Feed for aquaculture
Liêt CHIM & Tim PICKERING
Feeding fish to fish & shellfish
Three main ways of fish using in aquafeeds :
 As fresh fish – usually in the form of trash fish, either used directly or
mixed as a slurry or mash. Frozen whole pelagic fish are also used for
fattening tuna and other large fish in cages.
 As fishmeal and fish oil – mainly derived from the reduction of whole
small pelagic fish to a concentrated high protein form/oil that is used in
formulating compounded feeds.
 As processing or other waste – fishmeal can be produced from fish
processing waste (trimmings, offcuts and offal).
Feeding fresh/frozen fish
Tuna and Yellowtail culture
In Asia, marine and finfish aquaculture still depends upon either trash fish. This
represents a simple, cheap and readily available source of protein, although
conversion ratios and environmental performance are poor.
Feeding fresh/frozen waste fish in Fiji
10%
30%
10%
30%
60%
(Wet weight)
(Dry weight)
Using tuna waste in Fidji for Tilapia farming
Feeding processed fish : meal, oil, hydrolysat…
Three main ways of fish using in aquafeeds :
• As fresh fish – usually in the form of trash fish, either used directly or
mixed as a slurry or mash. Frozen whole pelagic fish are also used for
fattening tuna and other large fish in cages.
• As fishmeal and fish oil – mainly derived from the reduction of whole
small pelagic fish to a concentrated high protein form/oil that is used in
formulating compounded feeds.
• As processing or other waste – fishmeal can be produced from fish
processing waste (trimmings, offcuts and offal).
Fishmeal and fish oil world production

Raw materials

Whole wild fish
 By products
 Total

17-18
5-6
22-23
million tons
million tons
million tons
5- 6
±1
million tons
million tons
Production of

Fishmeal
 Fish oil
Use of wild fish for animal husbandry
23’366’000 mT wild fish 
5’600’000 mT meal
+
1’170’000 mT oil
Aquaculture
1664000;
7%
Pigs
Poultry
5007000;
21%
16696000;
72%
Fish meal and oil for aquafeed
81% Fish Oil
63% Fish meal
5%
4%
6%
6%
26%
Crustaceans
Marine fish
Salmon and trout
Eels
Ciprinids
27%
26%
Tilapia
Other
Around 25% of Fish Meal derived from by-products
(Chamberlain A., 2011. Fishmeal and Fish Oil – The facts, figures, trends and IFFO’s responsible supply standard)
Fish-In Fish-Out (FIFO)
« Quantity of whole wild fish needed for
feeds/Quantity of farmed fish produced »
Level of fishmeal (%) + level of fish oil (%) in the diet
(*)
X FCR
FIFO ratio =
Yield of fishmeal (%) + Yield of fish oil (%)
Marine shrimp FIFO ratio = (25 + 2/ 23 + 5) x 2.5 = 2.4
(*) Jackson, 2009. Fish In – Fish Out (FIFO) Ratios explained – International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation
FM in diet
(%)
FO in diet
(%)
FIFO ratio
Fish used
(x1000 mt)
Salmon
30
20
2,2
3157
Trout
30
15
1,9
1226
Eel
55
5
2,9
784
Marine Fish
32
8
1,9
2858
Shrimp
20
2
1,2
3754
FW Crustaceans
15
1,5
0,5
586
Tilapia
6
0,5
0,3
718
Catfish
10
1,7
0,4
777
Milkfish
3
1
0,1
65
Carp
5
0
0,1
1460
Misc FW carn. Fish
40
5
0,5
386
0,66
15771
Species
Total for Fish and shellfish
(After Jackson, A. 2011 IFFO publication)
0,66 kg of fish
1 kg of reared fish and shellfish
Case study 1 in New Caledonia
Shrimp culture
Annual production (mT)
Average FCR
FIFO ratio
1500
2.5
2.4
Quantity of equivalent whole fish « imported » annualy
= 2.4 x 1500 = 3600 tons
Quantity of Fish waste available locally = 1000 tons
Potential saving on imported fish to feed shrimp : 28 %
(Photo H. Lemonnier)
Case study 2 in New Caledonia
Rabbit fish (Siganus lineatus) culture project
Estimated waste fish FIFO ratio = 0.6
1000 mT fish waste could produce 1600 mT of
whole rabbit fish for human consumption
Case study in Fidji
The actual production :
• 100 mT of Tilapia
• 25 mT of Macrobrachium
Tilapia FIFO ratios :
• Whole fish = 0.3
• Waste fish = ± 0.7
Fresh water shrimp FIFO ratios :
• Whole fish = 0.5
• Waste fish = ±1
Whole fish required = 0.3 x 100 + 0.5 x 25 = 42.5 tons
Waste fish required = 0.7 x 100 + 1 x 25 = 95.0 tons
Conclusions
Fish is an important ingredient to feed fish
and shellfish aquaculture
 The fish waste products locally available
represent an important protein source for
the development of aquaculture in South
Pacific countries.
 To feed the aquaculture farms with the fish
processing wastes allows to make savings
on expensive imported fish meal.
