Fish meal

Fish meal is a commercial product made from both whole fish and the bones and offal from processed fish. It is a brown powder or cake obtained by rendering pressing the cooked whole fish or fish trimmings to remove most of the fish oil and water, and then ground. What remains is the "fishmeal".

History

Fish meal has been used as a fertilizer since the Viking age, if not earlier. The use of fish meal in poultry diets was first reported in the United States in 1911, and in the 1920s and 1930s, increasing amounts of fish meal were used in the diet of growing chickens. Soon after this, fish meal was introduced to pig diets. Today, fish meal is primarily used in diets for domestic animals and farmed fish.

Production

Fish meal is typically made from bycatch that are caught when fishing for other species, but can also be made from the bones and offal left over from processing fish caught for human consumption. The fish are first cooked, then pressed to remove the oil and water, and finally ground into fish meal.

Uses

Fish meal is a high-protein supplement used in feed for farmed animals, including farmed fish and shrimp. It is also used as a fertilizer for plants. The high protein content and balanced amino acid composition make it a very valuable ingredient in feeds for farmed animals.

Environmental Impact

The production of fish meal can have significant environmental impacts. Overfishing of species used to produce fish meal can lead to declines in fish populations. The process of making fish meal can also produce pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions.

See Also

• Fish oil
• Fish farming
• Aquaculture
• Sustainable fishing