Saving Seafood

Omega-3s in Fish Oils Tied to Healthy Aging

October 19, 2018 — Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the fats found in fish, are linked to a healthier old age, according to a new study.

Researchers tracked 2,622 adults, average age 74 and healthy at the start of the study, from 1992 to 2015, looking to see if they continued to live without chronic diseases and without mental or physical problems.

The investigators measured blood levels of four common types of omega-3s: EPA and DHA, found in seafood; ALA, derived from plants; and DPA, which the body produces in small amounts.

After adjusting for many medical, dietary and lifestyle factors, they found that compared with people in the lowest one-fifth for omega-3 levels, those in the highest one-fifth had an 18 percent lower risk of unhealthy aging. The study appeared in BMJ.

Considered separately, EPA and DPA were associated with lowered risk of unhealthy aging, but DHA and ALA were not.

Read the full story at The New York Times

Fishmeal industry optimistic on upcoming Peruvian anchovy season

October 15, 2018 — Fishmeal and fish oil industry sources are optimistic about the upcoming Peruvian anchovy fishing season, which might start earlier than expected, in mid-November.

Peru’s ministry of production (Produce) is expected to announce the start of the fishing season around the end of October, taking into account the outcome of the maritime institute’s ongoing evaluation.

“Sea conditions are optimal and good reproduction has already started on the acoustic cruise that will end at the end of October,” said Humberto Speziani, IFFO board member and former president of IFFO and of the Peruvian National Fisheries Society (SNP).

Although the evaluation hasn’t yet been completed, it seems that biomass in the water is abundant, which could lead to a quota of 2 million-2.5m metric tons, according to sources. Despite rumors that the quota could be as high as 2.5m metric tons, 2m-2.2m metric tons is more in line with the historical average, one source pointed out.

“2m-2.5m metric tons is quite a reliable assumption of quota,” Jean-Francois Mittaine, an analyst with 30 years experience in the sector, told Undercurrent News, adding that fishmeal and fish oil prices were currently “quite stable”.

Super prime fishmeal is currently priced at around $1,630-1,650 per metric ton, while fish oil is at around $1,350/t, according to industry sources in Peru. Meanwhile, prices in China were slightly falling, driven by expectations of a good upcoming Peruvian season, according to sources.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

SFP: Reduction fishery sustainability improving, Asian fisheries still an issue

October 9, 2018 — The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership has released its latest annual report on reduction fisheries, and has concluded that the sustainability of the fisheries worldwide has improved by roughly eight percent.

The report, which analyzed 26 reduction fisheries – fisheries that harvest fish to be processed into fishmeal and fish oil – found that the amount of catch coming from poorly managed fisheries has dropped 16 percent from last year, and has been steadily decreasing since 2016. The report also found the 91 percent of the catch volume came from stocks “that scored 6 or better on all five criteria outlined by SFP’s FishSource database,” according to SFP.

While the report is positive, the authors – Pedro Veiga, Marina Mendes, and Blake Lee-Hardwood – also noted that Asian fisheries have been largely excluded from the data, “because of the current difficulty in establishing management and catch data.”

“This omission is significant, because the fisheries of Asia provide very large quantities of fishmeal; it is hoped that future editions of the report will be able to extend coverage to at least some of these fisheries,” the authors wrote. “Nonetheless, we are confident that the report covers approximately 50 percent of global fishmeal and oil production.”

Roughly three percent of the total catch volume of what was included in the report is coming from fisheries that have stock in “very good condition.” The entirety of that amount is attributed to one fishery: Antarctic krill in the Atlantic Southern Ocean. Of the 91 percent of fisheries that are “reasonably well-managed” or better, the largest contributor was the Peruvian anchoveta fishery, representing 33 percent of the total catch.

“This report clearly identifies a positive trend among the reduction fisheries of the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, although there is still significant room for improvement with some fisheries,” the authors wrote. “The proportion of fisheries achieving higher sustainability ratings has increased significantly; this builds on improvements identified in the previous report for 2017. These results clearly represent a good news story for the fishmeal and fish oil industry and show that it is becoming ever more responsible with regards to fisheries management.”

Industry leaders within aquaculture were pleased by the news in the report.

“BioMar is proud to support SFP in its efforts to improve the environmental stewardship of global marine resources. The positive trend in this year’s report demonstrates the power of the multi-stakeholder approach to “greening” value chains through responsible sourcing,” BioMar sustainability specialist Erik Olav Gracey said. “We will continue to actively support SFP through collaboration and support of fisheries improvement projects worldwide.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

SFP sees improvement in sustainability of fisheries used for fishmeal, oil

October 9, 2018 — More than 90% of the fish used for fishmeal and fish oil from the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans now come from fisheries that are “reasonably well-managed (or better)”, according to the latest annual report on reduction fisheries by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP).

