After 10 years of research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) scientists have perfected the Novacq™ prawn feed additive.
Farmed prawns fed with Novacq grow on average 30% faster, are healthier and can be produced with no fish products in their diet, a world-first achievement in sustainability.
CSIRO's Dr Nigel Preston has been working with the A$75 million Australian prawn farming industry for over 25 years, and says this is a game changer for the industry.
"We fed Novacq to black tiger prawns, and it made them even better for consumers, the environment and prawn farmers," Dr Preston said.
Until now, Australian prawn farmers have needed to feed their prawns with a pellet that includes some sustainably sourced fishmeal or fish oil, in order to ensure that the prawns grew fast, and were a healthy and high quality product for consumers.
"When we are talking about relieving pressure on our ocean stocks of fish, every little bit helps. Novacq will mean that the Australian prawn farming industry could potentially no longer be reliant on wild-caught fishery products," Dr Preston said.
CSIRO and Australian owned and based Ridley AgriProducts have announced that Ridley AgriProducts has taken a licence to produce and distribute Novacq in Australia and several South-East Asian countries.
Novacq is an entirely natural food source based on the smallest organisms in the marine environment, the marine microbes which are the foundation of the marine food pyramid. Production of Novacq relies on the controlled production of these marine microbes. CSIRO researchers have discovered how to feed and harvest them, and convert them into a product that can then be added to feeds as a bioactive ingredient, like a dietary supplement for prawns.
