OCT - NOV 2023 » 1

INDEX Aquaculture Magazine Volume 49 Number 5 October - November 2023

4 EDITOR´S COMMENTS on the

6 INDUSTRY NEWS
14 GREENHOUSES AND POND LINERS
Role of pond lining in dynamics of sulphur
cover
recycling bacteria in pacific white shrimp
(Penaeus vannamei) grow out culture ponds Data, AI & seafood retail
The companies and executives
20 ARTICLE
Innovation in the Norwegian aquaculture
that will succeed in the future are
those who understand and use AI.
industry

56
26 ARTICLE
Engineered-Airlift pumps can help
aquaculture systems to perform better

30 ARTICLE
What would be the expenses
Volume 49 Number 5 October - November 2023
associated with relocating salmon aquaculture
to inland areas? Editor and Publisher
Salvador Meza info@dpinternationalinc.com

Contributing Editor

34
Marco Linné Unzueta
ARTICLE
Editorial Coordinator
How agricultural rendering supports sustainability Karelys Osta edicion@dpinternationalinc.com
and assists livestock’s ability to contribute
Editorial Design
more than just food Perla Neri design@design-publications.com

Sales & Marketing Coordinator

crm@dpinternationalinc.com

38 ARTICLE
Evaluation of single cell protein on the growth
Sales Support Expert
sse@dpinternationalinc.com

performance, digestibility and immune gene Operations Coordination

Johana Freire opm@dpinternationalinc.com
expression of Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus
vannamei Business Operations Manager
Adriana Zayas administracion@design-publications.com

42 ARTICLE
Metabolomics approach to elucidate the
importance of count size in commercial penaeid Subscriptions: iwantasubscription@dpinternationalinc.com
shrimps: white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
and black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) Design Publications International Inc.
401 E Sonterra Blvd. Sté. 375
San Antonio, TX. 78258

59 ARTICLE
info@dpintertnatinonalinc.com
Office: +210 5043642
The Center for Aquaculture Technologies Canada Office in Mexico: (+52) (33) 8000 0578 - Ext: 8578
and Prelude partner to set new benchmark in Aquaculture Magazine (ISSN 0199-1388) is published bimontly,
aquaculture sector by Design Publications International Inc. All rights reserved.
www.aquaculturemag.com

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2 » OCT - NOV 2023

 COLUMNS

46 CARPE DIEM
What is missing to consolidate mariculture? (Part 2)
By Antonio Garza de Yta, Ph.D.*

48 DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MARKETING BYTES

Using social media in crisis management
By Sarah Cornelisse*

52 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Can improved genetics save the shrimp farming industry from itself?
By Stephen G. Newman Ph.D. *
President and CEO AquaInTech Inc.

OCT - NOV 2023 » 3


Marco Linné Unzueta
Associate Editor
T
oday, the global community
faces multiple and interre-
lated challenges, ranging
from the impact of the
current financial and economic crisis
to increased vulnerability to climate
change and extreme weather events.
At the same time, it must address the
pressing food and nutritional needs
of a growing population with finite
natural resources.
Given the high demand for food,
aquaculture should be considered as
an activity that contributes to global
well-being and prosperity, as it is eas-
ily accessible to marginalized com-
munities. Over the past 50 years, ac-
cording to FAO (2016), “the global
supply of fishery products for hu-
man consumption has outpaced the
growth of the world’s population;
fish is now an essential source of nu-
tritious food and animal protein for
much of the world’s population. In
addition, the sector provides liveli-
hoods and income, both directly and
indirectly, to a significant proportion
of the world’s population”.
Aquaculture will continue to be
one of the fastest growing animal
food production sectors, and in the
4 »
Aquaculture...
Main challenges
next decade, total production from
capture fisheries and aquaculture will
exceed that of beef, pork and poul-
try; considering that the increase in
the global supply of fish for human
consumption has outpaced population
growth over the past five decades, in-
creasing at an average annual rate of
3.2% in the period 1961-2013, twice
the rate of population growth, result-
ing in an increase in average per capita
availability (FAO, 2016).
The development of commercial
aquaculture has faced a number of
challenges and to meet the needs of a
rapidly developing aquaculture, world-
wide, it is urgent to reconsider the
objectives of education and research,
since the current concern is to feed the
growing population, arguing that ac-
tions should be focused on the conser-
vation of ecosystems to increase yields
and production.
Based on the above, it is necessary
to consider structures that lead to the
implementation of actions promoting
aquaculture development, favoring
a global vision of the sector and the
importance of developing biotechno-
logical packages for its development.
Biotechnological packages should be
adapted or adopted to the conditions
of each region and species cultivated,
considering prospective actions that
promote the benefits of the natural
wealth of areas and potential species
for aquaculture development, al-
lowing their use and conservation
under sustainability standards.
The current priority is to estab-
lish strategic plans that will allow
the implementation of develop-
ment actions in the sector, under
a vision of the future that is linked
to the sector and effective towards
the identified potentials, ranging
from experimentation, validation,
pilot and pilot-commercial trials, to
a state and regional scale that will
have a major impact on the socio-
economic indicators of the region,
making a direct contribution to the
development of profitable, envi-
ronmentally sustainable and socially
responsible enterprises.
It should be clarified that the ac-
tions promoted for the development
of sustainable aquaculture must be
quantifiable and measurable, con-
sidering management indicators to
evaluate the progress of each of the
lines of action that will lead us to the
success of the proposed objective;
considering that the installed capac-
ity in each of the production areas
and species will be strengthened
with the strategic linkage with re-
search and educational institutions,
towards a strategy in conjunction
with society, the environment, gen-
der equality and the economy of the
territories and at the global level.
OCT - NOV 2023
 INDUSTRY NEWS

INVE Aquaculture celebrates 40 years of

innovation and growth
The company will celebrate its anniversary with small-scale events around the world
and throughout the year

the feasibility of commercial aquacul-

INVE Aquaculture, part of Benchmark,
proudly announced the celebration of
its 40th Anniversary. This milestone
not only marks a festive moment for a
leading aquaculture company but also
the culmination of four decades of
pioneering work that has been at the
cradle of the aquaculture industry as
we know it today. In line with INVE’s
philosophy of operating close to its
customers, the company will celebrate
this anniversary by organizing small-
scale events throughout the year and
across the globe.
“Science-based innovation is at
the core of our origin and, in this
rapidly expanding industry, innova-
tion in collaboration with our valued
customers remains our driving force
for sustainable growth. At INVE,
our customers’ efficiency is our
prime focus. We are customer-centric
and their success translates into our
success,” said Patrick Waty, CEO of
INVE Aquaculture, in reference to
the company’s special celebration.
It is worth noting that one out
of every three shrimp farmed in the
world is fed with INVE products,
highlighting the company’s signifi-
cant impact on global aquaculture.
The company has operated in more
than 70 countries and has achieved a
significant leading market share in the
global shrimp and marine fish hatch-
ery nutrition segment.
From pioneer to leader
Founded in 1983 as Artemia Systems,
a spin-off from the University of
Ghent, located in the city of the same
name in Flanders (Belgium), INVE
was born out of pioneering research
conducted by early aquaculture pio-
neers. The FAO’s request to explore
ture in 1978 laid the foundation upon
which INVE’s initial generation of
luminaries developed the world’s first
scalable live food solutions. It was this
remarkable breakthrough that made
the global aquaculture boom possible.
To this day, INVE Aquaculture stands
as a living testament to this legacy of
turning scientific knowledge into vi-
able aquaculture practices.
Throughout its history, INVE
Aquaculture has not only evolved
with the ever-changing landscape of
aquaculture but has also played a piv-
otal role in shaping it. The company’s
dedication to research and develop-
ment has been unwavering, from pio-
neering technologies in larval rearing
and hatchery management to leader-
ship in sustainable practices.
As it celebrates its 40th anniversa-
ry, INVE Aquaculture continues to be
a beacon of innovation, committed
to meeting the challenges of the fu-
ture and fostering responsible growth
in the aquaculture industry. True to
its academic heritage, INVE Aquacul-
ture embodies the spirit of scientific

6 » OCT - NOV 2023


innovation and entrepreneurship. A
strong commitment to customer fo-
cus and sustainable growth have en-
abled INVE to become a world lead-
er in shrimp and marine fish hatchery
nutrition.
Beacon of innovation
Already in recent years, INVE spe-
cialists have developed technologies
such as Artemia SEP-Art, a clean
method for separating nauplii from
cyst shells, and probiotics for health
and bioremediation, which promote a
reduced reliance on traditional treat-
ments, leading to cleaner harvests.
The most recent example of
INVE’s dedication to innovation is
the launch a few weeks ago of the
revolutionary SnappArt tool, a unique
AI-powered live food counter. Ini-
tially launched in Europe, this cut-
ting-edge technology solution aims
to redefine the global aquaculture in-
OCT - NOV 2023
dustry. It provides real-time analysis
and monitoring of live feed quanti-
ties, contributing to feed efficiency
and sustainability.
Each of these innovations fits into
INVE’s holistic “Care for Growth”
approach, which aims to improve
the performance and well-being of
aquatic species through proven solu-
tions in the fields of nutrition, health
and environment.
As part of Benchmark, INVE is
increasingly looking for synergies
between its specific expertise and
the growing knowledge in the field
of genetics. This is because selective
breeding opens up the possibility of
breeding more resilient and produc-
tive animals. Combined with bal-
anced nutrition and optimal health
and living conditions, genetics creates
a holistic approach to aquaculture im-
provement that prioritizes both pro-
ductivity and sustainability.
“We are dedicated to transform-
ing shrimp and marine fish farming
by moving away from a commodity
mindset and focusing on technolo-
gies that improve efficiency, farming
practices and ultimately the quality
of the final product. Our commit-
ment extends to making a positive
environmental and social impact,
promoting sustainability and ensur-
ing an enduring future for the sec-
tor,” Waty added.
Sustainable growth for the next
40 years
INVE Aquaculture envisions a prom-
ising future for the aquaculture indus-
try, characterized by visionary think-
ing and a commitment to sustainable
progress. One of the cornerstones
of this vision is a growing emphasis
on local production with small-scale,
land-based aquaculture operations
that bring food production closer to
communities. This shift not only fos-
ters resilience but also aligns with en-
vironmental stewardship by reducing
the carbon footprint associated with
long-distance seafood transport.
INVE specialists also anticipate
increasing diversification of farmed
species, which will alleviate pres-
sure on commonly farmed varieties
such as salmon and shrimp. Innova-
tive sustainable practices, such as the
widespread adoption of RAS systems
and integrated multi-trophic aquacul-
ture, will enable more efficient sea-
food production with less environ-
mental impact.
The integration of artificial intel-
ligence, automation and robotics into
hatchery and farm operations will
usher in an era of precision farming.
At the same time, the industry must
be acutely aware of the challenges
posed by climate change, resource
constraints and evolving regulations.
As its members explain in a press
release, INVE firmly believes that
adaptability and responsible practices
are the guiding principles that will en-
sure the lasting success and sustain-
able growth of aquaculture over the
next 40 years.
» 7
 INDUSTRY NEWS
AKVA Group launches world’s first recycled
fish farming pen
AKVA Group has launched the
world’s first fish farming pen made en-
tirely from recycled plastic, developed
for its experts over the past two years.
The pen is manufactured using plastic
from disused pens provided by Nova
Sea and will undergo testing at Varpet,
one of the locations of this company.
This project, according the com-
pany, is a natural continuation of the
long-standing collaboration between
AKVA Group and Nova Sea. In 1974,
the world’s first plastic pen was pro-
duced in Mo i Rana upon request
from fish farmers in Lovund. Almost
50 years later, the first pen made from
recycled plastic was produced at the
AKVA Group’s facility in Mo.
“In a way, the circle is complete.
We are proud of both the history
8 »
and, most importantly, what we have
achieved now,” said Freddy Bakken
Braseth, General Manager of the
company in Mo i Rana.
“AKVA Group is committed to
reducing the use of virgin plastic,
both to lower the carbon footprint
and to contribute to more circular
value chains. We use 7,000-8,000
tons of raw material per year and
aim to incorporate as much recycled
plastic as possible. The advantage of
retired pens is that the plastic qual-
ity remains high and is well-suited for
recycling. Nova Sea has been an im-
portant partner for us for many years,
and the fact that we can retrieve the
recycled plastic from their own pens
and deploy the new pen at their site
is quite interesting,” he added.
The used pens will no longer be
incinerated
Nova Sea said they are proud to par-
ticipate in the testing of recycled
pens from their own facilities. “For
Nova Sea, it has been important to
be a part of this project, and we are
proud that the new recycled pens will
be tested at our sites while also origi-
nating from our own disused pens.
The fact that the used pens we sup-
ply will no longer be incinerated but
will be used for new pens is fantastic.
This is simply a milestone for all of
us,” says Odd Stensland, Technical
Manager of Aquaculture at Nova Sea.
Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran
also praised the project on TV2 for
its potential to promote a circular
economy and sustainable practices.
OCT - NOV 2023
He expressed optimism about its impact on the industry
and applauded the thorough testing that has been carried D Delta
out (source). H Hydronics, L.L.C.
AQUACULTURE TEMPERATURE
Produced entirely in Norway within an efficient CONTROL SPECIALIST
regional value chain
Ti & SS Plate
According to them, government authorities impose strin- Heat Exchangers
gent standards and regulations on plastic used in pens to
ensure escape prevention at aquaculture facilities. Through
this development project, AKVA Group, in partnership
with Plasto and Oceanize, has demonstrated the high qual-
ity of recycled plastic. The world’s first pen made from
Boilers &
recycled plastic has now been approved and certified. Boiler Skids
AKVA Group, in collaboration with Oceanize and Plas-
to, has developed and manufactured the pen. This means
that instead of purchasing virgin granules from abroad,
the pen is now produced entirely in Norway within an
efficient regional value chain. Transport is reduced, and
the overall carbon footprint is reduced by two-thirds
compared to a pen made from virgin plastic. The proj-
Chillers &
ect is supported by the SkatteFUNN R&D tax incentive Heat Pumps
scheme and the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund
(Handelens Miljøfond).
“AKVA Group and Nova Sea are leading the way and
doing something we need many more companies to do:
creating a closed loop for the plastic they use. The plas-
tic from fish farming pens will be both recyclable and
derived from recycled plastic, and we hope that this will
inspire many others,” says Cecilie Lind, General Manager
Custom Coils Ti & SS Helical & Grid Coils
of Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund.
VISIT US AT: WWW.DELTAHYDRO.COM
OCT - NOV 2023 » 9
CALL US AT: 727-861-2421
 INDUSTRY NEWS
Almar Group chose DSM-Firmenich to
measure and improve its environmental
footprint with its intelligent sustainability
service Sustell
Grupo Almar and DSM-Firmenich, the
global leaders in health, nutrition and
beauty, announced a few days ago a
multi-year commitment to measure
and improve the environmental foot-
print of the world leader in shrimp
production. The pact is to use Sus-
tell, DSM-Firmenich’s smart sustain-
ability service, throughout its shrimp
production, as well as to access that
company’s sustainability expertise
and knowledge.
“Through our partnership with
a global heavyweight in animal nu-
trition and health, such as DSM-
Firmenich, we have our sights firmly
set on improving the sustainability
of our industry. We chose Sustell to
go beyond measurement by taking
charge of our entire environmental
footprint, managing our footprint
24/7 within our own teams and or-
ganization,” said Wolfgang Harten,
COO of Almar Group, one of the
world’s top five shrimp producers.
“Almar is making significant and
incremental progress to improve the
sustainability of its shrimp produc-
tion, learning from others and in-
vesting in technology, with tangible
improvements already made. We are
committed to making further prog-
ress, both in technology and sustain-
ability,” the executive added.
The full environmental footprint
of Almar Group’s shrimp production
will begin to be measured in January
2024 and will provide internationally
10 »
validated footprint results for that en-
tire year and thereafter.
The path to sustainability
The Almar Group reportedly wanted
to formalize its sustainability jour-
ney by choosing DSM-Firmenich and
Sustell, who will accurately measure
and validate its carbon footprint as
part of a full life cycle assessment
(LCA) based on the environmental
footprint in accordance with ISO
14040/44. The company looked at a
range of options and was inspired by
the salmon industry, which has made
significant progress in measuring and
improving its environmental foot-
print thanks to tools such as Sustell.
In that regard, David Nickell, vice
president of Sustainability and Busi-
ness Solutions, Nutrition and Animal
Health at DSM-Firmenich highlighted
that “Grupo Almar is a pioneer in the
shrimp industry and Sustell will pos-
sess both a complete and accurate
environmental footprint and the sce-
nario testing capabilities to map and
make tangible improvements in sus-
tainability.”
“As seen with Sustell users around
the world and across multiple in-
dustries, this then opens the door
to greater production efficiency and
farm profitability, while unlocking
new value opportunities, such as
product eco-labeling, and access to
sustainable financing.”
For her part, Pamela Nath, di-
rector of the Sustainable Shrimp
Partnership (SSP), commented: “We
welcome this announcement and the
concrete efforts it represents, which
demonstrates that Ecuadorian shrimp
production is committed to shrimp
production with sustainable prac-
tices. We hope that this will continue
to inspire and motivate the industry
to go even further in improving the
sustainability of shrimp production.”
Advancing the value chain as
well
This collaboration between Almar
Group and DSM-Firmenich will not
only support the reduction of Almar
Group’s own environmental footprint,
but by validating the shrimp module
for Sustell, it will enable the overall
shrimp production value chain to im-
prove its sustainability.
In line with the company’s vision
to “become world leaders in sus-
tainable aquaculture based on high
standards of quality and efficiency,”
Almar Group produces approximately
10% of Ecuador’s exports, by weight,
with only 2% of arable land.
Continuous updating
As reported from Almar and DSM-
Firmenich, Sustell is an advanced plat-
form and additional consulting ser-
vice, as needed, that uses farm-level
data to simplify the complexity of
measuring, validating and improving
the environmental sustainability of
animal protein - transparently, sci-
entifically, farm by farm, production
system by production system.
Sustell accurately measures your
entire environmental footprint and
provides actionable information on
how to reduce your impact. The tool,
which has been in development for
several years and is continuously up-
dated, has been developed in collabo-
ration with key partners such as Blonk,
recognized experts in the field of
agri-food life cycle analysis, as well as
customers and users around the world
to reflect the real needs of sustainable
animal protein production.
OCT - NOV 2023
Colors Farm, Evogene and Ben-Gurion
University Collaborate to Establish
Crustacean Gene Editing Technology
Leveraging a grant from the Israel
Innovation Authority, the alliance
sets out to improve crustacean traits,
including growth rate, disease resis-
tance, and environmental adaptation.
Colors Farm, a cutting-edge com-
pany in sustainable aquaculture and
biotech and Evogene, a leading compu-
tational biology company aiming to
revolutionize life-science product dis-
covery and development, announced
collaboration with Ben-Gurion Uni-
versity (BGU), a renowned Israeli aca-
demic research institution, to develop
gene editing technology for crusta-
ceans. This synergistic collaboration
will focus on crustaceans — specifi-
cally targeting giant freshwater prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii), white leg
shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and red
swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii),
to enhance key traits such as growth
rate, disease resistance, and environ-
mental adaptation.
The initiative has received a com-
petitive grant from the Israel Innova-
tion Authority (IIA), cementing its
role as a pioneering endeavor in the
realm of precision agriculture. “We
are honored to be part of this project.
Gene editing is a powerful tool that
can enhance the economics and sus-
tainability of crustacean production.
We believe this collaboration will lead
to significant advances in the aquacul-
OCT - NOV 2023
ture industry,” said Amir Sagi, profes- tions in gene editing for non-model
sor at Ben-Gurion University. organisms with sparse genomic data
In the context of an escalating and protocols.
global demand for seafood, this col- Evogene is a computational biol-
laboration is both timely and strate- ogy company leveraging big data and
gic. The global shrimp market, which artificial intelligence, aiming to revo-
stood at USD 66 billion in 2022, is lutionize the development of life-sci-
predicted to increase to approximate- ence based products by utilizing cut-
lyUSD 88 billion by 2028, showcas- ting-edge technologies to increase the
ing a Compound Annual Growth probability of success while reducing
Rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2023 to development time and cost.
2028. Concurrently, the global cray-
fish market, valued at USD 16.19 bil- Revolutionize crustacean
lion in 2023, is further expected to production
grow at a CAGR of 31.5% over the Ran Epstein, CEO of Colors Farm,
forecast period of 2024-2032. emphasized the potential impact of
These growing markets are driven gene editing on crustacean produc-
by a rising appetite for seafood and tion: “This collaboration represents
an increasing emphasis on sustain- a major step forward for aquaculture.
able aquaculture practices, making Gene editing has the power to revo-
the collaboration exceptionally rel- lutionize crustacean production, and
evant to meet these demands. we are excited to work with Evogene
and BGU to turn this potential into
Three partners for one goal reality,” he said.
Each partner brings a distinct set “We are pleased to collaborate with
of capabilities and expertise to this Colors Farm and BGU on this signifi-
multi-faceted project: Colors Farm will cant endeavor”, said Nir Arbel, CPO
craft specialized solutions tailored to of Evogene: “Through precise modifi-
the gene editing requirements of gi- cations of crustacean genomes, gene
ant freshwater prawn and white leg editing can enhance desired traits and
shrimp; Evogene will leverage its ad- minimize environmental impact. We
vanced GeneRator AI tech-engine believe that through this collabora-
to provide predictions for optimal tion, Evogene will be able to leverage
guide RNAs (gRNAs), thereby facili- its knowledge and algorithmic capa-
tating precise gene editing through bilities, developed in its GeneRator
CRISPR technology. AI tech-engine, to design predictive
For his part, the world-renowned gene editing solutions for organisms
crustacean researcher Sagi will de- that lack complete and exhaustive
velop a gene-editing platform for P. genomic and proteomic data. We be-
clarkii and spearhead the research and lieve this will open up the gene edit-
development process. ing market to many additional Agri-
By pooling their unique strengths, tech companies.”
this collaboration aims to provide a
sustainable solution to existing limita-
» 11
 INDUSTRY NEWS
Thai Union launched SeaChange 2030,
committing USD 200 million to advance
sustainability goals
World seafood leader Thai Union
Group announced the launch of
SeaChange 2030, the next stage of its
sustainability strategy to help reshape
the seafood industry with solutions
across people and planet that better
sustain a future for all. “The time for
change is now”, they said. That’s why
Thai Union is committing the equiva-
lent of its entire 2022 net profit of
THB 7.2 billion (USD 200 million) to
SeaChange through 2030 and setting
aggressive new goals that will impact
the entire seafood value chain on a
global scale.
SeaChange 2030 marks a signifi-
cant expansion of the company’s
sustainability strategy, first created
in 2016, due to its 11 interconnected
12 »
goals that will drive global impact for
our people and our planet.
“The seafood industry needs to do
more when it comes to caring for our
people, our planet and our oceans,”
said Adam Brennan, Chief Sustain-
ability Officer of Thai Union. “The
time for aggressive action is now.
Through SeaChange, we aim to drive
meaningful improvements across the
entire global seafood industry. These
ambitious commitments require the
power and collaboration of commu-
nities, governments, and organiza-
tions that can help make long overdue
structural changes a reality. Together
with our partners, we’re asking the
wider industry and our peers to join
this effort.”
Thai Union launched SeaChange in
2016. Through this work, the com-
pany has been ranked No. 1 on the
Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
(DJSI) and has been listed for nine
consecutive years. The company also
currently ranks No. 1 on the Seafood
Stewardship Index.
“At Thai Union, we view SeaChange
as our license to operate,” said for his
part, Thiraphong Chansiri, President
& CEO of the company. “We believe
it is important to treat the resources
we rely upon responsibly, so we can
nourish people and provide work in
communities all over the globe for
generations to come. Our vision is to
be the world’s most trusted seafood
leader and SeaChange 2030 helps us
OCT - NOV 2023
get there. The changes we will achieve through this strat-
egy are crucial – not just for Thai Union, but for the good
of us all.”

