NACA has announced a new sponsorship of the Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network by Skretting, Nutreco’s global aquafeed division. This inaugural commercial sponsorship will support the further expansion of the communications and training programs of the network.

In announcing this initiative, Pedro Bueno, Director General of NACA, said “We welcome this new partnership with Skretting, which brings together a major commercial fish feed supplier to collaborate with NACA in the development of this important and increasingly active marine finfish network. Skretting’s support will be targeted towards extending outcomes of research, including some of the ongoing work sponsored by ACIAR, to a much wider range of industry users and building capacity of industry to adopt new techniques and farming practices”.

“We are delighted to join this initiative”, said Craig Foster, Managing Director of Skretting’s Australasian operations. “The valuable extension work in transferring knowledge and skills will help ensure the sustainable development of aquaculture in our region”.

The cooperation will support development of the marine finfish aquaculture web site and the regular marine fish newsletters and e-magazines , and also provide annual sponsorship of two people from developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region to attend a grouper hatchery training course.

The hatchery training course has been an outstanding success in transferring grouper hatchery technology to various countries in the region, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia, reducing the current reliance on wild-caught fingerlings for aquaculture in the region. Skretting’s support for trainees from developing countries in the region will also contribute to poverty alleviation and improvements in living conditions of people in coastal communities – a core objective of the NACA organization - by helping farmers develop skills in finfish aquaculture, an important economic activity in many coastal regions throughout Asia.

Mr Bueno further emphasized the significance of the sponsorship by saying that ”Government agency sponsorship (by APEC and ACIAR) allowed the development of the network, but NACA recognizes that for such networks to be sustainable in the longer term, they must move away from government funding and become self-supporting. It is also important to make sure the benefits of the research investment lead to positive industry developments. NACA is grateful to Skretting for their vision and support, and we hope that other industry partners will follow suit and join this important regional partnership”.

Background information

Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network

The Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network was established by NACA, with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), to foster the development of sustainable marine finfish aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. The network currently brings together researchers and industry from over 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific, to coordinate R&D on marine fish farming, it promotes research partnerships among researchers and industry, facilitates communication and information exchange through a dedicated web site, newsletters and workshops, and organizes regular training and technical exchanges to build capacity among industry and governments in marine finfish farming in the region. Marine finfish aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region is currently valued at over US$3 billion per annum and with demand for marine fish growing year by year, the work of the network has becoming increasingly significant as countries seek alternatives to overfished wild stocks, and development of sustainable marine fish farming technologies and practices

Further details on NACA, and the work of the Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network, including ongoing research activities, can be found at www.enaca.org/marinefish

Skretting

Skretting in Australia manufactures high quality aquaculture feeds for Fish Hatcheries and Fish Farms. As stakeholders in the development of a strong aquaculture industry we work hard to understand our customer's needs.

Skretting is the world leader in the production and supply of feed for salmon and trout, meeting 40% of global demand. With approximately 1300 employees, our annual production of high quality feeds exceeds one million tonnes and we provide nutritional solutions for over fifty species of farmed fish.

Production takes place in dedicated feed manufacturing facilities in Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain and the UK. In addition Skretting feeds are sold through agents or distributors in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Skretting maintains its position at the forefront of the rapidly developing aquaculture industry with the support of the Nutreco Aquaculture Research Centre. This internationally renowned institution researches and develops feed formulations and production technology, with a special focus on consumer safety, fish health and productivity, improved feed management and sustainability in feed production and in fish farming.

Further information on Skretting, and their range of marine fish feeds and hatchery diets, can be found at http://www.skretting.com.au/