About 0.75 million tonnes of shrimp feed was produced during 2016, with roughly equal quantities of freshwater fish feed produced. Although shrimp farming is fully dependent on formulated feeds, freshwater finfish farming is still transitioning to use of pelleted feeds. High value coastal carnivorous fin fish continues to be produced via a combination of trash fish and formulated feeds. Fishmeal inclusion in shrimp feed formulations has fallen substantially. The availability of feed ingredients in India is discussed.
The rapid development of the Chinese aquaculture has stimulated the development of a significant feed industry. Fishmeal imports have remained relatively static as formulations have improved and due to substantial culture of filter-feeding species. Representative species have been selected for systematic nutritional studies to determine their requirements and the efficiency of feed ingredients. These studies are being used to develop a database on nutritional requirements and bioavailability of feed ingredients to aid efficient feed formulation design.
Cambodians are among the largest consumers of fish in the world with per capita consumption of 63 kg/person/year. At present 90% of production is from freshwater systems. Low value "trash" fish from both freshwater and marine resources are used as an important feed input to the sector. Both imported pellets and on-farm feeds are of mixed quality, storage protocols inadequate and feeding strategies often wasteful. There is much scope to improve the efficiency of feed use.
Aquaculture production in Bangladesh is growing rapidly, resulting in increasing demand for feeds. In response, the government has formulated the Fishfeed and Animal Feed Act, 2010 and Fishfeed Rules, 2011, to assure the quality of feed inputs. The legislation mandates licenses for the establishment and operation of feed factories, for import/export of feeds and ingredients, and for sale of feed. Minimum minimum standards for feeds have been established and officials are empowered to test feed samples for compliance.
The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional health issues including emerging disease threats. This report includes a review of regional disease status circa 2016, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals, identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources and regional and international cooperation.