Aquaculture Around the Globe

Aquaculture Thrives in Many Regions

Feeding fish around the world is big business. So it makes sense for the soybean checkoff to support different activities to help give U.S. soy an edge as an alternative protein source in aquafeeds. Through the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff fund feeding demonstrations, feed-tech support and workshops all with the goal to increase the use of U.S. soy in feeding fish here at home and abroad.

China
Previously a top exporter of fish and seafood, China will soon be consuming almost all of the fish and seafood it produces and looking for more to import. According to USSEC, Chinese aquafeed production, which includes meal made from fish and meal made from soybeans, hit 33 million metric tons in 2010. That year, the Chinese aquaculture sector used 7.56 million metric tons or the equivalent of 393.69 million bushels soybean meal.

USSEC also predicts this industry to increase the use of aquafeeds by 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons each year for the next five years. To help make this opportunity for U.S. soybean farmers a reality, the soybean checkoff currently funds feeding trials of soy-based feeds and technologies that have been developed over the years through soybean checkoff funding, seminars to inform fish farmers about the benefits of using U.S. soybean meal in feed rations, and technical support to help fish farms determine the best soybean meal feed formulations and technology practices.

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia represents one area where China could supply their growing seafood demand because China’s population consumes more than they can produce. Because of this, the checkoff works with feed mills to make aquafeeds in order to ensure supply to seafood producers with soy-based feeds. The checkoff also helps train fish farmers on solving sustainability issues they have in their facilities. Currently these efforts take place in five countries in this region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. A more concentrated approach has begun in Vietnam as it moves up to the third-largest fish- and seafood-producing country worldwide.

Americas
Temperate waters and climate in Latin America, South America and the Caribbean have become key factors in the 20 percent annual growth that the aquaculture industry in this region has been experiencing. With 645,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of 30 million bushels already being used to produce aquafeeds, great potential exists to increase U.S. soy right here in the Americas.

Through USSEC, the soybean checkoff reaches out to aquafeed producers and fish farmers to assist them with including soy in feeding rations. The checkoff also funds feeding demonstrations and informational seminars throughout the region to show the benefits of feeding U.S. soy to fish.

South Korea
Environmentally friendly aquafeeds, such as those that include soy, receive a boost from government subsidies in South Korea. In 2010, South Korean fish farmers used 14,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of 654,000 bushels of soybean meal. But with 543,000 metric tons, or 19 million bushels, of aquafeeds used in 2010, there’s plenty of room for soybean meal use to increase. Checkoff-funded work in South Korea includes hosting workshops to support marketing sustainable fish and seafood and facilitating containerized shipments of soybean meal for use in the aquaculture sector.

Japan
Even though Japanese fish farmers tend to still believe that fishmeal serves as a better protein source in aquafeeds, checkoff-supported activities in Japan have increased the soy inclusion rate into aquafeeds to about 10 percent. Currently the checkoff funds soy-ration feeding demonstrations with one species. USSEC contractors predict that if this demonstration proves successful, the overall inclusion rate could double to 20 percent. The soybean checkoff plans to fund more feeding demonstrations for other species this year.

India
In India, USSEC continues its “reverse marketing strategy” within the aquaculture sector. This means the more soy used in India, the less India has to sell to buyers or potential buyers of U.S. soy. The country’s aquaculture sector, the second-largest globally, represents one more way India can use its own soy supply by feeding it to fish. So the checkoff helps to support activities that teach India’s fish farmers how to use soy in aquafeeds and how to expand their fish farms. In 2010, Indian fish farmers fed 228,000 metric tons, or 8 million bushels, of soy produced in India. That amounts to 8 million fewer bushels competing with U.S.

Turkey
Getting U.S. soy into Turkey continues to present a problem because of the country’s new system of biotech approvals; however, three new biotech events have been approved. This benefits the Turkish aquaculture sector since USSEC predicts demand for aquafeeds to increase to 700,000 metric tons, or 25 million bushels. And with the soybean meal inclusion rate reaching 35 percent, fish farmers could need more soy to feed to their fish. In fact, Turkish fish farmers currently feed 70,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of 3.2 million bushels, of soybean meal. The checkoff supports aquafeed technical support for Turkey’s fish farmers.