Commitments
The commitments, which actively support the delivery
of 10 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development
Goals, comprise a path to net zero emissions: a 42% re-
duction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by
2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. Also, responsible
wild caught seafood: 100% of wild-caught seafood will
be sourced responsibly or from a fishery in an improve-
ment program and with responsible labor practices, ex-
tending Thai Union’s scope beyond tuna to other key spe-
cies they source.
Other commitments are responsible aquaculture:
100% of Thai Union’s shrimp is produced, minimizing
ecosystem impact and meeting current industry best prac-
tices in welfare and working conditions; ecosystem resto- Conservancy, IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative and
ration: Thai Union will contribute THB 250 million (more The Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
than USD 7 million) toward the protection and restora- Further, the company is aligning its net zero targets
tion of critical ecosystems; responsible agriculture: 100% with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and will
of soy and palm oil will be certified, ensuring zero defor- drive the deployment of new environmental data collec-
estation across the supply chain and 100% of chicken will tion tools to help deliver a net zero economy. Thai Union
be responsibly sourced. is the first global seafood company to set goals verified by
Furthermore, they compromise to achieve best-in- SBTi, accelerating meaningful progress in the industry.
class manufacturing: Thai Union will implement zero wa-
ter discharge, zero waste to landfill and zero food loss
at its five key global facilities; ocean plastics reduction:
Thai Union will divert 1,500 tons of ocean-bound plastic
from waterways and oceans; nutrition & health: 100% of
branded ambient products will meet nutritional guide-
lines and 100% of new ambient products will drive posi- e Wa
tive nutrition; sustainable packaging: 100% of branded stin te
products will be in sustainable packaging by 2025 and te rt
in

re
the company will advocate for at least 60% of private
&

at
er

label products to be in sustainable packaging; corporate

me
M iner a l s -
liv

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 GREENHOUSES AND POND LINERS

Role of pond lining

in dynamics of sulphur
recycling bacteria
in pacific white shrimp
(Penaeus vannamei)
grow out culture ponds
Plastic lining ponds provide better management and healthier
environmental conditions. Sulphur cycling bacteria can serve as an
indicator of pond environmental conditions.
By: Aquaculture Magazine Editorial Team*

Introduction

I
n aquaculture systems, water
quality is largely controlled by
microbial biodegradation of or-
ganic wastes (Avnimelech et al.,
1995; Abraham et al., 2004) through
mineralization. In aquatic environ-
ments, microorganisms play a role in
nutrient recycling and organic matter
formation and decomposition. Het-
erotrophic bacteria oxidize organic
waste, while autotrophic nitrifying
and sulphur bacteria handle trouble-
some chemicals such ammonium,
nitrite, and sulphide (Moriarty, 1997).
Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and
sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) pri-
marily reduce and oxidize sulphates
and hydrogen sulphide in pond bot-
toms, promoting a healthy environ-
ment in commercial shrimp culture
ponds (Syed et al., 2006; Rao et al.,
2000; Devaraja et al., 2002; Burford
et al., 2003; Abraham et al., 2004,
2015; Fernandes et al., 2000). Limited
research exists on the role of sulphur
cycling bacteria in Penaeus vannamei
culture systems.
In 1998, Smith and Briggs recom-
mended full pond liners (bitumen im-
pregnated geotextile) to manage nu-
trient load in shrimp culture systems.
However, they did not address the
impact of pond lining on microbial
dynamics, despite its high input and
zero water exchange. These inves-
tigations compare observations on
trends in total heterotrophs, vibrios,
and sulphur cycling bacteria (SOB
and SRB) are crucial for understand-
ing the ecosystem in commercial P.
vannamei cultivation ponds.
Materials and methods
Place of study
99 Group I studied three earthen
ponds (1.0 ha each) 2.5 km from
Gulf of Cambay in Onjal village,
Navsari district, Gujarat (India)
with P. vannamei postlarval (PL
12) stocking density at 30 nos.
m-2.
99 Group II included three 1.0 ha
fully lined ponds with P. vannamei
post-larvae (PL 12) stocking den-
sity of 95 no. m-2, located 2 km
from Gulf of Cambayat village
in Navsari district, Gujarat (India)
and lined with geosynthetic man-
ufactured materials (GSE) (300
μm thickness).
Pond preparation
Both systems began with a water
probiotic dose before seed stocking.
The ponds were lined with 300 μm
GSE. Aeration in earthen ponds was
achieved using paddle wheel aerators
at 8 HP/ha from 3 h in the morn-
ing to 30 days of culture (DOC), 8
h to 50 DOC, 10 h to 75 DOC, and
12 h until harvest. Aeration was de-

14 » OCT - NOV 2023

livered in lined ponds before stock- A sample collection and liming (Agril. lime). To maintain
ing during pond preparation for rice Every two weeks, water and sediment a healthy pond, follow these steps: fill
ferment and probiotic applications. samples were collected from ponds with sea water using a four-stage fil-
Afterward, 24 hours @ 6 HP/ha up in sterile plastic bottles and bags, re- tration system (20, 40, 60, 80 mesh),
to 30 DOC, 8 HP to 50 DOC, 10 HP spectively. They were transported to bleach with 30% chlorine at 400 kg/
to 75 DOC, and 12 HP until harvest. the lab in an insulated box with pre- ha, lime with agricultural lime at 100
The shrimp were fed commer- cooled gel ice packets. Samples were: kg/ha after 3 days, fertilize with fer-
cial feed (30-35% crude protein, 2.5- pond drying, subsurface soil scraping mented juice (100 kg rice bran + 10
3.0% crude lipid, < 3% crude fiber,
< 15% ash, and < 12% moisture).
Initially, blind feeding was done up
to 28 DOC, later adjusted based on
feed intake in check trays (from 60%
to 1.8% at the conclusion of culture
time). Food was given in four equal
meals daily at intervals of 4 hours.
Water probiotics comprised Bacil-
lus sp, while soil probiotics included
Rhodobacter, Rhodococcus, and Thiobacil-
lus denitrificans (liquid and powder for-
mulations). Additionally, the central
drainage system constantly cleaned
accumulated sludge in the liner pond
after 70 DOC (Table 1).

OCT - NOV 2023 » 15

 GREENHOUSES AND POND LINERS

kg jaggery + 100 g yeast per 100 L
pond water), ferment juice weekly
and add microbial products. Post-lar-
vae shrimp stocking processed within
4 h of collection and stored for fur-
ther analysis.
Physico-chemical analysis
Water samples were analyzed for pH,
salinity, calcium, magnesium, total
hardness, carbonate, bicarbonate,
total alkalinity, nitrite nitrogen and
total ammonia nitrogen and sedi-
ment samples were analyzed for pH,
electrical conductivity, organic car-
bon, available nitrogen, and available
phosphorus using standard proce-
dures [American Public Health Asso-
ciation (APHA), 1998].
out the culture period, whereas it
showed a decreasing trend may be
due to higher population of hetero-
trophic bacterial population in earth-
en ponds (Panjaitan, 2010).
Soil quality parameters in earthen
ponds
The pH value ranged from 7.92 to
8.44 (8.204 ± 0.081), organic car-
bon percentage ranged from 0.43 to
0.94% (0.72 ± 0.007), available nitro-
gen content ranged from 101.91 to
230.5 kg/ha (158.5 ± 15.18), available
phosphorous ranged from 16.99 to
88.73 kg/ha (56.86 ± 21.22) and avail-
able potassium ranged from 3,022.7
to 5,288 kg/ha (442.38 ± 590.47)
were within the normal range.
Bacteriological population
The trend in the bacterial populations
with the progress of culture is shown
in Figures 1–4. As shown in Table 2,
the total bacterial counts (TBC), total
vibrio count (TVC), SOB and SRB
in both the systems were significant-
ly different (p < 0.01). The average
counts of bacterial populations in
earthen pond sediments were found
to be higher in all the ponds com-
pared with the water samples.

Bacteriological analysis
Water and sediment samples were an-
alyzed for heterotrophic bacteria and
presumptive vibrio counts on Zobell
marine agar and thiosulfate-citrate-
bile saltssucrose agar, respectively
(Gilliland et al., 1976; Austin, 1988).
Sulphur recycling bacteria, SOB
and SRB by Most Probable Num-
ber MPN technique using specific
medium (Rodina, 1972). The media
employed for the isolation of SOB
include both composed of 3.0 g to
0.5 g (NH4)2SO4, traces of FeSO4 in
1,000 ml distilled water with pH 8.0.

Statistical analysis
Statistical significance of difference
between the treatments means and
correlation analysis was computed
using statistical package. Differences
between means were determined and
compared by Tukey’s test.

