A new video highlights salmon producers in New Zealand who are hoping to reduce the impact of fish farming on the environment by changing how they feed their fish. It's part of research being undertaken in Nelson where thousands of king salmon are being carefully monitored by scientists.

Evonik is inviting feed and feed additive producers to utilize a new state-of-the-art feed mill in Vietnam, which was designed to produce pelleted trial feeds. The feed mill, a scientific collaboration between Evonik and Nong Lam University, is dedicated to research trials and provides a valuable resource to foster technological advancement of a more sustainable feed industry in the country. “The feed mill is also open to other companies that wish to test their products. Evonik alone will not be able to provide all of the solutions. We have, to a certain extent, specialized and concentrated on probiotics while other companies specialize in organic acids and alternative products. These need to be tested, compared and checked, and this is why we are looking for partners.”

More than 90 percent of the fish used for fishmeal and fish oil from the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific now come from fisheries that can be classified as “reasonably well-managed (or better),” according to the latest annual report on reduction fisheries from Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). Of the stocks listed in “very good condition,” the report once again singled out the Antarctic krill fishery in the Atlantic Southern Ocean as being particularly well-managed. “The positive trend in this year's report demonstrates the power of the multi-stakeholder approach to "greening" value chains through responsible sourcing.”

Omega Protein has released a response to a recent essay titled "Trouble Comes To Town," published by the Marine Fish Conservation Network. In the essay, author Paul Eidman makes claims about the menhaden fishery and Omega Protein's operations. "The hysteria created by Mr. Eidman and others as a result of negligible fishing and menhaden removals from the New York/New Jersey Bight is unfounded and takes away from the real story. We are experiencing favorable environmental conditions right now, and, as a result, large menhaden schools have been observed from Maine to Florida."

The Pincoy Project has been recognized for its contribution to the environment at AquaSur 2018. The project was initiated by Skretting and six other partners in 2016 as a collaborative response to reduce the use of antibiotics in the Chilean salmon industry. "The project delivers a collaborative and holistic approach to combat the use of antibiotics, through an initiative that defines high standards of animal welfare and operational excellence throughout the value chain, considering selective breeding, high quality hatchery diets, smolt selection, vaccines and the implementation of best-practice protocols and monitoring throughout the production cycle, as well as the use of functional diets."

The fishing company Camanchaca will expand its facility in Coronel to increase its production of fishmeal and frozen products. The company plans to invest $23 million to achieve a more efficient operation and consolidate its operations. Processing capacity will be increased from 180 tons per day to 1,000 tons per day, with the implementation of a total of 9 production lines and 8 freezing tunnels.

Cargill has opened a new shrimp feed plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador. With this plant, Cargill will produce 165,000 tons of feed per year in Ecuador, which accounts for around 20 percent of the 800,000 tons of feed that the Ecuadorian market currently demands. Cargill’s investment of approximately $65 million creates 150 new jobs and enables the creation of 500 related positions. “The plant we are opening today offers the most leading-edge technology currently available for the production of shrimp feed.”

Scientists in Israel have unearthed the oldest known example of intensive fish farming. By studying chemical traits in the bones of gilthead seabream found in Israeli archaeological sites, a team led by researchers from Haifa University has concluded that intensive cultivation of the popular fish took place as early as 3,500 years ago. At about 1,500 BCE, they discovered, the farming of seabream at Bardawil took off and became the chief source of the beloved fish not only for inland cities, but even for coastal ones, possibly replacing their own domestic fishing industry. That period also saw a stabilization in the size of the seabream being consumed in the land of Israel, a finding that further strengthens the case for the start of wide-scale aquaculture in the period.

The acquisition represents De Heus’ entry in the Indonesian animal feed market.

BioMar Group has increased its shrimp research capabilities with the opening of its Aquaculture Technology Center in Ecuador. The ATC is a state-of-the-art trial facility dedicated to researching the full lifecycle of shrimp. It houses multiple water recirculation systems to ensure full control of the parameters during trials, and is capable of evaluating more than 150 diets per year. “Our new research facilities will help us continue to evolve our shrimp feed range while allowing us to respond faster to market and customer needs. In BioMar, we have for many years been contributing to minimizing the environmental footprint of the industry, enhancing efficiency and strengthening the health of the fish. Now, we are ready to conduct local product test supporting our global research within raw materials, process technology, health and nutrition.”

