Seeding a Future for Grains in Aquaculture Feeds

GRDC Cen tre fo r L eg u m es in Medi ter ra ne an A gr icu ltur e This Fisheries Occasional Publication is not a formal refereed scientific publication and the Department publish sections of these reports in scientific journals, however, each report is internally reviewed for quality control purposes. The indivdual papers within this volume may not be reproduced without the approval of the author(s) concerned. The occasional publication should be cited as Glencross, B.D. An electronic copy of this report will be available at the above website where parts may be shown in colour where this is thought to improve clarity. Disclaimer Despite all due care and diligence being given by the Department of Fisheries – Government of Western Australia in the preparation of this document, the Department of Fisheries makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, concerning the use of technology mentioned in this publication. Appendices Appendix 1 – Feeding plant protein meals to fish : A review of the nutritional and biological value of key legume and oilseed meals in aquaculture feeds .. Introduction The meal from rendered bait-fish, commonly referred to as fish meal, has long been a central ingredient in compounded aquaculture diets. As an ingredient it has several attributes favourable for use in aquaculture diets, such as high protein and energy levels, good processing characteristics for producing pellets and is highly palatable to virtually all aquaculture species. However, it is now generally regarded that the stocks of fish suitable for producing these meals are at maximum sustainable harvest capacity or in some cases in decline. Furthermore, the influence of El nino events on the fish stocks in the major bait-fish fisheries in the Eastern Pacific is such that unfavourable conditions can have major impacts on global supplies of this ingredient. The risk therefore, with being too dependent on fish meal, is clear and initiatives have been in progress since the 1980's to identify and evaluate alternative protein resources. However, not all protein resources are suitable for aquaculture feeds and distinct differences even exist between the different types of aquaculture feeds produced. The alternative options to using fish meals or other marine derived protein meals can generally be summated as those that are from either terrestrial animal meals or plant protein meals. Terrestrial animal meals are typified by moderate to high protein levels, low to moderate fat levels and …