Aquaculture

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Welfare in Insect Aquafeed Production

Welfare considerations for black soldier fly larvae farmed as sustainable aquafeed protein.

Key Facts

Black soldier fly larvae are farmed at scale as sustainable protein for aquafeed
They consume organic waste streams — food waste, manure, and agricultural byproducts
Their sentience is uncertain — they have simple nervous systems
They are used to replace fishmeal in salmon and trout diets — reducing pressure on marine feed fish

Welfare Considerations

Black soldier fly larval welfare is uncertain given their simple nervous systems. Under precautionary welfare principles, conditions that cause evident distress signals warrant attention even in invertebrates. Their role in reducing fishmeal demand makes their production environmentally positive from a broader animal welfare perspective. Welfare research into insect farming conditions is expanding as the industry scales.

What You Can Do

Support development of insect sentience research to better inform welfare standards
Choose aquaculture products using insect meal instead of fishmeal where available
Advocate for welfare considerations to be included as insect farming scales globally