July | August

Feature heading: Sustainability

Feature title: Sustainability - an enduring trend in aquaculture
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Sustainability Sustainability

by Heather Lenz, Buhler, Uzwil
the sustainability of aquaculture, decrease
the need for chemicals and medicine and
maintain the health and optimal growth of
the fish population.
Obstacles to growth feed and residues of pesticides and veteri-
Aqua feed is a key example of how the
correct application of technology and good
management can decrease the negative
effect of pollution from aqua farming.
Wenger_PF_Ad_90x132mm
The use of unpelleted or poor
quality pelleted fish feed can lead to
inefficient fish growth and uneaten feed
material. Uneaten fish feed becomes
6/23/09 11:28 AM Page 1

A
quaculture will play a
critical role in supplying
the growing demand for
protein by populations
worldwide. According to the FAO
World Agriculture Toward 2015-30,
consumption of fish will increase 150
to 160 million tonnes, or 19-20kg per
person and aquaculture will be the
critical source of supply as ocean fish
stocks continue to be over fished and
mismanaged.
However, an obstacle stands in the path
of aquaculture’s future success.
Ineffective fish and crustacean farming
practices result in pollution of the local
environment and disease in the fish popula-
tions. Intensive fish farming currently takes
place in select countries worldwide and is
contributing to a backlash from non profit
organizations, governments and end consum-
ers concerned with aquaculture’s contribu-
tion to the destabilising and degradation of
local ecosystems.
Unsustainable fish
farming produces
waste water
filled with
fish feces,
fish
nary drugs.
Aquaculture also contributes to envi-
ronmental degradation of 50 percent
of mangrove forests, which serve as
natural coastal protectors from storms.
Aquaculture populations, who require
Extrusion
fresh water to grow, have been given
often-illegal antibiotics and pesticides by MADE IN HOLLAND Processing
fish farmers.
When residues from the antibiotics and Systems
pesticides are discovered in the fish, the
aquaculture industry cannot sell their prod-
ucts to foreign markets as import bans are
put in place to protect consumers.
Sustainable aquaculture is a trend that
will need to be embraced by the industry or
negative repercussions will follow.
Consumer consciousness worldwide is
already being raised to fear eating con-
taminated fish from fish farms. Activists and
governments could yet be pushed to limit
the expansion of the industry. Worse yet,
without protection of local ecosystems by AL30O
good aquaculture management, there
may not be enough clean water for fish High capacity extruders and expanders.
farming. This would inhibit expansion
of the industry and its ability to meet
the need of a growing population Superior Technology.
reliant on fish and crustaceans as a www.extruder.nl Unparalleled Service.
key source of protein.
Almex b.v., Verlengde Ooyerhoekseweg 29, 7207 BJ Zutphen SABETHA, KANSAS USA 785-284-2133
Sustainable aquaculture The Netherlands, tel. +31 (0)575 572666, fax +31 (0)575 572727 INFO@WENGER.COM WWW.WENGER.COM
Good management and the correct E-mail info@almex.nl, www.almex.nl USA BELGIUM TAIWAN BRASIL CHINA TURKEY
application of technology can increase

10 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | July-august 09 July-august 09 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 11

