FEB 2024 - International Aquafeed magazine

FISH FARMING TECHNOL Fish Farming Techno

logy - Volume 27 - Issue

29 30 32 32 33 34 34 35 35 36 40

ORGANIC AQUACULTURE

42

OGY

2 - February 2024

Fish Farming Techn ology - Volume 27 - Issue 1 - February 2024 EDITOR: Erik Hemp el Technology Tuesd ay at NASF 2024 Cooke Aquacultu re Scotland deplo ys first Shetland hybrid feed barg Vónin announce e s takeover of Møre not Scotland Scottish salmon sector frustrated with export red tape Technology unve iled to monitor feed barge remotely Sea Harvest Grou p Ltd announces another step in its growth ambitions Baader expands into Latin America Organic Aquacultu re Farm Manageme nt TECHNOLOGY SHOW CASE

FEBRuARY2024

- Krill meal for nutritional boost during tough winter months - Cultivating Sustainability - Extrusion of pet and aquafeeds ee tt

th

14

he

In

te rn

- Farm Management

an ation d a ST in 15 l Aq AN Po th ua D rden Fe feed 4 one b tea - H , I ru m AL taly ary at A L5 .

20 qua BI 24 far S m

THE WAY TO SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

M

International Aquafeed - Volume 27 - Issue 2 - February 2024

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

February 2024

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

Your fish feed specialist

Collaboration to optimise

Farm Perfomance through innovative feed.

Visit Alltech Coppens at Fish International 2024!

Find us at

Stand 5A19 for sustainable feed solutions.

alltechcoppens.com

Considering your next move?

We’re listening.

As industry experts, we fully understand the unique challenges you face in the aquafeed industry. That’s why we are committed to assist you throughout the entire journey, from concept to complete installation. Ready to reinvent your aquafeed operations?

Let’s talk possibilities »

Skretting, Norway

www.ottevanger.com

WELCOME

I hope you are finding the ‘new look’ International Aquafeed magazine, with the inclusion of Fish Farming Technology as a separate magazine-within-a-magazine, easy to read and enjoyable.

9. Many readers keep our magazines as reference documents due to the scientific and technical information contained, and which often is not available anywhere else 10. We are an ‘industry magazine’ serving as a historic record for key industry developments 11. We connect people and address issues through our interviews and reports showing who they are and what they stand for 12. We publish in multiple languages so that readers, who do not have the benefit of stable and wide bandwidth, nor modern electronic equipment, can still be kept informed in a timely manner

By splitting our content more deliberately between the two titles – IAF and FFT - will allow all readers to find the relevant section within the magazine quickly and easily, that I’m sure enhances the way Roger Gilbert Publisher – International Aquafeed we peruse information on our pages. and Fish Farming Technology In designing this ‘new look’ we have not only considered the advantages to our aquaculture readership but also the impact we are having in terms of environmental impact and sustainability as it relates to our print editions.

Finally, our magazine has been serving the aquatic feed and fish This is why I spent time since the start of the New Year reviewing farming sectors for over 33 years through the printed word. Printing why a print magazine should retain its place on our desks and on our is the heartbeat of our company and all the people who work for bookshelves. our titles globally understand the importance of timely, relevant This list of 12 good reasons I have compiled is not to diminish the and visible content distributed through print. We are part of the expanding role digital distribution of information is having in general industries we serve and will remain so through thick and thin as our nor our online versions or their content being made available through a range of internet services. But rather it’s to re-evaluate what’s best about titles confront the challenges the aqua sectors and the print industry face. the printed word and what it has to offer you in its physical form.

Long live print and the enjoyment of reading from printed paper.

Reasons for print

There is something comfortable about having identified 12 reasons to justify the existence of something. As I mentioned above, we agree that our content should be provided to readers through digital challenges and via various online platforms as well as well as through one of the strongest and possibly best social media distribution networks of any magazine in our sector.

Yet print remains at the heart of our business.

After careful consideration these 12 reasons below are why we feel print magazines must retain their place in our everyday working lives: 1. Our paper is purposely grown and trees harvested for use are replanted 2. Our printed paper is recyclable 3. Our inks are mostly vegetable based and sustainably produced 4. Our envelopes are not ‘plastic’ but made of bio-degradable starches 5. The print machines used are increasingly energy efficient (reducing carbon emissions) and produce minimal waste which is recycled when we do 6. The ‘Post’ that delivers our magazines employs large numbers of staff in local communities where jobs are valuable and need to be protected. That’s in addition to the following advantages our readers and advertisers enjoy 7. Adverts and messages in our editions are read by multiple readers across our various aqua industries no matter where they are on the planet 8. Monthly magazines never go out of date and are re-read for over a year after they have been received

First visit of the year

It’s the last few days of January and our team is attending its first event outside the UK this year.

While the last six weeks has been a welcome break in our regular busy travel schedule, spending time in the office was extremely productive. However, we are very happy to be back in the company of our readers and supporters at the first major feed event of the year - the IPPE Exposition at the World Congress Centre in Atlanta, USA. While this is certainly not an aqua-focused gathering there are many companies here that have a keen interest in the production of fish feeds, talking fish additives and ingredients and showing interested visitors their products developed for use in aquafeed production at this year’s event.

This year’s IPPE is apparently the largest yet hosted at the WCC with all three halls being accommodated. It occurs to me that there should be a greater focus on aquaculture production and processing at these largely intensive livestock events given that we are seeing farmed fish providing over 17 percent of the world’s protein supply for human consumption - in some parts of Asia the figure is more like 50 percent.

Aquaculture has a right to be displayed alongside poultry, swine and beef (and dairy) at international events and not be isolated in its own expositions. Let’s see more aquaculture at all our livestock events in 2024!

www.aquafeed.co.uk Our up-coming conferences - find out more on page 18

Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference

13 March 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm Bangkok, Thailand

11 March 2024

BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand

March 11 th 2024

BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand

REGULAR ITEMS 44

Aquaculture case study

64

the market place

46

The Aquafeed Journal

68

the interview

52

Industry Events

70

the industry faces

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Page

7

Perendale Publishers Ltd 7 St George’s Terrace St James’ Square, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 3PT, United Kingdom Tel: +44 1242 267700 Publisher Roger Gilbert rogerg@perendale.co.uk Managing Editor Joy (Jyothsna) Nelloolichalil joyn@perendale.co.uk International Editors Dr Kangsen Mai (Chinese edition) mai@perendale.com Prof Antonio Garza (Spanish edition) antoniog@perendale.com Erik Hempel (Norwegian edition) erikh@perendale.com

Editorial Advisory Panel - Dr Abdel- Fattah M. ElSayed - Dr Alessio Bonaldo - Dr Allen Wu - Prof Charles Bai - Dr Daniel Merrifield - Dr Domique Bureau - Dr Elisabete Matos - Dr Eric De-Muylder - Dr Noor Khan - Dr Pedro Encarnacao Editorial team Prof Simon Davies sjdaquafeed@gmail.com Shannon Parsons shannonp@perendale.co.uk Niamh Cassidy niamhc@perendale.co.uk

Page International Marketing Team Darren Parris Tel: +44 7854 436407 darrenp@perendale.co.uk Costa Skotidas +44 7826 545952 costas@perendale.co.uk Latin America Marketing Team Cristina María Roldán Otero Tel: +44 1242 267700 cristinaperendale@gmail.com Egyptian Marketing Team Mohamed Baromh Tel: +20 100 358 3839 mohamedb@perendale.com India Marketing Team Dr T.D. Babu +91 9884114721 tdbabu@aquafeed.org Asia Marketing Team Dante Feng Tel: +886 0227930286 dantef@perendale.com Nigeria Marketing Team Nathan Nwosu Tel: +234 8132 478092 nathann@perendale.com

©Copyright 2024 Perendale Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owner. More information can be found at www.perendale.com ISSN 1464-0058

29 Digital community manager David Harvey davidh@perendale.co.uk Design Manager James Taylor jamest@perendale.co.uk Circulation & Events Manager Tuti Tan Tel: +44 1242 267706 tutit@perendale.co.uk Development Manager Antoine Tanguy antoinet@perendale.co.uk Aquafeed Journal journal@perendale.co.uk

Production & Performance

Jefo PEAK Program

Increase you profit in aquaculture with our Jefo Protease.

Increases Digestibility Improves Feed Conversion Improves Environmental Sustainability

Life, made easier.

jefo.com

1

International Aquafeed - Volume 27 - Issue 2 - February 2024

8

EDITOR: Professor Simon Davies

10

Auchan, BioMar and Earthworm Foundation to join forces

11

Entries open for this year’s Aquaculture Awards

12

Aller Aqua Norway awarded 10 million NOK to advance aquafeed research

13

Salmon thriving and shrimp prices low as aquaculture industry finds a new normal

16

Krill meal for nutritional boost during tough winter months

20

Cultivating Sustainability

24

Extrusion of pet and aquafeeDS

26

PRODUCTION SHOWCASE

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 7

T

he short month of February in our northern hemisphere is not so reliable and can often fool us that spring is on its way. Although the sun gets higher now every day, it can be quite misleading as icy cold winds are still potentially threatening and many surprises can be in store for fish farmers in the USA and Europe, Japan, Northern China, and Korea. In the southern hemisphere however, the situation is entirely the opposite with very high temperatures, flash fires and sometimes even tropical rainstorms leading to flooding. Aquaculture faces all forms of challenges and despite excellent feed formulations and balanced diets, nature still plays an overriding and dominant role.

With such challenges as environmental stressors affecting the abiotic and biotic parameters of fish and shrimp it is necessary to reinforce our feeds with all the power of dietary additives and supplements with well-known and proven functionality. Even some of our ingredients at macro inclusion offer some form of protection to fish like yeasts and distiller’s grains that contain yeast cell wall fractions. We know that even insect meal has quite complex structural fibre (chitin-oligosaccharides) components that have biological activity. Indeed, most oligosaccharides have to varying degree features that can modulate the gut microbiome influencing gastrointestinal efficiency via improved surface area, enzyme release and nutrient assimilation. The effects on immune stimulation are particularly of interest and the potential for elevated pathogen resistance and disease mitigation. Specific feed additives can make fish and shrimp raise their stress tolerance and I have seen plenty of evidence from numerous scientific papers in critically peer-reviewed journals as well as many in our own International Aquafeed magazine. The use of such phytobiotics, prebiotics and probiotics can be highly prophylactic and greatly reduce our need for routine antibiotics in aquaculture practice.

As mentioned before, antimicrobial resistance AMR is on the rise, and we must endeavour to raise the barrier in this context and only advise on using antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents in extreme events under controlled application and with full veterinary guidance under legislation. Medicated diets for aquatic animals are sometimes necessary, and I will discuss these in a future review article with various pros and cons.

I think the field of vaccine development is of great potential for our future preventative strategies. In our field of aquafeeds, vaccines may be delivered in the feed which is a ‘holy grail’ objective when they are able to be introduced into every individual fish by-passing the harsh environment of the stomach and being taken up and active in the lower intestinal tract and especially the distal hind gut region being very vascular. We need to ascertain new types of coated vaccines and other forms of treatment like bacteriophages that are undergoing a renaissance of research and development.

In terms of dietary advances, we must review fish and shrimp nutrional requirements to meet the needs of precision aquaculture so as to increase optimisation of feed formulations using more advanced nutritional knowledge. In this respect, I acknowledge the recent review paper (Reviews in Aquaculture) concerning a re-assessment of essential amino acid requirements for different fish species by Shujuan Xing et al. 2023 that includes

8 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Professor Simon Davies Nutrition Editor, International Aquafeed

my distinguished fish nutrition colleagues Drs Sachi Kaushik (France) and Aires Oliva-Teles (Portugal). ‘Essential amino acid requirements of fish and crustaceans, a meta-analysis’.

This is a very timely and important paper that provides a most comprehensive new data base for more accurate input into Linear Least Cost Formulation (LLCF) software. Meeting the ‘ideal protein’ profile is a prerequisite to maximizing protein assimilation, retention and reducing the wasteful nitrogen output during both combined maintenance and growth of fish.

Back to the nutrition front, as we all know fish such as salmon make an excellent contribution to our omega-3 fatty acid requirements, and this has been primarily due to the fish oil used in commercial diets. Great efforts in recent years have allowed algal biomass such as Schizochytrium sp., Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and Nannochloropsis oceanica. and others to be harnessed as dietary ingredients to provide EPA and DHA in salmon feed to reduce the marine oil burden.

So welcome news from Norway where the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has approved a genetically modified canola oil that can be used in salmon feed. The plant produces marine omega-3 fatty acids, as stated in a press release. Canola is a cultivar variety of common rapeseed, long used in diets for many fish species as a protein meal and also for its oil. The canola that provides the oil researched by Nofima has been genetically modified and developed by the Australian research organisation CSIRO in association with the company Nuseed. Consequently, it has more of the HUFA omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that salmon require to meet their metabolic demand for tissue lipid biochemistry and to support their immune function and health status.

Nofima also emphasises that the oil is extracted from the canola seeds and cannot retain any of the plant’s genetic material that has been modified into both salmon and human consumers. In fact, genetically modified plant proteins and even Atlantic salmon exist and there have been no issues of any problems or adverse effects to animals and humans. I am a believer that this science will make a revolutionary change to our industry, and I welcome such initiatives providing that sound legislation exists for both GM and also Gene Editing technology.

Our February issue has all our regular news items, features, interviews, and techno-scientific articles covering a wide range of issues. IAF and Fish Farming Technology is integral to the aquaculture evolution, and we offer the gateway to providing comprehensive coverage of the latest findings and applications to this global industry.

Scan de QR-Code for more information

THE REVOLUTION IN PELLETING TECHNOLOGY Progress MonoRoll HE Discover the PTN Progress MonoRoll HE Pellet Mill. This innovative single MonoRoll pellet mill is strong, robust and virtually silent, with minimal vibration and much lower speeds than traditional pellet mills. It offers unrivalled value for money with a 20 to 25% increase in energy efficiency (compared to conventional pellet mills).

Guaranteed 20% energy saving

T/H

10-15% higher throughput

Optimum pellet quality

30% life extension of roller and ring die info@ptn.nl - www.ptn.nl Please contact us for the possibilities within your company

aquafeed news

Auchan, BioMar and Earthworm Foundation to join forces The French retailer Auchan, feed manufacturer BioMar, Ecuadorian shrimp farmer Edpacif and international NGO Earthworm Foundation have joined forces to develop a new product line that sets a new standard for responsible shrimp.

“Our customers are asking for more responsible seafood.

To ensure we can provide it, we need commitment from the entire value chain. This is the whole purpose of our collaboration with Earthworm Foundation” said Oliver Vandebeulque, Auchan Seafood Manager.

Henrik Aarestrup, Vice President at BioMar, was the first to be contacted by Earthworm: “During the project, we utilised our sustainability impact assessment tool (BioSustain LCA) to minimise the carbon footprint of the shrimp feed through meticulous recipe optimisation. We replaced fish oil with microalgae and sourced 100 percent of the marine protein from high-quality trimmings,” said

Aarestrup. In a first for BioMar, the project also saw BioMar’s team of sustainability consulting introduce recommendations to shrimp producer Edpacif on how to reduce the carbon footprint of the farming process.

Auchan is therefore testing a new way to commercialise shrimp products. Vandebeulque explains: “We decided to also sell trays with only the shrimp tails. This innovation has two benefits: the carbon footprint associated with product transport is reduced by 40 percent; and the shrimp heads are processed and reused locally in Ecuador for animal feed, further increasing circularity in the production.”

The new product line will be granted the Mr Goodfish label. Launched in March 2010 in France by Nausicaá, National Sea Centre, the Mr Goodfish program aims to raise awareness of responsible seafood consumption. The program covers three pillars: responsible feed, optimal farming conditions for animal welfare and environmental impact.

Micro dosing and weighing equipment for:

Revolutionizing batching with unmatched precision

Easy maintenance Track & trace Reporting Continuity

Offering a solution to your challenges such as: Employee shortage Health safety and environment Accuracy Short batch times

www.ksegroup.com Advertentie uitgave) – Print Aquafeed – NEW FORMAT_NO_STAND 190x132mm.indd 1 10 |International FebruaryPetfood 2024(IPPE - International

ALFRA - Part of KSE Group 06/12/2023 11:20

aquafeed news

Entries open for this year’s Aquaculture Awards Entries are now open for the Aquaculture Awards 2024, which celebrate the exceptional achievements of the sector over the past year.

The awards, to be announced at a gala dinner during the Aquaculture UK exhibition in Aviemore on May 15, are presented annually to individuals, businesses and projects making a notable impact on the industry, at home or abroad.

With 13 categories, the awards honour the hard work and high standards across the aquaculture community, from pioneering management practices to farm level innovation, and from gold standard suppliers to trailblazing technology.

On top of prizes for Rising Star, Unsung Hero, Farmer of the Year, Supplier of the Year, Best New Start Up and, new for 2024, Producer of the Year, the awards recognise the best collaborations, most sustainable enterprises, stunning innovations, impressive community initiatives, and consistent champions of animal welfare.

The popular award for Outstanding Contribution is a chance for the sector to vote for the person they think has transformed the world of aquaculture, whether through long years of service, game-changing ideas, or as a leading communicator and industry ambassador. The winner will be chosen by the sector and announced on the night.

There will also be the Judges’ Special Recognition award, selected by the judging panel from the awards entries, for the candidate or company demonstrating admirable commitment and a responsible approach to aquaculture.

Joining the team of judges this year is independent aquaculture auditor and consultant Malcolm Johnstone, a well-known and respected sector figure through his work over many years with RSPCA Assured.

Host on the night will be the incomparable Scottish comedian Fred MacAulay, a star of radio and television with appearances on Mock the Week, Have I Got News, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, Just A Minute, and The News Quiz, as well as his own long-running BBC Radio Scotland show.

Cheri Arvonio, event director said: “The Aquaculture Awards bring everyone together for an evening of celebration and entertainment, while highlighting the sector’s most remarkable people.

“We would like to hear about all those who have gone the extra mile in the past 12 months, be they industry leaders, dedicated farm staff, technical visionaries, or organisations making scientific breakthroughs and driving the sector forward.”

The awards, which are free to enter and open to the entire industry, are staged by Diversified Communications, organisers of Aquaculture UK, the premier UK event for aquaculture stakeholders, held biennially at the Macdonald Resort in Aviemore.

The deadline for awards entries is Monday, February 12, and finalists will be revealed by the judges on March 6.

Pole Position!

Great upgrade of your feeds!

Cefi ® pro

Autolyzed brewers’ yeast | Rich in nutrients and active ingredients | High bioavailability of the same | Stimulates the metabolism | Promotes feed intake and performance

Visit our website: leibergmbh.de

Leiber GmbH | Hafenstraße 24 | 49565 Bramsche Germany | info@leibergmbh.de

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 11

Aller Aqua Norway awarded 10 million NOK to advance aquafeed research Aller Aqua are proud and excited to announce that they have received 10 million NOK as one of the three projects in an award from the Research Council of Norway for developing fish feed based on new raw materials. The research will be done in collaboration with Norwegian University of Life Sciences(NMBU) in Ås.

This funding support will be used to research grass protein as admixture in salmon feed.

Aller Aqua Norway AS is based in Bergen and will, in the project, be testing the incorporation of protein flour from meadow plants into salmon feed. In addition, Aller Aqua Norway AS must investigate nutritional sustainability for salmon and ruminants.

This three year project has the potential to move the knowledge front within new, sustainable raw material sources for feed that are easy to grow in Norway.

Salmon feed based on the addition of green protein extracted from Norwegian meadow plants must be considered a radical innovation both in a national and international context. In this project, Aller Aqua Norway AS will seek to show that such mixing provides at least as good performance, fish welfare and product quality as soy addition from South America, which is one of the main ingredients in today’s salmon feed.

The production of meadow protein by biorefining has significant potential to contribute to increased local and regional value creation, increased self-sufficiency, and a more sustainable development of the farming industry.

Thus, the new feed concept could mean that tomorrow’s farming production will be an essential contribution to the green shift. This project will first and foremost aim to demonstrate that such feed is beneficial to salmon, something that has not been tested at this intensive research level before.

