Aquaculture Feed Welfare: Fishmeal, Insects and Sustainable Protein Sources

Aquaculture feed systems involve complex welfare tradeoffs. Reducing fishmeal dependency and transitioning to insect protein affects welfare across multiple species.

Key Facts

Aquaculture consumes approximately 20% of global wild-caught fish as fishmeal and fish oil.
Wild fish used for fishmeal include anchovies, herring and sand eels — hundreds of billions of individuals annually.
Insect meal from black soldier fly larvae is an approved EU aquaculture feed ingredient with strong life cycle credentials.
Plant-based protein sources including soy raise deforestation concerns affecting wild animal habitat.
Single-cell protein from fermentation offers a fishmeal alternative with minimal land and wildlife impacts.
The welfare of wild fish used in fishmeal production is rarely considered despite their likely sentience.

Welfare Considerations

Aquaculture feed systems create cascading welfare effects across multiple species. Wild fish caught for fishmeal are subject to all the welfare harms of commercial fishing — bycatch, net crowding, handling stress and asphyxiation. The billions of individuals involved make fishmeal production one of the largest sources of fish welfare harm globally. Transitioning to insect protein, single-cell protein and other sustainable alternatives reduces wild fish harvest. However, insect welfare — the wellbeing of the billions of larvae used — is an emerging consideration as evidence accumulates on invertebrate sentience. Welfare-conscious feed innovation considers the full supply chain of species affected.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture producers transitioning away from fishmeal toward sustainable protein sources.
Advocate for wild fish used in fishmeal to be included in fisheries welfare assessments.
Learn about the feed conversion efficiency differences between aquaculture species.
Support research into insect welfare to inform humane standards for insect protein production.
Reduce overall aquaculture consumption to lower demand on wild fish for feed production.