© Onda
Onda, a Canadian aquatic contract research organisation, has announced the opening of a satellite location in Brazil to expand services to include work with whiteleg shrimp. Through this expansion, the company aims to address a suite of performance indicators crucial to sustainable shrimp farming, including hatch success, growth rate, feed efficiency, survival rate, and disease resistance.
As shrimp becomes an increasingly popular component of global seafood supply chains, Onda’s latest efforts underscore the sector’s potential to meet rising seafood demands while supporting sustainable practices.
"After many years of development and securing reliable supply, we are very excited to expand our services in health and nutrition to include shrimp, the largest category by production in aquaculture," shared Myrna Gillis, CEO of Onda, in a press release.
A focus on nutrition and growth
In this first phase of the new programme, Onda will conduct trials on shrimp nutrition, with a focus on optimising feed efficiency, digestibility, and palatability. These studies will examine a variety of feed formulations and ingredients, enabling clients to identify feed strategies that enhance shrimp growth while minimising environmental impact. The findings from these trials are expected to help producers reduce costs and increase survival rates, both essential for achieving profitability and sustainability in shrimp farming operations.
The trials represent an important move for the Canada-based company, as shrimp imports for research can be challenging due to logistical and regulatory barriers. However, by working with an external facility, Onda gains access to advanced infrastructure capable of supporting these complex trials. This partnership allows Onda to maintain the quality, customisation, and research rigor for which it is known while expanding into a new species and market segment.
Future plans for resilient shrimp
While nutrition and feed optimisation are the initial focus, Onda plans to expand its research scope to include health trials at the partner facility. These future studies will investigate disease resistance and biosecurity measures, both of which are essential in preventing the spread of pathogens and reducing dependency on antibiotics - a critical goal for sustainable aquaculture practices.
Through these health trials, Onda aims to help shrimp farmers develop stocks that are not only more resilient but also able to withstand the environmental and disease challenges commonly faced in intensive shrimp farming. With whiteleg shrimp representing the largest share of global aquaculture production, these health trials are expected to deliver valuable insights for producers worldwide.
