Key Facts
Quality food is produced from quality feed: Marine ingredients are key ingredients for fish with aquafeed being the major market, (taking 65-70% of the material), pigs, poultry, and pets. Marine ingredients provide them with recognized superior nutrition. Those nutrients are then passed on to a very wide range of consumers.
Marine ingredients play an essential role in global food security: Fishmeal and fish oil come from both forage fish and by-products (resulting from fish processing that would otherwise be discarded). The increasing use of by-products is providing an essential additional raw material source to support the fast growing aquaculture industry. For the last ten years, the production of fishmeal and fish oil has been relatively stable at approximately 5 million tonnes of fishmeal, and 1 million tonnes of fish oil. 1kg wild fish gives 5kg farmed fish across global production systems.
Committed to responsible supply chains: This is a complex value chain spreading across the world, with decades of knowledge and robust certification standards to support their sustainability credentials. According to MarinTrust 51%, the global supply of marine ingredients is responsible sourced and produced.
Want to learn more? Read our glossary and our in-depth article about metrics
The Role of marine ingredients
How and why marine ingredients are used, the sources and traceability; and their role in global food security.
Nutrition - Optimising human nutrition within global constraints
Small pelagic species are top performers in both dimensions: climate and nutrition. Aquaculture is the most effective way to use the nutrients that small pelagic species contain.
Fishmeal and fish oil's role in the Blue Transformation
FAO’s work on aquatic food systems for the period 2022–2030 is outlined in its Blue Transformation roadmap, built on three core components.
Climate Change - the effects, mitigation and adaptation
The consequences of climate change are complex and far reaching and the following graphics help explain its impacts on the marine ingredients industry and the role the industry plays in global food security.
Marine ingredients play a strategic role in aquafeed formulation strategies - NEW
Based on a precision nutrition approach, marine ingredients are being used more strategically, where they leverage greatest value...
The Evolution of Sustainability metrics for marine ingredients
As the aquaculture industry has evolved over the years, so have the metrics used to measure the use of marine ingredients.
Fishmeal and fish oil's role in the Blue Transformation
FAO’s work on aquatic food systems for the period 2022–2030 is outlined in its Blue Transformation roadmap, built on three core components. Explore the role of marine ingredients within these components.
Watch our latest short snapshot videos below