Introduction
Organization
Participants
Feed is one of the major inputs in aquaculture and often the success of fish farming depends to a very large extent on the provision of adequate quantities of nutritionally suitable feeds in a form in which fish can utilize. Even in types of aquaculture where the main source of nutrition is natural food, produced by fertilization or other means, supplemental feeding with artificial feeds is necessary to obtain increased production. In many developing countries agricultural or fisheries wastes are used to feed fish but a good proportion of the feed offered is wasted as they are not in a form in which fish can utilize. Such unused feed may sometimes serve as fertilizer but may more often cause the pollution of water and consequently unfavourable conditions for the growth and survival of the stock. While the availability of suitable feed is important in obtaining growth and survival and production of adult fish, it is of greater and crucial importance in the rearing of larvae and fry. The absence of adequate artificial feeds for these early stages of fish is a major handicap to aquaculture development. At present aquaculturists have to depend largely on uncertain supplies of natural food organisms such as Artemia, which have to be imported in many countries at considerable cost.
Fish feeds have been developed in some countries notably Japan, Sweden and the U.S.A. for salmonid fishes, catfish and shrimps. In most cases the formulations are propietary secrets and are far too expensive for use in developing countries. The high cost of some of the feed ingredients like fish meal has been a problem even in industrially advanced countries and so considerable research is now underway to find suitable substitutes.
Recognizing the need for developing suitable feeds based on locally available inexpensive ingredients, FAO through UNDP-sponsored projects has assisted some countries to undertake surveys of the availability of feed ingredients, and formulation, preparation and testing of feeds. These assistance projects have yielded very encouraging results. Many developing countries have started animal feed manufacturing industries and if the necessary expertise becomes available and a sizeable demand for fish feeds is created through the popularization of economical feeds, the animal feed manufacturers are sure to initiate large-scale production of fish feeds. The major bottleneck at present is the lack of necessary expertise to formulate, prepare and test appropriate feeds and demonstrate their nutritional and economic value. The FAO Technical Conference on Aquaculture held in Kyoto, Japan in 1976, recognized this as a major constraint on aquaculture development and recommended early remedial action. Training facilities in fish feed technology are very limited indeed as the feed industry is largely in the private sector.
In view of the above, the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme (ADCP) decided to organize a specialized Training Course in Fish Feed Technology at the College of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, U.S.A., for qualified candidates from selected developing countries. The course was designed as the first phase of a feed development programme to be implemented in the next two to three years, utilizing the personnel trained, as focal points in their respective countries.
The long-range objective of the project was to spread the practice of intensive, high-yielding aquaculture.
The immediate objective was to create the core of experts needed in developing countries to initiate programmes of feed ingredient surveys, practical diet formulation, processing and testing of fish feeds for species of fish and shellfish currently cultivated.
The Course was organized in the Spring of 1978 in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. by FAO in cooperation with the College of Fisheries, University of Washington. It was intended to be a post-graduate level course consisting of scheduled lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions conducted by lecturers of the College of Fisheries and guest lecturers from other teaching and research institutions in the U.S.A. (see Annex I and III).
Dr. John E. Halver, Professor of Fish Nutrition, College of Fisheries, University of Washington, served as the Director of the Course and Dr. Ronald Hardy, Assistant Research Professor of the College as the Liaison Officer. Dr. Kai W. Chow, Fish Feed Technologist of the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme was the Co-Director of the Course and responsible for programme inputs and general administration.
The production of economical and efficient fish feeds involves knowledge of nutritional biochemistry, digestion physiology, feed ingredient utilization, least cost formulation techniques, practical diet formulation and feed manufacturing technology. The Course was, therefore, organized around these topics. As practical work was to be emphasized, class visits to feed mills, feed ingredient processing plants and fisheries research stations in northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada, formed an important part of the Course.
In order that the Course could be efficiently conducted for the maximum benefit of the trainees and for immediate use of countries, participation was restricted to selected English-speaking countries that have aquaculture programmes requiring artificial feeds.
A total of 16 candidates were selected for participation in the Course from the following ten countries that sent in nominations: Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand (see Annex II).
Almost all the trainees had more than four years' experience in fisheries science (aquaculture included) in their home environment. One was an instructor in aquacultural science at a university.
