Date: 17/03/2025

According to Agrostat (Brazilian Agribusiness Foreign Trade Statistics), in the first three months of 2024, Brazil exported more than 12,000 tons of fish to around 90 countries, generating revenues of US$193 million. This figure alone represents an increase of more than 160% compared to the same period last year, thus suggesting aquaculture production for Brazilian foreign trade.

In addition to expanding production and exports, aquaculture is facing strategic challenges that are driving the adoption of advanced technologies, the improvement of animal nutrition and the search for more efficient and sustainable production systems. The advancement of practices such as aquaponics, recirculating water systems (RAS) and biofloc farming (BFT) has been a key factor in improving water quality and optimizing production performance, while minimizing environmental impacts.

To reinforce the need for an aquaculture model that balances productivity and environmental preservation, the FAO has advocated the concept of Blue Transformation. In Brazil, this movement is gaining momentum with the adoption of new technologies and practices that guarantee productive efficiency without compromising natural resources.

In this article, we analyze the sector's trends for 2025, exploring the expected advances in management, the formulation of balanced diets and BRF Ingredients' commitment to developing innovative solutions that contribute to the evolution of the aquaculture market.

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Overview of the aquaculture market and possible developments

Aquaculture continues its global growth trajectory, driven by the demand for animal protein and the development of new consumer markets.

According to forecasts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report on the sector, it is estimated that Brazil will see a 104% growth in fishing and aquaculture production by 2025.

In Brazil, national fish production is growing as one of the most promising segments of agribusiness, becoming the world's 4th largest producer of tilapia. The growth in exports and the diversification of species grown open up new opportunities for producers and investors. On the other hand, the most important markets are the United States, China and the Middle East.

To strengthen the preservation of water resources and ensure a more balanced production model, the adoption of sustainable practices has become essential in aquaculture, as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project, especially SDG 14 - Life in Water.

In this context, initiatives aligned with the FAO's Guide to Sustainable Aquaculture include pillars such as governance and planning, sustainable resource use, ecosystem and production management, social responsibility and gender equity, as well as sustainable value chains and access to markets.

The integration of these principles aims to promote more efficient production, reducing environmental impacts and meeting the growing demands of the global market.

Given this scenario, the optimization of production chains, attention to sustainability and technological movement have become essential pillars for ensuring efficiency and quality in aquaculture production. For example, the adoption of new farming models and the use of alternative nutritional ingredients are strategies that are gaining momentum to meet global demand in a more efficient and balanced way.

Technology as support for aquaculture production

The application of technology in aquaculture has intensified in recent years, reinforcing the importance of innovative systems that increase productivity and improve the sanitary conditions of crops, reducing dependence on natural resources.

The Biofloc Technology System (BFT) presents a viable alternative for optimizing water quality, reducing the need for water renewal and strengthening biosecurity in crops.

Also known as ZEAH (Zero Exchange, Aerobic, Heterotrophic culture system), BFT promotes the formation of microbial flocs, made up of bacteria, protozoa and microalgae that help assimilate nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia and nitrite, reducing their toxicity in the culture medium (Schryver et al., 2008).

During the process, the stability of the system occurs through the action of heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria, which convert organic waste into microbial biomass, contributing to the health of the cultivated organisms.

In addition to minimizing effluent emissions and optimizing feed conversion, BFT allows high-density cultivation without the need for constant water changes, making it a sustainable solution for regions with water restrictions and high operating costs.

Because of these characteristics, its adoption has been expanding globally, especially where there are restrictions on water use, low water availability or high land costs for expansion (Wasielesky et al., 2006).

Sustainable alternatives as a focus

Sustainability in aquaculture continues to be a central issue in the sector, driving changes in production models and management strategies.

Among the viable alternatives, the Biofloc Cultivation System (BFT) has already demonstrated its efficiency in reducing effluent emissions and reusing nitrogen compounds.

However, other solutions, such as Water Recirculation Systems (WRS) and aquaponics, are gaining ground as strategies to strengthen water and production security.

The Water Recirculation System (RAS) was developed to ensure a more controlled and highly biosecure environment, and is suitable for growing round fish, tilapia and freshwater shrimp.

It works by reusing the treated water, which passes through a mechanical and biological filtration system, removing solid waste such as feces and leftover feed and preventing the accumulation of toxic nitrogen compounds such as ammonia (Lima et al., 2015).

In addition, it is a closed system, which takes up less space compared to traditional methods and reduces the risk of cultivated organisms escaping, facilitating animal health monitoring (Ferri et al., 2018).

Another sustainable approach is aquaponics, which integrates aquaculture and hydroponics, using the metabolic waste of fish as nutrients for plant growth.

This approach reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, improves water quality and minimizes environmental impacts. According to Scaglione et al. (2017), aquaponics has significant advantages over traditional production systems, such as water reuse, production efficiency, ecological sustainability and resource optimization.

