An experiment in Ohio may point to a solution of aquaculture’s biggest sustainability problem, the fact that farmed fish need a much bigger quantity of fish for food.
Scientists at Ohio State University are exploring the possibility to use soybean oil and soy-based fishmeal as an alternative to pure fishmeal and fish oil. If successful, the project would also open a new market for one of Ohio’s most important field crops.
On the receiving side, the project involves the yellow perch, the state’s number one fish species, and a relative of the common European perch (Perca fluviatilis).
“The aquaculture industry demands 25 percent of the global fishmeal supply and 36 percent of the global fish oil supply, but fishmeal production is decreasing because of the decline of ocean fish used to make the product,” notes Han-Ping Wang, who leads the project “As a result, we see a great potential for us to use soybeans as a replacement due to its high protein content.”
He points out that currently 54 out of 358 cultured fish species are fed diets containing soybean meal or soy products, and with around 1,000 more fish under evaluation as new aquaculture species, opportunities abound for researching and evaluating soybeans as a viable fish feed.