Developing sustainable, cost-effective and high-performance shrimp feed formulations containing low fish meal levels

Abstract

Feed formulations for marine shrimp have adapted to the stagnant fish meal supplies and increasing prices by progressively moving to alternative protein sources such as plant and rendered animal by-products. This review presents the current challenges on the use of conventional and non-conventional feed sources, with a focus on solving the economical, sustainability and performance challenges of low-fish meal diets. As a case study, this review shows that krill meal can be included to address some of these concerns, such as missing essential nutrients, lower attractability/palatability and antinutritional factors that suppress feeding stimulus, reduce nutrient bioavailability and hence increase production costs. The combination of protein, nutrients and feed attractants of krill meal is useful to address the disadvantages of alternative feed ingredients which range from being poorer feeding effectors to having lower bioavailability of nutrients. It can therefore be used as a formulation tool to decrease the reliance on fish meal, which opens the way for alternative ingredients that improve the cost efficiency and sustainability of feeds