(to see presentation)

The aquafeed industry is a relatively new and small segment within the compounded feed industry for land animal husbandry. This high tech activity sector is a close and very active partner in the strong aquaculture development within the world and in Europe especially.

 For historical and geographical reasons, the European countries are at the head of the latest developments in feed security, specific technologies, nutritional knowledge and feed improvements in efficiency and ecology. The rules are more restrictive than in other areas in the world.

 The evolution of the consumers’ requirements with the consequent new EU regulations on food security, the wild resource limitation on fish meal and fish oil availability and the active research for new raw materials to cover the specific nutritional needs of the carnivorous farmed species, are the new challenges to overcome in the future.

 Private industry is leading this constant and rapid adaptation to the needs of the current and new farmed species in fresh and salt water. This requires heavy investments and R&D programs given the limited tonnages to be sold for the new species, and with a heavy competition for the main farmed species.

 These high R&D and financial requirements lead to a concentration of the aquafeed companies. But the financial weakness of the aquaculture sector in all the countries, especially Europe, and the new regulations to be set up by the European Commission giving less protection to the nutritional know-how, are very negative signals for the short term future.