I sat down with Sebastian Bell, Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, during the 2016 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, to talk about the role soy protein is playing in the formulation of aquatic feeds as the industry of aquaculture continues to explode globally as an agricultural production system.

“Aquaculture is the largest growing food production activity in the world, and a large part of that is because traditionally we have gotten a lot of our seafood from wild fisheries that have become increasingly exploited,” said Bell during the interview. “As the global demand for seafood has risen, it has been increasingly satisfied by farmed products.”

In the development and formulation of feeds for the aquatic animals that are new to domestication, soy has been an important nutritional component for producers and nutritionists. Several challenges face the industry as it continues to track through the learning curve of increasing the production and domestication of fish and aquatic species.

“Our use of soy has increased dramatically over the last ten years, and it’s been a great ingredient to use in feed. We’re still learning as we go, we’re working with animals that are not fully domesticated yet and so we still have things to learn as far as their nutritional needs go, but its very clear to us that soy has already played an important role in the formulation of aquatic feeds and probably will continue to do so,” said Bell.

Learn more in my complete interview with Sebastian here:
Interview with Sebastian Bell, Maine Aquaculture Assoc.

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 US Soy Global Trade Exchange Photos