Results and discussion

Physico-chemical parameters of water
The levels of physico-chemical pa-
rameters like pH, salinity, CO3-2,
HCO3-1, total alkalinity, NO2–N and
NH3–N are well within the optimum
values (MPEDA, 1992) in both the
groups.
The pH values in earthen ponds
did not show wide variations through-

16 » OCT - NOV 2023

 The TBC outnumbered the TVC,
SOB and SRB populations indicating
the major role of abundant hetero-
trophic bacteria over the autotrophic
beneficial bacterial populations. Simi-
lar results were also reported by other
authors (Rao et al., 2000; Devaraja et
al., 2002; Patil et al., 2012). In both
the groups, the applications of disin-
fectants, in the present study, though
might have worked at the time of
application have not helped in con-
trolling the pathogenic bacteria that
is vibrios or even the water quality
deteriorating bacterial population in
the long run and the system comes to
OCT - NOV 2023
its original state where it was before
application.
Total bacterial population
The mean TBC of pond water and
sediments were close to or above 6.0
log CFU/ml suggesting abundant
availability of nutrients in both the
systems. During the culture period,
the values of TBC observed were in
agreement with earlier studies (Abra-
ham et al., 2004, 2015; Patil et al.,
2012). Rao et al. (2000) reported TBC
of 3 log 1.40 to 4 log 3.40 CFU/ml
in water samples and 3 log 2.60 to 5
log 6.10 CFU/ml in sediment sam-
ples. The earthen pond water sample
showed the first peak of 6 log 8.60
± 1.15 CFU/ml at 23 DOC and sub-
sequently the second peak was ob-
served at 104 DOC (6 log 8.37 ± 1.17
CFU/ml), whereas the highest peak
in lined ponds was observed at 136
DOC (6 log 7.25 ± 2.05 CFU/ml).
After bleaching of pond water and 5
days prior to stocking of seeds (pre-
stocking period), the TBC were 6 log
0.53 ± 0.06 CFU/ml and 6 log 3.73
± 0.65 CFU/ml in earthen and lined
ponds, respectively. The use of high
aerations might be the reason for the
high bacterial growth (Fernandes et
al., 2010). The sediment samples of
earthen ponds showed slightly higher
TBC than the water samples, so also
in earlier reports (Abraham et al.,
2004, 2015; Patil et al., 2012).
Total presumptive vibrio population
The total presumptive vibrio count
was 2 log 0.73 ± 0.05 CFU/ml and
2 log 3.67 ± 0.98 CFU/ml in earthen
and lined ponds, respectively. As with
TBC, the higher population of TVC
in lined ponds may also be due to
longer duration of initial preparation
time given before stocking, allowing
the proliferation of the vibrio prolif-
eration. The high vibrio load in lined
ponds throughout the culture peri-
od must be attributed to the higher
stocking density in lined ponds. This
might be due to the steady increase
in the accumulation of organic mat-
ter in pond bottom (Moriarty, 1997;
Sujatha, 2007) as is witnessed by total
quantum of feed per pond in each
group (Group I – 9.45 t and Group
II – 10.35 t). Large amount of or-
ganic matter in shrimp culture pond
is possible due to high stocking den-
sity, overfeeding, uneaten feed, fecal
matter, fertilizers and overblooming
(Kautsky et al., 2000).
Sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and
sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB)
The SOB and SRB are important in
converting sulphur and sulphur-relat-
ed compounds. The sulphur recycling
» 17
 GREENHOUSES AND POND LINERS
bacteria that is SOB and the SRB
were significantly lower (p < 0.01) in
lined pond compared with earthen
ponds throughout the culture period
indicating the role of soil substratum
requirement for the proliferation and
favorable condition requirement for
the growth of this bacteria (Abraham
et al., 2004, 2015).
The SOB and SRB populations
were 4 log 1.44 ± 6.87 CFU/ml, 3 log
8.50 ± 2.17 CFU/ml and 3 log 0.58
± 0.25 CFU/ml, 3 log 0.85 ± 0.22
CFU/ml, respectively, for earthen
18 »
and lined ponds. The levels of SOB
and SRB counts in the present study
were in accordance with Patil et al.
(2012) but were much lower than the
previous reports (Suplee and Cotner,
1996; Rao et al., 2000). However,
Devaraja et al. (2002) and Abraham
et al. (2004, 2015) reported even
lower counts. The results of the
present study reflect the intensifica-
tion of culture practices and effect
of the stocking density. The counts
of SOB in earthen ponds decreased
up to 70 DOC then after showed an
increasing trend with a peak of 3 log
45.00 ± 16.46 CFU/ml at 172 DOC.
A drastic increase after 70 DOC was
observed which may be due to in-
creased frequency of soil probiotics
application and aeration. The counts
of SOB in lined ponds showed an in-
creasing trend up to 120 DOC with
a peak of 3 log 1.33 ± 0.21 CFU/ml
and drop at the end of culture pe-
riod (136 DOC). Though SRBs were
considered anaerobic bacteria, they
were present both in pond bottom
sediments and water column. The
earlier studies by Rao et al. (2000),
Devaraja et al. (2002) and Patil et al.
(2012) also supported the present
observations.
The possible reason for higher
SRB counts in water column might
be attributed to creation of anaerobic
conditions at the center of micro-
niche due to higher activity of het-
erotrophic bacteria (Schramm et al.,
1999). The SRB counts in earthen
pond water samples were almost sta-
ble up to 85 DOC, increased drastical-
ly with a peak at 172 DOC (4 log 2.53
± 4.62 CFU/ml) indicating the pond
deterioration in the second half of
the culture. It registered a drastic drop
at 133 DOC and then again increased
OCT - NOV 2023
till the end of culture. Significant re-
duction in SRB counts coincides with
the application of soil probiotics. The
role of probiotic applications in im-
proving the pond conditions are sup-
ported by several researchers (Devaraja
et al., 2002; Patil et al., 2012; Abraham
et al., 2015). Almost similar trend was
observed in pond sediments but with
slightly higher SRB counts. An increas-
ing trend of SRB in pond sediment
samples up to 56 DOC also supports
the assumption of deteriorating pond
conditions and the drop in SRB count
then after coinciding with the applica-
tion of soil probiotics.
The SRB counts in lined ponds in-
creased up to 59 DOC with a peak of
3 log 2.30 ± 0.70 CFU/ml and then
decreased may be due to applications
of soil probiotics and regular sludge
removal. Also, the SRB populations
in lined ponds were managed through
regular exchange of bottom sludge
using central drainage system other-
wise the SRB populations could have
outnumbered the SOB populations
(Smith, 1998).
In conclusion, accumulation of or-
ganic matter (sludge) leads not only to
increases in sediment oxygen demand
but also to anaerobic conditions re-
sulting in production of undesirable
gasses such as hydrogen sulphide. To
avoid these unfavorable conditions
in pond environment, sludge has to
be managed by removing at certain
period of time. With the intensifica-
tion in aquaculture, the accumulation
of heavy organic load leads to the
deterioration of environment which
in turn will lead to poor growth and
survival of the cultured aquatic animal
(Prawitwilaikul et al., 2006). Plastic
lining ponds provides an easy removal
of the organic load thereby permitting
higher stocking densities and harvests
compared with earthen ponds. It is
important to study the dynamics of
this recycling microorganism and their
behavior in the present system of cul-
ture in the context of commercial
products application. In the present
study, the microbial population densi-
ty differs significantly with the type of
culture system in spite of the stocking
density and is mostly indicated by the
corresponding load of sulphur cycling
bacterial populations. Also, the farm
level interventions like application of
probiotics play a significant role in
maintaining the healthier pond envi-
ronment. Further research on manag-
ing these populations through suitable
and appropriate bacterial consortiums
(probiotics formulations), their dos-
age and schedule of application will
aid in improving the water quality re-
quirements of the aquatic organism in
different systems of culture.
This informative version of the original article is sponsored by:
REEF INDUSTRIES INC.
References and sources consulted by the author on the
elaboration of this article are available under previous request
to our editorial staff.
This is a summarized version developed by the editorial
team of Aquaculture Magazine based on the review article
titled “ROLE OF POND LINING IN DYNAMICS OF SULPHUR
RECYCLING BACTERIA IN PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP, PENAEUS
VANNAMEI GROW OUT CULTURE PONDS” developed
by: MANOHARAN, N.- Bharathidasan University, India,
SOLANKI, H.G.- Navsari Agricultural University, India and
RAY, A.K.- Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture,
India. The original article was published, including
tables and figures, on JULY-DECEMBER, 2017, through
INDIAN JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE MICROBIOLOGY,
IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The full version
can be accessed online through this link: 10.5958/0974-
0147.2017.00014.9.
 ARTICLE

Innovation in
the Norwegian
aquaculture industry

The escalating intricacy of the aquaculture sector is a subject of

noteworthy concern, with a notable emphasis on the observation that the
majority of innovations are initiated by suppliers rather than the aquaculture
producers themselves.
By: Aquaculture Magazine Editorial Team*

T
he world aquaculture sec-
tor has experienced sig-
nificant growth in recent
decades, with a global
production increase from 2.6 million
metric tons in 1970 to 87.5 million
metric tons in 2020. This growth has
occurred both at the extensive mar-
gin, with production expanding to
new countries and species, and at the
intensive margin, with the adoption
of new knowledge and technologies
resulting in more intensive produc-
tion practices. The main drivers of
this growth are innovations, includ-
ing the transfer and adoption of
knowledge from agriculture, which
have led to increased productivity
and reduced production costs.
Research has examined the phe-
nomenon of productivity increase

20 » OCT - NOV 2023

 in production, with its growth rate
surpassing the overall growth rate
of aquaculture and holding the sec- Salmon is considered
ond highest value globally, following one of the most
shrimp. The Norwegian salmon in-
dustry serves as a significant contrib- successful species in
utor not only to salmon aquaculture
but also to the broader field of aqua-
aquaculture in terms of
culture worldwide due to the transfer its growth in production.
and application of knowledge and
technology from the salmon industry
to other species.

The Norwegian salmon growth since 1985, with an average

aquaculture industry annual growth rate of 12.5% from
The aquaculture industry of Norwe- 1985 to 2020. However, this growth
gian salmon begins with the spawn- rate fell to 4.1% from 2010 to 2020
ing of salmon in rivers and lakes due to increased output levels. The
across the northern Atlantic region price and cost development can be at-
during the late fall season. The salm- tributed to factors such as productiv-
on species spends its initial devel- ity and demand growth. Until 2000,
opmental phase within freshwater the growth in productivity surpassed
habitats, undergoes a physiological the growth in demand due to a sig-
transformation called smoltification, nificant decline in prices, which per-
and migrates towards the ocean dur- suaded a larger number of consum-
ing periods of increased water flow ers to purchase salmon (Figure 1).
in the spring. The industry’s focus After 2000, there was a sustained
has shifted towards global markets, growth in production, accompanied
and technical inefficiency across dif- resulting in the exportation of over by a stabilization of both price and
ferent species in the field of aquacul- 95% of its production to more than unit cost, suggesting the development
ture. A growing body of literature has 100 countries. of a more mature industry. However,
emerged that focuses on the identifi- The aquaculture industry in Nor- there are evidence of significant price
cation of innovators and adopters of way has experienced significant
new technologies within this domain.
However, there has been a lack of
efforts to conduct a comprehensive
assessment of significant advance-
ments in aquaculture across many
species over an extended period. The
significance of this matter lies in the
necessity of ongoing advancements
for ensuring the sustained and envi-
ronmentally responsible expansion
of aquaculture production and the
promotion of heightened seafood
consumption.
This research aims to elucidate
the innovation processes related to
important technologies in salmon
aquaculture by presenting a compre-
hensive assessment of the primary
innovations in Norwegian aquacul-
ture since 1970. Salmon is considered
one of the most successful species
in aquaculture in terms of its growth

OCT - NOV 2023 » 21

 ARTICLE
fluctuations, indicative of typical
commodity price cycles. A third phase
commenced around 2010, character-
ized by limited access to new produc-
tion sites due to environmental con-
siderations, resulting in higher prices
as production expansion is indirectly
constrained not only in Norway but
also in other salmon-producing na-
tions facing similar challenges.
Innovations across the value
chain in the Norwegian
aquaculture industry
The Norwegian aquaculture industry
has often experienced advantageous
outcomes in terms of innovation and
technology adoption through interac-
tive learning processes, involving var-
ious actors such as aquaculture firms,
suppliers engaged in breeding, feed
production, vaccination, technical
equipment provision, and research
institutions. The distinctive feature
of salmon farming is the grow-out
phase, which takes place after the fish
are transferred to saltwater. The ini-
tial implementation of salmon pens
in Norway can be traced back to
1970, when Ove and Sivert Grønt-
vedt deployed the first successful pen
off the island of Hitra.
22 »
The progressive modifications
in the prevailing technology used
for salmon production since the es-
tablishment of the industry include
the introduction of feeding barges,
more advanced tools for fish feeding
and monitoring pen activity, and in-
tegrated steel platforms. In the early
2000s, big plastic rings started being
employed as floaters, but this trend is
currently undergoing changes due to
the emergence of offshore buildings.
Aquaculture faces numerous chal-
lenges, including increased production
costs and environmental externalities.
Small-scale agricultural establish-
ments often operate in areas with sub-
standard water quality and inadequate
oxygenation, leading to relocation
of farms to more exposed regions.
In recent times, the need to mitigate
salmon lice has led to the relocation
of farms to offshore locations.
Farming technology
Sea pens are closely associated with
key concerns in the aquaculture in-
dustry, as they can result in environ-
mental externalities. Salmon escapes
are a significant threat to wild fish
populations, and efforts to prevent
escape incidents have gained momen-
Aquaculture faces
numerous challenges,
including increased
production costs and
environmental externalities.
tum in the 2000s. The Norwegian
Aquaculture Escapes Commission
(AEC) implemented the Norwegian
technical standard NS9415 in 2004,
leading to design standards for feed
barges, floaters, net cages, and moor-
ing systems.
To tackle these issues, advance-
ments in fish farm technology are be-
ing made in various directions, such
as offshore farming, semi-enclosed
sea pens, and land-based recycling
aquaculture systems (RAS). For ex-
ample, SalMar introduced the Ocean
Farm 1 concept in 2017, which is
equipped with 20,000 sensors to fa-
cilitate monitoring and feeding pro-
cesses with a maximum capacity of
1.5 million Atlantic salmon.
The growth of the aquaculture
sector has led to significant changes
in the industrial structure through or-
ganizational innovations. Specialized
equipment such as fishnets and tech-
nology and service providers have
emerged, with companies like Akva
Group, Scale AQ, and Fiizk playing a
significant role in advancing farming
technology and production methods
through collaborative efforts with
fish farmers and researchers.
A growing proportion of the pro-
duction process is being conducted
on land, driven by enhancing produc-
tion within existing licenses and cir-
cumventing the need for licenses alto-
gether. This shift also affords greater
control over the production process.
Juvenile production
Juvenile salmon generation involves
hatching eggs to yield initial finger-
OCT - NOV 2023
lings or fry, which are nurtured and
developed into smolt. The process
of juvenile salmon generation entails
hatching eggs to yield initial finger-
lings or fry, which are subsequently
housed within enclosures situated in
freshwater lakes.
Over time, the efficiency of
equipment in juvenile production
has improved, resulting in increased
speed and capacity to handle larger
volumes. The use of artificial light
has also been introduced to expedite
the smoltification process, allowing
for year-round production of smolts.
This has led to reduced physical strain
on employees and improved care in
fish handling.
The size of smolts has remained
consistent, ranging from 80 to 100 g,
with breeding efforts prioritizing sea
pens over land-based smolt produc-
tion due to higher capital require-
ments. However, challenges associat-
ed with acquiring additional licenses
have affected smolt output, leading
companies to strategically shift pro-
duction to land to optimize license
utilization and mitigate salmon lice
effects.
Smolt producers have also made
significant contributions to the salm-
on industry by using innovative prac-
tices during the smolt production
stage, resulting in decreased costs
during the grow-out phase. The rise
in production expenses is a conscious
choice to produce larger smolts.

Fish health
The health of fish is a significant
concern in the salmon industry, as
it is susceptible to diseases due to
the dense concentration of bio-
mass within a confined space. In the
mid-1980s, the sector faced elevated
mortality rates caused by infectious
bacterial and viral infections such as
cold water vibriosis, furunculosis, in-
fectious salmon anaemia (ISA), and
pancreatic necrosis (IPN). The use
of antibiotics in the industry has led
to environmental pollution issues at
the local level.
Fish-veterinary medicine emerged,
contributing to the advancement of
hygienic and handling practices. Oil-
based vaccines were introduced in The salmon
the late 1980s, leading to a significant
reduction in antibiotic consumption aquaculture industry
in the early 1990s. has faced challenges
Pacific salmon lice infections have in terms of cost,
also been a significant challenge in the
sustainability, and
aquaculture sector. Strategies such as
chemical treatments, feed additives, animal welfare.
and cleaner fish have been employed
to combat these issues. However, ef-