Aller Aqua wants to show that such a measure is more environmentally friendly than the current import of soya flour, but it is also realistic to produce such valuable meadow crops without affecting agriculture’s needs.

Given the substantial use of imported soy in agriculture, advancement in grass protein research can positively impact livestock production. Grass protein can be extracted from various sources, such as grass and clover.

“Population growth, increased pressure on land and resources, and more uncertain supply lines can put food security under pressure. Therefore, the government has set a goal that all feed for farmed fish and livestock must come from sustainable sources and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the food systems. If we are to succeed in this, we need research and development from such projects”, says Agriculture and Food Minister Geir Pollestad to the Research Council of Norway.

12 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Salmon thriving and shrimp prices low as aquaculture industry finds a new normal According to a new Rabobank report, the global salmon industry will continue to be the most profitable aquaculture sector. The shrimp industry is struggling to stabilise amid oversupply, low prices and weak Chinese import demand. Global fish meal supply is expected to improve, given weakening El Niño conditions, and prices should normalise.

In 2024, the shrimp farming industry faced one of the most challenging years for more than a decade.

Weak shrimp demand in the West, combined with persistently strong supply from Ecuador, created price levels even lower than the lowest point in the pandemic (2H 2020), while costs remained elevated due to high feed prices.

According to Gorjan Nikolik, Senior Global Seafood Specialist at Rabobank, “Normalising salmon supply and likely better fish meal and fish oil production will soften prices in 2024, but only marginally , establishing a new higher price normal. For shrimp, the current low prices may also become the new normal.”

Fish meal is expected to see much better supply, as the effects of El Niño in Peru are receding, although risks remain. Fish meal demand remains good, but is likely to be influenced by the lower prices of vegetable alternatives.

Positive, but low, supply growth for salmon The salmon industry will again be the most profitable sector in the first half of 2024, with high prices and marginally lower feed and biological costs supporting strong farmer profitability. However, biological challenges remain the main risk factor. “Relative to the first half of 2023, supply will be boosted by likely better biological conditions in Norway, Canada, the UK, Faroe and Iceland,” says Nikolik. “Chile, however, is a risk factor. Part of the lower supply expectation is due to legislation at the company level.

We could see further biological challenges induced by El Niño.”

Low shrimp prices the “new normal” The shrimp industry, on the other hand, is facing uncertainty, with low prices and weak demand making it hard to predict when the market will stabilise.

“Without a supply reduction, prices will remain at low levels. A key concern is weakness in Chinese import demand. While Chinese demand may still be positive, high inventory levels and a slightly lower renminbi will dampen a shrimp price recovery,” explains Nikolik.

Fish meal supply and prices to normalise Fish meal supply is expected to improve as El Niño conditions weaken, enabling a normalization of prices. “With El Niño conditions expected to weaken throughout the first half of the year, we can expect fishing in Peru to improve,” says Nikolik.

“Consequently, better fish meal supply should enable normalisation of the price as terrestrial commodity alternatives such as soybean meal have been easing in price throughout 2023, with further mild softness expected for the first half of 2024.”

Join the fish revolution

Phileo’s probiotics and active yeast fractions are designed for hatcheries and growing farms to support health, feed efficiency and growth performance . Our sustainable solutions bring innovative responses to fishmeal reduction stakes and environmental challenges.

Act with nature for animal care.

Visit our new website www.phileo-lesaffre.com

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 13

aquafeed news

BESTMIX® Software: The best solution in challenging times Reduce costs and prevent risks Optimize your entire production chain Guarantee higher quality products Scan to learn more:

BESTMIX® Feed Formulation, Quality Control, Ration Calculation and ERP solution.

www.bestmix.com

14 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Brett Glencross Searching for Circularity?

T

here is a growing intensity in the search for more circular feed ingredients around the world presently. Millions of dollars/euros/pounds are being spent on developing technologies for insect farming, single-cell proteins, and algal oils. The logic behind this for the most part seems sound; generation of new feed resources; reduction of pressure on existing resources by better utilising those already available. The sort of stuff that has made sense for years really. So why is it seen as so ‘niche’ and ‘novel’ now. And how well is this novel stuff progressing, what ‘circular ingredients’ are actually out there?

Getting reliable data on the volumes of products like insect meal and single-cell proteins has been a game of guess works for some time now. Rabobank in 2021 estimated insect meal production was only 10,000 tonnes. Even the most bullish estimates did not have that more than doubling each year since, so in 2025 that might at best be no more than 100,000 tonnes. Single-cell protein production seems even further behind. With estimates of production by industry front-runner Calysta predicting no more than 20,000 tonnes, and other players substantially further behind. So, SCP-maybe 30,000 tonnes at best by 2025. Algal oil, another strong emerger has estimates of only 40 to 50,000 tonnes from two companies.

So, combined we see in 2025 a field of around 180,000 tonnes at best.

Another circular ingredient that seems to go under the radar though is marine ingredients produced from by-products.

Recent estimates released by IFFO indicate that almost 40 percent of the raw material used for marine ingredient production now comes from by-product residues of fish

B SEARCH &

ECTION SEL

E

R OU N

N

T

RE

CR

UIT M E

RECRUITING GLOBALLY

processed for human consumption. When we analyse this separately as fishmeal and fish oil, we see that the global production of fishmeal from by-products accounts for around 34 percent in 2022 (Figure 1), while fish oil production from by-products represented 54 percent of the total fish oil production in 2022. This amounts to a massive 1.8 million tonnes of by-product fishmeal in 2022, and 692 thousand tonnes of fish oil, for a total of 2.517 million tonnes of marine ingredients from by-products.

Indeed, so valuable now are marine ingredients that some fishing vessels are now being equipped to preserve or process by-products on board into fishmeal and oil. Increasingly we are also seeing onshore processing facilities improving their collection methods to ensure that marine ingredient processors have a reliable supply of quality by-products.

More and more large aquaculture operators are constructing facilities that preserve and process by-product raw material into fishmeal and oil. This is particularly the case for farmed Atlantic salmon, pangasius and tilapia, which are each emerging as significant suppliers of raw material for marine ingredients into the future (Figure 1).

Despite clear progress in recent years, more is still needed to further capture the full potential impact and scale of available circular marine ingredients in an economically feasible way while maintaining quality and safety standards.

So, irrespective of what ‘niche’ and ‘novel’ products appear to be emerging, in the background marine ingredients continue to grow at a pace faster than both insects and SCP combined. So, it begs the question are we really still searching for circularity, or has it never really been forgotten?

THE EXPERT IN FEED, FLOUR MILLING AND FOOD PRODUCTION RECRUITMENT POSITIONS RECRUITED: � CHIEF COMMERCIAL

� MAINTENANCE

� GENERAL MANAGERS

� R&D NEWPRODUCT

� CHIEF MILLERS

� SALES & MARKETING

OFFICER

� MANAGING DIRECTORS � FEED & POULTRY

MANAGERS

💻💻 bourne recruitment.co.uk

MANAGERS

DEVELOPMENT

� PLANT MANAGERS � CFO’S

📞📞 +44 7764 465 897 International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 15

Krill meal

T

for nutritional boost during tough winter months

by Marianne Nergård, Product Director of Animal Health Nutrition, Aker BioMarine, Norway he cold winter months can be a challenging period for aquaculture farmers. When the temperature drops it’s not uncommon for fish to experience loss of appetite, greater stress, and in addition, they are less resilient towards infections that occur more often in the wintertime. One of the greatest fish health challenges in salmon production in Norway is the winter wounds that affect salmon skin, and as the name suggests they are most prevalent in the colder months.

Winter is a time when an extra layer of nutritional protection is needed, which can be delivered in the form of Antarctic krill meal.

“As producers of the sustainable and natural Qrill Aqua, we are strong believers in the power of science and research to show the value of our product for aquafeed. Through years of study with partners, academic and expert communities, we have witnessed the powerful effects krill can have to help aquaculture farmers improve their results. Supporting appetite and robustness is important during periods such as winter that are known for slower growth and higher likelihood of diseases among the fish,” says Marianne Nergård, Product Director of Animal Health Nutrition, Aker BioMarine.

Increase in appetite and nutrition in farmed fish

The winters are indeed long in aquaculture markets such as Norway, where frigid temperatures can last from autumn to spring. One of the priorities for farmers during this period is firstly to get the fish to eat despite natural appetite loss, and secondly, to get the fish to eat the right nutrients to ensure health and wellbeing. These two priorities can be supported through a single ingredient added to the feed, krill meal, which is proven to both stimulate appetite and enhance health.

“Aquaculture farmers face numerous challenges during the cold season. Maintaining the appetite of the fish and ensuring 16 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

proper nutrition, are key methods to keep the fish healthy and growing when facing stress and infections. We’ve seen through feeding trials that krill can serve as the Swiss Army knife of feed ingredients, a multi-faceted feeding ‘tool’ that can help farmers overcome several challenges at once. It provides building blocks that the fish needs to build new cells for the immune system, it brings effective omega-3’s that support skin health, it has antioxidants that reduce the negative effects of stress, and it supports the utilization of all the nutrients in the feed by stimulating the appetite,” explains Nergård.

Krill meal can be an effective raw material for aquafeeds, designed for any stage in fish development. Krill is shown to enhance fish appetite and with that, increase the fish’s access to nutrients that are important for immune health and tissue

regeneration of the fish. In addition, krill is highly digestible which means that more of those important nutrients are absorbed and utilised by the fish.

A powerful nutrient package for fish

One of krill’s most well-known attributes is that it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and phospholipids – qualities that have been linked to better skin health and overall greater robustness

in the fish that consume it. Krill may be a tiny crustacean, but it makes up a rather extensive nutrient package, rich in amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, minerals, and nucleotides.

Amino acids and nucleotides, in particular, play an important role in increasing feed acceptance of the feed, which leads to a better appetite among the fish, thus ensuring a plentiful supply of krill’s crucial nutrients.

World Leaders in Microwave Moisture Measurement Rice

Grain

Oil

Animal Feed

Coffee

Hydro-Probe XT

Hydro-Mix XT-FS

Hydro-Mix HT-EX

Hydro-Mix XT-EX

Hoppers, chutes, belt conveyors

Mixers, conveyors, Ducting System

Mixers, conveyors, Ducting System, High Temperature

Non Food-Safe available

Non EX available

Certified for use in ATEX, IECEx and NEC/CSA Hazardous Locations (Dust) Non EX available

Contact us for more details

enquiries@hydronix.com Hydronix-Milling and Grain-Advert Mar 2023 215x140mm.indd 1

hydronix.com International Aquafeed - February 202428/02/2023 | 17 13:55

ai1659709269130_IRIDA_PRINT_AD_05-08-22_OUT_102.5x280_ENG.pdf

1

05/08/2022

5:21 pm

Feed attractability matters during critical stages of fish development

Ensuring that the aquafeed is appealing to the fish is especially important during certain stages of development. This may include periods when a medicated feed is required, as this is a time when the farmer must ensure that as much as possible is consumed.

Feed attractiveness is also essential during other times, such as the particularly stressful transfer phase and when weaning the fish onto a new diet so that growth performance remains strong throughout the next phase of development as well.

“What we see is that krill meal contains a combination of nutrients that research has shown affects the brain and hormone system of the fish, leading to increased appetite. When the fish eat more of the feed, they benefit from more nutrition. This leads to better growth and weigh gain, as we’ve seen in aquaculture studies over the years, including yellowtail and Atlantic salmon,” says Nergård.

18 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

krill’s positive effect on growth performance

In an early feeding trial with yellowtail, scientists wanted to know whether krill, as one of the feeding stimulants tested, could improve feed intake and growth performance during cold temperatures. The results showed that krill did both, and it was deemed an ingredient that has the potential to improve protein digestion at low water temperatures – making it an ideal ingredient to combat slow winter growth.

Another experiment conducted by LetSea in Norway investigated whether krill had any impact on the growth performance and quality of Atlantic salmon. The trial was run for seven months, over the harsh Norwegian winter season and into spring and summer. The team compared two test diets, one diet with fish meal, and a test feed without fishmeal but with 7.5 percent krill meal.

At the end of the LetSea experiment, the results revealed a five percent increase in final body weight for the salmon fed on the krill meal diet, with the biggest difference occurring in the cold winter months. And perhaps even more significantly, the salmon fed krill meal exhibited zero melanin spots, whereas 13 percent of the fish fed only fish meal had developed these distinct dark spots by the end of the trial.

“Some aquaculture producers in cold climates like Norway have winter temperatures in a large part of the year, so the decrease in growth in these periods will affect the total production.

And in combatting this, the feed matters. Over the years, we’ve seen may scientific studies point to krill meal as a solution – a feed ingredient that can contribute to better overall performance, both in terms of the overall health and welfare of the fish, as well as to enhance their size,” adds Nergård.

DISCOVER HOW WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR NEXT PROJECT Our wide range of value-added services and understanding of production and market challenges worldwide, allows us to find the right technology and the most cost-effective solutions for your business in Livestock, Aquaculture/ Aquafeed and Pet industries.

WĞƚ Θ &ŝƐŚ &ŽŽĚ >ŝŶĞ

E.S.E. has developed and manufactures its own line of innovative and specialized equipment and systems, with exclusive and worldwide technical services for different processing situations in several capacities, from unique components to full line and complete solutions.

ENGINEERED SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT, INC 1564 Hwy.166 E. Industrial Park. P.O. Box 99, Caney, Kansas 67333 USA - Phone: + 1 (620) 306-4100 – Fax: +1 (620) 840-2087 Email: info@eseintec.com - www.eseintec.com

Offers customized development, formulation and manufacturing services for efficient and effective Vitamin and Mineral Premixes, Additives, Farmac, Organic Acids, Pigments, Organic Bypass Fats, etc. with the highest quality standards and according to the needs of its customers in animal nutrition, with exclusive Technical, Professional and Personalized Consulting worldwide.

Foundation of fish health is a strong immune system

Ensuring strong results throughout the winter, as well as during critical stages such as the autumn smolt phase or during the transfer to sea during the spring, requires a healthy immune system in the fish. It’s important for farmers to understand the connection between aquafeed ingredients and immunity, as the right combination of nutrition can impact outcomes.

Aker BioMarine’s Qrill Aqua is uniquely suited to meet the nutritional needs of farmed fish, as well as serving as a feed attractant, which is especially important during the winter. Qrill Aqua may ensure the fish consume more feed, grow faster, and build more resistance to disease as a result. In addition, the right nutritional balance in the feed contributes to reduced mortality and more viable and healthier fish ready for the consumer market.

Supported and Guaranteed with its own very complete and equiped Laboratory with latest Technologies

.

INTEC – INTERNATIONAL FEED & FOODS TECHOLOGIES S.A. DE C.V. Carretera Córdoba a Veracruz Km 342, Zona Industrial, C.P. 94690 Cordoba, Veracruz, México Tel: (+52) 271 751 7350; (+52) 271 751 7396 www.intecmx.com - contacto@intecmx.com

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 19

Cultivating Sustainability Exploring innovative and local alternative ingredients in aquaculture feeds for a circular future

by Dr Elisabete Matos, Assistant Professor, Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Portugal

I

n the enduring pursuit of advancing aquaculture practices rooted in sustainability and circular economy principles, decades of research have propelled us to explore innovative, environmentally conscious ingredients for aquafeeds. Our unified objective is to replace fish meal and fish oil derived from reduction fisheries in aquaculture diets. The journey began with the exploration of vegetable ingredients several decades ago, followed by the incorporation of land animal ingredients such as poultry meal. More recently, our focus has shifted to ingredients that have minimal impact on soil occupation, including microalgae,

20 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

bacterial biomasses, and insect production. As we anticipate the emergence of new alternatives in the coming years, we acknowledge the value of a diversified mix of ingredients tailored to ensure the ideal nutrient profile for each aquaculture species.

Presently, aquaculture feed formulations incorporate fishmeal, fish oil, soybean, land animal by-products, and various seeds and grains. These ingredients collectively represent 60-70 percent of feed production costs. With the anticipated growth in production, the prices of fishmeal and soybean meal have surged in recent years, and these ingredients present significant challenges to sustainability. Notably, around 70 percent of fishmeal and fish oil production still relies on directed reduction fisheries, which,

Temperature Adapted Introduction of insects in human diet FeedsInTM 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization

(FAO) proposed the inclusion of insects in human diets to alleviate the world’s food crisis. Since then, insect production has emerged as a viable alternative protein source, with the global insect industry experiencing a thirtyfold increase between 2015 and 2018, projected to be worth 3350 million euros by 2027. Life Cycle Analysis has demonstrated that insect meals, particularly when agri-food by-products are used as substrates, offer more significant benefits than traditional sources like fishmeal and soybean. The growing market traction of theTM insect industry holds

“

Life Cycle Analysis studies has shown that industrialized black soldier fly production substantially reduces environmental impact, especially in water-scarce regions like Portugal

”

Temperature Adapted Feeds

e

Temperature Adapted FeedsTM Aller Aqua Winter Edition feeds The Winter Edition feeds enhance energy and protein utilization under cold water temperatures.

LET’S GROW TOGETHER

e

though relatively stable due to competent biomass management, may struggle to support the expected expansion of aquaculture. Vegetable ingredients, such as soybean meal and oil, pose their own challenges, including deforestation and competition with other human uses. The quest for sustainable alternatives to traditional nutritional sources is imperative for supporting the continued growth of the aquaculture sector.

In the case of Portugal, the situation is particularly concerning due to the heavy dependence on imported ingredients, especially soybeans, resulting in elevated CO2 emissions from global transportation. The development of locally sourced nutritional alternatives would not only be economically advantageous for aquaculture feed producers but also contribute to addressing these environmental concerns.

Adapting feeds to seasonal temperatures creates great potential for the growth and vitality of fish and is a core principle in our feed formulation — with no extra cost to you.

Available for sea bass, sea bream, and trout.

WWW.ALLER-AQUA.COM

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 21

the potential to reduce the reliance on less sustainable ingredients, providing a stable protein supply across Europe through circular economy principles, given that insects feed on agricultural byproducts.

Beyond their nutritional quality, insect production boasts substantial environmental benefits, including high feed conversion efficiency, the ability to feed on vegetable by-products and lower water and land use compared to conventional livestock.

Life Cycle Analysis studies has shown that industrialized black soldier fly production substantially reduces environmental impact, especially in water-scarce regions like Portugal. These factors present new avenues for growth in the feed ingredients market in the years to come. Various insect species, with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) being the most used, have demonstrated suitability as feed ingredients in aquaculture.

Revolutionising research

Despite all the positive impacts, the aquafeed industry has been slow in adopting these ingredients, mostly due to two relevant and interconnected facts: the production is still small, not sufficient to replace more traditional ingredients, and the production costs are still high. Although with increasing demand, as long as traditional fish meal is much cheaper than insect meal,

22 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

we cannot expect the industry to fully adopt these changes, since this would compromise the economic sustainability of the sector. At Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, we are currently engaged in two significant projects in collaboration with Portuguese insect producers, EntoGreen and Thunder Foods. The InFishMix1 Project aims to develop a new ingredient for aquaculture feeds by formulating a protein mix from three different insect species. This innovative approach seeks to optimize both the amino acid profile of the insect protein mix to better match the fish’s needs and the insect production process to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. The InsectERA2 Project, involving 42 partners from industry, research, and government administrative services, aims to provide alternative foods and nutritional solutions aligned with environmental sustainability, climate change, and food waste challenges. These projects are expected to contribute significantly to the Portuguese economy by scaling up the industry and lowering production costs.

COMPLETE, TAILORED FEED BLOCK DIETS FOR LUMPFISH & WRASSE

REDUCED

• CATARACT PREVALENCE • AGGRESSION DURING FEEDING • ENERGY CONSUMPTION • STORAGE SPACE & COSTS • MEDICAL TREATMENTS

IMPROVED

• SEA LICE POPULATIONS

• FISH HEALTH & WELFARE • MORTALITY RATES • STABLE, CONTROLLED GROWTH • LONGEVITY & EFFICACY • PRACTICAL FEEDING METHODS • DAILY OPERATIONAL COSTS

THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO CLEANER FISH MANAGEMENT & SEA LICE CONTROL

www.vitaaquafeeds.uk

Produced in the UK by

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 23

Extrusion of pet and aquafeeDS Attend our Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference!

Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference (PAEC), held at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia 2024, will be on March 11, 2024. With a focus on the extrusion of feeds and the related equipment used, the one-day conference will feature a variety of speakers covering all the key-areas of the industry to give the latest extrusion information. Co-organised between Perendale Publishers Ltd and VIV Worldwide, PAEC will be held at BITEC, room 223 at 10:00am.

The programme has now been announced, available to see on our website at https://millingandgrain.com/ companies/petfood-aquafeed-extrusion-conference/ Included in the programme are talks from Dr Mian Riaz (Director of Extrusion Technology Program at Texas

INTERVIEW | MIAN RIAZ - Director of the Food Protein R&D Center and Head of the Extrusion Technology Program, Texas A&M University, USA Dr Mian Riaz would be hosting the Petfood and Aquafeed Extrusion conference in March. He is the Director of the Food Protein R&D Center and Head of the Extrusion Technology Program, Texas A&M University.

You will be hosting the Petfood and Aquafeed Extrusion at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia in March – what can attendees look forward to at this conference?

Over the past eight years, I have hosted extrusion conferences in collaboration with Perendale Publisher, VICTAM, and VIV. Our conferences feature industry speakers delving into the latest extrusion technology trends. The March 2024 event will center around pet food and aqua feed extrusion, showcasing insights from major global extruder suppliers. Discussions will span extrusion techniques, drying technology, material preparation, and coating technologies, providing attendees with a comprehensive view of advancements in the field.

ORGANISED BY

What conferences and interaction with the industry do you have planned for 2024?

In 2024, I will host four weeklong courses on extrusion of food and feed, along with active participation in international and national industry

24 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Mian Riaz events. These events span Southeast Asia, North Africa, and multiple pet food and aqua feed-related conferences in the USA. My engagements aim to contribute to knowledge exchange, industry advancements, and fostering collaboration on a global scale.

In terms of global aquaculture, are there any specific regions or countries that you believe hold significant potential for growth, and what factors contribute to their promise as emerging aquaculture hubs?

Several regions exhibit promising potential for aquaculture growth - Asia-Pacific Region (China), Southeast Asian Countries (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India), Norway, Latin America (Chile, Ecuador), Africa (Egypt, Nigeria), United States Factors such as favorable climatic conditions, extensive coastlines, freshwater resources, technological expertise, and sustainable practices contribute to these regions’ prominence as emerging aquaculture hubs.

WATCH PRESENTATIONS FROM OUR SPONSORS A&M University), Curtis Strahm (Regional Sales Director of Wenger), Hadrien Delemazure (Market Manager for Clextral), Dana Nelson (Aquaculture Specialist at Extru-Tech), Dr. Sohail Nazari, (Head of the Automation and Digitalization Business Unit and Global Vice President of the Feed and Biofuel Division at Andritz), Phil Erickson (International Application Engineer for Reynolds Engineering & Equipment), Danny Chang (Sales Director at CPM IDAH), Dr. Enzhi Michael Cheng (Global solutions Director, for FAMSUN-USA Design and engineering), Dr Jay Bernard (Global product manager for Kemin AquaScience), Marco Prati (CEO of PLP Systems), and Khun Tanakorn Lothaka (Local Technical Specialist at USSEC).

To be a sponsor and speaker email Dr Mian Riaz at mnriaz@tamu.edu.

myaqua.info/PAEC24

13 March 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm Bangkok, Thailand part of

Aquatic Asia is a one-day conference program featuring a variety of industry experts delivering brilliant presentations about the latest updates in both fish and shrimp nutrition.

Join us and a panel of top industry speakers on

March 11 th 2024

For more information and to register visit:

millingandgrain.com/bmfm24

The Build My Feedmill conference is based on a flow chart of a typical feedmill and will cover many aspects of feedmill operations. Taking attendees through every process within a feed mill, it provides an excellent opportunity for companies that supply feed manufacturers with advanced equipment and other services, to explain their most technically advanced innovations and why they offer advantages in the feed production line.

at Room MR 224, BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand for the Aquatic Asia Conference - the premier event for the aquaculture industry.

Conference theme: Future World Feed Through Aquaculture For more information and to register scan the QR code or visit:

http://myaqua.info/cPIZ

CATCH UP WITH OUR BACK ISSUES Claim a 12 month digital subscription FREE of charge, and gain access to our archive on mobile or desktop computer Simply visit:

www.aquafeed.co.uk/subscription and set up an account using promo code:

ATLANTA24 Then download our app from your favourite app store and log in!

PRODUCTION SHOWCASE MT - Paddle Coating Machine by PLP Systems

The MT Paddle Coating Machine by PLP Systems allows you to apply additives and ingredients after mechanical and thermal processes without ruining their physical properties. It reduces the risk of cross-contamination in the production line, as well as the consumption of liquid additives with a consequent economic saving. The machine is also suitable for large flow rates.

The coating system MT is a complete machine able to mix in-line pellets, kibbles, and other granulated products with additives such as liquid enzymes, fat, digest, aromas, oil, medicines, vitamins, etc. The machine is used in combination with the powerful sprayer MicroSMOG and guarantees a perfect coating of the product.

Paddles are tiltable for a better performance of the machine. plp-systems.com

Crusher CR from Tietjen

The crusher CR is a versatile machine for coarse crushing of bulk materials. It is suitable for crushing agglomerates or for pre-crushing coarse material pieces for further grinding.

By homogenising the raw material in the crusher, energy is saved in the further grinding in the hammer mill, as the desired grain spectrum is achieved more quickly. At the same time, the screens of the hammer mill are protected against screen breakage. Especially in pet food and fish feed production, particularly fine screens used, here the use of the crusher is particularly worthwhile.

The crusher is designed for continuous industrial operation. It convinces with its robust design with generously dimensioned inlet, long-life rotor and hardened impact plates.

The beaters are also optimised for primary crushing and are made of Hardox. A variable grain size range can also be achieved in pre-shredding by using different screen sizes. a good pace. www.tietjen-original.com

26 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Feeder valve and micro dosing system by Dinnissen

Dinnissen’s Feeder Valve can be used in many applications, as it can process a wide range of quantities. The Feeder Valve is a butterfly valve, powered by a single drive unit. Thanks to its compact installation height, this feeder valve can easily be incorporated into a new or existing setup. The compact design and simple construction minimise product residue being left behind, allowing quick and easy cleaning of the installation. A feeder valve is always connected to a weighing system. The weight decrease or increase shows how much product is passing through the feeder valve at what speed meaning that you can determine how it should be adjusted.

The equipment has very high accuracy down to the gram and is suitable for both batch and continuous weighing systems for whatever you may require.

Along with this the equipment is energy efficient and boasts short dosing times to keep things moving at a good pace. www.dinnissen.com

Partnership.

Performance.

Profit.

Something powerful happens when shared expertise, care and nutritional performance come together. Unrivaled solutions designed to advance your business forward. That is the transformational power of partnership.

Partner with us at zinpro.com #PowerOfZinpro

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 27

Strong Performance Optimal Health

e for acidifier action triple A PAQ-Gro™ is a unique blend of natural ingredients especially formulated for aquaculture

An innovative product that supports health and productivity in aquaculture Enhances growth performance and survival rate during the production: from the hatchery to the grow-out phases.

Effective in varied growth conditions including freshwater, saltwater and a wide range of water temperatures and environmental conditions.

Contact your local Phibro Aqua specialist for more information Or visit us at phibro-aqua.com

HEALTHY ANIMALS. HEALTHY FOOD. HEALTHY WORLD.®

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY Fish Farming Technology - Volume 27 - Issue 2 - February 2024

29

Fish Farming Technology - Volume 27 - Issue 1 - February 2024

30

EDITOR: Erik Hempel

32

Technology Tuesday at NASF 2024

32

Cooke Aquaculture Scotland deploys first Shetland hybrid feed barge

33

Vónin announces takeover of Mørenot Scotland

34

Scottish salmon sector frustrated with export red tape

34

Technology unveiled to monitor feed barge remotely

35

Sea Harvest Group Ltd announces another step in its growth ambitions

35

Baader expands into Latin America

36

Organic Aquaculture

40

Farm Management

42

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

February2024

S

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

tarting in January, Perendale Publishers is expanding their Fish Farming Technology section and publishing it as a ‘magazinewithin-magazine’. This publication will focus more specifically on technology developments in the fish farming sector and is a result of the steadily growing interest in fish farming in the world.

Previously, I have made the distinction between ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ in aquaculture technology, and I have suggested that software is just as important as the hardware, if not more important. But there is a lot of exciting developments in hardware, too, and I will dwell on one aspect of that in this issue.

The technological development of marine aquaculture has indeed been tremendous over the past 30 or 40 years. Very few, if any, imagined large marine fish farming installations far out at sea or deep down from the surface 30 years ago. Yet both are becoming a reality these days.

Considerable amounts of money have been spent on developing and testing the various solutions that technologists have dreamed up, and some of them are in operation already.

We have earlier focused on offshore operations, with enormous installations that look more like offshore oil platforms than fish farming cages. These installations are already being operated off the coast of Norway, and China is also developing this technology.

Submersible cages are another option, it seems, and this is also becoming a reality. The main reason why submersibles are of interest, is the threat from salmon lice. Because the lice are found in the upper part of the water column, the idea is that by submersing the cage to sufficient depths, one could avoid lice attacks to a great extent, or perhaps altogether.

In January 2023, the first harvest of a submersible cage with 119 000 salmon was hauled up from 20 meters depth after being submerged for 450 days continuously. The installation was located on the Norwegian west coast, and included a number of features that made it possible.

It seems that it does work, but there are of course challenges.

One challenge is that salmon needs to surface to re-fill its air supply in the swim bladder in order to survive. After a few weeks without access to air, the swim bladder will empty, and the salmon encounters problems with swimming. The lack of air can also affect the appetite, and consequently growth and welfare.

To solve this problem, the salmon farmer mentioned above had

Erik Hempel

The Nor-Fishing Foundation entered into cooperation with technology supplier AKVA group and a producer of nets to create a submersible cage with an air dome that was supplied with a continuous flow of air. The salmon could thus “surface” by visiting the air dome and was able to remain submerged for 450 days. This solution, which is called the dome cage, is one of two or three different technologies that will allow the cage to be submerged over longer periods.

Another technology is called a snorkel cage, in which a tube is placed in the middle of the cage, allowing the salmon to surface through this tube to get air, and then dive back through the same tunnel. However, while on the surface, the salmon might be exposed to lice.

Several variations of these technologies are being tested, and in the future, it is expected that some of them might be able to operate at depths of 40 - 50 meters or more, and far out at sea.

There are still a number of unknowns, though. One question is whether the lice, which are known to be quite adaptable to changing environments, could adapt to deeper waters. This question needs a lot more research over time to be answered.

Another question is cost. Is it profitable to use such technology, or are the investments too high? Apparently, investments are rather modest, if we are to believe the fish farmers who have tried these technologies. According to the owner of the installation that spent 450 days in deep water, the investment was recovered in just one harvest, i.e. after 450 days! Of course, this relates to the investment in equipment in addition to the normal floating cage.

So, the future of marine fish farming may well be both offshore and deep down. Both these “hardware” solutions do require a lot of new ‘software’, though.

www.aquafeed.co.uk

aquaculture news

Technology Tuesday at NASF 2024 North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) to host the first day of its conference as Technology Tuesday. The forum is set to be held from March 5-7, 2024 in Bergen, Norway.

Close to 70 presentations from a wide range of organisations and companies will present their advancements or technology solutions on the first day of the 19th NASF. Additionally, last year’s successful newcomer NASF Tec is coming back in revived edition.

20 companies are to present their proven cutting edge solutions, that are market ready. All delegates will be able to visit these companies in the NASF Tec exhibition area during the three conference days.

Another highlight of the conference is a session on the

Cooke Aquaculture Scotland deploys first Shetland hybrid feed barge Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, the largest producer of organic Scottish salmon, has deployed its first hybrid feed barge in Shetland to further reduce its carbon footprint.

The new hybrid system, built by Fjord Maritime UK, for the Copister salmon farm site in Yell, Shetland, is the third to be implemented by Cooke Scotland in its commitment to sustainability, following successful results from previous installations at Orkney sites at Mill Bay and Vestness. In 2019, Cooke reviewed barge power to explore alternative

32 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

potential of gene editing technology in advancing fish health and sustainable aquaculture. Gene editing tools such as CRISPR enable precise and targeted genomic changes which result in desirable traits such as disease resistance and sterility. Furthermore, a roundtable discussion session on the pivotal role of insects in our food system will be held on the same day along with another discussion focussed on whitefish and shrimp quality.

Major highlight of the Technology Tuesday is the Seafood innovation award candidate showcase. The nominated seafood industry start-up companies showcase their technology solutions and a live voting from the audience on the winner of the Seafood Innovation Award 2024.

sources of power supply to the company’s seawater sites in Orkney and Shetland.

The hybrid system reduces fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and extends the life of the generator and equipment by using the residual capacity from the generator to charge the batteries. The auxiliary diesel generator feeds electricity to the rest of the facility and upon the batteries being fully charged, the generator stops and the hybrid system operates the feed barge.

In a 24-hour period, the Copister barge can gain up to 20 hours of running time from the batteries alone and only relies on four to six hours of power from the barge engine.

Arnold Brown, Cooke Aquaculture Scotland Site Manager for Copister, said: “Here at sea, we raise our fish with care, and that includes ensuring we are using the latest technology to sustainably feed them.

“Yell was one of six islands chosen as part of the Scottish Government’s Carbon Neutral Islands scheme and hybrid barges will contribute its ambition to make the whole country net zero by 2045.”

Steve Burns, Managing Director for Fjord Maritime UK, said: “Cooke has animal welfare and environmental sustainability at the heart of its salmon production, and we are honoured to be chosen to partner with their commitment to low-impact farming. Our hybrid technology and systems monitoring platform will ensure that Cooke leads the way in carbon footprint reduction.”

aquaculture news

Vónin announces takeover of Mørenot Scotland Vónin, a premier developer and manufacturer of fishing gear and aquaculture equipment, is pleased to announce the takeover of Mørenot Scotland, which has been renamed Vónin UK Ltd and will trade as Vónin Scotland.

Mørenot Scotland, with its operations in Scalloway in Shetland and Scalpay on the Hebrides, and a dedicated team of 28 employees, perfectly reflects Vónin’s ethos of delivering exceptional quality and service.

As specialists in manufacturing and servicing nets and moorings for aquaculture, Mørenot Scotland has been a prominent name in the region, and now, as Vónin Scotland, it’s set to reach new heights.

Hjalmar Petersen, CEO of Vónin, shared his excitement about this milestone: “This takeover marks a landmark moment in our history. We have steadily grown our presence in Scotland, emerging as a key supplier in the local aquaculture industry. With Vónin Scotland, we’re not just consolidating our position but also gearing up to bring even more innovation and excellence to the market.”

David Goodlad, Managing Director at Vónin Scotland, is equally enthusiastic about this new chapter. “Becoming part of Vónin opens fantastic new opportunities. The combination of Vónin’s strong market reputation and our local know-how is a powerful

one. We’re looking forward to an exciting future and achieving great things together.”

Since its founding in 1969 in the Faroe Islands, Vónin has grown from local roots into a global force in aquaculture and fishing solutions, known for its highquality products tailored for challenging conditions.

The takeover of Mørenot Scotland is yet another step in Vónin’s journey of expansion and commitment to the global aquaculture industry.

Aquaculture with KAESER reliable as the tides

www.kaeser.com/aquaculture International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 33

aquaculture news

Scottish salmon sector frustrated with export red tape Scotland’s salmon sector has expressed frustration over ongoing red tape which has now cost an estimated UK£12 million extra since Brexit.

While international demand remains incredibly high for the premium fish grown off Scotland’s west cost and islands, measures to smooth trade flow and open new markets remain ‘painfully slow’ ahead of next week’s fourth anniversary of leaving the EU. Salmon Scotland, the trade body which represents the sector worth UK£766 million-a-year to the UK economy, has been working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to get more traction on market access and procedures.

But Chief executive Tavish Scott will today raise the need for swifter government-wide action with the Scotland Office, where ministers have actively and enthusiastically supported the sector’s sustainable growth.

One of the measures causing red tape for salmon farming companies is the lack of new eCertification for export health certificates (EHCs), and issues with the current outdated system.

Salmon producers are willing to work with the UK Government to put in place any measures that make it easier to export their product to Europe and have already piloted a successful electronic EHC system which shows what can be achieved.

Technology unveiled to monitor feed barge remotely Krucial introduces Connected Seafarm solution which offers wireless, remote monitoring of a feed barge. Barges fulfil an important role on many fish farms and are built to withstand difficult weather condition, but in the face of increasingly extreme weather, they can and do succumb to the elements. The feed they store and distribute has also never been more expensive, at up to US$1.50/kg. Feed barges can hold hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of feed, meaning that if anything were to go wrong, that cost is added to the already substantial financial outlay an operator has already committed to the barge itself.

In the new technology, data from sensors is transmitted via cellular if available, with primary and secondary satellite backups if not. Connected Seafarm switches between these options automatically, meaning data flows at all times, regardless of location or conditions – even in storms.

Those managing barges can now get alerts where before it wouldn’t have been possible. Bilge pump water levels 34 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Salmon Scotland has previously estimated that postBrexit paperwork costs salmon farming companies in Scotland an extra UK£3 million a year since the UK formally left the EU on 31 January, 2020.

With salmon increasingly popular in traditionally smaller European markets such as the Netherlands and Spain, and soaring in demand in Asia, smoother trade flow and new markets would open up the possibility of more investment in the Scottish economy and more high-skilled Scottish jobs.

The export market alone involves annual salmon sales of around £600 million-a-year. Farm-raised salmon directly employs 2500 people in Scotland and a further 10,000 jobs are dependent on the sector.

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said “Four years on since Brexit, our farmers continue to face excessive red tape, while progress at smoothing trade flow and opening new markets remains painfully slow.

“Defra ministers need to urgently prioritise the UK’s largest food export, and I will be enlisting further support from other parts of the government.

“International demand for Scottish salmon, rightly considered the best in the world, is incredibly high – and with less bureaucracy we could further grow exports.

“This in turn would generate millions of pounds for the Scottish and UK economies.”

can be monitored continuously and remotely. If a latch has been left open or a door not shut properly, which could lead to flooding, a text or email can be triggered to inform an operator. Even generator and feed silo levels can be monitored at all times so operators know when refuelling and refilling is required. A wide range of parameters can be detected, even overnight or during periods when the barge has no staff aboard – and alerts can be sent to staff mobiles to enable quick action.

Deploy sensors on a barge to measure the required parameters required – from smoke alarms to water level sensors. These connect to Krucial’s Connected Seafarm platform, enabling data to be sent from anywhere, and alerts can be set up to warn of potential risks to desktop and mobile.

Many barges may not be fitted with digital communications, meaning data cannot be transmitted onshore, but Connected Seafarm changes this. Barges can be fully digitised with our retrofit solution quickly and easily, transforming how you can remotely monitor your barges across multiple fish farms locally, as well as centrally.

aquaculture news

Sea Harvest Group Ltd announces another step in its growth ambitions Sea Harvest Group Limited has communicated its firm intention to acquire 100 percent of Terrasan Group Limited’s subsidiaries engaged in the farming, processing and sale of abalone for an initial amount of R965 million to be settled in shares and cash.

