catfish
A
a more sustainable approach to feeding
Dr. Giovanni M. Cusimano, R&D&I Research Coordinator, AquaBioTech Group, Malta quaBioTech Group, a private Maltese aquaculture research, engineering and consultancy organisation, is a collaborator in a multi-partner Horizon 2020 project iFishIENCi. The project focuses on demonstrating the feasibility of new, sustainable feeds to support the growing interest in developing new production species, with higher growth and feed utilisation efficiencies. To determine the performance and feed utilisation of hybrid catfish (Clarias gariepinus ♀ x Heterobranchus longifilis ♂) fed a novel yeast additive made from cultured Candida utilis, a nineweek growth trial was conducted. Preliminary results of this trial indicate that C. utilis could represent a suitable replacement of plant-based ingredients in hybrid catfish diet.
Netherlands, and Hungary (who lead the European production with over 3000 tons/year). Although the use of the pure strain is widespread, the hybridisation process has drawn attention to improved production traits such as growth, feed utilisation, and disease resistance. In the interest of more efficient production systems, improved sustainability, and reduced adverse environmental impacts there needs to be a reduction in the dependency on traditional raw materials (fishmeal and soybean meal) in aquafeed. Extensive research on microbial products, particularly yeast, is showing immense potential as a sustainable protein source for food or feed (Jones et al., 2020; Øverland & Skrede, 2016). Yeast is able
A growing demand for catfish
The FAO (2022) has identified catfish as an important and expanding sub-sector for aquaculture with production growing exponentially over the past several years, reaching 7.6 percent of the global inland aquaculture production in 2020. Although taxonomists recognise >3,000 species of catfish, only some of these contribute to the global harvest. The genus Clarias has been widely introduced to many countries beyond its native range, including Brazil, Cuba, Bangladesh, China, Philippines, The 18 | April 2023 - International Aquafeed