“The supply of fishmeal and fish oil is not meeting current demand and raw material that could be used to supply these needs is being dumped at sea,” said Andrew Mallison, director general of IFFO The Marine Ingredients Organization (formerly the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization).
Mallison is at pains to point out that discards should not be caught in the first place and go for direct human consumption wherever possible, but if not, for example because the fish are too small or there is not a market for them, they should be used to produce fishmeal and fish oil.
“Demand for fishmeal is greatly increasing,” he said. “Mostly for fish feed for the burgeoning aquaculture industry, but also for animal feed. The production of pigs in
“Fish oil, with its high long chain omega-3 fatty acid content, is increasingly being used as health supplements.”
Approximately 4.5 million metric tons (MT) of fishmeal are produced each year, together with 1 million MT of fish oil, but this is not keeping pace with demand. As a result, feed formulators are reducing the fishmeal content and replacing it with what Mallison says are less digestible and less healthy ingredients.
“There will be less omega-3 fatty acids present and more omega-6 fatty acids, and this at a time when retailers are pushing the high omega-3 message.”
With more whole fish now going for direct human consumption, so called byproducts such as filleting waste — heads, tails, bones, skin etc — are increasingly being used to produce fishmeal and fish oil.
“There is also an environmental imperative to process by-products rather than dumping them. We and our members are actively working to increase the amount of byproducts recovered for fishmeal and fish oil production,” said Mallison.
IFFO estimates that more than 30 percent of the world’s fishmeal now comes from by-products, but this has only replaced the reduction in supply from whole fish and that total supply is capped at around 4.5 million MT. A recent FAO/OECD report predicted that by 2021, 43 percent of global fishmeal production should come from by-products.
Fishmeal is made primarily from whole fish, usually small bony species such as anchovy from
Byproducts are the next largest source of raw material and there is a substantial volume of filleting waste from onshore processing which could be used to provide fishmeal and fish oil. But again there could be logistical problems in getting it to a fishmeal plant.
“Storage and transport systems must be in place,” said Mallison. “In the past it has often been uneconomic to transport raw materials long distances but, as prices being paid for fishmeal and fish oil have risen, new possibilities may be available.”
Now that the discard controversy seems to be reaching a satisfactory conclusion, it will be interesting to see what will actually happen to the fish that should now be brought ashore. If it does not go to direct human consumption, which is recognized as the best solution, then using it to feed fish or animals that are then fed to people is a very acceptable second choice.
“The challenge now for the EU is to provide technical help to solve problems with transport and storage,” said Morrison.
IFFO The Marine Ingredients Organization members account for 60 percent of the world’s production of fishmeal and fish oil, and 80 percent of the trade. It now has a wide range of members including retailers and producers of omega-3 oil from krill and algae, hence the change in name.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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