And finally, another innovative strategy that is gaining ground in sustainable aquaculture is Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA), which combines different aquatic and terrestrial species in the same production system, allowing nutrients to be reused and reducing dependence on external inputs. In addition to optimizing the use of natural resources, IMTA improves the environmental resilience of crops and promotes greater productive diversification.

We can consider that the incorporation of these technologies demonstrates that sustainability in aquaculture depends on innovative solutions that optimize the use of water resources and guarantee more efficient and environmentally balanced cultivation.

Taking care of water quality during the production process

As we have seen, water quality is one of the most critical factors for the success of aquaculture. It is a determining factor for the well-being of farmed organisms and is directly related to productivity, health and zootechnical performance.

Conventional shrimp farming, for example, depends on continuous water exchange during shrimp fattening to avoid the accumulation of toxic compounds and maintain the system's balance (Burford et al., 2003).

In this context, in fish farming, water is the main raw material, and parameters such as pH, hardness, ammonia concentration, nitrite and nitrate must be constantly monitored to ensure a suitable environment for animal growth (Leira et al., 2017).

Therefore, strict control of these factors can reduce health risks, improve feed conversion and optimize the development of cultivated species. As a solution, continuous monitoring of water quality has been facilitated by technological advances such as the Acqua Probe, developed by Embrapa.

This equipment allows essential parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature to be measured in real time, making immediate adjustments to crop management possible.

Essential strategies to boost animal health and growth

Among the innovations in the formulation of aquaculture diets, protein hydrolysates have been widely studied. These ingredients are obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis, a process that breaks down proteins into free amino acids and peptides of different sizes, improving their digestibility and making them a viable alternative for the partial replacement of fishmeal in commercial feeds (Fries et al., 2011).

The use of these hydrolysates in fish diets has been associated with positive effects on feed efficiency, as the release of low molecular weight nitrogen compounds stimulates the attractiveness and palatability of food, influencing the feeding behavior of farmed species (Broggi et al., 2017; Alves et al., 2020; Oliveira et al., 2022).

Even at low inclusion levels, these hydrolyzed proteins have been shown to improve growth, digestibility and immune response in the early stages of various fish species (Chotikachinda et al., 2013; Srichanun et al., 2014; Silva et al., 2017; Alves et al., 2020; Oliveira et al., 2022).

We can see that the inclusion of protein hydrolysates has a direct impact on the zootechnical parameters of the fish, especially the feed conversion rate and protein efficiency. Experiments carried out with monkfish show that different levels of inclusion of feather protein hydrolysate increased feed consumption and improved palatability indices, especially in treatments with a higher inclusion of hydrolyzed protein (Santos et al., 2022).

BRF Ingredients portfolio with the aquaculture market

To support these advances, BRF Ingredients has developed a portfolio that combines high digestibility and nutritional functionality, providing efficient support for aquaculture nutrition in a sustainable and technically optimized way.

Here are some of the advantages of this portfolio:

BioActio Efficiency

Among the solutions developed, BioActio Efficiency has been applied in the formulation of aquaculture diets to maximize weight gain and optimize feed conversion. Studies, in partnership with the State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE), conducted with tilapia indicate that its inclusion in diets provided 47% greater growth in the post-larvae stage, while the fry showed a 25% increase in final weight.

BioActio Health & Performance

Its profile of functional bioactive peptides helps the animals' immune resistance, improves feed efficiency and provides a superior response to adverse farming conditions.

In evaluations carried out with shrimp and tilapia, the inclusion of the ingredient in the diet resulted in a 39.1% reduction in feed conversion, ensuring more efficient use of nutrients. In addition, the survival rate in the post-larvae stage was 12% higher than in the control group, demonstrating its positive impact on the health and longevity of crops.

Another relevant aspect is the palatability of the feed, a determining factor in food acceptance. To help in this context, studies indicate that the inclusion of 5% BioActio Health & Performance in the formulation resulted in a 10.82% increase in the attractiveness of the feed, reducing rejections and improving the voluntary consumption of the animals.

In addition to the nutritional benefits, BRF Ingredients' products contribute to a more sustainable, efficient production model in line with the circular economy, because its manufacturing process uses by-products from BRF's integrated chain, ensuring better use of resources and reducing waste.

Final considerations

Aquaculture is increasingly becoming a strategic economic sector, driven by viable alternatives to improve the use of water resources and reduce environmental impacts, as well as the demand for quality proteins and the improvement of technologies applied to production.

Advances in feed formulation, diversification of ingredients and a commitment to more efficient processes are factors that directly influence the sector's performance.

Protein hydrolysates are emerging as functional alternatives for aquaculture nutrition, ensuring better use of nutrients and contributing to the health and resistance of farmed animals. As a player in Animal Nutrition, BRF Ingredients follows these developments with a portfolio focused on high zootechnical performance, optimizing feed conversion and reducing dependence on traditional inputs.

To keep up with industry news and learn more about BRF Ingredients' initiatives in Animal Nutrition, check out the content available on our blog. You can also follow our social networks on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.