‘Aquafeed 3.0’: creating a more resilient aquaculture industry with a circular bioeconomy framework

As aquaculture continues to grow, so does the requirement for environmentally sustainable and cost-effective aquafeed. With an expected increase in aquafeed demand, it is important (now more than ever) investigate utilize new ingredients that do not deplete natural resources and, instead, may have positive impacts help control climate change. Aquaculture has become largest consumer of global fishmeal (FM) fish oil (FO) production, accounting 68% 89%, respectively (Hua et al. 2019). At same time, most modern are now predominantly composed terrestrial plant materials animal by-products [in this issue, you can find a fascinating article describing how evolved consequent call rethinking trophic levels policies (Cottrell 2021)]. This puts heavy reliance on agriculture products, which their own sustainability issues, such as freshwater use, deforestation, areal footprint, pesticide fertilizer irrigation polluting runoff. Furthermore, use crops directly compete with human food streams. Besides, many present certain nutritional challenges farmed aquatic species. Climate change exacerbate situation, hampering ability produce consistently, extreme increasingly unpredictable conditions, jeopardizing long-term marine products harvesting. The supply, cost, environmental social acceptability raw under threat. direct consequences aquafeed, snowball effect, economic viability, license operate significant. result, industry must develop innovative practices involve conservation, restoration and/or remediation. presents opportunities next-generation protein lipid sources will be resilient consistent, our changing seemingly unstable world. One opportunity production created through circular bioeconomy. encompasses renewable biological converting these waste streams into value-added food, feed, bio-based bioenergy. It all about valorization – keeping value biomass cascading. extensive organic from agriculture, forestry, fisheries, feed processing should integrated circular, bioeconomy strategy. also creates link very different industries, unique strength concept. allows greater diversification resilience, ultimate goal using achieve balance ecological conservation. Of course, demands innovations, technologies, knowledge-based processes applications, well cultural shift. Efforts towards climate- ecology-positive economy mean moving further away traditional wild-harvested FM FO agricultural crops, shifting produced potential result locally sourced ingredients, reduce transport-related greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions costs, fuel local economies, create jobs overall socially accepted sustainable. From infancy, evolution being mostly FO-based, primarily terrestrial-based, current could termed ‘Aquafeed 2.0’, occurred rapidly; essentially within last 20 years 2021). time conceive, plan 3.0’. We envisage Aquafeed 3.0 bioeconomy, improve aquaculture's by reducing its footprint terms water land CO2 conversion, GHG emissions, nutrient recycling wastewater based nutritionally superior closer diet carnivorous species currently used. There already several examples frameworks, insects, microbial single-celled organisms, seaweeds fishery by-products. Moreover, we like think others just waiting discovered. Single-celled microalgae, yeasts, bacteria fungal protists, media derived other industrial [For example, exciting comprehensive report promising microalga suitable large-scale Tetradesmus obliquus (from background taxonomical morphological information harvesting methods, biochemical composition applications), available (Oliveira Some organisms cultivated seawater non-arable land, land-based enclosed photobioreactor systems. They cellulosic sugars by-products, those resulting pulp paper industry. Others remediate wastewaters utilizing up 90% nitrate, sulphate phosphate convert them useful rich lipid, carbohydrate. organism (e.g. meals oils) superior, improvable, modifiable tailorable, profiles compared used mainly containing high essential n ? 3 LC-PUFA amino acids. Many studies evaluated dietary inclusion various proteins oils shown results (Tibbetts 2018). Similarly, cultured macroalgae (seaweeds) as, after appropriate biorefinery processes, novel or functional effects gut health improving innate immunity resistance stress pathogens (Thépot 2021) mitigate eutrophication [On topic, remarkable some critical kelp China, world's cultivation sector, available. Specifically, review describes sector suffering declining germplasm diversity, degradation agronomic traits, presence polluted environments, ocean conditions increasing anthropological interference, then concluding series proposed strategies tackle (Hu Another example insects meals, relatively good profile, feasibility commercial-scale conversion non-competition production. Successful insect meal partial total replacement been documented species, often improved performance status when replace soybean Insect consume less feedstocks grow come waste. such, provides perfect nutritious ingredients. Finally, innovations achieving better efficient circularity seafood recovering offer substantial promises high-value nutrients recovery. After processing, 50–70% deemed ‘inedible’, considered practical solution wild-caught FO. Currently, 20% supplied 10% However, projected rapidly represents enormous volume move paradigm where carbon lower environment equal profitability. approach allow revolution, hereto naming Using level analogy, described issue Cottrell (2021), say years, shifted far omnivorous. evolve scavengers, any healthy ecosystem, but missing system, aquaculture, face climate, constantly turbulent economies evolving dynamics expectations, all. hope articles Reviews scientific published Journals contribute evolution.