As a part of the transaction, Sea Harvest will acquire Terrasan’s vertically integrated pelagic fish business, West Point Fishing, which is based in St Helena Bay on the West Coast of South Africa. Employing more than 600 people, the business operates a fishing fleet that catches sardines and anchovies (under its 15-year fishing rights recently renewed in the 2020/21 Fishing Rights Application Process) and produces fish oil and fish meal (both largely for export), and canned fish (largely for the South African market and sold under the 118-year-old ‘Saldanha’ brand). In addition to the fishing business, Sea Harvest will also acquire a majority stake in Terrasan’s 30-year-old, vertically integrated abalone business, Aqunion, one of South Africa’s leading abalone businesses based in Hermanus and Gansbaai. Employing 430 people, Aqunion produces and sells dried, canned and live abalone to a diversified customer base across the Far East.

“We are confident that the acquisition will create value and a diversification into wild caught pelagic species and their processed products, including fish oil, fish meal and canned fish,” said Sea Harvest Group CEO, Felix Ratheb.

“Furthermore, it will enable us to add value and scale to our own small sardine and anchovy pelagic quota where we currently have a small footprint; add a 118-year-old brand to the Group thereby complementing our 60-year-old hake

Baader expands into Latin America Baader recently announced the launch of a new hub in Querétaro, Mexico.

This expansion comes as a significant step for Baader in strengthening their international footprint and embodies their commitment to partnership, longterm strategy, and a vision spanning generations. The new hub positions

brand; counter the cyclicality of the pelagic fishery relative to the hake fishery and add a mature, cash generative abalone business with a diversified customer base and markets to our existing abalone operations.”

Terrasan Group CEO Danie du Toit commented that Terrasan and Sea Harvest believe that a combined South African abalone business will benefit from scale and synergies created through the consolidation, leaving it well positioned as a South African champion to exploit international opportunities and successfully compete in its target markets.

Sea Harvest Group Non-Executive Chairman, Fred Roberston noted, “Central to our values as a company, the proposed transaction will benefit Terrasan employees by securing jobs and generating value for the beneficiaries of the Saldanha Foods Employee Trust and the local communities of Saldanha, St Helena Bay, Gansbaai, Buffeljags, Kleinzee and Hermanus.”

The initial purchase amount of R965 million for the transaction will be settled through R600 million in Sea Harvest shares and the balance in cash, together with two further performances linked earnout amounts.

Alluding to the portion of the purchase consideration that will be discharged by the way of the issue of Sea Harvest shares to Terrasan Chairman Stanley Subramoney says, “This will yield several positive outcomes for Terrasan, its shareholders and other stakeholders, including that it will retain its exposure to the fishing and aquaculture industries by merging into the larger, combined and more diversified posttransaction business of Sea Harvest.”

Baader to offer even more immediate support, with a specialized service team and essential spare parts just a call away.

There was an exceptional turnout at the Querétaro launch event, which included esteemed attendees such as Thomas Meller from CAMEXA Bajío, Enrique A. of North Drive Systems, CANACINTRA’s General Director Fernando Vielma Delano, and Juan Manuel Guerrero Palma representing the local government.

Baader thanks Genaro M., Querétaro’s Undersecretary of Economic Development, who gave invaluable perspectives, and Thomas Wagner, Germany’s Honorary Consul in Querétaro, along with his team, for their unwavering support in this endeavour. The event transcended business success and became a cultural fiesta, highlighted by a vibrant mariachi performance that captured the ethos of partnership and community.

Master in Sustainable Aquaculture

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 35

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Organic Aquaculture WAY TO SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

by Stelios Karapanagiotis, R&D Department, Galaxidi Marine Farm & Phelly Vasilaki R&D Department, Irida, Greece

Aquaculture is one of the most fast-growing food sectors and is recognised as one of the most practical and sustainable ways of meeting the increasing demands of the world’s population for safe and nutritious food.

Aquaculture harvested volumes equaled capture fisheries production in 2021 and is estimated to have surpassed it since.

In parallel, an increasing number of consumers and especially those of a younger age expect higher standards of production and particularly those around the quality, origin, and sustainability of their food.

Organic Aquaculture

Organic food is considered to be a better option in meeting high quality and sustainability standards and increasing numbers of consumers prefer it. This is reflected in the steady growth of organic food production across the EU and global markets.

The European Union is a leading force in the effort to combat climate change and its consequences. The EU’s Green Deal is a commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, while maintaining sustainable growth. At the heart of the Green Deal is the Farm to Fork Strategy which focuses on building a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. Recognising how organic production systems can have a positive impact on the economy and the environment, including biodiversity, the Commission set ambitious targets hoping to substantially boost European organic production. However, while the objectives for agriculture are specific (at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030), the goals for organic aquaculture are not well defined, aiming for a more general ‘significant increase’.

In 2021 the European Commission published its strategic 36 | February 2024 - Fish Farming Technology

guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030, where among other goals it seeks to promote organic aquaculture and other aquaculture systems with low environmental impact.

Characteristics of organic net-pen production

As of January 1st, 2022, Regulation EU 2018/848 has been put into effect, (as an updated version of 2008 regulation 889/2008), setting the rules for organic production and labelling of organic products. In a nutshell, the rules for organic production of fish require the use of organic juveniles from organic broodstock, the use of certified organic feeds and the clear separation of conventional and organic facilities (if they co-exist). Furthermore, there are limits in the number of allopathic and antiparasitic treatments fish can undergo in the duration of their life, there are specific chemicals and disinfectants that can be used in tanks or net-pens, while others, such as anti-fouling paints, are prohibited.

Finally, emphasis is given to the locality of fish species and populations.

Organic production bottlenecks

Reports and communication letters from the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) and European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture products (EUMOFA) have described several bottlenecks for organic aquaculture.

These are technical issues, such as inconsistencies in the rules, since many were transferred from terrestrial organic production or written by agriculture specialists, or different interpretations on a national level. The barriers include the administrative and certification costs, additional costs incurred by the separation

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY of organic and non-organic units, the higher costs of organic aquafeeds, the limited availability of organic juveniles for some species as well as the restrictions on medical treatments. Furthermore, certain production systems are entirely prohibited, such as RAS or types of polycultures. Also, the organic certification scheme is often in competition with other certification schemes. Moreover, the stringent constraints imposed on organic aquaculture led to a significantly higher price of organic products, one that consumers may not be willing or able to pay, especially in periods of economic constraints.

Bright side

Despite the bottlenecks and barriers described above, there are still bright prospects for organic aquaculture. The same rules that make organic production more challenging are the drivers for a more premium product with added value. Acquiring the organic certification leads to diversification and is a means to gain access to new markets, across the world. Last but not least, a more environmentally friendly production system preserves the local ecosystem and provides a healthier grow-out environment for the farmed fish, thus indirectly enhancing production.

Feeds appropriate for use in organic aquaculture

The new generation of consumers prefer organic

Commercialising your Pond: Don’t get caught by legal disruptors in your business!

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

WWW.AQUARIUSLAWYERS.COM.AU +61 (02) 8858 3233 Fish Farming Technology - February 2024 | 37

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY products due to their reduced synthetic chemical loads as well as for animal welfare reasons. Arguably, the largest beneficiary of organic production is the environment. Organic certification does not necessarily mean that certified organic aquaculture has zero environmental impact, as no food production system can.

The difference stems primarily from lower chemical outputs and better waste management, encountered generally in organic compared to conventional production. In feeds, certified for organic aquaculture production, the fishmeal and the fish oil from wild-caught sources are replaced with fishmeal and fish oil from fishery by-product. Plant components/ raw materials must be sourced entirely from organic certified agriculture. This leads to a lower environmental impact as a result of reduced fishing pressure on wild stocks, and reduced carbon footprint.

Galaxidi Marine Farm and Irida

The Galaxidi Marine Farm’s involvement with organic production started in 2007, when the organic production management system was first established in one of the fish farms leading to its formal certification three years later (2010) by certification body BioHellas. The following year, one of the hatcheries received the certification as well, establishing Galaxidi Marine Farm as the sole company in Greece, and one of the very few in Europe, capable of producing organic eggs and juveniles.

The same facilities are also now certified by the Naturland private standard for organic production. To date, the organic hatchery can produce up to seven million juveniles, while the organic farm’s capacity reaches 1650t.

Irida is recognised as the leading producer of feeds certified for organic aquaculture in the Mediterranean area. The company is certified by both BioHellas and Naturland. Irida’s product range of feeds certified and destined for organic aquaculture covers all sizes and life stages of fish. All raw materials of plant origin used in Irida’s organic fish feeds, originate from organic farming practices, and are formally certified as such. Fishmeal and fish oil originate from sustainable sources and all additives and natural antioxidants used are in full accord with current EU organic production regulations as well as third party certification where additionally required. The volume of sales of certified organic aquaculture feeds in Irida accounts for seven percent of the annual total sales volumes.

R&D activities

Much effort has been made by both companies in this area as exemplified by the participation of both in a number of EU research and other scientific programs which target the development of novel feeds appropriate for organic aquaculture.

For example, the Horizon 2020 project FutureEuAqua (Future

www.aquabt.com

ABT RAS

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems - Fresh Water & Marine

38 | February 2024 - Fish Farming Technology

growth in sustainable, resilient and climate friendly organic and conventional European aquaculture) coordinated by NOFIMA, aspired to promote the sustainable growth of European aquaculture by addressing a wide range of the sector’s challenges, from climate change to consumer demands. Galaxidi Marine Farm contributed to the research effort by performing the largescale field trials necessary to validate a novel organic feed for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), designed and produced

by Irida.

Another example is NewTechAqua which is coordinated by the University of Bolognia, (New Technologies, Tools and Strategies for a Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative European Aquaculture) also under the Horizon 2020 umbrella aims to develop and validate novel, technologically advanced and, more importantly, sustainable solutions to address the problems hindering the diversification and expansion of EU’s aquaculture production, including organic production. Galaxidi Marine Farm’s contribution was once more to carry out the large-scale field trials necessary to evaluate the performance of an innovative organic feed for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), designed and produced by Irida.

ABT Innovia

Contract Research Organisation (CRO)

ABT Aquaculture

Consulting, Advisory and Training - Due Diligence

|

LEADERS IN FISH FARM TECHNOLOGY

Our Culture - Your AquaCulture

|

EMPOWERING YOUR BUSINESS WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

FarmManagement How farm management software can transform your aquaculture business

by Diogo Thomaz, Managing Director, Innovasea, Greece Myriad factors go into raising healthy fish and operating a profitable fish farm, from protecting fish stocks from environmental threats to improving FCR. That reality combined with major advancements in aquaculture technology over the last few years has led to an explosion in the amount of data waiting to be analyzed and acted upon.

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for farm operators.

The challenge comes with figuring out how to collect and harness all the data and put it to good use. If you can do that, you have the opportunity to vastly improve your business and your bottom line.

Unfortunately many fish farms struggle with information overload. If they monitor operations and collect data at all, it’s often done manually using a spreadsheet – a static snapshot that’s often out of date by the time it’s saved.

Spreadsheets almost have too many shortcomings to list. On the data collection side, they’re slow and labor-intensive. They’re vulnerable to human error. Huge data files can become sluggish and crash.

On the reporting side, analysis is cumbersome and useful insights are difficult to unearth. Any truly advanced understanding of farm operations requires long hours from talented data analysts.

An awaited solution

It doesn’t have to be this way, however. New software platforms designed to optimize fish farm operations are part of a broader 40 | February 2024 - Fish Farming Technology

ecosystem of data-driven aquaculture solutions that are remaking the industry. These farm management solutions are powerful tools that can help farmers: • Improve efficiency by automating many tasks, including data entry, reporting and inventory management. This frees up farm staff to focus on other important aspects of the business, such as fish health and production planning.

• Reduce costs by providing insights into their operation and identifying areas for improvement. For example, the software can track feed usage and growth rates to help farmers optimize their feeding regimens.

• Increase profitability through better operation and equip farm managers with the data and analytics needed to make sound business decisions.

• Improve sustainability by tracking and monitoring environmental factors, reducing feed waste and optimizing resource use.

A good farm management platform provides a centralized place to manage all aspects of a fish farm – from inventory and feeding operations to harvesting and sales. It makes it easy to track key farm activities and provides the data and information needed to identify operational issues, cut costs and grow the bottom line.

Here’s how farm management software can be used to improve specific aspects of the farming operation: • Inventory management: Track fish populations, growth rates and mortality rates to determine optimal harvest times.

• Feed management: Track feed usage and fish growth to reduce

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY costs and eliminate waste.

• Water quality: Monitor environmental parameters such as temperature and dissolved oxygen levels to identify and address potential problems before they impact the fish.

• Disease management: Keep an eye on fish health and identify potential disease outbreaks so you can minimize impacts on the fish population.

• Sales and marketing: Track sales and marketing data to identify new markets.

Last year Innovasea entered the farm management software space by acquiring Aquanetix, a company I co-founded in 2013 to make it easier for farm operators of all sizes to track their activities, become more efficient and maximize profits. At the time of the sale, Aquanetix was in use at more than 200 farms in 31 countries and being used to grow more than 30 species of fish and shrimp.

Now called Farm360, the updated solution combines an easy-touse mobile app with the industry’s only 100 percent cloud-based platform to deliver a holistic, up-to-the-minute view of a farm’s past activities, present status and future forecast.

What does Farm360

Here are some of the things that separate Farm360 from other farm management solutions: • Real-time data collection: Because it’s cloud-based, Farm360 updates automatically when new data is entered – and that information is immediately available to everyone in the company. Data can be entered manually through the easy-to-

use mobile app or web dashboard. It can also be automatically imported from any data source connected to the internet, such as environmental sensors or feeding system monitors.

• Better day-to-day decision making: Farm360’s always up-todate stock status algorithm delivers key insights into how the farm is performing, including comprehensive reports and data visualizations into areas such as fish health, feeding, biomass and environmental conditions.

• Accurate long-term forecasting: Longer production cycles are just part of the game in aquaculture, so strong planning is crucial. Farm360 delivers two year forecasting for feed quantities, operational costs, fish growth and sales.

• Easy traceability: More and more fish farms are seeking independent validation of their safe, sustainable farming practices from one or more of the key certifications out there, such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification or the NSF’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Farm360 makes it easier than ever to provide the standardized, time-stamped data required by these bodies so they can monitor and evaluate a farm’s overall operation, inventory management, feed traceability and fry traceability.

There are a lot of things farm owners and managers can do to improve operations – once they know what their challenges are.

Farm management software can provide that kind of intelligence and set you on a path to success and sustainability. And we just flipped over to a new year, so now is the perfect time to leave the spreadsheets behind and embrace the power of farm management software.

Fish Farming Technology - February 2024 | 41

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

BAADER 144 BY BAADER

The Baader 144 Gutting Machine has a revolutionary design that pushes the boundaries of gutting speed, cleaning performance and working range, while also maximizing hygiene and inspection demands.

When combined with the BAADER 1570 Speed Feed System, the BAADER 144 is the world’s only high-speed gutting machine that can operate virtually without human intervention at an industrial level.

Individual fish handling and state-of-the-art motion control allows for a speed-optimised gutting result.

The integrated inspection camera system in conjunction with the respective software closely monitors and evaluates the gutting operation and detects any defects. The quality level is adjustable to the end customers’ demands.

B’Logic® Process Navigator air Baader 144 is our dedicated software solution for performance monitoring and yield control.

https://fish.baader.com myaqua.info/oAaj

SEAVOLUTION PEN BY INNOVASEA

The SeaVolution Pen represents a giant leap forward for open ocean fish farming, providing a modern solution to rough conditions and opening new areas to aquaculture. With the SeaVolution Pen, the name of the game is versatility. When your site is calm and quiet, it sits at the surface and is operated as a traditional pen. But when the whims of nature intervene – crashing waves, a strong storm or a large algal bloom – the SeaVolution Pen is easily submerged to protect itself and its valuable contents.

Modular design – Enables sizes ranging from 4,000 cub meters to 20,000 cubic meters using interchangeable parts and minimal engineering overhead.

Bottom moored – Unlike most fish pens, the SeaVolution Pen is connected to the grid at the bottom of the pen.

Water-borne feeding system – Distributes feed evenly across the pen from multiple points.

Copper alloy mesh netting – This optional feature is long-lasting, predatorresistant, recyclable and low-maintenance.

Nursery Net – This option simplifies the addition of smaller or younger fish without requiring a finer mesh for the overall pen.

Key safety enhancements – Full height, removable handrails and non-slip fiberglass decking dramatically reduce slip-and-fall accidents.

www.innovasea.com myaqua.info/MCzs

TRITON 450 PEN BY GAEL FORCE

A trusted, corrosion-free pen for high-energy fish farming environments, the Triton 450 floating collar pen system is based on a tried and tested pipe floatation ring of 450mm diameter, and is available in circumference sizes from 100 to 180 metres.

Built with high-density polyethylene materials, the Triton 450 pen system is not only durable but also resistant to corrosion and wear.

The floating collars are meticulously designed to withstand the challenges of highenergy fish farming environments, ensuring longevity and reliability on site.

For 2024, the Gael Force technical development team has introduced a series of improvements designed to help fish farmers remain as safe as possible, create ease of access to below-deck systems and simplify electrical connectivity around the pen.

www.gaelforcegroup.com myaqua.info/gXhY 42 | February 2024 - Fish Farming Technology

Join us and a panel of top industry speakers on March 11 th 2024 at Room MR 224, BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand for the Aquatic Asia Conference the premier event for the aquaculture industry.

Conference theme:

Future World Feed Through Aquaculture For more information and to register scan the QR code or visit:

http://myaqua.info/cPIZ Join us for the Aquatic Asia Conference, in Bangkok, Thailand!

The Aquatic conference, held at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia 2024, will be on March 11, 2024. With the theme being ‘Future World Feed Through Aquaculture’, the conference will focus on the future of aquaculture and feed within the industry. Co-organised between Perendale Publishers Ltd and VIV Worldwide, Aquatic will be held at BITEC, room MR 224 at 10:00am. If you are interested in sponsoring Aquatic and would like a chance to speak then please get in touch with either Severina Proskurnova at severina@vnueurope.com or Tuti Tan at tutit@perendale.co.uk.

Our speaker line up has now been announced: Ram Bhujel (Research Professor and Director of Aqua-centre), Rizky Darmawan (CEO of Delta Marine Group), Dr May Myat Noe Lwin (from Aller Aqua), Dr. Farshad Shishehchian (CEO of Blue Aqua), Metta Makhanon (Animal Health Consultant), Dr Loc Tran (Founder and Director of ShrimpVet Laboratory), Katherine Hawes (from Aquarius Lawyers), Mr Leo Wein (CEO of Protenga), Dr. Pichet Plaipetch (from Department of Fisheries).

A special thank you to our Sponsors, Blue Aqua, Aller Aqua, and POET!

Conference ticket price per person - Early Bird (until 29 February 2024) € 39,00 - Late booking (until 10 March 2024) € 59,00 - On-site (on 11 March 2024) € 100,00

CS

Aquaculture case study

Indigenous-centred prawn farm collaboration Sustainable future for Tiwi Islands

In a co-design model, CSIRO have partnered with Tiwi Resources and the Portaminni Trust to create a path to a more sustainable future for the Tiwi Islands. These partnerships helped Traditional Owners and other stakeholders travel to Vietnam to learn from their successful prawn farming industry.

Co-design unlocks innovation

Co-design ensures the research respects Indigenous perspectives. It also addresses the specific needs and goals of the community, as determined by that community.

Tiwi Resources represent the eight land-owning groups on the Tiwi Islands. Every aspect of the prawn farming pilot, from planning to execution, was developed in close consultation with Tiwi Resources. Through co-design, research projects gain a better understanding and context.

Their findings can be more easily applied and tailored to the unique conditions of Northern Australia, specifically the Tiwi Islands.

Ron Poantimilui is a Wurankuwu leader and Director of Tiwi Resources. He said there is a lot of support from the Tiwi community.

“I, along with my directors, are very happy with our collaboration with CSIRO over the past few years. This project holds the promise of benefiting my people through generating employment and creating opportunities, not only now but for the many generations to come,” Ron said.

This approach respects the Tiwi way of life, traditions and aspirations. It also uses modern scientific methods for sustainable aquaculture. The Tiwi Land Council and the Tiwi Island Regional Development Board support this proposal in principle. Discussions and negotiations are

On the serene Tiwi Islands, Simon Irvin and his five-person team are reshaping tiger prawn farming. Northern Australia holds untapped potential for sustainable prawn farming. Simon is the aquaculture biology team leader at The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia.

