Use of soybean products in the aquaculture industry have become the focus of protein substitution in aquafeed for every fed species around the world. The high protein level and suitable amino acid complex of soybean meal, in particular, makes it a key ingredient for aquaculture feeds. Soybean meal is considerably less expensive and more consistent in quality than traditionally used marine animal meals.
The U.S. soybean industry recognized the need for research in fish nutrition, feed-based aquaculture production technologies, and soy product application in aquafeeds. Research began in China, the largest producer of aquaculture products, in 1992. Since that time, feeding trials to demonstrate the nutritional properties and economical advantages of using species specific soy-based rations have been conducted around the globe. Details of these feeding demonstrations, their results and their impact on soy use from inception of the program through the present can be reviewed at www.soyaqua.org.
Aquaculture production is largely centered in Asia with China producing over 70 percent of the world's aquaculture. Production methodologies, originally developed in China for the soybean industry, are now being used in other regions of the world to demonstrate the advantages of soy-based aquafeeds. These production technologies are:
80:20 Freshwater Pond Technology
Defined as the raising of fish crops in ponds where a single feed-taking high-value species of a single size group composes approximately 80 percent of a total fish harvest weight. In addition, one or more other "service", or non-feed-taking species, compose the other 20 percent. The technology is a modification of standard intensive pond monocultures used with various fish species throughout the world.
Low-Volume, High-Density (LVHD) Cage Technology
Defined as raising of fish at densities of 400-500 fish per cubic meter in cages of size 1-m³ to 4-m³, with optimum yields of 150-250 kg/m³. In contrast, traditional cage fish culture can be considered high-volume, low density, with cages of 50-100 m³ stocked in densities of 20-40 fish/m³ and yielding 20-25 kg/m³.
Ocean Cage Aquaculture Technology (OCAT)
Expanding on the low-volume, high-density technology, ocean cages with a truncated pyramid design were developed for off-shore marine fish. The ocean cages have a bottom area approximately 50-m² and a top area of 4-m². Depth of the cages is about 5-m with a volume of approximately 100-m³. The cages are designed to submerse as storm-driven wind and water current conditions increase to the point where resistance forces the cage underwater.
