AquaVision 2016, a world business conference on aquaculture recently held in Norway, looked "beyond tomorrow", trying to find how aquaculture can contribute to sustainable growth strategies in feeding the world's growing population. On the last day, it awarded EnviroFlight LLC an innovation award for developing proprietary technologies that enable the rearing of non-pathogenic black soldier fly larvae in an industrially scalable manner. Using black soldier fly larvae addresses two problems: food waste and feeding a growing global population.

AQUAVISION 2016 HIGHLIGHTS

'Sustainable aquaculture could feed world'…

The aquaculture industry can provide long-term solutions for many of the most pressing challenges facing the world by following sustainable growth strategies, delegates were told at the three-day AquaVision 2016 held recently in Norway.

Speaking on the aquaculture business conference's theme "Beyond Tomorrow", Yu Sato, chair of the board with the Cermaq Group AS, said: "Indeed, sustainable aquaculture, including salmon farming, holds the key to meeting many global challenges, including feeding the world's growing population and helping public health. It also has a low carbon footprint and can provide many local jobs and other social benefits".

Sato highlighted some of the key reasons why its parent company, the Mitsubishi Corporation, is switching its focus from the wild-catch sector to farmed production.

Cermaq, he said, aims to move closer to the consumer in the value chain and build a new marketing focus to learn more about their needs. Toward this end, it is in the process of setting up new sales organisation in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, Sato disclosed.

"I want to see the sustainable growth of the salmon farming industry. In order to achieve that, I believe we need to increase the worldwide demand. To have a healthy and sustainable international market, we need stable prices and stable supply", he said.

"I have strong confidence in the potential of this industry to achieve growth", he added.

AquaVision took place in Stavanger, Norway, on June 13-15.

…EnvironFlight LLC wins the innovation award   

EnviroFlight LLC was declared the winner of the "DSM Innovation Award in Aquaculture" at AquaVision 2016 held in Norway last June13-15.

The DSM Innovation Award in Aquaculture was created to reflect DSM's dedication to provide industry leading micronutrient innovations in aquaculture worldwide as well as the role of AquaVision as a global forum to promote innovation in aquaculture.

Applications for the award that honours transformative innovation within the aquaculture industry were received from across the world and evaluated by a jury of specialists.

Christian Martin, global category manager of aquaculture at DSM Nutritional Products, presented the award and a prize of EUR10,000 to Glen Courtright, EnviroFlight president and founder, on June 15 at AquaVision.

 

EnviroFlight has developed proprietary technologies that enable the rearing of non-pathogenic black soldier fly larvae in an industrially scalable manner. This innovative and responsible approach has considerable potential within the multibillion-euro aquaculture feed industry as it will provide an environmentally friendly, toxin-free and sustainable protein source.

Using black soldier fly larvae in this manner addresses two problems: food waste and feeding a growing global population. EnviroFlight's technology can be used to recover the nutrients from food waste streams that would otherwise go to landfill by converting them into products that can feed farmed aquatic and land-based animals.

U.S.-INFLICTED 'WOES'

Indian shrimp exporters suffer

Increased refusals of Indian shrimp exports by the US due to antibiotic residues, besides anti-dumping levies, is hobbling the country's seafood sector.    

In the first five months, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused 39 shrimp entry lines from India, which is more than the 34 entry-line refusals for the whole of 2015. This is a cause for concern as the US, as of fiscal year 2015, is the largest market for Indian seafood exports, 70% of which comprise aquaculture products. In the same year, export of frozen shrimp to the US grew 17.49% in volume and 12.87% in dollar terms.

But FDA refusals are up 30% so far, compared with 2015, according to a news report from the Indian newspaper Financial Express. The rate can possibly go up further as the FDA is reportedly inspecting more imported seafood items in 2016.

Adding to the industry's misery is the US government's recent hike in the anti-dumping duty imposed on Indian frozen shrimp imports. The preliminary average duty increased to 4.89% in the 10th annual review of dumping duties, compared with 2.96% in the ninth review, which covered Feb. 1, 2013 to Jan. 31, 2014, Financial Express reported.

The effect of the anti-dumping duty since 2004, when it was imposed by the US Department of Commerce, is evident in the decrease of Indian shrimp exporting companies to the US from 228 12 years ago to less than 75 today.

Another challenge that the Indian aquaculture industry faces is the lobbying of the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries against low-priced shrimp imports from seven countries including India. The association of shrimp farmers claims that these imports have depressed domestic prices and eroded domestic sales, among others.