He and his team are building opportunities and improving outcomes for remote communities.

continuing.

International knowledge exchange

Prawn farming in Vietnam is world-renowned.

Indigenous community leaders, researchers and stakeholders visited Vietnamese prawn farms as part of the project. It was a two-way exchange, fostering international collaboration. Simultaneously, it strengthened the capacity of Northern Australian communities to further develop their sustainable prawn farming practices.

The research trip looked at many important aspects of prawn farming. They studied prawn health, farming techniques, environmental considerations (specifically mangrove and rice combinations) and prawn population size. It also included understanding water quality issues, licensing, managing disease, and survival rates. The hope is the pilot farm on Tiwi will harness the abundance of marine worms and other organisms in their mangroves to feed the prawns naturally.

Demonstration farms show the way

The project is now in its third year. The team is seeking funding to establish and run the pilot farm on Wurankuwu, Bathurst Island. It comprises six one-hectare ponds.

The pilot aims to address the economic viability and community readiness on the island. If successful, the pilot farm will become a commercial enterprise.

CSIRO researchers, Tansyn Noble and Tim Perrin, manage a successful prawn demonstration farm on Larrakia Country in Darwin.

“We are in the early stages of evaluating the extensive

44 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

farming model. We have already come away with a range of key learnings. This has put us in a great position moving forward. I’m excited to see the future impact of this project as we progress, and how it benefits Tiwi and other areas of Australia”, says Tim. Tansyn relocated back to Darwin before the project kicked-off. She explained, “It’s special to come back and be part of pioneering this initiative and give back to the place I’m from. Working with the Tiwi people, I’ve learned that one of the main benefits of the project is it will allow people to go back to their community and live on Country, where they want to be.”

A bright future for Tiwi Islands

Establishing prawn farms on the Tiwi Islands won’t just be about farming delicious tiger prawns. It’s about creating opportunities for the Tiwi community.

If it succeeds, the aquaculture pilot will have many benefits. It will create job opportunities for the Tiwi people. It will also help with sustainable resource management. This is because the Tiwi people have a deep understanding of their land and waters. The farms will also enhance the wellbeing of the community by providing access to scientific expertise and skills development.

Simon reflected on this journey and the importance of collaboration, “we strongly believe in the power of collaboration. Together, we’re forging a path towards mutual benefit. For the Tiwi community, this means jobs, economic prosperity, and a sustainable future. For CSIRO, it’s continuing vital research and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. We’re proud to be a part of this partnership.”

The story of prawn farming in Northern Australia is more than just science. It’s a journey of partnership, cultural respect, and a path to a sustainable future for Australia

Come and see us at

The Aquafeed Journal

Volume 2 - 2024

doi.org/10.61985/AJ2402

The Aquafeed Journal Peer Reviewed article

Nutritional value of extracted soybean, full fat soya and maize gluten meal proteins in comparison to a fish meal based reference diet for fingerling tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) M. E. Bellab* and S. J. Daviesb a School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering), Drake Circus, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK, PL4 8AA. b Aquaculture and Nutrition Research Unit (ANRU), Carna Research Station, Ryan Institute and School of Natural Sciences, University Galway, Connemara, Co. Galway, H91 V8Y1, Ireland. *Corresponding author Matt.bell@students.plymouth.ac.uk Abstract

A two-month investigation evaluated potential selected plant protein sources compared to fish meal protein in scientifically formulated diets for fingerling tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).

Six nutritionally balanced diets: one reference (control) diet (fishmeal-based diet), three selected plant proteins (solvent extracted soybean, full fat soybean, and maize gluten) were substituted in the LT (Low Temperature dried) fish-meal-based control diet protein at 50 % respectively, and the remaining diets were replaced with 75% inclusion of solvent extracted soybean and maize gluten meals.

Results showed that SESB50, FFSB50 and MG50 fed tilapia did not appreciably differ in their growth performance (final mean weights of 12.07, 10.75 and 9.18% respectively) with a final mean weight of 14.95g being significantly superior for the fish meal control (CO) group. Substitution of fish meal diet with solvent-extracted soybean and maize gluten at levels of 75% gave the poorest growth performance and Feed Efficiency (FE) (7.01g final weight, 51% FE). However, the MG50 diet also showed some inferior feed utilisation performance. However, tilapia fed on a full fat soybean diet (FFSB50) did not vary significantly from the control (CON) diet in terms of Apparent Net Protein Utilisation (ANPU) at 34.20 and 37.53 percent respectively. Whilst this preliminary study concluded that limitations on the use of the selected plant proteins in diets for tilapia are apparent, several approaches that could result in the future improvement of the nutritional value of soybean and maize gluten products for use in fish diets are also stated.

Key words: tilapia, soybean, maize gluten, fish meal comparison, growth, feed efficiency

Introduction

Aquaculture is considered a growing and significant part of the global agribusiness and seafood industry. Fish farming operations produced more than 18 million tons in 2000 to 82 million tonnes in 2020, making it the fastest-growing food production sector in the world (FAO, 2020). Aquaculture is an important development in most of Southeast Asia, particularly within China. Freshwater production

accounts for one-third of the total aquaculture in Southeast Asia (Kayansamruaj et al., 2020). This corresponds to the increased consumer demands from a growing population for seafood products.

Asia remains the leading producer within the aquaculture domain globally, generating 92% of live-weight volume in 2017 (Naylor et al., 2021). From this, 75% of output is derived from freshwater aquaculture, evidencing the global trends and scientific breakthroughs using sustainable aquifers and feed technologies (Naylor et al., 2021).

In developing countries, their objective is to produce high-value animal protein which cannot be supplied by traditional culture in sufficient quantity to support the ever-growing population, now over 8 billion as of 2022, and compensate for the desertification of the land (Barnabe, 1994; UN, 2022). Common species that are being cultured for commercial purposes are seabass, tilapia, milkfish, snakehead, catfish, eels, and carp. Such species are a valuable addition to their capture fishing methods and the technology for fish culture is now an important part of the economy of these regions. Of the many fish under consideration, tilapia is the most widespread and is a major tropical fish for intensive production.

Several investigations have addressed the effectiveness of replacing fish meal with some other protein source, particularly plant proteins.

It has generally been found that most alternative protein sources are able to replace fish meal to varying extents (De. Silva, 1998). Several factors affect the proportion of fish meals that can be replaced in balanced feeds. This inclusion depends upon the nature of the protein source and essential amino acid profiles. Fish meal replacements have numerous shortcomings, often including low protein content and amino acid levels that do not meet requirements, low energy content per unit weight, poorer digestibility, inferior palatability to fish, and consumer acceptability (Sadiku and Jauncey, 1995). Gule and Geremew (2022) extensively reviewed the use of novel and traditional ingredients for finfish aquaculture. Likewise, El-Sayed (1999) and Shiau (2002) have reviewed tilapia nutrition, feed requirements, and dietary specifications.

Aquafeeds still utilises significant fish meal and fish oil sourced from wild-captured forage fish to meet the nutrient specifications of farmed fish. However, the increasing use of forage fish is unsustainable and because an additional 37.4 million tons of aquafeeds will be required by 2025, competing protein sources are being employed to meet this emerging ‘protein gap’. Fish meal is now used strategically in most aquafeeds.

Beyond plant-based ingredients, various novel byproducts like PAPS (processed animal proteins) and insect meals, algae, and Single-cell proteins (SCPs) have much potential to supply the protein aquafeeds required over the next 10–20 years. However, for mainstream oilseed meal and grain-based sources (soya and cereal proteins), we require more accurate threshold constraints to

46 | February 2024 -The Aquafeed Journal

better formulate practical diets using such approaches as linear least-cost formulation (LLF). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the growth response of tilapia, to which a substantial proportion of a Low Temperature dried (LT) fish meal was replaced with selected plant proteins. The experimental strategy for this investigation was to test plant ingredients against the fish meal as a high-quality Biological Value (BV) standard to obtain better resolution values for precision diets for tilapia. The plant proteins that were used in this experiment were solvent-extracted soybean meal, full fat soybean, and maize gluten respectively.

These traditional protein sources were tested at various inclusion rates compatible with providing 38% protein and 12% lipid in a balanced diet at the expense of a low temperature fish meal as a high Biological Value (BV) reference protein.

Table 1: Feed formulation (as %) and proximate analysis results of experimental diets (as %)

The feeding trial was conducted in a RAS-controlled facility using 650 Oreochromis mossambicus obtained from FishGen Ltd (Wales UK), of average mean live weight 0.95g. Initially, the fry was fed on a sex-reversal diet (BioMar Incio + Trout Fry Diet) treated with 30ppm 17 α-methyl testosterone) for four weeks to ensure an almost complete male phenotype brood. This was done to avoid differences in growth rate between males and females at maturation, which occurs early in this species.

Fry were acclimatized to the tank environment one week prior to the start of the experiment. Eighteen 24-litre self-cleaning fibreglass tanks were used with the continuous freshwater flow

SESB50 SESB75 FFSB50

MG5O

MG75

LT Fish meal1

40.50

20.00

10.00

20.00

10.00

42.00

63.00 24.50

34.80

43.50

43.30

5.40

5.30

20.00

48.00

Full fat soybean

3

Maize gluten4 5

Wheat meal

47.90

24.00

12.00

Supplement oil6

5.00

7.40

8.40

Vitamin premix 7

4.00

4.00

4.00

4.00

4.00

4.00

8

Binder

2.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

Cellulose9

0.60

0.60

0.60

0.60

0.60

25.40

0.60

Dry matter

94.37

97.08

96.58

96.42

95.27

95.00

Moisture

5.60

2.92

3.42

3.58

4.74

5.00

Crude protein

37.97

41.51

41.81

38 09

37.81

38.26

Lipid

13.64

14.85

13.62

13.30

13.46

14.70

Ash

7.20

6.42

6.14

6.32

4.13

3.43

Gross energy (MJ/kg)

20.85

21.49

21.16

20 .52

18 03

22.78

Proximate composition (as is %)

Experimental diets

Experimental systems and maintenance

CON

Solvent extracted soybean2

MATERIALS AND METHODS Six experimental diets were formulated to contain a variable proportion of plant protein to replace fish meal partially at fixed levels. The experimental diets were formulated by using a linear least-cost software application FeedSoft TM. All diets were made iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous and were adjusted at appropriate levels and to contain 38% crude protein and 12% lipid. The proximate feed formulation and chemical composition of the experimental diets are depicted in Table 1. The proximate chemical composition of the used protein sources is presented in Table 3 and these values were used in the formulation software.

A control diet (CON) was based on LT (Low Temperature Dried) fish meal as the main source of dietary protein, and test ingredients were solvent-extracted soybean meal (SESB), full fat soybean (FFSB), and maize gluten (MG) respectively.

Three diets were formulated in which 50% of the fish meal diet was replaced by selected plant proteins, i.e., SESB50, FFSB50 and MG50. Whereas for the remaining diets, 75% of the substitution of fish meal diet with solvent-extracted soybean and maize gluten (SESB75 and MG75) was done. Wheat meal was also included as the main carbohydrate energy filler source for balance.

The diets were processed by blending the dry ingredients into a homogenous mixture with a Hobart A 120 industrial food processor. The required supplementary oil for each diet was added gradually and after a few minutes of mixing, 320ml of water was added to prime the binder. Once a homogenous dough mixture was obtained, the diets were extruded through a mincer into ‘spaghetti-like’ strands and broken into smaller pellets. Pellets were dried by convection air in an oven at 40°C. for 12 hrs. After cooling, the diets were packed in sealed airtight containers, and stored at -30°C until needed. Before feeding, the diets were further broken into smaller pellets (1-2mm diameter) to suit the gape size of the fish.

Diet Ingredient

Fish meal LT94 Solvent extracted soybean. Cherwell Valley Silos, Oxon, UK, LTD 3 Full fat soybean, Cherwell Valley Silos, Oxon, UK, LTD 4 Maize Gluten, Roquette Freres. France 5 Wheat meal. Kalpro s™. Orsan, Paris, France 6 Mazola -pure com oil and Fish Oil – Seven Seas pure cod liver oil, Hull, UK 7 Vitamin premix, PNP Ltd., providing the following per kg of dry feed: vitamin A, 1600 IU; vitamin D, 2400 IU; vitamin E, 160.0mg; vitamin K, 16.0 mg; thiamin, 36.0mg; riboflavin , 48.0mg; pyridoxine, 24.0 mg; niacin, 288.0 mg; pantothenic acid, 96.0 mg; folic acid, 8.0 mg; biotin , 1.3 mg; cyanocobalamin , 48.0 µg; ascorbic acid, 720.0 mg; choline d1loride, 320.0 mg; calcium, 5.2 g cobalt, 3.2 mg iodine, 4.8 mg; copper, 8.0mg; iron, 32.0 mg; manganese, 76.0 mg; zinc, 160.0mg; endox (antioxidant), 200 .0 mg 8 Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) 9 Sigma Chemical Co., Poole, Dorset 1 2

Table 2. Nutrient content of experimental ingredients. Fish meal, Wheat meal, Solvent-extracted soybean, Full fat soybean, and Maize Gluten.

Ingredients Nutrient content

Fish meal

Wheat meal

Solvent extracted soybean

Full fat soybean

Maize Gluten

Moisture

9.81

12 .23

12.56

12 .34

7.84

Dry matter

90. 19

87.77

87.44

87.66

92.16

Protein

73.24

15.00

43 05

37.62

70.82

Lipid

13.31

2 .16

3.15

19.00

1 1.29

Ash

12 .88

3.73

6.03

4.87

1.58

Energy (MJ/kg)

15.50

17.28

19.50

22.04

26.33

Table 3. Feeding rates for experimental diets on a dry matter basis and corrected for the moisture contents of the diets (% body wt./day) for phase I (1-4 weeks); phase II (5-8 weeks) Week 1 - 4 Feeding rate (%)

Diet

CON

SESB50

SESB75

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

Dry matter

FFSB50 MG50 MG75 3.00

3.00

Moisture content (%)

5.63

2.92

3.42

3. 58

4.74

5.00

As moist diet1

3. 18

3.09

3.11

3. 11

3.15

3.16

Week 5 - 8 Feeding rate (%)

Diet CON

FFSB50

MG50

MG75

Dry matter

4.00

SESB50 SESB75 4.00

4 .00

4.00

4.00

4.00

Moisture content (%)

5.63

2.92

3.42

3.58

4.74

5.00

As moist diet1

4.24

4.12

4.14

4.15

4.20

4.21

1[feeding rate/ (100 -moisture content) x 100] At the end of the experiment, the final weight of the fish was measured. Following a 24hour starvation period, three groups of fish (n=3), where fifteen fish were collected from each treatment, were randomly selected from each experimental tank to analyse the carcass composition.

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 47

The Aquafeed Journal for carcass composition were based on pooled samples from each tank. From the mean initial and final weights and the values obtained for initial and final carcass protein content, Specific Growth Rate (SGR) and Apparent Net Protein Utilisation (NPU) for each dietary treatment could be calculated. Standard errors of means (± SE) were calculated to identify the range of means.

(2.4 l/min) through a mechanical and biological filter. The water in the main reservoir was maintained at approximately 26± 1°C by a thermostatically controlled immersion heater and vigorously heated. pH, NH3 NO2 and NO3, were monitored and remained at acceptable levels throughout the experimental period.

Feeding regime

RESULTS

Initially, fish were fed for one week to acclimate them to the diet and the system and free their gastrointestinal tract from the preexperimental diet. At the end of the acclimation period, the fish were weighed and subsequently started on experimental diets. Each of the 18 tanks was randomly assigned to respective dietary treatment (in triplicate groups). Thirty-six fish were graded and transferred to each tank with an average weight of 3.15g. A sub-sample group of 20 fish were euthanized using a lethal MS222 (Tricaine Methanesulfonate) solution and kept frozen (-18°C) to determine initial carcass composition.

Fish were fed twice daily, six days a week, at a feeding rate of 3% wet body weight per day. Fish were weighed on the seventh day. The feeding rate was increased to 4% from week five onwards as fish acclimated to a higher feeding plane. However, the feeding rates were adjusted to account for each diet’s moisture content and appropriate to changing biomass on a weekly basis (Table 3).

Growth Performance

The growth response and feed utilisation data for tilapia fed the six experimental diets are displayed (Table 4). There was a significant difference between the final average body weight amongst the fish fed on the experimental diets. Fish fed on fish-meal-based control diets attained a 5-fold increase in final average body weight, which was 14.95g. However, the lowest value was observed for the fish fed the 75% inclusion level of maize gluten in the diet, replacing the fish meal component. Those fish had only approximately doubled their weights after eight weeks. The SESB50, FFSB50 and MG50 diets did not show any significant difference (P > 0.05) in the growth performance of fish respectively. Both SESB75 and MG50 diets did not show any appreciable difference in the final average body weight of the fish fed on those diets. These trends were seen also in the percentage weight gain figures, which decreased as the level of plant protein inclusion increased. The control diet supported the highest weight gain of 355.28%, while MG75% produced a weight gain of 126. 13%. SGR data further supported this trend, with SGR dropping from 2.72% per day for the control diet-fed fish to 1.46% per day for the fish fed MG75% diet. Fish-fed the 50% level inclusion of plant proteins performed better than those on the 75% level of plant proteins (Table 4). With equal quantities of protein occurring from plant and animal sources, a significant reduction in growth rate comparable with the fish fed on fish-meal-based control diets was observed.

However, from week six onwards, fish fed on SESB75, MG50 and MG75 diets showed a depression growth response. The difference in growth rate manifested from week six onwards. At the end of the experimental weeks, fish fed on fish-meal-based diet was superior to the other experimental fish. No fish mortality occurred during the whole experimental period in any of the dietary treatments.

Analytical procedures

Proximate analyses of diets (Table 1), ingredients (Table 2) and carcasses were made following the usual procedures (AOAC, 2023).

Specific growth rate (SGR), the rate of growth of an animal, is a sensitive index of protein quality under controlled conditions being proportional to the supply of essential amino acids. Daily SGR can be calculated by using the formula:

Statistical analysis

The effect of diet was tested using analysis of variance. The results for initial and final fish weights were subjected to statistical analysis by one-way analysis of variance. Where significant differences at the 5% probability level were found between dietary treatments, the means were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The data

Table 4. Growth performance, feed utilisation efficiency of feed experimental diets. For 8-weeks.

Diets Parameters

CON

SESB50

SESB75

FFSB50

MG50

MG75

±SEM1

Initial mean weight (g)

3.28

3. 18

3.25

3.08

3. 12

3. 1

0.03

Final mean weight (g)

14.95a

12.07b

8.99bc

10.75b

9. 18b

7.01d

1.13

Specific growth rate (SGR %/day)

2.71a

2.38b

1.82bc

2.23b

1.93c

1.46c

0.18

Weight gain (%)

355.18a

279.56b

176.62c

249.03b

194.23c

126 13d

33.37

Feed efficiency (%)

101.00a

83.00b

60.00c

77.00bc

69.00bc

51.00d

7.23

Protein efficiency ratio (PER)*

2.68a

2.00b

1.44d

2.03b

1.81c

1.34d

0.20

Daily feed intake (g)

8.69a

8. 03a

7. 17b

7.46b

6.64c

5.42d

0.46

3. 17

3.04

0.03

Mean voluntary feed intake (%)

3. 15

3.2

3.27

3. 15

Apparent net protein utilisation (%)

37.53a

31.85b

21.25d

34.20a

26.33c 21. 55d

2.77

Net energy utilisation (%)

89.70a

81.11b

49.57e

73.81c

82.42b 65.41d

5.88

Note: Figures in each row having the same superscript are not significantly different (P < 0.05).

1 Pooled standard error NS, not significant. *PER= live weight gain (g)/Protein intake (g)

Table 5. Carcass composition of Oreochromis mossambicus fed the experimental diets (as wet basis in percentage).

