GOED Executive Director Adam Ismail contested a university professor's claim that fish oil-in-feed is unsustainably harvested. (Photo: Stock File)

Fish feed industry refutes unsustainability accusation

WORLDWIDE
Friday, September 11, 2009, 23:50 (GMT + 9)

Increasing demand for fish feed is not depleting fish stocks, stated the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) against a recent claim that the fish feed industry is harming marine ecosystems.

In a piece published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stanford University professor Rosamond Naylor claimed that growing demand for fish oil and fishmeal is ravaging fish stocks due to companies harvesting marine resources unsustainably.

More stringent regulations are needed to both reduce the use of fish oil in aquaculture practices and foment sustainable production of the prized product, she said.

Naylor said just a 4 per cent reduction of fish oil in feed would diminish the amount of wild fish necessary to produce 1 lb of salmon from 5 lb to 3.9 lbs. Conversely, a 4 per cent reduction in the use of fishmeal would not be nearly as environmentally efficient.

GOED Executive Director Adam Ismail condemned the assumption that fish oil-in-feed is unsustainably harvested. He said amounts of fish oil use in feed are not increasing significantly.

The wild fish used to produce feed are largely imported from Peru and Chile, he said, where Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines are strictly followed to ensure sustainable fishing and supersede demand for Omega-3 fatty acids.

"This is why the amount of fish oil produced every year has not changed dramatically, even in the wake of rapid increases in demand from the aquaculture and omega-3 supplement markets," he stated.

Back in June, the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO) refuted the claim in the documentary “The End of the Line” that 5 kg of anchovy are necessary to produce just 1 kg of salmon. IFFO also contested the film’s assertion that the aquaculture industry is wasteful in its use of fishmeal and fish oil in its feed.

IFFO affirms that, due to updated techniques that reduce waste and increase efficiency through the inclusion of vegetable foods in the feed, only 1.7 tonnes are necessary to yield 1 tonne of salmon.

GOED is an association of processors, refiners, manufacturers, distributors, marketers, retailers and supporters of products that contain Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) – Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (LCPUFAs).

Related articles:

- Aquaculture's rapid growth poses new challenges
- International org refutes fish feed claim in film
- Greenpeace fishmeal figures 'inaccurate': industry rep

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

Print