The Indian government, in an apparent move to prop up the industry, has reportedly announced new rules allowing 100% foreign ownership in its fisheries and aquaculture sector including breeding and brood stock. This is a radical change in its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, which it hopes will help the country boost its fish and shrimp production and exports of high-value products.

 

INDUSTRY PARTNER

Lallemand joins research on salmon sea lice
 

Lallemand Animal Nutrition will contribute to a research project that will tackle the problem of sea lice infestation in salmon production.

The company will be an industry partner in the project, which is led by Plymouth University and the Universidad de Chile and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Chilean government.

Sea lice infestation is costing the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry millions of euros in lost stock and treatment costs. It is a major factor limiting growth in the global salmonid aquaculture sector. Economic losses associated with infections cost the Chilean aquaculture industry in excess of EUR113 million (US$127 million) per year, and it represents a major risk for global food security.

The two-year project will bring together experts across biotechnology, microbiology, immunology and pathology to study the effect lice have upon the salmon's skin and gut defenses, the way lice hamper physiological processes and their ability to withstand other infections.

The researchers will look at the efficacy of dietary supplements on the fish's immune system, microbes on the skin and the salmon's ability to develop resistance to sea lice infestation, as well as investigate the impact of dietary supplements upon the lice. These findings will then be validated on a commercial farming scale to help make suitable future treatment strategies for aquaculture to improve the salmon's resistance to infestation.

"This basic work is absolutely necessary to develop an efficient nutritional strategy to mitigate the impact of sea lice", Dr. Mathieu Castex, R&D director for Lallemand Animal Nutrition, said. "Finally, efforts will be dedicated to establish the link with subsequent phenotypic characteristics associated to lice infestation".

HOW ABOUT INSECT MEAL?

Aqua confab tackles fishmeal substitutes

 

Replacement of fish meal and fish oil by alternative feed resources was one of the topics discussed in the recent International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF) held in Idaho, USA.

Possible alternatives to fish meal explored by speakers in the session on feed resources include plant and terrestrial animal meals, insect meal, camelin oil, cottonseed meal, and DHA-rich micro-algae.

Dr. Peter Coutteau, business director aquaculture at Nutriad, talked on the use of purified bile salts to replace fish oil, lecithin and cholesterol in diets for whiteleg shrimp Penaeus Vannamei.

An extensive session on nutrition and health focused on the importance of gut health in aquaculture organisms. The nutrigenomics session illustrated the recent advances in the understanding of nutritional metabolism, a promising area to support innovative studies in aquaculture nutrition.

The scientific contributions from Chinese participants at the conference showed that China is increasing its research capacities and focus on aquaculture nutrition.

Nutriad, ISFNF conference sponsor, introduced its specialty additive programs on aquaculture health and digestion. These product ranges directly address some of the nutritional and health challenges participants are facing.
 

STILL LEADING

Vietnamese shrimp exports to Japan down 0.1%

Vietnam has remained the leading shrimp supplier to Japan despite a 0.1% decline in exports in terms of value (down to US$145.7 million) during the period January-April 2016.

The decline was attributable to a weak yen, economic downturn and high shrimp price, according to the the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep).

Based on statistics from the International Trade Centre, according to Vasep, total shrimp imports into Japan in January-April 2016 reached 62,300 tonnes, worth US$645.7 million, or up 11.4% in volume and 2.9% in value from the same period last year. The rise was attributed to lower average import price and recovery in domestic consumption.

The ITC figures showed that Vietnam remained as the largest shrimp supplier to Japan. Thailand, Indonesia and India held the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank, respectively. Among the top 10 largest suppliers to Japan, shrimp imports from Indonesia and China also decreased in volume and value during the same period. Imports from Thailand and India rose both in volume and value.

Remarkably, shrimp imports from India rose sharply 70% and 55.4% in volume and value, respectively. Due to economic downturn, Japanese importers tend to purchase cheap shrimp from India, Vasep noted.

In the four months through April, the average price of shrimp imported into Japan was $10.23/kg, lower than last year ($11.25/kg). Among top four leading suppliers to Japan, the average import price from Indonesia reached the highest, followed by Vietnam. 

According to Vasep, shrimp demand from Japan is growing, particularly cooked and ready-to-eat whole shrimp.

