Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore’s vibrant culinary scenes get a sustainable makeover in celebration of the upcoming World Oceans Day. The ‘Sustainable SEAFood Festival,’ organised by the Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition (HKSSC), is set to take place from 1 to 30 June 2025. This unique four-week event will feature over 45 restaurants from top hotels and meal delivery service in the three participating cities, each offering specially curated sustainable seafood dishes or menus, revealing that delicious dining can be responsible.

Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore are significant global trade hubs inhabited by seafood lovers, but each face a critical need to embrace sustainable seafood practices. Take Hong Kong as an example, local residents consume approximately 66.5kg of seafood annually – three times the global average. Seafood imports to Hong Kong alone originate from over 150 countries or territories, but the availability of seafood sourced from sustainable options, whether farmed or wild-caught, remains limited in many food outlets. With one-third of global fisheries being overfished, now is a critical time for restaurants and diners to adopt sustainable seafood consumption practices to safeguard our precious marine resources for present and future generations.

Joining forces with the F&B industry to mainstream sustainable seafood

During the festival period, participating restaurants will offer sustainable seafood dishes in their à la carte and regular set menus, inviting diners to choose sustainable options in their daily life. In Hong Kong, Amber, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong will serve Oyster (MEL Certified) paired with Tomatillo, Granny Smith Apple, Jalapeño and Thai Basil as part of the full Amber experience menu. Hugo’s at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, will serve the Sustainable Seafood Tower that includes Alaskan snow crab leg (MSC certified) and wild-caught Boston lobsters (MSC certified)  Lucciola Restaurant & Bar, The Hari Hong Kong, will have Baked MSC certified Scampi with Amalfi Lemon and Nocellara Extra Virgin Olive Oil available on the à la carte menu. The Aubrey, Mandarin Oriental, will introduce a five-course World Oceans Day Menu, which includes Madai Usuzukuri (MEL certified) with Ponzu.

In Macau, Brasserie at the Parisian will introduce a five-course World Oceans Day Seafood Festival Menu, which includes Butter Sauteed Prawns (BAP certified) flambéed with Pernod on Tomato, Bell Pepper and Saffron sauce. 5 ON 25, Andaz Singapore, is set to delight guests with a Crispy-Fried Black Cod (MSC certified) and Kai Lan, available on the à la carte menu. 

Richard Ekkebus, Culinary Director, Amber, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, said,

“Sustainable seafood is fresher, more flavourful, and speaks to the values of transparency and care that discerning diners increasingly seek. Sustainability is not a trend – it is a necessity. As chefs, we have the unique power to influence change through the choices we make. By prioritising sustainable seafood, we honour the ocean and ensure its bounty remains abundant for generations to come. Through collaboration with organisations like the Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition (HKSSC) and other sustainability certifiers, as well as by staying informed about the latest developments in seafood sustainability, I aim to set a standard of excellence that inspires both my peers and guests.”

Cheung Hong Man, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, said,

“Caring for the planet is a natural extension of Hyatt’s purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. At Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, we are thrilled to continue our support for World Oceans Day by offering more sustainable seafood options that are sourced responsibly. Together we can protect our oceans by raising the awareness of marine conservation and sustainable fishing practices through our restaurants.”

Mandy Wong, Secretariat, Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition said,

“The fourth annual World Oceans Day event by the HKSSC, ‘Sustainable SEAFood Festival’ is a collective outcome of chefs, procurement teams, sustainability teams, and marketing teams who make continuous efforts to source sustainable ocean’s bounty, curate delicious seafood dishes, and promote sustainable cuisine. It is our pleasure to join forces with the F&B industry in Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore to showcase sustainable seafood.”

The HKSSC is a coalition of seafood industry members dedicated to advancing the local and regional sustainable seafood markets through promoting responsible sourcing practices. The HKSSC seafood supplier members, including Indoguna Lordly, M&C Asia, Pacific Rich Resources, and Saga Seafood, continue to work with various F&B outlets to drive the seafood market towards sustainability, by providing responsible and biologically-sustainable seafood.

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Collecting outcome measures for better welfare

By Marius Nicolini, Oistein Thorsen, Pau Badia Grimalt, Murilo Quintiliano and Ralf Onken, FAI Farms.

The work on aquatic animal welfare started in 2018. The leading UK food retailer, Marks and Spencer (M&S), received the 2019 Aquaculture Award for animal welfare in recognition of their Welfare Outcome Measure Programme, developed and delivered by FAI.

This Welfare Outcome Measure Programme gathers welfare outcome data such as mortality rates, disease prevalence, injuries and fish body condition across different growth stages and production units in their supply chain. This data provides insights into how fish experience and are impacted by various farming systems. By adopting an outcome measure approach, M&S can collaborate with suppliers to identify risk areas and implement improvement initiatives where necessary. This approach helps integrate welfare management into daily business operations through data-driven decision-making. Additionally, this approach enables greater transparency and brand integrity amidst growing scrutiny from citizens, regulatory bodies and NGOs on animal production practices.

Alongside the collaboration with M&S, FAI Farms has also been working on a highly practical approach to animal welfare in aquaculture. This approach centres around placing farmers at the heart of a comprehensive welfare framework, empowering them with the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure the highest possible animal welfare standards in their operations.

Looking differently at aquatic animal welfare
The status of aquatic animal welfare is generally considered to be less advanced compared to land-based farm welfare. This is primarily because aquatic animals like fish and crustaceans are often considered less sentient or less capable of experiencing pain and suffering compared to land animals like cows, pigs and chickens.

However, over the past two decades, numerous studies have demonstrated that fish possess anatomical, physiological, behavioural, and pharmacological mechanisms that suggest they are capable of experiencing feelings such as pain and fear, similar to other vertebrates.

This evidence has been summarised in Braithwaiteâ€s book, “Do Fish Feel Pain?” (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010). Recently, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of improving the welfare of aquatic animals. This has been driven by concerns around the environmental sustainability of current aquaculture practices and the ethical and moral obligations of treating all animals with respect and compassion.

There are several challenges to improving the welfare of aquatic animals, including the difficulties in assessing and monitoring their welfare due to their unique physiology, living environment and behaviours. There is a needed effort to develop and implement appropriate standards and guidelines adapted to the many aquatic species farmed around the world.

Over the past four years, FAI Farms has been working to develop a welfare approach specifically tailored to the aquaculture industry. As part of this effort, we have created species-specific operational welfare indicators and tools, making it easier to integrate welfare considerations into the industryâ€s everyday practices. Our goal is to make animal welfare a mainstream concern in aquaculture and promote the adoption of best practices throughout the industry.

