Aquaculture and Wild Fish Welfare - Feed Conversion

Carnivorous farmed fish species require feed derived from wild-caught fish, creating welfare implications both for farmed animals and for the billions of small wild fish harvested for feed.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon aquaculture requires approximately 1.3kg of wild fish to produce 1kg of farmed salmon, though this ratio has improved from historic highs above 4:1
Fishmeal and fish oil come from small pelagic species including anchoveta, herring, and sand eels
Wild fish used for fishmeal are typically not killed humanely, with mortality occurring through suffocation and crushing in nets
Alternatives including soy, insect meal, and single-cell proteins are being developed to reduce wild fish dependency
The welfare of wild fish harvested for fishmeal is rarely considered in aquaculture sustainability assessments
Some certification schemes now include feed sustainability but rarely address wild fish welfare directly

Welfare Considerations

The welfare implications of aquaculture extend beyond the farmed fish to encompass the billions of small wild fish harvested annually for feed. The suffering involved in mass capture and processing of feeder fish is largely invisible in welfare discussions focused on farmed species. Transitioning to alternative protein feeds reduces this hidden welfare burden while also improving aquaculture's environmental footprint.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon and other carnivorous farmed fish from producers using low-fishmeal feed formulations
Support research and investment in insect protein, algae, and other fishmeal alternatives
Advocate for feed sustainability standards in aquaculture certification to include wild fish welfare
Reduce consumption of farmed carnivorous fish species and consider herbivorous alternatives like tilapia or carp
Support organisations working on reducing wild fish harvest for fishmeal purposes