According to a study University Institute for Research in Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (IU-ECOAQUA) Genetically selected sea bass, raised with alternative diets, is more sustainable, of higher quality and contains better nutritional characteristics for humans.
Genetic selection and feeding with sustainable products result in sea bass with less fat and more nutrients, such as omega-3. During rearing, proteins are retained more efficiently, BEST digestibility coefficient for the protein and amino acids of the diet of the specimens. All this generates that the sea bass has more nutrients.
This discovery comes from the recent study 'Nutritional Innovations in Superior Sea Bass Genotypes (Dicentrarchus labrax): Implications on Fish Performance and Feed Utilization' published in «Aquaculture», one of the most important international journals on aquaculture research.
The objective of this study was to demonstrate that genetically selected sea bass is more efficient for sea bass growth. Also, it has made it possible to present an alternative diet that can replace fishmeal with poultry meal and fish oil with a mixture of poultry oil and microalgae. This new type of oil is a breakthrough for the aquaculture industry.
On the other hand, genetic selection increases the growth rate of the animals and decreases the rearing time. These advances have also been thanks to the Norwegian company "Skretting", leaders in manufacturing and supplying feed for aquaculture. Thanks to the Nordic company, the production rate has been increased in recent years.
A circular economy.
The aquaculture industry bases its development on the use of conventional and emerging alternative raw materials to generate a circular economy. In addition, with this sustainability the use of fishmeal and fish oils from oceanic fish is reduced.
In addition to all the benefits mentioned throughout the article, the study shows that the selected fish have a higher nutritional profile along with a better flavor, since they have more omega-3 values.
The study was carried out by selecting two families of fish with selected breeding, others with unselected breeding and wild type. One family was fed a diet based on commercial standards and the other the future diet with the most sustainable ingredients.
From the second month of feeding until the end of the study, the selected reared seabass for seven generations had better growth results than the wild type seabass.
