RAS AQUACULTURE, TOWARDS ZERO WASTE

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Zero Waste is a global movement that aims to stop generating waste or reduce it as much as possible. But beyond a social movement, it is also a concern and one of the main objectives of organizations like the FAO. FAO is particularly sensitive to food loss and waste. Food losses are defined as “the decrease in the quantity or quality of food”. Agricultural or fishery products intended for human consumption that are not ultimately consumed or that lose quality, nutritional value, economic value, or food safety. At Dibaq and Grupo Tejedor Lázaro (GTL) we are also committed to reducing waste and we believe that RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems) aquaculture farms can contribute to meeting the objective.

The implementation of RAS aquaculture systems facilitates the rationalization of aquaculture production making it more easily manageable and predictable, so that the product can be delivered to the market based on demand. In this way, massive productions dependent on weather conditions that saturate the market with overproduction that cannot always be absorbed by consumers and may end up wasted, are avoided.

When studying and designing the production farms, a holistic vision is used, which includes the location of the facilities, assessing the distance from suppliers and the market to minimize the CO2 footprint derived from transport. Regarding the design, it should be noted that the RAS farms designed by Derwent Engineering (also part of GTL) are projected from the point of view of sustainability and the circular economy since we managed to minimize the use of water due to the filtering (mechanical, biological and UV) that allow us to reuse up to 95% of water and with a subsequent treatment of effluents. The water consumption of the closed circuit only occurs by evaporation, and this is the only quantity that must be replaced in the process. At Dibaq we have diets specially formulated for RAS systems that facilitate the maintenance of the system in perfect condition due to its high assimilation by the fish and less degradation in the water, reducing waste.

The aquaculture sector is presented as one of those exceptional cases in which sustainability is directly linked to greater economic profitability. Since, even if a producer does not care about the environment, the main cost is the feed, and for carnivorous species, specifically, ingredients such as oil or fishmeal and, currently, the industry is really interested in reducing their use in aquaculture feed. At Dibaq we have specially formulated diets for RAS systems that reduce this waste generation, at the same time, the aquaculture feed industry is constantly researching to incorporate by-products from other primary industries in their formulations to help reduce waste.

Therefore, minimizing the release of nutrients into the environment is not only a necessity, but a common good practice associated with RAS systems and aquaculture in general. In addition to this, RAS systems allow efficient treatment of effluents and waste, reducing the impact of the activity on the environment.

DIBAQ AQUACULTURE RECEIVES THE VISIT OF A GROUP OF ESTONIAN ENTREPRENEURS

Last month, Dibaq Aquaculture received the visit of an Estonian delegation made up of farmers, specialists, scientists and researchers from the world of aquaculture. In total, a group of 15 people who were able to learn, enjoy and contact our facilities to make an ambitious aquaculture growth plan a reality in their country, where Dibaq Aquaculture intends to play a privileged role both in the marketing of food and in consultancy and advice to Estonian entrepreneurs.

ACUACULTURE IN THE AESAN

Global aquaculture production of farmed aquatic animals has been dominated by Asia, with a 89% of the production in the last two decades. Dibaq Aquaculture has set as one of its main objectives the ASEAN area (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which is responsible for 25% of world production with a total of approximately 30 million tons.

In the ASEAN area, Indonesia is the main producer with 50% of the production of Southeast Asia, with the largest cultivation in sea waters in the region and having shrimp as the most important. The following countries that stand out in production are Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand.
The main species grown in the region are shrimp, followed by freshwater species such as tilapia, carp and catfish. Although it is true that in recent years high-value crops such as Barramundi (Lates calcalifer) or Asian sea bass and Grouper are being developed, for which Dibaq Aquaculture develops specific formulas.

Currently, the industry in the ASEAN zone confronts important challenges related to the nutritional quality of feed for aquaculture and the digestive health of animals in which Dibaq Aquaculture is constantly working on developing new formulations and investigating the possible inclusion of new ingredients to improve digestibility. and intestinal health, maximizing the efficiency of animal growth and maintaining competitiveness in the market.

In the medium term, growth in the sector is expected, driven by changes in consumer preferences and the demand for increasingly sustainable products. According to the FAO Asia will continue to dominate the aquaculture sector and will be responsible for more than 89% of the increase in production in 2030 and it is expected that most of the fish exports will originate in Asia, which will account for approximately 73 % of additional volumes exported in 2030.


Sources: ICEX, Veterinaria Digital, FAO, IPAC.