Researchers at the Centre for Biological Research of the Northwest (CIBNOR), at its Unit in Nayarit (UNCIBNOR), have managed to reduce feeding costs by 50 per cent in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish farming, by adapting it to a biofloc system. \"The objective of the project has been to develop a multidisciplinary group of young doctors focused on solving in the medium and long term the problems that will face the repopulation of reservoirs and the cultivation of tilapia, initially in western Mexico and later at the national level.\"

At the 10th Aquafeed Horizons, Rafiq Ahmad, Industrial PhD candidate at Cargill Aqua Nutrition will explain how a study demonstrated that free amino acids and low molecular weight water-soluble peptides can replace moisture as a plasticizer in the extrusion process, offering the possibility to develop a new processing approach for the feed industry, serving multiple purposes, such as nutrient, plasticizer and binder in extruded fish feed.

Flint Hills Resources announced it will invest more than $50 million in its Fairmont, Neb. ethanol plant to install a new technology that will produce a high protein animal and fish feed ingredient from a portion of the plant’s distiller grains, a co-product of ethanol production. The high protein feed produced using MSC is a combination of corn gluten (protein) and spent yeast. It has an improved amino acid profile when compared to corn gluten meal produced at corn wet mills while also having a higher protein concentration than spent yeast alone. The MSC-produced feed will have at least 48 percent protein, making it an excellent ingredient for the aquaculture industry.

The IFFO RS Governance Board has ratified a proposal to review and enhance the IFFO RS program through the development of ‘Version 2.0’. The IFFO RS certification process includes two key components: the fishery assessment, and the factory assessment. The development of Version 2.0 includes a thorough review of both, and these are ready for Public Consultation for a period of 60 days beginning January 16th 2017. “We consider stakeholder involvement as very important for the development and credibility of the IFFO RS Certification Program. We would therefore welcome and encourage any comments or feedback regarding the revised fishery assessment criteria and the proposed factory audit criteria.\"

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public hearing regarding FDA initiatives for enhancing the safety of foods (for humans and animals) imported into the United States. The hearing will focus on partnerships to improve safety capabilities through capacity building; partnerships that inform risk-based decisionmaking; partnerships that recognize commodity-specific export programs; and partnerships that recognize the robustness of a nation’s entire food safety system.

EUMOFA has released results from a study aimed at surveying and analyzing EU consumer attitudes and habits regarding fishery and aquaculture products. The main purpose of the study was to survey and analyze the two components of the fishery and aquaculture product (FAP) market, namely the supply, represented in this specific instance by retailers, and the demand, represented by consumers, and corroborate the analysis with further qualitative and quantitative data on consumption trends in all EU Member States.

Evy Vikene has been appointed as Marketing Manager of Skretting Global Salmon. In this position Evy will have a strong focus on development and coordination of global marketing activities in collaboration with Skretting salmon feed operations.

Bühler and Protix have announced the establishment of Bühler Insect Technology Solutions. The joint venture will develop scalable, industrial solutions for the rearing, and processing of insects to provide protein primarily for animal feed and food. Initially, the focus will be on larvae of the Black Soldier Fly. Subsequently there will be a diversification to other insects, such as mealworms. “By combining the knowledge and experience of our two companies, we can provide industrial insect processing solutions to address the alternative protein market.”

A study published by the Centre for Research and Fisheries and Environmental Advice (Ideapesca) warns that \"Peruvian anchovy is at its worst\", as a result of a decrease in the biomass because of the depredation of the resource and the impact of El Niño phenomenon. Ideapesca’s study points out that due to a worrying decrease in the resource, the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (IMARPE) issued a report in 2013 recommending that the spawning biomass, to ensure a sustainable renewal of the stock, should be over 6 million tonnes, but lower values, never below 4 million tonnes, could be managed. However, it suggests that under pressure from the industry, the last fishing seasons were authorized despite the fact that the conditions for the fishing seasons were not optimal.

