The Hawaiian Islands have just the right water resources and climate to support the aquaculture farming of fish, shellfish, algae, etc. So what’s holding back this potentially profitable industry? A lack of affordable local feed. Feed accounts for 60%+ of aquaculture production costs, and all of it is imported.
In the latest newsletter from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, Cheng-Sheng Lee presents an interdisciplinary team from CTSA, CTAHR, and Sea Grant that is seeking solutions to Hawai’i’s reliance on expensive imported aquaculture feeds.
Supported by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and together with industry stakeholders, the team recently held a series of workshops on producing feeds locally and cost-effectively, as a significant step toward expanding the aquaculture industry and ultimately, improving Hawai’i’s food security.
Jensen Uyeda of the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Stuart Nakamoto of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, and Andini Ekaputri of the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management all presented to an enthusiastic audience.
Watch a video recap of the CTSA Aquatic Feed Development Workshop.