Farmed carnivorous fish traditionally rely on wild-caught fishmeal and fish oil. Innovative feed alternatives are reducing this pressure with benefits for wild fish welfare and marine ecosystems.
The dependence of carnivorous aquaculture on wild-caught fish for feed creates an indirect welfare burden: billions of small pelagic fish including anchovies, herring, and sardines are captured and processed for fishmeal and fish oil annually. These fish experience capture and processing stress, and their removal affects the whole marine ecosystem. Feed innovation that substitutes fishmeal with insect protein, single-cell protein from fermentation, or plant-based alternatives reduces this indirect welfare and environmental impact. Consumer choices favouring farmed seafood from operations with low fishmeal dependence, and innovation investment in alternative proteins, drive progress toward a more welfare-conscious aquaculture feed system.