The first salmon raised on insect-based proteins has just been introduced to the seafood industry. A debate as to the sustainability of fishmeal has started following the manufacture of the insect-based feed, which is being dubbed as the Blue Shift. Fishmeal makers, however, insist that the total replacement of fishmeal and fish oil "is unjustified and damaging to the fish farming industry".

 

 

'INSECTMEAL' VS. FISHMEAL

Is insect-based feed for salmon the answer to 'unsustainable' fishmeal?...

 

The production of the world's first ever salmon raised on insect-based proteins has been announced, and the feed is touted as the answer to the "unsustainable" fishmeal.

 

Dutch insect ingredient maker Protix announced the arrival of what it calls the "Friendly Salmon" in early February. It described the breakthrough as "major step towards aquaculture sustainability" or the Blue Shift.

 

"This is a proud moment for Protix and we call it the Blue Shift," said Protix CEO Kees Aarts.

 

"We started in 2009 with the idea to contribute to a sustainable food system and the Friendly Salmon presented today (Feb. 6) is a real example of that. Natural ingredients, no pressure on marine resources and healthy for the fish, the planet and ourselves", Aarts added.

 

The Friendly Salmon was developed in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Norway and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), among others.

 

Protix said the fishmeal made from wild-catch fish, which is believed to be non-sustainable, has

been completely replaced by insect protein during the growth phases in fresh and salt water until they are ready to eat. "The fish grew well, and the health was great throughout the growth stages".

 

Protix CCO Tarique Arsiwalla said, "We're proud to have developed the quality insect ingredients required for a demanding and 'picky' fish species like the Atlantic salmon. We look forward to bringing this natural fish feed ingredient to our customers and partners".

 

The development of the insect-based salmon feed comes on the heels of the EU's adoption of a regulation approving insect meal in aqua feed.

 

Protix last year acquired Fair Insects, a consortium of breeders that have a long history and experience in growing mealworm, cricket and locust. According to Protix, insect-based ingredients "are a giant leap towards a low-footprint future of our food system". 

 

…not totally, says organisation as it claims fishmeal is 'sustainable'

 

The fishmeal and fish oil industry has become defensive after an article, which it described as "damaging to the fish farming industry", came out in a prestigious magazine this week.

 

The article, entitled "Why Salmon Eating Insects Instead of Fish Is Better for Environment" and published on Feb. 5, discusses fishmeal and fish oil replacement with insect-based protein in salmon feed by a Netherlands-based company, apparently Protix.

 

The director-general of the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO), Andrew Mallison, came out with a response on Feb. 8, saying that the article "quotes information that is both out-of-date and incorrect". 

 

"Although we agree with the need for additional feed options in aquaculture to ensure the growth of this vital industry, the total replacement of fishmeal and fish oil, as called for in this article, is unjustified and damaging to the fish farming industry", Mallison said.

 

Mallison debunked claims that the practice of feeding fish to fish was inefficient and unsustainable. "I would argue that responsibly sourced and used strategically, fishmeal and fish oil are both an efficient and sustainable feed choice. The growing management of wild capture fisheries has ensured that in recent years stocks are in fact steady and not declining".

 

He said some small pelagic species that are not so palatable, spoil quickly and are less popular than other local fish are the ones that are being turned into highly nutritious feed.

 

He added that over 45% of the global production of fishmeal and fish oil was independently certified as being safe and environmentally responsible, including in its sourcing of raw materials. The figure, he claimed, "far exceeds any other source of feed ingredient".

 

With regards to the efficiency of the use of fishmeal and fish oil, Mallison said their latest FIFO ((Fish In:Fish Out ratios) using 2015 data showed that the conversion rate of 1 kilogramme of wild fish used in feed created 1.22 kg of farmed salmon. This demonstrated, he added, that "farmed salmon now produce globally more consumable protein than is used in feed".

 

"This ratio is significantly lower than the out-of-date figures quoted in the article", he said.

 

He also insisted that "while insect meal may be a theoretical alternative, the production of the millions of tonnes needed to replace fishmeal is currently not viable".

 

 

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TWICE MORE THAN SHRIMP

Carp leads aquaculture feed production

 

Aquaculture feed produced last year catered more to carps than any other farmed aqua products.

 

Of the total production of aquaculture feed in 2017, 30% consisted of carp feed, followed by shrimp/prawn (15%) and tilapia (13%) feeds, according to the 2018 Alltech Global Feed Survey.

