IBSS Panel to Examine Sustainability of Farmed Fish Aquafeeds

Is what farmed fish eat sustainable? The first panel session at the upcoming International Boston Seafood Show will draw together experts from throughout the aquaculture industry to examine how current feed practices impact the overall sustainability of aquaculture.

The panel, moderated by Dr. Steven Hart of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and supported by the United Soybean Board, includes representatives from producer Bell Aquaculture, feed manufacturer Silver Cup Fish Feeds, USDA Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and environmental NGO Ocean Conservancy.

As global aquaculture continues to develop, seafood purchasers are becoming increasingly concerned about the sustainability of feeds that are being used by the aquaculture industry, specifically the amount of wild-caught fish in feed it takes to produce farmed fish and seafood.

In numerous feed trials in the past few years, soybean meal has proved to be an extremely promising alternative to wild-caught fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) in aquafeeds, meeting the nutritional requirements of farmed fish without adversely affecting taste and quality. The panel will discuss these advances in feed research, and the aquaculture industry’s progress towards sustainability.

Panel attendees will have the opportunity to do a comparative taste test of farmed fish fed traditional FMFO-based feed and fish fed an alternative diet. Attendees will also be able to voice their questions and concerns directly with the experts in a Q&A session.

The panel session will be held the first day of the Boston Seafood Show, on Sunday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To attend the seminar, participants must hold a Gold or Silver Passport as part of their registration. For more information, visit www.bostonseafood.com