Responsible use of fishmeal in aquaculture

The FAO Innovation for Blue Transformation series introduces relevant policy initiatives, mechanisms and tools to promote innovation and technical solutions that can accelerate aquatic food systems transformation. The series shares brief and practical knowledge needed for sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems that can nourish the world’s growing population, providing solutions to the challenges preventing these systems from delivering their full potential. This edition explores how the fed aquaculture sector has advanced and improved the use of fishmeal as a feed source for aquaculture based on recent scientific and technological developments. It provides up-to-date information on the use of fishmeal in aquaculture, its main sources, and how it is utilized. It presents evidence of innovations supporting the responsible use of fishmeal by the fed aquaculture sector and the opportunities and limitations of replacing fishmeal with alternative ingredients. It also includes two case studies, one from Ecuador highlighting the efforts made by the shrimp farming sector to reduce the amount of fishmeal used and one from West Africa outlining the socioeconomic impacts of fishmeal production in the region.