SFP said its report, which analyzes 26 reduction fishery stocks worldwide, found that 91% of the total catch volume came from stocks that scored 6 or better on all five criteria outlined by SFP’s FishSource database. That’s an 8% increase over last year.

Poorly managed fisheries accounted for 9% of the catch, a drop from 16% last year.

Of the stocks listed in “very good condition,” the report singled out the Antarctic krill fishery in the Atlantic Southern Ocean as being particularly well-managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Fish Oil Drug May Reduce Heart Attack and Stroke Risks for Some

September 26, 2018 — Cardiologists may one day have a new tool to help prevent heart attacks and strokes in some high-risk patients: a prescription drug that contains large doses of EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid contained in fish oil.

A large clinical trial found that the drug, called Vascepa, sharply reduced the rate of cardiovascular events in people with a history of heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, according to early results that were announced on Monday.

The findings were particularly relevant for people with high triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. The new trial, called Reduce-IT, focused on people whose cholesterol levels were well controlled with statins but whose triglyceride levels remained very high. Many cardiovascular experts were doubtful that adding fish oil on top of statins would produce much if any benefit because a number of smaller and less rigorous studies over the years had failed.

But the new trial showed that statin-treated adults with elevated triglycerides who were prescribed high doses of the purified EPA had a 25 percent reduction in their relative risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac events compared to a control group of patients who received placebo.

Read the full story at The New York Times

Fish oil pills during pregnancy may lead to stronger, healthier children

September 5, 2018 — Taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy might translate into healthier growth in children during their first six years of life, a new study suggests.

“This study highlights the fact that in utero exposure can have a profound effect on the fetus that lasts through childhood,” said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“For the past decade, the importance of fish oil and the omega-3 fatty acids have been stressed to patients,” explained Wu, who was not involved in the study.

“The use of fish oil in the latter part of the pregnancy has an impact on bone and muscle mass. Though these children are larger, they do not have increased rates of obesity,” Wu added.

In the study, the researchers followed 736 pregnant women in Denmark who took either fish oil or olive oil supplements daily from week 24 of their pregnancy until one week after they gave birth.

Read the full story at United Press International

 

Sustainable Omega 3 Consumption: A Positive Trend Set to Increase

September 5, 2018 — The following was released by Friend of the Sea:

The size of the global omega 3 supplement industry has grown enormously in recent years. Evidence from the market shows that more and more consumers worldwide are demanding fish oils and nutrients which are not only healthy and of high quality, but are also respectful of the marine environment. After decades of campaigns by environmental activists and enlightened industry operators, the message has finally reached a rising number of eco-conscious individuals and households globally.

Friend of the Sea Standard for Omega 3

Back in 2010, Friend of the Sea (FoS), an independent certification scheme set up two years earlier to assess the environmental sustainability associated with seafood from fisheries and aquaculture, felt the urgent need to introducing a specific standard for producers of fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 supplements. According to this, accredited third-party certification bodies certify that the oil originates only from fisheries are compliant with Friend of the Sea sustainable fishing requirements, including good fishery management, selective fishing gears and social responsibility, and that a full chain of custody is in place throughout the supply and the production chain.

The fish contained in certified omega 3 products can be traced back to certified fisheries which have been independently assessed to meet Friend of the Sea’s widely recognised standard for sustainable wild fishing. These fisheries are well managed and their impacts on the environment minimized so that seafood supplies are safeguarded for future generations.

The origin of certified fish oil

Today, 439 companies adhere voluntarily to Friend of the Sea standard for fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 supplement, an increase of around 477% compared with 2015 when there were only 76.

“As the leading globally recognised standard program for sustainable seafood, we are enthusiastic about scoring and sharing the positive change in attitude towards environmental sustainability and social accountability occurring also in the nutraceutical sector,” claims Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Friend of the Sea. “Consumers worldwide can now have wider access to sustainable products on the shelves and we are convinced of an even brighter future for the sector.”

Certified oils originate mostly from approved Peruvian anchovy fisheries and fleet – Engraulis ringens – (29%), Antarctic krill – Euphausia superba – (22%), European sardine – Sardina pilchardus (8%), European anchovy – Engraulis encrasicolus – (7%), Chub mackerel – Scomber japonicus (7%), Atlantic cod – Gadus morhua – (3%). The remaining 24% derives from various species such as salmon, tuna and squid which are equally certified, processed and usually refined and blended.

