Alltech Coppens appoints Ronald Faber as CEO and global aquaculture lead

Alltech Coppens, a global specialist in developing, producing, and marketing fish feed and nutrition solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald Faber as its CEO and global aquaculture lead. In this role, Mr Faber will lead a global team of aquaculture experts who are experienced in fish nutrition, feed production and technical support.

The team will continue to work together on nutrition and feed sciences, including the improvement of aquatic feed nutrition and sustainability in aquaculture, as they help carry out Alltech's vision for a Planet of Plenty™.
 

Alltech Coppens has announced the appointment
of Ronald Faber as its CEO and global
aquaculture lead
Image credit: Alltech Coppens

'Alltech has significantly scaled its global aquaculture footprint in recent years through the acquisition of Coppens International in Europe and Guabi in Latin America,' says Dr Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. 'As reflected in our Global Feed Survey over the last decade, aquaculture continues to be the fastest growing protein sector, and there are abundant opportunities for us to provide a greater level of support to producers globally as they seek to develop their operations sustainably. Ronald's extensive experience in European and Asian aquaculture, complemented by our team of aquaculture specialists throughout the world, will bring together the full strength of our program to the benefit of our customers.'

Mr Faber received his master's degree with a specialisation in aquaculture and fisheries from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He began his career in the aquaculture and veterinary industries and joined Coppens International in 1998 as an area sales manager for the Mediterranean region. In 2003, he moved to Thailand where he worked as a nutritional consultant for various fish and shrimp feed companies, serving customers in Thailand, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. He returned to the Netherlands in 2005 and continued his career with Coppens International, which was acquired by Alltech in 2016. Mr Faber will be headquartered at the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre (ACAC), an Alltech bioscience centre, where world-class research capabilities are applied to product development.

'Through continued collaboration and commitment to innovative research, our global aquaculture team is well-equipped to provide our customers with a level of support and expertise that is unrivalled in our industry,' says Mr Faber.

Aquaculture continues to play a significant role in the global food supply, with the 2021 Alltech Global Feed Survey estimating aquaculture feed production growth at three percent — the strongest increase of any of the primary food-producing species.

Visit the Alltech Coppens website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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IFFO market analysis reports increased fishmeal production

The Marine Ingredients Organisation, IFFO, have released a taste of the many statistics and analyses that can be found in the market intelligence reports that IFFO dedicates to its members, covering IFFO's analysis on marine ingredient market trends from January to December 2020.

They include an analysis of both the supply and demand sides of the market, with research focusing also on the global trends of animal farming and fish catches, agri-commodities, commodities' prices and general macro-economic conditions. A specific and additional focus is made on China given that China is by far the main market for marine ingredients.
  

Image credit: IFFO

Increased fishmeal production in 2020 with respect to 2019
Total cumulative fishmeal production in 2020 (including salmon-based meal) increased by 11 percent with respect to the previous year, although Chile, the USA and India reported significant annual reductions.

Total cumulative fish oil production in 2020 was also on the rise (+12%), with all regions bar the USA and India reporting bigger outputs than in 2019.

India's landings have continued to rebound since the imposition of a covid-19-related lockdown in the first part of the year, reporting year-on-year improvements in all months since then. This however was not enough to bring the cumulative annual production of both fishmeal and fish oil to the levels reached in 2019.

China: low season for aquaculture while pig farming continues to recover
Domestic fishmeal production has already come to a seasonal pause in view of the approaching Spring Festival. Operations might resume in Zhejiang mid-February, and after the Spring Festival in Shandong, but the Liaoning fishmeal plants might not work again until September due to the lack of raw material. The production of the three provinces in January was minimal.

In December 2020 the average price of aquatic products was slightly up MoM and YoY, while the trading volume dropped YoY. Shrimp imports in 2020 dropped by 16 percent with respect to 2019, mainly because of the reduced demand expressed by the covid-19-stricken food service.

Pig farming continues to recover. The swine stock exceeded 400 million heads and the sow stock also constantly improved. Pig slaughter in 2020 was not as high as 2019. Therefore, the volume of pork production was about 41.13 million mt in 2020, down by 3.3 percent YoY. In 2020 the lower domestic output was replaced with record-high imports of pork meat: 4.2 million mt.

As for the feed sector, pig feed production continues to grow, while aquafeed output remains currently subdued as aquaculture remains in its low season.

Visit the IFFO website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Skretting and Proteon Pharmaceuticals to introduce novel phage technology for aquaculture

Skretting has announced a collaboration with Proteon Pharmaceuticals aimed at providing functional solutions to tackle health challenges in the aquaculture industry. The companies will co-develop products using bacteriophage technology to support farmers as part of a holistic health strategy.

The companies will work in a parallel R&D pipeline for the project to target pathogenic bacteria. With bacterial challenges being some of the most prevalent in aquaculture worldwide, the products will be a welcome addition to the holistic health toolbox for farmers.
 

Part of integrated health management
The companies predict that the technology will become a valuable component of integrated management strategies on-farm with both feed and water applications under investigation.

Matthew Tebeau, COO at Proteon Pharmaceuticals says, 'Phages are a part of the natural microecosystem. Each target specific bacteria in order to keep the healthy balance in nature. Bacteriophages have been known for over 100 years, however, using phage technology for aquaculture is an exciting development. With Proteon's expertise in phage development and Skretting's expertise in health, we will work together to identify phages that will target specific bacteria, which we hope will significantly reduce these health challenges for farmers.'

In the initial phases of the project, Skretting will isolate the most prevalent specific strains of bacteria, while Proteon will determine the most effective complementary groups of phages. Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) researchers will then examine the efficacy of the phages during challenge trials.

What is phage technology?
Phages are the most numerous and oldest organisms on the planet. They are organic, natural and omnipresent in the environment. A critical part of the global microbiome, phages naturally protect animals and humans from bacteria. Controlled delivery of phages, using precision biological tools promises to reduce antibiotic usage, overcoming the growing threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria, as well as to increase sustainability in aqua and agriculture and to improve human health.

Proteon Pharmaceuticals has been developing their phage-based products for over 10 years. They have been tested in Europe and Asia and proven in terms of efficacy and stability.

'Products based on bacteriophages are an effective tool for fighting bacterial diseases in farmed fish and shrimp, as they can eliminate only the specific pathogenic bacteria while not damaging the animal's microbiome,' says Truls Dahl, Business Developer at Skretting.

The big picture
The project timeline is around 4-5 years, but both Skretting and Proteon Pharmaceuticals are confident that the resultant health solutions are worth the wait. With anti-microbial resistance (AMR) still looming as a serious threat facing the global population, natural health strategies are increasingly important for food producing industries.

'Having alternatives to antibiotics to support the health of fish and shrimp is a very exciting part of the development,' continues Dahl. 'Vaccines, antibiotics and indeed phage technologies have been around for a long time, but the use of phages is still quite new for aquaculture.'

'It's not every day you introduce a new techonology to improve animal health,' adds Therese Log Bergjord, Skretting CEO. 'This is a milestone, and highlights our commitment to continue to invest in health research for the sustainability of the aquaculture industry as a whole.'

Visit the Skretting website, HERE, and the Proteon Pharmaceuticals website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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