Assessing the Potential of Locally Sourced Materials in The Formulation of Nile Tilapia Aquafeed in the Bahamas
Abstract:
Aquaculture has been identified for its role in addressing key United Nations sustainable development goals, primarily zero hunger, and responsible production and consumption. With an annual growth rate of 8.8%, aquaculture is the fastest-growing food sector globally, yet production in the Caribbean region has declined by 40% over the last two decades. This can be attributed to various factors including access to resources necessary for production, such as aquafeed. Most Caribbean islands rely on the importation of aquafeed from the US and Latin American countries, and when feed is produced in the Caribbean region, the main ingredients are imported. In this review, the use of locally sourced ingredients was explored for their potential in aquafeed formulation to produce comparable, if not superior diets for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and other tropical species. Various ingredients such as fly larvae (Hermetia ilucens; Musca domestica), moringa (Moringa oleifera), banana (Musa sp.), cassava (Manihot esculenta),) sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and guinea corn (Sorghum vulgare) were assessed for their viability as ingredients for formulating pelletized aquafeeds. Additionally, brewery industry and artisanal fisheries discards (e.g., spent grain, fin fish, spiny lobsters, conch) were identified as having the potential to be viable aquafeed inputs. The study concluded that based on availability and quality, complete aquafeeds can be formulated by substituting all the conventional ingredients with locally sourced raw materials. Most of the ingredients are derived from waste streams of other food production sectors, thus making them sustainable and affordable. Further studies are necessary to formulate locally sourced diets and determine the efficacy of locally manufactured aquafeeds on aquaculture production systems in the region.
