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Performance of European lobster Homarus gammarus larvae and postlarvae reared on dry feeds: insights into cannibalism, post molt death syndrome and sustainability James Hinchcliffe, Adam Powell, Linda Svanberg, University of Gothenburg In the EU, the production of crustaceans originates mainly from wild decapod fisheries such as lobsters, crabs and prawns. Landings of European lobster (Homarus gammarus) rarely exceed the average of ca. 5,000 tons per annum (FAO 2014). In contrast, live imports of American lobster (Homarus americanus) average ca. 13,000 tons annually, to make up for the shortage in supply of the native species (Swedish agency for Marine and Water management, 2016). With a high global demand that exceeds supply, in addition to concerns about conservation of native stocks, the culture of the European lobster is increasingly viewed as a method to increase production and assist conservation efforts (release and restocking of young juveniles for remediation). However, the cultivation of the European lobster currently operates at modest scales. With the precedent long set by the Penaeid shrimp industry, the testing, production and use of a dry formulated feed specifically designed for Homarus sp. could prove very beneficial for farming operations, with feeds that could be tailored to meet the different nutritional requirements of various life stages. Additionally, dry feeds have a consistent nutritional value, are easy to store, transport and handle and therefore permit easier and standardized hygiene and quality from feed practices. With the global challenge to
Hatcheryfeed Vol 7 Issue 4 2019
Juvenile European lobster produced at Swedish first pilot scale lobster hatchery, Kristineberg.
reduce fishmeal usage in aquaculture operations, there is a need to identify local alternative protein sources that can reduce the environmental footprint and increase the sustainability of farming operations. A current Swedish Project has created test quantities of feeds using raw ingredients - off-cuts from herring fisheries, flocculated protein from waste water in local shrimp fisheries and mussel meal produced from local farm discards - to investigate if this could yield further benefits in terms of growth and survival of European lobster juveniles. This article will summarize the main findings of the project and how this can optimize European lobster aquaculture in Europe.