Mississippi State University will lead a new $15 million USAID initiative that continues efforts to reduce poverty and improve health outcomes for global populations dependent on aquaculture-led economies. Known as the Fish Innovation Lab, the project will implement integrated aquaculture and fisheries programs in developing countries, initially focusing on West Africa, East Africa, and Asia. The Lab will conduct research focusing on improved production, reducing and mitigating risk to fish production systems and improving human outcomes.

EuroProtein is touting the potential of rapeseed protein concentrate (RPC) as a main aquaculture feed ingredient. RPC was assessed in a feeding study on salmon, and performed equally to soy protein concentrate. \"We think that rapeseed protein concentrate should be a main feed ingredient in European aquaculture feeds, especially if you can produce it at a price point similar to SPC in an industrial process that we have fully proven, together with our engineering partners.\"

Yara has announced they are entering the aquaculture industry with a line of phosphate additive products intended to reduce adverse environmental effects and overall cost. \"We have full control over the entire value chain. For example, we use our own ammonia and our own phosphoric acid from our own mine, which makes the phosphoric acid virtually free from impurities.\"

According to the latest El Niño / Southern Oscillation (ENSO) diagnostic discussion issued by the Climate Prediction Center/NCEP/NWS and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, El Niño will likely begin sometime during the Northern Hemisphere fall and continue through the winter.

In an industry that is consistently changing, it is important to note that the way aquatic feed is produced is changing and advancing as well. While specifically focusing on micro aquatic feed, twin screw extruder technology exists that will allow for production of direct extruded feed as small as 0.5 mm.

Iran has removed its ban on the export of fish feed. Earlier in July, the Iranian government banned the export of 18 agricultural products including fishmeal, fish feed, and additives for fish feed \"until further notice.\" The decision came as a move to save foreign currency after the Iranian rial plunged to a record low against the US dollar after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal with Tehran. Prior to the ban, Iran was exporting some 15,000 tons of fish feed annually at a value of $1-1.2 per each kilogram.

Ten of the world’s largest seafood companies, including Skretting and Cargill, have announced that they will increase their efforts to strengthen sustainable practices in the seafood industry. The announcement followed a dialogue in Japan where the companies made a shared commitment to advance sustainable practices within their global operations and supply chains. The dialogue marks the third in a series of keystone dialogues for the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) initiative. In the dialogue, the SeaBOS organization was also formally established with the appointment of Knut Nesse, currently CEO of Nutreco, as managing director of SeaBOS from January 1, 2019.

Recent trials found that a new feed additive derived from sugarcane can offer key benefits such as improved growth rates and feed conversion ratios in shrimp and fish. Trials of the patented additive Polygain, produced by Australian company The Product Makers (TPM), were conducted in Bangladesh on three prominent species: shrimp, pangus, and tilapia. “The aim of the University trials, were to confirm the suitability of natural polyphenol product in commercial fish and prawn pellets used at low doses. The industry has been looking for a natural non antibiotic based growth improver and this has the potential to expand the value and volume of exports.” 

One of the most important feeding strategies to tackle the complex problems of maintaining health in aquaculture is feed management. Feed is the most practical, and sometimes the only way (as in shrimp), to support and improve the health status in the animals

A recent study aiming to assess and compare the efficacy of commercial and indigenous sources of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus lichenformis in shrimp diets found that commercial probiotics may offer a higher resistance to environmental stressors. The study assessed the efficacy of the bacteria as probiotic dietary supplementation on the growth performance, immuno-physiological variables and resistance response to some stressors in white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Researchers measured growth and feeding parameters including final weight, growth rate, and FCR, and found that all diets containing probiotics significantly influenced each factor. Better growth performance and survival were observed in the CP group when compared with other treatments.

The Nyeri Agriculture department has started training farmers on fish feeds formulation to lower production cost, which account for up to 70 per cent of total production cost. The fisheries department also plans to revive Wamagana Fish Factory. “We are encouraging other fish farming technologies such as the cage culture system. In 2017-18, 10 cages were constructed, installed and stocked with 10,000 tilapia monosex fingerings at Chinga Dam.”

BioMar has released its half year report, and total volumes and revenues are up compared with 2017. The increase is the result of good performance in core markets and new business; however, the salmon markets are down. BioMar Group sales volume increased 8% compared to same period last year, mainly driven by the new shrimp business unit in Ecuador, Alimentsa. Innovative products integrating high performance, functional feeds and sustainability concepts have shown to be a very strong platform for growth in the new markets.

Alltech has announced that the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre (ACAC) will become an Alltech bioscience center. This center will be home to an expanded team of aqua researchers dedicated to quality, innovation and the development of new applications in aqua feed. As part of the ACAC’s progression to a bioscience center, Alltech Coppens has announced that Dr. Philip Lyons will be taking on a new role as a global aquaculture research manager to help coordinate research activities at the new center with Alltech’s expanding global research programs.

The EU-funded DIVERSIFY project, now in its final year, has produced an array of important scientific knowledge that is helping European aquaculture diversify its production and increase its market share. The project has identified and worked to address production bottlenecks in six new or emerging finfish species: meagre, greater amberjack, wreckfish, Atlantic halibut, grey mullet and pikeperch. In addition to its species-specific research, the project also identified the most promising ideas for new fish products from the project species for the European market. \"The DIVERSIFY project has already achieved almost all that it has promised and has demonstrated that diversification is not only possible, but a necessity for European aquaculture.\"

CVM has approved the supplemental new animal drug application (NADA) for Terramycin® 200 for Fish. The supplemental approval of Terramycin® 200 for Fish (oxytetracycline) Type A medicated article provides for a change in the bacterial species of Aeromonas liquefaciens to Aeromonas hydrophila in the approved indications for salmonids and catfish. 

Although the primary purposes of using cooking extrusion equipment to produce all aquatic feeds is similar or even the same, the challenges and problems can be quite different depending on the final density.

Bakkafrost has announced plans to invest approximately $65 million (DKK 425 million) in its fishmeal, oil and feed business over the next four years to increase feed capacity and feed line capabilities. Investments will also be made to increase the fish oil capacity to support marine index. The investment is part of the updated company-wide investment program for the period from 2018 to 2022.

Einar Wathne has vacated his position as Group Leader at Cargill Aqua Nutrition, and effective immediately will take on a counsel role as the head of seafood for Cargill Animal Nutrition. The new role is a strategic move to have Wathne apply his expertise to future expansion of Cargill’s presence in the seafood value chain. “After 32 years with fish feed, I have decided to step down to spend more time with my family and on other interests. But, first, I look forward to immersing myself in Cargill’s efforts as we explore our role in the seafood value chain, an industry I will always have a strong passion for.”

Researchers are finding that organic acids and autolyzed yeast products are effective at reducing the impacts of pathogens in aquaculture production. At Biomin, scientists continue to test and prove the efficacy of the company\'s enhanced organic acid Biotronic® Top3 on controlling bacterial disease outbreaks in aquaculture. They recently cultured a number of pathogens in growth medium, with and without the organic acid. The pathogens were chosen based on their ability to cause widespread disease and high economic losses in aquaculture, and included Aeromonas spp., Edwardsiella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Streptococcus sp., Vibrio spp. and Yersinia sp. Researchers observed that the organic acid effectively reduced the growth of all pathogens.

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research is conducting a five-day training program on recent trends in feed and feeding strategies for various life stages of commercially Important freshwater fish. The training is covering different aspects of fish nutrition such as nutrient requirements, selection and use of quality ingredients, feed processing technology, feed formulations, preparation of farm made feed, production of sinking and extruded feeds, feed management and feeding strategies to reduce production costs.