The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) held the first meeting of its feed working group in Machala, Ecuador. The new group aims to work with the broader supply chain to improve the sustainability of shrimp feeds and farming.

At the meeting, the working group comprised of representatives from companies dedicated to shrimp nutrition including Agripac, Balnova, Biomar, Inprosa, Skretting and Vitapro discussed how they can help achieve the SSP vision of provide a healthy, sustainable and high quality product.

Within the framework of this meeting, SSP seeks to generate spaces for dialogue and work with representatives of companies to discuss in a pre-competitive manner issues that require joint solutions.

\"We can improve the productivity and even sustainability indexes of the shrimp farming areas through animal nutrition and at the same time strengthen the crustacean\'s immune system,\" said José Antonio Camposano, SSP representative.

It was agreed that the working group’s first activity will be to prepare comments on the draft Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Feed standard, which will be part of the requirements to meet the quality standards promoted by the SSP initiative, in addition to zero use of antibiotics and assurance of traceability.

\"SSP is the first time that the shrimp industry establishes a platform where producers seek to support innovation and support environmental improvements, working together with the supply chain to meet these objectives,\" said Carlos Miranda, General Manager of Skretting Ecuador. \"Ecuador is a good place to start given our recent growth here, and we hope that SSP can expand this initiative.\"

The meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Soybean Export Council USSEC.