Welfare framework for aquatic species
The aquaculture industry must consider various welfare critical points, which require the assessment of several indicators to ensure farmed animal welfare. Routine management practices, such as physical manipulation, can lead to physical and psychological stress. Water quality and associated environmental factors, such as dissolved oxygen, carbon, pH, temperature, and light regimes, are essential for maintaining fish and shrimp homeostasis. Indicators may be a direct observation or measurement from the animal, or an indirect information related to the environment and farm management.

A welfare protocolâ€s validity, reliability and feasibility are crucial to its effectiveness. It must be validated by expert judgment, produce consistent results and be practical in terms of required time and farm conditions. Protocols for salmon and trout have been established for decades, but it is only recently that FAI Farms, in partnership with the Animal Welfare Laboratory at Paraná State University (LABEA) and Wai Ora, have developed protocols for tilapia, carp and shrimp, some of the most commonly farmed aquatic species worldwide.

The welfare assessment protocols for tilapia, carp and shrimp were established to address four out of the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, health, and behaviour. Indicators related to the psychology domain were not explicitly categorised but were indirectly evaluated through other proposed indicators. For each indicator, the reference values were determined based on literature and field experience. We have made a concerted effort to acknowledge that the degree of tolerance or ideal level of a given factor or indicator is not solely dependent on the animalâ€s life stage. Rather, it is also influenced by the production system used and the environmental conditions in which the animals are raised.

Our approach considers these factors, recognising their critical role in promoting optimal welfare outcomes for farmed aquatic animals. Each indicator is scored to reflect the continuum of animal experience, ranging from positive (score 1) to very negative (score 3). We believe that non-invasive methods, such as those proposed by FAI farms, for assessing farmed fish and shrimp welfare will become a standard tool for farms. In the future, it will become increasingly challenging to produce seafood without considering their welfare throughout the production cycle.

Assessment is a powerful tool for improving animal welfare in aquaculture. Evaluating the physical, physiological, and behavioural indicators of animal welfare allows for identifying areas of improvement and implementing strategies to address them. For example, regular welfare assessments can help identify potential sources of stress or harm, such as poor water quality or overcrowding, and allow for interventions to be put in place to address these issues. Assessments can help ensure that best practices are followed throughout the production process, from hatchery to slaughter, to promote optimal welfare outcomes. They can also facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders within the aquaculture industry, including producers, researchers and regulators.

By establishing shared standards and protocols for welfare assessment, stakeholders can work together to develop and promote sustainable and responsible aquaculture practices. This can ultimately lead to improved animal welfare and increased efficiency, profitability and public trust in the industry. These assessments trigger a virtuous cycle of enhancements by appealing to the farmers†intrinsic desire to excel and improve. If a problem is detected during the assessment, measures will likely be taken to rectify or enhance it, ultimately leading to improved welfare.

Communicating welfare to the aquaculture industry

An industry-wide adoption of welfare indicators and assessment protocols is necessary to ensure consistent and effective animal welfare monitoring. At all levels of the aquaculture industry, education and training are vital to promoting animal welfare. To that end, we offer free online training on welfare and we are currently developing mobile applications that farmers can use to perform welfare evaluations easily.

Mobile applications offer many benefits for performing welfare assessments of aquatic species. By providing real-time data collection, easy data access, a user friendly interface, improved accuracy and cost-effectiveness, mobile apps are an effective tool for assessing the health and well-being of aquatic animals. The app can be used as a farmer self-assessment or as a second- or third-party assessment tool. The assessment results can be easily shared with various stakeholders, including customers and certification bodies, to ensure compliance with good production practices and promote positive outcomes.

“Who cares the most about tilapia welfare? We believe farmers are the most important factor in driving welfare improvements in aquaculture. We believe they are an untapped force for good whose power can be unleashed through practical farm assessments that align business and welfare objectives,” said Øistein Thorsen, CEO of FAI.

The FAI Academy offers a free online training program focused on tilapia welfare. This course is specifically designed for individuals working in tilapia aquaculture production, such as farm managers and technicians. Its primary objective is to equip learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement effective welfare practices in their daily routines, from hatchery to slaughter. As part of our ongoing commitment to animal welfare, additional courses on welfare for other aquatic species, including shrimp and carp, will be made available soon.

“FAIâ€s online training suite on tilapia welfare is the first of its kind focused on implementing welfare practices in tilapia aquaculture daily routines, from hatchery to slaughter. The courses can be accessed on a smartphone, tablet or computer and were created for everyone working in tilapia aquaculture,” said Thorsen.

Building a community around welfare in aquaculture

The establishment of welfare indicators for aquatic animal species has presented several challenges. One significant obstacle is the limited amount of information available on the biology of certain animals. To address this, we have utilised the most reliable and current news from the technical and scientific literature to develop our indicators.

However, we recognise that these indicators and associated reference values require ongoing evaluation and updating to ensure their accuracy and relevance. To this end, we aim to foster a community focused on aquatic animal welfare, creating a platform to share knowledge on welfare and revised protocols, based on the latest research and developments in the field. Our goal is to continually improve our approach on welfare assessment and promote the adoption of best practices across the aquaculture industry.

We invite all individuals and organisations involved in aquaculture to join us in our mission to enhance the lives of farmed aquatic animals worldwide. Together, we can create a brighter future for these animals and promote sustainable and responsible practices within the aquaculture industry.

This article was published in issue May/June 2023

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The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) celebrates this month its fifth anniversary after  years of progress and initiatives to transform the global shrimp aquaculture industry into one more socially and environmentally responsible. This association arises from the vision of a group of major shrimp producers in Ecuador, who noticed neglectful practices within the global sector and committed to improving it and demonstrating that it is possible to produce shrimp of the highest quality while using best practices. Their efforts have led SSP to be considered one of the most relevant precompetitive seafood platforms, according to the Landscape Review of Sustainable Seafood Precompetitive Collaborations research, created by CEA Consulting on behalf of the Sustainable Seafood Funders Group.

SSP Director Pamela Nath explained.

“When we established SSP five years ago, we wanted to drive change globally. We consider SSP as an innovation lab where we tackle specific challenges, learn how to address them and share our experience. We set the bar high for ourselves to demonstrate by example and to lead these changes. We call this a race to the top.”

During this ‘race to the top’ in which SSP is the number one competitor, this entity has reached landmarks in its journey. An example of these triumphs is the creation of one of the most demanding protocols for shrimp production: the SSP qualification. This standard was developed under the guidance of SSP’s Advisory Board, formed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council  (ASC); and hand in hand with the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC). The SSP qualification establishes that all farms must meet ASC certification, and are subjected to constant verifications during each production cycle to guarantee the zero use of antibiotics, the neutral impact on water, and the complete traceability of the product.