Sustainability
waste in the aquaculture system, pol- fat contents with a good water absorption
luting the water. rate and high water stability to sink slowly
Buhler supplies technology to the aqua feed in saline water.
industry to decrease the amount of uneaten Fish, such as sturgeons, yellow tail,
and sea bass
can be fed
sinking pellets.
Shrimp pellets
are fast sinking
and retain their
elastic structure
even after hours
in the water.
Steps to
sustainable
aqua feed
Buhler has
three critical
goals for its aqua
feed production
technology. The
technology must
enable aqua feed
millers to create
feed, maximize the feed conversion rate and a complete diet, which the animal can ingest
increase the health of the entire fish population and assimilate optimally, maintaining the
while lowering pollution of water outflow. animal’s health.
The ideal feed for each fish type can be Extrusion technology should maximise
produced via Buhler’s extrusion technology the conversion rate and the meat qual-
to maximise feed digestibility and conver- ity while minimizing the costs. Last of all,
sion rates while minimising water pollution. Buhler supports good management and
Micro pellets are very small, accurately cut the sustainability of the aqua feed with
and for feeding all species whether as float- technology that reduces the need for
ing or sinking. Floating feeds are pellets overfeeding.
with moderate protein and fat content
for feeding warm-water species such as Blending and mixing, grinding
tilapia and eels. Sinking feed The raw materials, which account
are pellets with for over 80 percent of the total
high protein and production cost, are formulated
12 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | July-august 09
ame
Ne w N li a ble
r e
- s ame s p a rt ne r !
b us in e s
and continuously optimised on the basis Two-stage drying and process steps
of commercial and nutritional criteria. The hot and steaming product very enable high per-
A fine grinding system reduces the raw rapidly releases the free surface moisture formance aqua feed
Superior
component blend to an average particle to the hot air stream. Once the surface has to be produced
size smaller than 250 microns. The blend been dried, the drying action is limited by by feed millers
is then conveyed pneumatically to the the diffusion rate inside the product, and worldwide.
performance
control sifter. the air stream can be reduced. But this is just
Such a multi-stage drying process con- one step towards
Control sifting sists of a hot air conveying system and the future sustain-
A sifter especially suitable for processing
finely ground, fatty fish feed formulations is
a fluid-bed dryer, followed by a belt or
counter current dryer.
ability of aquac-
ulture. There is
Conditioning up to 95°C
required to eliminate insoluble substances
such as bones, scales, sand, and fibres, which
This process allows very fast, gentle, and a rising need for and cost-effective pelleting
nondeforming drying to the necessary final more awareness
might clog die holes smaller than 1.5 - moisture content of eight to 10 percent even and training of CM conditioner
2mm. Buhler recommends a mesh aperture of soft and sticky products. in-farm feed and
smaller than about 70 percent of the die
water management
hole diameter. Coating/cooling strategies for fish
Usually, the dried extrudates are coated farms in developing
Extrusion process while still warm directly after the dryer. countries.
The extrusion process is essentially a During this stage, it is possible to add
cooking process during which the starch- Leading feed
fats, flavorings, attractants, colors, and even
containing components are decomposed millers, academics
powdered ingredients.
and the proteins are denatured. and other members
Depending on the temperature and the
Together with the other ingredients, a specific surface area of the extrudates, up of the aquaculture
hydrophil yet water stable matrix is created. to 12 percent liquids can be absorbed in the industry have an
The required heat is added mainly coating drum and the subsequent cooler. important and Feed Expander
in the form of direct steam in the For higher oil quantities up to 40 percent, continuing role to
preconditioner. In the extruder, the it is common practice to apply vacuum play in transferring
mass preheated to about 95°C is fur- coaters/mixers. research and good
ther heated by mechanical processing management prac-
so that temperatures of about 120 One-step in the value chain tices to developing
to 140°C are achieved. The patented In the production of aqua feed, it is countries to ensure
‘Density Control System’ allows the important to ensure the ideal formula- the advancement of
steam pressure of the hot dough mass tion and production. Buhler’s technology the entire industry.
to be controlled while the mass is still
inside the extruder. This enables the
sinking or floating characteristics to be Other related companies:
controlled across a wide range without Clextral, 1 Rue du Colonel Riez, Firminy, F-42700 FR, France
compromising on the cooking degree. Tel: +33 477 402484 / Fax: +33 477 403123
Email: clxsales@clextral.com / Website: www.clextral.com Pellet mill PM717
Shaping/cutting
The die hole geometry is crucial in the
process, as the hot product melt has to be Belt driven or gear driven The correct conditioning of
depressurised, shaped, and cut. Especially
small die holes up to 0.6mm require
an optimised number of
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VO L U M E 1 2 I S S U E 4 2 0 0 9
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Contact our
contains Marketingin-depth
including, team today to find out Anwhat we
enduring trend can do
in aquaculture
sion.The cutter speed can be varied to increase
features, news the book
reports, exposure of your company
Marine phospholipids provides conditioning at high
- A new generation of omega-3lipids
to change the length of the extruded pellets. Get your
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The benefits of
Since a considerable volume of moisture is next issue. oregano essential oil
www.andritz.com
Please click here to view the full for aquaculture production
evaporated at this point, hot air addition and Contact Caroline Wearn:
online version completely free or
European Focus:
High time to unlock the potential of
andritz-fb@andritz.com
a good aspiration are needed in order to Carolinew@aquafeed.co.uk or call: +44 1242 267706 EU aquaculture
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prevent condensation and agglomeration of website:
Microalgae:
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July-august 09 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 13