Diets Nutrients content

Initial Fish

CON

SESB50

SESB75

FFSB50

MG5O MG75

Moisture

71.66

74.57

a

73.19

a

74.6 1

a

74. 13

a

72.51

a

70.37

b

0.66

Protein

13.40

13.95

15.22

14.31

15.90

14.21

14.68

0.30

Lipid

11.00

8.76e

9.62c

8.48d

8.7e

11.07b 13.62a

0.81

Ash

3.30

2.68

2.09

2.24

2.27

a

c

b

b

2.12

c

2. 19

b

±SEM

0.09

Growth performance and feed efficiency

Feed intake and feed utilisation parameters are displayed in Table 4. Fish-fed SESB50 and FFSB50 diets did not differ (p < 0.05) significantly in final mean weight from each other (12.07-10.75g) but lower than the control group (CON) at 14.95g. Tilapia successfully converted 101% (FE) of their food to gain maximum weight to attain a final mean weight of 14.9g, but this reduced to just 51% for tilapia-fed MG75. Feed efficiency values all reflected the Specific Growth Rate (SGR) values (2.71-1.46% per day), with lower FE recorded for high replacement of fish-mealbased control diet with plant proteins. Tilapia fed maize gluten meal diets performed the worse with MG75 resulting in fish with a final weight of 7.01g after eight weeks with a percentage 126% weight gain compared to 355.18% for the control diet group.

A superior Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) was observed for the diet containing the fishmeal-based (CON) diet (2.68), whereas the

48 | February 2024 -The Aquafeed Journal

other diets did show significant (P > 0.05) differences concerning protein efficiency ratio for higher plant ingredients (2.00-1.34) (Table 4).

Tilapia fed on the fish meal-based control diet showed the best Apparent Net Protein Utilisation (ANPU) value but did not differ (P > 0.05) from the full fat soybean group (37.53% and 34.20% respectively). Feed consumption appeared to be significantly reduced as calorie density increased in diets at the given protein level and significantly affected growth response. Net Energy Utilisation (NEU) values also varied amongst the tilapia groups. Fish fed on the fishmeal based control diet obtained the highest NEU (89.70%) and the lowest value (49.57%) was recorded for the SESB75 group (Table 4). NEU values reflected the ANPU data following overall nutrient assimilation.

Carcass composition

The initial and final carcass composition of the tilapia fed on the experimental diets is presented in Table 5 after 8 weeks of feeding.

The final carcass composition showed significant differences in their nutrient profiles. Tilapia fed on maize gluten MG50 and MG75 diets attained an appreciably high lipid content of 11.07% and 13.62%, respectively, compared to the fish meal control (CON) tilapia with a carcass level 8.76%. Fish fed on the fish-meal-based control diets, SESB75, MG50 and MG75 diets, showed no significant protein content variations (13.95-15.90%).

A higher ash content in the tilapia fed on the control (CON) fish meal diet was obtained due to the high-level ash content (minerals) in the fish meal, as can be referred to in Table 2. Moreover, these fish also contained an elevated level of moisture content. Body protein and ash were unlikely to be influenced when the size of the fish was taken into consideration. After eight weeks of the trial period, all those groups of fish were observed to have an increase in their carcass protein level.

However, fish fed on the fish meal based control diet CON, SESB50, SESB75 and FFSB50 diets showed a lower lipid level in their final body composition compared to the initial lipid content of tilapia.

Discussion

The effect of alternative protein sources and the replacement of fish meal for commercially valuable farmed fish and a strategy for modern aquafeeds has been extensively studied (Maas et al., 2020; Gule and Geremew, 2022). It was concluded that increasing plant protein levels to replace fish meal may have detrimental effect on growth rate and feed utilisation at higher levels. In the present work, the results obtained demonstrate that plant protein sources can contribute up to 50% within a high-quality fish meal based diet for tilapia without much reduction in growth rate, particularly the soybean meal. This agrees with the results previously obtained by Sadiku and Jauncey (1995) and Gallagher et al. (1994). Daniel (2018) presented a review of the major plant ingredients that could be combined to make even a 100% replacement of fish meal in diets for fish, including tilapia, feasible. It was stated that plant ingredients generally have appreciable levels of Anti-Nutritional Factors (ANFs) that are adversely bioactive in fish. Plant protein concentrates are also deemed deficient in specific EAAs, such as methionine and lysine and with lower overall nutrient digestibility, resulting in inferior nutrient bioavailability (Daniel, 2018).

Higher substitution levels with plant proteins in this investigation markedly reduced the growth rate and performance of tilapia above 50% incorporation of both soybean meal and corn gluten meal at the expense of LT fish meal and wheat. The possible reason for the poor performance of high substitution of plant proteins in diets is the imbalance of their nutrients. The three factors which are likely to produce the decreased growth rates observed at higher protein inclusion levels are (1) toxic components such as trypsin

inhibitor protein in soybean and digestive disturbances due to soya oligosaccharides (Rumsey, 1993). (2) lower digestibility of plant proteins and carbohydrates. (3) limiting of essential amino acids particularly methionine (in soybean) and lysine (maize gluten).

Of the various antinutritional factors (ANFs), great importance is attached to those which interfere with the digestion and absorption of protein. These inhibit the proteolytic activity of certain enzymes and are hence termed protease inhibitors. To minimise possible hazards and improve soybean meal nutritional quality, inhibitors could be generally inactivated by heat treatment or aqueous or solvent extraction processes. There have been studies previously to evaluate soybean in fish diets, as a practical ingredient. Earlier research by Webster Goodgame-Tiu and Tidwell, (1995) on blue catfish, reported that the use of heated SBM did not increase the growth of the fish, probably because of the already low level of trypsin inhibitor in the commercial SBM used. On the other hand, higher growth was obtained in Nile tilapia, fed diets containing heated treated (boiled) SBM compared with fish fed diets containing fish meal or raw SBM (Wee and Wang, 1987). This may be due to the inactivation of the high trypsin inhibitor activity in the SBM and the increasing digestibility of the diets containing boiled SBM compared to raw SBM. Poor performance at the higher levels of plant protein is mostly likely due to the low methionine level. However, another factor should be considered, such as the incomplete denaturing of trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins during the processing treatment of the meal.

More recently, Sharda, Sharma, and Saini (2017) investigated fish meal replacement with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), indicating that an inclusion level of just 25% was feasible in experimental diets. However, Ahmad et al. (2020) was able to confirm that 50% replacement of fish meal was achievable in their studies with juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared in saline conditions with a dietary protein level of 35%, similar to the current investigation.

In the present study, the percentage of dietary protein was set at 38% and Jauncey (2000) gave more precise information on the nutrient requirements and essential amino requirements for tilapia over a range of weight categories. No supplementary amino acids were included in the experimental formulations in this current study with tilapia. It is also noted that no effect on growth and food utilisation of 0. niloticus fry when 75% of herring meal in the basal diet was replaced by FFSB supplemented with di-methionine (Shiau, Chuang and Sun, 1987).

More recently, Pervin et al. (2020) found that up to 75% of fish meal in diets for tilapia could be replaced with soybean meal, validating our results. These earlier workers found that very high inclusions above this margin caused shortening of the gut villi length and other adverse histomorphology changes. Intestinal sub-muscularis thickness was found to be inversely related with the increasing villus height. Also, proteolytic activity significantly elevated the stomach, mid- intestine, and distal gut of fed with SBM0 compared with SBM100 dietary inclusion.

Similar to salmon, tilapia may be sensitive to certain types of soybean meal, causing enteritis-like conditions. Another possible explanation for the inferior growth, particularly at 75% inclusion of solvent-extracted soybean meal with the fish meal, is the low digestibility bioavailability of minerals, especially phosphorus, compared with fish meal (Nguyen, 2008). In the present work, our study did not include mineral bioavailability or retention measurements as this investigation focused on protein assimilation.

Fish have a high requirement for phosphorus. However, soybean is deficient in available phosphorus. Although SBM contains approximately 0.7% phosphorus (P), only about one-half is biologically available to fish (Lovell, 1988). However, this could be effectively corrected by dietary supplementation with inorganic phosphorus sources such as dicalcium phosphate. More recently,

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 49

The Aquafeed Journal several workers have reported the effective use of phytase as an exogenous enzyme to increase P utilisation in fish, including tilapia (Nwanna and Schwarz, 2006; Jiang et al. 2014). Adeoye et al. (2016) examined a suite of mixed enzymes from a solid-state fermentation (SSF) commercial feed additive with positive results for plant inclusion in diets for tilapia. In the current experiment, high inclusion of soybean meal may have compromised P requirements of tilapia and mineral supplementation may not have been sufficient.

The present study primarily replaced fish meal with the plant ingredients (solvent-extracted soybean meal, full fat soya, and maize gluten meal) and wheat meal, accommodating varying carbohydrate contributions to the test diets. Studies reporting the digestibility of carbohydrates, starch, and especially non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in tilapia are scarce. Carbohydrate digestibility in the diet is mainly associated with carbohydrate composition (starch vs.

NSP). NSP (non-starch polysaccharides) are often considered to be indigestible and consequently of minor nutritional value. This has been reviewed by Maas et al. (2020), but it is stated by these authors that attention to using various feed enzymes, as mentioned, can lead to elevated digestibility and more available dietary energy.

Digestibility of soybean meal and full fat soybean as well as maize gluten meal was reported by Davies et al. (2011) for tilapia and they determined high digestibility for energy, protein, and individual essential amino acids. These were over 83% on average for apparent digestibility for protein in each ingredient tested.

Palatability might also have hindered the growth rate in the higher replacement of fish meal with plant proteins. In this present study, reduced diet acceptability may be a reason for the significant difference in growth performance between the groups of experimental fish. This is clearly indicated by the significant difference in the daily food intake, especially with the higher inclusion of plant proteins. Some fish, such as red drum, find soybean meal unpalatable and will not consume diets without fish meal (Webster Goodgame-Tiu and Tidwell, 1995). Mohsen and Lovell (1990) reported that adding animal by-products to an SBMbased diet improved palatability for channel catfish. In the current trial, tilapia found the SESB75 diet to be unpalatable, as indicated by the poor feed efficiency value and low feed intake.

Fish fed on the MG50 diet did not differ significantly from the SESB75 diet regarding growth performance and nutrient utilisation. It has been reported that the performance of carp and tilapia decreased when fed pelleted diets containing 65-75% of maize grains. Al-Asgah and Ali (1994) reported that maize grain at 25% level in the tilapia diet showed better growth performance and energy utilisation than other carbohydrate sources like starch, dextrin, sucrose, and glucose. Furthermore, the research made by Al-Ogaily (1996) on including maize grains (25-43%) in the diets of O. niloticus decreased their growth performance. However, this whole grain product is not comparable with the present study using a high protein concentrate gluten. The decrease in weight gain and specific growth rate in fish with the increasing level of maize grain in the diet might have also been due to a reduction in their protein content and, consequently, the protein-to-energy (P/E) ratio (El-Sayed and Teshima, 1991). Lysine is the limiting amino acid in maize gluten (De-Silva, 1997), which might be a possible explanation for the inferior growth performance obtained.

It was also reported that arginine may also be a limiting amino acid for this ingredient and maize gluten showed a low digestible energy (DE), which was only recorded as 39% in carp. Low palatability is also a further factor that must be considered for the higher inclusion of maize gluten meal concerning poor feed intake. Kaur and Saxena (2005) also reported that the optimal maize gluten for catla (Catla catla), rohu (Labeo rohita) and mrigal

(Cirrhina mrigala) carp species was at a 5% inclusion. These authors concluded that reduced digestibility and inferior lysine and methionine levels were primarily responsible for reduced growth performance and feed utilisation in these species.

Sales (2009) examined the effect of fish meal replacement by soybean products on fish growth based on meta-analysis for several fish species of commercial importance, which compares the digestibility of selected plant proteins, for example, solvent-extracted soybean, full fat soybean and maize gluten. These conclusions agree with the Apparent Net Protein Utilisation (ANPU) result in the current tilapia fed on SESB50 and FFSB50 diets. However, the inclusion of 50% solvent-extracted soybean and full fat soybean in the diet, still showed significantly reduced performance compared to the control diet. Recently, Iqbal, Yaqub and Ayub, (2022) reported a study to assess the effects of partial or full replacement of fish meal (FM) and soybean meal (SBM) with canola meal (CM) on growth performance, health status, and cost-benefit ratio of genetically improved farmed tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The findings of these workers agreed to our studies with similar size tilapia.

Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) is the weight gain (biomass) ratio to dietary protein intake. This measures how effectively the fish utilise protein, but the expression includes the increase in biomass as a whole relative to dietary protein intake. The protein efficiency ratio of the control group (CON) tilapia was 2.68 compared to the fish fed on MG75, which was 1.34. This indicated a progressive reduction in nutrient assimilation, as can be observed from the lipid content in the carcass composition (Table 5). Furthermore, the trend shown by Apparent Net Protein Utilisation (ANPU) confirmed that elevated levels of plant proteins reduced protein retention efficiency as a direct measurement of protein utilisation and carcass deposition over the 8 weeks. High substitution of plant protein sources caused the lowest Net Energy Retention [Utilisation] (NEU) value.

Additionally, the NEU results agreed with the poor feed intake by fish-fed on SESB75 and MG75 diets.

Knowledge of the body composition of fish, allows the assessment of fish health and determination of the efficiency of transfer of nutrients from the feed to the fish making it possible to predictably modify carcass composition (AlOgaily, 1996). The body composition results of tilapia in this experiment follow the growth performance expectations for this species. Tilapia fed the MG75 diet showed significantly lower (P < 0.05) body moisture, but higher fat levels. However, the lipid content in the final carcass was somewhat lower than the initial carcass in some fish groups.

During the fry stage, fish increase in size rather than store energy when energy intake is limited. This generally leads to lower levels of lipids and higher levels of moisture. Whole body moisture is inversely related to whole body lipid and decreases or increases as lipid is stored or utilised (Table 5). In this study, growth and lipid content were affected by the diet. This study compared plant proteins only against a Low Temperature (LT) dried fish meal to serve the specific purpose of comparison to a protein of known high Biological Value (BV) with no nutritional constraints based on a control (clean diet) approach. Results of this study indicate that solvent-extracted soybean and full fat soybean meals as well as maize gluten meal are optimally utilized by tilapia fry at 50% contribution of the fish-meal-based diet. Higher levels (75%) produced inferior performance.

Further work is required to ascertain the use of other plant-based ingredients in more complex diet formulations for tilapia. The cost benefit of incorporating solvent-extracted soybean meal and full fat soybean meal as well as maize gluten meal needs to be factored for effective feed formulations.

References available on request

50 | February 2024 -The Aquafeed Journal

The Aquafeed Journal Peer Reviewed articles

Aquafeed Journal is a new online publication by Perendale Publishers Ltd, United Kingdom, with a distinguished track record of technical and trade magazines in the agricultural and aquaculture sectors. This new peer-reviewed scientific journal will serve academia and the commercial aquaculture industry with high-quality papers relating to aquafeed science and technology for different species of farmed fish and crustaceans. It is envisaged to address fundamental nutritional requirements for effective and optimal production and applications to advanced feed formulations.

This will include essential amino acids, proteins and energy sources as well as key vitamins and minerals pertaining to fish and shrimp growth, feed efficiency and health.

Find out more at:

www.aquafeed.co.uk/journal

Industry Events 2024 2024

February

14 - 15 Aquafarm 20 24 Pordenone, Italy www.aquafarm.show 18 - 21 Aquaculture America 2024 Texas, USA www.was.org Aquaculture America 2024 returns this year as the U.S. Aquaculture Society (formerly U.S. Chapter of WAS) joins with the National Aquaculture Association and the Aquaculture Suppliers Association to produce the annual Aquaculture America meetings. These sponsors are joined by the annual meetings of Aquacultural Engineering Society, US Trout Farmers Association and many more associations to make Aquaculture America 2024 the one meeting in the U.S. that you don’t want to miss! Held in San Antonio, Texas, USA, on February 18 – 21, 2024, this will be the largest aquaculture trade show in the Western Hemisphere with over 200 booths ready for you to attend and see the latest in products, services and more.

The B2B event schedule is jam-packed with plenty of conferences, posters, refreshment breaks and happy hours! There will even be a President’s Reception and a Student’s Reception for multiple networking opportunities.

Be sure to use this time wisely to connect with others in the industry.

International Aquafeed will also be at Aquaculture America! Here, you will find our staff members CEO Roger Gilbert, Global Sales Manager Darren Parris, Circulation Manager Tuti Tan and Contents Development Manager Costa Skotidas. Grab a free magazine from our booth while you can!

2024

March

20-23, VietShrimp Ca Mau City, Vietnam https://vietshrimp.net/

11 Aquatic Conference Bangkok, Thailand www.aquafeed.co.uk/companies/aquatic

The Aquatic conference, held at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia 2024, will be on March 11, 2024. With the theme being ‘Future World Feed Through Aquaculture’, the conference will focus on the future of aquaculture and feed within the industry. Co-organised between Perendale Publishers Ltd and VIV Worldwide, Aquatic will be held at BITEC, room MR 224 at 10:00am. If you are interested in sponsoring Aquatic and would like a chance to speak then please get in touch with either Severina Proskurnova at severina@vnueurope.com or Tuti Tan at tutit@perendale. co.uk. If you would like to attend the conference then please register your attendance through this link: http:// myaqua.info/cPIZ. 11 Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference Bangkok, Thailand www.aquafeed.co.uk/companies/ petfood-aquafeed-extrusionconference/ Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference (PAEC), held at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia 2024, will be on March 11, 2024. With a focus on the extrusion of feeds and the related equipment used, the one-day conference will feature a variety of speakers covering all the key-areas of the industry to give the latest extrusion information.

Co-organised between Perendale Publishers Ltd and VIV Worldwide, PAEC will be held at BITEC, room 223 at 10:00am.

To be a sponsor and speaker email Dr Mian Riaz at mnriaz@ tamu.edu. More information can be found at https:// millingandgrain.com/companies/petfood-aquafeedextrusion-conference/.

3-7 World Fisheries Congress 2024 Washington, USA https://wfc2024.fisheries.org

12-14 Health and Nutrition Asia 2024 Bangkok, Thailand https://vivhealthandnutrition.nl

5-7 19th North Atlantic Seafood Forum Bergen, Norway https://nor-seafood.com

12-14 VICTAM Asia 2024 Bangkok, Thailand https://victamasia.com

10-12 Seafood Expo North America Boston, USA www.seafoodexpo.com

13 Build My Feedmill Bangkok, Thailand www.aquafeed.co.uk/companies/ build-my-feedmill/ 14 Flour Milling Maximised Bangkok, Thailand www.aquafeed.co.uk/companies/ flour-milling-maximised/ 17-21 116th Annual Meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association North Carolina, USA www.shellfish.org/annual-meeting 19-21 AQUASUR 2024 Puerto Montt, Chile www.aqua-sur.cl/en/

52 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

2024

April 23-25 The Global Seafood Marketplace Barcelona, Spain www.seafoodexpo.com

2024

May 8-11 International Indonesia Seafood & Meat Expo Jakarta, Indonesia https://iism-expo.com/ 8-11 Indonesia Cold Chain Expo Jakarta, Indonesia https://iism-expo.com 14-15 Aquaculture UK Aviemore, Scotland https://aquacultureuk.com 21-22 Blue Food Innovation Summit London, England www.bluefoodinnovation.com 27-31 International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF) Puerto Vallarta, Mexico www.isfnf2024.com

2024

June 18-20 Seagriculture EU 2024 Torshavn, Faroe Island https://seagriculture.eu 20 -22 Aquaculture Taiwan 2024 Taipei, Taiwan www.aquaculturetaiwan.com 24-26 4th Edition of World Aquaculture and Fisheries Conference Paris, France www.worldaquacultureconference.com

Industry Events

Algae Europe 2023 Jointly organised by EABA and DLG Benelux, AlgaEurope 2023, the esteemed annual conference highlighting breakthroughs and trends in the algae biomass sector, saw an extraordinary gathering of 407 delegates from 40 countries and 221 organizations.