Nath added,

“After seeing that unsafe products were being offered to the consumer in the marketplace, with an indiscriminate use of antibiotics, as well as poor social and environmental practices, the founding members of SSP identified the lack of transparent information about the production processes and decided to show that SSP works following criteria with the highest levels of accountability.”

A pioneering project in the aquaculture industry developed by SSP based on its traceability criteria was to use Blockchain technology for its products. SSP joined the IBM Food Trust ecosystem, a platform that uses blockchain, and developed a traceability application designed especially for consumers, to allow them to access information about the food and its journey to their plate simply by scanning a QR code. This practice ensures that customers receive transparent data on the origin and quality of SSP’s premium shrimp. For this reason,  international markets have decided to include it in their offer, as is the case of the Chilean retail giant Jumbo, where SSP’s premium shrimp is available under the Cuisine & Co brand.

SSP’s route also includes the collaboration and implementation of plans with leading international organizations in their working areas.

SSP process manager Mari­a Fernanda Vilches, said, 

“We are operating alongside other industry players on a carbon footprint measurement project led by IDH. We want to identify the hot spots in shrimp production and work on solutions to reduce their impact.”

These activities are formulated within the SSP Sustainability Leadership Roundtable, a platform in which different organisations strive to encourage the sustainable development of the global farmed shrimp industry, anticipating future challenges and working proactively to overcome them. In order to reach a larger-scale change inside the aquaculture industry and achieve the highest levels of environmental and social performance, it is also necessary to include small and medium-sized producers in the process and support them to be more competitive internationally. This is another front of action in which the SSP stands out since, together with its Advisory Board, it has developed the Scale Up program to implement  improvement projects.

SSP considers that a key actor that cannot be excluded from the process if the global industry is to be transformed, is the consumer. SSP believes that it is essential to work on their awareness so that they demand healthier products and question themselves about the production practices behind what they buy.

For this reason, the initiative carries out consumers/customers experiences so that they get to know the story behind the shrimp such as the Shrimp Summit in Ecuador, activities with the culinary community, development of guides for Chefs and Dietitians. Next edition of the Shrimp Summit, an event organized together with ASC, will take place in June 12th to 14th. 

Undoubtedly, these five years of efforts toward sustainability appear to be paying off since, in society, there is an increasing need for responsible and transparent industries in their practices. Consequently, Nath holds that SSP and its members will maintain their commitment and continue making history while they pursue their objectives.

Founding Members of the SSP include Grupo Almar, Lanec, Omarsa, Promarisco – Grupo Nueva Pescanova, Songa – Sociedad Nacional de Galápagos. SSP Associate Members are BioMar, DSM, INVE Aquaculture, Skretting, Vitapro. 

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On 30 November 2022, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and INVE Aquaculture, a Benchmark Company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly set up SFA-INVE Hatchery
Technology Centre at SFAâ€s Marine Aquaculture Centre (MAC).

The proposed Centre will bring together SFAâ€s expertise in hatchery design and production for tropical marine species (e.g. Asian seabass and red snapper), as well as INVE’s in-depth knowledge of specialised fish nutrition for early developmental stages, including their patented technologies for live feeds. SFA and INVE scientists will jointly conduct research to develop advanced hatchery technologies (such as automated hatchery system for rotifer and artemia production) compatible with tropical marine species and environments.

The Centre will also serve as a training hub for farmers from Singapore and the region for knowledge transfer, to help build up a consistent supply of good quality fish fry for production. This will also contribute to Singaporeâ€s “30 by 30” food security goal, which aims to build the agri-food industryâ€s capability and capacity to sustainably produce 30% of Singaporeâ€s nutritional needs by 2030.

The MOU was jointly signed by Mr Chan Hian Lim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Corporate, Industry, and Technology) of SFA and  Mr Patrick Waty, Chief Executive Officer of INVE. It demonstrates the shared commitment of SFA and INVE in R&D collaboration, and knowledge exchanges to level up tropical marine hatchery technology to achieve sustainable aquaculture production in Singapore and the region.

Chan said, “This strategic collaboration brings together local and INVEâ€s leading hatchery experts, to develop solutions and technologies for the tropical marine hatchery. This a significant step towards our ambition of making Singapore a leading innovation and research hub for sustainable tropical marine aquaculture, bringing us closer to our “30 by 30” food security goal.” 

Waty said, “This cooperation is an excellent opportunity for synergizing mutual skills to benefit aquaculture in the region. SFAâ€s MAC in Singapore is a perfect location for accelerating and unlocking the high potential of developments in a still young but fast-growing aquaculture industry. 

Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is the lead agency for food-related matters. Its mission is to ensure and secure a safe food supply for Singapore. SFA works hand-in-hand with the industry and consumers to grow our three “food baskets” –Diversify import sources, Grow local, and Grow overseas, as well as ensure food safety from farm-to-fork. SFA also partners with food businesses to strengthen capabilities, tap into technologies to raise productivity, undertake research to develop new lines of business, and catalyze industry transformation to ensure food security. 

INVE Aquaculture is a world-leading provider of specialist nutrition for the early stages of shrimp and fish production. INVE specializes in providing state-of-the-art solutions in three main domains that are essential to aquaculture production: optimization of animal nutrition, careful management of animal health, and rigorous control of the cultural environment. All INVE products and solutions help fish and shrimp develop to their full potential throughout the production chain and prove their added value in hundreds of hatcheries and farms worldwide every day.

Benchmark is a leading market-leading aquaculture biotechnology company. Benchmark’s mission is to drive sustainability in aquaculture by delivering products and solutions in genetics, advanced nutrition and health which improve yield, growth and animal health and welfare. Through a global footprint in 26 countries and a broad portfolio of products and solutions, Benchmark addresses many of the major aquaculture species – salmon, shrimp, sea bass and sea bream, and tilapia, in all the major aquaculture regions around the world. Benchmark Advanced Nutrition operates in the global market as INVE Aquaculture.

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WWF-Ecuador and Ecuadorâ€s National Chamber of Aquaculture (Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura – CNA) signed an agreement to halt habitat conversion from shrimp farming across the nation. This agreement of 19 October marks the first national commitment for conversion-free aquaculture from any country across the globe.

