The aquaculture industry, responsible for a significant portion of our global seafood supply, is constantly evolving. A crucial area of development is finding new and sustainable ingredients for fish feed. While traditional ingredients like fishmeal remain important, researchers are exploring a variety of intriguing alternatives.
A team of researchers led by IFFO’s Technical Director, Dr. Brett Glencross, and a group of world-renowned aquaculture nutritionists from Texas Agriculture & Medicine University, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, and University of Porto, in response to the emergence of a wide variety of new ingredients in the aquafeed sector, published a scientific review providing some insightful assessments of where we stand in the quest for new protein sources.
This article delves into the world of these emerging feed ingredients, analyzing their potential and limitations.
A Spectrum of Possibilities
Traditionally, fishmeal and fish oil have been the mainstays of aquafeeds. However, concerns about the sustainability of resources and the environmental impact of harvesting these ingredients have driven the search for alternatives.
The landscape of new ingredients is rich and diverse. From marine resources like seaweed to innovative options like insect meal, researchers are exploring a variety of possibilities. Here’s a breakdown of some key categories:
- Marine Ingredients: Derived from forage fishing or byproducts of both fish and aquaculture resources, these include algae and single-celled organisms like microalgae. They offer potential for proteins and essential fatty acids, but scalability and profitability pose challenges.
- Cereal-based Ingredients: Cereals such as soybean, corn, and wheat can be processed to yield valuable feed components. However, their protein content is typically lower than fishmeal, requiring careful formulation. Digestibility issues and the need for essential amino acid supplements may limit their effectiveness.
- Terrestrial Animal Byproducts: Leftovers from the meat processing industry, such as poultry meal, along with insect meal and worm meal, can be repurposed as valuable protein sources for fish feed. Sustainability considerations and proper processing are crucial here.
- Novel Ingredients: This intriguing category includes options like insect meal and single-celled organisms such as yeast and bacteria. While offering high protein content and efficient production, research is ongoing regarding their long-term effects on fish health and the environment.
No Perfect Ingredient: Complementarity is the Way Forward
“The assessment demonstrates that each ingredient has strengths and weaknesses. In many cases, the weaknesses of one ingredient can be compared with the strengths of others to identify complementarity opportunities,” explains Dr. Brett Glencross. For example, soybean has the scale and stability required for supply and product quality consistency, but lacks palatability for many species. In contrast, fishmeal supply is limited, but its palatability characteristics are excellent. Both work well together in a highly complementary manner.
A Framework for Evaluation
Selecting the right ingredients for fish feed requires careful consideration. This article presents an evaluation framework that helps assess each ingredient based on key factors such as:
- Nutritional Profile: Does it provide the proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals that fish need?
- Availability and Cost: Can it be consistently obtained at an affordable price?
- Environmental Impact: Is its production sustainable and minimizes the environmental footprint?
- Palatability: Will fish readily consume it?
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
For a deeper understanding of each ingredient class, a SWOT analysis is applied. This approach considers:
- Strengths: What are the inherent advantages of each ingredient?
- Weaknesses: What limitations or drawbacks do they have?
- Opportunities: How can these ingredients be further developed and utilized?
- Threats: What potential risks or challenges exist in their widespread adoption?
By understanding these factors, informed decisions can be made regarding the incorporation of new ingredients into fish feed formulations.
What lies ahead for the future?
The review presented a series of clear options for the future to enhance the safety of balanced diets:
- Improving the management of existing resources to increase their productivity.
- Ensuring the utilization of resources.
- Continuing to develop the production of non-competitive resources.
An important observation from the review was as follows:
“By better appreciating the positive and negative aspects of each ingredient, it is possible to increase our adaptability to respond to the various opportunities for their use in balanced diets and improve the sustainability of the sector for the future,” Glencross concluded. Overall, while technical advancements in working with an increasingly diverse range of ingredients are evident, there is still a need to work on expanding new resources to achieve significant volumes.
Conclusion
This review emphasizes that no ingredient is a perfect replacement for fishmeal. However, by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each option, we can create a more diverse and adaptable spectrum of food ingredients for aquaculture. This approach not only ensures the long-term sustainability of the industry but also contributes to the production of healthy and nutritious seafood products for consumers.
Contact
Ben Glencross
IFFO – the Marine Ingredients Organisation, London, UK
Email: bglencross@iffo.com
Reference (open access)
Glencross, B., Ling, X., Gatlin, D., Kaushik, S., Øverland, M., Newton, R., & Valente, L. M. (2024). A SWOT Analysis of the Use of Marine, Grain, Terrestrial-Animal and Novel Protein Ingredients in Aquaculture Feeds. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2024.2315049
