professor at Labomar, Universidade Federal do Ceará in Brazil, delivered a presentation on fish health and choline inclusion in aqua diets. He spoke about finding the right feeding balance and said that farmers should observe fish intake to ensure that feed is maximally consumed.

Aquafeed Extrusion Nutrition Conference & 19th November 2023

Theme: Aquaculture development and investment

Organised by

Sponsorship opportunities now available!

For further enquires please contact:

Tuti Tan - tutit@perendale.co.uk

Dr Mian Riaz - mnriaz@tamu.edu

Severina Proskurnova - severina@vnueurope.com

He recommended that producers choose the best feed available, as this will impact fish growth. Dr. Nunes also spoke about krill meal and its role in delivering choline and supporting lipid transportation in the fish, which helps to reduce the adipose fat of fish and can reduce fatty liver syndrome.

Session topic 3: Sustainable functional ingredients for fish aquaculture

Dr. Kiranpreet Kaur, Director of R&D at Aker BioMarine, took the stage to talk about functional and sustainable ingredients for fish aquaculture. She shared that our planet’s growing population will require 70 percent more food production towards 2050, and aquaculture will play an important role in meeting this demand. For marine species to thrive in terms of health and performance, the right nutrients are vital to development.

Dr. Kaur spoke about Aker BioMarine’s new research program to demonstrate the feasibility of novel ingredients in feed, documenting the effects of these ingredients on fish health, as well as related economical and behavioural factors. Krill meal is one such feed ingredient that has scientifically documented beneficial health effects on farmed marine species, she said.

Session topic 4: Rainbow Trout Culture in India

Dr. P.K. Pandey, Director at the Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries, spoke about farming freshwater rainbow trout fish culture in India, including its scope and findings from recent studies. Each year, 18-20 million rainbow trout eyed ova are produced in India. Dr. Pandey mentioned that breeding this species comes with challenges, ranging from climate-related changes to scaling up novel ingredients. Dr. Pandey also spoke about the areas in which Norway and India could increase

their aquaculture collaboration, such as in developing feeds for nutrient sensitive and sustainable aquaculture, as well as strategies to mitigate climate stressors.

Symposium was followed by Fish India 2023

The next day, the Society of Aquaculture Professionals in India ran a second aquaculture-focused event at the same venue. This technical conference focused on “scaling new heights in fish farming”. The topics on this day included “Management of Carp Polyculture”, “Pangasius Farming in India” “Sustainable Tilapia” farming, and “Growing Seabass in Ponds”, to name a few. For Aker BioMarine in India, as a sponsor and co-organiser for both events, it was a true ‘science week’ dedicated to accelerating India’s aquaculture future.

Blue Food Innovation Summit 2023

by Jyothsna Nelloolichalil, International Aquafeed, UK

On May 23-24, 2023, the Blue Food Innovation Summit returned to London to delve deeper into the fast-developing landscape of ocean health and blue food production. With around 342 attendees which includes 41 start-ups, the summit brought together ground-breaking companies from around the globe to discuss forward-thinking approaches to aquatic food production, including sustainable aquafeed, seaweed, fish health and welfare, and digital platforms for smallholder farmers. 300+ senior decisionmakers from the aquaculture, mariculture and seafood value chains joined the summit to discuss opportunities and solutions in sustainable aquaculture and blue investments that help replenish our oceans.

Day one

Day one of the summit kickstarted on 9 AM at Hilton London Tower Bridge with a talk on ‘Bridging Silos: Raising the Profile of Blue Food in Climate, Sustainability & Food Conversations’ by Jim Leape of Stanford University and The Blue Food Assessments. His presentation dived in to issues like how aquaculture producers, retailers, investors, start-ups, and NGOs can collaborate towards a strong blue economy, and a sustained ocean environment and how are these organisations and innovators building resilience and strengthening the blue food system.

Next up the agenda was the panel discussion on ‘Pioneering

a Sustainable Future’. The session was chaired by Melanie Siggs, Director of Strategic Engagement, Global Seafood Alliance and the speakers were Andrew Swanson, Cooke INC, Catarina Martins, MOWI, Katherine Bryar, BIOMAR and Tore Eliassen, CERMAQ. The discussion was on topics such as what key roadblocks are producers facing when pushing towards sustainable biodiverse aquaculture, what success stories has the industry seen in production innovation and what strategies are being implemented towards a carbon-neutral and circular blue food chain. All the panel members opined their views on how leaders across the value chain can accurately measure progress towards a sustainable blue food system.