The UK Government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has launched two International Centers of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health and Seafood Safety. “As the Government’s marine and freshwater science experts, our mission is to help keep our seas and oceans healthy and productive and our seafood safe and sustainable. We do this by providing the best data and advice to the UK Government and our overseas partners. Innovative, world-class science is central to this mission and that of our International Centers, which aim to ensure that our science capability continues to develop and keep step with UK and global science challenges."

The SERIOLA project in Spain is making progress in improving the larvae stage and optimizing fattening of greater amberjack. In addition to launching a series of validation trials for fattening of greater amberjack juveniles, the project is also carrying out tests on nutritional profiles and diet performance. Thus far, researchers have established the optimum levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 (n-3 PUFA) to add to fattening diets; a new test has been launched to assess the addition of different functional ingredients in feed.

AquaShip has bought Artic Shipping, one of the largest players in the segment of shipping of fish feed. The company has 5 self-discharging vessels, which operate on TC contracts with EWOS. "With this acquisition AquaShip is represented in the segments of service boats, shipping of fish feed, harvest vessels and live-fish-carriers, giving us a unique position as a complete supplier of maritime services in maritime aquaculture. This is a position we intend to exploit in our further growth."

El Niño is favored to form in the next couple of months and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2018-19. The official forecast favors the formation of a weak El Niño, consistent with the recent strengthening of westerly wind anomalies and positive temperature trends in the surface and subsurface ocean. 

NOAA Fisheries is accepting public comments on a proposed regulation to implement a traceability program for U.S. farmed shrimp and abalone. The regulation will establish comparable reporting requirements to those required for imported seafood products under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). Congress has directed the Secretary of Commerce to establish this domestic traceability program by December 31, 2018. Comments are due by November 26.

Nor-Feed and the SONAS research unit of the Angers University have launched their joint laboratory FeedInTech, which aims to develop precision animal nutrition by connecting the human resources, know-how and cutting-edge research equipment of both partners. FeedInTech will investigate animal nutrition using a three-step process that starts with the characterization and quantification of molecules inside an additive. The next two steps are studying the physiological response of an animal whose diet has been supplemented and completing biological modeling. FeedInTech is now operational and working on citrus extracts and their benefits on the gut microbiota.

Two recent studies have demonstrated that adding phytase to tilapia diets offers producers a threefold benefit of improvements across nutrient digestibility and retention, as well as mineral status and feed conversion rates. “Strategies for reducing feed costs – which can account for 60% of total production expenditure – and minimizing ecological damage are becoming increasingly important in the fish industry. The effect of phytase represents benefits for both: the improved mineral status spares 0.25% of available phosphorus, reducing production costs, whilst the increased retention of nutrients results in lower levels of water pollution.” The studies will be presented AB Vista at this month’s LACQUA.

At the recent GOAL 2018 conference, Nicovita and the GAA promoted the Pre-Fishery Improvement Project during a special session titled ‘The power of collaboration: driving improvements in the feed fisheries.’ According to Nicovita, the 'power of collaboration' is the perfect example of what has happened in Ecuador with the company's efforts to finalize the start of the FIP: Improvement Project of the Small Pelagic Fisheries, "thus initiating the path of local production of sustainable marine ingredients that contribute to the development of the aquaculture industry.”

Last week, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo ruled in favor of environmental, public interest and fishing groups who filed suit against the federal government two years ago, claiming NOAA Fisheries did not have the authority to regulate aquaculture through the Magnuson-Stevens Act. 

October is National Seafood Month. This month provides an opportunity to celebrate the important role of seafood in the “blue economy.” NOAA is using the opportunity to highlight the success of U.S. seafood as among the world’s most sustainable. Throughout the month of October, NOAA Fisheries will be highlighting the success stories behind U.S. seafood and the U.S. fishermen and fish farmers who make it possible.