BioMar Group has announced it is ready to invest in additional capacity at its factory in Ecuador with the construction of a new line for extruded shrimp feed. The new extrusion line will add approximately 40,000 tons of capacity and is expected to enter operation in Q1 2020, just one year after the latest capacity expansion, which is due in Q1 2019. “For our customers the new line will mean increased flexibility and increased choice, as it will significantly expand our capacity for extruded and value added feed solutions.”

EFSA has confirmed the conclusion of previous assessments that dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs is a health concern, and has accordingly updated tolerable intake levels. The new tolerable weekly intake (TWI) is seven-times lower than the previous EU tolerable intake set by the European Commission’s former Scientific Committee on Food in 2001.

Researchers at the University of Borås are developing methods to grow fungi on materials that would otherwise have become waste. The goal of the project Ways2Taste is to produce climate-smart materials, including a new source of protein. "It will be a climate-smart protein that can look like, for example, ground beef. But we will also work on producing pigments, bioplastics, animal feed and ethanol."

The American Feed Industry Association is urging Congress to approve the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade Agreement (USMCA) for the betterment of the U.S. animal food industry. "I encourage our country’s leaders to demonstrate to the world that the U.S. has entered a new era of trade agreements - one that is built on groundbreaking provisions, which increase transparency between the United States and its trading partners while rewarding science and innovation that continues to help today’s industries meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumers.”

India’s largest shrimp feed maker has lost nearly three-fifths of its market value so far this year as shrimp prices fell and raw material costs rose. Shares of Avanti Feeds Ltd. plunged nearly 59 percent in 2018, the worst yearly rout since 2011 listing, according to Bloomberg data. A 20-25 percent drop in shrimp output in addition to higher prices of soymeal and fishmeal are largely responsible for the drop in earnings.

Researchers at Nofima and UiT The Arctic University of Norway have been tasked by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF) to investigate if algae-based salmon feed can reduce sea lice infestations. “Briefly stated, we are testing whether sea lice infestations can be reduced if the fish are fed using selected Arctic microalgae, which are produced using residual heat and exhaust gas from a smeltery. Based on growth data and observations in the nutrition, it is believed that oxylipins from omega-3 work as deterrents to sea lice and other closely related organisms. Algae are primary producers of omega-3.”

The MIMECCA project, led by CTAQUA, the University of Cadiz and the University of Alicante, has set forth protocols for estimating the specific carrying capacity applicable to inland semi-intensive aquaculture and floating cage marine aquaculture. The protocols address technical, production-related, environmental, and socio-economic aspects of aquaculture. To communicate its final outputs, the MIMECCA team gathered stakeholders last week in Madrid.

Skretting is ready to launch its new and improved integrated concept for recirculating aquaculture systems: RecircReady. The concept takes into account growth and waste prediction models, nutrient recycling, fish and system health monitoring in addition to tailored feed solutions and their impact on the systems themselves.


The INSFEED project is cataloging insects in sub-Saharan Africa with a goal of using them for animal feed. The project is developing an open-access inventory of insects detailing specific nutritional qualities of commonly-found and easily-reared insects. “So far, an Africa-based list of 500 species of insects have been identified as a starting point and this will help us focus on the species with the most potential for use in poultry and fish feed.” A main goal of the project is to reduce the need for fodder plants and their associated fertilizers, thereby mitigating climate change.

Benchmark Holdings announced that it has successfully prosecuted patent infringement in Thailand. The IP&IT court in Thailand ruled that Marine-Tech International (MTI) infringed two of Benchmark's patents related to artemia and hatching enrichment, and the company must cease using the patented technology. The court also awarded damages to Benchmark, which may be subject to appeal. "We are pleased the IP&IT court in Bangkok has ruled in our favor, vindicating the intellectual property which underpins the value of our innovative solutions and future product pipeline. Robust intellectual property protection will continue to be a core strategic area of focus for the group."

During an event held between Vietnamese and Norwegian fishery firms, experts advised that the fisheries sector in Việt Nam should use more seafood by-products such as bones, heads and skin to add value to the industry. Trần Đình Luân, deputy general director of the Directorate of Fisheries, said that the country’s high-quality seafood was exported to many countries, but that Marine Rest Raw Materials could be used to make other products such as animal feeds, thus yielding more profits and reducing the need for discharge of waste.

The State of Hawaii has announced plans to launch an aquaculture accelerator and investment fund. The venture will be based at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) in Kona on the island of Hawaii. In its first step to establish the fund, AAIF Group Partners (AGP), a strategic partnership between three State of Hawaii agencies, have issued an RFI to select an entity to manage the venure. 

The Bandung-based startup eFishery has garnered US$4 million in funding from global investors to support further growth of its automated feeding device. “Ultimately, with this new round of investment, we want to further scale […] to be a platform that connects the entire ecosystem in fish and shrimp farming, creating a more accountable and profitable industry across the region."

Marine Harvest has launched the global brand MOWI, and announced that the company name will be changed to Mowi. “I am really excited that we are now taking the company to the next level. Through implementing our MOWI branding strategy, we can communicate our integrated value-chain from feed to the consumer’s plate. We are looking forward to announcing our new MOWI product line in the coming months."

BioMar Group has raised its EBIT guidance for 2018 after delivering a strong Q3, nearly outperforming the accumulated results of Q1 and Q2. All markets except Norway have shown performance above expectations. "We have taken several measures improving our long-term financial performance, striving to increase efficiency while at the same time leveraging on our core strength being locally agile with a strong focus on innovation and collaboration. I believe that we in a short time will see our performance in Norway back on track.”

The World Aquaculture Society (WAS) has officially launched its African Chapter, and announced that Aller Aqua will support the Chapter of as a Founding Gold Sponsor. As part of its sponsorship, Aller Aqua will contribute to the activities of the Chapter and Society, and specifically to the development of its World Aquaculture activities in the African region for a period of 3 years. “I truly believe that the African chapter will make a positive difference for increased knowledge and research in aquaculture in Africa."

Global investment firm Permira and Grobest have announced that a new joint venture company backed by Permira funds will acquire 50% of the shares of Grobest, and will become the sole corporate shareholder of Grobest after closing. The investment in Grobest is the result of Permira’s continued thematic focus on the food value chain and specifically on aquaculture. “We are very pleased to partner with the pioneering team at Grobest, a real R&D leader in advanced aquatic functional feed and health products in Asia, and work closely with them to unlock the company’s full potential on the global journey ahead."

Researchers in Australia have found that dietary inclusion of Acti-Meal, a grape co-product from the wine industry, improves feed utilization and growth of greenlip abalone (Haliotis laevigata). In the 90-day study, researchers fed juvenile abalone diets containing dietary inclusion levels of Acti-Meal in varying levels from 0-20%, and recorded improvement in biomass gains of up to 12%. “The improvements were achieved despite greenlip abalone consuming significantly less feed when fed the Acti-Meal diets.”

According to an interim company report, Raisio is feeling the impacts of the Russian ban on fish feed imports. The company reported reduced earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for Q3, when compared with the previous period. The Division’s EBIT decreased by EUR 1.8 million, and net sales decreased by EUR 7.6 million from the comparison period. Industry is actively working to lift the Russian import ban but for the moment, the reopening of the Russian border is uncertain.

Global aquafeed company, Skretting today announced that the company has started a process of consulting with employees with the view to cease production in the UK at the end of April 2019.