When SUPRA® meets Muketsu netting: An ideal solution for bird nets

by Elihai Radzinski, Fibras Industriales SA, Peru

In past articles we have discussed alternative products that FISA produces for the aquaculture industry and how each product can better adapt to different customer’s needs depending on the species of fish farmed, the oceanographic conditions, potential predator risks and never to forget the working conditions and maintenance system each specific farm utilises for its cages.

We have already discussed the various ropes that can be used for the structure of the cages and mentioned such options as Polysteel, PE, PP, Nylon, Polyester and FISA’s trademark products such as Polymax® and Polytar® ropes.
 

Additionally, we have discussed the various raw materials that can be used for netting. We mentioned some advantages and disadvantages of nylon netting versus polyester netting, the lightweight advantages of UHMWPE and some potential disadvantages of that product and we finished off mentioning FISA’s Supra® Advanced Fibers which is a third generation HDPE netting.

In the following paragraphs we will outline some basic characteristics of the knotted netting, braided netting, raschel netting and Shogun® netting, otherwise known as twisted knotless Muketsu netting.

Raschel “knotless” netting is probably the most common type of netting used in aquaculture. This knotless netting is a low cost knitting manufactured on Raschel-type machines, thus the origin of the name, and is characterised by the relatively fast production process. Raschel netting is normally manufactured using nylon, polyester, polyethylene or multifilament PP.

 A big advantage of Raschel netting is the fact that the nature of the knitting leads to lineal ruptures thus making it much easier to repair. Also, some farmers claim that knotted (twisted or braided) netting can damage the fish skin when it rubs with the knots. We are not sure how to dimension this potential risk in knotted netting, but it must be mentioned.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Kaeser Kompression company profile

Kaeser Kompression provides products, services and complete systems for supplying production and work processes with quality compressed air. The system solutions comprise compressed air generation and treatment and are designed for optimal overall efficiency. The company was founded in 1919 and is represented throughout the world by a comprehensive network of branch offices and strong partners.

Visit the Kaeser Kompression website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

De Heus supports development of aqua farming in Myanmar with opening of new feed mill

On 25th November 2019, De Heus Myanmar celebrated the opening of a dedicated aqua feed production facility in Myanmar. This modern production site will give aquaculture farmers access to the affordable high-quality feeds needed to further improve the development of their farms.

'We are very proud to open our third factory in Myanmar, only three years after the opening of our first animal feed mill near Yangon and the opening of our second feed mill near Mandalay last year.' Says Arno Willemink, Managing Director of De Heus Myanmar.
 

Opening celebration of De Heus Myanmar's new aqua feed production facility
Image credit: De Heus

This new facility allows De Heus to produce more than 200,000 metric tons of aqua feed each year and is situated in Myaung close to Yangon and in the centre of aquaculture farming. With the opening of the new factory, De Heus responds to the growing demand for its aquafeed.

Mr Willemink commented, 'The production of animal protein in Myanmar is developing rapidly. Ultimately the goal is to provide our customers with high-quality feed products, advices and support that enable them to further professionalize their farms and find new markets for their products.'

Koen de Heus, CEO of Royal De Heus said, 'We take pride in the advancement of our customers in a way that enables them to grow their business while at the same time reducing their impact on the local environment. The usage of floating feeds, for instance, lowers water pollution which in turn supports the health of the fish and accelerate growth leading to better proceeds for local farmers.'

'As a family owned company, we value our contribution towards the development of the agricultural sector. Our on-the-farm approach enables us to tailor our advice to the local circumstances of the farmer. It allows us to support farmers in the process of growing their business. Which is why it's such an honor that we are able to open our third facility in Myanmar', added Gabor Fluit Group Director Asia Royal De Heus.

Visit the De Heus website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

MSD Animal Health announces new vaccine against streptococcis

MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, has announced the introduction of a new vaccine AQUAVAC® Strep Sa-Si, to protect against streptococcosis in fish in Latin America.

Indicated for the active immunisation of tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) and other susceptible fish species to reduce mortality and disease due to streptococcosis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (serotype Ib) and Streptococcus iniae, AQUAVAC® Strep Sa-Si Strep Sa-Si has a demonstrated onset of immunity from one week after vaccination, with a demonstrated duration of immunity for at least 12 weeks in laboratory trials and throughout the production cycle in field trials[i].
 