OCT - NOV 2023 » 23

 ARTICLE
fective prevention measures still pose
a challenge.
In 2017, a novel vaccine targeting
IPN was introduced, while a DNA-
based vaccine designed to provide im-
munization against ISA received initial
approval for implementation in Nor-
way. The sector is currently exploring
alternative options like dip vaccines
and nanoparticles to foster innovation.
In conclusion, advancements in
fish health have facilitated the mainte-
nance of robust and high-quality fish
populations while ensuring economic
viability. However, the significance
of diseases as the primary obstacle to
the advancement of aquaculture on a
global scale remains uncertain.
Breeding and genetics
Systematic breeding programs aim
to selectively enhance specific fea-
tures within a population, increas-
ing the organism’s productivity for
a particular goal. This technique has
been crucial in terrestrial agriculture
as it facilitates accelerated growth
and enhanced size of both animals
and plants while enabling them to ef-
fectively acclimate to certain environ-
mental conditions. The development
of a systematic breeding program for
salmon was a significant milestone
in the field of aquatic species, dat-
ing back to the early 1970s. Profes-
24 »
sor Harald Skjervold is recognized as
a trailblazer in salmon breeding, ap-
plying principles and methodologies
derived from cattle breeding.
In 1971, AKVAFORSK, a pub-
licly supported organization, initi-
ated a systematic breeding program
by procuring fertilized eggs from 40
Norwegian rivers to acquire a diverse
genetic foundation. Four generations,
each with a four-year growth cycle,
were established to supply breeding
stock to the agricultural sector. The
primary objective of the breeding
program initially focused on enhanc-
ing fish growth, which has proven
highly successful in promoting accel-
erated growth.
Over time, both publicly funded
and private breeding companies have
made significant advancements in fish
and shellfish breeding systems on a
global scale. Private companies have
increasingly taken the lead in these
programs, resulting in various ben-
efits such as enhanced growth rates,
reduced production time, delayed sex-
ual maturation in salmon, improved
feed utilization, decreased mortality
rates, and enhanced fillet quality.
Feed
The fish-feed segment has witnessed
crucial innovations, with the ini-
tial feeds consisting of around 80%
The industry
successfully developed
a type of feed that sinks
at a slower rate.
fishmeal and fish oil, combined with
wheat to form a cohesive mixture
and astaxanthin to achieve desired
coloration of salmon flesh. One of
the initial environmental challenges
faced by the industry was the issue
of uneaten feed sinking through the
cages and accumulating nutrients be-
neath them. By altering the physical
makeup of the pellets, the industry
successfully developed a type of feed
that sinks at a slower rate, resulting
in a substantial reduction in pollution
levels and an improvement in the
feed conversion ratio.
The salmon aquaculture industry
has faced both economic and envi-
ronmental concerns due to its reli-
ance on marine materials. The use
of fishmeal in aquafeed has led to
increased costs and increased fish-
ing pressure, while environmental
concerns have been raised about the
potential consequences of increased
demand for fishmeal. However, ad-
vancements in nutritional knowledge
have allowed for the substitution of
marine ingredients with plant-based
alternatives, making up only 25% of
the average salmon feed.
Nutritional research has led to the
development of pre-rigor filleting
techniques, which involve slaughter-
ing and filleting fish before they reach
a stiffness condition, significantly de-
OCT - NOV 2023
creasing the time required for the fish
to reach the market. Just-in-time lo-
gistic chains have also been developed
to transport fish more efficiently.
To ensure animal welfare, anes-
thesia is necessary for salmon before
euthanasia, which can cause stress in
the fish. In 2010, CO2 was prohib-
ited due to concerns about fish well-
being. Alternative methods of anes-
thesia, such as electrical currents and
physical impact, have emerged, and
the salmon harvesting and processing
industry has seen a shift towards au-
tomation and robotics.
Primary fish processing
The size of harvested plants has in-
creased, leading to a greater spatial
separation between entities involved.
This has resulted in the emergence of
a distinct sector known as well-boats,
which specialize in transportation of
farmed salmon from the aquacul-
ture facility to the processing facil-
ity. Recently, vessels equipped with
on-board slaughtering facilities have
been introduced to expedite the pro-
cess and minimize land-based capital
investments.
Currently, well boats are used for
lice treatment near the cage, equipped
with compartments or contain-
ers that facilitate the circulation of
fresh seawater. The evolution of well
boats and associated technologies
has closely paralleled the growth and
progress of the Norwegian aquacul-
ture industry.
In conclusion, the salmon aqua-
culture industry has faced challenges
in terms of cost, sustainability, and
animal welfare. Advancements in nu-
tritional knowledge, the use of pre-
rigor filleting techniques, and the use
of well boats have contributed to the
industry’s growth and success.
Discussion and conclusions
The Norwegian salmon industry
has experienced a dynamic process
of innovations that have enhanced
productivity and increased control
with the production process. This
OCT - NOV 2023
has been largely conducted by new
supplier industries, where specialized
suppliers identified the growing in-
dustry as a market, leading to innova-
tions providing better inputs at lower
costs. Today, there are specialized
suppliers for a wide range of equip-
ment, sensors, control systems, and
services such as veterinary tests, net
cleaning, and research.
The size of everything in salmon
aquaculture has increased, suggest-
ing that innovations are important
for creating and allowing economies
of scale to be exploited. Innovations
have generally been scale-biased or
scale-increasing, and through the value
chain from smolt production via sea
transportation and grow-out farming
to private processing, the optimal eco-
nomic scale has increased. Public in-
centives and the regulatory system are
facilitating these innovations.
Innovations in open and closed
production systems allow for sev-
eral new value chain configurations,
which can reduce firms’ internal pro-
duction costs and external costs of
environmental emissions, diseases,
and salmon lice (Figure 3). As of
now, no-one knows what produc-
tion concepts will be used in salmon
farming in the future, but it is highly
interesting that the basic production
technology, open sea pens, is being
challenged, and all new concepts in-
crease the control with the produc-
The rise in production
expenses is a
conscious choice to
produce larger smolts.
tion process and the potential for
further innovation.
The innovation system that has
helped create the salmon industry has
been rapidly growing, consisting of
aquaculture companies, suppliers, re-
search institutes, and universities. In
2015, the total funding for the salm-
on industry was US$ 211.24 million.
Innovations in the supply chain are
equally important for the competi-
tiveness of any industry, including
logistics, product development, and
perceptions of the species.
This is a summarized version developed by the editorial
team of Aquaculture Magazine based on the review article
titled “INNOVATION IN THE NORWEGIAN AQUACULTURE
INDUSTRY” developed by: AFEWERKI, S.- SINTEF Ocean,
Norway, ASCHE, F.-University of Florida, USA, and University
of Stavanger, Norway, MISUND, B.- University of Stavanger
Business School, Norway, THORVALDSEN, T.- SINTEF
Ocean, Norway, and TVETERAS, R.- University of Stavanger
Business School, Stavanger, Norway. The original article was
published, including tables and figures, on MARCH, 2023,
through REVIEWS IN AQUACULTURE. The full version can be
accessed online through this link: 10.1111/raq.12755.
» 25
 ARTICLE

Engineered-Airlift pumps
can help aquaculture systems
to perform better
efficient devices such as airlift pumps. This article presents the results
By: Josh Rosettani, Marcia Chiasson and
Wael Ahmed*
One method through which fish farmers can reduce power
consumption while improving water quality is replacing conventional
technologies used for maintaining water quality with more energy
of the evaluation of the Engineered-Airlift pumps that were designed
to offer a substantial reduction in total energy usage as well as an
improved quality of the culture products in order to make it attractive
to aquaculture industry.

R
ecirculating aquaculture
systems (RAS) are gaining
popularity as a sustainable
solution amidst challenges
such as the global shortage of fresh
water, rising land prices, heightened
environmental awareness, and con-
cerns over water source contamina-
tion. Despite these advantages, the
profitability of RAS remains ham-
pered by the elevated cost of ener-
gy. One method through which fish
farmers can reduce power consump-
tion while improving water quality is
replacing conventional technologies
used for maintaining water quality
with more energy efficient devices
such as airlift pumps. Airlift pumps

26 » OCT - NOV 2023

generally operate using air blowers
or compressors, with the air injected
at the bottom of a pipe so that the
air bubbles are acting as pistons ris-
ing in this pipe by the buoyancy force
effect allowing for water to be lifted
while the mixing effect enhances the
oxygen transfer between air and wa-
ter (Figure 1). Currently, very few
aquaculture operations are employ-
ing airlift pump technology for wa-
ter recirculation, aeration, and waste
removal. This is likely due to the
poor design and lower efficiency of
traditional airlift design, the limited
amount of research effort that has
been invested in improving perfor-
mance capabilities of air lift pumps
and the general lack of awareness of
the industry about potential capabili-
ties of a well-designed airlift pumps.
Utilizing expertise in multiphase
flow (flow of more than one fluid to-
gether) and fluid dynamics, we have
optimized the airlift design specifi-
cally for aquaculture, resulting in the
development of a refined engineered-
design. With a specific submergence
ratio, it is possible to predict both the
water volume flow rate and the amount
of aeration (Figure 1). This allows for a
guaranteed performance of the pump.
This technology is now commer-
cialized by a new start-up known as
OCT - NOV 2023
FloNergia Systems Inc. Known as FloMov,
this design utilizes a patented air injec-
tion method (shown in Figure 2) to
regulate the air flow through the pump,
producing distinct effects on the water
The FloMov airlift was able
movement. More specifically, an axial
mode of air injection resulting in larg- to better oxygenate the
er air bubbles formed underwater pro- water compared to the OARC
vides greater water flow; while a radial
mode of air injection results in smaller control tank.
bubbles to provide greater mass trans-
fer between the air and the water. This
occurs because larger bubbles will cre-
ate so-called “slugs” which takes up a
greater portion of the pipe’s cross sec-
tion, acting as air piston and generat-
ing the water pumping effect. Mean-
while, the smaller air bubbles involved
act as a greater membrane surface area
between the air and the water, allow-
ing for more diffusion of oxygen into
the water. Enhanced water circulation
and aeration contribute to maintaining
optimal water quality for fish health in
aquaculture operations. It is important
to note that the pump will be able to
handle solids such as fish waste and
feed, as it lacks moving parts and does
not require lubrication.
Testing
Field tests were performed at the On-
tario Aquaculture Research Centre
(OARC) to evaluate the FloMov tech-
nology compared to an optimized
control tank equipped with aerators
designed for land-based fish pro-
duction (Figure 3). Influent water is
pumped from six groundwater wells
to a central head tank (Table 1). From
there, the groundwater undergoes de-
gassing and oxygenation by passing
through five degassing columns with
plastic media before being directed
the wet laboratories. Aerated water
was provided to each tank at a rate of
at 380 L/min. Flows were measured
weekly and were adjusted as neces-
sary to maintain the desired flow rate.
Rearing tanks, approximately 70,000
L in volume, were located in an out-
» 27
 ARTICLE

door lab, an enclosed building with over the duration of the trial can be considerably more floating solids
a canvas cover allowing for a natu- seen in Figure 4 and 5 respectively. compared to the FloMov tank. The
ral photoperiod. Arctic char (Salveli- The results clearly demonstrate that measurements of total suspended
nus alpinus) sourced from the OARC the FloMov airlift outperformed the solids (TSS) over the trial period fur-
were selected for this study. Mixed OARC control tank in oxygenating ther confirm this observation. Figure
sex Arctic char approximately 735 the water, as evidenced by higher val- 6 illustrates that the FloMov tank, as
g were randomly distributed in two ues for both total dissolved oxygen shown in the plot of measured to-
production-scale rearing tanks (1,500 and saturation. Upon observing im- tal suspended solids (TSS) for both
fish/tank) where they were main- ages of both tanks taken under the tanks, maintained an average of
tained using controlled tank aerators surface of the water, it was evident 38.26% less TSS throughout the trial
(control) or the FloMov (treatment). that the OARC control tank had period.
Feed rations were calculated daily
using expected feed conversion and
suggested feed rates for this species
developed by the OARC.
Mortality was recorded daily for
each tank. Dissolved oxygen (DO), to-
tal suspended solids (TTS) and Turbid-
ity, reported as Nephelometric Turbid-
ity Unit (NTU), were measured. The
type and frequency of measurements is
summarized in Table 2. In addition, the
surface velocity measurements in the
tanks were collected at an approximate
flow rate of 200-300 L/min and 700
L/min into the controlled and FloMov
circulation systems respectively using
Sontek FlowTracker device.

Results and Discussion

Significant differences were noted
in two water quality parameters, dis-
solved oxygen and the measurement
of total suspended solids. Dissolved
oxygen was greater in the treatment
tank (8.68 mg/L) with the FloMov
system compared to the control tank
(8.023 mg/L; p = 0.002). The results
of the dissolved oxygen readings as
well as the saturation was plotted

28 » OCT - NOV 2023


Conclusion
This study tested the effect of FloMov
airlift on water quality parameters
and fish productivity in a commercial
aquaculture setting compared to a
OCT - NOV 2023
more expensive aeration system opti-
mized for land-based fish production.
The FloMov were simple to install
and operate. Additionally, the FloMov
pumps did not experience much bio-
The airlift design
is optimized for aquaculture
and now an engineered
design is developed.
fouling during the trial and required
no maintenance during the whole
operation. This study found that the
FloMov system significantly improved
some water quality parameters, such
as velocity, dissolved oxygen and to-
tal suspended solids measured in the
morning.
Acknowledgement
This research is funded by the Gry-
phon’s LAAIR (Leading to the Ac-
celerated Adoption of Innovative
Research) through the Ontario Ag-
ri-Food Innovation Alliance, a col-
laboration between the Government
of Ontario and the University of
Guelph.”. The Ontario Aquaculture
Research Centre is owned by the
Government of Ontario through its
agency, the Agricultural Research In-
stitute of Ontario, and managed by
the University of Guelph through
the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation
Alliance.
Josh Rosettani FloNergia System Inc., Ontario, Canada.
Marcia Chiasson Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre,
University of Guelph. Wael Ahmed School of Engineering,
University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
» 29
 ARTICLE
What would
be the expenses
associated with
relocating salmon
aquaculture to
inland areas?
By: Salvador Meza*
The transition demands substantial investment, a steep learning
curve, and conscious decisions in mitigating environmental impacts.
A
s salmon farming moves
from the open sea and
into land-based systems,
it’s worth noting there are
several complexities. Today we’ll dis-
cuss the primary challenges that this
shift brings. Conservationists, sea-
food lovers, and salmon farmers alike
view full-cycle land-based farming as
a potentially game-changing revolu-
tion, but navigating the change can
pose its fair share of hurdles.
Firstly, the upfront financial costs
for switching to land-based farming
techniques can be daunting. These
costs can include constructing new
facilities, changing operational proce-
dures, and training staff for the new
processes.
Next, we can’t gloss over the
technological challenges. Dealing
with water usage and waste disposal
in land-based farming requires new,
more rigorous systems and proce-
dures. Traditional sea-based aquacul-
ture seemed simplistic in comparison
the vastness of the ocean naturally
handles these aspects. Technolo-
30 »
gies for filtration, oxygenation, tem-
perature control, and water recycling
must be reliable, otherwise, the health
of the salmon would be at risk.
Lastly, let’s talk about the envi-
ronmental impacts. While land-based
farms can reduce some of the envi-
ronmental issues associated with sea-
based farming, they still carry their
own environmental burden. The en-
ergy needed to operate these systems
can be high, and if the energy comes
from non-renewable sources, this can
add another notch to the global car-
bon footprint. The upfront cost of transitioning
In conclusion, although the transi- from open sea to land-base
tion from sea-based farming to land- salmon farming can be significant
based systems can bring numerous With the advanced technologies
benefits, it’s clear that there are many readily available, transitioning to
significant challenges that need tack- land-based aquaculture seems to be
ling. As we look towards a sustain- the sustainable future of the salm-
able future, meeting these challenges on farming industry. However, this
head-on, with knowledge, creativity, transition does carry its fair share of
and determination, is vital. Remem- challenges. Let’s highlight and discuss
ber, this transformation doesn’t only some of these prominent challenges.
cater to the welfare of the salmon; it Capital Intensive: Building and
also aids in protecting our environ- maintaining land-based aquaculture
ment and seafood supply chain. systems are capital-intensive en-
OCT - NOV 2023
deavors. Besides the high upfront
investment, the recurring costs tied
to technology, utilities, and labor
can have a significant impact on the
profitability potential of these op-
erations (Table 1).
Knowledge Gap: Transitioning
to a different farming method re-
quires an extensive understanding of
the technology and the new opera-
tional methodology. Raising salmon
on land may require different skills
and knowledge that current sea-based
farmers may not possess. There may
OCT - NOV 2023
be a need for additional training and
skill development to avoid significant
losses and promote success. Exper-
tise will be key to the success of this
new industry. Traditional skills used
in marine cage culture may not nec-
essarily transfer to land-based opera-
tions. It’s a totally different produc-
tion system. age, substantial water requirements,
Environmental Concerns: While and waste management issues. The
land-based salmon farming is of- success of this transition heavily de-
ten positioned as a more sustainable pends on how effectively these envi-
method, it has its environmental bur- ronmental challenges are approached
dens. These include high energy us- and managed.
» 31
 ARTICLE

99 Energy usage: Land-based sys-

tems can consume a vast amount
of energy, primarily when deal-
ing with temperature control and
water circulation.
99 Water requirements: Large vol-
umes of fresh water are needed
for land-based farms, which
could stress local water resources.
99 Waste management: Effective
waste disposal systems have to be
in place to prevent any potential
environmental damage.

In summary, while land-based

aquaculture presents a promising fu-
ture for the salmon industry, these
challenges need to be acknowledged
and proactively addressed. The transi-
tion demands substantial investment,
a steep learning curve, and conscious
decisions in mitigating environmental
impacts. However, with continued
experimentation and resource com-
mitment, these challenges can be ad-
dressed, moving the industry towards
a more sustainable future.