Ecuador is home to the largest mangrove forests in the Eastern hemisphere, but has seen coastal habitat loss due to conversion for shrimp farming. Demand for Ecuadorâ€s shrimp has been rising consistently over the last five years, and the nation is currently the worldâ€s largest shrimp exporter – putting greater pressure on coastal habitat and wetland areas.

The new agreement between WWF-Ecuador and CNA will utilise geospatial data generated by Clark Labs to analyze and classify land cover in coastal regions where shrimp farming is most common. Using this research and data, based on scientific-evidence, CNA will be able to set a baseline and repeat this analysis year over year to reduce and ultimately end all conversion from shrimp farming across the country in the near future.

“It is time for a change in the way we produce commodities such as shrimp, in a more environmentally friendly way, particularly respecting mangroves, and not contributing to their degradation. A large sector of the shrimp industry is now committed to moving towards more sustainable production and organizations like WWF are here to help make that happen,” said WWF-Ecuador country director, Tarsicio Granizo.

WWFâ€s Living Planet report recently revealed wildlife populations in Latin America and the Caribbean have declined by 94% since 1970. This devastating statistic underscores the importance of investing in this approach to monitoring conversion rates in Ecuadorâ€s shrimp farming industry to ensure biodiversity and the nationâ€s natural ecosystems remain intact.

“The Ecuadorian shrimp sector has been characterized as an industry that cares for the environment and protects the surrounding ecosystems. This agreement will allow us to further strengthen our industry’s commitment to the conservation of ecosystems as valuable as mangrove forests, and serve as an example for other industries in Ecuador and worldwide” shared Jose Antonio Camposano, Executive President of the National Aquaculture Chamber of Ecuador.

“Precisely, through this research effort based on scientific evidence, WWF seeks to identify a baseline to support future monitoring and thus ensure the ecological integrity of these important ecosystems. Hopefully one day when people ask which is the country with the most sustainable shrimp production, they point to Ecuador as an example of good shrimp production practices,” added Granizo.

As the world faces an interconnected climate and biodiversity crisis, steps to curb unstainable use of our natural resources will be essential for the future health of both people and the planet. The time is right for Ecuador to commit to halting deforestation and habitat conversion from shrimp farms, maintaining the carbon sequestration benefits Ecuadorâ€s mangroves provide and delivering much needed leadership in creating a more sustainable future for seafood.

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To protect the ocean and ensure that fish stocks intended for direct or indirect human consumption are caught within clearly defined, sustainable limits, Nutreco and Skretting have published a new responsible sourcing policy that will be used as a practical guide to decide on the type of marine ingredients that can be sourced for its global operations.

The document builds into the ambitions set in Nutrecoâ€s Sustainability RoadMap 2025, which aims to ensure that by 2025, Skretting sources marine ingredients that are 100% certified or coming from a fishery improvement project for its global operations, as well as ensuring that all the fishmeal and fish oil used to produce feed originate from fisheries that are managed according to the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

The policy is built on a risk-based approach and was developed through internal collaboration within Nutreco and Skretting (sustainability, procurement and quality teams) at a global and local level to reflect the realities in the markets and included comments and revisions from external stakeholders.

Important areas addressed in the policy include:
Specific criteria on what to buy according to five sustainability classes of marine ingredients coming from whole fish, by-products from wild fish catch and by-products from aquaculture, aligned with the most important fishery management certifications in the industry.

Clear purchasing targets for each sustainability class defined, both the relative share of purchases and a defined timeline to reach the ambitions set in Nutrecoâ€s Sustainaiblity RoadMap 2025.

Mapping of countries identified with a high risk of IUU fishing activities. Marine ingredients from these countries cannot be sourced unless they come from the highest sustainability classes. The policy in this area supports Nutreco and Skrettingâ€s commitment and work in SeaBOS.

Mapping of countries identified with a high risk of forced labour on board fishing vessels. For these countries there are additional requirements to marine ingredient manufacturers. Skretting is the first company in the world that communicates an open and transparent criteria towards marine ingredient suppliers in this area.

In 2021, 80% of fishmeal and fish oil originating from whole fish and by-products that were purchased by Skretting came from fisheries certified according to the MarinTrust or MSC programmes, or from fisheries that were part of a MarinTrust Fishery Improvement Programme (FIP), which is important progress compared to the 69% reported in 2020. More details will be provided in the next Skretting Sustainability Report.

Find the policy here.

Jose Villalon, Corporate Sustainability Director, Nutreco says, We’re taking a critical step forward in outlining a clear path to attaining our RoadMap 2025 targets for marine ingredients. This marine ingredient sourcing policy sets a milestone in industry transparency and traceability in the very complex value chain of sourcing marine ingredients.” 

“Marine ingredients remain a crucial sourcing category in the aquaculture feed industry. This policy supports the Nutreco purchasing team to source those important ingredients in the best possible way, ensuring our customers get a high-quality ingredient that is guaranteed to meet our and their high sustainability standards, ” says Robert van den Breemer, Procurement Director Macro Ingredients, Nutreco.

“The responsible use of marine ingredients is under constant scrutiny and we have an important role to play to contribute with more transparency in the industry. Through this policy weâ€re open about the criteria that we will use to source our ingredients and we want to be accountable for that. Reaching our targets is not something that we can do alone and it comes with challenges, but we will not shy away from them and will keep collaborating with all the relevant stakeholders to identify and mitigate the risks of our operations,” adds  Jorge Díaz, Sustainability Manager, Skretting.

“We know from developing the ASC Feed Standard that greater transparency is a key step towards reducing the impacts of marine ingredients in aquafeed. The aquaculture industry has made progress in this area, by increasing the use of bycatch for example, but there is plenty of room for more progress towards responsible sourcing. Transparent, accountable sourcing policies such as Skrettingâ€s can play an important role in this,” says, Alex Warrington, Senior Coordinator Feed Standard, Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

More quotes: “Having a sourcing policy such as Skrettingâ€s is a key asset for the whole marine ingredients value chain. By involving public disclosure of the origin of the marine ingredients used in feed, which is core to accountability and citizen empowerment, it meets customers†expectations. We encourage customer-facing organisations to publicise such documentation, which maps key stakeholders and fisheries across the world. It also supports a better understanding of the role increasingly played by by-products as marine ingredient raw materials as well as collective efforts undertaken as part of Fishery Improvement projects (FIPs), – ” Veronique Jamin, Communications and External Relations Director, IFFO.