In order to reduce costs in rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) production, researchers from the Technological Institute of Tuxtepec (Ittux) have developed an aquaculture feed from the residues of beans. \"The idea starts from the need for producers to reduce production costs, so an economic raw material was used that does not affect the growth of rainbow trout. Much of the fishmeal was replaced with bean flour, without impacting the growth of the product.\"

Currently, tilapia farming in Tanzania is mostly for subsistence or for small-scale markets. To develop an aquaculture strategy for Tanzania, 30 scientists representing Tanzanian stakeholders as well as international research organizations met for a three-day workshop in Zanzibar. The main outcome of this workshop was a new consortium between the partners, committed to establishing a National Aquaculture Development Center (NADC). “Tilapia production could help meet the nutritional demands of our growing population in a sustainable way as well providing a surplus for export. We aim to triple the contribution of aquaculture to GDP from 1.4% to 4.2% by 2025.”

The Global Aquaculture Alliance has strengthened its presence in China through a cooperative agreement with the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) to open an office in the Jing’an District of Shanghai. \"We are excited about this opportunity in China to continue to advance GAA’s commitment to responsible aquaculture production. As the leading aquaculture marketing association in China, CAPPMA is a great partner to work with. China is the largest consumer of seafood in the world, so if we’re really going to move the needle in regards to aquaculture improvements, we have to look to China for solutions.\"

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has released a new software system featuring an online portal that will allow processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills to apply for Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification and re-certification online. The purpose of the upgrade is to simplify and accelerate the process of attaining and retaining BAP certification as well as to allow market endorsers to individually track the BAP-certified facilities from which it sources farmed seafood through a customized database of BAP-certified facilities.

The main goal of the EU-supported project FISHBOOST is to advance selective breeding to the next level for the six main finfish species in European aquaculture. These species are Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, gilthead seabream, European seabass, turbot and common carp. Half way through the Nofima-coordinated project, the 26 research and industry partners have established a solid knowledge base and developed useful tools and techniques.

The main goal of the EU-supported project FISHBOOST is to advance selective breeding to the next level for the six main finfish species in European aquaculture. These species are Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, gilthead seabream, European seabass, turbot and common carp. Half way through the Nofima-coordinated project, the 26 research and industry partners have established a solid knowledge base has been established and developed useful tools and techniques.

An Idaho fish processor has purchased an innovative feed mill to convert raw fish guts into high-quality feed. Leo Ray, owner of Fish Breeders of Idaho, believes he’ll soon be the only business in the industry making fish feed directly from raw fish processing waste. His largest customer, Whole Foods, will pay a premium for his fillets in order to make a sustainability claim. Fish Breeders is negotiating with local farmers to contract for wheat, corn and peas and will also use soybeans.

A lot of cutting-edge research takes place at the University of Idaho’s Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station, and Brian Small is excited to be in the middle of it. The fish endocrinologist and physiologist came to the center in 2015. With 16 years of fish research under his belt, Small was appointed director of the experiment station in November.“We’re interested in trying to understand how the environment, health status and diet affect microbes that live in the gut of the fish and how changes there affect the fish itself. It might include changes in how well they utilize the feed and just general gut health.”

A proposal for the country’s first large-scale marine fish farm that would raise grouper, sea bass and other valuable dinner-table species has been sent to the Council of Development for Cambodia for approval, officials confirmed. The $24 million proposal by Norwegian company Vitamar would create a coastal base and egg-hatching site in Preah Sihanouk province over the next eight years, and train some 200 locals in aquaculture and fish farming, according to local media reports earlier this year.

A fishmeal producer based in Puerto Madryn has started producing shrimp oil, and now expects the laboratories to confirm that it meets the quality standards to be able to definitively go into the national and international market. Besides generating new jobs for people residing in Chubut, this reactivation allows transforming fishing waste, which causes significant environmental problems, in a product of high commercial value.

According to a new market study by Transparency Market Research, the development of species-specific diet formulations will result in the global aqua feed market to reach a valuation of US$122.6 billion by 2019. Asia Pacific is the largest market for aqua feed due to the high demand for fish and the emergence of a considerable number of aquaculture facilities in the region. Europe is expected to stand as the second-largest market for aqua feed in the coming years.