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Improving practices within shrimp farming thanks to specific algae extracts

Olmix Group highlighted the great potential of algae to be used within sustainable shrimp production programs at the 12th National Shrimp Congress in Bacolod (the Philippines).

27-11-2019 Animal Care

How can we improve animals’ performance thanks to specific algae extracts was the question raised by Olmix Group at the recent National Shrimp Congress in the Philippines, a must-attend meeting withing the aquaculture industry that shed light on the main challenges that producers have to overcome in order to move towards sustainable production and strategies.

Innovative seaweed polysaccharides to support sustainable aquaculture

Since its foundation, Omix Group has mainly focused its research on macroalgae in order to use this unique resource to develop several programs and key solutions to the animal industry, including aquaculture. In fact, in the recent years the company has gone the extra mile to encourage sustainable aquaculture practices, specially thanks to the diverse use and properties of algae.

Algae are a source of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, pigments, vitamins and secondary metabolites, and the diverse biological properties that they possess can be used to boost animals’ health and welfare. When it comes to shrimp farming, Olmix has developed several strategies to tackle issues such as feed conversion, growth performance and immunity. Again, extraction and identification are the keys to reveal their full potential.

Mr Alexandre Veille (Olmix Group).

Algae as a complement in the feed

One of the challenges for shrimp producers these days is to improve feed performance while preparing animals to better fight against pathogens. Bacterial infections have a huge impact on feed consumption and thus on production costs. So, it is only natural to bet on solutions that reach the point where performance, growth and saving costs meet.

“Thanks to Olmix’s innovative technology, we have come up with different specific extracts that have different purposes. For instance, for us it was of utmost importance to act against pathogenic bacteria and to contribute to improve the animal gut health. By doing so, the rest will come along. Improving digestive performance means that animals will grow better in terms of health and size. And that will lead first to a reduction of antibiotics, to increase survival rates and to save costs,” Alexandre Veille, Olmix Asia Aqua Manager, said during the Olmix’s lecture at the event.

According to the expert, treating shrimp with chemical products should not be the way to deal with potential disease outbreaks. The best strategy is to take preventive actions: good pond preparation (drying, removing organic build up, liming…), good quality stock, good management (feed and feeding, water quality). But even with best practices, there is always risk of some omnipresent pathogen. Therefore, the use of natural feed additives is highly recommended.

Mr Alexandre Veille (Olmix Group).

12th Philippine Shrimp National Congress.

Immunity matters

On the other hand, Olmix Group has identified immunity as a priority for research as it is the challenge of modern productions. Proper immune response is a key to make animals healthier and better able to face daily challenges. That is why the company launched last year its newest innovative solution to tackle immunity: Algimun^®.

Based on a synergitic association of biologically active sulfated polysaccharides extracted from marine algae (Olmix’s MSP^®), Algimun^® promotes the gut barrier - thanks to MSP^®_BARRIER - and boosts the immune response - thanks to MSP^®_IMMUNITY – of animals. This solution has proved to modulate immune response in different species.

When it comes to shrimp production, Algimun^® has resulted to be a useful tool to move towards a more sustainable production. Recent trials with the product has shown many benefits by improving growth, feed intake and survival rates in shrimp, as well as improved tolerance to different diseases.

“If we talk about shrimp, we can now say that it is possible to use gut flora and immune function modulators in an effective and easy way to prevent bacterial disease outbreaks. As you know, the shrimp digestive system is still considered one of the main entry points for pathogens, so producers should make sure it is well protected. Resulting diseases can lead to major economic impact,” the expert said.

Olmix Group conference.

Algae-based solutions are proving to be a real asset to aquaculture and to new sustainable strategies within the industry.