She has also conducted research in the field of pre- and probiotics in fish during a Postdoctoctorate in Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. For the last two years she has been working as a Product Manager of feed additives from natural origin for aquaculture.
What drove your own, unique passion, for the aquaculture industry? How did you come to be involved in this industry?
It all started at the end of my Veterinary degree, when I chose a subject called Aquatic Animals Production. It had always called my attention, but I never thought it would make such a big impact in my professional pathway.
Aquaculture was so different than all the other fields, so refreshing for me in that moment, that I decided to go deeper in it and try to learn as much as possible. In fact, there are not many veterinarians involved in aquaculture, and that made it even more interesting to me, as the potential that came with the challenge seemed major.
Could you tell us some more about what tannins are, and what they do?
Tannins are polyphenols extracted from plants, and they can be of different types. In Tanin Sevnica we work with hydrolysable tannins, a specific type of tannin that has beneficial properties at different levels when included in animal feeds or drinking water.
I would say that tannins are generally known for being antinutritional factors present in plants, but they are in fact beneficial on the health status of animals when the right type of tannin is used in the right amount. I am very eager to keep exploring what tannins can offer to fish and shrimp farming.
What benefits do tannins have for the animal nutrition industry?
Tannins have many different uses in animal nutrition. They are widely used as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent in cases of intestinal problems such as necrotic enteritis in poultry and diarrhoeas in young animals such as piglets and calves.
They are also used to reduce the production of ammonia in farm animals, to improve the faeces consistency in pets, etc. The direct action they exert on the intestine leads to a better performance of the animal.
In fish and shrimp we have also observed a stimulation of immune- and antioxidant-related enzymes and a higher survival, which is something we are ready to continue working on.
Could you tell us more about Tanin Sevnica’s brand for aquatic nutrition?
The line of products for aquaculture is more recent than those for other species. We started with the product Farmatan Aqua, aimed at fish and shrimp, but from there we are now focused in two different lines, Aquatan Fish and Aquatan Shrimp.
We believe that by having this division we will be able to target the main challenges of both industries in a better way. Besides, we are currently doing research in Sapotan, a product aimed at improving the quality of the water in farms.
How much of your research is aimed at improving the health of fish and other aquatic species? How is this achieved?
Fish and shrimp are the most recent animal species to which Tanin Sevnica has committed, after the good results in other monogastric species and in ruminants.
From our colleagues in the research and development department to the laboratory, product managers and partners abroad, we all work together to make sure the products offer a real solution to the current problems the industry is facing. This is achieved by running experimental and farm trials with a predefined clear goal in order to see how each product performs, and by adjusting what needs to be changed or improved from there. Continuous innovation is key.
What do you believe will be a big issue for the aquaculture industry in the next five years, and what can we do to combat and resolve this issue?
I believe that the occurrence of diseases will continue being an issue for which we need to keep working hard. Indeed, one of the biggest challenges I see in the aquaculture industry is how to find the harmony between satisfying the growing consumer demand in a sustainable way and reducing the incidence of diseases.
Aquaculture sometimes suffers from quite a negative public image. How does your company help to address the negative sustainability issues that aquaculture is suffering from, to help show the public that this is in fact a very sustainable, and beneficial industry?
In Tanin Sevnica we produce 100 percent of the tannins we work with. This makes it possible for the company to use every single by-product of the manufacturing process, so the waste is minimised.
Indeed, the overall functioning of our facilities is based on an eco-friendly concept. Hence, our way to promote the sustainability of the industry is by being sustainable ourselves, and let people know.
Our aim is to offer alternative solutions to the use of antibiotics and other chemicals in the aquaculture industry, and that is what we are doing and the message we are taking everywhere we have the chance to work in.
Your company is present in the aquaculture industry, and you clearly also hold a great deal of passion for the industry. How would you recommend young people get involved in this rewarding, and in some ways not very well advertised, industry?
You are correct, it really is a not very well advertised industry, even though I believe this is slowly changing. For instance, aquaculture is now a compulsory subject in the studies program of the faculties of Veterinary Medicine of different countries, whilst it was not when I was a student.
I would definitely encourage young people to explore and to get involved in aquaculture. I would explain them that a lot still needs to be done in order to overcome the existing challenges, meaning there is a very big door open to creativity.
You recently presented about the benefits of tannins at International Aquafeed’s Aquatic Asia Conference at VIV Asia in Bangkok - how was your experience participating in this conference?
It was great! It was a very good opportunity for us to present the results of our work and to start sharing information on the potential of tannins in shrimp farming. Also, the fact that the conference was focused on shrimp made it especially interesting, as it is a production in which there is still so much to do.
Besides, I felt very honoured to speak alongside such important names in the aquaculture industry, as it was the perfect chance for me to learn from their experience. We will stay tuned for information on the future editions!
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