This session was followed by another panel discussion on ‘Novel Solutions: Scaling Novel Ingredients into Everyday Production’ which was chaired by Lily Stuart from Fairr And The Speakers Were Erik Tveteraas, Nutreco, Nizar El Alami, Innovafeed, Allan Leblanc, Calysta, Øyvind Fylling-Jensen, Nofima and Mark Luecke, Prairie Aquatech.

The summit then moved on to another talk by Giles Cadman, Ecopreneur and Non-Executive Chair/Chair, Cadman Capital/ Urchinomics on investment in nature-based solutions for a sustainable future. He talked in detail about the pivotal role of combining nature-based solutions with commercial viability in achieving sustainable aquaculture production.

Just before the group broke for lunch, the Roundtable discussion session was held. The delegates split into small groups to discuss the most critical issues facing the aquaculture industry. Each table is hosted by an industry expert, and delegates chose the topic most relevant to their business.

Right after the lunch break, the panel discussion on ‘Accelerating the Seaweed Revolution: Driving Innovation to Harness Seaweed’s Position as Blue Food’ chaired by Gracie White, Lead of Global Oceans Investments, Conservation International Ventures began. The speakers were Mike Williamson, CASCADIA SEAWEED, Jesse Baines, Atlantic Sea Farms, Paul Dobbins, WWF, Shrikumar Suryanarayan, SEA6 ENERGY and Lisa Boulton, NESTLÉ PURINA PETCARE.

The session dived in to topics like how seaweed is being used

as a functional ingredient by producers and how have these approaches been received by western consumer markets.

Right after this session was another panel discussion on ‘Aquatic Welfare & Harvest: Strengthening Standards and Driving Welfare-Focused Technologies’ which looked into what developments are being made in welfare-centred stunning and monitoring technology, and how can producers be incentivised to change practices and utilise innovations, to meet the needs of consumers and aquatic livestock. This session was chaired by Teresa Fernandez, European CSR and Sustainability Senior Manager, Hilton Foods.

At 4 PM, case-study presentations on ‘Regional Deep Dive: Mapping Aquaculture Trends Across the Globe’ began. The session was hosted by Matt Craze, Founder, Spheric Research. This session was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Smallholder Spotlight: Empowering Smallholders through Digitalisation in the Blue Supply Chain’ which was chaired by Anton Immink, CEO, Think Aqua. The session discussed on topics like what are the challenges within implementation and adoption while increasing digitalisation and technology usage among smallholders and how is digitalisation enhancing supply chain traceability within ocean producers and fisheries.

The final session for the day was a panel discussion on ‘Blue Investment: Putting VC, ESG and Capital Growth to Work in Today’s Financial Climate’ and the session was chaired by Nicholas Hardman-Mountford, Head of Oceans & Natural Resources, The Commonwealth.

Day two

The second day of the summit began with an exciting panel discussion on ‘A Restorative Deep Dive: Optimising Regeneration and Production in Restorative Ventures’. The speakers shared their experience with what restorative initiatives are being put in place that empower local communities whilst bolstering production and natural habitats. The session was

chaired by Robert Jones, Global Lead Aquaculture, The Nature Conservancy.

The next session was a presentation on ‘A Sustainable Future: Unlocking the Potential of the Blue Food Chain’ by Gibran Huzaifah, CEO, EFISHERY in which the speaker assessed the outlook for sustainable aquaculture and dived into innovations transforming the sector, exploring opportunities to invest, and support smallholders through digitalisation.

The next panel session was chaired by Jane Byrne, Senior Editor, FeedNavigator on ‘Fortifying Aquatic Health: Proactive Disease Management via Monitoring, Vaccination and Novel Feed Additives’. The speakers discussed their views on how have producers effectively cut down on antibiotic use and incorporated proactive approaches successfully and also on what exciting innovations are unlocking vaccination development and usage, and what are the challenges in applying these across a diverse range of species.

