Global aquaculture: Opportunities & Challenges / Potentials and limitations

Sadasivam (Sachi) KaushikEuropean Reserach Area (ERA) Chair « EcoAqua », ULPGC

Past Director of Research-INRA

Past-President, European Aquaculture Society (EAS)

International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) Blue Bioeconomy SessionMadrid, 14 -15 Nov 2017

Seafood production is the only food production sectorwhere wild harvest & farming complement / competewith each other

• Low Calorie / High Protein– Ideal amino acid Composition, High Biological Value– Free amino acid levels high– Soluble protein levels low

• Rich in w3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids– source of DHA, essential for human development and health

• Rich in micronutrients

• Potential contaminants – Anthropogenic : aquatic, feed

Importance of fish as food in human nutrition is well recognised

FAO, 2016

Aquaculture is increasing while fisheries is at best stable

Total seafood production volume is getting above that of beef, pork or poultry, taken individually, thanks to Aquaculture

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Poultry Pork Beef Fisheries Aquaculture Fisheries +Aquaculture

Million tons *

2010 2020

Kaushik, 2013, based on OCDE, 2012

Relative contributions from different sources to

protein & fat supply

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45

World Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania

Per capita protein supply (kg/yr)

Seafood

Animal

Plant

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50

60

World Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania

Per capita fat supply (kg/yr)

Seafood

Animal

Plant

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World Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania

Per capita protein supply (kg/yr)

Seafood Animal

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World Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania

Per capita fat supply (kg/yr)

Seafood Animal

Proteins from seafood

7 to 20 % of total animal protein

Fats from seafood

2-5 % of total animal fats

Proteins from seafood

4 to 8 % of total protein

Fats from seafood

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Bu

lga

ria

Hu

ng

ary

Ro

ma

nia

Cze

ch

Rep

ub

lic

Slo

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kia

Slo

ve

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Au

str

ia

Esto

nia

Ge

rma

ny

Gre

ec

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Ire

lan

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Latv

ia

Lu

xem

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urg

Un

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Be

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Cy

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Ma

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Fra

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Fin

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Lit

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Sp

ain

Po

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No

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Seafood Milk Eggs Meat Plant

Europe:

Contribution of seafood to Total protein supply

Aquaculture: Diverse farming systems

Extensive to Intensive Systems

Oysters, Ponds,

raceways,

Floating pens, Off-shore cages, Recirculatedsystems

Oysters & Mussels, relying on natural productivity

Aquaculture deals with a number of groups of Plants and Animals

Wild harvest : 7.4 million tonsCulture : 16.5 million tons

Plants : Seaweeds, macro- or micro-algae

Aquaculture deals with a number of groups of Plants and Animals

Wild harvest : < 1 million tonCulture : >29 million tons

Microalgae : 3 major species(2 from freshwater)

« Food, Feed, Fuel?? »

Freshwater fish: Ponds, Lakes, Rivers, Raceways…

Aquaculture deals with a number of groups of Plants and Animals

Wild harvest : 10.6 million tonsCulture : 44.1 million tons

Sea pen or cage culture

RecirculatedAquaculture Systems

Open waters

Marine fish farming : differences in species, scales, systems

Aquaculture deals with a number of groups of Plants and Animals

Wild harvest : 67.5 million tonsCulture : 7.8 million tons

Shrimp farming : differences in scales, systems

Aquaculture deals with a number of groups of Plants and Animals

Wild harvest : 6.6 million tonsCulture : 7.4 million tons

« Seafood » production (mio. Tons) Inland waters vs the Oceans

Inland Waters Marine & BrackishWaters

Total

Capture Fisheries

of which FinFish

11.4

10.6

82.8

67.5

93.7

78.0

Culture

of which FinFish

47.8

44.1

58.1

7.8

105.9

51.9

Total

of which FinFish

59.3

54.7

140.4

75.3

199.7

130.0

S. Kaushik, 2017, Based on data from FAO, 2017

Seafood : Inland waters contribute about 30%Finfish represents about 65%

Capture fisheries : Finfish from the oceans predominate, >70%Aquaculture: Finfish from freshwater, >40%