“Half of marine ingredients produced worldwide is certified by independent certification bodies against the MarinTrust standards. They assure that marine ingredients are sourced in fisheries championing best practices. Certified plants must comply with national environmental and social regulations and approved raw materials are properly segregated. Looking at the other 50% share of the industry, MarinTrust believes in Fishery Improvement Projects as a preliminary multistakeholder approach aimed at helping drive change in fisheries around the world. Nutrecoâ€s Sustainability RoadMap 2025 validates our vision,” – Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chair, MarinTrust

“As a Skretting supplier, this marine ingredients responsible sourcing policy gives TripleNine a clear and practical guideline to Skrettingâ€s current and future demand when it comes to sustainable raw materials and their documentation. Although the policy covers all vital aspects of this complex area, Skretting has managed to produce guidelines and targets that are clear and understandable to all stakeholders. Through its clarity and precision this policy creates a solid basis for future business.”- Jon Tarlebø, Chief Sales Officer, TripleNine

“We look forward to working with Nutreco/Skretting to help address a number of challenges facing the marine ingredients industry through implementation of the new responsible sourcing policy.  We appreciate the stated commitments to enhance use of byproducts, engage traders, support improvements in multi-species fisheries, not source from fisheries that create competition for human consumption, confront forced labor, and promote industry transparency through Ocean Disclosure Project reporting,” -Dave Martin, Program Director, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.

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With input from the seafood supply chain, the authors discuss aspects of aquaculture where industry and regulators need to deliver on sustainability in order to attract investments.
By Anton Immink, Dave Little, Dominique Gautier and Manish Kumar

It has been said many times that aquaculture can help to meet the world’s growing demand for protein. Value chain actors, politicians and chefs are amongst those emphasising the efficiency of aquatic species in feed conversion and highlighting the health benefits of seafood in the diet. There has also been plenty of debates about how aquaculture can help small-scale farmers, support national food security and boost foreign revenue earnings. Of course, aquaculture has its critics and sceptics, but the growth of the industry over the last decades, the increasing variety of farmed products seen in fresh fish markets and the volumes of farmed fish and shellfish now sold in supermarkets indicate that aquaculture plays a crucial role in the provision of protein for the burgeoning world’s population. However, for an industry that is here to stay, aquaculture still has many mountains to climb before it can call itself ‘sustainable’, especially in Asia where it is dominated by numerous, small family-run farms.

What is being sustainable? 

Aquaculture covers a whole range of species, production systems and intensities. Feeding the world with seaweed and bivalves farmed in open seas could be considered to have the least impact on the environment based on life cycle assessments, but would require a lot more of the sea and coasts to be managed or production intensified. Moreover, a key issue will be whether people could change their diets and eat more aquatic organisms found lower in the food chain, including carps that have traditionally been farmed using methods with lower environmental impact. Even in China, by far the world’s largest producer of various species of carps, wealthier consumers are moving away from this group of fish. Traditionally, carps were produced quite extensively on local, mainly plant-based resources but in recent decades there has been a trend towards the use of formulated feeds, similar to that used in the production of the big four farmed commodities – salmon, shrimp, tilapia and catfish. Improving breeds, feeds and management can enhance efficiency and reduce the adverse impacts in their farming. We can consider sustainability against the classic economic, social and environmental elements.

Economic sustainability cannot be taken for granted, even when it appears that farmers are making money. Many aquaculture sectors especially those dominated by small-scale farmers, ride a fine line between success and failure, particularly when disease strikes or when adverse environmental conditions occur. This has consequences for farm owners, staff, processors, as well as other stakeholders in the neighbourhood. The economic fallout may impact the social dimension of sustainability on a multitude of scales and disrupt environmental sustainability. Recognising that sustainability is a complex concept this article will highlight some issues and solutions that cut across different aspects of sustainability with the aim of supporting improvements in Asian aquaculture that will enable the industry to thrive and remain the aquatic engine to feed the world.

Scale of impact 

Current certification standards address environmental and social aspects of aquaculture, and define management practices expected from responsible operators. But they seldom set performance indicators that would measure the broader sustainability.

Responsible farming 

Farmers can act responsibly, but still go out of business because of the poor practices of their neighbours that could compromise the sustainability of their activity. Production systems are not (yet) sufficiently isolated from each other to give farmers the confidence that they are almost exclusively in control of the risks they may face. Despite strong examples of innovation in more biosecure, contained production systems it will be a while before that level of control is the norm in aquaculture. In the meantime, industry-wide management systems will need to accommodate a wide variety and scale of risks.

Good farm management can be validated through certification to give the market some confidence that a particular supply is contributing to their sustainability goals. But just as Dr Manoj M Sharma commented previously in Aqua Culture Asia Pacific (March/April 2019, p8-13) “responsibility must come from all producers and planners/regulators if the industry is to move towards sustainability.” The risks and impacts of one farm are minimal, but significant industries connected across landscapes need good management to protect themselves and the resources they rely upon.

Sectorial governance 

Without a positive mix of good farm management and good governance in the sector, the industry becomes its own worst enemy, especially in creating significant disease and water quality problems. Production costs can increase for individual farmers and catastrophic industry-wide losses can put many farmers out of business. Dr Andy Shinn has reported at TARS 2016 and in various articles the multi-billion-dollar economic impact of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (APHND) on the Asian shrimp industry. Despite the huge economic losses governments and industries themselves are not investing in coordinated disease management systems or emergency disease response planning. This is a major reason for investors holding back on expansion and for withholding insurance growth to the small-scale farmers in Asian aquaculture.

Data and technology 

Many small players in the Asian aquaculture industry still live within a cycle of making enough money from the good crops to cover the next loss. This can limit investments in management approaches and technologies that may help smooth out the boom-and-bust cycles because the investment is seen as adding to costs. In the short term, and without broader adoption of sustainable practices across the industry and wider governance, this is true. A new generation of innovative and industrial farmers and companies are starting to develop new concepts of intensive aquaculture systems based on the use of improved genetic material and biosecurity and to use new technology. Many of these innovative farmers recognise that experience can be mixed with tools to help predict the timing of harvests, increase feed efficiencies and mitigate impending disease problems.

This longer-term view could increase sustainability, but can also help connect to a new generation of consumers who want more information and assurance on how their food is produced. These tools need data, which can address some of the traceability demands from the market and also start to address the concerns of investors and insurers. Such development could truly transform Asian aquaculture supply to both international and regional markets.

Governance challenges 

Changes in regulation will only partially meet the governance challenge; building sector-wide capacity is essential. Putting industry-wide management systems in place helps the long-term profitability of an industry. The Aqua Culture Asia Pacific magazine regularly highlights the need for longer-term vision in the industry, for planners and regulators to address cumulative impacts and shared risks (especially disease) and for industry associations to demonstrate leadership and deliver guidance to members on best practices.