After the short networking coffee break, it was time for the much awaited start up showcase. Early to mid-stage technology entrepreneurs presented a 7 minute snapshot on the solutions. The presenter were Michael Tinmouth, Acua Ocean, Remi

Sarah Carroll, Co-Founder & CEO, Marihealth Solutions presenting for Start-up showcase

Gratacap, Aquanzo, David Okech Okeck, Aquarech, Sarah Carroll, Marihealth Solutions, Andrew Eckhardt, Next Tuna and Katie Weiler, Viable Gear.

This was followed by another panel discussion and a presentation and then the group broke for lunch. The first panel discussion after the lunch was on ‘Strengthening the Raw Materials Basket: Enhancing Sustainable Use of Soy and Marine Ingredients’ when speakers dived into details of how producers can measure and compare carbon footprints in feed, the role of farmers to ‘do more with less’ when it comes to aquafeed, and what are the latest innovations around feed conversion to reduce wastage.

The summit also had a networking and exhibition area where around 11 exhibitors showcased their solutions. Some of the prominent exhibitors were DSM, Ace Aquatec, AquaBiotech group etc.

The next panel discussion was on ‘Unlocking Blue Carbon: Carbon Neutrality and Deep Blue Carbon Regeneration’ and this insightful discussion was chaired by Daniel Crockett, Director, Ocean and Climate, BLUE MARINE FOUNDATION. The next and final panel discussion was on ‘waves of change: unifying the blue sector through education, collaboration, and investment’ and the session was chaired by Kate Danaher, Managing Director, S2G Ventures. The session was very insightful with interesting takes on in the current climate of economic and climate instability, how is the blue food industry strengthening natural resources and providing socio-economic security to strengthen communities and what challenges are innovators focusing on and how can investors finance solutions in the blue space.

This marked an end to a successful 2 day Blue Food Innovation summit. Over 300 delegates from across 37 countries joined us in London for an incredible two days of discussion and debate centred around accelerating scalable solutions, unlocking new partnerships and adopting new technologies.

Costa Skotidas, EMEA Sales partnership manager, Ace Aquatec.

David Morris from DSM

Rob Davies from AquaBiotech group

Networking area

Gibran Huzaifah, CEO, eFISHERY

20 LACQUA 23

The biggest aquaculture event in Latin America

Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2023 (LACQUA) was an incredibly successful event that was held on April 18-21, 2023, in Panama City, Panama. With numerous sessions, multiple booths, and a large number of abstracts and students attending, the four-day B2B show brought the attention it desired back to the aquaculture industry within Panama and Latin America.

A total of 1189 people attended the event, with 48 different countries participating across a range of 65 booths, each showcasing their own varying and individual products and knowledge. Some prominent companies that attended the event were Kemin, Cargill, Jefo, Kaeser, and Zinpro.

There were also many conferences that were held in a range of languages regarding both spoken and written materials. All major aquatic species cultured in Panama and the surrounding Latin

American and Caribbean area were covered in the 22 sessions that were presented, with a special focus on tilapia, trout, shrimp, and marine species.

Along with the conferences, 58 students presented abstracts and posters of their research. Throughout the entire event, there were a total of 189 abstracts and 48 posters. Students and companies alike were eager to share their findings in their research, using a combination of product showcases, conferences, and the time slots dedicated to poster sessions.

During the four B2B days, there were many assigned coffee and lunch breaks between the sessions and conferences, offering many chances for people to connect with others from the industry and create new contacts and rekindle old ones.

IAF TV had the pleasure of speaking to many attendees to hear their thoughts on the show and the opportunities it had offered for them. In the first series of videos, you’ll see Oscar Diez from Ferraz, Victor Mancheno Salas from Famsun, Alfredo Ortiz Serrano, Katia Santistevan from Aqualife Products, and Vera Mavrikaki from Aqua

Lucas Rodriguez, Araceli Lopez, Kurt Servin and Gustavo Bula from Jefo

manager. In another series of videos, we’ve spoken to Kurt Servin from Jefo, Andrea Pacheco from Kaeser, Eduardo Jiménes Correa, from Aquarios del mar, and Franklin Martinez from Disagro.

