Aquaculture Welfare

Aquaculture Feed Welfare Impacts

Aquaculture feed composition affects both the welfare of farmed fish and the marine animals that supply fishmeal and fish oil ingredients.

Key Facts

Marine fishmeal and oil from small pelagic fish is declining as a feed ingredient
Soy and other plant ingredients replace fish in feeds, but reduce omega-3 content
Alternative protein sources (insect meal, algae) are in commercial development
Feed quality affects immune function and skin integrity in farmed fish
Sub-optimal feed formulation contributes to chronic disease and welfare problems

Welfare Considerations

Farmed fish fed nutritionally inadequate diets experience welfare impacts from poor immune function, skin problems, and growth disorders. Meanwhile, billions of small pelagic fish are harvested for fishmeal, with associated welfare impacts. Developing nutritionally complete aquaculture feeds from sustainable, welfare-considerate sources addresses welfare at both the farm and feed source levels.

What You Can Do

Choose certified aquaculture products from producers with responsible feed sourcing
Support research into alternative protein sources for aquaculture feed
Advocate for feed composition welfare standards in aquaculture certification
Learn about the connection between feed sourcing and aquaculture welfare