Krill meal diet contributes to improved reproductive performance in Nile tilapia

April 25, 2024 - A recently published study conducted by LABOMAR (the Marine Sciences Institute in NE Brazil), Spring Genetics Tilapia in Miami, and Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS evaluated whether krill meal in the diet impacted reproductive performance of Nile tilapia and the quality and quantity of offspring. 

Antarctic krill in the water column of the Southern Ocean

The study concluded that krill meal inclusion resulted in positive effects on Nile tilapia’s reproductive performance and higher survival of larvae. 

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Krill meal has emerged as a nutrient-rich and sustainable marine ingredient for aquaculture feeds – a source of phospholipids,  high quality marine protein, high levels of omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA, and astaxanthin, all of which are known to be beneficial for the growth and health of fish. 

Krill meal meets the sustainability and nutritional needs of aquafeeds

Tilapia is the second most farmed fish in aquaculture, and producers are seeking high quality offspring to improve their overall production. In the present study, scientists specifically assessed how varying levels of krill meal in the Nile tilapia diet influenced factors such as spawning, egg quantity and quality, and survival of larvae. 

“Through previous studies, we’ve learned that lipids and essential fatty acids can have a positive effect on reproductive performance of fish. Traditionally, farmers have included fishmeal and fish oil in the feed to meet these needs, but due to growing scarcity and fluctuating costs, more sustainable and effective ingredients are needed, and here krill meal could be a part of the solution to fill the gap,” says Kiranpreet Kaur, Director R&D, Fish Health & Nutrition, Aker BioMarine.

The Nile tilapia krill meal feeding trial 

The 12-week feeding trial was run at a tilapia breeding facility in Miami, Florida. The 792 tilapia broodstock were divided into 12 cages, each with a 3:1 female to male ratio. The fish were fed twice daily, receiving one of the three test feeds: krill meal inclusion of 2 percent, krill meal inclusion of 5 percent, or a control diet mimicking commercial Nile tilapia broodstock feed. 

“As the local partner and facilitator for this study, specialising in Nile tilapia breeding, we continually seek innovative ways to improve growth, survival, and overall yield. It’s important for us to partner with other stakeholders, like Aker BioMarine , to run trials like this one and learn more about promising ingredients such as krill meal and how it can help us improve broodstock performance,” says Hideyoshi Segovia Uno, CEO & Co-Owner, Spring Genetics.

Key results from the broodstock Nile tilapia 12-week feeding trial

Overall egg production 

• Nile tilapia fed 2 percent krill meal diet achieved 18 percent higher egg production than the control group. 
• Nile tilapia fed 5 percent krill meal diet achieved 30 percent higher egg production than the control group. 

Spawning

• Nile tilapia fed 2 percent krill meal had 14 percent more spawning females than the control group
• Nile tilapia fed 5 percent krill meal had 29 percent more spawning females than the control group.
• Most females spawned twice when receiving krill meal in the diet in comparison to control fish that mostly spawned once during the trial

Larval survival

• The 5 percent krill meal diet had a positive effect on total number of larvae on day 10 after hatching, 10 percent higher than the control group. 

Egg composition

• The Nile tilapia eggs contained higher fat content when fish were fed krill meal. 
• n-3 fatty acid levels, with EPA and DHA, were higher in the 5 percent krill meal group versus the control group.

“Overall, this study suggests the positive effects on reproductive performance and larval survival in Nile tilapia when krill meal is included in the diet,” says Kaur. “These results are a strong indication that krill meal is a viable and nutrient rich marine ingredient for the broodstock Nile tilapia diet. We look forward to further research to learn more.”

For more information, visit HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Experts and locals gather in Iceland to save Atlantic Salmon

April 24, 2024 - Not-for-profit conservation organisation, Six Rivers Iceland, established by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Founder and Chairman of INEOS, is hosting its annual symposium on the global plight of the Atlantic Salmon this May.

Now in its fourth year, this will be the first stakeholder symposium hosted by Six Rivers Iceland, showcasing the conservation efforts of Six Rivers Iceland through an international lens.

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The symposium, which will be held in Vopnadjörður, Iceland, on Friday May 31, will bring together local and national stakeholders alongside leading salmon experts from Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The symposium will discuss the global decline in the North Atlantic salmon population, which has fallen to one-quarter of its 1970s level. World experts will consider the ongoing catchment scale conservation efforts of Six Rivers Iceland in the light of this global decline and emerging threats - with a focus on the challenge to bring this species back from the edge of extinction.