Food from our Oceans

Marine AquacultureMainly « Plants », then bivalvesFinfish farming in the seas is still very low

Based on data from FAO, 2017

BUT< 5 species represent 50% of volume produced< 25 species represent 90% of volume produced

Cyprinids > 60% of volume Majority of fish from low trophic levels

Traditional farming systems changing : intensification, emerging diseases, environmental concerns, reliance on feeds, emerging markets …

Cyprinidae61%Cichlidae

9%

Salmonidae6%

Pangasiidae4%

Chanidae2%

Clariidae2%

Ictaluridae1%

Others15%

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% d

e to

tal

Nbre d'espèces

Aquaculture deals with > 300 species

ASIA > 80%

Global fish supply: projections

S. Kaushik, 2016

Trends in fish nutrition/fish feeds

Growth aquaculture sector mainly in fed species

Source: FAO, 2016. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture .

Increasing aquaculture production leads to greater demand for aquafeed production

,0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

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60,000

70,000

1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

x 1000 tons

Global fed Prdn

Global feeds

Global production

Feed resources limited :

Reliance on fish meal and fish oil

derived from capture fisheries

Competition with other animal

productions

BUT, Aquaculture is Efficient

By 2050: if we need to produce 80 Mio tons more, we will need 2-3 Mio tons of more feeds per yearDigestible protein required : 0.5 to 1.2 Mio tons / yr

Fatty acids, micronutrients…

Feed resources limited : Reliance on fish meal and fish oil derivedfrom capture fisheriesCompetition with other animal productionsBUT, Aquaculture is Efficient

Under aquaculture, we can tailor flesh composition

• Amino acid profiles No• Free amino acids, amines Yes, transitory• Fat level Yes• Fatty acid profile Yes• Minerals, trace elements +/-• Vitamins +/-

• Reduction of contaminantsPOPs, heavy metals Yes

Reduced reliance on capture fishery derived feedstuffs (fish meal & fish oil) in fish feeds is a reality

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1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

% Fishmeal in the feed

Bream &

BassSalmon

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1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

% Fish oil in the feed

Bream &

BassSalmon

(Recalculated by Sachi Kaushik from Tacon & Metian, 2008, 2015; FAO, 2014)

Ytrestøyl et al. 2015. Aquaculture 448: 365-374.Sprague et al. 2016. Scientific Reports | 6:21892 |

DOI: 10.1038/srep21892

LC-PUFA levels in the fleshEvolution of salmon feeds over the past 25

years

Finishing feeds to tailor FA profiles:

there is science behind.

Practice ??

Reduction in PAHs….

Reduced reliance on capture fishery derived feedstuffs (fish meal & fish oil) in fish feeds is a realityNot without consequences, but solutions are there

Aquaculture is an efficient animal production sector

Feed / Gain ratio 1.2- 2.0

?

1.8 – 2.2 3.0 – 3.5 4.2 – 9.8

Protein retention, % 25 – 40 20 - 22 18 - 20 15

Edible yield,

kg per 100 kg feed

35-60* 20 - 22 17 - 20 4 - 10

Water use,

m3 / kg edible meat

1.5 ?? 4 6 15

Waite et al. 2014

But not all aquaculture systems perform

equally well

There is still much room for improvement

in terms of KPIs, resource use and

efficiency

Increase supply of « Food from the oceans »

Harvest :

More from the lower levels in the food chain, reduce discards, IUUs…

Mariculture:

Competition for resources, space, water… with other sectors

Integrate with land production systems

Increase Resource utilization efficiency

Reduce the trophic levels of farmed seafood: “Marine agronomy”Reduce its reliance on fish oil and fish meal derived from “forage” fisheries

Feeds from low trophic levels : plant-based, already well under way

Encourage Integrated Multi-trophic aquaculture systems

Risk management, Social responsibility ?

Organic aquaculture, Circular economy, Slow Food, “FISH MILES” ?…

Need for a Holistic “Ecosystem Approach”