Aquafeeds: Connecting the Land to the Sea

By Chris Stock, Global Director – Aquaculture Sales, Zeigler Bros., Inc.

When one thinks of rolling farm fields and the bounty of traditional U.S. agriculture, it may seem like a stretch to connect this with undulating ocean waves and seafood production through aquaculture. In reality, these seemly distant forms of farming are inextricably linked and there is a tremendous opportunity to build on this connection.

Rapidly expanding populations, shifting consumer preferences and an underlying need for healthier, more sustainable protein sources are key forces driving global expansion of aquaculture. By utilizing a range of traditionally grown crops like soy, wheat and corn, aquaculture feeds are the connection that bind terrestrial agriculture with the aquatic farms now playing a greater role in feeding the world.

Considering that feed accounts for over 50% of the operating costs of fish and shrimp farms, the aquaculture feed industry plays a significant role in food security. Aquatic feed manufacturer’s, like Zeigler, must be nimble when formulating aquaculture diets to balance fundamental requirements of optimizing animal health and production performance while maintaining a focus on sustainability and traceability. By prioritizing investment in R&D we can more effectively evolve feeds to accommodate new science and technologies which enhance the aquaculture industry.

Today, there are more ingredients available than ever before. This helps reduce dependency on marine origin ingredients like fishmeal and fish oil. Some ingredients like soybeans have long been used in formulations to feed more omnivorous aquatic species like catfish and tilapia. Emerging technologies are turning traditional ingredients like soy into new and more valuable inputs with the potential to expand their use and the range of aquatic species to which they can be fed.

These value-added processes for traditional ingredients have positive economic impacts through creation of new businesses and jobs. On a much larger scale, aquaculture has the potential to help revive working waterfronts and create a wide range of new employment opportunities while helping reduce the U.S.’s significant annual seafood deficit which currently stands at $16.8 billion.

Now more than ever, we must recognize how aquaculture has reshaped the global seafood supply chain and our own consumption habits. By reassessing our food security here at home, we can embrace what an expanded U.S. aquaculture industry can offer this country; a collaborative effort by farmers on land and at sea to produce healthy, sustainable food for our citizens.