Advantages of using fish meal and fish oil in fish feeds pointed out
"Improved technology in the fish meal and oil industry, with emphasis on fresh raw material and gentle drying, gives fish products which retain virtually all the original nutritional properties of the fish caught", says IFFO. "When used as major components of feeds for carnivorous fish and crustacea, these become very close to those of their wild counterparts".
Stating that wild fish catches are not expected to increase, IFFO suggests that growth in the aquaculture sector is required in order to supplement the increasing world supply of seafood. Fish meal and fish oil are key ingredients in feeds for carnivorous fish like salmon and shrimp. Produced mainly from inedible, bony fish and trimmings from human grade fish, fish meal and fish oil have been produced at a steady rate except in years of El Niño or other natural anomalies.
Some of the benefits of including fish meal and fish oil in diets for carnivorous fish and crustacea are listed by IFFO as;
- Jointly they provide a feed source virtually the same as in the wild
- Correctly balanced, they optimise growth and feed conversion rates
- Helping to maintain the immune system of the fish- optimising disease resistance
- Reducing water pollution through more efficient feed use
- Contributing DHA and EPA fatty acids, helping to maintain levels in farmed fish similar to those in wild fish consumed by humans
- Helps to produce farmed fish with flesh quality similar to that of their wild counterparts
Substitution of fish meal and/or fish oil in feeds for carnivorous fish may be considered in certain situations, but according to IFFO this may lead to one or more of the following problems;
- Reduced dietary energy, leading to a poorer feed conversion rate
- Reduced amino acid content- with similar results
- Reduced immunity to disease in the early development stages
- Introduction of excessively high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which are not appropriate from a human nutrition standpoint