Image credit: NIAID on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

'MSD Animal Health is pleased to announce the approval of a new vaccine that provides protection to tilapia against streptococcosis, the most significant health challenge of tilapia.  AQUAVAC® Strep Sa-Si will benefit tilapia health and tilapia producers throughout Latin America[ii],' said Kasha Cox, Global Lead Aquaculture, MSD Animal Health. 'Tilapia grown in Latin America helps the region meet the growing demand for a safe and affordable protein source that helps contribute to a nutritious diet. MSD Animal Health continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the tilapia producers and the health and welfare of the fish they are raising.'

Read the full article on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Veramaris wins F3 Challenge, named world’s best-selling “fish-free” omega-3 source for aquaculture

Thanks to pioneering Norwegian salmon farmers rapidly adopting Veramaris’ natural marine algal oil, Veramaris outperformed its competition in the “F3 Fish Oil Challenge”. Veramaris sold the largest amount of “fish-free” algal oil rich in EPA & DHA omega-3 and ARA (arachidonic acid) that meets the nutritional requirements of fish.

The F3 Fish Oil Challenge is a US $200,000 prize to accelerate commercial-scale adoption of alternative feed ingredients that reduce the industry’s reliance on wild-caught fish and help aquaculture to continue producing healthy seafood for consumers.
 

According to F3 calculations, the EPA, DHA, and ARA volumes sold by Veramaris are equivalent to nearly 90 percent of the two billion fish conserved through the challenge. The Veramaris volumes were predominantly produced at two pilot facilities in Slovakia and the US.

On July 10th this year, Veramaris opened its world-scale facility in Blair, Nebraska to keep up with increasing demand for omega-3 EPA and DHA. The capacity at the Blair site can cover 15 percent of the global salmon aquaculture’s need for these essential fatty acids that up until now were sourced from the oceans.

Industry leaders such as the world’s largest salmon farmer Mowi, as well as Yuehai Feed Group and AlphaFeed have committed to trial Veramaris’ winning algal oil, rich in omega-3 EPA and DHA – a testament to a strong commitment to sustainability.

“I have to thank those courageous leaders along the entire value chain for their collaboration and for taking significant steps to ensure a continued sustainable future for aquaculture”, says Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly during the award ceremony at Global Aquaculture’s Alliance GOAL conference in Chennai, India.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Faivre company profile

Faivre is a French company, and one of the world leaders in the conception, manufacture and production of aquaculture machines. 

Since 1958, thanks to their knowledge of the market and strong experience in aquaculture, Faivre has developed high quality products to satisfy all of your needs, from one product to the full installation.

Strength, effectiveness and simplicity are the qualities of their production.

Visit the Faivre website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

R&D applications for aquafeed extrudates: Laboratory scale testing to determine appropriateness for species and sustainability

by Brabender, Germany

Providing a proper supply of protein for the world's continuously increasing population is a tremendous global challenge. Consumption of fish and seafood is traditionally anchored in many dietary cultures and recommended as a significant source of protein for nutritional enhancement.

However, in view of the present situation with overfished oceans around the globe, it is necessary to find alternatives: Here aquaculture provides a solution. Consequentially the global annual yield from aquaculture, amounting to approximately 100 million tonnes since 2015, has outstripped the "wild catch" quantity for human consumption.
 

Further growth is a foregone conclusion: A 50 percent increase in production is predicted for the next two decades.

Booming aquacultures: Which feed for which species?

We spoke with Julian Foerster (JF) and Michael Landers (ML), the application technicians at Brabender's extrusion laboratory, about using custom tailored extruded products to solve the problems presently faced by the aquafeed industry.

Extruded aquafeed – Where does demand exist?
JF: Whether fish farming with flow-through systems, netcages, or resource-preserving recirculating systems such as aquaponic or offshore farms – all these fish and crustaceans need feed; nearly 40 million tonnes per year worldwide.

70 percent is produced by the leading aquafeed producers in the Asian-Pacific region, particularly in China, 10 percent comes from Latin America, and another 10 percent from Europe. Of course, one has to differentiate among which species should be fed.

Presently 30 percent of production is used for carp breeding, 15 percent is required for crustaceans, followed by tilapia, catfish, salmon, and trout farms.

ML: Extruded products offer trend-setting possibilities promising market success and product innovation in developing the proper feed for each species on a practical basis. There is practically no other process that offers so much potential for entirely reshaping an aquafeed matrix.

For this reason purely mechanical pelleting presses have been increasingly replaced by state-of-the-art extrusion technology for production. Today, laboratory extruders are therefore necessary "tools" for product developers in companies as well as at universities and research institutes. With the TwinLab-F 20/40, Brabender has now introduced its current top model for the R&D laboratory world.

