Fishmeal & Fish Oil - Sustainable Raw Materials

returning valuable nutrients to the human food chain via aquaculture

The anticipated future growth in aquaculture is needed to supplement catches of wild fish which are not expected to increase. To feed these aquatic animals, fish meal and fish oil will be required in increasing amounts. These are produced from wild, inedible fish - typically small bony oily fish (feed fish) and trimmings from human grade fish (food fish). Their use in aquaculture effectively returns an otherwise unusable yet sustainable product (See FIN Dossier 2007) back into the human food chain. Here it augments the wild catch to provide a highly nutritious food for a growing world population.

Benefits of using Fishmeal and Fish Oil in Feeds for Aquatic Animals:

• Together they provide a feed source virtually the same as in the wild.
• No farmed fish species or their trimmings are used to produce aquaculture grade fishmeal and fish oil for the same species - there is no intra-species recycling.
• Correctly balanced to achieve optimum protein and oil in the feed - they optimise growth and feed required (feed conversion) (TB 24 - salmonids).
• Help to maintain immune system and optimise disease resistance.
• Can produce high nutrient dense feed reducing feed needed for given growth.
• Reduce water pollution through more efficient feed use.
• Contribute DHA and EPA helping to maintain levels in farmed fish similar to those in wild fish consumed by humans.

 A note on Substitution of Fish Meal and fish oil