Aquaculture
Aquaculture Feed: Frequently Asked Questions
- Feed, and the use of wild fish in aquaculture feed, is listed as a key impact in several of the Aquaculture Dialogues. Why?
- What is World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) stance on the use of wild fish in aquaculture feed?
- What are forage fish?
- Why is the dependence on forage fish an issue of concern for the Dialogues?
- What is “feed fish equivalency ratio” (FFER)?
- How do you calculate FFER?
- What are the shortcomings of the FFER calculation and methodology?
- Q: Feed, and the use of wild fish in aquaculture feed, is listed as a key impact in several of the Aquaculture Dialogues. Why?
A: Several key potential negative environmental impacts of aquaculture relate to feed. One of the main reasons this is listed as an impact is because small wild fish, such as anchoveta, are reduced to fishmeal and fish oil that are key components of aquaculture feed. This type of fish is in danger of being overfished if its fisheries are not properly managed. One-third of all wild caught fish are used in this manner. The environmental impacts of removing so many small fish from the ocean remain unclear but their potential impacts are of concern to fishery scientists, fishery managers and NGOs.Another reason is that any feed not consumed by farmed fish can enter the environment and pollute the water and benthic environment.
The potential impact from excess feed depends, in part, on the production system used. This problem is already being addressed by many producers, in part because the high cost of feed provides them with a natural incentive to use feed efficiently.
- Q: What is World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) stance on the use of wild fish in aquaculture feed?
A: WWF wants the aquaculture industry to be a net producer of fish protein for human consumption. One way to do so is for the industry to remain diverse and continue to produce a range of species, including those that do not require feeding. When producing species that require feed, a method to reduce the use of small wild fish (e.g. , anchoveta) is using waste from processed wild fish in aquaculture feed. This prevents that waste and nutrients from being dumped in the ocean or a landfill as trash. Using this byproduct can help offset the demand for small wild fish. Also, WWF believes that, as primary users of fishmeal and fish oil, the aquaculture industry should help ensure that the fisheries that supply the fish for these products are sustainable. Last, WWF thinks there should be incentives for producers to use waste from processed wild fish in aquaculture feed. - Q. What are forage fish?
A. Every fish species is consumed in large numbers by other ocean life at some point in their life. Therefore, they are considered to be food, or “forage” in the marine ecosystem. However, some species, particularly small fish (e.g., anchovies, anchovetas, herrings, pilchards and sardines) form large schools near the surface of the ocean (i.e., “pelagic”) and are consumed in vast numbers by other ocean life at virtually all stages in their life history, including as adults. These small fish are commonly referred to as “forage” fish because their huge abundance is critically important to the survival of other ocean life, such as sea birds, marine mammals and other species of larger fish. - Q: Why is the dependence on forage fish an issue of concern for the Dialogues?
A: Small forage fish are eaten by humans but are primarily reduced into fishmeal and fish oil for use in animal and aquaculture feed. The demand for this type of fish is high and expected to continue to rise. There is concern that increased demand could lead to the overfishing – and collapse – of small forage fish stocks. These small fish play an important role in the ecosystem and a lot of larger fish, marine species and seabird populations rely on these fish for feed. Many aquaculture industry stakeholders, including NGOs and producers, recognize that, if the industry is going to continue to grow, it will have to do so without significantly increasing its use of forage fish for fishmeal and fish oil. The aquaculture industry has reduced the percentage of fishmeal and oil in feed significantly in recent years, and continues to research ways to decrease reliance on them. - Q: What is “feed fish equivalency ratio” (FFER)?
A. FFER is a means of estimating the amount of wild forage fish used to produce a unit of farmed fish. This measurement of the dependency on forage fish for aquaculture production is also referred to as a “fish in : fish out ratio.” The calculation takes into account the yield of forage fish live weight to dry fishmeal weight, the efficiency of feed use (the feed conversion ratio or FCR) and the inclusion rates of fishmeal and fish oil in feed. The calculation can be undertaken for a single farm or net-pen or applied more broadly for an entire industry depending on available data. It can be used to evaluate the trend in dependency on wild fish resources over time, or to compare this dependency across farms or species produced.In the context of the Aquaculture Dialogues, FFER (rather than FCR) is being considered as a potential indicator for individual farm performance. It is highly likely that one or more of the Dialogues will choose to use it as an indicator and each of these Dialogues will develop a species appropriate performance level standard.
- Q: How do you calculate FFER?
A: The “dependency” or “equivalency” ratio for fishmeal and fish oil should be calculated and analyzed separately in order to most accurately track and understand the dependency of aquaculture producers on wild fish resources. For the purposes of the Aquaculture Dialogues and standards, if dependency on wild fish resources is chosen to be an indicator, this method would be applied at a farm (or pond or net-pen) level for individual producers who are attempting to meet the standard. FFER is calculated the following way:
FFER for fishmeal = (% of fishmeal in feed *eFCR)/(% yield fishmeal from wild fish)
FFER for fish oil = (% of fish oil in feed *eFCR)/(% yield fish oil from wild fish)In both calculations, the economic feed conversion ratio [(eFCR)= (total feed fed/total live fish harvested)] and the percentage fishmeal and fish oil in feed is the meal and oil that is derived from wild pelagic fisheries directly, excluding fishmeal and fish oil that are byproducts of wild fish processing.
Generally accepted estimates for the yield of fishmeal range from 22 – 27%. Estimates for yield of fish oil from wild forage fish range from 3-7%. Species and season are among the factors that affect the yield. Global average fishmeal yield of 22.22% and fish oil yield of 5% are assumed in the draft Tilapia Aquaculture Dialogue standards. Where possible, these yields should be adjusted to reflect the actual species used in feeds when calculating forage fish dependency.
- Q: What are the shortcomings of the FFER calculation and methodology?
A: These calculations do not take into account any fishmeal or oil that may be captured as a byproduct when processing the farmed fish. This means that any fishmeal or oil produced from the farmed fish is not subtracted. Perhaps most importantly, the sustainability of fisheries used in feeds is not accounted for in FFER and is a critical independent factor for ensuring that aquaculture feeds are sustainable. The origin and sustainability of the forage fish used in farm feed can (and should, in WWF’s opinion) be incorporated into a separate indicator and standard within each Dialogue.
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