What is the "proper" feed for a species?
JF: First, we need to determine the raw materials and their percentage of protein and carbohydrate that are practical for various product applications. It is first necessary to determine the tendency of the feed to float or sink, depending on the feeding habits of the specific type of fish.

In principle, floating feed tends to be eaten by bottom fish such as carp and catfish, which can also be a matter of training. Salmon and trout prefer feed that sinks slowly, shrimp, by contrast, like food that sinks quickly.

ML: Correspondingly, it is necessary to select different process settings for production. For floating feed, including suspended or slowly sinking feed, we operate with hot extru-sion at temperatures over 100°C. This results in good pellet expansion. For sinking feed, i.e. production of quickly sinking pellets with minimum expansion, cold extrusion is the preferable method.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Jefo company profile

Jefo is a world leader in the field of non-medicated performance feed additives for the poultry, swine, ruminant and aquaculture sectors. Founded in Canada in 1982, today Jefo has offices on 5 continents, and specialises in the design, manufacturing, warehousing and JIT-distribution of an array of animal nutrition specialty products.
 

Jefo is a pioneer in the green revolution taking place in animal nutrition.

According to their website: "Our commitment is to providing effective alternatives for optimal performances in animal nutrition".

The Europe / Africa division of Jefo was created in 1998 and is headquartered in Nantes, France. We market a line of original products including vitamins, enzymes, organic acids and essential oils.

Visit the website HERE.














The Aquaculturists

---

Skretting wins global contract to supply Atlantic Sapphire in Denmark and USA

Skretting has won the contract to supply Atlantic Sapphire with majority volumes from November 2019. The contract covers the majority of Atlantic Sapphire's feed requirement in Denmark and the USA. 

On the contract decision, Johan Andreassen, CEO of Atlantic Sapphire says 'Skretting has demonstrated a strong R&D foundation, and that was a key decision making factor for us. We are excited to work in partnership to develop a salmon feed optimised for our Bluehouse technology.'
 

'We are committed to providing Atlantic Sapphire with the very best, and this commitment extends beyond delivering optimised feed,' says Evy Vikene, Skretting Commercial Director. "Through Skretting's RecircReady concept, Atlantic Sapphire will receive access to unrivalled support and service covering feed quality, monitoring, feeding, and technical expertise for optimal success and RAS feed efficiency.'

Skretting has implemented global RAS quality standards for a new range of feed products, collectively called RCX, dedicated for production in RAS. This novel product range will be utilised to minimise the risk to water quality and filter loading of Atlantic Sapphire's large-scale grow out facilities.

Further, Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) has dedicated RAS R&D facilities around the world, in addition to a dedicated expert R&D team to provide essential inputs. Skretting launched the first global RAS feed in 2009, and holds two proprietary solutions crucial to optimising feed for RAS.

Visit the Skretting website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Production resumes at Evonik methionine manufacturing plants in Antwerp, Belgium

Temporary outage of hydrocyanic acid supply for methionine production in Antwerp, Belgium has been resolved and the Force Majeure comes to an end.

Evonik has stated that the force majeure announced on Tuesday 12th November has now ended.
 

An issue with the hydrocyanic acid (HCN) supply caused a temporary shutdown of its methionine manufacturing facilities in Antwerp.

Dr Emmanuel Auer, Head of Animal Nutrition Business Line at Evonik commented, 'We are pleased that we could solve the issue and resume MetAMINO® production. We would like to thank our customers for the patience and support shown whilst we resolved the situation.'

Visit the Evonik website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Aquafarm and Novelfarm, an excellent meeting point for the sustainable future of nutrition

From 19-20th February 2020 AquaFarm and NovelFarm are back, the two simultaneous events on current and future food production trends, devoted to the breeding of aquatic species and the cultivation of algae, indoor crops and vertical farming. The 2020 edition will be geared to innovation and environmental sustainability.

AquaFarm, now in its fourth edition, is the yearly appointment for operators of the whole aquaculture supply chain. Since its debut, it has been developed in collaboration with API and AMA, the two leading Italian associations in this sector.
 

The event bears witness to the growing role of aquaculture worldwide. According to the most recent data published by FAO, 53 percent of aquatic species destined for human nutrition worldwide are produced by farming, to which about 30 million tons of aquatic plants and macro and microalgae must be added. Overall consumption is estimated at 20.5 kg per person, with an average yearly increase of 3.2 percent from 1961 to today, surpassing both population growth and protein intake derived from terrestrial species. With the total number of fisheries products essentially at the levels of the late 1980s, growth is upheld, and will be even more so in the future, by aquaculture.

