Study reviews alternatives for fish oil in fish feed

A joint study by institutes in Australia, Norway and Malaysia has reviewed and discussed research activities conducted to evaluate alternative lipid sources to replace fish oil in aqua diets.

Dietary lipids are required by fish as an essential source of omega-3 for healthy growth, reproduction and bodily functions.

Aqua feeds currently use about 90 percent of the global supply of fish oil as a lipid source. However, there is rising pressure on the aquaculture industry to find and use alternatives due to increasing fish oil prices and limited supplies.

The study focused on the effects of fish oil replacement in finfish nutrition on feed quality, fish performance, feed efficiency, lipid metabolism, final eating quality and related economic aspects.

The study concluded that about 75 percent of fish oil can be substituted with alternative lipid sources such as vegetable oils and animal fats, without significantly affecting growth performance, feed efficiency and intake for nearly all studied finfish species.

But because different species reacts differently to fish oil diet replacement, further research is required to achieve the production of eco-friendly and cost-effective aquafeeds.