1. 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

2. Aquaculture nutrition and long-term sustainability of the sector
Patrick Sorgeloos, Ghent University, Belgium
Fish-farming: the new driver of the blue economy?
Brussels Policy Briefing No 32 – July 3, 2013

3. resulting in new concepts & products
for a sustainable aquaculture
from an empiricial approach
towards
a knowledge-based bio-industry

4. “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.”

5. Courtesy Harache

6. The fish meal / fish oil contradiction
Full independence from fisheries stocks for LIPID AND PROTEIN
INGREDIENTS in aquaculture feeds

8. EXTRACTIVE aquaculture
nutrient recycling
FED aquaculture

9. 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

10. 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

11. PANGASIUS CATFISH FARMING IN VIETNAM
> 1,000,000 TONS/YEAR
Success stories in business aquaculture

12. 17.5
31.2 41.5
60
80
100
172
232
286
340
380
500
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005
Annualyield（103ton）
Year
CHINESE MITTEN CRAB
Eriocheir sinensis
annual production yields
Success stories in food aquaculture

15. integration of culture of different trophic levels
MACROALGAE
MOLLUSCS
FINFISH

16. 8 km

17. resulting in new concepts & products
for a sustainable aquaculture
from an empiricial approach
towards
a knowledge-based bio-industry

18. - 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

19. Microbes “run the world”

20. 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

21. Volume of bioflocs formed per day in differen C/N regimes
C/N 10 C/N 50

22. molluscs
Artemia biomass
Biofloc consumers

23. from Cunningham, “Knowledge Based Bio-Economy towards 2020”
Brussels, September 14, 2010
Oceans
70%
Crops
5%
Pasture
7%
Forest
9%
Other
9% (cities 1.5%)
Global resources

24. Global primary production and food supply
total bioproduction
contribution to food
supply
terrestrial
marine
from Field et al. (1998) and Duarte et al. (2009)
plants & animals
fisheries & aquaculture
plants & animals
proteins
quantity
16 % of proteins
2 % in quantity

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