Salmon Farming Tips | Tidbits on Salmon Farming

FCR is an indispensable indicator for managing aquaculture. This section describes the FCR.

What is FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio)?

It is very important to consider "FCR" in the aquaculture Feed Conversion Ratio, and the amount of feed required for a fish to gain 1 kg is expressed in this FCR.
In other words, if 3 kg of food is needed to fatten 1 kg of fish, then the FCR is 3.

FCR can be improved (lowered) not only by making them fatter more efficiently, but also by reducing the number of deaths and increasing the yield. Incidentally, the FCR for bluefin tuna is said to be 13-15 (*1), yellowtail 2.8, sea bream 2.7, coho salmon 1.5, beef 10-11, pork 3.0, and chicken 2.0 (*2). The high price of tuna and beef means that they cost more.

*1 Ono Seiichiro and Nakahara Naotomo (2009), "Current Status and Issues of Fish Farming Industry.
*2 Fisheries Agency, "Fisheries White Paper 2013."

Low-cost salmon with FCR reduction

The majority of the variable costs of aquaculture is the cost of feed.
therefore, a reduction in FCR leads to lower production costs, which leads to delivering salmon to consumers at a lower price.

FCR is an indicator of optimal balance

The FCR is also an indicator in achieving a balance between various innovations.
For example, if we feed fish a lot to fatten them up, the FCR will worsen as the amount of residual food increases. Therefore, feeding is to be devised so that the optimum amount is given at the optimum time.
In addition, if a large number of fish are introduced into a single fish tank in an attempt to raise as many fish as possible, die-offs due to lack of oxygen will increase, and as a result, FCR will worsen. Therefore, the optimal aquaculture density that increases the number of fish without increasing the mortality rate is to be devised.
There are many things to consider when conducting aquaculture, and some of them may be "If I am true to the one, I must be false to the other." but we will balance them from the perspective of minimizing the FCR.

Tips for FCR reduction

Reduction of leftovers

If there is leftover food, the FCR will worsen by that amount. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately assess the amount of fish in the fish tank and feed them just the right amount.

Analysis with the latest systems

Japan Salmon Farm also uses a state-of-the-art system to analyze fish quantities for accuracy. We also sometimes use underwater drones and drive to check directly with our eyes for uneaten food.
Check water temperature

The relationship between water temperature and feeding rate is also important. Fish lose their appetite when the water temperature is low and increase their appetite when the water temperature is high. Therefore, the amount of food fed is also related to the water temperature.
Feeding Timing

Is it better to eat one meal a day in large quantities or three meals a day with snacks as well?

We will make a comprehensive judgment of these factors and feed with the optimal solution based on our experience.

Improvement of mortality rate

The FCR is calculated by dividing the amount of bait used by the weight of fish produced.
Fish that die in the aquaculture process are not counted in this production weight, so the FCR worsens as the number of fish dying increases. Deaths can occur due to a variety of factors. These include water temperature, lack of oxygen, stress during acclimation, fish diseases, etc. We are constantly working to improve the FCR by conducting research on each of these factors and improving the FCR as a result.