An interesting fact emerging from the FAO survey is that half of the production from breeding is related to aquatic species that are defined as "extractive". They are the ones that get their nourishment filtering water from the environment; in this way they also use the waste produced by those species which must instead be nourished by man, thus achieving an integrated production and reducing the environmental impact. FAO and producers are relying heavily on these farms to combine sustainability and increased food production with aquaculture.

Read the full article on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Wenger revolutionises twin screw extrusion with unique models dedicated to pet food and aqua feeds

by Adrian Martinez-Kawas, PhD, Wenger Manufacturing

Traditional twin-screw extrusion design has served its purpose as the pet food and aqua feed industries developed. Yet both industries now stand at a tipping point where new trends are pushing the traditional systems beyond their limit. Flexibility is key and what the new generation Wenger twin screw extrusion systems are built on.

The Thermal Twin® extrusion system is tailored for pet food manufacturers, so they can develop a wider range of products using an extensive choice of ingredients while preserving ingredient and product identity.
 

The Aquaflex® extrusion system is tailored for aquatic feed manufacturers to maximise their investment by giving them the capability to manufacture a wide range of products such as floating, sinking, shrimp, and micro feeds in different product sizes while utilising a broad ingredient selection.

This flexibility is possible given these systems are engineered with a specialised screw profile design to deliver higher volumetric capacity and the capability to operate using a wide range of thermal and mechanical energy cooking conditions.

Thermal and mechanical energy are the main energy sources utilised in the extrusion process. A review of current extrusion processes in the industry indicates the ratio of consumed thermal to mechanical energy ranges from 1:1 to 2:1.

This ratio determines utility costs as well as maintenance costs, specifically the costs to replace worn rotating elements. A recent study compared energy input and operating cost for three extrusion system. It was observed that even though the total energy input (thermal + mechanical) was higher for a thermal twin screw extrusion system, it was less expensive to operate over time compared to a standard single screw and twin-screw extrusion system.

An extrusion system with the ability to vary this energy utilisation ratio and shift to the most favourable energy sources from a cost standpoint, brings increased flexibility to the cost of operating the system. Wenger extruders are engineered to operate in thermal to mechanical energy ratios from 1:1 to as much as 14:1.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Yemmak company profile

Established in 1965, Yemmak is a Turkish feed machinery manufacturer, providing industrial process solutions for the animal waste processing, chemical and biomass industries. 

Through its deep industry experience spanning over half a century, Yemmak exports to 35 countries on four continents, and provides services in project consulting and engineering, special-purpose projects, automation, modernisation, steel construction and after-sales support with a 250-strong staff lead specialist engineers at its 50,000m2 area plant in Bandırma, Turkey.

Yemmak is among the few producers in Turkey and Europe that can manage machinery, process and turnkey projects from a single centre.

Yemmak recognises the key role of advanced technology in improving Turkey's prospects and believes R&D investments are crucial in this regard.

As a global brand, Yemmak exports 70 percent of its products to 35 countries including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East; Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and all other Turkish republics; and Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Sweden and Panama. Providing low energy costs, the design, production, and assembly operations of the company are of high quality, selection, reliability, and efficiency.

Yemmak sees each project as a complete system, and identifies for its customers the most optimal solutions. With the mission of transforming factories into manufacturers that turn out products with high marginal utility, Yemmak has set up numerous of the highest capacity factories, producing feed for poultry, cattle and fish. It is currently establishing the largest turkey feed factory in Russia.

Yemmak's primary product groups consist of: 
- Raw material intake and cleaning units
- Storage solutions for solid and liquid raw materials
- Grinders Mixer systems
- Blending units
- Pelletising technologies
- Weighing and bagging machinery
- Transport equipment
- Electrical power panels and control panels
- Automation systems

Yemmak reshapes production through environmentally friendly, sustainable and innovative technologies.

Visit the Yemmak website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

International Aquafeed - December 2019 available now!

More International Aquafeed editions

Zheng Chang undertake large-scale railway bulk grain conveying project, China

Alashankou, Xinjiang, is the most important land port city in Western China and the node city of the Belt and Road.

As the first integrated free trade zone in Xinjiang, Alashankou integrated free trade zone receives various types of imports from the countries along the Belt and Road, which are distributed or processed to the Chinese domestic market. Benefiting from the increasingly expanding and improving open pattern, Alashankou integrated free trade zone is constantly exhibiting strong development vitality.

