Vegetable-based Feeds

Vegetable-based Feeds

Currently, one quarter of the fish consumed by humans come from aquaculture, and this share is increasing.  However, aquaculture depends on ocean caught fish as a protein source in fish feed. As the demand for farm-raised fish increases, so does the demand for wild caught fish for aquaculture feeds. It is estimated that 13 mmt of aquaculture fish feed is produced each year. The major component of aquaculture fish feed is fish meal (10% or 1.3mmt), which is obtained from wild harvest fish. Aquaculture is expected to reach 30 mmt by the year 2010, which will demand over 3 mmt of fishmeal per year.  The need for alternative protein source in aquaculture is imminent.

The nutritional benefits from each fish are clearly recognized.  However, recent studies have raised concerns over issues of the bioaccumulation of toxins such as mercury an PCBs in both wild caught and farm-raised fish. Fish are predators and the toxins from their prey (including prey ground up as fish meal) accumulate in their bodies. Fish grown on vegetable-based feed are not subject to this pathway of bioaccumulation.