Brussels Development Briefing n.32

Fish-farming the new driver of the blue economy?3rd July 2013

http://brusselsbriefings.net

Aquaculture nutrition and long-term sustainability of the sector.Patrick Sorgeloos, University of Ghent, Belgium

Aquaculture nutrition and long-term sustainability of the sectorPatrick Sorgeloos, Ghent University, Belgium

Fish-farming: the new driver of the blue economy?Brussels Policy Briefing No 32 – July 3, 2013

resulting in new concepts & products for a sustainable aquaculture

from an empiricial approachtowards

a knowledge-based bio-industry

“Aquaculture is probably the fastest growing food-producing sector, and currently accounts for almost 50% of the world’s food fish and is perceived as having the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquatic food.”

“Given the projected population growth over the next two decades, it is estimated that by 2030 at least an additional 40 million tons/year of aquatic food will be required to maintain the current per caput consumption.”

Courtesy Harache

The fish meal / fish oil contradiction

Full independence from fisheries stocks for LIPID AND PROTEIN INGREDIENTS in aquaculture feeds

EXTRACTIVE aquaculture

nutrient recycling

FED aquaculture

FOOD aquaculture

Asia, esp. China - long history - large production - integrated farming

FOOD versus BUSINESS aquaculture

BUSINESS aquaculture

Recent developments (since 1960s)• Japan, later Europe, America’s, etc• successful new industry• monoculture

FOOD aquaculture BUSINESS aquaculture

Asia, esp. China - long history - large production - integrated farming

Recent developments (since 1960s)• Japan, later Europe, America’s, etc• successful new industry• monoculture

FOOD versus BUSINESS aquaculture

PANGASIUS CATFISH FARMING IN VIETNAM > 1,000,000 TONS/YEAR

Success stories in business aquaculture

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 20050

100

200

300

400

500

600

17.5 31.2 41.560

80100

172

232

286

340

380

500

Year

Annual yie

ld（

103 t

on

）

CHINESE MITTEN CRAB Eriocheir sinensis

annual production yields

Success stories in food aquaculture

integration of culture of different trophic levels

MACROALGAE

MOLLUSCS

FINFISH

8 km

resulting in new concepts & products for a sustainable aquaculture

from an empiricial approachtowards

a knowledge-based bio-industry

- Complete independence from natural stocks through DOMESTICATION- Improved / more cost-effective SEED PRODUCTION- Better targeted SPECIES SELECTION- Development of more efficient stocks through SELECTIVE BREEDING - More MICROBIAL MANAGEMENT for more sustainable production - Better understanding of IMMUNE SYSTEMS in vertebrates and invertebrates- More INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS for plant and animal farming- COASTAL AND OFF-SHORE FARMS of food and energy- Full independence from fisheries stocks for LIPID AND PROTEIN INGREDIENTS in aquatic feeds - More attention for INTEGRATION of restocking activities with FISHERIES management- SOCIETAL LEVERAGE:

- multi-stakeholder interaction- international cooperation on a win-win basis

Microbes “run the world”

70 % of all farmed fish are produced in ponds

What is the role of the microflora ?

Recent documentation:30 % N contribution from bio flocs !

BIO FLOCS

more MICROBIAL MANAGEMENT for more sustainable production

Volume of bioflocs formed per day in differen C/N regimes

C/N 10 C/N 50

molluscs

Artemia biomass

Biofloc consumers

from Cunningham, “Knowledge Based Bio-Economy towards 2020”Brussels, September 14, 2010

Oceans70%

Crops5%

Pasture7%

Forest9%

Other9% (cities 1.5%)

Global resources

Global primary production and food supplytotal bioproduction

contribution to food supply

terrestrial

marine

from Field et al. (1998) and Duarte et al. (2009)

plants & animals

fisheries & aquaculture

plants & animals

pro

tein

s

qu

anti

ty

16 % of proteins2 % in quantity

- full independence from fishmeal and fish oil is not the only priority -