How much money should the

salmon industry invest to make
the change to inland?
Determining the exact amount of
money that the salmon industry
should invest in transitioning to in-
land aquaculture is a complex task.
It depends on various factors such as
the scale of the operation, the spe-
cific technology being used, and the
desired production capacity. In gen-
eral, establishing land-based salmon
farms can require significant upfront
investment due to the need for in-
frastructure development, including
land acquisition, construction of fa-
cilities, and installation of specialized
equipment.
Additionally, ongoing operational
costs such as energy, water, and labor
should be considered. Therefore, a
thorough cost analysis and feasibility
study should be conducted to estimate
the financial requirements for making
the shift to inland aquaculture. One
of the major cost drivers in transition-
ing from marine to inland aquaculture
is the technology employed.
Different technologies, such as
recirculating aquaculture systems
(RAS) or flow-through systems, have
varying capital and operational costs.
RAS, for example, is known for its
high initial investment due to the
need for advanced water treatment
and recirculation infrastructure. On
the other hand, flow-through sys-
tems may require less capital invest-
ment but can have higher operational
costs due to the continuous flow of
water. Therefore, the choice of tech-
nology will significantly impact the
overall financial investment needed
for the transition.
Another aspect to consider when
determining the financial investment
required for the shift to inland aqua-
culture is the regulatory framework.
Different regions and countries have
varying regulations and permitting
processes for land-based aquacul-
ture operations. Compliance with
environmental regulations, obtaining
necessary permits, and meeting lo-
cal zoning requirements can add to
the overall cost. It is essential for the
salmon industry to work closely with
regulatory bodies and stakeholders
to understand and navigate the regu-
latory landscape, which will help in
estimating the financial investment
needed for the transition.
Furthermore, the investment re-
quired for transitioning to inland
aquaculture should also account for
potential risks and uncertainties. As
with any new venture, there are in-
herent risks associated with adopt-

32 » OCT - NOV 2023


ing new technologies and operating
in a different environment. Adequate
contingency plans and risk manage-
ment strategies should be developed
to mitigate these uncertainties. Allo-
cating a portion of the investment for
research and development, as well as
for ongoing monitoring and optimi-
zation of the land-based farms, will
help ensure the long-term success
and sustainability of the industry.
Salmon produced inland will likely
face slow market acceptance,
requiring additional polishing
and marketing expenses
The acceptance of the consumer
market for salmon produced inland is
likely to be slow due to several factors.
99 Firstly, consumers are accus-
tomed to purchasing salmon that
OCT - NOV 2023
has been traditionally farmed in
the sea, and there may be a per-
ception that land-based farms
cannot produce the same qual-
ity or taste. This perception may
take time to change as consum-
ers become more familiar with
the concept of inland aquacul-
ture and its benefits.
99 Secondly, there may be concerns
about the environmental impact
of land-based salmon farms.
Some consumers may worry
about the potential for pollution
or the use of chemicals in these
facilities. It will be important
for the industry to address these
concerns and communicate the
sustainable practices and benefits
of inland aquaculture to gain
consumer trust.
99 Additionally, the cost of pro-
ducing salmon inland may be
higher initially compared to tra-
ditional sea-based farming. This
could result in higher prices for
consumers, which may impact
their willingness to switch to
inland-produced salmon. How-
ever, as technology advances and
economies of scale are achieved,
the cost of production is likely
to decrease, making inland aqua-
culture more competitive in the
market.
To overcome these challenges, it
will be crucial to invest in market-
ing and polishing the image of in-
land aquaculture. This can be done
through targeted advertising cam-
paigns, educational initiatives, and
partnerships with retailers and res-
taurants. By highlighting the advan-
tages of inland aquaculture, such as
reduced environmental impact, im-
proved fish welfare, and traceability,
the industry can gradually build con-
sumer acceptance and demand for
salmon produced inland.
In conclusion, determining the
exact amount of money the salmon
industry should invest in shifting to
inland aquaculture is a multifaceted
task. It depends on factors such as
the scale of operation, technology
choice, regulatory requirements, and
risk management strategies. Con-
ducting a comprehensive cost analy-
sis, considering both upfront capital
investment and ongoing operational
costs, is crucial. Collaboration with
experts, industry stakeholders, and
regulatory bodies will aid in estimat-
ing the financial investment needed
for a successful transition to land-
based salmon farming.
Salvador Meza is Editor & Publisher of Aquaculture
Magazine, and of the Spanish language
industry magazine Panorama Acuicola.
» 33
 ARTICLE

How agricultural rendering

supports sustainability
and assists livestock’s ability
to contribute
more than just food

Rendering is essential in producing sustainable animal feed ingredients and

pet food as well as many nonfood products consumers use every day playing
a vital role in environmental sustainability worldwide. This article highlights
how Rendering is highly sustainable; “Rendering is Recycling/Upcycling” and
supports the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social, Economic.
By: Aquaculture Magazine Editorial Team*

A
gricultural Rendering will
be referred to as “ren-
dering” throughout this
article. Render, from the
French verb rendre, meaning “to give
back,” is the act of processing and
cooking undesired, or uneaten live-
stock and poultry meat that remains
after a meat animal has been slaugh-
tered and the meat used for consump-
tion has been harvested. Rendering
then safely and hygienically processes
it to create new products so nothing
is wasted. Renderers upcycle that un-
used material (fat, protein, feathers,
bone, etc.) for new, secondary uses.
Many meat eaters in North Amer-
ica consider roughly 50% of a meat
animal to be “inedible,” leaving a
large amount of material left over
(NARA, 2020). Rendering reclaims
this otherwise wasted food (protein,
bone, fat, etc.), as well as used cook-
ing oil (UCO) from restaurants, and
transforms it into ingredients for
countless new goods-upcycling most
of this unwanted meat from slaughter
and processing into things like animal
feed ingredients, safe and nutritious
pet food, beauty, household and in-
dustrial products, biofuels, and many
more useful and common goods.
Instead of wasting these left-
overs through other disposal meth-
ods, renderers in the United States
and Canada recycle the materials
into 15.7 million tons of fat, oil, and
protein products annually (NARA,
2020). Doing this not only creates al-
ternative, sustainable fuels to power
trucks, trains, water vessels, and other
vehicles but also nutritiously feeds
cattle, hogs, turkeys, chickens, house-
hold pets, and other animals.
As a result, huge volumes of
meat leftovers and UCO are kept
out of landfills, resulting in a net
reduction of carbon emissions, a
substantial greenhouse gas (GHG)
reduction, reduced food waste and
saved landfill space. In addition,
Renderers have quality and safety
control systems in place with volun-
tary programs such as the Rendering
Industry Code of Practice (NARA,
2017) designed to foresee hazards
that could occur, and prevent them.
A sustainable contribution
The sustainability benefits of render-
ing can be accurately tracked and are
more highly valued as our environ-
ment faces threats of climate change
and reduced landfill space. Addition-
ally, consumers seem ever more aware
of their sustainability practices when

34 » OCT - NOV 2023

making purchases due to this infor-
mation and education on sustain-
ability being widely available across
media platforms. Rendering reduces
the environmental impacts of ani-
mal agriculture by sequestering five
times more GHGs than are produced
(Gooding and Meeker, 2016). By re-
claiming otherwise discarded meat
leftovers, renderers make our food
production footprint smaller (Fig-
ure 1). Specific areas of rendering’s
sustainable contributions include re-
duced food waste, water reclamation,
and sustainable pet food.
OCT - NOV 2023
Reduced food waste
Sixty-two billion pounds of raw ma-
terials are cooked and rendered to
result in approximately 31.4 billion
pounds of rendered products pro- Renderers in the United
duced annually from in the United
States and Canada. As a result, these States and Canada recycle
huge volumes of meat leftovers and the materials into 15.7
UCO are kept out of landfills, re-
sulting in a net reduction of carbon million tons of fat, oil, and
emissions (NARA, 2020).
protein products annually.
Renderers pick up UCO from
restaurants which helps reduce food
waste from that sector, but plate
waste is not well utilized because of
lack of infrastructure and the high
cost of logistics to collect and cook
waste food for animal feed; addition-
ally, no system exists to collect ei-
ther UCO or other food waste from
households.
Grocery store leftovers would also
be a contributor to food waste, but
because renderers pick up those meat
leftovers (in the form of trimmings,
fat and bone) from butcher shops,
grocers, and small slaughtering op-
erations, grocery store waste has a
much smaller footprint. Renderers
also recycle billions of pounds of
UCO from restaurants used to cook
fried food items like French fries, and
transforms that oil and fat into bio-
diesel, renewable diesel, and ingredi-
ents for pet food and animal feed.
Water reclamation
Rendering reclaims and cleans valu-
able water that would otherwise
contribute to the decay of byprod-
ucts and cause contamination in the
environment. The rendering process
evaporates the moisture from the raw
materials and processes all runoff
and wash water though water treat-
ment that meets regulatory standards.
Annually, 3.7 billion gallons of water
are reclaimed during the rendering
process and naturally released back
into the environment through evapo-
ration or returned as clean water to
streams and rivers (NARA, 2020)—
that is enough water to fill 5,604
Olympic swimming pools.
» 35
 ARTICLE
Sustainable pet food
Protein and fat ingredients obtained
from rendering are used to manu-
facture pet foods. These rendered
ingredients are not only sustainable,
but also safe due to the enforcement
of strict safety guidelines including
the use of high heat in the render-
ing process to destroy bacteria and
harmful pathogens. The resulting
products are also handled, stored,
and distributed under controlled con-
ditions to minimize contamination.
All rendering plants are required to
be in compliance with FDA’s animal
food regulations under Food Safety
Modernization Act (FSMA),, which
ensures safe processing occurs.
The rendering industry adds value
to animal parts not normally used for
human consumption (organs, bones,
cartilage, and fat) by processing this
material for pet food ingredients.
Use of rendered products in pet
food also significantly reduces the
carbon footprint of the food we feed
our dogs, cats, and other pets by re-
purposing byproducts that might
otherwise be wasted (Meeker and
Meisinger, 2015).
Supporting the Three Pillars of
Sustainability
Rendering also represents all three
pillars of sustainability—Environ-
36 »
mental, Economic, and Social. These
three pillars are sometimes depicted
visually as architectural pillars and
other times as a three circle Venn dia-
gram. The concept of sustainability
has been discussed publicly as early
as the 1980s and the three pillars have
been presented as a “common view”
of sustainable development in media
since as early as 2001 (2019; Figure 2).
Pillar 1: Environmental
Rendering’s environmental support
pillar is a strong one. More than 62
billion pounds of renderable materi-
als are produced in the United States
and Canada each year. By reclaiming
otherwise discarded meat leftovers,
renderers make our food production
footprint smaller, save landfill space,
and help minimize the environmental
impacts of animal agriculture such as
climate change, as rendering assists
greatly in the reduction of food waste,
reduced GHG and water consump-
tion. Rendering reclaims and protects
valuable water that would otherwise
be wasted or contaminated.
Pillar 2: Social
By reclaiming and converting animal
leftovers and UCO into new prod-
ucts, rendering helps customers to
be more sustainable while providing
thousands of full-time and stable
jobs supporting families and local
communities from coast to coast in
America and Canada, many in rural
areas. Adding to the stability of work
in the rendering industry, these posi-
tions cannot be exported due to the
raw and perishable nature of the ma-
terial the rendering industry reclaims.
Renderers and plant owners also
invest considerably in improvements
and enhancements to sustainabil-
ity efforts, in addition to supporting
their local communities both finan-
cially and socially (NARA, 2020).
Pillar 3: Economic
There is some expected overlap in the
Social and Economic pillars in refer-
ence to the rendering industry as the
economic stability of the industry di-
rectly affects the stability of careers,
therefore leading to rendering’s high
job retention and financial ability to
contribute to their communities.
The rendering industry is sustain-
able and financially stable with an
economic contribution of US $10
billion, annually. An average render-
ing plant provides nearly 100 stable
jobs that offer competitive pay and
benefits (NARA, 2020).
New data
Renderers play an important role in
reducing food waste, sustainably re-
cycling valuable agricultural resourc-
es and positively contributing to lo-
cal, state, national, and international
economies. Quantification data were
collected by the North American
Renderers Association and published
in 2020 (NARA, 2020).
This research consisted of under-
standing the total supply of renderable
products, estimates of total rendered
products, conducting a three-part
survey of rendering companies in the
United States and Canada, and study-
ing consumer and industry-driven
market trends. Highlights from the
research are outlined below:
99 More than 62 billion pounds of
renderable raw materials are pro-
duced in the United States and
OCT - NOV 2023
 Canada each year from farms,
feedlots, and slaughter facilities
working with cattle, hogs, sheep,
chickens, and turkey. These ma-
terials are highly perishable by-
products of meat and poultry
produced for human consump-
tion—offal, bones, blood, feath-
ers, and animals that die on farms
or in transit to slaughterhouses.
99 Approximately 15.7 million tons
of rendered products are pro-
duced from beef, pork, turkey,
and broiler processing plants an-
nually. This is 57% protein meals,
40% fats, and 3% plasma meal.
99 Approximately, 289,037 tons
of animal and poultry fats, and
501,413 tons of fresh and fro-
zen meat and poultry byproducts
and organ meats that come from
a combination of direct slaugh-
ter and rendering plants are used
by pet food manufacturers, and
roughly 1,543,129 tons of ren-
dered protein meal from byprod-
ucts of meat, poultry, and fish are
included in pet food diets.
99 Survey respondents report they
reclaimed and repurposed ap-
proximately 800,000 tons of
UCO in the 1-year study period,
which represents about half of
all UCO. Repurposing a large
amount of this material averts
what would otherwise go to other
less-sustainable destinations.
Renderers are substantial employ-
ers who offer competitive benefits
to their employees, including paid
time off, contributions to 401(k) (and
other retirement funds that help en-
sure their employees are taken care
in retirement), paid health insurance
premiums, disability insurance, and
education assistance for job-related
skills and certificates.
In addition to upcycling materials
that would otherwise end up in land-
fills, renderers are investing millions
of dollars in environmental improve-
ment efforts resulting in a total of
US$ 165.5 million spent on all envi-
OCT - NOV 2023
ronmental improvement efforts over
the last 5 years (2015 to 2019) and US$
188 million planned to be spent on all
environmental improvement efforts
over the next 5 years (2020 to 2024).
Looking forward
The rendering industry is dynamic
and ever changing. New focus and
initiatives continue to occur in the ar-
eas of environmental issues, govern-
mental regulations, raw material, and
market conditions.
Looking ahead the rendering in-
dustry has these large-scale issues to
keep in mind, as well as more focused
key items to consider as it prepares
for the future. The rendering industry
and markets for rendered products
should expand to match the predict-
ed growth of meat production and
services needed by a growing U.S.
and Canadian population. Continued
investments in research such as that
by the Fats and Proteins Research
Foundation (FPRF) are also needed
to fund research that can enhance
product safety, improve rendering ef-
ficiency, support use in animal nutri-
tion, and find new uses and markets
for these byproducts.
Conclusion
The rendering business is profitable
and sustainable. It is also essential to
making a meat animal more sustain-
able than it would be if byproducts
were not rendered and used for the
highest possible purpose.
By making numerous new products
with the unused meat and byproducts
derived from livestock, rendering and
renderers provide local jobs, support
their communities, and contribute
to significantly reduced food waste,
saved landfill space, reduced GHG
emissions, production of nutritious
and sustainable animal food, and clean
water reclamation.
References and sources consulted by the author on the
elaboration of this article are available under previous
request to our editorial staff.
This is a summarized version developed by the editorial
team of Aquaculture Magazine based on the review ar-
ticle titled “HOW AGRICULTURAL RENDERING SUPPORTS
SUSTAINABILITY AND ASSISTS LIVESTOCK’S ABILITY
TO CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN JUST FOOD” developed
by: ANNA D. WILKINSON AND DAVID L. MEEKER - North
American Renderers Association (NARA), Alexandria, VA,
USA. The original article was published, including tables
and figures, on MARCH, 2021, through ANIMAL FRON-
TIERS. The full version can be accessed online through
this link: 10.1093/af/vfab002.
» 37
 ARTICLE

Evaluation of single cell

protein on the growth
performance, digestibility
and immune gene expression
of Pacific white shrimp,
Penaeus vannamei

Replacing fish meal in the feeds using various conventional and

non-conventional protein sources has been the core subject of
several studies. In this context, growth and digestibility trials were
undertaken to evaluate a single cell protein (SCP) produced from
methane-oxidizing bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus (String Bio,
Bengaluru, India) as a replacement for fishmeal in the diets of Pacific
white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei.
By: Aquaculture Magazine Editorial Team*

A
s the aquaculture sector
continues to grow, there
is an increasing demand
for formulated feeds and
protein. Feed based farmed fish and
shrimp have been the largest con-
sumers of capture fishery derived
feedstuffs in the form of fishmeal
(FM) and fish oil. Although the use
of fishmeal in aquatic animal feeds
has many benefits, its inclusion lev-
el is reducing due to fluctuations in
global availability, price instabilities,
quality criteria and also in response to
sustainability issues.
Replacing fish meal in the feeds
using various conventional and non-
conventional protein sources has
been the core subject of several stud-
ies. One such alternative is the Single
Cell Proteins (SCP) which belong to
a broad class of constituents that in-
cludes bacterial, yeast and microalgal
derivative products. SCP has a high
protein content with a very good
essential amino acid (EAA) profile
similar to that of fishmeal; with con-
sistent availability and traceable pro-
duction, and also holds a high sus-
tainability index.
Pacific white shrimp is the most
important farmed crustacean species
in the world and its production has
increased rapidly especially in India
over the recent years. This has led to
a consistent increase in demand for
the production of shrimp feeds rely-
ing less on FM as the primary protein
source using suitable and sustainable
alternative protein sources. Here are
presented the results from a study de-
signed to evaluate the SCP on growth
performance and digestibility trials
of Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus van-
namei, using diets containing graded
levels of SCP.
Materials and methods
Growth and digestibility trials were
undertaken simultaneously to evalu-
ate the single cell protein (SCP) as a
replacement for fishmeal in the diets
of Pacific white shrimp, P. vannamei
and to determine the digestibility of
the SCP. For the growth trial, five
isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets
were formulated to contain different

38 » OCT - NOV 2023

 Whole-body chemical
composition and amino acid
profile of shrimp did not vary
significantly (p > 0.05) with
the increasing levels of SCP.

levels of SCP: Control (Fishmeal, no

SCP), SCP inclusion at 50 g/kg (S-5),
100 g/kg (S-10), 200 g/kg (S-20), 250
g/kg (S25). The feed formulation and
their proximate composition are pre-
sented in Table 1.

