The fishing company Nordic Wildfish has been assisting in the development of a new technology that can make use of the entire by-product from whitefish such as cod, pollock and haddock. Instead of discarding the heads, guts and the rest of the fish, they can all be incorporated into a hydrolysis process that separates the bones, leaving a kind of \"soup\" to which enzymes can be added and valuable oils and proteins extracted.

Zhanjiang-based Guangdong Yuehai Feed Group, one of the largest aquatic feed producers in the country, plans to invest in Vietnam and India to tap into those markets. Preliminary work is under way for a plant in Vietnam designed to produce 50,000 to 80,000 tons of shrimp and fish feed annually, said Han Shulin, vice-president of the group. The group will invest more than $10 million in the wholly-owned project.

The Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that had asked to shut down factories that are using toxic tannery waste to produce poultry and fish feed in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh area. Earlier, traders used to import bone meal to produce feed. Meat and bone meal, a protein-rich substance, is an essential ingredient for fish and poultry feed. Around 10 years ago, however, the practice of using tannery waste in producing fish and poultry feed was started by corrupted businessman as the price of imported protein has gone up over the years.

Aller-Aqua has announced the appointment of Kristian Jensen as Global Technical Manager. Kristian will strengthen the coordination of processes and information between factories, and will further optimize production performance on many different levels.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a revised Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) about the extralabel use of new animal drugs approved for use in or on animal feed (medicated feeds) for minor species, including fish. Because of the need to have therapeutic options available for treatment of minor species, and to help ensure animal safety and human food safety, FDA issued the CPG to provide guidance to FDA staff about factors to consider when determining whether to take enforcement action against a veterinarian, animal producer, feed manufacturer, and/or feed distributor for the extralabel use of medicated feeds in minor species.

Studies demonstrate that hydrolyzed soy protein can be well digested and utilized by Pacific white shrimp, and that digestibility is improved through a bioprocess with the bacterium Lactobacillus spp.

After 14 years with the USDA\'s Agricultural Research Service, Rick Barrows talks to GAA about the importance of finding \"a complete package,\" in terms of an alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids, and continuing innovation in the aquafeed sector.

Nutreco has launched its new sustainability program Nuterra, which sets out the company’s sustainability strategy and provides tools to implement it throughout the entire organization. “The word ‘sustainability’ has been grossly overused and in many ways its meaning has eroded over the last decade. The challenge for corporations like Nutreco is to keep it relevant, credible and measurable. That is precisely what we aim for with Nuterra.\"

AgriProtein Technologies has granted its Australian partner Twynam Group licenses to build and operate 20 fly-factories across Australasia. The fly-factories will produce industrial volumes of the insect-based feed (MagMeal™). When operational, the 20 factories together will be able to recycle 1.8 million tonnes of waste per year across the region. “Today marks another step in the fight to replace fish-meal in aquaculture and animal feeds – the start of a global roll-out of the only tried and tested, commercially-viable alternative.\"

The Responsible Aquaculture Foundation has launched two new online courses for aquaculturists: Total Suspended Solids Management in Aquaculture and pH Management in Aquaculture. Developed with the assistance of renowned expert Dr. Claude Boyd, the free courses are the first in a new series of RAF courses on water quality. \"The new courses on water quality are designed to help producers identify and manage problems that can greatly affect the health and growth of their fish and shrimp. We are working on several more related courses to complete a full curriculum on water quality.\"

Growth in global fish production is expected to slow slightly this year, driven primarily by lower catches of major wild species including anchoveta. Production solely from aquaculture continues to increase at a steady rate with a further 5 percent increase in total volume expected in 2016. Global per capita consumption of fish is rising each year by approximately 1 percent, and the proportion of fish produced by the aquaculture sector for human consumption is forecast to reach 53 percent this year. Low or stable supplies of many highly-traded species can be expected to push global seafood prices up further in the medium term. The recent contraction of the anchoveta supply following the El Niño weather event is likely to drive up fish feed prices, which in turn increases costs for producers of farmed carnivorous species around the world.