Subjects covered include: 

• Does Icelandic salmon populations mirror the global decline?
• Catchment scale conservation efforts at Six Rivers Iceland and in North West Scotland
• What is the Norwegian experience of emerging threats to Atlantic Salmon, from aquaculture of Atlantic salmon and non-native pink salmon?

Leading expert speakers include: The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), The Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) alongside Six Rivers Iceland's leading researchers.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Founder and Chairman of INEOS has been one of the highest profile supporters of North Atlantic salmon conservation in Iceland for many years and founded Six Rivers Iceland in 2019 to protect the species.

"The Atlantic salmon is a species under threat. By brining together other like-minded, world class conservation experts, we aim to share knowledge and resources to intervene in its decline before it's too late. Six Rivers Iceland was established with a view that work would continue for years to come through ongoing collaboration - but more needs to be done," says Jim Ratcliffe, Founder and Chairman of INEOS.

Six Rivers Iceland is focused on preserving both the land and river ecosystems in North-Easy Iceland, helping the unique Atlantic salmon populations to thrive. The project is of an ambitious scale with substantial investment in both near-term conservation work in the field and in longer-term research to help protect one of the last safe havens for North Atlantic salmon.

Scientists working as part of the Six Rivers Iceland project are working to understand how to support and grow the population of North Atlantic salmon. The rivers selected in North-East Iceland are pristine and some of the simplest ecosystems where the species can thrive. Building scientific knowledge from these ecosystems in Iceland will help deliver strategies to reverse the overall decline. Learnings in Iceland will be shared and used across the world. All work is carried out in close collaboration with local farmers, landowners and communities.

Funding for this conservation and research has come from Sir Jim Ratcliffe directly, but the aim is to build a self-sustaining conservation model in which revenue from Six Rivers Iceland's exclusive catch and release fishing experiences fund the on-going conservation work.

Mr Gisli Ásgeirsson, CEO of Six Rivers Iceland says, "Six Rivers Iceland is a long-term project, designed to create a long-lasting legacy for the region and community. The work has started well but there is, of course, lots more to be done and so we hope governments will respond to the mounting pressure on this iconic species and get behind our endeavours."

For more information, visit HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Nutreco opens new fish and poultry feed facility in Nigeria

April 23, 2024 - Nutreco, a global leader in animal nutrition and aquaculture, has opened a state-of-the-art fish and poultry feed production facility in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, through its Operating Company trading under the names Skretting and Trouw Nutrition. The new €25,000,000 facility was built on 170,000 square metres of land and has the capacity to manufacture 125,000 metric tonnes of extruded fish and animal feeds per year.

The plant was officially opened on April 17, 2024, by Oyo State's Executive Governor Seyi Makinde. Also present at the unveiling of the new facility were Adeniyi Adebisi, Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Michel Deelen, Consul General of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Nigeria, as well as other dignitaries, stakeholders, customers and staff. 

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Since its inception, the operating company, registered as Skretting Nigeria Limited has actively contributed to the country's economy by producing feed locally, using locally sourced raw materials. The new feed production facility is poised to further boost the agriculture sector and national GDP and employs 135 staff directly and 150 through a third-party agency.

"We are very pleased about the growth of our business in Nigeria, a country with over 218 million people and a rising demand for protein. Opening a facility of this magnitude will ensure that we can meet both local demand and that of neighbouring West African countries, contributing to the growth of the aquaculture and agriculture sectors of Nigeria and Africa as a whole," said Seyi Adeleke-Ige, General Manager of Skretting Nigeria.

"We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Nigeria factory, which represents a significant milestone for agriculture and aquaculture in Nigeria. As part of Nutreco, our new plant is committed to producing high-quality, affordable feeds and concentrates, specifically tailored to meet the diverse needs of the Nigerian market. From extruded fish feed to poultry feed, we are fully equipped not only with advanced products but also with experts on the ground, ready to help farmers enhance production efficiency. This investment underscores our dedication to our purpose of Feeding the Future, helping us improve food production efficiency and make superior nutrition accessible to everyone in the region,"said Pieter Bastiaanssen, Nutreco's Managing Director, Middle East and Africa.

The new plant further emphasises Nutreco's commitment to Nigeria's aquaculture and agriculture sectors, which has already been demonstrated through the Catfish Sustainability and Hendrix4U community development projects. The Catfish Sustainability Project, which has supported fish farmers since 2015, has grown from 50 farmers at its inception to 1350 farmers today.

For more information, visit HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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