The Development Of Novel Feeding Attractants For Sustainable Aquaculture

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road,Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, United Kingdom. Email: andy.moore@cefas.co.uk

Since 2001 the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) has been developing a range of novel feeding attractants to support the development of sustainable aquaculture. The attractants, which are nature identical chemosensory stimulants have been shown in a series of laboratory tank trials to increase feeding activity in a range of fish species.

The feeding attractants, which are in the form of a liquid-formulation are added to the water prior to the addition of the feed. The feeding attractants developed for European cod, (Gadus morhua) tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and a penaeid shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) have been tested under commercial conditions in hatcheries and production facilities in Norway, China and Thailand.

Initial data from the feeding trials indicate that the application of the feeding attractants resulted in a significant increase in growth of all three species. The results of the studies are also discussed in relation to the application of the feeding attractants for use with reduced fish protein based commercial feeds.

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