Nutriad has released the results of their 2016 mycotoxin survey, concluding that this year’s harvest of wheat in the UK and Ireland is of medium quality (>LOD but below EU recommendation levels) in terms of mycotoxin contamination. Based on the results of the survey, conducted immediately after the 2016 harvest, Nutriad experts believe that this year’s wheat crop in the UK and Ireland should not automatically be considered safe for inclusion into finished feed rations for all animal species, and a degree of vigilance is prudent. The 2016 Nutriad Mycotoxin Survey covers 66 samples from all over Great Britain and Ireland. More than 500 analyses were conducted to test for the occurrence of the eight mycotoxins most frequently found in agricultural commodities intended for animal production.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Chi Farms limited have entered into a partnership to enhance capacity of small-scale farmers in the country and to add about 4,000 tonnes of catfish into the nation’s food basket yearly. Chi Farms, according to the project layout, will ensure supply of quality feed and catfish juveniles to the farmers by enhancing its feed milling and hatching capacities.

A team of scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is conducting probiotic-type research to see if salmon have bacteria or bacterial bio-markers in their gut or mucus that makes them more resistant to sea lice. “Broodstock samples are being analyzed at Laval University. If results show that some salmon families have fewer sea lice counts and contained certain species of bacteria, we will then try applying a beneficial probiotic — perhaps in feed — to fish that don’t naturally have that resistance.”

A group of specialists is working on the development of technology to improve fish nutrition with the ultimate aim of strengthening the aquaculture industry in the country, as feed quality is one of the main factors limiting its growth. \"It is important to understand nutrition in aquaculture as a process whose outcome is modulated by physiological conditions, life cycle stage, species, health status and environmental conditions of the resource being farmed. The fish’s growth and well-being can and should be optimized through the delivery of feed with adequate nutrients.\"

Canadian researchers are engaged in genomic work aimed at developing therapeutic diets for Atlantic salmon and reducing simultaneous infections in Atlantic salmon farms. “Our functional genomics research will identify molecular mechanisms involved in salmon responses to co-infections. This will lead to the development of better feeds for improved treatments to combat co-infections.”

A new type of canola in development by Cargill could give aquaculture farmers a more sustainable way to raise fish rich in EPA/DHA omega-3 fatty acids. In feeding trials it conducted with salmon in Chile, Cargill was able to completely replace fish oil in feed rations with oil from EPA/DHA canola. The new canola, which is genetically engineered to make long chain omega-3 fatty acids, will offer a more sustainable alternative as it eases pressure on finite marine resources. Testing and regulatory approval for both the canola and the EPA/DHA enhanced canola oil is underway. The EPA/DHA enhanced canola oil is expected to reach the market sometime after 2020.

Nutreco is launching a new way to kick-start breakthrough solutions with the Nutreco FeedTech Challenge. Centered around the question ‘What is your breakthrough innovation – that CANNOT wait?’ Nutreco calls for the brightest minds to help realize sustainable food production for a growing world population. The winner will receive a unique prize in the form of a scientific on-farm validation trial in one of Nutreco’s research farms. “This challenge and in particular the validation trial can provide a significant contribution to introducing new breakthrough innovations into real life. For start-ups it is a great opportunity to accelerate the development of their innovations, possibly even leading to a funding offer from Nutreco or one of our partners.”

AgriProtein announced earlier this week that it has secured $17.5 million of further capital from key strategic partners to fund expansion into Europe, North & South America and Asia. The new investment values the company at over $117 million – making it the most valuable fly-farming business in the world. On the world’s largest farm by headcount, AgriProtein produces and licenses MagMeal™ a high-protein feed made from dried, milled and de-fatted larvae produced by Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens) fed on existing organic waste derived from municipal and other industrial waste partners.

Aquaculture Without Frontiers has announced that Karen Veverica is being honored as Woman of the Month for her work as an elite trainer with exemplary impacts in the aquaculture sector. "She has an incredible wealth of practical knowledge that I've repeatedly encouraged her to pass on in some kind of major publication, such as a book or production guide. In particular, her work in Africa has been exemplary and indicative of a long-term commitment to aquaculture development on the continent.”