January 11, 2007

PUFA without fishmeal or oil?

An eFeedLink Exclusive

As global supplies of fishmeal and oil decline, aquaculturists are dreaming of the day when high quality fishfeed that fulfils the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) nutrition requirement can be made with ever lower levels of fishmeal and oil, or even with none at all.

That might not be a far-fetched possibility. Dr Carsten Schulz, of the University of Humboldt in Berlin, shares that several alternative protein sources, particularly from plants, could prove effective with greater research into their dietary protein levels and effective utilisation. What remains at present a still grey area, is whether both fishmeal and fish oil can be replaced in the diets of aquatic species without drastic effects on the PUFA levels of aquatic species.

The shortage of marine-sourced PUFA would definitely impact Asia, which produces over 90 percent of the world's aquaculture. Dr Schulz advocates a sustainable approach towards the raising of omnivorous and herbivorous fish species, by integrating their production in with other agri-farming systems.

For a full transcript of the interview, click here.