As aquaculture continues to scale up to meet global food demand, nutrition is emerging as one of the most critical levers for improving sustainability, efficiency, and product quality across the sector.
With the aim of advancing science, fostering global collaboration, and supporting innovation in this field, the International Society of Aquaculture Nutrition (ISAN) has been created to fill a long-standing gap: the absence of a dedicated international body focused exclusively on aquaculture nutrition.
The decision to establish the society was made during the International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF) 2022 in Sorrento, and ISAN was formally founded in 2025 as a non-profit organization. Its inaugural Board and officers were elected in January 2026: Luisa M. P. Valente as President, Delbert M. Gatlin III as Vice-President, Débora Machado Fracalossi as Secretary, Erik-Jan Lock as Treasurer, and Alessio Bonaldo as Communications Officer.
The Board includes representatives from Europe and the Middle East, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region, along with former ISFNF conference chairs or their nominees, ensuring both continuity and renewal. Importantly, no country, organization, or company may be represented by more than one Board member, safeguarding independence, balance, and credibility. Scientific independence is a core principle of ISAN and will be ensured through transparent governance, elected leadership, balanced regional representation, and adherence to its bylaws.
“Existing aquaculture organizations address the sector broadly, while animal nutrition societies tend to focus mainly on terrestrial livestock. ISAN is different because it is specifically dedicated to fish and shellfish nutrition, including feed formulation, ingredient development, feed production, feeding management, nutritional physiology, and nutrition-related diseases and disorders,” explained Luísa Valente, Professor at the University of Porto and President of ISAN, in an interview with Aquafeed.com.
Priotities
ISAN’s primary goal is to build a truly global network for aquaculture nutrition, bringing together scientists, students, industry stakeholders, and other actors to foster partnerships, knowledge exchange, and scientific collaboration. At the same time, the society will support the long-term organization of ISFNF and develop activities between symposia, including training, capacity building, best-practice recommendations, and support for early-career researchers.
Luísa Valente. Credits: CIIMAR
From a scientific perspective, several areas require urgent attention. “We need to update nutrient requirements for different fish and shellfish species in the context of increasingly complex and sustainable feed formulations. We also need to better understand how nutrition can help farmed animals respond to climate change, including temperature fluctuations, stress, and health challenges. Improving feed efficiency, developing functional feeds, and producing more with fewer resources will be central priorities,” Valente said.
She also highlighted the growing role of new technologies. “Data science, predictive models, artificial intelligence, and precision nutrition tailored to specific farms and production systems will be key tools in accelerating this transition. In vitro platforms will become increasingly important to reduce reliance on animal trials, improve ingredient screening, and support more ethical and efficient research. ISAN can also contribute to improving both scientific and consumer understanding of circular ingredients, which is essential for their acceptance and responsible use.”
ISAN is first and foremost a scientific society, not an industry forum or lobbying platform. Its foundation rests on scientific excellence, independence, and credibility. “ISAN should operate at the interface between research, industry application, and, where appropriate, evidence-based policy. Its role is to create a trusted and independent space where science can inform innovation and responsible industry practices, without being driven by commercial or political interests,” Valente emphasized.
Translating scientific knowledge into practical solutions will require stronger communication across the value chain. “ISAN can help bridge the gap between science and practice through symposia, technical workshops, position papers, methodological guidelines, and training activities,” she said.
Promoting best practices in research is also a key objective. “Reliable data are essential for practical solutions. Better experimental design, standardized reporting, and clearer interpretation of nutritional outcomes will enable the industry to make better-informed decisions,” Valente added.
Who should join ISAN
ISAN is open to scientists, students, feed formulators, feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, aquaculture professionals, agencies, and organizations with an interest in fish and shellfish nutrition. Its value lies in creating a dedicated international network that connects people across disciplines, sectors, regions, and career stages.
Members will have voting rights within ISAN and opportunities to participate in task forces and committees, contributing directly to the society’s priorities. They will also benefit from reduced registration fees for ISFNF, held every two years, as well as potential future regional symposia. Additional benefits include access to studentships, scholarships, fellowships, training activities, scientific updates, and technical outputs. For students and early-career researchers, ISAN aims to serve as a platform for mentoring, networking, visibility, and international engagement.
All members joining ISAN until ISFNF 2026, that is May this year, will be recognized as Founding Members. Their one-time contribution of USD 150 will support the establishment of the society and its future activities, and they will be acknowledged on the ISAN website currently under development.
Delivering impact
ISAN’s first major commitment is to continue strengthening ISFNF as a leading global forum. Beyond conferences, the society will support collaborative initiatives, technical workshops, training events, methodological guidelines, and best-practice documents.
In the medium term, ISAN aims to contribute to position papers, technical guidelines, and thematic working groups on key topics such as ingredient evaluation, digestibility, nutrient requirements, feed efficiency, functional feeds, and nutrition-health interactions. Emerging areas, including artificial intelligence, data science, precision nutrition, in vitro testing platforms, and circular feed ingredients, will also be priorities.
Like any new organization, ISAN faces challenges: building membership, ensuring financial sustainability, encouraging active participation, and demonstrating value from the outset. “A new society must earn trust, especially in a landscape where many forums and networks already exist,” Valente noted.
To avoid becoming just another discussion platform, ISAN will focus on delivering tangible outcomes. Its credibility will depend on transparency, independence, scientific rigor, and its ability to generate outputs that are valuable to both science and industry.
Valente highlighted an example of an outdated approach to feed innovation where ISAN can help. Too often, innovation is still assessed in terms of direct ingredient substitution, rather than overall nutritional value, digestibility, functionality, resource efficiency, environmental impact, and value chain acceptance.
Advances in technology now enable the production of highly digestible and functional ingredients, including those derived from circular economy streams. Expanding their responsible use can help reduce waste, improve feed efficiency, and strengthen food system resilience.
“However, in some regions, adoption remains limited due to regulatory barriers, inconsistent quality, lack of familiarity, or insufficient communication about safety and benefits. The sector needs to move toward producing more with fewer resources, using locally available and circular ingredients where appropriate, and applying best feeding practices tailored to each species and production system. ISAN can contribute by promoting scientific literacy, evidence-based guidance, and best practices,” Valente explained.
A timely initiative
“ISAN is being established at a critical moment for aquaculture and its role in feeding a growing global population. The sector must increase production, but also improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen its focus on animal health, welfare, and product quality,” Valente said.
Nutrition will play a central role in this transition. ISAN aims to build a global, inclusive, and scientifically robust community that connects generations, disciplines, regions, and sectors.
“Ultimately, the strength of ISAN will depend on the commitment of everyone involved in aquaculture nutrition. To build a strong, active, and dynamic society, we need broad engagement from scientists, students, industry, and other stakeholders. Together, we can advance aquaculture nutrition and support the future of sustainable aquaculture worldwide,” Valente concluded.
While the ISAN website is still under development, interested readers can follow the society on LinkedIn for updates on membership and upcoming activities.