Grain Engineering, as a high-end storage engineering brand of ZHENG CHANG Group, is the large-scale grain drying, storage, transportation, safekeeping equipment integrated solution provider. It has been actively responding to the Belt and Road Initiative. With the strong engineering and equipment delivery ability, it has undertaken three large-scale projects in the Alashankou integrated free trade zone, namely Aiju storage project, Jinshahe storage project and the Jingang bulk grain conveying project.
  

Image credit: Zheng Chang

The project will use two railways to distribute bulk grain with an hourly conveying capacity of 1600t/h. It will undoubtedly become the largest railway bulk grain distribution project for the Belt and Road, which has great strategic significance for the whole grain industry.

Zheng Chang have commented that in the future, they will remain true to their original aspirations and adhere to the core value of "Unity at Heart, Credibility, Solidarity, Value & Result-Oriented", to provide stable and reliable products and services for the strategic construction of the Belt and Road, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of feed and grain industry!

Visit the Zheng Chang website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Effects of amino acid complexed trace minerals in commercial sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) diets

by Cláudia Figueiredo Silva, Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN, USA; and Stavros Chatzifotis HCMR, Gournes Heraklion, Greece;

Trace minerals are key elements for activation and function of hormones and hundreds of enzymes. They are essential for proper development and function of bone, nervous and reproductive systems, being critical to epithelial tissue production and maintenance and thus affect health through enhanced skin, gill, fin, scale and gastrointestinal integrity.

By playing essential roles in activation and modulation of several processes involved in fish immune response, optimal trace mineral nutrition is very important in helping fight stress and disease. Among these, zinc is known to exert beneficial effects beyond growth, namely through modulating immune response and resistance to disease development of muscle and bone, reduction of cataract incidence and oxidative stress.
 

In addition, zinc plays an essential role in wound healing, and speeds re-epithelialisation processes in fish (Ogino and Yang 1979; Hughes 1985; Jensen et al, 2015; Gerd et al, 2018). Interestingly, metal-amino acid complexes have proven to be more efficient than inorganic minerals in reducing skin lesions of Atlantic salmon after infestation with Caligus (Figueiredo-Silva et al, 2019), indicating enhanced barrier defense mechanisms against pathogens.

We have evaluated the effects of metal-amino acid complexes (Availa®Zn, Availa®Fe, Availa®Mn, Availa®Cu, Availa®Se), supplemented at half the level of inorganic or in combination with inorganic minerals (sulfates of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu, and Se in the form of selenite), on growth performance, gut and skin morphology, hepatic enzyme activity and zinc content in skin of European sea bass.

Materials and methods
Quadruplicate groups of European sea bass, with an initial body weight of 15g, were daily fed one of three diets, formulated to vary in trace mineral source and/or level to apparent satiety, for four months. A Control diet (46% crude protein, 18% crude fat, 19.2% nitrogen free extract) was formulated to include an inorganic trace mineral premix of 100ppm Zn (ZnSO4), 80ppm Fe (FeSO4), 24ppm (MnSO4), six ppm Cu (CuSO4) and 0.24ppm Se from (Na2SeO3).

A second and third diet were formulated to include metal-amino acid complexes as a 50:50 combination with inorganic minerals or at one-half the dose of inorganic minerals in the control diet, respectively.

In order to magnify response to trace mineral source and level, fish were submitted to a temperature challenge in the second half of the feeding period (last two months), with feed restricted by 50 percent, from the pre-stress period intake in the last month of the feeding period.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

TSC Silos company profile

As a specialist in the building of square silos TSC Silos supplies an end product that meets the highest quality requirements and is used in a variety of industries

According to TSC Silos, “We use our focus and expertise to design suitable rectangular silo installations of which we are proud. That is all we do: we design, calculate and build silos; day in day out, year in year out. For your benefit.”

The rectangular silo concept is characterised by an optimum storage capacity and flexible layout options. A clever design produces the best possible product discharge with maximum storage capacity.

With a TSC silo you are also investing in a safe, hygienic working environment.

The organisation is 100 percent focused on this silo concept, from sale and design to production and installation.

They are able to handle projects from A to Z: from the steel support structure to the insulating cladding and from functional design up to and including fitting.

At TSC safety is a given. Their well-trained engineers carry out sound calculations for your silo. TSC designs, calculates and manufactures all the silos in accordance with the latest standards (EN 1991, EN 1993 and EN 1090).

TSC Silos are familiar with ATEX, earthquake coefficients, snow loads and the effects of wind. Everything is worked out using advanced computer software down to the smallest detail.

If you so desire, you can have the calculations checked by independent parties; that’s not a problem.

Their experienced installation teams have all the necessary training and are at home on construction sites.