We also had the chance to speak to Claudio Parades, Global Sales Director for Cargill, Rafael Ramos, Business Director LATAM North at Andritz, Javier Martinez Correro from CIAD, and Josef Barbi, President of E.S.E. Frank Montorana, Business Development and Technical Support Manager for Great Salt Lake tells us about how the shrimp industry relies on artemia for the growth cycle, essential proteins, hormones, and nutritional aspects of the survivability of shrimp and fish.

“I have found the show very productive. There’s representation from a lot of Latin American countries here,” says Frank, following up with how happy he was to showcase some artemia technologies in three cones which offers an active example of what artemia can do to the Latin market.

IAF Magazine also spoke with Katherine Hawes from Digital Age Lawyers. She tells us there’s a lot of opportunity for business between Australia and Latin America, and how important it is to be proactive in ensuring your business is protected, in terms of trademark, contracts, export, and intellectual property.

“The show has been great for us. We have made a lot of great contacts and definitely from Australia there’s a lot of opportunities between Australian businesses and Latin American. We love our seafood in Australia and Latin America loves growing it, so we’re happy to help,” says Katherine.

All the videos will be available on our IAF TV YouTube Channel, and on our website at https://www.aquafeed.co.uk/ category/videos/

The next World Aquaculture event will be held in Vienna, Austria, on September 18 – 21, 2023. International Aquafeed hope to see you there. For more information on the event visit https://www.aquaeas.org/

David Owsley (centre) of Anpario with others

Katherine Hawes of Aquarius Lawyers and team with Tuti Tan

(from left) John Ge, Daniel Tello, Victor Mancheno and Edison Chen, FAMSUN

Aubert Faivre (left) and coworker, Faivre

Sidinel Valle from Zeigler Bros Inc. with Roger Gilbert

Frank - Frank Martorana, Business Development and Technical Support Manager, Great Salt Lake

Andrea Ceron (left) smf fellow coworkers of Kaeser

Technological developments and innovations in the feed processing industry

There are many developments globally in the animal feed industry that are helping to transform animal farming. Some of these innovations include the use of precision nutrition, nutrigenomics, alternative protein sources, automation and blockchain.

1. Precision feeding: This involves using sensors and data analysis to adjust feed intake for individual animals based on their needs. This can help to reduce waste and improve feed efficiency.

2. Nutrigenomics: This involves using genetic information to develop more personalised feed formulations for individual animals. This can help to optimise animal health and performance.

3. Alternative protein sources: There is growing interest in using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, algae, and singlecell proteins, to reduce reliance on traditional feed ingredients like fishmeal and soy.

4. Automation: Automation technologies, such as robotics and artificial intelligence, can help to improve efficiency and reduce labour costs in feed production.

5. Blockchain: Blockchain technology can help to improve transparency and traceability in the feed supply chain, which can help to ensure that feed ingredients are produced in an environmentally responsible manner.

Advances in technology have made it possible to produce highquality feed more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before. For example, new grinding and pelleting techniques can produce feed that is easier for animals to digest, which can lead to better growth rates and feed conversion.

The use of automation and robotics is helping to streamline the feed production process and reduce labour costs. Another area of innovation is the use of precision farming techniques to optimise animal health and performance. This involves using sensors, data analytics, and other technologies to monitor animal behaviour, health, and productivity in real-time. By collecting and analysing this data, farmers can make more informed decisions about feed management, health interventions, and other aspects of animal care. Finally, there has been a lot of innovation in the area of feed additives. These are substances that are added to animal feed to improve its nutritional value or to enhance animal health and performance. For example, probiotics and prebiotics and amino acids, can help to improve feed efficiency and reduce waste.

Victam LatAm

The first Victam LatAm and Grapas LatAm 2023 is approaching! This event will take place from 3-5 October, 2023 at the Expo Centre Norte, São Paulo, Brazil and is the place to be to network with industry professionals, learn about the latest trends and technologies, and explore new business opportunities.

- Only complete event for the animal feed industry (Beef, Pig, Poultry, Aqua and Pets);

- Estimated number of exhibitors will be over 150, already more than 3000m² sold;

- New innovations and launches will be displayed;

- Extensive conference programs and technical seminars on developments, optimization and sustainable incentives with key speakers sharing their insights.

