Young Chul Kim
R&D Trial Manager (MAC)
INVE Aquaculture
Singapore
Young Chul Kim is R&D Trial Manager at INVE Aquaculture, based at the Marine Aquaculture Centre (MAC) of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). His role is critical in the collaboration between INVE Aquaculture and SFA on effective hatchery management of tropical marine fish. His focus is on promoting sustainable aquaculture and pushing the field towards innovative research.
Prior to this, Young Chul worked as Chief Technology Officer at Golden Seeds (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia. Kim has over 10 years’ experience in fingerling production for tropical marine fish such as grouper, barramundi, red snapper and golden trevally. He has a Master’s degree and PhD in Fish Nutrition from Pukyong National University, South Korea, and has published over 20 papers in international and Korean journals.
| Speaker | A Good Start with Genetics, Hatchery and Nursery |
| Presentation | Robust Juveniles: Integrating with Advanced Practices from the European Seabass-Broodstock to Weaning |
Abstract
The success of marine finfish production hinges on the ability to produce high-quality, robust juveniles that thrive upon transfer to grow-out conditions. In the Mediterranean region, fingerling quality has significantly improved in recent years due to several advancements. The shift from open systems to highly controlled production environments ensuring optimal water quality, rigorous standards for the production and use of live food (including premium Artemia and rotifers), the development of superior inert artificial diets to meet nutritional needs during the challenging weaning and post-weaning stages, and enhanced biosecurity measures have collectively boosted fingerling quality.
These improvements have also led to better juvenile performance in terms of growth, survival, and reduced deformities, while also increasing the predictability and overall profitability of hatchery and nursery operations. However, these improvements must be accompanied by good management and feeding of broodstock which are also essential steps to guarantee the production of high-quality eggs, available at different times of the year.
Current fish larvae culture practices in Asia mirror those of the Mediterranean region several years ago. While direct replication of European methods in Asia may not be feasible or be expected to have identical impact, valuable insights have emerged. They indicate the requirement to steer away from risk-inclusive practices with low level of standardization, such as the use of trash fish to prepare semi-moist broodstock feed pellets, the production of unpredictable zooplankton mixtures in green water based outdoor ponds, or the use of diets supporting large size variations during weaning and leading to cannibalism.
The next step is to integrate Asia’s extensive expertise in tropical marine fish culture with the advanced methodologies developed for European species, establishing new standards for finfish culture in Asia. This presentation will share several learnings from marine finfish culture in Europe, draw comparisons with the Asian context, and outline a vision for advancing Asian marine finfish culture through strong collaboration with local expert stakeholders.