1. Liêt CHIM & Tim PICKERING
Feed for aquaculture
Liêt CHIM & Tim PICKERING

2. Feeding fish to fish & shellfish
Three main ways of fish using in aquafeeds :
As fresh fish – usually in the form of trash fish, either used directly or mixed as a slurry or mash. Frozen whole pelagic fish are also used for fattening tuna and other large fish in cages.
As fishmeal and fish oil – mainly derived from the reduction of whole small pelagic fish to a concentrated high protein form/oil that is used in formulating compounded feeds.
As processing or other waste – fishmeal can be produced from fish processing waste (trimmings, offcuts and offal).

3. Feeding fresh/frozen fish
Tuna and Yellowtail culture
In Asia, marine and finfish aquaculture still depends upon either trash fish. This represents a simple, cheap and readily available source of protein, although conversion ratios and environmental performance are poor.

4. Feeding fresh/frozen waste fish in Fiji
10%
30%
10%
30%
60%
(Wet weight)
(Dry weight)
Using tuna waste in Fidji for Tilapia farming

5. Feeding processed fish : meal, oil, hydrolysat…
Three main ways of fish using in aquafeeds :
• As fresh fish – usually in the form of trash fish, either used directly or mixed as a slurry or mash. Frozen whole pelagic fish are also used for fattening tuna and other large fish in cages.
• As fishmeal and fish oil – mainly derived from the reduction of whole small pelagic fish to a concentrated high protein form/oil that is used in formulating compounded feeds.
• As processing or other waste – fishmeal can be produced from fish processing waste (trimmings, offcuts and offal).

6. Fishmeal and fish oil world production
Raw materials
Whole wild fish million tons
By products million tons
Total million tons
Production of
Fishmeal million tons
Fish oil ± 1 million tons

7. Use of wild fish for animal husbandry
5’600’000 mT meal +
1’170’000 mT oil
23’366’000 mT wild fish 

8. Fish meal and oil for aquafeed
81% Fish Oil
63% Fish meal

9. Around 25% of Fish Meal derived from by-products
(Chamberlain A., Fishmeal and Fish Oil – The facts, figures, trends and IFFO’s responsible supply standard)

10. Fish-In Fish-Out (FIFO)
« Quantity of whole wild fish needed for feeds/Quantity of farmed fish produced »
Level of fishmeal (%) + level of fish oil (%) in the diet
Yield of fishmeal (%) + Yield of fish oil (%) X
FCR
FIFO ratio(*) =
Marine shrimp FIFO ratio = (25 + 2/ ) x 2.5 = 2.4
(*) Jackson, Fish In – Fish Out (FIFO) Ratios explained – International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation

11. 1 kg of reared fish and shellfish
(After Jackson, A IFFO publication)
0,66 kg of fish
1 kg of reared fish and shellfish

12. Case study 1 in New Caledonia
Shrimp culture
Annual production (mT) 1500
Average FCR
FIFO ratio
Quantity of equivalent whole fish « imported » annualy
= 2.4 x 1500 = 3600 tons
Quantity of Fish waste available locally = 1000 tons
Potential saving on imported fish to feed shrimp : 28 %
(Photo H. Lemonnier)

13. Case study 2 in New Caledonia
Rabbit fish (Siganus lineatus) culture project
Estimated waste fish FIFO ratio = 0.6
1000 mT fish waste could produce 1600 mT of whole rabbit fish for human consumption

14. Case study in Fidji The actual production : 100 mT of Tilapia
25 mT of Macrobrachium
Tilapia FIFO ratios :
Whole fish =
Waste fish = ± 0.7
Fresh water shrimp FIFO ratios :
Whole fish = 0.5
Waste fish = ±1
Whole fish required = 0.3 x x 25 = tons
Waste fish required = 0.7 x x = tons

15. Conclusions
Fish is an important ingredient to feed fish and shellfish aquaculture
The fish waste products locally available represent an important protein source for the development of aquaculture in South Pacific countries.
To feed the aquaculture farms with the fish processing wastes allows to make savings on expensive imported fish meal.