Status on development and use of alternative dietary ingredients in aquaculture feed formulations in Thailand

Abstract

Thailand is one of the major producers of aquaculture commodities and aquafeeds in Asia. As the aquafeed industry has been growing continuously, the government through the Department of Fisheries (DOF) had undertaken the enactment of the Animal Feed Quality Control Act (1982) since 1992.The DOF oversees production of commercial aquafeeds of eight species. At present, there are many negative impacts by both aquaculture activities and the aquafeed industry. These include the use of feed ingredients from non-sustainable sources. Researches on the use of alternative dietary ingredients in aquafeeds are on-going. However, these solutions need to be cost-effective to be commercially feasible and alternative culture-systems have to be considered to improve feed efficiency. Thus, the important sectors that are involved to ensure the sustainable development and use of alternative dietary ingredients in aquafeeds are the: 1) government, 2) feed millers, and 3) fish farmers.