Collective efforts of producers in some countries, such as the Ecuadorian shrimp industry, in collaboration with government agencies, seems to be a way forward, not only for improving the sustainability of their industry, but also to gain market trust. These efforts need to be oriented towards responsible production practices, controlled development and management plans, and concerted initiatives to prevent and mitigate the impact of diseases. Even in Europe the success of aquaculture has not just come from clearer regulatory systems enabling investment confidence, but from strong industry associations enforcing good performance from members who form the majority of producers.

Reducing production costs for farmers and meeting increasing market demands are not just about technical solutions. Farmer-led area management systems for coordinated disease control can reduce the costs for individual farmers if everyone follows a few basic practices. Linking this to better data use by farmers can further support greater efficiency gains and enable small- and medium-scale producers to stay in the game (therefore addressing social, economic and environmental sustainability). This would also start to practically address the aspirations for “sustainable intensification” a process that needs careful implementation so as not to be just another buzz word that may cover up the rush to grow production without the required governance.

Some current improvements 

There are some positive examples already taking place where farmers, processors, governments, international buyers and NGOs are collaborating to address sustainability more holistically. These include:

• In Surat Thani and Chumpon provinces in Thailand some of the authors here are collaborating with other actors in the SHRImp Project (Shrimp Health Resources Improvement Project) to build a more effective health management system across whole areas of production. The intention is to provide farmers and regulators with an early warning system if productivity drops or if disease problems emerge.
• In Hainan, China the tilapia industry (farmers, processors and international buyers) has created a new association and a local code of good practice to enable farmers across the industry to determine how best they can improve to fulfill international market demands.
• In Indonesia, there are several multi-stakeholder projects underway, (including SI3P, Shrimp Industry Improvement and Investment Program) which work with farmers to increase productivity and build environmental carrying capacity tools to help planners understand how aquaculture – and other activities – may impact the environment. New partners are always welcome.

The future 

Asia remains an exciting place to farm seafood and there are lots of innovations and aspirations to make it more truly sustainable. The industry and regulators across the many countries of this aquatic powerhouse need to deliver on sustainability in order to attract new investors and insurers – and keep them interested and reassured. Addressing common risks and challenges through working with neighbours and demonstrating best practices using data will need to be the norm.

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At the sidelines of Vietfish 2019, President Ngo Quoc Tuan elaborated on challenges ahead to bring the company up to the next level
By Zuridah Merican

Family-owned and operated, Quoc Viet is one of the pioneers in commercial shrimp farming in Vietnam. Ngo Van Nga started the company in 1996, after many years in shrimp farming and processing. Today, the company is a leading exporter of shrimp products; both vannamei and monodon shrimp in various forms, ranging from raw head-on shell-on, cooked headless, to nobashi tail blanched shrimp and peeled tail-on breaded shrimp. Raw materials come from its own farms in Ca Mau province in the Mekong Delta, south Vietnam, supplemented by other farmer ponds, also in Ca Mau. Today, Quoc Viet is among the largest integrated shrimp farming businesses, with processing and farms. Coming soon is a hatchery business.

Ngo has now passed the running of the company to his three sons, Ngo Quoc Viet, Ngo Quoc Tuan and Ngo Quoc Kiet and daughters, Ngo Thuy Kieu, Ngo Thuy Huyen and Ngo Thuy Thi. Some 13 years ago, fresh from college in 2006, Tuan took over the reins of his father shrimp farming business. Now its president, Tuan said, Since the 1980s, my father had a basic yet efficient farming model. We had long term relationships with many farmers we were working with. This model also worked well for us as well as for farmers all over Vietnam and in the rest of Asia. More than 10 years ago, this changed as the markets, consumers, retailers, distributors and NGOs started to pay more attention to the sustainability of aquaculture, in general and in shrimp, the supply chain and processing.

Among Tuan driving force for the business, is the focus towards a sustainable production system, to meet the demands of buyers. Quoc Viet has always played a leading role in Vietnam shrimp farming sector. It was a platinum sponsor at the annual Vietfish International, a gathering of seafood producers, held this year from August 29-31 in Ho Chi Minh City. Quoc Viet is also a leading supporter of the Seafood Task Force (STF) which together with IDH, sponsored a conference to garner producers to join the former in reaching for a more sustainable shrimp farming industry in Vietnam.

In this interview with AAP, Tuan elaborated on his aspirations to bring Quoc Viet up to the next level of sustainability and on the challenges ahead.

What has changed in shrimp farming in Vietnam today as compared to your father time?

During my father time, the basic farming model worked well for us and for other farms in Vietnam. Today, social and environment sustainability is important. However, as we are close to farms and markets, we saw this coming and quite early, began our journey to attain certifications. We chose to go along with market demands. We started by working to achieve VietGAP and then looked at others such as GlobalGAP and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP). These required investments to upgrade and as we seek to apply for other certifications, we are open to investments.

We are very lucky, as our father passed on to us the great appreciation and respect for the land, sea and all its people. Carrying on my father legacy, we will continue with a genuine commitment to sustainability and the environment.

We plan to upgrade with the latest technologies and sustainable practices to reduce cost of production, produce the best quality, good looking shrimp with good taste and have 24 hours monitoring of the shrimp, environment and water. Then we will apply those technologies to the small and large scale farmers we are working with. In today industry, it is not just production, but technology.

Disease was a big problem for us. We suffered from early mortality syndrome (EMS) a few years ago but with R&D, implementation of innovative techniques, we have solved the EMS issue. The worst years were in 2014 -2015 where mortality rose to as high as 70%.

What is required from Quoc Viet to achieve these standards? 

Quoc Viet has been progressing rather well in terms of volumes; we produce 10,000 tonnes per year of farmed shrimp in our farms around Ca Mau in the south. As our processing capacity is 50,000 tonnes/year of raw material, we need the small farmers. Our plant is around 3 km or 15 minutes from our farms. Today, these farmers come from around Ca Mau but when we develop the efficient farming models, we will also reach out to independent farms in neighbouring Bac Lieu and Soc Trang.

Our export markets are mainly in Europe and the US; each support different third-party certifications. Other markets such as Japan, Australia and Korea have their own programs. China has started to care about BAP. Thus, creating a sustainable business is crucial for Quoc Viet. We have a four-star BAP for the processing plant, farms, hatchery and feed which is enough to meet the requirements of some markets. In terms of expansion, we are looking at setting up a hatchery business to make sure we have a consistent supply and 100% control of the supply chain. Integration into feed production is also important for us.

What are the innovations that Quoc Viet is looking at?

