ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE September 2022 19 and it’s expected to exceed volumes of wild-caught aqua species. What does “sustainability” mean in aquaculture and why is it important? Aquatic species are finite resources and we’re already dealing with the consequences of historical overfishing, including an impact on the biodiversity of our oceans. Reducing and replacing wild catch fisheries with aquaculture farms is one tactic that may improve sustainability. ADM has found a way to help farmers produce fish and shrimp using fewer resources and minimizing the environmental footprint of our industry, such as eutrophication, or the negative impact of excess nitrogen and phosphorus on a body of water. Our aquaculture feeds provide balanced nutrition that help optimize animal efficiency while mitigating environmental impact. What are the potentially negative effects of aquaculture on the environment? The aquaculture industry continues to work towards reducing environmental impacts to maintain the health of our oceans and the planet. Historically, antibiotics were the go-to solution for aquatic health issues or disease outbreaks. They were also used for growth promotion purposes. With the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in which microorganisms can resist the effects of antimicrobial medicines3, we’ve learned that this is not the optimal way to raise animals. Additionally, medications or their residues, and non-retained nutrients like ammonia and phosphorus are potential water pollutants. Aquaculture is now focused on the responsible use of medication and functional feeds to improve animal resilience to stressors and maintain water quality. For example, organic trace minerals have been shown to boost the availability of essential nutrients, which can support shrimp performance and production, and can reduce the impact of shrimp waste on the environment by lowering the amount of minerals that are excreted to enable more sustainable aquaculture. ADM has also developed Bio-Secure Intensive Shrimp Production system (BIOSIPEC) model farms in Vietnam and Mexico to help farmers improve the overall efficiency and biosecurity of their aquaculture production, from customized feed formulation to aeration systems and advanced water treatment technologies that maintain the equilibrium of the ecosystem. How can nutrition support more sustainable aquaculture practice? What criteria should be observed when preparing formulations? Nutrition is very important to a more sustainable aquaculture production. First, we are optimizing efficiencies of nutrient use, meaning the inputs invested to achieve fish and shrimp yields. Precise nutrition gives the animal what it needs, no more or less, according to the species and its age to improve animal performance. Developing precise nutrition for aquaculture requires a science-based approach to formulation. We consider the feed conversion ratio (FCR), the growth rate and the fish in fish out (FIFO) usage. Our formulas prioritize high-quality, highly digest-
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