Professor Simon Davies
Creoso - welcome
I
am now entering my 30th year in academia and quite a milestone to say the least. With many Masters and PhD completions completed in Plymouth, perhaps it is indeed a time of reflection and a chance to build on new opportunities and challenges that may present themselves in the future. When many may consider retirement, I trust that I will get a chance to forge new avenues for the development of aquaculture and, in particular, the aquafeed industry and the nutritional sciences that are so important for the prospect of a sustainable and affordable basis for fish production, welfare and health of stock. As a consequence, I have just recently taken up a new appointment at Harper Adams University in West Central England to spearhead a new initiative to create a new English Aquaculture Centre for teaching and research. I will keep you all posted, but it’s going to be a busy time again before I take up angling for good! I have seen so many changes in the fish farming industry over the last three decades and a major shift in the type of supporting research and technologies being applied, many have made vast differences to the efficiency and performance of fish and shrimp with significant improvements in survival throughout the various stages of production. There have been
great strides in the formulation of more refined diets based on better data obtained from comprehensive digestibility trials for more precise diet balance with protein, amino acids and energy availability characterised for numerous feed ingredients for different species of fish. Also more attention has been given to the incorporation of alternative feed ingredients that continues to contribute greatly to feeds with a vast array of commodities and materials at our disposal on a global basis. There is a constant stream of scientific research evaluating all manner of natural proteins, energy rich nutrients derived from traditional sources or from novel ingredients and especially micro-organisms like algae, yeasts and bacteria that are now becoming topical areas for consideration in a variety of aquafeeds. This has also been associated with a plethora of interest in their functional properties and potential health benefits in aquaculture. Although there is excellent research evidence for corroborating the efficacy of many of these feed additives and supplements in a variety of species of fish, we must always caution against great claims of ‘wonder effects’ without proper scientific scrutiny. Hence, the role of the expert reviewer in peer-reviewed journals that provide the academic rigour to underpinning research in fish nutrition. Another area of progress in the last 10 years has been the use of new containment systems for fish based on advances in aquaculture engineering with the wider use of closed recirculation systems. These new concepts pose more challenges for generating superior diets for fish to minimise their impact on water quality whilst presenting the correct nutritional balance for fish growth and production as well as promoting fish quality and good marketability of the product in terms of taste and texture. Similarly, the construction of deep-water offshore platforms for submersible sea cages for marine fish cultivation has advanced. These systems will require a rethinking of the feed strategies and feed quality issues for specific marine fish species in such locations ranging from temperate to tropical climates. I expect great strides in the future expansion of mariculture using such technologies and we must address the needs of the industry in this direction. One concern is the practicality of research directives at
Meet the Aquafeed team at upcoming international events
18-21 August 2015 AquaNor, Norway
20-23 October 2015 Aquaculture Europe 2015 The Netherlands, Stand number 1.6