We are looking into recirculation aquaculture systems, biogas, treatment of waste water, auto feeders to control feed distribution and reduce feed conversion ratios (FCR) and feed waste, sensory systems to observe shrimp health, water and environment 24/7, systems to count shrimp population in the pond and other technological developments or artificial intelligence (AI) in shrimp farming. We only have in-house R&D teams for product development, but we work closely with scientists from local and foreign universities.

Today, our own farm is still considered small compared to our total processing capacity. When we invest more and can fulfill 100% of capacity from our farms, we believe that scientists, local and overseas, will be happy to join us and work for the overall benefit of the total industry in Vietnam; us and small farmers alike.

Why is the US market important for Quoc Viet? 

The US market is a stable one with large volumes. Sometimes, the price may be very competitive but on the other hand, some big retailers and distributors look at consistency in product quality and sustainable supply chain. The good news for Vietnam is that most of the major exporters receive zero tariff for antidumping duties for the US market. This is a benefit for us to continue to focus on this market.

How did Quoc Viet reach this level? 

In Vietnam, we can confidently say that we are one of the top companies and have been in shrimp farming and producing for a very long time. We have extensive experience in processing high value shrimp products. My father attributed where we are today to a historical relationship with Japanese customers. He said that with Japanese buyers, the business can be good and consistent. Initially, he faced a difficult time as Japanese buyers are very discerning and have very high and tough product requirements. But the more he worked with them, he began to appreciate them and learnt a lot. They are loyal and cooperative customers. When we did well in the Japanese markets, it was then easy to expand into other markets.

We believe that low price and low quality products are not a sustainable business. We need to produce good quality products consistently at reasonable costs. The consumer will appreciate value and will pay for them. We constantly work towards developing a consistent and sustainable business model.

What are your ambitions on the farming side?

Our ambition is to raise our own shrimp farm to the highest standards in shrimp farming in Vietnam. We want to transfer knowledge and technology to all the farmers and to our future investments in bigger farms.

We need to standardise the technology and farming models at both small scale and large-scale levels. To ensure sustainability in the entire supply chain, we could take over smaller farms, especially as shrimp farming is not an easy business. But if small farmers wish to continue farming, we will then try to get them to become shareholders of the Quoc Viet shrimp farming organisation. This way we control and economically help them to improve their lives. We want to guarantee the sustainability of the shrimp industry in Vietnam.

In farm technology, today our FCR is 1.3:1 but we would like to reduce to 1.1:1. We do not intend to change culture intensity as today; whether it is extensive, semi-intensive and intensive depends on the location of farms. The Mekong region mangrove forests are UNESCO reserve environments and is valuable for our people and for earth. As a company, we will do our best during our CSR activities to protect this environment. Therefore, we are keen to maintain extensive farming of black tiger shrimp in Ca Mau and we support the government by helping small scale families to farm this shrimp. Intensive farming is a solution for the shrimp supply chain while semi-intensive farming is for some places where we cannot implement intensive farming systems. It is the government and scientists who have come up with the semi-intensive model.

What are you looking forward to?

Recently our Prime Minister expressed interest in shrimp farming as a key economic sector, which is very favourable for all stakeholders. There are plans for sustainable development that is adaptable to climate change and is environmentally friendly. There are some USD500 million open for investments from the private sector, which is already investing and developing the shrimp supply chain.

The 10-year government plan from 2020 to 2030 is to move to a hi-tech shrimp industry and large-scale eco-shrimp farming. It has targeted 710,000ha of shrimp farming (600,000ha for and 110,000ha for farming) to produce a total output of 800,000 tonnes of shrimp at a ratio of 320,000:480,000 (monodon:vannamei) by 2020. During 2021-2025, the output planned is 1.1 million tonnes at a ratio of 400,000:700,000 (monodon:vannamei) from 600,000ha for monodon and 150,000ha for vannamei shrimp farming. By 2030, the target is 1.3 million tonnes from the same area at a ratio of 550,000: 750,000 (monodon:vannamei). Our aim is to have the highest farming standards in the world.

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A shift from fishmeal to plant ingredients should not be taken for granted as a sustainable solution to meeting a rapidly expanding shrimp aquaculture industry
By Wesley Malcorps and Björn Kok

Significant amounts of fishmeal are included in shrimp diets, causing a dependency on finite marine resources. Driven by economic incentives, terrestrial plant ingredients are widely viewed as sustainable alternatives. As the relative price of fishmeal increases, feed manufacturers have been decreasing inclusion rates of fishmeal in commercial diets and shifting towards cropbased ingredients such as soy protein concentrate, cereal and wheat gluten.

Substitution of fishmeal by plant ingredients is also considered to be environmentally sustainable, while the nutritional requirements of shrimp may limit the amount of fishmeal substitution. Additionally, substituting fishmeal by plant ingredients would shift resource demand from the oceans onto the land, potentially adding pressure to the land-based food production systems, affecting the environment, biodiversity, and availability and prices of crops.

Current knowledge suggests that aquaculture growth and its increasing demand for plant ingredients in aquafeed could affect agricultural supply and its resources, such as land, freshwater and fertiliser. However, the quantitative impact is relatively unknown.

Aquafeed interactions with marine and terrestrial resources 

Aquaculture and capture fisheries are interdependent, as fishmeal and fish oil are used in many aquafeeds. Shrimp feed production uses 31% (approximately 1 million tonnes) of the fishmeal in aquaculture. Global fishmeal production is around 5 million tonnes annually and its future supply may be affected by an increasing demand, climate change, and variability.

Shrimp feed manufacturers have decreased the inclusion of fishmeal from a global range of 19-40% in 2000 to 11-23% in 2014, while the range for fish oil inclusion stabilised (around 0-2%). Future fishmeal inclusion in shrimp feeds is expected to further decline and stabilise at around 6% in 2025. However, total farmed shrimp production is expected to increase to approximately 8.6 million tonnes in 2025.

Plant meal alternatives come at a cost, as agricultural production for aquafeed ingredients (rapeseed/canola, soybean, corn and wheat) required a land area as large as Iceland (~10 million ha) in 2008. Some argue that there is insufficient land available for agricultural expansion, as 4.9 billion ha (which is approximately 40% of the total land surface in 2005) currently occupies 91% of the approximately 5.41 billion ha suitable for agriculture. It is estimated that animal feed crop production occupies around a third of global crop land.

