Inequity in Fishmeal and Fish Oil Production.

The global supply of fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) has been essential to the tremendous growth of aquaculture production over the past 30 years. Seventeen million tonnes of wild fish were caught and reduced to FMFO in 2022 and almost all of which (87% FM, 74% FO) was used by aquaculture to feed certain finfish and crustaceans. It is estimated that 4-5kg of wild fish is currently used to produce 1kg of farmed salmon. With increased aquaculture production often deemed necessary to feed a growing human population, it is important to better understand the potential implications that further growth, and demand for FMFO, may have for equity and justice. In this review and analysis, using examples from Peru and West Africa, we explore how the industrial extraction of marine resources for FMFO disproportionately harms small-scale fisheries and coastal communities, often in the Global South. Specifically, we focus on the extraction of small pelagic fish species such as anchovies and sardines to produce FMFO as feed for farmed salmon that is consumed almost exclusively in richer countries. Further, we analyze how industrial scale reduction of fish to FMFO threatens the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by perpetuating inequitable and unjust practices, including the unsustainable harvesting of small pelagic fish species, which has far-reaching consequences for marine food webs and biodiversity and the nutritional security of coastal communities that depend on access to these fish. Lastly, we propose policy interventions that aim to mitigate the inequality in FMFO production while fostering greater inclusivity and fairness in the global fishing industry.