SAIC sustainable feed workshops, January 2016
At SAIC’s first sustainable feed workshop, in December 2015, industry specialists and academics together identified three priority areas for collaborative applied research into feeds. We then organised a second workshop, in January 2016, to drill down deeper into these three areas.
We are confident that these discussions will lead to a number of expressions of interest in feed projects – projects that could support sustainability in Scottish aquaculture, growth opportunities and food security.
Below is a summary of the discussions and conclusions of each session at the January 2016 workshop.
Session 1: Health effects of feeding, including gut microbiome, changes in diet and susceptibility to disease
The key health aspects that emerged from the workshop were (without any specific diseases being identified):
• gill health
• general immune competence
• viral infections: reduced viral load and improved outcome
• flesh quality in relation to health and nutrition
• nutritional requirement for health (with continually changing diets).
Discussions identified several approaches for addressing these health issues:
· Functional feeds in relation to improved fish health, and the use of new tools to define the mechanisms that can improve health and performance specifically.
· New raw materials (such as proteins and lipid sources) that can impact on fish health.
· Screening of responses to functional feed (and new raw material) components, and defining the factors that relate to immune function - potentially in-vitro and in-vivo approaches.
· Defining markers for gut health in relation to new dietary ingredients. Efficient screening of new sources of protein and oil.
· Proactive manipulation through diet for life-history events and stress-inducing practices (e.g. transfer of smolts/pre-vaccination or treatment in well boats for gill and skin infections). Looking at whether diets ensure a better outcome from treatments.
· Relation of both functional feeds and new raw materials and their interaction with the microbiome. Defining how bacterial flora changes can be manipulated for improved gut health and fish general immunological competence.
· Basic requirements of salmon nutritional requirements, including micronutrients. Fast-growing fish may be compromised in terms of stress/ disease challenges, so full production cycle analysis is needed.
Session 2: Novel sources of EPA/DHA
Presentations were given by John Sweetman of Alltech Ltd and Douglas MacKenzie of Xanthella Ltd about possible production of DHA/EPA by heterotrophic and autotrophic algae respectively. Stimulated by these presentations, the discussions identified two possible points for SAIC funded research:
· technical or other solutions to bring down the cost of micro-algal production/upscaling.
· using algal biomass vs oil extraction? It is cheaper to use algal biomass but does this impact feed formulation and inclusion levels?
Discussions identified a number of points for consideration:
· What levels of EPA+DHA is Scotland aiming for and how do we achieve this?
· In 5 years’ time what are Scottish companies aiming to offer customers in terms of EPA/DHA?
· How do we increase micro-algae production volume and bring down costs?
· Is the use of micro-algae biomass limited only by cost or are there technical issues limiting substitution?
· Can we use algae directly in feed or is extracted oil better?
· Can DHA levels in microalgae be increased?
· Are new sources of EPA important or is DHA sufficient? Would EPA/DHA algal strains have any advantages?
· Can we value add to algae? Vitamins etc
· Digestibility?
· Marketing and market acceptability issues.
Session 3: Alternative sustainable proteins
The session began with two interesting presentations on the results of research into using faba beans as a protein source for fish feed (an Innovate UK funded project, with EWOS, Biomar, Limagrain UK and Harbro Ltd) by Professor Euan James of the James Hutton Institute and on “Seaweed as a protein source after pre-treatment”, by Dr Michele Stanley of SAMS.
· This led on to a wide ranging discussion about the potential areas of research suitable for SAIC funding in the realm of alternative protein sources.
· The group were grateful for the input from industry participants, and recognised that there was no one single feed ingredient that would transform the current formulations – rather producers and feed manufacturers were keen to have multiple sources of ingredients which met their nutritional and other needs e.g. sustainability.
· Ultimately the feed companies seek a consistency of supply, at an affordable price, of ingredients which don’t make fish ill. There was a recognition that for novel feed ingredients, from insects to macro-algae to land animal products, the case of market acceptability has not yet been proven, although this did not mitigate against SAIC considering support for proof of concept and other test research.
· Potential projects with multiple industry partners e.g. from the retail chain and the feed companies might help mitigate any one company bearing all the reputational risk of investing in ground-breaking research.
· SAIC is interested in considering all good quality industry-led proposals in response to the forthcoming call. It was therefore concluded that for this alternative sustainable proteins element of the sustainable feeds call, any ideas were open to submit Expressions of Interest.
About the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre:
Industry Success Through Research Partnerships
The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) brings together industry and research to provide innovative solutions to industry-defined problems within Scottish aquaculture.
We aim to deliver transformational change in the relationship between the aquaculture industry and research community to support the growth, sustainability and profitability of the Scottish aquaculture industry and, in doing so, impact positively on the Scottish economy.
SAIC is funded by the Scottish Funding Council in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Launched in June 2014, it involves 26 aquaculture companies and 13 research organisations.
For more information, please visit www.scottishaquaculture.com.