New fishmeal alternative may improve Ohio aquaculture sector

A new project that links Ohio's No. 1 fish species with a key field crop could lead to greater sustainability of the state's aquaculture industry while developing new, local agricultural markets.

Ohio State University aquaculturists with OSU South Centers at Piketon are exploring the feasibility of using soy as an alternative to fishmeal, and plan to test the new fishfood product on yellow perch.

The project is supported by a one-year US$50,000 Ohio Soybean Council grant, with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center providing a US$50,000 match.

If successful, soy-based fishmeal and soyoil would be an answer to declining fishmeal production, said Han-Ping Wang, director of the Ohio Aquaculture Research and Development Integration Program, and the university's principal investigator.

''The aquaculture industry demands 25% of the global fishmeal supply and 36% of the global fish oil supply, but fishmeal production is decreasing due to the decline of ocean fish used to make the product,'' said Wang.

He said that currently 54 out of 358 cultured fish species are fed diets containing soymeal or soy products, and with around 1,000 more fish under evaluation as new aquaculture species, opportunities abound for researching and evaluating soy as a viable fish feed.

Wang and his colleagues Geoff Wallat and Laura Tiu are focusing on three project objectives: to determine if genetically improved yellow perch reared on soymeal-based diets perform just as well as those on fishmeal diets and assess whether sufficient genetic variation exists for selective breeding; determine if soymeal-based diets are suitable for spotfin shiners, a popular baitfish; and develop and implement educational programs and promotional materials designed to promote the growth of the aquaculture industry in Ohio.

Ohio's aquaculture industry has exploded over the past decade, increasing from US$1.8 million in 1997 to US$6.6 million in 2007, according to the US Department of Agriculture.