September 20, 2012 — Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing form of food production and a vital component of our food supply. But the industry’s growing demand for fish feed, which is derived mainly from wild populations of smaller fish such as anchovies and sardines, will soon outstrip supply. Can we replace wild-caught fish in the diets of farmed fish so that the aquaculture industry’s continued growth will be sustainable? Researchers from NOAA and the US Department of Agriculture have been working on this problem and a report released this month, The Future of Aquafeeds, details their progress.
Most of the finfish that people like to eat – such as tuna, salmon, and bass – feed on smaller fish and shellfish in the wild. Traditional aquaculture feeds are based on fishmeal and oils that mimic that natural diet. But it turns out that, when raised on a farm, carnivorous fish don’t need to eat fish.
According to Dr. Michael Rust, Aquaculture Research Program Manager at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, “All fish—carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore—require about 40 nutrients in the correct ratio. It doesn’t matter to the health of the fish where the nutrients come from. By incorporating marine algae, fish processing trimmings, and a variety of plant products, we can formulate high quality fish feeds without relying on wild-caught fish."
Scientists have been working to substitute ingredients in aquafeeds for years. But the NOAA-USDA Alternative Feeds Initiative has accelerated this progress by supporting federal scientists and their partners in academia and industry. “We are getting to the point,” says Rust, “that substituting for fishmeal and oil is an increasingly viable option.”