Hosted in Prague, Czech Republic, from 12- 15 December, the event unfolded over four days featuring a curated program delivered by 112 expert speakers. The content spanned scientific, technological, and business dimensions within the global algae biomass sector. Exploring an array of subjects, AlgaEurope is one of the most comprehensive conferences in its field. More than 20 plenary sessions covered Physiology, Biorefinery, Food, Feed, Biostimulant, Bioremediation and Biomaterial among others. The conference featured distinguished keynote speakers, including Sónia Ventura (Portugal), Susana Coelho (Germany), Angela Wulf (Sweden), and Robert Henrikson (USA), offering profound insights and expertise. One of the highlights of the conference was the poster presentation area, providing researchers with a platform to present their work. Some 136 scientific authors presented their work. The introduction of the Poster Presentation Award this year recognized outstanding contributions. “Another year of great success with key topics which have unraveled the promising future of the algae sector. The EABA community is growing very fast and this is also reflected in the success of AlgaEurope. We have a unique conference and it has become the reference event in the algae sector,” said Carlos Unamunzaga, President of EABA. Beyond the informative sessions, attendees engaged in various networking components, such as the Algae

54 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Happy Hour and the Conference Dinner at the Municipal House.

A notable addition this year was the AlgaEurope App, providing enhanced connectivity. Moreover, the trade show aspect of the conference drew substantial interest, with a record-setting of 25 companies that showcased their cutting-edge products and services, further highlighting the industry’s growth and innovation. Kuno Jacobs, Managing Director of DLG Benelux, expressed satisfaction, stating, “Once again AlgaEurope has proven to be the leading event in Europe and beyond for the algae community, drawing together 407 delegates from 40 countries, supported by 13 sponsors, and featuring the participation of 25 trade show exhibitors. AlgaEurope becomes more and more a platform where science, technology and industry meet, and it is our ambition to further develop and strengthen the position of AlgaEurope in the coming years.” The organizers would like to thank all sponsors for their contributions and support. Sponsors of this year included A4F, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Microphyt, SCHOTT, Q.ANT, Brightwave, Lgem, Photon Systems Instruments, Algaia, Algama, Carniolus and Protinext.

The next AlgaEurope conference will be held in Athens, 10 – 12 December 2024. About AlgaEurope: AlgaEurope is the premier European conference dedicated to the advancement of algae biomass research and innovation. Organized by EABA (European Algae Biomass Association) and DLG Benelux, the conference provides a platform for experts, researchers, and professionals to share knowledge, collaborate, and drive innovation in the field of algae biomass. For more information, visit www.algaeurope.org

HEALTH & NUTRITION ASIA 2024 BITEC, BANGKOK, THAILAND 12-14 MARCH

TOTAL ANIMAL FEE FEED AND HEALTH EEVENT FOR ASIA in co-location with

Scan here to register

ORGANIZED BY

www.vivhealthandnutrition.nl

SUPPORTED BY

Industry Events

A BOOST TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEED AND AGRICULTURE

VIV MEA 2023 A successful fourth edition of VIV MEA 2023 with hundreds of exhibitors from around the world, thousands of attendees and an incredible 80 speaker line-up. VIV MEA was in co-location with Horti Agri Next (HAN) MEA that was held with an outstanding B2B foundation in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from November 20 – 22, 2023.

During the three days of the event, Perendale Publishers were able to witness as the show enforced a strong and positive boost to the Middle Eastern and Northern African regions for global animal husbandry and the agribusiness industry. Encouraging face-toface meetings, networking opportunities, a bustling marketplace, a streamline of conferences and more, VIV MEA maintained a consistent attendance record and exceeded the number of attendees from the 3rd VIV MEA with a total of 10,080 visitors from 113 countries.

Benjamin Sleiman (left), Eda Erdogmus (centre), Arthur von Hofe (right) – CPM

Hamid M. Farahmand (left), Dr Mohamad Yassin (centre), Dr Asmaa El Nokrashy (right) – Amandus Kahl

Agriculture & food security wee

Starting in 2021, Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) initiated the first Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Security Week (ADAFSW) which has since evolved into a significant regional event.

ADAFSA partnered with VNU Europe, the organisers of VIV MEA, to hold VIV MEA during ADAFSW to elevate the importance of this week, bringing together farmers, policymakers, scientists, manufacturers and more to create further networking and business opportunities.

To enrich the already successful show and to further highlight the importance of ADAFSW, VIV MEA was co-located with Horti Agri Next MEA 2023. The co-location was established as a platform to boost the horticultural and agricultural production and processing industry with an incredible line-up of exhibitors with new products and technologies that would play a vital role in the animal health, feed and husbandry industry.

By having these two shows complimenting each other at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC), VNU Europe were able to integrate the two industries into 56 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Abdullah Ghandoura (left), Ekrem Emirali (right) - Altinbilek

Roger Gilbert (left), Harold Schroijen (right) – Van Aarsen Wim Delameilleure (left), Koen Verbrugge (right) – SCE

Zhao Wenxua (left), Roger Gilbert (centre), Zheng Hebin (right) – Zheng Chang Sonata Janciauskiene (left), Vitas Merkevicius (centre), Roger Gilbert (right)

Noura Kuppen-Ellouz (left), William van Oosten (centre), Bas Versluis (right) – KSE

Industry Events

Aquafeed Extrusion

& Nutrition Conference The 2023 Aquatic Extrusion and Nutrition conference, organised by International Aquafeed magazine and held at VIV MEA was a grand success with seven speakers covering a variety of topics within aquafeed

one area and show how important they are for each other. ”As we wrap up three incredible days of VIV and HAN MEA 2023, we are thrilled for the journey we’ve embarked upon to shape the future of the agrifood industry, together with everyone who played a role in this; from our international exhibitors, the amazing speakers, the enthusiastic attendees to our long-term

partners, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture Food and Safety Authority and the Netherlands Embassy among others. The journey does not end here. We look forward to building on the momentum generated by these events here, to our upcoming events around the world,” said Birgit Horn, Managing Director of the Agrifood Portfolio at VNU Europe.

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 57

Industry Events Exhibitors

Grossing at an outstanding 17,500sqm exhibition space, VIV MEA 2023 was also home to over 500 exhibitors from 50 different countries around the world. There were exhibitors such as Famsun, Amandus Kahl, CPM, KSE and more, acting as the pillars for key areas of the industry such as feedmills, feed additives/ingredients, farming, animal health, equipment and manufactures, and more.

With how large the exhibition hall was, it offered exhibitors the perfect chance to showcase their latest products and innovations.

With a feed to food concept, VIV MEA was able to bring together the supply and demand of the animal protein chain, driven by two key factors- animal feed and animal health, two vital areas of the industry for meat quality and safety.

Conferences and panels With a mix of conferences, sessions, presentations and panels, over 37 took place throughout the three days along with a total of 80 renowned experts and visionaries in the industry taking centre stage as this year’s speaker line-up. These talks provided ample opportunity to delve deeper into the latest trends, challenges, and research available, providing insight to all the attendees.

One such prominent conference to start VIV MEA was the Aquafeed Extrusion & Nutrition conference, held a day prior on November 19th, with the theme ‘Aquaculture development and investment’. Sponsored by multiple companies such as Skretting and Blue Aqua, the conference saw a full attendance throughout the day and covered topics on the production, extrusion and nutrition of aquatic feed along with the farming of fish and shrimp. This conference was co-organised by VNU Europe and Perendale Publishers.

Organised by International Aquafeed and our sister publication, Milling and Grain magazine - The Build my feed mill conference held in VIV MEA was one of the main attractions of the event. 10-12 companies were given the chance to present 10-minute presentations about how their solutions assist feed mills in their everyday processes and practices.

Future events

The 5th edition of VIV MEA will return to Abu Dhabi on November 25 – 27, 2025 alongside HAN MEA. However, the next event held by VNU Europe will be at Health and Nutrition Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 12 – 14, 2024. Read more on the VNU events at www.viv.net/events.

Perendale Publishers will also be hosting four separate conferences at Health and Nutrition Asia so for more information on those then go to www.millingandgrain.com/conferences/.

24

20

The print edition the trusted information source for the industry

NEW EDITION - OUT NOW!

Animal proteins and fats as sustainable feed materials

For more information, visit us online:

AQUAFEED

58 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

www.ge-pro.de

Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference

Petfood & Aquafeed Extrusion Conference (PAEC), held at VICTAM Health and Nutrition Asia 2024, will be on March 11, 2024. With a focus on the extrusion of feeds and the related equipment used, the one-day conference will feature a variety of speakers covering all the key-areas of the industry to give the latest extrusion information. Co-organised between Perendale Publishers Ltd and VIV Worldwide, PAEC will be held at BITEC, room 223 at 10:00am.

11 March

2024 BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand

PROGRAM 09:30-10:00 Registration 10:00-10:15

Roger Gilbert - International Aquafeed magazine Welcome

10:15-10:45

Dr Mian Riaz - Texas A&M University Challenges adding fresh meat in pet food

10:45 - 11:00 Curtis Strahm - Wenger Extrusion Flexibility: Producing Pet Food and Aquatic Feed on One System 11:00 - 11:20

Hadrien Delemazure - Clextral Making Floating and Sinking feed using twin screw technology

11:20 - 11:35

Dana Nelson - Extru-tech Single Screw Extrusion of Premium Aquafeed

11:35 - 12:00

Dr. Sohail Nazari - Andritz Step into the Future of Drying; Save up to 30% energy, reduce moisture, variability, and boost efficiency

12:00-13:00

LUNCH

13:00-13:30

Phil Erickson - Reynolds Engineering Why Particle Size Matters in Aquaculture Feeds

13:30-14:00

Danny Chang - CPM IDAH Asia Trends in drying and cooling shrimp feeds

14:00-14:30

Dr. Enzhi Michael Cheng - Famsun Aqua Feed Production, Focusing on Precision and sustainability

14:30-14:45

Dr. Jay Bernard - Kemin Moisture, Oxidation and microbial growth control in Extruded Aquafeeds

Part of Health and Nutrition Asia

OUR SPONSORS

14:45 - 15:00 Marco Prati - PLP Systems Continuous atmospheric coating for feed 15:00-15:15

Khun Tanakorn Lothaka - USSEC Effects of Different Soybean Meal Inclusion Levels on Growth Performance of Pacific White Shrimp: Insights from a Commercial Demonstration

15:15-15:30

Q&A session

15:30

Closing

Organised by

For further enquires please contact: Tuti Tan - tutit@perendale.co.uk Dr Mian Riaz - mnriaz@tamu.edu

For more information and to register visit:

http://myaqua.info/PAEC24

Industry Events

North Atlantic Seafood Forum

NASF 2024 With more than 1000 industry leaders expected to attend, next year’s North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) will be held from 5-7 March, 2024 and is gearing up to be the largest event yet.

As part of its renewed sense of purpose, NASF is embarking on a mission to fortify its reputation as the go-to event for the latest technological developments, ensuring that top executives remain up-to-date with the latest technological advancements in the sector.

“Following the COVID pandemic, there were questions about the future of a conference like this,” says NASF CEO Andre Akse. “But in March this year, we had the biggest turnout ever,” he continues. “The feedback was very positive. So, despite people being a little bit unsure about the essence of a conference like this, it turns out there is apparently still a big need to meet in person.”

“NASF offers a networking experience like no other, uniting top-level decision-makers from across the globe in one place,” says Akse.

One tangible reflection of this commitment is the introduction of the Tech Aquaculture session, offering attendees an express route to discover new solutions directly relevant to their roles.

“What we have found out is that these top managers, they don’t work a lot with technology,” reveals the NASF director.

“They have other people that work with technology. But when they come to us, many of them find it quite useful to get a really well-presented summary of the latest developments, without getting bogged down in meetings.”

Beyond technology, NASF is unveiling sessions dedicated to breeding and wild catch technologies, recognizing their pivotal roles in shaping the industry’s future. “We are introducing sessions that address pressing issues in the seafood industry,” Akse says.

“It’s important for those at the top to be able to get abreast of the big issues without getting bogged down with detail.”

One notable addition is a session focused on global warming, where experts will delve into the industry-altering changes anticipated in the next five to six years. “To be frank, we are

60 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

concerned about global warming, but 30 years is a long time.

So, we are asking what is actually now, and what do we need to be aware of,” says Akse. “We believe this is vital as it allows us to focus on the immediate challenges posed by climate change.”

NASF is also unveiling a breeding session to highlight the ongoing innovations in this area and a session exploring alternative feed sources for aquaculture, a critical aspect of ensuring long-term sustainability.

For years, NASF has found its home in Bergen, a city steeped in seafood heritage and conveniently located near major seafood companies. But why is NASF regarded as an indispensable rendezvous for the seafood industry, and what kind of attendees can one expect to encounter?

“Bergen’s seafood heritage and its proximity to major seafood companies make it an ideal location for NASF,” the NASF CEO says. “It’s a place where top CEOs, investors, consultants, and professionals from around the world come together. It’s a platform where high-level decision-makers meet to discuss critical industry topics.”

And while – over the years – NASF has undergone significant transformations, the conference still continues to evolve, and the event has embraced digital advances: “We have continuously improved the technical aspects of the conference to cater to the needs of top managers, enabling higher-quality presentations and discussions,” Akse notes. “The conference provides endless opportunities for attendees to connect, share ideas, and learn from industry experts.”

And that appeal to the industry’s top brass, is ultimately the strength of the Bergen-based event says the CEO, who when asked to summarize the conference, says simply: “NASF is where the industry’s top CEOs, investors, and experts gather to discuss the most pressing issues and innovations of the day.”

International Aquafeed will be attending NASF this year! Find our colleague, Content Development Manager, Costa Skotidas at our table when entering the show and receive a FREE English or Norwegian copy of International Aquafeed.

Industry Events

AquaFarm 2024 AquaFarm, the Italian international conference and trade show on aquaculture and sustainable fishing industry announces the dates of the seventh edition by introducing a new logo which, in addition to the fish, features a mussel as evidence of the wide world of shellfish farming. The event will take place on 14th and 15th February 2024 in Pordenone, Italy.

After the pandemic crisis, which had a negative impact on the purchase of seafood products, the agri-food sector is faced with other problems. The aggravation of climatic events, rising temperatures and long periods of dry weather are changing the habitats in which aquatic species live, with major impacts on breeding farming in both sea, salty and fresh waters.

“The effects of climate change and the ecological transition are the new challenges facing our industry” says Pierantonio Salvador, President of the Italian Fish Farmers Association “All operators are ready, it is, as always, a matter of networking and AquaFarm is an unmissable meeting place.”

Climate change is also one of the causes of the increase in blue crab in our seas, which has reached more than 2000 percent in some areas.

Damage to shellfish production has been extensive - over 50 percent in Italy’s north-east cost, specifically in Veneto and Emilia-Romagna areas. “AquaFarm represents an opportunity to highlight the urgency of anticipating the effects of change – states Luigino Pela, President of the Mediterranean Aquaculture Association – a match in which research plays a crucial role.”

The seventh edition will therefore be focused on climate, research and innovation, but also on sustainability certification, animal welfare, technologies and animal and human nutrition. The rich conference programme will flank the international exhibition area, the largest ever thanks to the use of the new Halls 5 BIS / TER launched at the beginning of September. The area dedicated to universities is confirmed as weel, including the possibility to exhibit scientific posters; finally, the show cooking Arena, where national production excellences could be tasted, will be placed in Hall 5 again, as per last edition.

“We really care about AquaFarm as it is one of the events that represent the future of Pordenone Fiere. Internationality, high expertise and scientific approach – states Renato Pujatti, President of Pordenone Fiere - thanks to these features, we are convinced that the companies attending the exhibition will have an opportunity to grow their businesses and there will be important economic spin-offs for the local area.”

AquaFarm is an international conference and trade show on aquaculture and sustainable fishing industry, organised by Pordenone Fiere in cooperation with API - Italian Fish Farmers Association, AMA - Mediterranean Aquaculture Association and Studio Comelli - Conferences&Communication which takes care of the conference programme and the press office. The event was first held in 2017 and during last edition recorded 62% growth compared to 2022 and + 25% if compared to the last pre-covid edition, 130 exhibitors, 35% from abroad and almost 7000 sq m of exhibition area.

International Aquafeed magazine will be attending Aquafarm 2024.

Visit us at Stand 4 – Hall 5BIS where you can meet our Content Development Manager Costa Skotidas and receive a free copy of our February edition. You can also find Costa as the keynote speaker for the conference ‘Circularity and Sustainability in Fishfeed’ so be sure to join him there. Attendance is free Meet the International Aquafeed team at of charge, register online at Aquafarm: STAND 4 - HALL 5BIS www.aquafarmexpo.it.

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 61

insights

Victam Asia and Health & Nutrition Asia 2024 will take place from March 12 - 14, 2024 at BITEC Exhibition Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Victam Asia is the premier event for the sophisticated technology that is required in the processing and manufacture for the animal feed industry. The show also covers the important and very necessary ancillary equipment and systems that are utilized in a feed mill. Victam is also the event for ingredients and additives that are used within the formulation of safe and cost effective animal feeds.

Victam Asia 2024 and Health & Nutrition consists of 2 main profiles: animal feed technology and animal health and nutrition.

Co-located is Grapas Asia, the event dedicated to the grain and rice processing industries within Asia. Each of the shows is complimented by a number of conferences on various current topics within the mentioned industries.

VIV animal health & nutrition Asia addresses fast-moving sectors such as feed ingredients & additives, pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical ingredients, genetics and more.

The Grapas event also displays ancillary equipment that is found within a mill, but its main coverage is for specialist systems and technology used within rice & flour mills, together with additional exhibits for grain storage, preservation and transportation. The show also profiles noodle, breakfast cereals and extruded snack production.

VICTAM insights - February 2024 | 62

Up-coming events

https://victamasia.com

https://victamlatam.com

https://victaminternational.com

March 12-14, 2024

VICTAM Asia 2024 in co-location with Health & Nutrition Asia

Bangkok, Thailand

March 12-14, 2024

GRAPAS Asia 2024

Bangkok, Thailand

September 16-18, 2025

Victam LatAm 2025

Sao Paulo

September 16-18, 2025

GRAPAS LatAm 2025

Sao Paulo

June 2-4, 2026

VICTAM International 2026

Utrecht, The Netherlands

June 2-4, 2026

GRAPAS Europe 2026

Utrecht, The Netherlands

VICTAM insights - February 2024 | 63

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

Air products Kaeser Kompressoren +49 9561 6400 www.kaeser.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/okuN

Additives DSM +43 2782 8030 www.dsm.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/uJDB

Cablevey Conveyors +1 641 673 8451 https://cablevey.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/EKbO Vigan Enginnering +32 67 89 50 41 www.vigan.com myaqua.info/aXKo

Computer software Inteqnion +31 543 49 44 66 www.inteqnion.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/mSNu

Bühler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/qREy

Liptosa +34 902 157711 www.liptosa.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/iZqf

FAMSUN +86 514 85828888 www.famsungroup.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/Esjj

SAS Laboratories Phode +33 5 63 77 80 60 www.phode.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/XtAr

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/eCVS

Romer Labs +43 2272 6153310 www.romerlabs.com PROFILE: aqfeed.info/e/1610

Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/JEzZ 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. myaqua.info/JEzZ

Coolers & driers

Jefo +1 450 799 2000 https://jefo.ca PROFILE: myaqua.info/mQBf

Analysis the market place

Drum filters

Conveyors Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/JEzZ

Wenger Manufacturing +1 785-284-2133 www.wenger.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/plVJ

Elevator buckets Tapco Inc +1 314 739 9191 www.tapcoinc.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/rCyw

Bulk storage TSC Silos +31 543 473979 www.tsc-silos.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/YZlV

64 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Elevator & conveyor components

Liptosa +34 902 15 77 11 www.liptoaqua.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/iZqf

4B Braime +44 113 246 1800 www.go4b.com myaqua.info/vPJh

TekPro +44 1692 403403 www.tekpro.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/QcZG

ExtruTech Inc +1 785 284 2153 www.extru-techinc.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/DhbW

Tietjen Verfahrenstechnik GmbH +49 4106 6333 0 www.tietjen-original.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/wiyw

Extruders Almex +31 575 572666 www.almex.nl PROFILE: myaqua.info/zjHK

GePro +49 54415 925252 www.ge-pro.de myaqua.info/UzqV Grand Fish Feed +202 20 650018 www.grand-aqua.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/mqSu Jefo +1 450 799 2000 https://jefo.ca PROFILE: myaqua.info/mQBf

Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/prYd

Fish Graders Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE:myaqua.info/JEzZ

Fish pumps Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/JEzZ

Grinders Grand Fish Feed +202 20 650018 www.grand-aqua.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/mqSu

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/zQxZ

Pulverisers IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/eCVS

Probiotics

Hammermills INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MEDIAKIT 2024

Tietjen Verfahrenstechnik GmbH +49 4106 6333 0 www.tietjen-original.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/wiyw

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY OPPDRETTSTEKNOLOGI

Hydronix +44 1483 468900 www.hydronix.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/FkMu

FISH FARMING

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY 鱼类养殖 技术 FISH FARMING

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUCIONES DE ALIMENTACIÓN AUTÓNOMAS

Comprender el comportamiento de los peces para alimentarlos manera más de eficiente

2022年01月

- Dietas bajas en harina de pescado

- 调理和造粒:注重 确的过程和选择 寻找正 正确的 饲料原料

2022

2023 2 - Febrero 26 - Número

- Innovative use in phytogenics - MEGATHREATS: Dangerous Trends and Implications for Aquaculture

在后抗生素时 动物和鱼类 代饲养 - 新冠肺炎时代的 在适应性安全网 恢复力: 中着陆 - 气候变化:它将如 何影响 海产品行业

卷第 1 -

- Kvinner i akvakultur - Net9-systemet: Teknologi med potensial til å firedoble skotsk produksjon

- Volumen

- Vitamin C i akvakultur ¡Vea nuestro archivo y ediciones de idioma en su móvil!