       

EVONIK SCIENTISTS' TARGET

Making salmons, shrimps vegetarians

Evonik scientists' long-term intention is to turn salmon, shrimp, and other marine animals into vegetarians, the company said.

They are looking to replace the fishmeal and fish oil produced from wild-caught fish that is used in feeds. Farmed fish play a key role in providing healthy nutrition for the world's population. "Thanks to modern fish farming concepts and our amino-acid products, it is already possible to achieve significant reductions in the proportion of fishmeal used in feeds. Now we're working on sustainable alternatives to fish oil," Christoph Kobler, who heads the Sustainable Healthy Nutrition Product Line at Evonik, explained.

Evonik is one of the world's leading providers of amino acids and amino-acid derivatives for modern animal nutrition. The company sees itself as a technological leader in this field, and is expanding its product portfolio to encompass healthy and sustainable animal nutrition.

According to estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), some 147 million tonnes of fish were consumed in 2014, over half of which were products of aquaculture. And demand is rising: in order to be able to feed the growing global population, another 50 million tonnes will be needed by 2030. As oceans are already overfished and the fish catches are stagnating, the UN organisation believes that this additional demand can only be met through aquaculture.

Certain fish and crustaceans raised on aquafarms—such as salmon, trout and black tiger shrimp—are actually carnivores or omnivores. As such, feeds for these animals include fishmeal. Fishmeal contains important amino acids that the animals need to grow. Some three-quarters of the fishmeal and fish oil produced worldwide are channeled into aquaculture, representing a major strain on marine resources.

In order to turn salmon, shrimp, and other aquatic species into vegetarians—and protect the oceans in the process—it is not enough to substitute fishmeal, an animal source of protein, with soy or another plant-based source. The resulting feeds would not contain the right composition or amount of amino acids such as methionine to meet the animals' needs. Hence, their ability to utilise their food would not be optimal, and animals would have to consume more protein. As a result, the excretion of unused nitrogen-containing metabolites occurs, leading to not just the waste of scarce resources but also causing water pollution.

Evonik researchers began looking for a solution to this problem nearly 10 years ago, developing special amino acids and amino-acid derivatives for fish and crustaceans aimed at making fishmeal largely unnecessary in aquaculture in the future. The underlying principle is to selectively add amino acids such as methionine and lysine to vegetable-based feeds, improving them to the point where salmon and other marine animals can make optimum use of vegetable proteins as well. The most important task here has been to develop products tailored to the needs of individual fish species.

Evonik researchers have managed to develop an improved source of methionine that shrimp can consume and metabolise at the right time and in the right amount. This new dipeptide consists of two methionine molecules and does not dissolve readily in water, which prevents it from leaching out of the feed as quickly.

The company's researchers are now working on replacing fish oil, the second important animal product in fish feed. "This would mean it would be possible to entirely eliminate the use of marine resources like fishmeal and fish oil in the production of fish feed," said Kobler.

Evonik is working with DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. of Kaiseraugst, Switzerland, to develop an algae-based omega-3 fatty acid product for use in animal feeds.

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Indonesian firm to escalate shrimp exports to EU

Indonesian shrimp producer Central Proteina Prima (CP Prima) said it expects to export more frozen shrimp to Europe soon, after recently receiving an international food certification, according to Jakarta Post.

The certification from the US-based Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) means the company is living up to good environmental practices and international standards of hygiene.

"With this certificate, our products will sell better in the international market, especially in Europe," CP Prima president director Irwan Tirtariyadi was quoted as saying.

He said the company plans to send its products to Italy, Cyprus and Scandinavian countries, in addition to its existing markets UK, Holland and Germany.

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First commercial-scale hatchery in Oman

The nascent aquaculture sector of Oman got a boost after the sultanate signed a contract for the first commercial-scale finfish hatchery capable of producing 15 million fingerlings annually.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoAF) and Oman Aquaculture Development Company (OADC) signed a cooperation agreement on Monday, June 27, for the establishment, operation and management of finfish hatchery in the Aquaculture Farming Centre in Al Bustan area, the Muscat Daily reported.

Dr Fuad bin Jaafar bin Mohammed al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Eng Hassan bin Ahmad al Nabhani, chairman of the OADC board of directors, signed the agreement. "Hatchery is one of the basic ingredients for commercial fish farming projects and its presence is important for the development of aquaculture sector in terms of fingerlings supply within the country and reduce dependence on import", the ministry said.