Visit the TSC Silos website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news

Register now to attend the Aquatic Asia Conference

Registration is now officially open for attendees for the Aquatic Health and Nutrition Asia Conference, taking place as part of VICTAM and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia on March 23rd.

Register here!

To register for the conference, simply sign up for VICTAM and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia using the link above, then click on your confirmation email and go through the steps in your web browser. You will come to a webpage with a list of available conferences taking place at the exhibition, and scroll down to March 23rd and select 'Aquatic Asia Conference' to confirm your attendance!

The conference will run for one full-day, the day before the exhibition offiially starts in Benjasiri Room 1, Novotel Bangok Sukhumvit 20.

Topics discussed will include pro- and prebiotics, sustainable feeds, enzymes, animal health and vaccines, functional ingredients and supplements, to name a few. The conference is aimed at nutrotionists, academia, production and technical staff.

Confirmed speakers so far include:

• Professor Simon Davies of Harper Adams University, Shropshire, UK
• Pathway Intermediates
• Nutriera

Read more HERE.

Aliphos® SodiPhos: A new derivative of Aliphos feed phosphates

by Aliphos, Belgium

After initial laboratory testing and real scale pilot plant testing, Aliphos will bring to the market Aliphos® SodiPhos, a monosodium phosphate which will be produced in our factory in Varna, Bulgaria: content consisting of 24 percent phosphorus (P) and 19 percent sodium (Na).

Monosodium phosphate (MSP) is characterised by the fact that the phosphorus is bound to sodium, delivering a product which is almost completely water soluble.

Solubility of phosphorus of an inorganic feed phosphate is highly correlated with its availability or better digestible phosphorus content. The higher the solubility the higher the digestibility. However, this relation is not always very strict and to assess exact phosphorus digestibility values we still have to rely on In Vivo trials.

From literature it’s known that MSP has one of the highest digestible P-level amongst the feed phosphates on the market. See, for example, the summary of the values given by the CVB-table.

Because of the fact that SodiPhos contains sodium contrary to normal feed phosphates which contain calcium (Ca), like DCP and MCP, gives SodiPhos special application features.

SodiPhos can (partially) replace salt or sodium (Bi) carbonate in feed formulations; this can play a role in the production of broiler feeds, in which the chlorine content is limited thereby replacing salt with sodium (Bi) carbonate.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Canadian Seafood Farmers welcome new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) has extended their welcome  to the Honourable Bernadette Jordan as the new federal Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard and expressed its enthusiasm to work together to realising the opportunities for Canada through sector development.
 

'Canadian farm-raised seafood is a global leader in sustainable food production. Our farmed seafood is a climate solution as the world demands more low-carbon protein, and we are leaders in partnering with First Nations across Canada and delivering innovative and inspiring jobs in remote, coastal communities across Canada.' said CAIA President and CEO Timothy Kennedy.

'Seafood farming is a key driver of economic growth in Canadian rural, coastal and indigenous communities, and is the fastest growing food production sector globally. We look forward to working to develop a strong partnership with Minister Jordan to help Canada's aquaculture sector thrive,' said Mr Kennedy.

'We would also like to welcome all new Members of Parliament and those returning. We look forward to working with them to help raise the profile of Canadian farmed seafood and generate greater awareness regarding the critical role this sector plays for coastal communities and global food supply,' Mr Kennedy added.

CAIA members generate over $5 billion in economic activity, over $2 billion in GDP, and employ over 25,000 Canadians delivering a healthy, growing and sustainable seafood farming sector in Canada.

Visit the Canadian Aquaculture Industry alliance website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Alltech company profile

In the 1970s, Alltech’s founder, Dr Pearse Lyons, immigrated to the United States with a dream: to sustain the planet and all things living on it. As an Irish scientist, he saw an opportunity to apply his yeast fermentation expertise to animal nutrition challenges, and his dream became a reality when he founded Alltech in 1980 with just $10,000.

Today, a global team of more than 5,000 people around the world shares this vision of sustaining and nourishing the world’s plants, animals and people.

Alltech deliver on this vision by improving plant, feed and food quality through nutrition and scientific innovation, particularly yeast-based technology. Their team is fully committed to helping plants and animals achieve their full potential while supporting producers in greater efficiency, profitability and sustainability.

Aquaculture
From gut health to mineral absorption, their nutritional technologies help aqua producers overcome challenges to support fish health and profitability. Alltech can help you with:

- Feed efficiency
- Antibiotic-free production
- Food enrichment
- Mycotoxin management
- Gut health management
- Protein management
- Enzyme management
- Mineral management

Alltech’s guiding principle 
In all of these endeavors, they are guided by their ACE principle, their promise that in doing business they have a positive impact on the Animal, Consumer and Environment.

