Aquaculture

Livestock Fish Feed and Aquaculture Sustainability

The use of wild fish in aquaculture feed raises both sustainability and animal welfare questions.

Key Facts

Farmed salmon require 1-2kg of wild-caught fish to produce 1kg of salmon
Anchovies, sand eels, and herring are the main feed species
Reduction in wild fish abundance affects seabird, whale, and predator populations
Insect meal and algae-based alternatives are being developed as fish meal substitutes

Welfare Considerations

Wild fish caught for aquaculture feed are themselves animals whose welfare matters. Purse seine nets hauling millions of anchovies aboard vessels cause the same welfare concerns as any large-scale wild fish mortality event. The welfare cost of feed fish must be factored into assessment of farmed salmon welfare alongside direct on-farm welfare measures. Reducing fish-in fish-out ratios benefits both ecological sustainability and aggregate animal welfare.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon and trout products with certified sustainable feed sourcing
Support research into insect and plant-based aquaculture feed alternatives
Advocate for fish-in fish-out ratio standards in aquaculture certification
Donate to organisations researching sustainable aquaculture feed