Interview Hydronix

In this issue, we are excited to feature an interview with Hydronix. They will be joining us on our Victam LatAm journey and we think you will find their insights to be incredibly valuable. Hydronix is a UK based manufacturer of high-quality microwave moisture sensors which use a unique measurement technique. Established in 1982, Hydronix has over 95,000 installations in over 90 different countries worldwide.

In recent years what are the technological developments that you have seen that could be applied in the feed sector?

The recent development of Industrial Internet of Things, allowing the collection and processing of data, is becoming more prevalent in many industries.

Gathering more data on many areas of process plants allows fine-tuning the process control to give higher quality products, optimising the use of raw materials whilst reducing input costs such as energy and maintenance.

A side effect of this optimisation is often also seen as a reduction in embodied carbon in a product which is becoming an important issue for many producers.

What is your vision on the evolving aquafeed industry?

More and more aquafeed producers are integrating their automated control systems from separate processes allowing them to control their plants from beginning to end. Automation lets them view and optimise their whole plant with detailed operator interfaces.

In order to provide complete control, much data needs to be collected from reliable and accurate sources specific for the materials which is monitored.

Sometimes expensive NIR systems are necessary due to the material mix being adjusted, but more often, the only change which needs monitoring is moisture. Digital microwave moisture sensors allow high accuracy

and precision while being cost-effective and low maintenance.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your latest innovations or technologies?

Hydronix has been developing for over 40 years its proven sensor technology to allow installations in many new industries, including aquafeed.

The sensors are designed to be installed in the flow of the material to give an online measurement which can then be used to control processes such as conditioners, dryers, weighing and dosing systems and mixers.

All these processes are highly influenced by the natural variation of the moisture in the material.

The latest innovations from Hydronix allow sensor installations in even more demanding dusty environments such as those at risk of explosive atmosphere.

What are your expectations of Latin America?

Latin America is a quickly emerging market of high-quality affordable products. There is an excellent industrial process base with innovative techniques and engineers that could benefit from the ability to measure moisture precisely and accurately in their plants.

Hydronix sees Latin America as an exciting growth area for our products which have already been extensively used and installed successfully in other locations such as Northern Europe, South-East Asia and China.

aquafeed.co.uk/web/companies

Welcome to the market place, where you will find suppliers of products and services to the industry - with help from our friends at The International Aquafeed Directory (published by Turret Group)

Aerators

Faivre + 33 3idah 81 84 01 32

www.faivre.fr

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1603

Air products

Kaeser Kompressoren

+49 9561 6400

www.kaeser.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1035

Additives

DSM

+43 2782 8030

www.dsm.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1605

Jefo

+1 450 799 2000

https://jefo.ca

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1607

Liptosa

+34 902 157711

www.liptosa.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1608

SAS Laboratories Phode

+33 5 63 77 80 60

www.phode.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1644

Analysis

Romer Labs

+43 2272 6153310

www.romerlabs.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1610

Bulk storage

TSC Silos +31 543 473979

www.tsc-silos.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1612

Conveyors

Computer software

Inteqnion +31 543 49 44 66

www.inteqnion.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1277

Coolers & driers

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11

www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1614

FAMSUN

+86 514 85828888

www.famsungroup.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1034

IDAH

+866 39 902701

www.idah.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1615

Wenger Manufacturing

+1 785-284-2133

www.wenger.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1616

Drum filters

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

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1603

Faivre is a French company, and one of the world leaders in the conception, manufacture and production of aquaculture machines.

Since 1958, thanks to their knowledge of the market and strong experience in aquaculture, Faivre has developed high quality products to satisfy all of your needs, from one product to the full installation. Strength, effectiveness and simplicity are the qualities of their production.