Results
Data on growth performances of
shrimp fed the different diets over
the 90 days growth trial are provided
in Table 2. The growth curves of the
different groups over the trial period
are presented in Figure 1. The body
weight significantly (p < 0.05) in-
creased in shrimp fed diet with S-10

OCT - NOV 2023 » 39

 ARTICLE

than in the control, but there was no

significant (p > 0.05) increase when
compared with shrimp fed diet S-20
even though the average final body
weight of S-20 was numerically higher
There were no significant
(p > 0.05) differences in the protein,
lipid and ash contents among the dif-
ferent groups of P. vannamei. No sig-
nificant (p > 0.05) differences were
observed in the whole-body amino
acid profiles of shrimp fed diets con-
taining graded levels of SCP.
In terms of apparent digestibil-
ity, the SCP tested was found to be
highly digestible with the digestibility
coefficients of 0.91, 0.92, 0.60 and
0.70 for protein, lipid, calcium and
phosphorus respectively. The digest-
ible protein and lipid content of SCP
were calculated to be 577.7 g/kg and
57.9 g/kg respectively.
The relative gene expression of
lysozyme, Toll-like receptor and im-
mune deficiency (IMD) were all sig-
nificantly (p < 0.05) up-regulated in
shrimp fed diet S-20 as compared to
shrimp fed the control diet or other
SCP diets.

Discussion
The results of the study show that it
is possible to include up to 200 g/kg
of SCP derived from Methylococcus cap-
sulatus (replacing up to two thirds of
fishmeal) in the diets of Pacific white
shrimp still maintaining good surviv-
al, growth and feed efficiency. In fact,
at the dietary SCP inclusion level of
200 g/kg, despite lower feed intakes,
the mean weight gain and feed effi-
ciency were better compared to those
of shrimp fed the control diet. It is
indeed promising to see that shrimp
performed well at SCP inclusion level
of 200 g/kg, better than those re- with 50 and 100 g/kg of SCP exhib- specific immune responses by the di-
ported by Chen et al. (2021) in Pacific ited higher survival than the control etary inclusion of SCP.
white shrimp where they found that group. Hamidoghli et al. (2019) re- The increased phosphorus gain
another SCP can replace 45% of di- ported an increasing trend, albeit not and retention in shrimp fed diets
etary FM (105 g SCP/kg diet). significant, in the survival of shrimp with SCP can be attributed to the
There was no significant differ- on the addition of a SCP obtained higher digestibility of phosphorus in
ence observed in the survival of from a bacteria (Corynebacterium ammo- the SCP and as the phosphorus con-
shrimp among the different treat- niagenes), and stated that the increase tent in SCP is attributed to the levels
ment groups, but shrimp fed diets might be due to the increase of non- of nucleic acids and phospholipids

40 » OCT - NOV 2023


The plausible reason for the
high digestibility in the study
might be attributed to the
method of the downstream
process carried out in the
preparation of this Single Cell
Proteins SCP.
(Øverland et al., 2010), while phos-
phorus in fishmeal would be mostly
in the form of a complex with calci-
um (calcium hydroxyapatite complex,
Rajesh et al., 2022).
Whole-body chemical composi-
tion and amino acid profile of shrimp
did not vary significantly (p > 0.05)
with the increasing levels of SCP.
This is in conformity with the general
observations of a relatively constant
protein-bound amino acid composi-
tion of shrimp irrespective of dietary
OCT - NOV 2023
treatments (Penaflorida, 1989; Alam
et al., 2002; Xie et al., 2018). The di-
gestibility values obtained in the pres-
ent study were higher than those of
earlier reports with other SCPs mea-
sured in finfish (Øverland et al., 2010;
Tlusty et al., 2017) and in Pacific white
shrimp (Hamidoghli et al., 2019).
The cell rupture by downstream
processing of the bacterial protein
used here might be an important
aspect to look into while increas-
ing the digestibility of these protein
sources. The plausible reason for the
high digestibility in the study might
be attributed to the method of the
downstream process carried out in
the preparation of this SCP.
Conclusion
Given the good nutrient digestibility
of the SCP, good feed intake, excel-
lent growth, feed efficiency and good
survival of shrimp observed over 90
days of the study under semi-prac-
tical farming conditions clearly sug-
gest that the single cell protein, de-
rived from methane utilizing bacteria,
holds much promise as a sustainable
and reliable alternative protein source
to replace a significant proportion of
fishmeal in the diets of Pacific white
shrimp. The responses in terms of
biomarkers of the immune system of
shrimp are of great interest warrant-
ing further dedicated studies.
This is a summarized version developed by the editorial
team of Aquaculture Magazine based on the review article
titled “ EVALUATION OF SINGLE CELL PROTEIN ON THE
GROWTH PERFORMANCE, DIGESTIBILITY AND IMMUNE
GENE EXPRESSION OF PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP, PENAEUS
VANNAMEI” developed by: FELIX, N. and MANIKANDAN,
K. – Directorate of Incubation and Vocational training in
Aquaculture (DIVA), UMA, A. - State Referral Laboratory
for Aquatic Animal Health (SRLAAH) and KAUSHIK,
S. - Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The
original article was published, including tables and figures,
on DECEMBER, 2022, through ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY. The full version can be accessed
online through this link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
anifeedsci.2022.115549.
» 41
 ARTICLE

METABOLOMICS APPROACH TO
ELUCIDATE THE IMPORTANCE OF
COUNT SIZE IN COMMERCIAL
PENAEID SHRIMPS: WHITE LEG
SHRIMP (LITOPENAEUS VANNAMEI)
AND BLACK TIGER SHRIMP
(PENAEUS MONODON)

The importance of the size of white leg shrimp has been

previously reported, where a strong correlation was found between
size and metabolome data. Here we present a metabolomics
approach to elucidate the importance of count size in commercial
penaeid shrimps: white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and black
tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).
By: Aquaculture Magazine Editorial Team*

T
he advancement of tech-
nology in aquaculture in-
dustries has increased the
sense of urgency to re-eval-
uate the quality parameters of com-
mercial shrimp products. Several stud-
ies have emphasized the improvement
in production at the upstream level
(shrimp cultivation), including the
optimization of environmental water
quality parameters and shrimp disease
management. However, publications
focusing on the downstream level are
still lacking, particularly in the effort
to connect the quality of commercial
shrimp to its economic aspect.
Currently, shrimp body weight is
utilized as a grading unit, which is
known to affect prices in the mar-
ket. Count size, a unit that is com-
monly used to sell headless shell-on
(HLSO), indicates the edible portion
of shrimp. To obtain shrimps in large
commercial sizes, shrimp farmers of-
ten have to perform partial harvesting
or to prolong the period of culture.
These practices pose them to a higher
risk of loss. For this reason, the count
size grading unit not only implies the
needed operational cost, but also re-
flects the quality of the management
of the farming and aquaculture sys-
tems. From a consumer perspective, a
large size is perceived as highly palat-
able and attractive.
In addition, large size has been as-
sociated with product value, creating
a so-called value-based pricing sys-
tem while the quality remains ques-
tionable. Therefore, there is a need to
justify whether size reflects the qual-
ity of shrimp.
The importance of the size of
white leg shrimp has been previously
reported, where a strong correlation
was found between size and metabo-
lome data. In this study, the research-
ers aimed to improve the predictive

42 » OCT - NOV 2023

power of the orthogonal projection
to latent structure (OPLS) model
by expanding the metabolite cover-
age using liquid chromatography
mass-spectrometry (LC/MS) and gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry
(GC/MS) analysis.
Materials and methods
Two different species of farmed
shrimp were analyzed: white leg
shrimp and black tiger shrimp. All
samples were collected as head-less
shell-on (HLSO) shrimp. The range
of shrimp count size was determined
according to the availability of sam-
ples on the day of purchase.
The sample extraction step for
GC/MS analysis was change to im-
prove the removal of protein and
prevent saturated peak as the po-
tential damage to the machine in the
long term. The optimized extraction
method was carried out in a stepwise
manner using 80% ethanol. All sam-
OCT - NOV 2023
ples were analyzed in triplicate (n ¼
3). GC/MS analysis and LC/MS/MS
analysis were performed.
Results and Discussion
Metabolite profile of white leg shrimp
retrieved from the same pond
In total, 118 metabolites were puta-
tively annotated from both instru-
ments, of which 39 and 59 metabo-
lites were unique to GC/MS and LC/
MS ion pairs, respectively. The first
two principal components, which
accounted for 47.3% of the vari-
ance, were able single out the small-
er shrimps (count size 41/50) from
the other larger samples (count size
31/40-21/25). This result confirmed
the reproducibility of the metabolite
trend reported in the previous study.
From the loading plot count sizes of
31/40 and 26/30 resulted in a higher
level of phosphate and phosphate-re-
lated compounds, such as nucleotides
The count size grading unit
not only implies the needed
operational cost, but also
reflects the quality of the
management of the farming
and aquaculture systems.
and sugar phosphates. Previous GC/
MS-based analysis were only able to
detect phosphate in large white leg
shrimp. Therefore, this result sug-
gests that the phosphate-related me-
tabolites such as nucleotides, nucleo-
sides, and sugar phosphate derived
from LC/MS corresponded with the
phosphate detected by GC/MS.
This result shows that a reproduc-
ible metabolite trend can be achieved
even in a larger data set. Following
this, OPLS analysis was performed
after excluding samples with an over-
lapped-body weight.
» 43
 ARTICLE
Validation of the size-based prediction
OPLS regression model
We aimed to further validate the ro-
bustness of the prediction model us-
ing the expanded metabolites. In this
current model (Figure 1), the model
was built from all Indonesian shrimp
samples. The estimated parameters
44 »
were then used to predict the sample
purchased from commercial market.
The constructed OPLS model
complied with the parameters, and
therefore, a robust size-based predic-
tion model was obtained. This result
marked the accomplishment of the
first objective, in which the robust-
ness of the model improved through
the expansion of metabolite coverage.
Although a further study is re-
quired, we hypothesize that the ac-
cumulation of AMP and IMP along
with the increase in size might be
indicative of reduced purine catabo-
lism, as a strategy to preserve adenine
nucleotide pools that might be linked
to the recovery of high-energy phos-
phate. The positive and negative pre-
dictors metabolites were able to char-
acterize the shrimp based on the size.
Therefore, VIP metabolites that ex-
hibit specific accumulation patterns
over the size of shrimp can be de-
fined as size-dependent metabolites
as they show a constant trend despite
variations in sampling locations, ori-
gin, and shrimp processing.
Validation of the OPLS model using
black tiger shrimp
The second validation was per-
formed to assess the robustness of
the constructed model in a non-spe-
cies-specific manner. As we aimed to
provide a universal metabolite marker
of shrimp size, the resulting model
could be a promising tool to further
justify the overall quality of com-
mercial shrimp with regard to market
price. The second most economic
important shrimp species in the aqua-
culture industry, black tiger shrimp,
was used in a second validation set.
Although the effect of species was
plausible, both of the large shrimp
species exhibited similar metabolite
profiles with higher accumulation
of phosphate-related compounds,
which has been reported for white
leg shrimp. Using this information as
a basis, black tiger shrimp was further
subjected to a validation set with the
white leg shrimp dataset assigned as a
training set.
OPLS model of commercial tropical
penaeid shrimps
A size-based prediction model for
commercial shrimp and its evaluation
parameters are summarized in Figure
2. Good linearity was observed in
the model as the R2Y and Q2 scores
OCT - NOV 2023
 The importance of size in
relation to the metabolome
profile was identified to be
species specific. However,
other factors might explain
the metabolome changes
in black tiger shrimp.
were higher than 0.8. However, the
RMSEE and RMSEP scores were
1.835 and 7.216, respectively, sug-
gesting that the difference between
the observed and predicted values
was larger than 10%. A high RMSEP
score indicated that the training set
built from white leg shrimp metabo-
lome data failed to predict commer-
cial black tiger shrimps (count size
31/40-13/15), as they were all pre-
dicted as a single value (Figure 2b).
A robust sized-based OPLS mod-
el of white leg shrimp, which was
validated using a set of commercial
white leg shrimp purchased from the
market, was successfully constructed
(Figure 1). The expansion of metab-
olite coverage using the LC/MS ion
pair enabled us to carry out a more
OCT - NOV 2023
comprehensive discussion that could
not be achieved using GC/MS data.
However, the second validation of the
OPLS model performed using com-
mercial black tiger shrimp failed to
predict the size of shrimp (Figure 2).
The importance of size in relation to
the metabolome profile was identified
to be species specific. However, other
factors might explain the metabolome
changes in black tiger shrimp.
Conclusion
It is suggested that a count size of
31/40 is most suitable for commer-
cial farms based on visual palatabil-
ity, time, and production cost. Con-
sistently, a count size of 31/40 was
reported to be highly produced by
exporting countries. According to the
metabolic profile, most of the taste-
active metabolites were retained in
medium-sized shrimp with a higher
accumulation of IMP and AMP,
as umami-contributing metabolites
might reflect higher acceptability.
This study is a part of a bigger
research framework that pursues the
development of novel parameters to
evaluate shrimp quality. One strategy
is to investigate the metabolite mark-
ers of various commercial shrimp
sizes that come at different prices.
Through a strong correlation be-
tween shrimp size and metabolome
data, we can expect the accumulation
of size-dependent metabolites within
a specified commercial size range.
These size-dependent metabolites
not only serve as a potential marker to
assess the quality of shrimp, but also
help the shrimp farmers to improve
the cultivation strategy in producing
commercial-sized shrimps.
This is a summarized version developed by the editorial
team of Aquaculture Magazine based on the review article
titled “METABOLOMICS APPROACH TO ELUCIDATE THE
IMPORTANCE OF COUNT SIZE IN COMMERCIAL PENAEID
SHRIMPS: WHITE LEG SHRIMP (LITOPENAEUS VANNAMEI)
AND BLACK TIGER SHRIMP (PENAEUS MONODON)”
developed by: ERLANGGA PUTRI, S. - Osaka University;
SUANTIKA, G. and LENNY SITUMORANG, M. - Institut
Teknologi Bandung; PRAMA PUTRI, S. - Osaka University;
FUKUSAKI, E. - Osaka University and Institut Teknologi
Bandung. The original article was published, including
tables and figures, on MARCH, 2022, through JOURNAL OF
BIOSCIENCE AND BIOENGINEERING. The full version can be
accessed online through this link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jbiosc.2022.01.010.
» 45
 CARPE DIEM

What is missing to
consolidate mariculture?
(Part 2) In the last edition, we discussed the three key issues for the development of
open water aquaculture: technology, investment and operating costs, as well as
the market. Today, we will discuss some factors to consider and/or strategies
we can adopt to boost mariculture globally.
By: Antonio Garza de Yta, Ph.D.*

I
n the last edition, we discussed
the three key issues for the de-
velopment of open water aqua-
culture: technology, investment
and operating costs, as well as the
market. Today, we will discuss some
factors to consider and/or strategies
we can adopt to boost mariculture
globally.
There is a need to work hard on
governance issues that concern all
aquaculture, especially mariculture.
In all countries, institutions need to
be strengthened and work needs to
be done at the government, industry
and market levels. The consolidation
of mariculture will be further delayed
until the necessary legal frameworks
are in place, and the backbone of
aquaculture, which is made up of
strong programs in research, capac-

46 » OCT - NOV 2023


It is crucial that not
only best management
practices that avoid
environmental
degradation are promoted
and disseminated.
ity building and aquaculture health,
as well as a wide supply of hatcheries
and feed, supported by technology
and business incubators, is in place.
The interrelationship between
mariculture and clean energy is in-
creasingly evident. Travel between
farming and processing areas gen-
erates a considerable environmen-
tal footprint, which can be reduced
through the use of barges that do
OCT - NOV 2023
not require fossil fuels to perform all
farm operations and feed the crops
or the installation of recirculation
systems close to markets that do not Consumer perception is
rely on fossil fuels either. The use of probably the issue on which
automatic feeders, which deserves a
we need to focus the most.
separate analysis, is a key point in re-
ducing the environmental footprint
of aquaculture. It is imperative to
focus on solving these problems as
soon as possible.
One issue that worries many, in-
cluding myself, is that practically all that filters out the many fantasy proj-
species produced in mariculture, at ects that have caused so much dam-
a commercial level, are at the top of age to the perception of investors.
the food pyramid. This means that, by It is worth dreaming but not at the
their nature, the feed requires a high expense of other people’s capital. We
protein content, which often comes must also look for new schemes that
from fishmeal. Finding the “tilapia” do not depend on million-dollar in-
of mariculture is a challenge, but one vestments from a single source. Small
that must be met day by day until it and medium-scale fundraising can be
is overcome. Research into a line of a great tool, as long as we generate
macroalgae that is a good source of enough success stories to support it.
quality, highly digestible protein is an- Finally, I know I sound like a bro-
other hurdle to overcome. ken record, but political will is crucial.
There are many concerns, most Mariculture, like all aquaculture, must
of them unjustified, about open-wa- be a priority at national, regional and
ter aquaculture production, such as global levels. Without this, no matter
heavy metals, microplastics and en- how hard we fight, there will be no
vironmental degradation. It is crucial future.
to not only promote and disseminate
best management practices that avoid
environmental degradation but also
to promote mariculture production
as a safe product that minimizes risk
to the consumer. Consumer percep-
tion is probably the issue on which
we should focus the most, even be-
fore the significantly important de-
velopment of markets for the various
species that come from this type of Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisor for AWJ
Innovation, Vice President of the International Center
farming. for Strategic Studies in Aquaculture (CIDEEA),
Assessments of aquaculture President of Aquaculture Without Frontiers (AwF),
Past President of the World Aquaculture Society
projects must be based on solid due (WAS), Former Secretary of Fisheries and
diligence, which not only includes
Aquaculture of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Creator of
the Certification for Aquaculture Professionals (CAP)
financial and legal aspects but also a Program with Auburn University.
thorough techno-commercial analysis
» 47
 DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MARKETING BYTES

Using social media

in crisis management
What would you consider as a crisis for your business? Mislabeled
product? A product recall? An employee injury? Death of an employee
or customer? A claim regarding health or nutrition lacking scientific
backing? A crisis can take many forms. When it comes to crisis
management, social media has altered the context and tactics used
when responding to and managing a crisis, but the core principles
By: Sarah Cornelisse* remain the same.