Visit the Alltech website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

BioMar announces collaborations to restore abundance to the oceans

At Sustainable Brands Oceans in Porto, Portugal on Tuesday 19th November, Alexandra Cousteau, Environmentalist and advocate for our oceans, launched her Ocean 2050 campaign outlining the blueprint for restoring abundance to the oceans. She has partnered with companies like BioMar to activate projects designed to create the blueprint for the oceans by 2050.

Like her grandfather Jacque Cousteau who famously said, 'we need to farm the oceans responsibly', outlined a plan for how industry can use the ocean while also protecting it. Growing seaweed and farming it offers opportunities to create a sustainable food source for both humans and animals while many strains of seaweed are able to absorb and capture carbon and many nutrients that are a biproduct of aquaculture farming.
 

Alexandra Cousteau launching Ocean 2050 
Image credit: BioMar

'Our Oceans have so much to give and we are underutilising them. We can farm aquaculture offshore and plant various strains of macroalgae that are full of vital nutrients, but of course this all needs to be done in a responsible manner. BioMar with its drive towards sustainability and its research development capabilities and partnerships are well positioned to set a sustainable agenda targeted to restoring abundance to the oceans', said Alexandra Cousteau, Oceans 2050, while at Sustainable Brands Oceans.

BioMar along with IBM Food Trust, Kvarøy and Tellspec showcased a seafood case study talking about how the digital age is affecting consumer product choices. These companies all offer digital solutions that promote transparency of information to distill trust and in some cases can prevent fraud.

'With our new Discover tool, we now offer full transparency so consumers can make informed seafood choices and gain trust in the product. The tool highlights amongst other things; nutritional value, the origin of feed ingredients and the environmental impact of aquaculture production,' said Vidar Gundersen, Sustainability Director at BioMar.

Read the full article on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Franz Waxenecker appointed Managing Director of BIOMIN

Animal nutrition firm BIOMIN has appointed Franz Waxenecker as Managing Director of BIOMIN. Mr Waxenecker joined the company in 2001 and most recently served as Director of Development and Innovation.
 

Franz Waxenecker, Managing Director of BIOMIN
Image credit: ERBER Group

Visit the Biomin website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Investing in nature-based actions and seaweed farming: One of the five opportunities to make the Ocean part of the solution to climate change

In my October column, I reported that we (19 researchers and policy analysts) published the report, The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Five Opportunities for Action, for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (HLPSOE). It was endorsed by its 14 serving head of state and government members at the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York, on September 23rd, 2019.

Against the backdrop of the speech of Greta Thunberg, the rather bleak picture of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the Ocean and the Cryosphere, and the never ending Trump saga at the UN and domestically, it was not easy to position our more optimistic report. We believe that, through five opportunities for action, the Ocean could be a substantial solution to climate change. It could deliver up to 21 percent (11.82 GtCO2e/year) of the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cuts needed by 2050 to keep global temperature rises below 1.5°C.
 

 In this column, I will develop one of the opportunities for action that should be of interest to the readers of International Aquafeed and the aquaculture sector.

Investing in nature-based climate solutions
Conserving and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems, including mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds and wild seaweed beds, as well as developing seaweed aquaculture, should have significant mitigation impacts.

Mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds are highly productive vegetated coastal ecosystems, which are referred to as “blue carbon” ecosystems, analogous to “green carbon” ecosystems on land. They are hotspots for carbon storage, with soil carbon sequestration rates per hectare up to 10 times larger than those of terrestrial ecosystems. Most of their carbon (50-90%) is stored within the soil where saltwater inundation slows decomposition of organic matter, leading to the accumulation of extensive soil carbon stocks.

When these ecosystems are degraded and converted, carbon in their biomass and soils, which may have accumulated over hundreds or thousands of years, is oxidised and emitted back to the atmosphere in a matter of decades. Thus, protection of blue carbon ecosystems offers an efficient pathway to avoid CO2 emissions, particularly for nations with large areas of coastal vegetation and high rates of loss. For example, conversion of mangroves to aquaculture accounts for 10 to 20 percent of CO2 emissions associated with land-use change in Indonesia.

The area covered by blue carbon ecosystems is equivalent to only 1.5 percent of terrestrial forest cover, yet their loss and degradation are equivalent to 8.4 percent of CO2 emissions from terrestrial deforestation because of their high carbon stocks per hectare.