An excessive dependency on plant ingredients for aquaculture could lead to deleterious effects on the environment and indirectly impact human health by altering the nutritional value of aquaculture products. In this respect, our principal objectives were to quantify firstly the resource implications (freshwater, land, nitrogen, phosphorus and wild fish) of soybean meal inclusion to reduce the dependency of marine sources, and secondly examine the inclusion of alternative plant ingredients typically included in modern shrimp feeds, such as rapeseed meal, pea meal protein and corn gluten meal.

Modelling the transition to plant-based ingredients 

We modelled the natural resource demands of a transition to plant-based ingredients in shrimp feed formulations. In this study, feed formulation algorithms were used to create unique feed formulations for the two most dominantly produced shrimp species, with intermediate declining steps of 20% fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients, while accounting for the dietary requirements of individual shrimp species. These diets were modelled in combination with a comprehensive multifactorial assessment of marine and terrestrial resource demand for agricultural crop production and processed ingredients.

Feed formulations and scenarios 

We estimated the impact of fishmeal substitution with plant ingredients by developing contemporary shrimp feed diets using the feed formulation software FeedSoftâ„¢. This software calculates the most cost-efficient feed formulation based on dietary requirement data and global market ingredient prices. Nutrient requirement data of shrimp were obtained from the National Research Council and global ingredient prices were from the International Hammersmith Commodity Index Database. These prices fluctuate; therefore, we selected the commodity prices of September 2018 and converted them to Euros for input into the feed formulation software.

We developed feed formulations for Litopenaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp) and Penaeus monodon (black tiger shrimp). Traditional shrimp feed formulations include between 20% and 30% fishmeal where 30% was commonly applied for P. monodon. Fishmeal inclusion differs per species: carnivorous P. monodon requires higher protein contents in their diets (36-42%) and L. vannamei, 18-35%. Therefore, we set baseline fishmeal inclusions at 20% for L. vannamei and 30% for P. monodon.

We developed 24 feed formulations for these two species (L. vannamei (LV) and P. monodon (PM)) and two scenarios: commonplant scenario (LV1, PM1) and alternative-plant scenario (LV2, PM2). Each combination of species and scenarios contained six feed formulations with intermediate steps of 20% fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients. Table 1 is available at https://doi. org/10.3390/su11041212

• The “common-plant scenario” with the lowest possible price used mainly soybean (Glycine soja) meal to substitute fishmeal.
• The “alternative-plant scenario” excluded economic incentives and included alternative plant ingredients suitable for fishmeal substitution based on their nutrient profile. Ingredients were pea protein concentrate, rapeseed meal, corn gluten meal and corn oil.

In order to ensure reliability of the model, we compared prices of our developed feed formulations with indicative prices per tonne of feed in Asia (USD 700-1100), China (USD 450-800), India (USD 844-956), and the Philippines (USD 876-967).

Model simulations and runs 

The model ran six feed formulations per species and scenario with intermediate fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients. A shared common data set of multi-factorial resource demand was developed and used per ingredient for each feed formulation to account for the global variety of resource demands by crops and its derived ingredients (Table 1, freshwater, land, nitrogen, phosphorus and fisheries).

The main results in absolute and relative numbers are available in the full text of this paper. In summary, the complete substitution of 20-30% fishmeal could lead to increasing demand for freshwater (up to 63%), land (up to 81%) and phosphorus (up to 83%) while other substitution rates lead to proportionally lower impacts. These findings suggest that even though the production of shrimp feed utilises only a small percentage of the global crop production, the sustainability of substituting fishmeal by plant ingredients should not be taken for granted. For example, Figure 1 shows the relative (%) change in land demand as a result of complete fishmeal substitution with plant ingredients, highlighting one of the tradeoffs between marine and terrestrial resources.

The sustainability conundrum of fishmeal substitution  

There is a global strategy to find alternatives to fishmeal in shrimp feed formulation. Our results show that although this strategy serves to mitigate marine protein and oil dependency, when used as a sole substitute, it shifts pressure to terrestrial resources. The modelling results show the intensity of the added pressure on freshwater, land and fertiliser, highlighting a shift in pressures in the longer term for using higher inclusions of plant ingredients in aquafeed.

The large difference in mean land demand between L. vannamei and P. monodon in both scenarios is caused by the higher inclusions of soybean meal, pea protein concentrate and corn gluten, and their relatively higher land use compared to other aquafeed ingredients (Table 1). Soy production requires more land compared to corn and wheat, while corn gluten meal requires relatively less land (0.2 ha/ tonne) compared to rapeseed meal (0.9ha/tonne), which has a higher inclusion (36.7%) in diet LV2 compared to 10.7% in diet PM2, Table 1). It is obvious that land demand is significantly higher in the alternative-plant scenario as a result of the higher inclusion of crops with a relatively higher land demand such as rapeseed, pea and corn compared to soybean and wheat in the common-plant scenario. (Table 1)

A shift from fishmeal to plant ingredients should not be taken for granted as a sustainable solution to meeting a rapidly expanding (shrimp) aquaculture industry.

Conclusions 

Our model highlights the need for a paradigm shift in the definition of sustainable shrimp feed by presenting quantitative data on the consequences relating to sea-land linkages as a result of the substitution of fishmeal with terrestrial ingredients based on current resource demands. Our study has clearly demonstrated that complete fishmeal substitution by plant ingredients could lead to an increasing demand for freshwater (up to 63%), land (up to 81%), and phosphorus (up to 83%). These are significant increases, as only a share of 20-30% of the feed is substituted.

This is mainly caused by the inclusion of resource intensive crops and their derived ingredients to meet nutritional requirements, such as soybean meal concentrate, rapeseed meal concentrate, pea protein concentrate and corn gluten meal. A shift from fishmeal to plant ingredients should not be taken for granted as a sustainable solution to meeting a rapidly expanding (shrimp) aquaculture industry. The additional pressure on crucial terrestrial resources inflicted by the rapidly growing aquaculture sector may become more obvious over the next decades.

While the paper is focused on shrimp feeds, the model may be equally applicable to other intensively farmed species (for example, freshwater and marine finfish). However, more data on the origin and resource demand of ingredients are required in order to gain accurate insight into the optimal use of marine and terrestrial resources. This would enable the shrimp farming industry to operate and contribute in a sustainable manner to global food security and the economy, providing the much needed high nutritionally valuable seafood.

Extracted from: The Sustainability Conundrum of Fishmeal Substitution by Plant Ingredients in Shrimp Feeds by Wesley Malcorps, Bjorn Kok, Mike van’t Land, Maarten Fritz, Davy van Doren, Kurt Servin, Paul van der Heijden, Roy Palmer, Neil A. Auchterlonie, Max Rietkerk, Maria J. Santos and Simon J. Davies. Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041212

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