Symposium on "Perspectives for Fishmeal and Fish Oil"

The purpose of the symposium is to bring stakeholders together for an informed discussion of trends, challenges and opportunities for the fishmeal and fish oil value chains (catch, processing and end use i.e. from supplies over processing to demand) in light of changing policy environments with respect to fisheries management, regulatory framework, food security, technological developments and changing stakeholder views. As a background it is noted that fishmeal and fish oil have for many years been of central importance to the feed compounds industry for use in animal feed, for both fish and land-based animals. Over the past decade an increasing demand for fish meal and fish oil for aquaculture and pharmaceuticals has resulted in increasing prices. Concurrently, innovation in plant breeding technologies and the use of alternatives to small pelagic fish (such as seaweed) has made it feasible to substitute traditional fishmeal with new meal products with Omega3 content. Aquaculture feed technologies have also evolved and the need for fish oil in feeds has decreased while the overall demand has gone up due to an increased global aquaculture production. In some countries public opinion has raised concerns about the use of pelagic resources for animal feed. Concurrently, the extent to which fishmeal and fish oil can be substituted, without compromising fish health and quality, is a challenge. A better mapping and understanding of fishmeal and fish oil's economic, biological and social interaction with the marine environment and the sector's economic and social contribution is warranted.