W
hat would you consid-
er as a crisis for your
business? Mislabeled
product? A product
recall? An employee injury? Death of
an employee or customer? A claim
regarding health or nutrition lacking
scientific backing? A crisis can take
many forms. Dictionary.com defines
a crisis as “a stage in a sequence of
events at which the trend of all fu-
ture events, especially for better or
for worse, is determined.” It’s impor-
tant to note that the definition does
not identify the type of events; it
simply that events are occurring and
that there is a point that defines the
course of future events. And while
it may be clear that some events are
crises, others may not so clearly fit
the category.

48 » OCT - NOV 2023


Types of crises in the agriculture
and food industries can include con-
tamination, recalls, and negative pub-
licity. Crises may occur with more
frequency than you might expect. For
example, there were more than 2,400
seafood recalls registered by the United
States Food and Drug Administration
(USFDA) across 20 years (October
2002 through March 2022) (Blickem et
al., 2023). This averages to 120 per year
– for seafood alone. When you consider
the other types of crises that may have
occurred within the seafood industry
during those 20 years and add the num-
ber of crises in all other ag and food
industries, the magnitude is staggering.
By now, most of us are familiar
with social media. Platforms such as
Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit,
TikTok, and YouTube are all examples.
Social media is a communication
channel, but with the notable dif-
ferentiating feature of 2-way com-
munication when compared with
traditional media such as newspapers,
radio or television. Due to the nature
of communication on social media as
well as the much shorter lifecycle of
news and information, users have dif-
ferent expectations regarding open-
OCT - NOV 2023
ness and transparency for those with
whom they interact, whether individ-
uals or businesses.
Social media has progressed into a
regularly used source for news among
its users. In 2022, 50% of U.S. adults
reported sometimes or often getting
their news from social media (Liedke
and Matsa, 2022). This highlights the
potential importance and value of so-
cial media for crisis management.
When it comes to crisis manage-
ment, social media has altered the
context and tactics used when re-
sponding to and managing a crisis, but
the core principles remain the same.
These include:
99 Identify a team. Know who
needs to, or should be, involved.
While some team members may
be apparent (e.g. spokesperson,
business owner/CEO, etc.), other
team members may be less appar-
ent and include individuals with
responsibilities in areas such as
product distribution or finance.
99 Have a plan. Don’t wait until a
crisis occurs to figure out how to
address it. Assign roles to team
members and make sure each un-
derstands their responsibilities.
Social media has
progressed into a
regularly used source
for news by its users.
99 Practice your response. Simu-
lating a range of crisis types can
provide team’s valuable experi-
ence, better preparing them for
responding to a true crisis. Crisis
drills provide a non-stressful en-
vironment for preparation and
identifying aspects of the plan
that need strengthening.
When considering the role of social
media in crisis management, there are
benefits including:
99 Real-time communication and
information dissemination. So-
cial media allows businesses the
ability to communicate with the
public and stakeholders in real-
time; no need to wait for the next
publication of a newspaper or
news telecast.
99 Monitoring and tracking
emerging issues. The crisis
management team can use social
media to monitor online conver-
sations and media coverage of the
situation. This can aid in identify-
ing important aspects that need to
be addressed and help provide a
sense of public and stakeholder
sentiment.
99 Engaging with stakeholders
and the public. The two-way
mode of communication allows
businesses to directly engage with
stakeholders on the social media
platform(s), answering questions,
addressing concerns, or providing
specific information.
» 49
 DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MARKETING BYTES
99 Convey transparency and build
trust. Appropriate use of social
media and engagement through
the platform can convey to stake-
holders and the public that a busi-
ness is being transparent in their
efforts to share information and
address the crisis, thus building
and/or reinforcing trust between
the public and the business. An
analysis of existing research on
crisis communication determined
that “using social media signifi-
cantly lessened consumers’ per-
ceived crisis responsibility” (Xu,
2020). That is, consumers’ views
of the business’s responsibility
for the crisis went down when
businesses used social media.
A publication from Deloitte (Over-
lander, 2023) outlines five principles for
thinking about social media in a crisis:
50 »
1. Social media isn’t always the
right way to communicate in
a crisis. Crisis communications
should be tailored to the specific
incident and sometimes that may
rule social media out as an appro-
priate tool.
2. Great social media engage-
ment in ‘peace time’ can be
your downfall in a crisis. So-
cial media is often left to market-
ers, but in the midst of a crisis,
the marketing individual or team
may not be the appropriate lead
for social media communications.
Crisis planning should include
a discussion about when social
media responsibilities should be
moved to someone in a different
role. Consider also whether a pro-
cess for approving social media
crisis communications should be
implemented.
This highlights the
potential importance and
value of social media for
crisis management.
3. Inform, don’t engage. During
and following a crisis, business-
es will want to share relevant
information with their audience
and social media is a highly ef-
fective avenue. However, expe-
rienced social media users are
also aware that the platforms
don’t often lend themselves to
nuanced debate. Details can eas-
ily be overlooked or left out. In
a crisis, therefore, it is important
to discern when a conversation
should be taken offline.
4. Listen hard; ignore much.
What does this mean? As out-
lined previously, social media is
an excellent tool for monitoring
online conversations, allowing
businesses to assess sentiment
and determine if there are is-
sues that need to be addressed.
However, there is also a lot
of ‘noise’ on social media, re-
quiring the individual or team
monitoring these conversations
to be able to effectively sift
through what is important and
what is not.
5. Protect your CEO. Get them
on social media. This may seem
counter intuitive given the prin-
ciple of not engaging. In a cri-
sis, however, particularly serious
crises, the media will attempt
to frame the situation and the
business may fall victim to inac-
curate reporting. Personal social
media use during this time by
business leader(s) may be a way
to counteract any inaccuracies
while also displaying the human
side of the business.
OCT - NOV 2023
 A vital point when
considering the use of social
media in crisis management
is that someone on the team
must be comfortable and
experienced with the social
media platform(s) used.
A vital point when considering the
use of social media in crisis manage-
ment is that someone on the team
must be comfortable and experienced
with the social media platform(s)
OCT - NOV 2023
used. A crisis is not the time to try
to learn a new platform, as differ-
ences exist between platforms when
it comes to user demographics, style
of use, and expectations.
The role of social media in crisis
management continues to evolve as
platforms and the public’s use of so-
cial media evolve. Businesses should
regularly assess their planned use of
social media as part of their crisis re-
sponse plan. That said, food industry
businesses should embrace social me-
dia as a vital tool for mitigating and
managing crises.
*Sarah Cornelisse is a Senior Extension Associate of
agricultural entrepreneurship and business management
at Penn State University in the Department of Agricultural
Economics, Sociology and Education. Sarah has expertise in
direct marketing, value-added dairy entrepreneurship and
marketing, the use of digital and social media for agricul-
tural farm and food business marketing, and business and
marketing planning and decision making. Originally from
New York State, she has a B.A in mathematics from the
State University of New York at Geneseo, and M.S. degrees
in Agricultural Economics and Animal Science, both from
Penn State University.
Correspondence email: sar243@psu.edu
Editor’s note: references cited by the author within the text
are available under previous request to our editorial team.
» 51
 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Can improved genetics save

the shrimp farming industry
from itself?

Genetics can influence how animals respond to various stressors and

which ones are likely to negatively impact those factors that farmers
depend upon for sustainability and profitability.
By: Ph.D. Stephen G. Newman*

T
he global shrimp farming
community has seen sig-
nificant growth over the
last three decades, with
more than 5 million MTs being pro-
duced annually in 2022-2023. Cur-
rently, Ecuadorian shrimp farms are
producing around 25% of this total
and are doing so at a lower cost than
any other countries seem to be able
to. Their production model is based
on stocking large earthen ponds (av-
erage around 10 ha) at low densities,
typically around 20 pieces per m2
and three-month cycles to harvest
20 grams plus shrimp. This con-
trasts with much of SE Asia where
the norm is small, lined ponds, less
than 1 ha, stocking at high densities
ranging from 50 to 500 or more ani-
mals per m2 and 3-6 months of cul-

52 » OCT - NOV 2023

ture (species dependent), with higher
costs and density associated risks.
A number of factors have con-
tributed to this global increase in
spite of the never-ending impact of
disease on all sectors. The total num-
ber of hectares being farmed has in-
creased in some areas. The move to-
wards high density culture, largely in
SE Asia, using lined ponds, disinfec-
tion, bacterial amendments, aeration,
bird nets and crab fences and static
systems that are biofloc based has
contributed to this increase, although
currently this is resulting in what ap-
pears to be an overall reduction in
market competitiveness due to high
costs. Ecuador has embraced low
density production with the use of
aerators, automatic feeders to reduce
FCRs and control feed waste, and tar-
geted bacterial tools for bioremedia-
tion. There have also been improve-
ments in the composition of feeds
and feed companies are realizing that
the traditional sizing of pellets based
on fish is wasteful and environmen-
tally harmful. Pellet sizes are smaller
and geared toward less waste.
Genetic improvement programs
have become widespread focused on
domesticating the most commonly
farmed species, Penaeus or Litopenaeus
vannamei and others, including P. mon-
odon and the freshwater M. rosenbergii.
Significant progress has been made,
with the Thai company Charoen Pok-
phand (CP) taking the early lead with
L. vannamei. They have developed fast
growing resilient pathogen free ani-
mals. The broodstock come from nu-
cleus breeding centers and have been
indoors in perpetual quarantine for
many generations, where the selec-
tion process has generated lines that
grow much quicker than many other
stocks available, along with varying
levels of disease and stress tolerance.
Many companies are working on
closing the gap.
CP animals are free of patho-
gens from the onset. They have been
screened for all known pathogens and
any new ones that crop up for which
OCT - NOV 2023
DNA sequences are available that al-
low PCR to be developed. The popula-
tions are examined closely by qualified
histopathologists for any indications
of pathognomonic pathology and the
histories of their performances are
followed. Under the right conditions,
they thrive, and their genetic poten-
tial is realized. Fast growth to large
sizes lessens exposure of the animals
to potential threats that can be inher-
ent in production systems, particularly
stressors that cannot be controlled,
common in outdoor systems.
However, when these animals are
held under less than favorable condi-
tions, subjected to stressors, have poor
diets, etc. they are weakened and can
be impacted by a variety of obligate
pathogens and any number of oppor-
tunistic pathogens. If these genetically
improved shrimp die under these con-
ditions, then it is hardly logical to ex-
pect that others will not as well.
Stress in farmed shrimp is a po-
tential killer. Stress can be defined
in terms of the impact that it has on
animals. By altering the normal physi-
ologic status of the animals, their ho-
meostatic mechanisms are disturbed.
Animals can fail to achieve their ge-
netic potential and become suscep-
tible to problems that non-stressed
animals would be able to deal with.
Three types of stress are recognized:
acute stress, chronic stress, and pe-
riodic acute stress. Acute stress is a
short-term reaction. Chronic stress is
prolonged stress that persists. Period-
ic acute stress is short term but reoc-
curring. Genetics can influence how
animals respond to various stressors
Can we expect that in
years to come these
tools will generate lines
of animals that are better
suited for the current
production paradigms?
and which ones are likely to nega-
tively impact those factors that farm-
ers depend upon for sustainability
and profitability. In general, chronic
and periodic acute stress are the most
problematic, although far too many
farmers fail to realize that even the
short-term nature of acute stress can
impact animals ability to weather oth-
er stressors and increase their suscep-
tibility to potential pathogens.
Stress is inherent in shrimp and
fish farming. The sources can be
highly variable. In general, the type
of production paradigm can impact
the overall stress levels, with low den-
sity culture paradigms in large bodies
of water with the ability to exchange
large amounts of water from pristine
sources being typically the least stress-
ful. Medium density in smaller ponds
with inadequate water exchange and
no or inadequate oxygen supplemen-
tation aeration, combined with over-
feeding is more stressful. High den-
sity culture paradigms typically can be
a high stress environment. Note that
these are generalizations and there
are many exceptions.
» 53
 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Genetics can influence
how animals respond to
various stressors.
Many of these can act in concert
and there is variability as to what lev-
els are stressful that depends on a
myriad of variables, including genet-
ics. Defining what levels of stressors
are “normal” and acceptable is not
always straightforward. Lab studies
used to establish thresholds usually
produce results that fail to replicate
the real world. A level of stressor that
is problematic under one set of en-
vironmental conditions might not be
under another. A given stressor might
be relatively benign by itself but pose
a far greater threat when it is a com-
ponent of multiple stressors.
Commonly, the published limits
of tolerance for many of these fac-
tors, usually based on controlled lab
studies, are levels that are stressful.
Determining lethal dosages that kill
50 % of a population establishes
LD50s but does not establish the
levels at which there is no impact.
Healthy animals are usually much
more refractory, but in animals that
are carrying a pathogen such as the
etiologic agent responsible for White
Spot Disease (WSSV) or any other
number of pathogens, even small
amounts of stress can pose a serious
problem. There are many published
observations as to what levels of
specific water chemistry parameters
are problematic. Most of these stud-
ies are laboratory based and do not
reflect the complexity of the pond
environment. This is further compli-
cated by the fact that there are differ-
ences between species, age suscepti-
bility and stock history.
54 »
The tools for the improvement of
genetics have evolved rapidly over the
last few decades and many tools are in
common usage that allow for acceler-
ated genetic improvement compared
with the older traditional selection ap-
proaches such as selecting survivors
of disease outbreaks, larger animals,
faster growing animals, etc. Adding
genes to an animal is considered a ge-
netic modification and is not likely to
be readily acceptable for the produc-
tion of farmed shrimp, although for
farmed salmon, Aquabounty Tech-
nologies has pierced this barrier with
the introduction of genes that impact
the growth rate of farmed Atlantic
salmon and the commercialization
of these faster growing fish. This has
been a many decades process and still
runs the risk of adverse public reac-
tion to the concept of GMO (even
though for some widely consumed
plants this is the norm). Entire ge-
netic sequences can be sequenced
relatively quickly and through the
use of SNP (single nucleotide poly-
morphism) chips, a large number of
genes can be screened to determine
what genes may be responsible for
certain traits, such as increased stress
tolerance. CRISP R (a bacterial anti-
viral defense mechanism) can modify
individual genes to enhance or re-
duce functionality. Together, these
tools offer a great deal of promise to
generate strains that are tolerant or
even resistant to pathogens (defined
here as not being able to be infected
by any dose under any conditions of
culture) and that are less impacted by
stressors. There is however complex
legal and ethical issues that need to be
resolved which are beyond the scope
of this article to discuss.
As a professional with more than
45 years of experience in aquatic ani-
mal health issues, I advocate proac-
tive management of animal health as
contrasted with reactive management.
Prevention is often easier than trying
to stop a problem in animals that can-
not be seen. Antibiotics, while highly
effective when used correctly, are
widely abused in aquaculture despite
strong pressures not to do so. Igno-
rance is common and desperate farm-
ers will do anything they can to save a
crop that they cannot afford to lose.
Unfortunately, there are many all too
willing to take advantage of this.
Can we expect that in the years to
come, these tools will generate lines
of animals that are better suited for
the current production paradigms?
Evidence to date strongly suggests
that for consistent high survivals rates
with animals realizing their genetic
growth potential, at least three con-
ditions must be met. The PLs must
be free of all known obligate patho-
gens from the onset. This includes
those that OIE (renamed WOAH
-the world organization for animal
health) dictates are of importance
and any number of more recently
discovered or historically imported
pathogens that are not included in
their must screen for list. This patho-
gen free status must be established
via repeat screening, quarantine (one
way-animals only out), histopathol-
ogy and histories. Note that this is
for obligate pathogens for the most
part. Producing animals that are free
of opportunistic bacteria is not the
idea. Secondly, they must have diets
that contain the micro and macro nu-
trients that are needed to nourish ani-
mals that are growing rapidly (some
lines can grow 4 to 7 grams a week).
Thirdly, stressors that weaken the
animals must be kept to a minimum.
Nutrition can impact this to some
extent, but in general, the nature of
the production environment plays a
critical role.
Genetic programs can produce
animals with a wide variety of traits
that increase the chances of fast
growing, disease tolerant and even
disease resistant stocks that can also
tolerate stresses to some degree.
However, shrimp farming is not
there yet, and farmers need to un-
derstand that they must proactively
manage their production systems
to maximize the ability of current
OCT - NOV 2023
stocks to achieve their potential. It
is not likely that genetic programs
will produce an animal that can be
abused, fed a poor diet, be exposed
to many obligate and opportunistic
pathogens, and yet remain refrac-
tory to these and to the impact of
any number of stressors. This being
said, shrimp have been around in
their current form for tens of mil-
lions of years. This makes them very
successful evolutionary system and
there is always the possibility that
there is enough genetic variability
within them that there could be some
strains that are much better suited to
the rigors of current shrimp farming
paradigms. Nonetheless in the near
OCT - NOV 2023
future, shrimp farmers must evolve,
to be able to benefit maximally from
the diverse genetic programs and ap-
proaches to production. They should
not count on genetics to solve those
problems that are inherent in the
manner in which they are farming or
any magic bullets that are being sold
as solutions. The marketplace is dy-
namic and the supply and demand
market forces that ensure that low-
cost producers will continue to gain
market share should force greater ef-
ficiency and lower costs of produc-
tion if the industry is to continue to
see increases in production to meet
increased demand.
Stephen G. Newman has a bachelor’s degree from
the University of Maryland in Conservation and
Resource Management (ecology) and a Ph.D. from
the University of Miami, in Marine Microbiology.
He has over 40 years of experience working within
a range of topics and approaches on aquaculture
such as water quality, animal health, biosecurity with
special focus on shrimp and salmonids. He founded
Aquaintech in 1996 and continues to be CEO of this
company to the present day. It is heavily focused on
providing consulting services around the world on
microbial technologies and biosecurity issues.
sgnewm@aqua-in-tech.com
www.aqua-in-tech.com
www.bioremediationaquaculture.com
www.sustainablegreenaquaculture.com
» 55
 THE FISHMONGER

