F3 Future of Fish Feed

Currently, we depend on one-third of global fisheries – tiny, oily forage fish – to produce farm-raised blue foods. Yet, overfishing of these keystone species disrupts ocean ecosystems and biodiversity, threatening the survival of seabirds, marine mammals, and many commercial fisheries such as salmon, cod and tuna. We need innovation in aquafeed to save ocean ecosystems and strengthen global food security.

Since forage fish are an input into farm-raised seafood, and their availability depends on ocean conditions, such as El Niño and overfishing, their availability has wildly fluctuated in recent years. In 2023, El Niño threatened the supply of Peruvian Anchoveta, the largest source of fishmeal and fish oil, resulting in scarcity and higher prices for consumers of farmed seafood. Exacerbating overfishing is the fact that forage fish themselves are yielding 8-9x less fish oil in El Niño years, requiring 8-9 times more fish to yield the same amount of oil. Fortunately, there are a growing number of producers of fish oil replacements that can fill in the gap and enable aquaculture to continue growing.

The F3 – Future of Fish Feed is a collaborative effort to support much needed innovative replacements for wild-caught marine ingredients in aquaculture feed for greater food security and to preserve environmental integrity. The F3 proposed Decade Action calls for everyone to encourage nutrition innovation across the supply chain to reduce reliance on keystone species as feed ingredients in Blue Foods and in other sectors. This action aims to promote sustainable sources such as algae, insect meals, and single cell proteins, and fermentation by-products instead.

The F3 Team will continue to encourage innovation through industry-focused challenges, networking events, support for the alternative feed community via the F3 Feed Innovation Network (FIN), and sponsorship of new scientific research into alternative ingredients. However, it is an “All Hands On Deck” situation where many different groups – academics, scientists, innovators, investors, ingredient, feed, and farm companies as well as retailers, consumers, and NGOs – need to be involved to encourage and enact change.

By promoting innovative alternatives to wild-caught fish and krill for aquafeed, the F3 initiative supports the aquaculture industry in meeting the food security needs of our growing world population while safeguarding our oceans and wild marine stocks for future generations. Learn more about F3 and how to get involved at www.f3challenge.org.

Start Date: 01/01/2016
End Date: 01/01/2030

Lead Contacts: The F3 Team (f3fishfreefeed@gmail.com) and Ford Brodeur (ford@anthinst.org)