The project team comprises representatives from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), the British Trout Association (BTA) and The Crown Estate.
Cefas’ Neil Auchterlonie, Programme Director in Food Security and Aquaculture, said: “This multipartner project is a very exciting initiative for aquaculture in England. There is potential for aquaculture to support UK government and regional aspirations relating to food security and regional economic development.”
David Bassett, BTA Chief Executive, also commented: “There is clear market demand, both at home and abroad, for top-quality farmed UK trout. It is exciting to try to increase production through a novel collaboration with regulatory authorities and local interests.
The US could also see an expansion of its aquaculture sector. Researchers from the University of Missouri believe shrimp could become the next major cash crop for the state.
“I can grow a crop of shrimp here every 120 days,” said David Brune, a professor of agricultural systems management at the University. “If I raise the equivalent of 25,000 pounds per acre of water and I can get $4 a pound, that is a $100,000 cash flow per acre of water every 120 days.”
Investigation into more sustainable fish feeds is continuing around the world as researchers in the Netherlands and the US have identified possible replacements for fish meal.
Researchers from the University of Rhode Island, US, discovered that the byproducts of scallops are a good protein replacement. Trials showed that scallop viscera hydrolysate (SVH) proved very efficient in terms of weight gain and feed consumption.
Not only did scallop material prove to be good for the fish, it also generates extra profit for fishermen, as it would usually be discarded.
In the Netherlands, marine biologist, Bob Laarhoven, of Wageningen University, has been investigating the use of blackworm as a fish feed. The cultured worm is fed a plant based diet, which could possibly include some food waste, thus making it a sustainable option.
