After perfecting the culture of milkfish (Chanos chanos) and creating marine-tolerant strains of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), he and his team have now succeeded in developing a hybrid rabbitfish (Siganus spp.) with a higher growth rate and improved disease resistance.

Globally, the culture of carnivorous marine finfish and crustaceans receives the most interest from investors, with species groups like sea bass, salmon and shrimp showing double-digit growth rates. These species are enjoying high demand from western and Chinese customers and fetch relatively high prices. Their culture, however, comes with high environmental impacts. Large amounts of fishmeal are typically required as feeds, and it is estimated that, at present, a quarter of all fish landed globally – a whopping 21 million tonnes annually – are caught for the fishmeal industry.

With the planet facing a global environmental crisis, improving the sustainability of our farming methods is critical. Together with more efficient ways of farming fish, a serious part of the solution is to critically consider just which species we should be farming.