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Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture: practices, sustainability and implications










Hasan, M.R.; Halwart, M. (eds).Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture: practices, sustainability and implications.FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 518. Rome, FAO. 2009. 407p.


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    Use of fishery resources as feed inputs for aquaculture development: trends and policy implications. 2006
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    Although aquaculture’s contribution to total world fisheries landings has increased ten-fold from 0.64 million tonnes in 1950 to 54.78 million tonnes in 2003, the finfish and crustacean aquaculture sectors are still highly dependent upon marine capture fisheries for sourcing key dietary nutrient inputs, including fishmeal, fish oil and low value trash fish. This dependency is particularly strong within aquafeeds for farmed carnivorous finfish species and marine shrimp. On the basis of the information presented within this fisheries circular, it is estimated that in 2003 the aquaculture sector consumed 2.94 million tonnes of fishmeal and 0.80 million tonnes of fish oil, or the equivalent of 14.95 to 18.69 million tonnes of pelagics (using a dry meal plus oil to wet fish weight equivalents conversion factor of 4 to 5). Moreover, coupled with the current estimated use of 5 to 6 million tonnes of trash fish as a direct food source for farmed fish, it is estimated that the aquaculture sector consumed the equivalent of 20–25 million tonnes of fish as feed in 2003 for the total production of about 30 million tonnes of farmed finfish and crustaceans (fed finfish and crustaceans 22.79 million tonnes and filter feeding finfish 7.04 million tonnes). At a species-group level, net fish-consuming species in 2003 (calculated on current pelagic input per unit of output using a 4–5 pelagic:meal conversion factor) included river eels, 3.14–3.93; salmon, 3.12–3.90; marine fish, 2.54–3.18; trout, 2.47–3.09 and marine shrimp, 1.61–2.02; whereas net fish producers included freshwater crustaceans, 0.89–1.11; milkfish, 0.30–0.37; tilapia, 0.23–0.28; catfish, 0.22–0.28; and feeding carp, 0.19–0.24. Particular emphasis within the report is placed on the need for the aquaculture sector to reduce its current dependence upon potentially food-grade marine capture-fishery resources for sourcing its major dietary protein and lipid nutrient inputs. Results are presented on the efforts to date concerning the search for cost-effective dietary fishmeal and fish oil replacers, and policy guidelines are given for the use of fishery resources as feed inputs by the emerging aquaculture sector.
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    Aquaculture development. 5. Use of wild fish as feed in aquaculture 2011
    These technical guidelines on the use of wild fish as feed in aquaculture have been developed to support sections of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) addressing responsible fisheries management (Article 7) and aquaculture development (Article 9) and in particular in support of Articles 9.1.3 , 9.1.4 and 9.4.3. The objective of these guidelines is to assist those concerned to ensure both aquaculture growth and equitable and sustained use of available fish stocks. The guide lines cover a number of issues relevant to the use of wild fish in feeds in aquaculture, ranging from ecosystem and environmental impacts, ethical issues and responsible use of fish as feed, aquaculture technology and development, and statistics and information needs for management. However, issues relating fisheries management are not covered here, as these have been considered within separate sets of guidelines related to fisheries management and there exist several sets of technical guideline s on the sustainable management of fisheries and several continuing initiatives to improve sustainable management of fisheries which inter alia would also apply to feed-fish fisheries.
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    Impact of rising feed ingredient prices on aquafeeds and aquaculture production 2009
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    The present technical paper investigates and evaluates the underlying reasons for the recent dramatic rise in prices of many of the commodities (e.g., soybean, corn, fishmeal, fish oil, rice and wheat) used in aquafeed production and its consequences for the aquafeed industry, and in particular, on demand and expectations from aquaculture in securing current and future fish supplies with particular reference to Asia and Europe. This technical paper also discusses issues related to avai lability of and access to land and water resources, and the impact of other sectors, using these resources, on the direction of aquaculture both in terms of species produced and the production systems. In the light of probable increase in competition for land and water in many aquaculture producing countries in Asia, there will inevitably be increasing pressure to intensify aquaculture productivity through the use of more commercial feeds than farm-made feeds. Due to the increasing p rices of ingredients, aquafeed prices, especially the prices of compound aquafeeds, may increase further and a shortfall in the local supplies will compel importation of aquafeeds. Of the ingredients, fishmeal and fish oil are highly favoured for aquafeeds and aquafeed production is under increasing pressure due to limited supplies and increasing price of fishmeal and fish oil. Considering these factors, this review also outlines initiatives that are searching for substitutes for fishm eal and fish oil so as to position the industry to meet the challenge of securing aquafeed for sustaining aquaculture. A brief overview of coping strategies to strengthen national capacity to address the issue of aquafeed supply and to mitigate rising prices of aquafeed ingredient is given. These strategies include policies, research and private sector and farmers’ initiatives.

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