La fortaleza de Escocia en acuacultura - Optimizar la acuacultura para alimentar al mundo - Proyecto de impacto social para acuacultura a pequeña escala la - Eficacia y calidad producción de de la piensos Un caso de estudio en Egipto: - Clave para aumentar el rendimiento, la salud y la sostenibilidad del camarón - Inteligencia artificial & el pez www.aquafeed.co.uk limpiador www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

6 - Julio

- El cultivo del abulón: Prepararse para los retos y perspectivas que se avecinan

- Bringing nature to shrimp feeds: How can plant extracts contribute to disease management - Barramundi Resilience: Navigating Climate Challenges with Adaptability

Aquafeed

- Optimización de las dietas acuícolas con metionina

- Akvakulturledere på leting etter å avdekke fremtidens fôringredienser - Insekter til fôr og mat

International

26 - Nummer 3 Mars 2023

- Detección de alimentos funcionales mediante métodos de cultivo celular

International Aquafeed - Årgang

- Algal carotenoids as pigments for salmonids - Extruded aquafeed: A new technology for improved quality control - Shrimp farming: Developing an easy to manage & predictable technology package

- Impulsar una nutrición acuícola sostenible

Orgulloso partidario de Acuacultura sin Fronteras UK CIO

MARZO 2022

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

MArs 2023

Stolt støttespiller for Akvakultur uten grenser UK CIO

Orgulloso colaborador de Acuacultura sin Fronteras UK CIO

FEbrErO 2023

- 第25 -

Aquafeed

- 精准养鱼

- 贝类养殖中的远 利用大数据和无 程监测: 习更好地预测生 监督学 生态系统影响 产力和

无国界水产养殖 的骄傲支持者英 国首席信息官

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

2022年01月

- Volume

SEpTEMBER 2023

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

Aquafeed

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

International

SEpTEMbER2022

25 - Issue

Trusted publications for your industry International

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

Organiske syrer og essensielle oljer øker tarmhelsen for regnbueørret

- September 2023

- Crear impacto social a través de la actividad acuícola sostenible

Desarrollan soluciones para una industria acuícola más ecológica

- Volume 26 - Issue 9

LAS CUERDAS BIOBASED

- Sustainable fish ingredients: How cereals are being valourised & repurposed for aquafeed

TAKING CONTROL OF WATER TREATMENT: The sustainable way

International Aquafeed

THE NORWEGIAN SALMON EYE: A floating exhibition devoted to aquaculture

25 - Issue 9 - September 2022

Moisture analysers

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

25 - Issue 3 - Marzo 2022

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: myaqua.info/loTI

Alltech +44 1780 764512 www.alltechcoppens.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/mTpk

Biorigin www.biorigin.net PROFILE: myaqua.info/SGjW

FAMSUN +86 514 87848880 www.muyang.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/Esjj

Faivre + 33 3 81 84 01 32 www.faivre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/JEzZ

Aller Aqua +45 70 22 19 10 www.aller-aqua.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/AnqC

Anpario +44 1909 537 380 www.anpario.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/uyJL

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: myaqua.info/loTI

Fish counters

Feed and ingredients Adisseo +33 1 46 747104 www.adisseo.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/iGee

Buhler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/qREy

International Aquafeed - Volume

Zheng Chang +86 2164184200 www.zhengchang.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/zQxZ

Plants

International Aquafeed - Volume

Wenger Manufacturing +1 785-284-2133 www.wenger.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/plVJ

PTN +31 73 54 984 72 www.ptn.nl PROFILE: myaqua.info/Zapi

Van Aarsen International +31 475 579 444 www.aarsen.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/sBGT

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/eCVS Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/prYd

IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/eCVS

Feed Mill

Equipment for sale

Buhler AG +41 71 955 11 11 www.buhlergroup.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/qREy

Pellet mill

Phileo (Lesaffre animal care) +33 3 20 81 61 00 www.lesaffre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/vqCK

Enzymes DSM +43 2782 8030 www.dsm.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/uJDB

Symrise https://aquafeed.symrise.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/fEOD

- Sistemas terrestres de acuacultura de recirculación - Navegando tiempos disruptivos - Pepino de mar: Investigación 在您的手机上查 de la maricultura 看我们的存档和 de Holothuria 其他语言版本！ scabra en Indonesia

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

See our archive and language editions on your mobile!

JULIO 2022

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS

2024

PANDEMIC PROOF SOLUTIONS FOR

A EVER

CHANGING WORLD DON’T MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE, BE SEEN EVERYWHERE THAT MATTERS ALLOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO FIND YOU HOW THEY PREFER

Packaging FAWEMA / The Packaging Group +49 22 63 716 0 www.fawema.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/oeDC

Paddle Mixer IDAH +866 39 902701 www.idah.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/eCVS

Palatability enhancers

65 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

PRINT - DIGITAL - MOBILE - CONTEN

T - SOCIAL MEDIA - EXHIBITIONS - TRAININ

G - VIDEO

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

REGISTER NOW Aquaculture UK AVIEMORE, SCOTLAND

14-15 MAY 2024

THE UK’S LARGEST TRADE SHOW FOR THE AQUACULTURE COMMUNITY

66 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

TSC Silos +31 543 473979 www.tsc-silos.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/YZlV

DSM-Firmenich +43 2782 8030 www.dsm.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/uJDB

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.

Dinnissen BV +31 77 467 3555 www.dinnissen.nl PROFILE: myaqua.info/loTI

Weighing equipment Ottevanger +31 79 593 22 21 www.ottevanger.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/prYd

To visit the online market place visit: http://myaqua.info/qayv

INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MEDIAKIT 2024

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

Yeast products FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY OPPDRETTSTEKNOLOGI

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

TECHNOLOGY 鱼类养殖技术 FISH FARMING

在后抗生素 动物和鱼类 时代饲养

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUCIONES DE ALIMENTACIÓN AUTÓNOMAS

Comprender el comportamiento de los peces para alimentarlos manera más de eficiente

- 新冠肺炎时代 在适应性安全 的恢复力: 网中着陆 - 气候变化:它 海产品行业 将如何影响

- Dietas bajas en harina de pescado 2022

- 调理和造粒: 注重寻找正 确的过程和选 择正确的 饲料原料

6 - Julio

2023 2 - Febrero 26 - Número

- Innovative use in phytogenics - MEGATHREATS: Dangerous Trends and Implications for Aquaculture

- Optimizar la acuacultura para alimentar al mundo - Proyecto de impacto social para acuacultura a pequeña escala la - Eficacia y calidad producción de de la piensos Un caso de estudio en Egipto: - Clave para aumentar el rendimiento, la salud y la sostenibilidad del camarón - Inteligencia artificial & el pez www.aquafeed.co.uk limpiador www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

2022年01月

- Kvinner i akvakultur - Net9-systemet: Teknologi med potensial til å firedoble skotsk produksjon

- Volumen

- Vitamin C i akvakultur ¡Vea nuestro archivo y ediciones de idioma en su móvil!

- Barramundi Resilience: Navigating Climate Challenges with Adaptability

卷第 1 -

- El cultivo del abulón: Prepararse para los retos y perspectivas que se avecinan

- Akvakulturledere på leting etter å avdekke fremtidens fôringredienser - Insekter til fôr og mat

La fortaleza de Escocia en acuacultura

Aquafeed

26 - Nummer 3 Mars 2023

- Optimización de las dietas acuícolas con metionina

International Aquafeed - Årgang

25 - Issue 3 - Marzo 2022

- Detección de alimentos funcionales mediante métodos de cultivo celular

- Bringing nature to shrimp feeds: How can plant extracts contribute to disease management

International

- Crear impacto social a través de la actividad acuícola sostenible

- Algal carotenoids as pigments for salmonids - Extruded aquafeed: A new technology for improved quality control - Shrimp farming: Developing an easy to manage & predictable technology package

- September 2023

- Sustainable fish ingredients: How cereals are being valourised & repurposed for aquafeed

Organiske syrer og essensielle oljer øker tarmhelsen for regnbueørret

Desarrollan soluciones para una industria acuícola más ecológica

- Volume 26 - Issue 9

LAS CUERDAS BIOBASED

A floating exhibition devoted to aquaculture

TAKING CONTROL OF WATER TREATMENT: The sustainable way

International Aquafeed

THE NORWEGIAN SALMON EYE:

- Impulsar una nutrición acuícola sostenible

Orgulloso partidario de Acuacultura sin Fronteras UK CIO

MARZO 2022

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

Stolt støttespiller for Akvakultur uten grenser UK CIO

MArs 2023

Orgulloso colaborador de Acuacultura sin Fronteras UK CIO

FEbrErO 2023

25 - Issue

Aquafeed

- 精准养鱼

- 贝类养殖中的 利用大数据和 远程监测: 习更好地预测 无监督学 生态系统影响 生产力和

无国界水产养殖 的骄傲支持者英 国首席信息官

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnolog y.net

2022年01月

- Volume

SEpTEMBER 2023

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

Aquafeed

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.net

International

SEpTEMbER2022

- 第25 -

Trusted publications for your industry International

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

Phileo (Lesaffre animal care) +33 3 20 81 61 00 www.lesaffre.fr PROFILE: myaqua.info/vqCK

FISH FARMING

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY

International Aquafeed - Volume

Leiber GmbH +49 5461 93030 www.leibergmbh.de PROFILE: myaqua.info/e/gTlw

25 - Issue 9 - September 2022

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.

Vacuum

International Aquafeed - Volume

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.

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

- Sistemas terrestres de acuacultura de recirculación - Navegando tiempos disruptivos - Pepino de mar: Investigación 在您的手机上查 de la maricultura 看我们的存档和 de Holothuria 其他语言版本！ scabra en Indonesia

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

See our archive and language editions on your mobile!

JULIO 2022

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology. net

www.aquafeed.co.uk www.fishfarmingtechnology.ne t

ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS

2024

PANDEMIC PROOF SOLUTIONS FOR

A EVER CHANGING

WORLD DON’T MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE, BE SEEN EVERYWHERE THAT MATTERS ALLOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO FIND YOU HOW THEY PREFER

PRINT - DIGITAL - MOBILE - CONTENT

Proud supporter of Aquaculture without Frontiers UK CIO

- SOCIAL MEDIA - EXHIBITIONS - TRAIN

ING - VIDEO

RAS Equipment Fish Farm Feeder +34 886 317 600 www.fishfarmfeeder.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/PKBM 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 Aqua Ultraviolet +1 952 296 3480 www.aquauv.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/KbEj

Silos

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

FAMSUN +86 514 85828888 www.famsungroup.com PROFILE: myaqua.info/Esjj

http://myaqua.info/qayv

67 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

the interview Keith Davidson

Chief Technology Officer, Ace Aquatec, Scotland Keith Davidson was appointed Chief Technology Officer at Ace Aquatec in August this year. With a wealth of experience in leading global technology teams, including in North America, Europe and Asia, Keith now works alongside the Ace Aquatec team to further develop and expand the company’s welfare-first aquaculture technologies.

You have a rich career in the industry, what initially lead you to this field?

My career has been spread over numerous industries driven by a curiosity for all things technology. I often describe myself as a maker, applying the skills I have accumulated in electronics, electrical – even mechanical – engineering, through to most of my recent career in cloud system/software engineering. Coming into aquaculture and Ace Aquatec gives me a unique opportunity to work across all of these engineering disciplines solving problems for customers.

As the CTO of Ace Aquatec, you’ve undoubtedly encountered various challenges in the aquafeed industry. Can you share a particularly significant obstacle you’ve faced and how your personal values and leadership philosophy guided you through it?

From my perspective a major challenge in the aquaculture industry and particularly in aquafeed is being able to represent the health and status of fish while they mature towards harvest time. A large proportion of the information is collected manually, which inherently leads to an accuracy challenge, whether through error or limited manual sampling. The inaccuracy of primary inputs that determine the correct feeding programs has a direct impact on the profitability of the farms and can be impactful to the environment. These practices, although questionable from an accuracy perspective, are the way it has been done to date.

To change this, we need to make it easier and safer to collect accurate information on the condition of the fish and to collect much more data.

My view is that the sophistication of our systems like our A-BIOMASS™ will transform farmers’ decision making. We just need to provide the key information that is actionable by them in a simple, understandable way. It must be incredibly simple to use and its accuracy, although high, has to constantly improve and bring a richness of insights to the farms, allowing them to make key decisions effectively. Ideally, progress towards automation in the growth to feed to harvest cycle.

My leadership approach is always based around principles and holding to them. Such as always listening to the customer, continuous improvement, innovate for good, keep it simple.

Sustainability is a key aspect of Ace Aquatec’s mission. What are your personal beliefs regarding the importance of sustainability in aquaculture, and how do they align with the company’s goals and practices?

I have a strong belief in sustainability and conservation, holding those beliefs and practices for many years, so Ace Aquatec’s mission aligns with my personal beliefs and was key in me joining the company.

The application of technology for good is a very strong driver for me.

When we are designing our products, processes, and practices as a company it is always at the forefront of our discussions. It is very

common in Ace Aquatec for our team to challenge approaches to ensure we are holding to our mission in as many aspects as possible.

I firmly believe that goals and practices have to be engrained in organisations for them to be realised fully and I believe this is the case for Ace Aquatec.

Collaboration is often essential in driving innovation. Can you share your thoughts on the importance of partnerships and knowledgesharing within the aquafeed sector, and how these collaborations have influenced your leadership style?

Collaboration is essential in any endeavour in my opinion, we look to work with partners, even those who may seem to be competitors.

Whether this is partnering in the manufacturing of our products or looking to work with others that are using data to help the industry predict/detect the health of fish. From my perspective it is essential that we keep the customers in mind which means if we don’t have a piece of the puzzle, we should work with others to integrate other pieces so that the customer can benefit.

There are areas in the overall industry where sharing global and regional knowledge/data on a constant basis could help the industry improve, protecting both business returns and the environment.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing challenges or opportunities in the aquafeed industry today?

All challenges are opportunities is my belief. In the aquafeed industry the key challenge is understanding the nutritional needs of species so that the right kind of feed can be created and delivered in a manner that reduces the impact to the environment and optimises production.

To do this, it is essential that data is collected for researchers/farmers to study and identify the optimal ingredients and rate of consumption.

This data needs to be as comprehensive as possible, allowing farmers to instantly access and monitor details of biomass and all the impacts – from feed and consumption to predation and other health indicators.

One place to access all the data that is needed for farmers to provide care for their fish and to optimise growth cycles up to harvest.

Where do you think the industry will be in 2050?

I see an industry where there are detailed feed profiles available that are scientifically formulated to produce high quality fish. Farms and producers will have access to insights that allow them to adjust feed profiles on a daily basis, taking into account the farm’s conditions, including impactful events such as environmental changes or predator interference. These insights will inform producers of fish stock density levels, feed rates, and biomass levels, ensuring that their fish can be grown in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.

68 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

International Aquafeed - February 2024 | 69

People

THE INDUSTRY FACES SYMRISE APPOINTS BUSINESS AND PARTNER DEVELOPMENT MAKER In a strategic move to further solidify its presence in the Chinese market, the Aqua Feed division of Symrise announces the appointment of Richard Liu as the Business and Partner Development Manager for the Chinese market, effective December 2023.

Extensive qualifications underline Richard’s appointment. He holds a master’s degree in food quality management from Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands). His academic background and industry experience position him as an asset to the strategic aquafeed objectives of Symrise in the Chinese market.

“It feels exciting to join a world leading company by working in an increasing and promising market. The demand for high quality proteins grows constantly to meet out human food consumption requirements. In this area, we can contribute to the aqua market of China with our expertise”, explained Richard Liu. Symrise Aqua Feed specialises in developing, testing and manufacturing sustainable ingredients and palatability enhancers. They help aquafeed manufacturers produce high performance diet and feed with low carbon footprint.

SYMRISE AQUA FEED ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF EDUARDO HUREL AS LATIN AMERICA AND NORTH AMERICA SALES DIRECTOR Since October 1st, Eduardo oversees the business and performance in Latin America and North America of Symrise Aqua Feed. Based in Duran, Ecuador, he will also define and manage the sales and marketing strategy of his zone.

Eduardo has been part of Symrise since 2018, he successfully developed the fish and shrimp hydrolysate business in Ecuador and Latin America. His experience and acknowledge of the market will help him to succeed in his new role.

Symrise Aqua Feed specialises in developing, testing and manufacturing sustainable ingredients and palatability enhancers that help aquafeed manufacturers produce high performance diet and feed with low carbon footprint.

ALLTECH APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL OFFICER E Michael Castle II has been appointed chief operations and financial officer at Alltech. Castle has been with Alltech for 19 years, most recently serving as chief operating officer and CEO of the Alltech Feed Division. He has deep experience in the business globally, having also served as chief administrative and legal officer, among other roles.

Castle began his career at Alltech as an engineering intern. He went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Washington University St Louis School of Law and then returned to Alltech.

“Having worked with Alltech for almost two decades. Mike has Alltech DNA through and through. He worked closely with our leadership team and my father on many of the most important deals in our history. Since the passing of Dr Pearse Lyons in 2018, Mike and I have worked hand in globe to lead the business,” said Dr Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “In all his endeavours, Mike has demonstrated unparalleled dedication, exemplary leadership and passion for excellence. He is an invaluable asset to Alltech – and a trusted friend and colleague to me. There is no one better prepared – and no one I’d rather work alongside – to lead Alltech into the future.”

NEW APPOINTMENT? - TELL THE INDUSTRY! A growing team? New appoiunments? Industry Awards for individual in your organisation? - Send news about your team to joyn@perendale.co.uk

70 | February 2024 - International Aquafeed

DRUM

FILTERS

Since 1958, Faivre has developed and manufactured high quality equipment for the aquaculture industry.

A complete range of filters, built to handle from 3 l/s to 1200 l/s

NEW Spiderplate ®

Available now

PACK

15 different packs, made to manage fish from 1g. to 3,5kg.

+

= GRADING

+

www.faivregroup.com TRUSTED EXPERIENCE SINCE 1958

FAIVRE Group l

7 rue de l’industrie l

2 5 11 0 B a u m e - L e s - D a m e s l F r a n c e