aqfeed.info/e/1603

Elevator buckets

Elevator & conveyor components

4B Braime +44 113 246 1800

www.go4b.com

aqfeed.info/e/1655

Enzymes

DSM +43 2782 8030

www.dsm.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1605

Equipment for sale

ExtruTech Inc

+1 785 284 2153

www.extru-techinc.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1618

Extruders

Almex

+31 575 572666

www.almex.nl

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1279

Buhler AG

+41 71 955 11 11

www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1614

IDAH +866 39 902701

www.idah.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1615

Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21

www.ottevanger.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1621

Wenger Manufacturing

+1 785-284-2133

www.wenger.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1616

Zheng Chang

+86 2164184200

www.zhengchang.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1623

Feed and ingredients

Adisseo

+33 1 46 747104

www.adisseo.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1624

Aller Aqua

+45 70 22 19 10

www.aller-aqua.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/961

Alltech

+44 1780 764512

www.alltechcoppens.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1625

Anpario

+44 1909 537 380

www.anpario.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1626

Biorigin

www.biorigin.net

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1627

GePro

+49 54415 925252

www.ge-pro.de aqfeed.info/e/1656

Grand Fish Feed

+202 20 650018

www.grand-aqua.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1628

Jefo

+1 450 799 2000

https://jefo.ca

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1607

Liptosa

+34 902 15 77 11

www.liptoaqua.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1608

Phileo (Lesaffre animal care)

+33 3 20 81 61 00

www.lesaffre.fr

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1629

Feed Mill

TekPro

+44 1692 403403

www.tekpro.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1631

Tietjen Verfahrenstechnik GmbH

+49 4106 6333 0

www.tietjen-original.com

PROFILE:

Van Aarsen International

+31 475 579 444

www.aarsen.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1632

Fish counters

Faivre

+ 33 3 81 84 01 32

www.faivre.fr

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1603

Fish Graders

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

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1603

Fish pumps

Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1603

Grinders

Grand Fish Feed +202 20 650018

www.grand-aqua.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1628

Hammermills

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555

www.dinnissen.nl

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1633

Tietjen Verfahrenstechnik GmbH

+49 4106 6333 0

www.tietjen-original.com

PROFILE:

Moisture analysers

Hydronix +44 1483 468900

www.hydronix.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1634

Packaging

FAWEMA / The Packaging Group

+49 22 63 716 0

www.fawema.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1635

Paddle Mixer

Anderson www.andersonfeedtech.com aqfeed.info/e/1658

IDAH

+866 39 902701

www.idah.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1615

Palatability enhancers

Symrise

https://aquafeed.symrise.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1739

Pellet mill

IDAH

+866 39 902701

www.idah.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1615

PTN

+31 73 54 984 72

www.ptn.nl

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1636

Plants

Buhler AG +41 71 955 11 11

www.buhlergroup.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1614

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555

www.dinnissen.nl

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1633

FAMSUN

+86 514 87848880

www.muyang.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1034

Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21

www.ottevanger.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1621

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200

www.zhengchang.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1623

Pulverisers

IDAH

+866 39 902701

www.idah.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1615

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

•

•

•

•

•

Probiotics

DSM +43 2782 8030

www.dsm.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1605

Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals and the planet. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM’s products and solutions address some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders - customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. DSM and its associated companies employ approximately 23,000 people around the world and deliver annual net sales of about €10 billion.

DSM use their bright science to deliver positive transformations at scale for as many people as possible today and for generations to come, operating within the constraints of the world’s finite resources. DSM aim to redefine how they live and work in order to create a fairer, more prosperous and more sustainable society.

In Animal Nutrition and Health

The DSM Animal Nutrition and Health business group offers customers a true end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services for sustainable and profitable animal farming. The company’s three dedicated business lines cover Precision Services, Performance Solutions + Biomin® and Essential Products.

Precision Services

Greater precision in animal farming is key to a more sustainable and profitable future. Their Precision Services use the latest data analytics and diagnostics to improve animal health, lifetime performance, resource use and environmental footprint — while mitigating risks and unlocking more value. Improving the sustainability and profitability of animal farming is secured with aqfeed.info/e/1605

Phytogenics

Delacon +43 732 640 531 414 www.delacon.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1637

RAS Equipment

Fish Farm Feeder +34 886 317 600

www.fishfarmfeeder.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1638

FishFarmFeeder is a company founded in 2008 that manufactures feeding systems for aquaculture with a complete catalog of feeders that cover all stages of the fish's life: hatchery, pre-grower and grow-out, both on land and at sea.

FishFarmFeeder’s mission is to:

• Offer globally specialized solutions only in the field of feed automation for aquaculture. Contribute to a sustainable aquaculture helping to optimize production and improving fish welfare.

• Respond to the needs of automation in the feeding of all stages of the fish's life.

• Develope a profitable, reliable, accurate and safe technology.

