Just out: A Cursory Look at the Fishmeal/Oil Industry From an Ecosystem Perspective

This paper examines the much-debated question as to whether it is justified to take away food from marine predators to subsidize agriculture via the fishmeal industry. It examines potentially more sustainable alternatives to fishmeal in the light of the increasing aquaculture industry and the associated increasing demand in recent decades for fishmeal and oil to sustain cultured fish. Drawing on research into the trophic role of forage fish in marine ecosystems, the authors question whether reducing the demand for fishmeal, given increasing global pressures such as climate change, may benefit marine ecosystems, fisheries on predatory species, and vulnerable marine predators. View the paper here.