16
New nature-inspired diet to help hatcheries wean faster and cleaner Eamonn O’Brien, Skretting
With many marine hatcheries actively seeking ways to improve the sustainability of their operations, Skretting’s new hatchery diet, GEMMA Neo, offers firstto-market ability to reduce the sector’s dependence on traditional feed ingredients, while also providing unprecedented production system performance and weaning flexibility. Applying the company’s latest aquafeed technology know-how and incorporating new sustainable raw materials rich in the essential long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, GEMMA Neo builds on the success of its predecessor, the industry-leading GEMMA Wean. The result is a unique diet that offers independence from some fishery-based raw materials alongside the ideal nutrient composition and physical characteristics for marine fish larvae. Not only does GEMMA Neo give Skretting much more flexibility in terms of formulation, but because the omega-3s fatty acids are contained within the cells of the raw materials and marine zooplankton, it does not leach into the production system as quickly or to the
Figure 1. 22-days old sea bream larvae with rotifers (up) and Gemma-Neo (down) clearly visible in the gut.
Hatchery Feed & Management Vol 9 Issue 4 2021
same degree as conventional fish oil-based larval diets. This cellular encapsulation also ensures feed particles remain intact for longer, which in turn facilitates maintenance and lessens the loads placed on systems. Hatchery tanks remain very clean, and because the diet degrades very slowly, there are almost no negative effects on water quality. Eamonn O’Brien, product manager of LifeStart at Skretting, explains, “GEMMA Neo is inspired by what happens in nature. In the wild, marine larvae will feed on a mix of different food sources with
Figure 2. Better free flowing characteristics with Gemma Neo (right) prevent obstruction in the hopper and deposits around the solenoid and plates of the feeder system.