Facilitate integration with other existing technologies in aquaculture such as sensors, software aqfeed.info/e/1603

RAS system

Silos FAMSUN

+86 514 85828888

www.famsungroup.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1034

TSC Silos +31 543 473979

www.tsc-silos.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1612

Vacuum

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555

www.dinnissen.nl

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1633

Weighing equipment

Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21

www.ottevanger.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1621

Yeast products

Leiber GmbH +49 5461 93030

www.leibergmbh.de

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1640

Phileo (Lesaffre animal care) +33 3 20 81 61 00

www.lesaffre.fr

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1629

Aqua Ultraviolet +1 952 296 3480

www.aquauv.com

PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1639

For more information about our market place - please view or download our 2023 media kit

https://aqfeed.info/e/1529

Hans Erik Bylling, CEO and Group President, Aller Aqua, Denmark

Hans Erik Bylling is the Chief Executive Officer and Group President of Aller Aqua, a long-standing family-owned fish feed company. Hans Erik Bylling is the third generation of this family business, and this year will celebrate his 70th birthday, having spent more than half of his life in the aquaculture industry, growing and expanding Aller Aqua across the world.

Hans Erik has won several awards in Denmark for his entrepreneurial approach to his work, and the fast expansion of the company.

Aller Aqua has been manufacturing fish feed for over 50 years, with factories in Denmark, Poland, Germany, Serbia, China, Zambia, and Egypt. With a product line, which includes feed for 30 different fish species, is currently exported to over 70 countries worldwide.

You have decades long career in the industry, what initially lead you to this field?

It has been a long journey in this industry. I am the third generation of Byllings in the family-owned company and have been in aquaculture for over 40 years. It began in 1910 when my granddad started working at Aller Mill. Back then we predominantly worked with various feedstuffs in a broader sense. In 1912 he took over the mill with my grandma, and that was the start of the Aller Aqua history. We produced the first fish feeds in 1963 and the fish feed business grew from there. Aquaculture is a fantastic business to be in, it is the most sustainable and healthy source for livestock protein, and it is growing very fast. I am grateful to be surrounded by over 500 skilled employees based all over the world dedicating their career to aquaculture.

In recent years what are the most critical technological developments that you have witnessed in the Aquafeed sector?

Aquaculture has seen serious rapid growth on the past years, and with growth change came too. Aller Aqua is on the forefront of adapting these innovations and brining innovations. Changes have happened throughout the entire value chain, raw materials such as the increase and inclusion of plantbased ingredients, the extruder technology which we invested on in the 80’s, the R & D developments have been immense on feed formulations to boost the fish health, a stronger focus on antibiotic-free feed, farm management tools and feeding techniques, which helps our partners grow their businesses etc.

Only recently, we were the first aquafeed company worldwide to be verified to label our products with a CO2 equivalent according to the PEFCR guidelines. This enables our customers to calculate and display the carbon footprint of their products and have a transparent value chain.

Aller Aqua is an advocate of sustainable aquaculture solutions. How do you ensure this in the products you offer?

Sustainability means different things across the world. The closer we get to Africa, the more we see sustainability defined by simple actions such as sharing best farming practises, recycling, supplying highquality feed, thereby avoiding water pollution and providing the best ingredients for a healthy fish and business.

We ensure our high-quality feed through ongoing R&D projects, farm trials, and tests, as well as our strong Quality and Assurance department, which ensures that

each ingredient meets and satisfies nutritional quality, customer requirements, legal requirements, and, of course, our requirements for quality raw materials to obtain the best performance from the feeds.

What in your opinion is the worst impact the pandemic had on the feed industry?

The pandemic forced us to close down, stay at home, and face numerous difficulties, and like any other industry, the aquafeed and aquaculture sectors were not immune. However, I would argue that when it comes to consuming fish, consumer behaviour has shifted towards more ecological, sustainable, and healthier options, which is good for the fish sector as consumption has increased.

Aller Aqua is heavily involved in Bylling Foundation, which is a charity helping street children in the Philippines. Could you tell us more about the foundation's activities?

Bylling Foundation was founded back in 2014 out of the strong desire to help street children in Philippines to have a better future. Their mission is to take care of the children the world has forgotten. They offer amongst other things, a roof over their heads, nutritious food, secure education, a warm and safe space, and health care support. We sponsor the foundation monthly, help them the practically as well as sponsor Aller Aqua Cycling, which again raises money for Bylling Foundation. We also support other children through different organisations and donations, in African communities. Children need us, and we need them as the future of our planet.

