Fishmeal and oil production rose in first nine months of 2025

The volume of fishmeal produced globally this year is projected to reach 5.4 million tonnes, and fish oil production will amount to 1.2 million tonnes, according to marine ingredients organisation IFFO.

The projections are based on statistics shared by IFFO members in Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the US, South Africa and Spain, and in particular major anchovy producer Peru. These countries account for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of fish oil output.

In Peru, the second fishing season in the North-Centre region is ongoing, with two thirds of the 1.63 million tonne quota completed so far. IFFO’s market research director Dr Enricho Bachis said this was a positive sign that led to IFFO’s conclusions.

Fishmeal up 7%, oil up 5%

Based on market reports which IFFO shares with its members, IFFO calculated that in the first nine months of 2025 the total cumulative global annual fishmeal production rose by approximately 7% compared to the same period in 2024. This increase was driven by higher output in most regions, except for the Iceland and North Atlantic area, which reported a year-on-year decline.

Similarly, cumulative fish oil output through October 2025 showed a year-on-year increase of around 5%. Most countries recorded positive trends compared to January-October 2024, with the exception of Peru, where lower oil yields in 2025 played a significant role in the decline.

China

IFFO said China’s cumulative fishmeal consumption in aquaculture and pig farming likely to surpass that of 2024, but domestic production of marine ingredients has been limited during the last quarter of 2025. It therefore does not expect production for the year to surpass the 2024 level which was estimated at 570,000 tonnes.

IFFO said that according to China’s Ministry of Agriculture, domestic aquaculture production continued to grow through October across key farming regions. Currently, active aquafarming is mainly concentrated in warmer provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. White-leg shrimp cultivated in sheds and greenhouses remains one of the primary farmed species, helping to support fishmeal consumption.

In contrast, farmers in colder regions have largely suspended aquaculture activities, either stopping feed use entirely or significantly reducing it.

Cumulative fishmeal consumption in aquaculture is estimated to have exceeded last year’s levels so far, even though demand over the past two months has been lower on a year-on-year basis.

On the livestock side, stronger piglet demand in the first half of 2025 means overall fishmeal consumption for the year is expected to surpass 2024 levels.