Aqua Nutrition: What Are Functional Aqua Feeds — and Why Aren’t They Widely Adopted in Asia?

Functional aquafeed, according to the interview with Dr. Thomas Wilson, an Aqua Nutrition Consultant, is designed to address specific needs in aquaculture, moving beyond general nutrition to tackle challenges like stress, disease, and environmental factors. While common in regions like the salmon farming industry due to large volumes and predictable seasons, its adoption in Asia has been slower.

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Purpose and Benefits of Functional Aqua Feeds

Functional aqua feeds are not intended for continuous use throughout the entire growth period of fish and shrimp. Instead, said Dr. Wilson, they are utilized for specific situations. For example, salmon, which prefer water temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius, experience significant stress at 15-18 degrees Celsius. Functional feeds are developed to help salmon cope with these high temperatures. Conversely, in Southeast Asia, fish and shrimp may require functional feeds to deal with excessively low temperatures, acting as a "winter feed," Dr. Wilson explained.

Beyond temperature regulation, Dr. Wilson noted that functional aqua feeds can:

• Improve Feed Intake and Nutrient Density: During cooler periods, fish and shrimp  feed intake can decrease. Functional feeds can be formulated to be more nutritionally dense, ensuring animals receive sufficient nutrients even when eating less. This might involve adding digestive enzymes or altering fat profiles, Dr. Wilson added.

• Manage Stress and Behavior: Functional feeds can help fish and shrimp deal with stress. This includes reducing aggressive behavior and cannibalism in species like Asian seabass and grouper, which can lead to significant losses for farmers, according to Dr. Wilson. The same applies to shrimp and other crustaceans, he said.

• Support High Stocking Densities: In regions like Thailand, where shrimp are often grown at high stocking densities, functional feeds are developed to help shrimp cope with the associated stress, including potential low dissolved oxygen levels, Dr. Wilson explained.

• Aid During Specific Farming Practices: Functional feeds can be used in anticipation of stressful events such as moving or grading fish and shrimp, which are common practices for species like Asian seabass and freshwater prawns, Dr. Wilson stated.

• Boost Immunity and Overall Health: These feeds can contain increased levels of vitamins to boost immunity, particularly for broodstock fish and shrimp or in hatchery settings to support young animals with better digestion and absorption through probiotics, said Dr. Wilson.

  
  

Challenges and Adoption in Asia

Despite the potential benefits, Dr. Wilson highlighted that the adoption of functional aquafeed in Asia faces several hurdles:

• Cost Sensitivity: Asian farmers are often very price-sensitive, and the premium associated with functional feeds makes them hesitant to purchase unless a clear and consistent benefit is demonstrated, Dr. Wilson observed.

• Lack of Demonstrated Benefit: Many farmers have not been able to consistently observe the benefits of functional feeds, leading to low uptake. This can be due to the variability in farming conditions (temperature, rainfall, management, water quality, hatchery quality, dissolved oxygen) that obscure the specific effects of the feed, Dr. Wilson explained.

• Limited Production Volumes: Unlike large-scale salmon farms, many aquaculture operations in Asia, especially for species like tilapia, involve smaller ponds and lower volumes, making it difficult for feed companies to justify producing specialized feeds for individual farmers, Dr. Wilson stated.

• R&D Investment by Feed Companies: Feed companies are often reluctant to invest heavily in R&D for functional feeds if they are not confident in market demand and the ability to consistently demonstrate efficacy across diverse farming conditions, Dr. Wilson indicated.

  
  

The Role of Feed Enzymes

Feed enzymes are a notable exception, seeing wider adoption across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Dr. Wilson confirmed. Enzymes, like phytase and xylanase, are cost-effective as they are used in very low dosages and can significantly improve nutrient digestion, especially with increased use of plant-based ingredients in feed formulations. This allows feed companies to utilize lower-cost ingredients with acceptable feed performance, Dr. Wilson pointed out.

While enzymes are becoming a "must-use" in the poultry industry due to the sheer scale of production, in aquaculture, their application varies by species and feed composition, Dr. Wilson elaborated. The challenge remains in matching the correct enzyme to the specific feed ingredients to ensure a visible benefit for the customer, he added.

Future Outlook

For wider adoption of functional aquafeed, Dr. Wilson emphasized that the focus needs to shift from the initial cost of the feed to the overall cost-benefit analysis at the end of the production cycle. Even small improvements in survival rates (e.g., 5% increased survival) can lead to significant profits, especially with larger animals, he said. Dr. Wilson believes feed companies need to effectively demonstrate these long-term benefits to farmers, perhaps through robust testing in varied farm conditions, to overcome the existing skepticism and price sensitivity in the Asian market.

If you’re interested in applying these ideas to your own operation, we invite you to join our upcoming Aqua Nutrition Training Course in Bangkok, Thailand, from July 15–18, 2025. Functional feeds — including when, why, and how to use them — will be explored in greater depth alongside other essential topics to improve feed efficiency and aquatic animal health. Whether you're new to functional nutrition or looking to sharpen your strategy, this course offers practical knowledge you can take straight to the farm.

👉 Register now at www.progressus.asia/agrischool-inperson-anm