Do you see aquaculture and fish farming in particular meeting the growing need for essential nutrients in the human diets as we move towards 2050 and 9.5 billion people on the planet earth?

Without a doubt, yes! As the world's population grows, so will food production and consumption, as we have seen. But we must also act responsibly when choosing a job, a home, our food, or a business. And aquaculture is one of those sectors that operates in a sustainable manner and produces the healthiest protein compared to the rest of the livestock industry. The demand for healthy protein and less pollution is strongly increasing and will become ‘a must’ in the future across the world, so we know that aquaculture will grow and become a main solution for many, as it has been present since the beginning of farming activities on our planet.

THE INDUSTRY FACES

Benchmark promotes Stenerud and Holmvåg in new leading commercial roles

Effective May 1, the company has promoted Kate Furhovden Stenerud as the new Commercial Director for salmon, while Thommy Holmvåg is the new Commercial Lead for genetics in Norway. These changes are part of the company’s strategy to enhance its sales of genetics and health products for the aquaculture industry. The sales department is now better equipped to continue the positive growth of Benchmark’s product range.

Ms Stenerud takes over the commercial responsibility from Geir Olav Melingen, who will become the new Head of Benchmark Genetics starting June 1, 2023. Ms Stenerud previously worked with regional customer responsibility in South Norway and has collaborated closely with the global sales team. In her new role, she will report to Mr Melingen, who is pleased that Ms Stenerud has accepted the position.

To support Ms Stenerud in her new role, Thommy Holmvåg has been appointed as the Commercial Lead for genetics in Norway, a newly created position, and will report directly to her. Mr Holmvåg previously held the responsibility of managing regional customers in Northern Norway.

Gael Force appoints Customer Service Director

Gael Force Group is set to accelerate its investment in customer service and support with the appointment of Craig Graham as Customer Service Director. Mr Graham brings more than a decade of experience in customer-relationship building at Gael Force, and most recently has been leading the development of its marine technology area of the business.

The newly created senior role will lead the delivery of a major strategic commitment to establish a sector-leading standard of service and support for Gael Force’s aquaculture customers.

Customer Service Director, Craig Graham, comments, “One of the cornerstones of our strategy is to establish a service and support package along with extended warranties that are unmatched in the sector. I am looking forward to leading that project forward, with the great team we already have and are building upon.

ReelData AI announces new appointment to Board of Directors

ReelData AI, an AI company providing customised data and automation to land-based aquaculture farmers, announces it has named founder and former CEO of The Kingfish Company, Ohad Maiman, to its Board of Directors. This news comes just over a month after the company shared the news of a successful Series A funding round where they closed US$8 million in a deal led by Buoyant Ventures and S2G Ventures.

Mr Maiman made the decision to step down as CEO of The Kingfish Company in November 2022. His intention was to transition supporting the industry through other avenues, with artificial intelligence being a high priority. His relationship with ReelData began in November 2021, when The Kingfish Company implemented their inaugural product, ReelAppetite.

In 2015, Mr Maiman founded The Kingfish Company alongside experienced RAS and aquaculture experts Kees Kloet and Hans den Bieman. Breaking away from the more commonly farmed salmon, they decided to focus the business on the raising of yellowtail kingfish. The company began trading on the Oslo stock exchange in 2020. They have also been successful in obtaining permits to expand their operations in Maine, USA. More recently, the company experienced a sales increase of 82 percent in 2022, with Q4 sales up by 34 percent.

New COO in AKVA group’s international Sea Based division

Stig Førre starts as COO for AKVA group’s international Sea Based division from July 1.

Mr Førre has previously held the positions of CCO and VP of Business Development at Scale AQ and has had several leading positions in the aquaculture industry the last 25 years. He is educated at Haugesund Maritime Høyskole, and is about to complete an Executive MBA at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in June. He started his career in BioMar in 1995, before entering the technology industry in 2005. Førre will be a part of AKVA group’s management team.

Mr Førre will be travelling to Scotland, Turkey, Canada and Chile during his first month in AKVA group.

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