Sustaining the growth of a young industry

							January | February 2010 Feature title: Opportunities for fish pheromones, their applications and role in the sustainability of wild fish stocks
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The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

F: Industry
Table 1: Efficiency of Aquaculture versus Terrestrial Livestock

F: Industry
are well represented and balanced out. In a standards development process, this usually consists of an oversight committee made up of individuals from the industry, government, academia and non-governmental groups, together with experts that form a technical committee. Standards need to adhere to international compliance rules set by the FAO Guidelines for Aquaculture Certification and Global Food Safety Initiative. No standard is ever set in stone; these have to be continually reviewed and revised to ensure relevance to current market trends and industry needs. Standards that are eventually translated to well-recognised certified products build trust and encourage trade. Credible, allencompassing standards also reduce the need for other tests to be carried out, hence streamlining and simplifying procedures. Suppliers can provide a full traceability history to their buyers, thereby building up confidence within the industry and for the industry, while sustaining its growth for future development.

Protein

Feed conversion ratio

Land use efficiency (Kg/ha/ year)

Carbon footprint (Kg CO2-e/ Kg

Beef Pork Poultry Fish

9.0 3.5 2.0 1.8

45 873 7946 7941

14.0 4.8 1.8 2.0

Source: Global Aquaculture Alliance

Sustaining the growth of a
by Daphne Tan

young industry
n increasingly important source of animal protein, aquaculture is the only way to meet the world’s fast growing demand for seafood. Current projections estimate that aquaculture production would need to expand by 40 million tonnes by 2030 in order to keep pace with consumption levels of today.

A

"By creating standards, the industry is acknowledging from the onset its reliance as well as impact on its immediate environment"
This increase is about two-thirds of current production quantities, which in 2007 stood at 65 million tonnes. At the same time, aquaculture provides a means of livelihood for numerous small and medium-sized farmers in developing countries, underscoring its crucial role in income generation and

rural development.Worldwide, employment in aquaculture has grown from five million in 1990 to almost nine million by 2006. Despite unparalleled demand growth for aquaculture products, producers are facing numerous challenges, such as falling prices for their products, higher costs of production, and depleting fishmeal sources. Yet, due to the relative infancy of the industry, aquaculture has had the benefit of tapping on earlier progress achieved in the disciplines of terrestrial animal species with regards to health, genetics, nutrition and management. Limited fishmeal supplies should not curb the growth of aquaculture excessively if effective management strategies are applied. Studies on alternative protein feed sources have found several practical applications in the area of fishmeal replacements in diets for aquatic species. The successful culture and production of SPH (Specific Pathogen Free) P. vannamei shrimp in countries such as Thailand for instance, have shown that the industry is able to tackle once problematic diseases such as Yellow head and White Spot Syndrome virus. “If we do it the right way, aquaculture has tremendous growth potential,” says George Chamberlain of the Global Alliance for Aquaculture in the US, at the Asian

who must take the brunt of responsibilities. Rather than wait for the first signs of a crisis, the industry should step up on biosecurity measures with a view to improving standards rather than in response to a disaster. By creating standards, the industry is acknowledging from the onset its reliance as well as impact on its immediate environment. Aquaculture standards should take into consideration Pacific Aquaculture 2009 in Kuala Lumpur. four broad ranging factors – the Negative media reports have blamed aquaenvironment; social sphere; disculture for a host of problems, such as ease and food safety issues, and the destruction of tropical mangroves, sea traceability. pollution and unethical production and Environmental standards trade practices. All these have adversely should consider the level of effluaffected consumer perceptions of the young ent discharge from farming activiindustry. ties, changes in natural habitats Despite the bad press surrounding and coastlines, and track levels aquaculture’s track record particularly with of water salinisation. Labour respects to the environment, resource rights and safety, and commuand environmental indicators such as feed nity welfare are also crucial to conversion ratio, land-use efficiencies and the social sphere in which many carbon footprint show that aquaculture aquaculture activities take place, farming stacks up favourably against terparticularly those that involve restrial livestock. “If we can eliminate the the contracting of small-holder negative issues and focus on the health farm suppliers. Pathogens such benefits of seafood, the future is bright,” as salmonella, and antibiotics can points out Chamberlain. But this does not wreak havoc on an industry if mean sweeping issues under the rug. Recent standards to control them are experiences in the Chile salmon industry, not put in place and well enforced. where the infectious salmon anaemia virus And winning the confidence of had almost all but destroyed a once thriving the consumer ultimately is all industry, show the need for preventive about supply chain accountability thinking in growing the industry. that involves traceability from the feed mill, hatchery and farm Who is responsible? through to the processing plant. While governments, international Having different stakeholdpolicy-makers, farmers and markets play ers come together ensures a part in shaping the sustainable future that the needs of each group 10 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2010 of aquaculture, it is those in the industry

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34 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2010

January-February 2010 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 35

Photo courtesy of CSIRO

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- in Shrimp feeds

Evaluation of Fishmeal Substitution Utilization of spray-dried Hemoglobin powder Active ingredients for healthy animals
- Rice, the technological ingredient for aquafeed

Opportunities for fish pheromones:
- their applications and role in the sustainability of wild fish stocks
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