Non-Marine-Based Fishmeal and Fish Oil Replacement Strategies for the Production of Aquaculture Feeds

If aquaculture is to become an increasing contributor to the food supply, it is critical that aquaculture feeds become less reliant on marine-derived fishmeal and fish oil as the preferred source of essential proteins and lipids. Not only is the wild fishery from which these products are extracted at maximum sustainable levels of harvest, but also there is increasing concern that these feedstocks may contain contaminants and pollutants that have accumulated in the fish from which the fishmeal and fish oil were derived. It is critical; therefore, that aquaculture feeds become less reliant on marine proteins and lipids. Technically, this means finding suitable terrestrial alternatives that are safe for human consumption. Our goal is to develop a strategy for the production of aquaculture feeds that replace marine fishmeal and fish oil with non-marine ingredients. We will demonstrate that the ingredients of prototypical diets currently being tested can perform economically in a standard production environment.