The feed ingredients used in aquaculture have both environmental sustainability implications and indirect welfare consequences for wild fish populations used as feed.
The welfare implications of aquaculture feed extend beyond the farm to encompass the billions of wild fish caught specifically to produce fishmeal and oil for farmed species. These wild fish are caught in massive volumes using purse seine nets, subjected to the hypoxia and crushing stress of aggregate capture, and processed without any welfare consideration. While their individual welfare matters to fish welfare advocates, the scale of reduction fisheries means even modest improvements in welfare consideration during capture would affect enormous numbers of animals. The transition to plant-based and novel ingredient feeds reduces dependency on wild fish, delivering both environmental and welfare benefits across the seafood production system.