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Archives
April 1-15, 2002
A cheap way to fatten lapu-lapu
by Rita T. dela Cruz
 Life
becomes more difficult each day. People are into cost-cutting
and penny-pinching, looking for the best means to lessen
the cost of production without compromising the quality
and value of their produce.
One of the main concerns of those who
are into grouper or lapu-lapu (Epinephelus coioides)
culture, is the limited supply of trash fish, the main
feed source for grouper. Trash fish are those litters
and scraps from fishes that are not used for human consumption.
It is the main ingredient in fish meal, the protein
source in aquafeeds.
The decline in the global production of
fish meal is due to the competitive demand for marine
protein sources both by man and livestock. The demand
increases while the production continues to be at the
substantial level. The increasing demand vis-à-vis
low production resulted to the increased price of fish
meal.
With this problem, fish farming is in
great peril. The industry, therefore, has to look for
a dependable supply of alternative sources of protein
which are cheaper and from a non-marine source. This
way, fish farming becomes profitable with a sustained
supply of protein source.
Recently, the Southeast Asian Fisheries
Development Center (SEAFDEC) Aquaculture Department
and the Australian Center for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR) looked into the possibility of replacing
fish meal with other cheap meals and develop practical
diets with low fish meal content which can be used as
alternative for trash fish.
The practical diet is the processed animal
by-product meals. It is a mixture of meat meal and blood
meal.
To test its potential as a replacement
for fish meal, a feeding trial was conducted. The substitutes
were tried in the diets of juvenile grouper.
The feeding trial showed that processed
animal by-product meals could replace fish meal up to
80% of the protein content in the aquafeeds. The lapu-lapu
fed with the substitute meal showed similar or better
growth rates than those fed with fish meal. Moreover,
researchers noted that the lapu-lapu fed with the substitute
meal exhibited a high feed conversion ratio, meaning
that the grouper readily accepted the replacement and
did not find any problem in feeding.
As for its cost, the substitute diet is
much more practical. The raisers can avail of the processed
animal by-products in the local market at P18 to P20/kg
as compared to the commercial fish meals at P50/kg.
This is indeed good news among raisers
since meat meal and blood meal in the processed animal
by-product meals are much cheaper compared to trash
fish in fish meal. This cheap substitute can lighten
the problem of inadequate and expensive fish meal.
(Source: "Replacement of fish meal by animal by-product
meals in a practical diet for grow-out culture of grouper
Epinepheleus coioides" by O.M Millamena of the
Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development
Center or SEAFDEC, Tigbauan, Iloilo 5021 Philippines.)
April 1-15 2002 Articles: ::
"Develop a culture of excellence To be globally competitive"-Ponce
::
1st nat'l confab on capture
fisheries; call for papers
::
National team leaders plan for their networks
::
Region 7 researchers' capability strengthened
:: Project gets nod from external review team
::
Prune and have more fruits
::
A cheap way to fatten lapu-lapu
::
All about Bt corn
::
SEARCA invites media to GMO workshop
::: More April 2002 articles :::
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