The most extensive and productive coastal vegetated ecosystems are formed by seaweeds. Their areal coverage is estimated - though with large uncertainty - to be 3.5 million km2 of coastal regions. Seaweeds lack root structures that would sequester and trap soil carbon, which means that the climate mitigation value of wild seaweed habitats is largely through the export of organic carbon in their biomass to sinks located in shelf sediments and in the deep ocean. There are currently too many knowledge gaps to enable us to provide a robust estimation of the sequestration and mitigation potential of wild seaweed beds (one study puts it in the range of 0.22–0.98 GtCO2e/year).

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Aller Aqua company profile

Aller Aqua produce fish feed for freshwater and saltwater aquaculture. That is the brief presentation, but it doesn’t even come close to covering the entire story.

Aller Aqua is a family owned company with roots tracing back more than a thousand years. They have produced fish feed for more than 50 years, and this makes them one of the worlds most experienced fish feed producers, delivering some of the best products on the market, to their customers.

Today Aller Aqua has factories in Denmark, Poland, Germany and Egypt, they export products to more than 70 countries worldwide. They have a broad and professional product range, consisting of feed for 30 species of fish.

According to their website, “We know the importance the right feed plays in our customers production, and therefore our own professional development- and research centre in Germany, Aller Aqua Research, consistently works on optimising, developing and documenting the effect of our products. This ensures that our customers receive top-quality professional products, at competitive prices – delivered on time. As a company we are big enough to meet your needs, and small enough to be flexible”.

“This ensures that we can react quickly to our customer’s needs, which is essential when you strive not only to deliver fish feed, but also to spar with and contribute to optimising our customers businesses. Our experience and history is our guarantee to our customers that we know what we are talking about, that we keep our promises, and that we are right here – and that will still be the case in many years to come”.

Visit the website HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---

Register now for International Aquafeed's Conferences!

VICTAM and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia have just opened registration for their exhibition, which also means that registration for International Aquafeed's conferences taking place at the exhibition is also open!

Register for the exhibition now to also access registration for our conferences

Simply register for the event, click your confirmation email and then select from the drop-down menu of confeences which you would like to attend.

International Aquafeed have a great set of conferences taking place during the event in Bangkok:

Aquatic Asia Conference

International Aquafeed, together with VIV and Progressus are once again hosting the Aquatic Asia Conference at VICTAM Asia and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia on March 23rd 2020. The event will take place in Benjasiri Room 1 at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, Bangkok.

The conference will run for one full-day, the day before VICTAM/AHANA officially starts, and will feature a variety of industry experts delivering brilliant presentations about the latest updates in both fish and shrimp nutrition.

Confirmed speakers so far include Professor Simon Davies of Harper Adams University, Pathway Intermediates and Nutriera.

For more information- click here

Early-bird tickets cost US $30 until March 1st.

Build my Feed Mill

Build My Feed Mill Seminar will once again take place during VICTAM Asia and Animal Health and Nutrition Asia on March 25th 2020. During the Build my Feed Mill Conference, 10-12 companies are given the chance to present 10-minute presentations about how their solutions assist feed mills in their everyday processes and practices.

Taking attendees through every process within a feed mill, Build my Feed Mill enables attendees to discover the latest innovations that help make your feed mill truly innovative, efficient and profitable. Currently confirmed speakers include PLP Liquid Systems, SCE, FrigorTec and Amandus Kahl.

For more information- click here.

Attendance and participation are both FREE.

Read more HERE.

Fire breaks out in recently expanded Cargill animal feed plant, USA

Local news outlets reported on Friday 15th that a fire broke out in a hoper at Cargill's Animal Nutrition & Health facility in Temple, Texas, USA. Reports have said the fire took just over an hour to get under control and fortunately all 15 workers escaped without injury.

Cargill had only announced on 1st November that this facility had undergone a $34 million expansion improving the manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and shipping capabilities of the plant, the work began in January 2018 and was completed in August 2019.
 

Image credit: Temple Fire & Rescue

'The Texas feed market has always been central to our animal nutrition business,' said Joe Comte, sales manager. 'We are excited to offer improved access of our Nutrena, Record Rack and Cargill branded product lines to our farm and ranch feed store customers and the animal owners they serve.'

In Cargill's 1st November announcement they stated that the Temple facility employs 26 people and is capable of producing nearly 500,000 tons of bag and bulk animal feed per year. In addition to the Temple facility, Cargill operates in 13 locations across the state of Texas, employing 3,947 Texans through its Animal Nutrition & Health, Grain Processing and Distribution, Starches and Sweeteners, and Protein businesses.

Visit the Cargill website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---