Securing the nutritional requirements of cultured fish, the technical quality of the feed optimal for the production system as well as defining right feeding strategies are key challenges that both fish farmers and aquafeed producers should face to ensure a sustainable production.

Key reasons to attend this course

Better understand the importance of the use of new ingredients and new formulations.
Acknowledge the main challenges in feed production.
Better use feeds, feeders and fish feeding monitoring.
Recognize the impact of customers’ preferences and the legal framework in feed production.
Design feeding trials to better adapt feeds and feeding to the farm conditions and production systems.
Network with professionals to exchange experiences on feed formulation and new feeding management technologies.

Lecturers

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Live sessions, practical work and discussions

13 Leading international experts

Course in English, with interpretation into Spanish and French

Programme

Timetable brochure in English brochure in French brochure in Spanish
  • Class 0 – Videos: welcome from the organizers, technological tools and programme presentation
  • 1. How to select the best feed for the farm (3 hours)
    • 1.1. Biological considerations and nutritional requirements (1 h)
      • 1.1.1. Species produced: background on nutritional requirements
      • 1.1.2. Production cycle
      • 1.1.3. Fish size
      • 1.1.4. Genetics and breeding programmes
      • 1.1.5. Final product for sale
    • 1.2. Production system (1 h)
      • 1.2.1. Cages or ponds
      • 1.2.2. RAS
      • 1.2.3. Density
      • 1.2.4. Initial and final fish weight
    • 1.3. Environmental conditions (1 h)
      • 1.3.1. Water temperature
      • 1.3.2. Oxygen availability
      • 1.3.3. Water supply
      • 1.3.4. Natural food availability
      • 1.3.5. Water current
      • 1.3.6. Light
  • 2. How to evaluate a feed (9 hours)
    • 2.1. Protein content (1 h)
      • 2.1.1. Essential amino acids
      • 2.1.2. Protein raw materials: composition and origin
      • 2.1.3. New and potential sources of proteins
    • 2.2. Fat content (1 h)
      • 2.2.1. Essential fatty acids
      • 2.2.2. Oils used: composition and origin
      • 2.2.3. New and potential sources of lipids
    • 2.3. Starch content (2.3 and 2.4: 1 h)
      • 2.3.1. Nitrogen free extract level
      • 2.3.2. Starch level and origin
    • 2.4. Energy content
      • 2.4.1. Digestible energy (DE) content
      • 2.4.2. Methods to evaluate DE in a feed
    • 2.5. Additives (2 h)
      • 2.5.1. Balancing nutritional requirements (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.)
      • 2.5.2. Improving health status (pre- and probiotics and nutraceuticals)
      • 2.5.3. Technological additives (preservation, binders, antioxidants, etc.)
    • 2.6. Feed technology and physical properties of the feed (2 h) (T.A. Samuelsen)
      • 2.6.1. Extrusion and other technologies
      • 2.6.2. Pellet size (diameter and length): availability
      • 2.6.3. Floating or sinking pellets
      • 2.6.4. Pellet quality and ingredient effects
    • 2.7. Practical group work on how ingredients affect feed formulation (2 h)
  • 3. How to use the feed (7 hours)
    • 3.1. Feeding schedules (1.5 h)
      • 3.1.1. Selection of pellet size according to fish size
      • 3.1.2. Feeding ad libitum or with restriction (palatability and appetite)
      • 3.1.3. Seasonal changes and fish handling
      • 3.1.4. How to prepare a feeding schedule
    • 3.2. Feeding methods (1.5 h)
      • 3.2.1. Manual feeding
      • 3.2.2. Self-feeders
      • 3.2.3. Automatic feeders
      • 3.2.4. Feeding monitoring and control sensor systems
    • 3.3. Feeding programmes (2 h)
      • 3.3.1. Indexes to measure feed efficiency
      • 3.3.2. Strategies to get the best growth
      • 3.3.3. Combining different feed formulations to achieve the best economic results
    • 3.4. Artificial intelligence. Future use of multi-data sets to predict feeding (1 h)
    • 3.5. Open debate (1 h)
  • 4. Customers’ requirements and aquaculture feed legislation
    • 4.1. Adapting to customer requirements and challenges when doing so (1.5 h)
      • 4.1.1. Increasing safety concerns
      • 4.1.2. Sustainability
      • 4.1.3. Organic feeds
      • 4.1.4. Traceability and certifications
    • 4.2. Legal framework (1.5 h)
      • 4.2.1. EU catalogue of feed materials
      • 4.2.2. Additives
        • 4.2.2.1. EU Policy on additives
        • 4.2.2.2. Allowed and banned additives (ethoxyquin and others)
      • 4.2.3. The feed label
        • 4.2.3.1. Declaration and allowances
        • 4.2.3.2. Expiry date
        • 4.2.3.3. Information to declare
        • 4.2.3.4. Feed ingredient traceability
      • 4.2.4. Practical exercise: assessment of the environmental footprint of dairy and seafood products
    • 4.3. Open debate (1 h)
  • 5. Feed trials (6 hours)
    • 5.1. Benchmarking and field trials (1 h)
      • 5.1.1. Design of benchmarking and field trials
      • 5.1.2. Case study of MedAID project trial on seabream
    • 5.2. Practical work to design a trial for different production systems, fish species and conditions (2 h working sessions + 1 h presentation of results and discussion)
    • 5.3. How to design and perform a good feed trial (2 h)
      • 5.3.1. Facilities
      • 5.3.2. Fish number and size
      • 5.3.3. Environmental features
      • 5.3.4. Duration
      • 5.3.5. Sampling and sample analysis
      • 5.3.6. Results analysis, evaluation and reporting

Train at an outstanding international institution

Registration

If you wish to participate in the course, apply online at the following address: www.admission.iamz.ciheam.org

The course is designed for 30 participants with a university degree, and is intended for professionals of the feed industry and fish farming, as well as for technical advisors and researchers in the field.

The number of admissions can be increased to attend lectures only and excludes the practical work sessions.

All participants will be exempt from the payment of registration fees.

The course will be online with 8 sessions that will be held from 14 to 18 and 21 to 23 June, from 09:15 to 13:45 (Central European Time). The time slot could be reconsidered according to the countries of origin of participants finally selected.

Application deadline: 26 April 2021

CIHEAM Zaragoza
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza

Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain

www.iamz.ciheam.org

iamz@iamz.ciheam.org

+34 976716000

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