DATA, AI & SEAFOOD RETAIL

The Fishmonger was invited to a seminar recently by CI&T, an
information technology and software development company with
expertise in the automotive, hi-tech, financial, insurance, manufacturing,
media, retail, life sciences and healthcare industries. It was a learning
experience that is important to share with you all and just like all
industries, there is a “language” to understand!
By: The Fishmonger

T
he Fishmonger was in-
vited to a seminar recently
by CI&T, an information
technology and software
development company which started
in Brazil in 1995 and has now spread
its wings to the United States, Cana-
da, United Kingdom, Portugal, Chi-
na, Colombia, Japan, and Australia.
The company has expertise within
the automotive, hi-tech, financial, in-
surance, manufacturing, media, retail,
life sciences and healthcare indus-
tries. It was a learning experience that
is important to share with you all and
just like all industries, there is a “lan-
guage” to understand!
Most small operators are in sur-
vival mode and will find reasons why
they have taken their eyes off looking
too far into the future but the larger
organizations/supermarkets chains,
etc. have the staff and time to not
only investigate the future but also in-
vesting to increase their market share.
In the six months since ChatGPT
(AI model that uses deep learning to
generate human-like text based on
prompts) launched, the world has

56 » OCT - NOV 2023


woken up to the vast potential of AI.
The unparalleled pace of AI discov-
eries, model improvements and new
products on the market puts data
and AI strategy at the top of con-
versations across every organization
around the world. There is a strong
belief that AI will usher in the next
generation of product and software
innovation, and you are already see-
ing this play out in many industries.
The strong word is that the next
generation of winning companies and
executives will be those who under-
stand and leverage AI. In a report that
was tabled at the seminar, they exam-
ined patterns and trends in data and
AI adoption across more than 9,000
global actors. By unifying business
intelligence (BI) and AI applications
across companies’ entire data estates,
organizations like CI&T can provide
a unique vantage point into the state
of data and AI, including which prod-
ucts and technologies are the fastest
growing, the types of data science and
machine learning (DS/ML) applica-
tions being developed and more.
Across all industries, compa-
nies leverage data science and ma-
chine learning (DS/ML) to acceler-
ate growth, improve predictability
and enhance customer experiences.
Recent advancements in large lan-
guage models (LLMs) are propelling
companies to rethink AI within their
own data strategies. What crossed the
Fishmongers minds was ‘how will
small fish retailers compete?’
For those that think business will
remain the same for ever and ever
OCT - NOV 2023
perhaps this article is not for you –
look away now!
As Brad Ryan, the Analytics and
Machine Learning Partner Develop-
ment Lead at Amazon Web Services,
highlighted during his presentation
“Your Data is Your Differentiator”.
The sad point is that smaller com-
panies are unlikely to be saving and
storing their data, not appreciating
its value, so let us hope this will be a
“light bulb” moment.
According to Brad “Innovation
can transform industries and gen-
erative AI is the key” highlighting
that McKinsey has forecast that AI
can add 2.6-4.4 trillion to the global
economy. The key is data, and label-
ling data is essential.
“Machine learning has been
around 70/80 years with simple in-
puts and simple outputs and we then
moved into the Deep Learning stage
(complex inputs - simple outputs)
and this has now turned into Founda-
tion Models (complex inputs - com-
plex outputs). Whether it is enhanc-
ing Customer experiences; boosting
employee productivity & creativity
or optimizing business processes the
opportunities abound. The indus-
tries which are currently engaging are
healthcare & life sciences; industrial
& manufacturing; financial services
and retail,” said Brad Ryan.
We also learned that there is not
going to be one model and that there
is always going to be new better
models coming onto the market, so
newcomers should choose smaller/
cheaper models, understanding that
The sad point is that
smaller companies are
unlikely to be saving and
storing their data.
they will be superseded as the market
expands.
Anyone that watches Fox sports
will get an understanding of how the
data is used in real-time statistics for
commentators and, the advantage is
that as you join the program, it gives
you a short catch up. This is not the
commentators having an enormous
depth of knowledge, but the AI
working with the data.
When it comes to retail, we heard
from Rosanna Iacono, CEO and
Founder of The Growth Activists
and The Future Laboratory who gave
some fascinating insights into actions
already taking place.
“People worldwide, especially
since COVID-19 lockdowns, are
adapting to rising prices, reassess-
ing their consumption habits, and
seeking more cost-effective options.
In this context, the Inflation Cook-
book, a Canadian initiative, emerges
as a valuable resource, empowering
consumers to save money through
data-driven, budget-friendly meal
planning.”
The Yellow Sticker Cookbook, a
British app that helps shoppers find
recipes for foods they have found
marked down in their local super-
market. Now, a food delivery service
has launched Canada’s first Infla-
tion Cookbook which takes that to a
different level as it uses AI to track
grocery prices and serve up cost-con-
scious recipes.
SkipTheDishes is an online food
delivery and pickup app, part of Just
Eat Takeaway.com, a leading global
» 57
 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
online food delivery marketplace.
The app connects millions of cus-
tomers with over 30,000 restaurant
partners in Canada.
They saw a challenge in that food
insecurity is reaching record high rates
across Canada. Many people have
slowed down their visits to restau-
rants and home delivery of fast food
and fuelled by rising food prices, food
bank use rose to its highest level in
2022 according to Food Banks Can-
ada. Typically, when times get tough,
Canadians tend to reach for lower
priced packaged foods, ones that are
likely to be more processed and less
healthy. Because of this, a major chal-
lenge facing Canadians (or anyone)
today is how to afford healthy food
when it feels increasingly out of reach.
SkipTheDishes worked with
Dentsu Creative Canada with the
aim to help people source affordable,
nutritious food and maximize their
grocery budgets. They came up with
this solution, an inflation fighting
tool, you might say, and it is called the
Inflation Cookbook which is a gro-
cery shopping tool that predicts the
biggest price drops of the week and
generates chef-inspired, and nutri-
tionist vetted recipes based on those
ingredients – turning real-time price
volatility into healthy and delicious
real-time savings.
58 »
Tracking prices of 400+ ingredi-
ents across major retailers in 80 loca-
tions, Inflation Cookbook’s adaptable
platform is designed for seamless ex-
pansion. Its data-driven nature means
it can easily accommodate inputs
from different regions and markets
beyond Canada, making it a versatile
solution for budget-conscious con-
sumers globally.
On the platform, users first select
their province, household size and
weekly grocery budget. Then, based
on real-time price data, the cookbook
app highlights ten items with signifi-
cant price reductions, say a 20% drop
for cheddar cheese or 13% for russet
potatoes, as an example.
Next, the Inflation Cookbook dis-
plays seven recipes that incorporate
those ingredients to make meal plan-
ning accessible and convenient. The
recipes are generated with the help of
AI and curated by human chefs and
nutritionists.
Powered by real-time pricing
data, to help Canadians eat healthy
for less, the Inflation Cookbook re-
flects the values of food delivery app
SkipExpressLane by championing
healthy, well-priced fresh groceries
while also promoting their partner-
ship with Food Banks Canada. You
can see more at www.inflationcook-
book.com.
The strong word is that
the next generation of
winning companies and
executives will be those
who understand and
leverage AI.
The results have been quite stag-
gering:
99 28,600 weekly users.
99 US$ 21.8 M in total savings for
Canadian families projected by
December 2023.
99 400 million media impressions.
99 355+ pieces of press coverage.
You can see how this will drive
more business for large supermarket
chains but, equally, you can see how
this will impact smaller retailers who
are not engaged in the platform.
Rosanna said “As we move
through 2023 and beyond, customer
expectations around value will con-
tinue to evolve, with long-lasting im-
plications for businesses. To stay rele-
vant and foster loyalty, brands should
consider integrating ‘savings by de-
sign’ into their overall strategies.”
The Fishmonger has decided, sub-
ject to good health, that this might be
a good time to get back on the con-
tinual lifelong learning journey and,
as such, has enrolled to do an MBA.
The world is constantly changing and
if you are not considering how to
keep up then it might just pass you
by and it’s better to be ‘dying to live’
than ‘living to die’!
References and sources consulted by the author on the
elaboration of this article are available under previous
request to our editorial staff.
OCT - NOV 2023
 ARTICLE
The Center for Aquaculture
Technologies Canada and Prelude
partner to set new benchmark in
aquaculture sector
By: The Center for Aquaculture
Technologies Canada*
T
his collaboration integrates
Prelude’s state-of-the-art
software solutions into the
CATC’s service offerings,
underscoring a shared dedication to
pioneering developments in the field
of aquaculture.
CATC has a strong reputation for
its exceptional clinical research and
laboratory services in the Aquaculture
Industry, offering bespoke solutions
to the various industries they work
in worldwide. With a commitment to
excellence over the last 10 years, they
have successfully managed clinical tri-
als, ensuring the delivery of high-quali-
ty data and timely results.
“Our alliance with Prelude marks a
pivotal expansion of our capabilities,”
said Dr. Fabio Zanuzzo, Manager of
Aquatic Animal Health at The Center
for Aquaculture Technologies. “We are
not just embracing technological inno-
vation; we are actively deploying it to
set new benchmarks in the aquaculture
sector. Our clients stand to gain im-
mensely from the heightened efficiency
and precision that these advanced tools
bring to our already robust research
methodologies.”
Prelude is a leader in animal health
focused electronic data capture (EDC)
systems designed to optimize and
streamline clinical research processes.
This partnership represents a signifi-
OCT - NOV 2023
[The Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CATC), a leader in
aquaculture clinical research, is proud to announce a significant step
forward in its mission to deliver exceptional value and drive industry
advancement through a strategic partnership with Prelude.
cant step towards providing a compre-
hensive suite of services that encom-
pass both clinical research expertise
and cutting-edge software solutions.
This technology is expected to offer a
competitive edge to CATC’s clientele
by enhancing data accuracy, expediting
timelines, and facilitating smarter, more
informed decision-making.
Both organizations share a commit-
ment to innovation, quality, and client
satisfaction. By joining forces, they are
looking forward to providing a more
holistic and robust approach to clinical
research and data management. As the
Center for Aquaculture Technologies
continues to pioneer new frontiers in class industry expertise and experience.
research and technology, this part- CATC holds a variety of certifications
nership with Prelude is a testament to including, GLP, GMP, ACQ3 & ACQ2,
their unwavering commitment to ex- integrating our customized service of-
cellence and the continuous improve- fering with the highest quality of work.
ment of industry standards.
About Prelude
About The Center for Aquaculture Prelude is a life science software com-
Technologies Canada pany looking to raise the bar on the
The Center for Aquaculture Tech- research experience, thus making the
nologies Canada (CATC) is a contract world safer and healthier by accelerat-
research organization specializing in ing new product development of life-
Aquaculture research and trials. CATC saving medicine and devices.
offers bespoke bench top and in-tank Founded in 2003, Prelude’s founders
trials and challenges for a variety of created a new type of electronic data
species at both our Souris & Victoria, capture (EDC) system – that is, with the
PEI locations, presenting our clients end-user in mind while still being able to
with custom made solutions to the withstand the most extreme scrutiny for
challenges they are facing with best-in- data, accuracy, and speed.
» 59
Upcoming
aquaculture events
NOVEMBER 2023 DECEMBER 2023 JULY 2024
AQUACULTURE TAIWAN EXPO & FORUM ALGAEUROPE 2023 ASIAN-PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2024
Nov. 1-3, 2023 Dec. 12-15, 2023 July 2-5, 2024
Taipei, Taiwan Prague, Czech Republic Surabaya, Indonesia
T: +886 2 2738 3898 T: +31 85 401 73 97 T: (+1) 760 751 5005
E: aat-tw@ubm.com E: info@dlg-benelux.com Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003
W: https://www.cantonfair.net/event/1683-aquaculture-taiwan- W: https://algaeurope.org/ E: worldaqua@was.org
expo-forum W: www.was.org
FEBRUARY 2024
BUSAN INTERNATIONAL SEAFOOD AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2024 AUGUST 2024
AND FISHERIES EXPO (BIFE) Feb. 18-21, 2024 BLUE FOOD/GREEN SOLUTIONS AQUA 2024
Nov. 1-3, 2023 San Antonio, Texas, USA Aug. 26-30, 2024
Busan, Korea T: (+1) 760 751 5005 Copenhagen, Denmark
T: +82-51-740-7518,7519 Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003 T: (+1) 760 751 5005
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W: www.was.org
AQUAEX INDIA MARCH 2024
Noviembre 2-4, 2023 AQUASUR. FOR A BLUE TRANSFORMATION SEPTEMBER 2024
Bhimavaram, AP, Bharat (India) March 19-21, 2024 LATIN AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN AQUACULTURE 2024
T: +91 98480 33333 Puerto Montt, Chile Sept. 24-27, 2024
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W: www.aqua-sur.cl Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003
AFRAQ AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2023 E: worldaqua@was.org
Nov. 13-16, 2023 MAY 2024 W: www.was.org
Lusaka, Zambia XXI INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON FISH
T: (+1) 760 751 5005 NUTRITION AND FEEDING. BLUE AND GREEN NOVEMBER 2024
Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003 AQUAFEEDS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2024
E: worldaqua@was.org FOR A SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE Nov. 20-23, 2024
W: www.was.org May 27-31, 2024 Hammamet, Tunisia
Puerto Vallarta, México T: (+1) 760 751 5005
CONACUA ´23 T: +52 (55) 1090 2474 Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003
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ANTIBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS AND FEED ADDITIVES LATIN AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN
Subscriptions: iwantasubscription@dpinternationalinc.com
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SÓMA..........................................................................................13 2024......................................................................INSIDE COVER crm@dpinternationalinc.com | Cell: +521 33 1466 0392
24, Hanbul-ro 69 Beon-gil, Eumseong-eup, Eumseong-gun, Sept. 24-27, 2024
Chungcheongbuk-do 27698, Korea Sales Support Expert
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T: 043-878-0591 E: worldaqua@was.org
www.ssoma.co.kr W: www.was.org
XXI INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON FISH NUTRITION
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS AND FEEDING. BLUE AND GREEN AQUAFEEDS:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE
AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2024���������������������������������� INSIDE COVER AQUACULTURE............................................................................1 PANORAMA ACUÍCOLA MAGAZINE
Nov. 20-23, 2024 May 27-31, 2024 Empresarios No. #135 Int. Piso 7 Oficina 723
Hammamet, Tunisia Puerto Vallarta, México Col. Puerta de Hierro, C.P.45116 Zapopan, Jal. México
T: (+1) 760 751 5005 T: +52 (55) 1090 2474 Office: +52 (33) 8000 0578
Fax: (+1) 760 751 5003 E: isfnf2024secretariat@gmail.com, isfnf2024sponsor@gmail.com
E: worldaqua@was.org Contact 1: Subscriptions
W: http://isfnf2024.com/
W: www.was.org E-mail: suscripciones@panoramaacuicola.com
ASIAN-PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2024....................... INSIDE COVER TANKS AND NETWORKING FOR AQUACULTURE Office: +52 (33) 8000 0629 y (33) 8000 0653
July 2-5, 2024 Contact 2: Sales & Marketing Coordinator.
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T: (+1) 760 751 5005 9209 Almeda Genoa Road Z.C. 7075, Houston, Texas, USA. Contact 3: Sales Support Expert
E: worldaqua@was.org Contact: Gina Quevedo/Mark Young/ Jeff Garza.
T: Toll Free 1 (800) 231-6074 E-mail: sse@dpinternationalinc.com
W: www.was.org
T: Local (713) 507-4250 www.panoramaacuicola.com
E-mail: gquevedo@reefindustries.com /
jgarza@reefindustries.com / myoung@reefindustries.com
www.reefindustries.com
60 » OCT - NOV 2023