America’s Heartland to Benefit from Offshore Aquaculture

Over the past several decades, advances in science and technology have made offshore aquaculture one of the most sustainable forms of protein production. Feed innovation has been pivotal to the improved sustainability and efficiency of aquaculture, and America’s farming communities are at the heart of this innovation.

Fish require a high-quality diet to meet their nutritional needs: a mix of essential nutrients, amino acids, fatty acids, and energy. Previously, fish feeds relied heavily on fish-based ingredients, like fishmeal and fish oil – as much as 50%, to replicate the nutritional needs of fish. But, along with today’s modern aquaculture industry, fish feeds have also evolved. Most feeds are now plant-based and healthier than ever. In an article published in Nature, “The future of food from the sea,” researchers found that fish-based feed used to raise Atlantic salmon decreased from 90% to 25% from the 1990s to 2020.

Ingredients used in feeds today include proteins from farm-grown crops, like soybeans, corn, peas, wheat, barley, and rice, as well as oils from soybean, canola, and flaxseed. Other plant proteins like algae and seafood processing co-products are part of the healthy mix. Other areas of study for alternative feeds include the use of yeast, insects, seaweed, and more.

By replacing fish-based feeds with sustainable plant protein-based sources, it not only reduces the industry’s reliance on wild and farmed fish, but it provides a more cost-effective feed option for fish farmers. Feed is often one of the most expensive costs for fish farming businesses. 

From Kansas to Idaho, to Pennsylvania, American companies are producing more high-quality fish feeds made from the highest quality plant-based sources to meet growing demand. 

The government and agricultural industry have also collaborated to support feed innovation. The NOAA-USDA Alternative Feeds Initiative was established years ago to accelerate the development of alternative feeds for aquaculture with the help of farmers and manufacturers.

To raise awareness of the opportunities for America’s farming community, Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) will attend the 2023 Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 20, as a sponsor, with several of its members, including Cargill, Wenger Manufacturing, Ziegler, and Manna Fish Farms.

SATS advocates for the passage of federal legislation to support the expansion of offshore aquaculture in federal waters so that communities across America – both coastal and rural, would reap the economic benefits and enjoy healthy seafood. Learn more.