Evonik and the Qingdao Vland Biotech Group have developed a new product for improving water quality in aquaculture, targeted primarily at shrimp farming in ponds.
Due to be launched in China at the end of the year, AQUAVI ProPond is said to reduce the need for marine feed sources and significantly improves water quality and animal health.
"Our common goal is to make global aquaculture, which we need to feed the world's growing population in a healthy way, more sustainable," said Dr Emmanuel Auer, head of the animal nutrition business line at Evonik. "Strategic partnerships will move us forward faster in doing so,” he added.
AQUAVI ProPond comprises three strains of bacteria that remove ammonia, nitrate and nitrite from the water, which can all be harmful to the growing shrimp. "Our new additive is suitable for improving the animals' living conditions by breaking down toxic compounds, for keeping animals healthy, and for reducing environmental impact caused by too frequent water exchanges," said Dr Christoph Kobler, head of RD&I for the animal nutrition business line at Evonik.
AQUAVI ProPond is just one of four components making up Evonik’s complete system solution for shrimp farming. The others are AQUAVI Met-Met, which makes it possible to feed shrimp with virtually no fish meal, omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA from Veramaris algae oil, and AMINOShrimp, a suite of software that adjusts the optimal amino acid composition of the feed during each stage of development.
