Farmed fish are fed fishmeal and fish oil derived from wild-caught small pelagic fish — creating a welfare chain that extends from ocean to farm.
Fishmeal production involves the killing of enormous quantities of small fish — with minimal welfare consideration — to feed farmed carnivorous fish. These small fish are caught in massive quantities and typically die slowly by asphyxiation on deck. They are sentient animals whose welfare during capture and death is essentially unaddressed. Feed alternatives that reduce wild-catch dependence improve both sustainability and the welfare chain supporting aquaculture.