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Development of alternative protein sources to fish meal for trout feed
Project
Project code: 04OE020
Contract period: 15.08.2004
- 31.10.2005
Budget: 32,900 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Feed for the aquaculture of carnivorous species like salmon and trout contain up to 70% fishmeal coming from the targeted fishery for fishmeal. Feed for the organic aquaculture are made from sustainable fishmeal made out of trimmings. Regarding the positive development of the organic aquaculture it is realistic to expect a shortcut of this sustainable material in the near future.
Thus, the aim of this project was the analyses of the technical and economical feasibility of producing an insect-meal from developing stages of the fly Hermetia illucens as fishmeal-substitute. Hermetia illucens is abundant in warm areas all over the world including the Mediterranean and the southern parts of Switzerland. The research was done in a greenhouse from the company Katz-Biotech in Baruth, Eastern Germany. This company is producing useful insects for biological pest-control.
The first batch of fly-eggs came from the USA. The adult animals out of these eggs were used to establish a stable colony for substrate-screening and mass-rearing. The produced prae-puppae were converted to an insect-meal, which will be tested in a next step as a fishmeal-substitute for trout. A screening of various wastes coming from animal-keeping and farming were tested as possible substrates for the production of larvae. Chicken manure and compost from leaves proved to be the most suitable substrates. Analyses of the resulting insect-meal regarding the content of protein and fat confirmed figures found in the literature, to a big extend. The economic analyses of a possible future mass-production of the insect-meal gave a positive result taking into consideration a production of more than 1000 tons. Also the marketing of other products for example terrarium animals’ feed should be included to obtain a positive economical result.
Section overview
Subjects
- Freshwater fisheries
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