 

Catfish, salmon and trout feeds also ranked, though to lesser degrees (9%, 7% and 3%, respectively). Seabass/sea bream feed constituted only 2% of total aqua feed production last year, while "other" category feeds altogether constituted 21%.

 

The survey said that aquaculture feeds remained stable overall in 2017, with production slightly declining in the Asia-Pacific and European regions but increasing in Latin America and the Middle East.

 

Aquaculture feed production also mainly increased in African countries, but one of the larger producers, Egypt, saw a decline.

 

The survey noted, in particular, the 5% decline in aqua feed output in China in 2017 and 2016 and, to a lesser degree, in the rest of Asia-Pacific, which has been linked to changes in consumption, disease outbreaks and a consolidation of the industry.

 

"Additionally, government controls on feeding practices and food safety, particularly the administration of antibiotics, may be having an influence on production levels", the survey report said.

 

It said farmed fish has experienced strong growth over the past 10 years, and that aquaculture is replacing wild fishing as the primary source of fish for human consumption. 

 

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PRODUCES OVER 2/3 OF WORLD SHRIMP

Asia takes bigger pie of global shrimp trade

 

Asia now dominates the global shrimp trade, accounting for 2.5 million tonnes of the total 3.4 million tonnes of farmed shrimp production last year.

 

This was bared by a panel of industry experts at the 2018 Global Seafood Marketing Conference in Miami, Florida, USA, last Jan. 23-25, Financial Express reported.

 

Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and India, along with China, produced 2.5 million tonnes of farmed shrimp in 2017, or more than two-thirds of the total world production of 3.4 million tonnes, according to data presented.

 

According to the report, India—the world's second-largest producer of farmed shrimp— is expected to grow its shrimp aquaculture output by 10% this year. Indonesia and Vietnam have steady growths, while Thailand is on track to fully recover from the early mortality syndrome (EMS) disease by 2020.

 

Asia's demand for shrimp has also risen, as its imports increased from 15% of global production in 2011 to more than 35% in 2016. Most of the increased demand come from China.

 

The US' share of the import market, meanwhile, has shrunk from around 35% in 2011 to 30% in 2016.

 

"We're really not the big dog in the room anymore," an American panelist was quoted as saying.

 

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SQUID PRODUCTS TAKE LION'S SHARE

Vietnam cephalopod exports up 46% in first 11 months of 2017

 

Vietnam's cephalopod exports as of the end of November 2017 totalled US$570.8 million, up 46% over the same period in 2016, according to the latest data available, as reported by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

 

Vietnam's cephalopod exports in the whole of 2017 is expected to total $655 million, up 49% compared with 2016.

 

Exports of squid products continued to take the main share of Vietnam's cephalopod exports in 2017, accounting for 57% of total export value in the first 11 months of 2017.

 

Fresh/live/frozen squid picked up the highest proportion of 37% of total cephalopod exports, followed by dried/salted/fresh/live/frozen octopus, with 36%.

 

Vietnam exported cephalopod to 62 markets, with the top nine main importing markets accounting for 99% of the total export value in the first 11 months.

 

South Korea remained as Vietnam's largest importer of cephalopod, accounting for 34.8% of Vietnam's total cephalopod exports to markets. In January-November 2017, exports to this market reached $198.4 million, up 34.4% over the year before.

 

The second-biggest importer of Vietnamese cephalopod was Japan, accounting for 23.8% of total Vietnamese cephalopod export value. Sales to Japan in the first 11 months of 2017 were estimated at $135.9 million, up 39% year-on-year.

 

The EU continued to be the third-largest importer of Vietnamese cephalopod in the 11-month period. The value of exports as of November 2017 remarkably increased 63.6% to $98.7 million. Italy, Spain and France remained as top the three buyers of Vietnamese cephalopod in the EU.

 

ASEAN continued to hold the fourth rank, as Vietnam's cephalopod exports to the region in the first 11 months of 2017 touched $66.2 million, up 42.6% over the year before. Thailand and Malaysia were the two major importers of Vietnamese cephalopod in the 10-member ASEAN.

 

Vietnam's cephalopod exports to China and Hong Kong, the fourth-biggest importer, amounted to US$37.8 million, up 145.6% over the same period in 2016.

 

The US ranked 6th among the top importers of Vietnamese cephalopod. Although its imports of Vietnamese shrimp and pangasius decreased, those of cephalopod were up 93.7% to $8.8 million in the first 11 months 2017.