Read the full release here

Fish Oil May Protect the Youngest Hearts

June 8, 2018 — Omega-3 fatty acids — good fats found in fish — can boost the heart health of adults, but a new study suggests that babies might also stand to benefit from them.

In the study from Australia, infants were given a daily fish oil supplement or a placebo from birth to 6 months. When they were 5 years old, researchers found that the children who had been given fish oil had smaller waists than the youngsters who were given a placebo. A larger waist circumference is a known risk factor for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

The researchers also found that boys given fish oil supplements in infancy had less circulating insulin in their bodies and less resistance to insulin when they were 5, though the study could only show an association between the two. Insulin is a hormone that carries sugars from the foods you eat into your cells to be used as fuel. Insulin resistance and higher levels of insulin play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

“It seems that using fish oil could help decrease waist circumference, which by itself, is a major cardiometabolic risk factor. But we can’t say for sure yet whether this will last,” said pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Siham Accacha. She was not involved in the study, but reviewed its findings.

“I’m also not sure why the insulin findings were only in boys. At age 5, there are no pubertal hormones, but obviously there was something there,” said Accacha, director of the pediatric diabetes program at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

Read the full story at U.S. News

Fish oil supplements help ease cancer treatment pain, study suggests

June 6, 2018 — Fish oil supplements may help alleviate the painful side effects of some cancer treatments, research suggests.

Two separate studies, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, show Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce discomfort caused by certain therapies.

The benefits were seen in some breast and bowel cancer patients, with the supplement thought to reduce inflammation.

Dr Andrew Epstein, speaking as an expert for ASCO, said: “It’s adding to the evidence base that nutritionally supplemental therapies like Omega-3 may have a place in supporting patients as they go through their cancer care.”

Around half of women taking aromatase inhibitors, a common drug for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer, experience joint pain.

The hormone treatment is usually taken for between five to 10 years after surgery.

However an estimated 25% of patients stop within two years because they cannot endure the side effects, lead author Dr Sherry Shen, of the New York Presbyterian Hospital, said.

“This is a real problem, the joint pain,” she told the Press Association.

“And it’s really preventing women from taking these medications that are designed to prevent them getting a recurrence of their breast cancer.”

An analysis of a 2015 study of 249 patients found Omega-3 helped relieve symptoms among obese women taking the drug, who are more likely to experience joint pain.

Those with a BMI above 30 – around 140 patients – recorded an average “worst pain” score of seven out of 10 before taking the supplement or a placebo.

Read the full story at ITV

IFFO responds to “unjustified and damaging” criticism of aquaculture’s fishmeal, fish oil use

February 15, 2018 — Fishmeal and fish oil are and will continue to be efficient and sustainable aquaculture feed components if they are responsibly sourced and used strategically, while not using them could compromise fish health and lead to unnecessary waste, IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation has stressed.

In response to an article published by National Geographic, titled “Why salmon eating insects instead of fish is better for environment,” which discusses fishmeal and fish oil replacement in salmon feed, Andrew Mallison, director general of IFFO, said the total replacement of fishmeal and fish oil, as called for in the article, was unjustified and damaging to the fish farming industry.

Mallison said that while IFFO agreed with the need for additional feed options in aquaculture to ensure the growth of “this vital industry,” the article quoted information that was both out-of-date and incorrect.

The improvement in management of wild-capture fisheries has ensured that in recent years stocks are in fact steady and not declining, according to the FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016, he said.

“While catches of some small pelagic species used to produce fishmeal and fish oil are volatile, this is due to environmental fluctuation with permitted catches being varied in line with biomass abundance to protect the stocks. These small pelagic species are often not as palatable, spoil quickly and are less popular compared to other local fish, but can be turned into highly nutritious feed,” Mallison said. “Further evidence of sustainability in the production of marine ingredients is that over 45 percent of the global production of fishmeal and fish oil is now independently certified as being safe and environmentally responsible, including in its sourcing of raw materials, a figure that far exceeds any other source of feed ingredient.”

Regarding the efficiency of the use of fishmeal and fish oil, Mallison highlighted that the latest FIFO (fish in: fish out ratios) using 2015 data showed a conversion rate of one kilogram of wild fish used in feed creates 1.22 kilograms of farmed salmon, demonstrating that farmed salmon now produce globally more consumable protein than is used in feed.

Read the full story at Seafood Source